“A wild and visionary idea? Not at all. Yesterday's strangest dreams are today's headlines and change is getting swifter every moment.”
Spoken by President Lyndon B. Johnson before signing the Public
Broadcasting Act of 1967, his words heralded public media's big moment, when a revolutionary idea was signed
into law - and they also signal one of the greatest challenges facing the future of essential public
media today: the unstoppable speed of change.
Ten years earlier in 1957, when the Act was still a dream, KTCA's signal
became the first non-commercial public television station in Minnesota. Since that milestone nearly 70 years
ago, TPT has been driven by the mission to enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of
media. This mission has sparked innovation and fueled award-winning work that connects, engages, and
inspires audiences locally and nationally.
However, major shifts in the media landscape have left many without access
to vital information. With the proliferation of paywalls, shrinking educational resources, widening
accessibility gaps, and content fueled by sensationalism and division, TPT remains a trusted community
beacon for all Minnesotans.
As we approach TPT's 70th anniversary, we are deepening our community impact, further enriching and
changing lives, and reinforcing our continued ability to steward the public's trust.
This is a future worth believing in and protecting.
In response, we are launching a $40 million fundraising campaign to
safeguard TPT's future. This investment will enhance and drive impact for educational resources and
programming; catalyze more local storytelling; expand accessibility through new and exciting technologies;
and support TPT's future as an essential community convener as we work to collaboratively address the
greatest challenges facing our state and region.
With TPT's decades of powerful storytelling as the foundation of our
community-informed work, our campaign is driven by three key pillars.
Content
$20 million
We are Minnesota's trusted storyteller, and your investment will support community-driven content that
amplifies a mosaic of voices and perspectives, advances the arts, explores history, and provides essential
information about local, regional and national issues that our community cares about most. Never in history
have the curious-minded at every age faced more choice in what they view and where - and that
abundance
presents both a challenge and an opportunity for TPT. Investment in this area will:
Transform TPT into an incubator for the next generation of public
media storytellers who will acquire skills, experiment with new technology and gain
mentorship with award-winning producers. TPT's future depends on our ability to develop and support
the filmmakers of the future to create responsive and timely multiplatform content that resonates
across Minnesota, the region and the nation.
Enhance TPT's role as an essential and trusted media powerhouse
that audiences seek out every day for accessible public affairs, history,
documentary,
and arts & culture content and programming. Deeper investment will allow TPT to be a more
nimble,
relevant media provider so that we better meet viewers where they are on the media platforms they
turn to for information and entertainment.
Expand children's media production by building on TPT's nearly
70-year legacy with programs such as “Newton's Apple,” “SciGirls” and “Hero
Elementary,”
and by meeting the changing needs of young people in a technology-driven world. Investment in this
space will buoy greater innovation in the creation of interactive games and education curricula, and
sustain our groundbreaking work for years to come.
Invest in more content and experiences relevant to the lives of
Minnesotans, including health, economic development, civics, natural resources and
agriculture to ensure that more Minnesotans have access to information and resources that impact
their lifestyles, opportunities and future. Additional support will enable TPT to expand our content
pillars, increase our multiplatform presence and develop more in-person experiences within the
community.
Access & Experience
$10 million
Technology and infrastructure deliver TPT's enriching content to Minnesotans - but the pace of
innovation
and invention in the media industry also means that TPT must accelerate upgrades to improve the
accessibility of our work and our mission. For TPT to thrive in the years to come, investment in several
critical areas will:
Make TPT the premier Midwest production hub
after a
comprehensive remodel of our studio and production facilities. Already the largest soundstage
in
the Twin Cities, TPT's studios require improvements in equipment and technology that will better
serve audiences with the creation of dynamic, high-quality and immersive content.
Create greater access to TPT's headquarters as
one of
the most energizing places where our community gathers, learns and shares in a variety of live
experiences.
Develop and build transformative, live and on-demand
streaming and distribution services that position TPT as a top-of-mind,
indispensable
viewing choice in an increasingly crowded, subscription-driven media landscape. These viewing
options will better serve audiences with the stories and experiences they want.
“As Minnesota's storyteller and community convener for nearly 70 years,
TPT's public service mission has never been more critical. Please join us in supporting TPT's
invaluable work to help strengthen our communities and inform, connect and inspire all
citizens.”
R. Kirk Weidner, TPT Board of Trustees
Center For Lifelong Learning
$10 million
Education has always been a core pillar of TPT's mission, yet information
overload has led to an environment that perpetuates passive learning for children and adults. TPT's newly
created Center for Lifelong Learning offers programming and resources that bring our media to life beyond
the screen. Our mission is straightforward: We seek to create and facilitate programs that empower
Minnesotans to actively participate in our society. Your investment will help turn viewers into doers by
allowing TPT to:
Amplify the creation of culturally responsive, hands-on
learning for young people, delivered through immersive games and other digital
tools
focused on core educational content areas, including STEM.
Expand TPT's partnerships with community-centered
organizations such as libraries and schools to increase access to and support
families
and children of all backgrounds with our educational programming.
Increase the volume of high-impact resources for
educators that includes curriculum development and professional training programs
aimed
at helping them to integrate our media into their classrooms.
Create dynamic programming for adult learners that
ignites conversation and cultivates connection around topics that directly impact the lives of
Minnesotans.
Is a $40 million investment in TPT's future capacity to provide rich,
energizing and educational resources to audiences in Minnesota and beyond “a wild and visionary idea”?
Not at all. It is a worthy and vital idea. It is an idea intended to
imagine a future of greater impact and accessibility; to invest in an essential source of information,
entertainment and community connection; and to inspire the next evolution of TPT's story.
Let's create the next chapter of TPT together.
“TPT has always been Minnesota's North Star, guiding our communities with inspiring stories and
trusted resources. This $40 million campaign is essential to ensure we continue shining brightly,
illuminating the path to a more connected and informed future for all Minnesotans.”
Sylvia Strobel, President & CEO
Twin Cities Public Television
Phone
612.229.1410
giving@tpt.org
Address
172 East Fourth Street
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Saint Paul, MN 55101