Houston Public Media Foundation

HPMF'S ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION IS TO INFORM AND INSPIRE THROUGH NEWS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT, 24/7 ACROSS BROADCAST AND DIGITAL CHANNELS.

NEWS: IN 2023, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL NEW INITIATIVES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. TO ENSURE WE ARE BEST SERVING OUR SPRAWLING COMMUNITY, WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST-EVER REGIONAL BUREAU IN FORT BEND COUNTY. WE NOW HAVE A REPORTER GETTING TO KNOW RESIDENTS WHILE LIVING IN AND COVERING IMPACTFUL STORIES OUT OF FORT BEND COUNTY. WE PLAN FOR THE FORT BEND COUNTY BUREAU TO BE THE FIRST OF A HANDFUL OF REGIONAL BUREAUS ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON, EMPOWERING HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA TO DELIVER LOCAL AND HYPERLOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION. IN ANOTHER EFFORT TO INCREASE ITS DIVERSE OFFERINGS, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA PARTNERED WITH NHK WORLD-JAPAN, THE INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OF JAPAN'S PUBLIC MEDIA ORGANIZATION, TO PROVIDE HOUSTONIANS WITH PRIMARILY ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FEATURING THE LATEST INFORMATION ON JAPAN AND ASIA. THIS YEAR, THE HOUSTON MAYORAL ELECTION WAS MONUMENTAL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND UNIVISION HOUSTON TO HOST THE 2023 HOUSTON MAYORAL DEBATE, EMPOWERING HOUSTONIANS WITH IMPORTANT INSIGHTS AND INFORMATION JUST DAYS BEFORE THE POLLS OPENED FOR EARLY VOTING. CANDIDATES DEBATED TOPICS THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING CRIME RATES, HISPANIC VOTERS' CONCERNS, IMMIGRATION, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. A PANEL OF JOURNALISTS ASKED THE CANDIDATES ABOUT THEIR VIEWS ON PRESSING ISSUES AND THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY IF ELECTED. THE DEBATE WAS SIMULCAST ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. IN ADDITION TO THE TELEVISED BROADCAST, RADIO LISTENERS WERE ABLE TO TUNE IN TO NEWS 88.7, AND ONLINE USERS WERE ABLE TO STREAM THROUGH HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA.ORG AND SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS.

EDUCATION: HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA IS THE NATION'S FIRST PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION AND THE REGION'S SOURCE FOR PBS PROGRAMMING. IN ADDITION TO BRINGING FAVORITES LIKE MASTERPIECE AND NOVA, WE OFFER EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY 24/7 ACCESS TO CURRICULUM-BASED EDUCATIONAL CONTENT. PBS LEARNINGMEDIA OFFERS FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR PREK-12 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS. CREATED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH EDUCATORS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, PBS LEARNINGMEDIA RESOURCES SPAN EIGHT SUBJECT AREAS PLUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY ARE GROUPED BY GRADE BANDS TO HELP USERS QUICKLY FIND HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS. LESSONS ARE PAIRED WITH VIDEO CONTENT THAT CAN BE USED BOTH AT HOME AND IN THE CLASSROOM. FRIDAY NIGHTS ARE FAMILY NIGHTS ON PBS KIDS. WATCH, PLAY, AND LEARN WITH YOUR FAVORITE PBS KIDS CHARACTERS EVERY FRIDAY FROM 6 TO 8 P.M., OR CATCH A REPEAT ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS. PBS KIDS FAMILY NIGHT FEATURES MOVIE SPECIALS AND THEMED PROGRAMMING, FROM ROSIE'S RULES TO WILD KRATTS, TO HELP YOUR FAMILY END THE WEEK ON A HIGH NOTE.

ARTS AND CULTURE: HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA IS PROUD TO SERVE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TO PRODUCE AND SHARE CONTENT THAT HONORS THE CULTURES AND VOICES THAT MAKE UP OUR DIVERSE REGION. HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA'S I SEE U WITH EDDIE ROBINSON RECEIVED A PUBLIC MEDIA AWARD AT THE 55TH ANNUAL NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION PUBLIC MEDIA AWARDS CEREMONY IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023. THE AWARD-WINNING EPISODE, THE SOULS OF RUSSELL HORNSBY, FEATURES ACCLAIMED ACTOR RUSSELL HORNSBY SHARING HIS VULNERABILITY IN A COMPELLING CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN TRUTH AND FINDING ONE'S AUTHENTIC SELF WHILE PORTRAYING OTHERS ONSTAGE AND ONSCREEN. ANOTHER POPULAR PROGRAM, HOUSTON MATTERS WITH CRAIG COHEN, CELEBRATED ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY IN APRIL 2023. TO CELEBRATE A DECADE OF IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE PEOPLE, PLACES, ISSUES, AND IDEAS THAT DEFINE GREATER HOUSTON, THE HOUSTON MATTERS TEAM SPENT THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE SHOW'S ANNIVERSARY LOOKING BACK AND DISCUSSING HOW HOUSTON'S SPORTS, POLITICS, ARTS, FOOD SCENE, ENERGY INDUSTRY, TRANSPORTATION, TECHNOLOGY, WEATHER, AND ENVIRONMENT HAVE-AND HAVEN'T-CHANGED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. THE ANNIVERSARY WEEK CULMINATED WITH AN EXTENDED EDITION OF THE SHOW HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE TEAM'S FAVORITE REPORTS AND CONVERSATIONS, FAMOUS GUESTS, AND GREAT MUSICAL MOMENTS. HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA WAS SELECTED TO BE ONE OF THREE MEMBER STATIONS TO PARTNER WITH PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS AS A REGIONAL DIGITAL CENTER OF INNOVATION, AIMING TO EXPAND THE VOICES OF DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. COLLABORATING WITH PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS AND THE OTHER REGIONAL PARTNERS ALLOWS US TO DEEPEN OUR DIGITAL CAPACITY AND SHOWCASE MORE UNDERREPRESENTED CONTENT CREATORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE CAMERA. IN 2023, WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST SERIES AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, DEAD AND BURIED. THE DIGITAL SERIES EXPLORES OUR EVOLVING ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH, INCLUDING THE GROWING TREND TOWARDS OPENNESS AND HONESTY ABOUT END-OF-LIFE CARE. IT AIMS TO BREAK TABOOS AND PRESENT CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES TO EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ONE OF LIFE'S MOST NATURAL AND PROFOUND EXPERIENCES.