Rendering of the exterior of PBS Appalachia
PBS Appalachia is the public broadcasting system’s first all-digital PBS affiliate. Its new studio is in the Hard Rock Bristol Casino, Bristol, Virginia. It is located on the lower level of the casino.
Julie Newman, formerly with WCYB-TV 5, is the chief operating officer and general manager. She took time out from her busy schedule to answer some questions about the station.
History
A! Magazine for the Arts: Who envisioned PBS Appalachia? When? Why? When did you originally open?
Newman: PBS Appalachia is the nation’s first all-digital PBS affiliate, dedicated to serving Southwest Virginia. Until our station launched on June 10, 2023, our region was one of the only pockets in the country not serviced by any PBS station. We believe deeply that the 380,000 people who call these mountains home deserve the same level of public media access as nearly every other American.
The mission of PBS Appalachia is to amplify the voice of Southwest Virginia by creating high-quality local content that reflects our culture and preserves our heritage, while also delivering PBS network programming. And the impact extends beyond Virginia — our shows reach national audiences through the PBS distribution system, and our uplifting themes help counteract negative stereotypes of the region sometimes portrayed in mainstream media, allowing the rest of the country to see the richness of Appalachian life.
A! Magazine: What is the relationship between PBS Appalachia and Blue Ridge Public Television?
Newman: Historically, Blue Ridge PBS was charged by the FCC with servicing 42% of the geographic Commonwealth, stretching from Greater Roanoke, westward through Southwest Virginia.
However, it was difficult to effectively cover such a vast territory, and there were complaints from viewers in the Appalachian region that they could not tune-in the signal because of the topography of the mountains. In 2013, the Virginia General Assembly cut funding to all public media in the Commonwealth. So, Blue Ridge PBS was forced to shut down its two transmitters in Norton and Marion, Virginia, effectively cutting off service to the 14 counties and three cities that comprise Southwest Virginia.
In 2019, Blue Ridge PBS came under new leadership. Will Anderson was named President and CEO and set a priority to restore service to far Southwest. With support from Senator Todd Pillion and Delegate Will Morefield, the Virginia General Assembly granted some seed money to help create PBS Appalachia. Anderson brought on Julie Newman, a journalist with 20 years’ experience and deep ties to the region through her decade on the anchor desk of News 5 WCYB in Bristol, Virginia, and also a boomerang employee of Blue Ridge PBS in her former role as Executive Producer.
A! Magazine: Is PBS Appalachia an independent station?
Newman: We decided to launch as the first all-digital affiliate for several important reasons. Our most important priority is making sure we are able to reach as many people as possible in Southwest Virginia, and the over-the-air transmitters we had prior to 2013 did not saturate the region, nor could they provide reliable service to homes tucked into hollers and hillsides. Streaming technology ensures access for everyone, regardless of geography. Secondly, erecting towers is expensive. Each tower — and there would have to be several — costs about $1.5 million to erect, and would require a dedicated engineer, as well as ongoing maintenance costs, making this cost prohibitive as a start-up. And finally, broadcast is not a forward-thinking technology. The future of the television industry is digital — streaming platforms are where new audiences are going — and PBS Appalachia is focused on innovation. Our status as the nation’s first all-digital public media affiliate is a tremendous source of pride for a region that is typically severely under-resourced, proving Southwest Virginia can lead in media innovation.
As we developed the concept for this all-digital station, we worked with PBS national leadership to license their branded logo and distribute their content.
A! Magazine: How can people access your station?
Newman: You can watch PBS Appalachia almost anywhere you already watch TV — except with an antenna. We have agreements with somelocal cable providers as well as Roku TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and soon, Samsung Smart TV. You can also watch online through our website and mobile app.
If you live in Southwest Virginia, you can see our content in both a linear fashion, which is the traditional way of watching television, or on-demand, the modern streaming style. As all PBS Station are geo-fenced to their native market, if you live outside the region, you can only watch our local shows on-demand. Viewers can also find our content on PBS’s streaming platform,PBS.org.(It’s easiest to search by show name.) We have also developed a robust YouTube presence for our original programs as well as additional local content.
A! Magazine: What is your relationship with Hard Rock? It seems unusual for a public tv station to be in a casino. What will your new station look like?
Newman: We are thrilled to partner with Hard Rock Bristol, a company that, like us, is committed to giving back to Southwest Virginia. While we’ve been on the air for nearly two years (June 10, 2023), we have not had a place to call home. All our work has been done “in the field.” Now, we are excited to call Bristol, Virginia, our new home.
Our 4,000-square-foot-space is on the lower level of Hard Rock, across from Constant Grind coffee shop. We are located in a non-gambling area of the resort open to all ages. The center piece of the studio is a massive 28-foot LED virtual production wall, allowing for maximum versatility. The adjacent podcast studio is designed for audio and video productions. Anyone passing by can stop and watch production in action through a 46-foot glass viewing window.This isn’t just a studio—it’s a community hub for storytelling.
Staff
A! Magazine: Describe the background and credentials of yourself and your full-time employees.
Newman: The team at PBS Appalachia is made up of six dedicated members. They are Julie Newman, chief operating officer and general manager; Shannon Naff, corporate support executive; Jacob Dellinger, director of production; Josh Deel, senior producer, Robert Forsyth, director of digital media and Sara Muncy, producer.
