Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is the primary public media organization for most of the U.S. state of Oregon, as well as southern Washington. It provides news, information, and programming via television stations, dozens of VHF or UHF translators, on more than 20 radio stations, and via opb.org and other digital platforms. TV broadcasts include local and regional programming as well as programs from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and American Public Television (APT), and radio programs from National Public Radio (NPR), American Public Media (APM), Public Radio Exchange (PRX), and the BBC World Service, among other distributors. Its headquarters and television studios are located on South Macadam Avenue in Portland, Oregon.

The part of southwestern Oregon not served by OPB, including Medford and Klamath Falls, is served by Jefferson Public Radio, and Southern Oregon PBS.

History

20th century

thumb|190px|KOAC early studio and transmitter building near Oregon State University,

OPB traces its roots back to January 23, 1923, when KFDJ signed on from the campus of Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University) in Corvallis. From 1923 to 1981, the OAC/Oregon State campus served as the base of operations for educational broadcasting in Oregon. Charles B. Mitchel, a first-year speech professor at OAC, was instrumental in bringing Oregon's first public radio station to the state. physics instructor Jacob Jordan is credited with building the station's first radio transmitter near campus in 1923. It was one of several AM stations signed on by land-grant colleges in the early days of radio.

The radio station's call letters were changed to KOAC on December 11, 1925. In 1932, KOAC became a service of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education General Extension Division.

During the mid-1950s, the university constructed KOAC's first television studios inside Gill Coliseum. On October 7, 1957, KOAC-TV signed on as Oregon's first educational television station. For nearly 60 years, faculty and students at Oregon State University broadcast news, information and entertainment programming across the state from the Corvallis studios. First known as Oregon Educational Broadcasting, the public network became the Oregon Educational and Public Broadcasting Service (OEPBS) in 1971.

KOAC won its first Peabody Award for Outstanding Public Service by a Local Station in 1942 for Our Hidden Enemy, Venereal Disease. KOAC won a second Peabody Award in 1972 for Conversations with Will Shakespeare and Certain of His Friends.

21st century

For 2001 and 2002, the Oregon state government provided about 14 percent of OPB's operational budget; for 2003 and 2004, it was cut to 9 percent.

On December 4, 2007, OPB launched opbmusic, a 24-hour online radio channel spotlighting Pacific Northwest musicians. As of December 11, 2020, OPB discontinued the opbmusic HD radio and online audio stream and integrated opbmusic multimedia content into its broader arts and culture reporting.

In March 2009, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting chose OPB to manage the pilot version of American Archive, CPB's initiative to digitally preserve content created by public broadcasters.

In 2024, OPB released a documentary titled Road to Sunrise: A Journey to Reconcile Oregon's Racist History, which focused on work done surrounding the remembrance of Alonzo Tucker by the Oregon Remembrance Project. The documentary won a NATAS Northwest Emmy under the category of "Historical/Cultural – Long Form Content".

Television stations

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Station

! City of license

! Channels<br />(RF / VC)

! style="width:10em" | First air date

! Call letters'<br />meaning

! ERP

! HAAT

! Facility ID

! Transmitter coordinates

! Public license information

|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"

!

| Portland

| 10 (VHF)<br />10

|

| Oregon Public Broadcasting

| 46&nbsp;kW

|

| 50589

|

| <br />

|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"

!

| Corvallis

| 7 (VHF)<br />7

|

| Oregon Agricultural College

| 18.1&nbsp;kW

|

| 50590

|

| <br />

|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"

!

| Eugene

| 29 (UHF)<br />28

|

| Eugene Public Broadcasting

| 100&nbsp;kW

|

| 50591

|

| <br />

|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"

!

| Bend

| 11 (VHF)<br />3

|

| KOAC Bend

| 90&nbsp;kW

|

| 50588

|

| <br />

|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"

!

| La Grande

| 13 (VHF)<br />13

|

| Television Grande Ronde

| 16.1&nbsp;kW

|

| 50592

|

| <br />

|}

Notes:

Cable and satellite availability

OPB Television is available on all cable providers in its service area. On Dish Network, KOPB-TV, KEPB-TV, and KOAB-TV are available on the Portland, Eugene and Bend local broadcast station lineups, respectively. KOPB-TV and KEPB-TV are available on the Portland and Eugene DirecTV broadcast station lineups.

Digital television

OPB's first digital channel was OPB CREATE (an affiliate of the Create network), announced in January 2006; its availability was limited to certain Comcast digital cable customers and on Clear Creek Television in Oregon City.

In December 2008, in anticipation of the original February 18, 2009, deadline for switching to all-digital broadcasting, OPB announced the launch of three digital subchannels: OPB, which would air OPB programming with an "improved picture for viewers with traditional sets", OPB HD, airing programming in "high definition with the highest-quality picture and sound", and OPB Plus, which offered "more choices in viewing times and added programs in news, public affairs and lifestyle."

Subchannels

OPB currently offers four digital multiplex channels:

{| class="wikitable"

|+OPB multiplex

! scope = "col" | Channel

! scope = "col" | Res.

! scope = "col" | Short name

! scope = "col" | Programming

|-

! scope = "row" | xx.1

| rowspan=2|1080i || OPB || PBS

|-

! scope = "row" | xx.3

| rowspan=2|480i || OPBKids || OPB Kids

|-

! scope = "row" | xx.4

| OPB-FM || OPB Radio<br>KMHD Jazz Radio (SAP channel 1)

  • KOAC-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 39 to VHF channel 7.
  • KOPB-TV shut down its analog, signal, over VHF channel 10; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 27 to VHF channel 10.
  • KEPB-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 28; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 29, using virtual channel 28.
  • KOAB-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 11, using virtual channel 3.
  • KTVR shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 13; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition VHF channel 5 to channel 13.

Translators

  • Arlington (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Astoria (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Baker City (translates KTVR)
  • Burns (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Christmas Valley (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Coos Bay (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Coos Bay, etc. (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Cottage Grove (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Elkton (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Enterprise (translates KTVR)
  • Eugene (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Florence (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Glide, etc. (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Gold Beach (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Grays River, WA (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Halfway (translates KTVR)
  • Heppner, etc. (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Hood River, etc. (translates KOPB-TV)
  • John Day (translates KOPB-TV)
  • La Grande (translates KTVR)
  • Lakeview (translates KOPB-TV)
  • London Springs (translates KEPB-TV)
  • 16 Madras (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Madras (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Mapleton (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Milton-Freewater (translates KTVR)
  • Myrtle Point (translates KEPB-TV)
  • 29 Newberg (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Newport (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Oakridge (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Ontario, etc. (translates KTVR)
  • Pacific City/Cloverdale (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Paisley (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Paisley (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Pendleton (translates KTVR)
  • Port Orford (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Powers (translates KOAC-TV)
  • Prineville, etc. (translates KOAB-TV)
  • Rainier (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Reedsport (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Richland (translates KTVR)
  • Rockway Beach (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Roseburg (translates KEPB-TV)
  • Seneca (translates KOPB-TV)
  • 28 Sentinel Hill (translates KOPB-TV)
  • Silver Lake, etc. (translates KOPB-TV)
  • The Dalles, etc. (translates KOPB-TV)
  • 30 Warm Springs (translates KOAB-TV)
  • Wedderburn, etc. (translates KOPB-TV)

Low-power translators in Elkton, Glendale, Mapleton, Myrtle Point, Newport, Oakland, Oakridge, and Swisshome have been discontinued.

Radio stations

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Call sign

! data-sort-type="number" | Frequency

! City of license

! data-sort-type="number" | Facility ID

! Class

! data-sort-type="number" | Power<br />(W)

! data-sort-type="number" | ERP<br />(W)

! data-sort-type="number" | Height<br />(m (ft))

|-

| | KOAC-FM || 89.7 FM || Astoria || || A || || 180 ||

|-

| | KOBK || 88.9 FM || Baker City || || C3 || || 600 ||

|-

| | KOAB-FM || 91.3 FM || Bend || || C1 || || 75,000 ||

|-

| | KOBN || 90.1 FM || Burns || || A || || 600 ||

|-

| | KOAC || 550 AM || Corvallis || || B || 5,000 || ||

|-

| | KOTD || 89.7 FM || The Dalles || || A || || 50 ||

|-

| | KETP || 88.7 FM || Enterprise || || A || || 100 ||

|-

| | KOPB || 1600 AM || Eugene || || B || 5,000 day<br />1,000 night || ||

|-

| | KOGL || 89.3 FM || Gleneden Beach || || A || || 210 ||

|-

| | KHRV || 90.1 FM || Hood River || || A || || 65 ||

|-

| | KOJD || 89.7 FM || John Day || || A || || 900 ||

|-

| | KTVR-FM || 89.9 FM || La Grande || || C2 || || 400 ||

|-

| | KOAP || 88.7 FM || Lakeview || || A || || 170 ||

|-

| | KOPB-FM || 91.5 FM || Portland || || C0 || || 73,000 ||

|-

| | KRBM || 90.9 FM || Pendleton || || C2 || || 25,000 ||

|-

| | KTMK || 91.1 FM || Tillamook || || A || || 140 ||

|}

Notes:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

|+ Broadcast translators of KOPB-FM

|-

! Call sign

! data-sort-type="number" | Frequency

! City of license

! data-sort-type="number" | Facility ID

! Class

! data-sort-type="number" | ERP<br />(W)

! data-sort-type="number" | Height<br />(m (ft))

|-

| | K283BT || 104.5 FM || Astoria || || D || 70 ||

|-

| | K276BU || 103.1 FM || Corvallis || || D || 15 ||

|-

| | K214AQ || 90.7 FM || Mount Vernon || || D || 25 ||

|-

| | K293BL || 106.5 FM || Nedonna Beach || || D || 10 ||

|-

| | K298AC || 107.5 FM || Ontario || || D || 62 ||

|-

| | K228DT || 93.5 FM || Pacific City || || D || 10 ||

|-

| | K212AQ || 90.3 FM || Riley || || D || 50 ||

|-

| | K252DL || 98.3 FM || Walton || || D || 8 ||

|}

Since the spring of 2009, OPB has operated jazz radio station KMHD; the station is owned by Mount Hood Community College, but operates out of OPB's studio facilities in Portland.

HD stations

Currently only KMHD and KOPB-FM carry HD radio content.

The OPB HD radio channels are:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Channel !! