Wyoming’s public TV network plans to drop PBS branding
Courtesy Wyoming PBS
"Climbing High Places," a Wyoming PBS special that debuted in May, follows three different climbing teams as they ascend peaks in Wyoming's rugged mountain ranges.
Wyoming PBS plans to adopt localized branding to reposition itself as “Wyoming’s storyteller.”
The rebranding, announced last month, will remove “PBS” from the station’s identity and emphasize the network’s deepening focus on local programming and community connections.
“This rebrand is a declaration of independence, not a departure from quality,” said Joanna Kail, CEO of Wyoming PBS, in a press release detailing goals for the strategy. “While we will continue to provide the full suite of PBS programming and member benefits like Passport, we want our local vision to not be limited by a national brand.”
“We are Wyoming’s storyteller first and a member station second,” she added.
The state network, which is licensed to Central Wyoming College in Riverton, is engaging stakeholders, partners and the public as it selects a brand identity that reflects its new mission, according to the release.
“We are still in the early stages of our focus groups, but we intend to gather public input on both programming ideas and feedback regarding the name change and rebrand,” Kail told Current via email. The network plans to convene a total of five focus groups.
Three goals guide development of the branding strategy, according to the release:
- Clarity and local focus — The rebranding signals a renewed commitment to sharing more of Wyoming’s stories, voices and perspectives with viewers across the state and nation.
- Flexibility in content sharing — Aligning exclusively by name with one content distributor limits the network’s ability to make programming decisions that best serve Wyoming communities. The rebrand creates space to pursue broader partnerships while maintaining quality and varied national programming.
- Continued PBS partnership — Wyoming PBS will remain a member of PBS and continue offering PBS content to viewers. Current member benefits, including PBS Passport, remain unchanged. Members retain uninterrupted, on-demand access to their favorite national programs, along with local productions.
This change underscores the network’s “desire to advocate for content that better represents rural communities and the unique stories of Wyoming,” the release stated.
“We want to help the people of Wyoming understand that we’re here for Wyoming stories,” Kail told Current. “It’s important for us to be able to say Wyoming content is our priority.”
Wyoming PBS has already invested in new original productions. A documentary on the state’s mountaineering guides, A Life Outside, debuts July 15. Gravel and Grit, which follows the journey of a group of novice mountain bikers, premiered in June.
Branding trade-offs
Co-branding with PBS offers many benefits, according to a PBS spokesperson. It can cement a station’s connection with “America’s most trusted media brand” and help audiences discover their local content. More than 80% of member stations use PBS as part of their local brand, the spokesperson said.
But stations also have to weigh other considerations, such as how to signal their service to local communities or differentiate themselves from other public broadcasters in their market.
Organizations that operate statewide or regional networks, especially dual licensees that operate public TV and radio stations, have recently adopted branding that emphasizes a statewide, platform agnostic orientation.
In 2019, Virginia’s Community Idea Stations, based in Richmond, rebranded as VPM, “Virginia’s home for Public Media.” After the 2022 merger of Vermont’s public TV and radio networks, the organization rebranded as Vermont Public. The change prompted criticism, especially from radio listeners, who said the new identity was too generic.
Following the rescission of federal funding last year, the state-owned public TV network in Arkansas dropped PBS from its brand identity. The decision to rebrand as Arkansas TV was part of a larger plan to drop PBS membership and create a lineup of original Arkansas-focused programming. Public backlash to the changes focused on preserving PBS programming, not on the new branding. (Last month, the network’s governing commission voted to renew its PBS membership through fiscal year 2026.)
Over its 40-year history, the Wyoming network has changed its branding at least three times: from KCWC, the call letters for its flagship TV station in Riverton, to Wyoming Public Television and Wyoming PBS.
Kail plans to announce the new brand identity next spring or summer.
