Effective July 1, 2026 / Follow-up to Bluffton Lions learn about changes to regional public television offerings

JUNE 3 MEDIA RELEASE__Following months of coordinated planning, WGTE Public Media and WBGU-TV today announced a new broadcasting partnership that will provide continued delivery of trusted PBS programming for viewers across northwest Ohio. 

Beginning July 1, WGTE Public Media will assume broadcasting responsibilities for PBS programming from WBGU, following the conclusion of the station’s PBS affiliation.

The partnership comes after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s closure earlier this year due to federal funding cuts, which impacted public broadcasters nationwide, including WBGU and led to the decision to end the station’s PBS affiliation after June 30. Since then, WBGU has proactively engaged in discussions with WGTE to develop alternatives and solutions to ensure continued, uninterrupted access to PBS programming in its 19-county viewing area.

As WBGU’s existing PBS broadcasting arrangement concludes, this partnership provides WBGU viewers continued access on channel 27 to the PBS programming they rely on. WGTE Public Media, northwest Ohio’s established public media organization, operating both PBS and NPR services, is well-positioned to support WBGU’s mission of serving the Bowling Green community and beyond.

“At WGTE, our mission has always been to serve our community. This partnership is a natural extension of that commitment,” said Dale Thornton, Interim President and CEO of WGTE Public Media. “We believe this is the right step for both audiences, our donors, and the communities we are privileged to serve together. We are proud to assume this responsibility and look forward to what this means for public media in northwest Ohio in the foreseeable future.”

The partnership reflects the shared values of both organizations and their commitment to the communities of northwest Ohio. Both WGTE Public Media and Bowling Green State University believe this collaboration represents the best path forward for their respective PBS audiences and look forward to its positive impact on the region’s public media landscape.

“For more than six decades, WBGU-TV has served northwest Ohio with educational and engaging programming, and we are proud to partner with WGTE Public Media to continue providing sought-after PBS programming to our viewers,” said Tom Cummings, general manager of WBGU-TV. “Through this collaboration, we will continue serving the community with uninterrupted access to quality PBS programming on channel 27 that so many people rely on and turn to for information and entertainment. We look forward to next steps with WGTE Public Media and are thrilled for this new opportunity to continue the delivery of PBS programming on WBGU.”

WBGU will continue to remain a broadcasting unit at Bowling Green State University with limited operations, focused on livestreaming services, including Commencement, athletic and arts events and more. WBGU will also continue to identify new learning opportunities for students while leveraging its broadcast capabilities in continued service to the community.

In the near future, current WBGU members will receive additional information from WGTE and WBGU about this new agreement and their PBS membership.