Public media is more valuable than ever during coronavirus pandemic

Here at WCTE, the public television station for the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee, we work every day to serve as a lifeline to our viewers, providing trusted educational programming, important regional and national information, and vital public safety services.

WCTE is trusted because we know and love this community, and we’re proud to be part of it. I’m from Cookeville and started at WCTE in 1980 as their first student intern and for the last 14 years, I have served as its president and CEO. Our station is the only broadcast television service licensed to our rural region of Tennessee, and for many of our residents, WCTE is the only signal they receive via an antenna. And if that signal goes down, they reach out to us immediately.

I am proud that our station not only provides the best from PBS, we are committed to telling the stories of our culture. Stories of hardship and courage that connect us to one another. We also provide information that is essential to our region. And we create and provide educational services, content and engagement that is relevant to our community, always provided for free and commercial free.

Right now, with schools being closed, we are getting phone calls from parents who are so grateful that our team worked quickly in partnership with other Tennessee public media stations, the Tennessee Department of Education and PBS to offer curriculum-based, educational programming to our region. For the families without access to reliable internet service, this over-the-air programming is their best option to help their children keep up with their studies.

We are also hearing from those in our community who have no other reliable source of news that our daily live updates from our governor, as well as city and county leaders, about the spread of COVID-19 and the importance of staying home are invaluable.

And for many of our viewers, who like others across the country are having to tighten their belts while still providing for their families, they say they are thankful for the information we provide regarding small business development loans, community food banks and other resources that keep us connected and thriving during this national emergency.

I believe that if you ask WCTE’s viewers if we make a difference in our community and in their lives, you will hear echoed the statement Jill Ramsey, the Putnam County School Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction for PreK-4 recently told me – “WCTE is like a loyal friend. You are always there for us when we need you most.”

WCTE has faced trying times in the past, but COVID-19 threatens our very existence. Like the many families and companies across the country that contribute to public media, local public media stations like WCTE are now presented with tremendous economic uncertainty and declining incomes. Without the financial support from Congress and continued financial support from the public, WCTE will be greatly at risk, as will be the vital services we offer our communities.

In the midst of this crisis, we need trusted information, community connections, educational content for at home learning, and stories of our American resolve that inspire and encourage. WCTE and other public media stations provide this for free to otherwise unserved and underserved communities across the nation. In times like this, public broadcasting is more valuable than ever.

Becky Magura is president and CEO of WCTE in Cookeville, Tenn.