A! Magazine: What are the differences between working at a commercial TV station and a public TV station? What are the rewards of working at a public TV station?
Newman: The work we do at PBS Appalachia is deeply meaningful and extremely rewarding. Our content is designed to shine a positive light on Southwest Virginia and help move the region forward.
One of the main differences between a commercial station and public media is that we are not selling ads or covering daily news cycles. At PBS Appalachia, we are free to focus on impact — creating beautifully crafted, award-winning stories that uplift Southwest Virginia. Our programs preserve the legacy and uniqueness of the region — a mission that no other media station in the region is able to pursue.
We work hard with a small but mighty crew, using high-end equipment and cinematic techniques, taking exceptional care with lighting and set design. This is how we create the award-winning content that resonates with viewers and sets us apart on the media landscape.
Programming
A! Magazine: Describe the types of original programming you have done since inception.
Newman: PBS Appalachia initially launched with three flagship series (10 episodes each season), all of which are now in production for season three. All our local content produced in Southwest Virginia by a crew native to the area.
“Hometowns”is a deep dive into the heart and soul of Appalachian communities, celebrating their resilience, history and uniqueness.
“French Magnolia Cooks”is a lifestyle and cooking series that sources local ingredients from Appalachian farms and hunts, then teaches you to prepare a homecooked meal.
“The Life of a Musician” is an intimate interview and acoustic performance show featuring some of the nation’s most talented artists, filmed in authentic Appalachian venues.
We have expanded our content to include:
“Life in Virginia’s Appalachia” is a six-part mini-series highlighting prominent culture and traditions of Virginia’s Appalachia region, showcasing how traditions have transformed over the years.
“The Prairie Preacher” is a mini-documentary exploring the important role native Appalachian grasslands play in the fight against climate change.
“Heroes Caring for Heroes” is a one-hour discussion style program about the caregiving journey for our military heroes dealing with the seen and unseen scars of military life and war.
Productions on the Horizon include “Tazewell Class of ‘73,”a documentary grounded in preserving the heritage of a remarkable graduating class and the legacy they have built in the community over the past five decades; and “Surfing the Snow: The Untold Story of the Snurfer,” a mini-documentary on the roots of snowboarding and how they trace back to Marion, Virginia.
A! Magazine: Where did the ideas for these programs come from? What size teams were needed to produce these?
Newman: Our productions come from a combination of ideas that are brought to us, such as“French Magnolia Cooks,” and ideas that we find important to Southwest Virginia, like “Hometowns.”
A! Magazine: What awards have been won by them?
Newman: In just two years, our team is honored to have more than two dozen regional and national awards for our production work. Most notably, we are exceedingly proud that in our inaugural award season in 2023, PBS Appalachia was nominated for 14 awards (including seven Emmys) and won all 14 — an unbelievable 100%-win rate. We followed that up the next year with 12 more awards — including five more Emmys.
A! Magazine: Are these programs shown on any other PBS stations in the U.S.?
Newman: Shows produced by PBS Appalachia Virginia have a large scale audience reach through the PBS distribution system. For example,“The Life of a Musician”is running in 65 television markets,“French Magnolia Cooks”is in 52 markets and“Hometowns”is in 42 markets. Collectively our shows are seen in over 56% of the United States’ television markets and are available to over 180 million viewers. In addition to television viewership, each can be viewed on top streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and YouTube where our signature series,“Hometowns,” has over 200,000 views.
The Future
A! Magazine: What are your plans for the future with your new station?
Newman: Our vision for the future is to continue to create educational and entertaining content that makes people proud to call Southwest Virginia home and invites visitors to our region who are inspired to come here based on our content. We plan to continue to do the fieldwork that has earned us so many awards, but more importantly, has earned us the support of our Southwest Virginia communities.
In addition, we will develop new and relevant content from our new state-of-the-art facility at Hard Rock Bristol, such as:
Gubernatorial Debate-We have partnered with Cardinal News and The Appalachian School of Law and plan to produce a 2025 Gubernatorial Debate between the two primary candidates running for the highest office in the Commonwealth.
Take Care-a magazine-style series providing support to caregivers, whether it’s an elderly parent, a disabled family member or someone recovering from illness or injury.
Pip’s Tips-an interstitial series during PBS children’s programming, developed in accordance with educational guidelines for pre-k audiences.
Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver (podcast) - a successful series with more than 300,000 downloads (including streaming), ranked in the top 5% of all podcasts globally.
A! Magazine: What else would you like the community to know about PBS Appalachia?
Newman: As a non-profit, we rely on innovative avenues of revenue.
We are grateful for support from the Virginia General Assembly through the Department of Education, Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, The McGlothlin Foundation, The Anne and Gene Worrell Foundation, Go Virginia Region 1 and The Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia.
PBS Appalachia is the only station in the U.S. that is not eligible for federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. As the nation’s first all-digital public media station, we do not qualify as a “broadcast” entity.
We are always looking to create relationships with area businesses and philanthropists whose vision for Southwest Virginia aligns with ours.
For more information about PBS Appalachia, visit www.pbsavirginia.org.
