With schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more educational programming will be available during the daytime on most regional PBS stations starting Monday, March 30, as a result of several separate efforts.
In Wisconsin, the state Department of Public Instruction teamed up with PBS Wisconsin and Milwaukee PBS to create a daytime lineup of curriculum-related programming that draws from the library of public TV programming. The day will begin with programs for pre-kindergarten to 3rd grade, followed by a midday block for grades 4 to 8 and an afternoon block for high schoolers.
Milwaukee PBS will carry the programming on WMVT/36.1 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., while PBS Wisconsin will air the lineup from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on its DT2 channels in Madison, Green Bay, Wausau, Park Falls, Eau Claire, and La Crosse.
Meanwhile, numerous public TV subchannels in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota will carry at-home learning programming from World Channel. The programming, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time, will include regular PBS shows that have an educational component for students in grades 6 to 12.
World Channel’s affiliates include Iowa PBS DT3, South Dakota Public Broadcasting DT2, Prairie Public DT2 in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, Pioneer Public DT4 in western Minnesota, and WMVT-DT2 (Milwaukee).
In Duluth, WDSE will air at-home learning programming for grades 6 to 12 beginning March 31. The lineup will air on WDSE’s primary DT1 “PBS North” channel from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
And SDPB will also air its history series, Dakota Pathways, weekdays at 2 p.m. Central/1 p.m. Mountain on its main DT1 channel.
These efforts are in addition to numerous regularly-scheduled educational programs that already air on PBS stations, including the 24-hour PBS Kids subchannel.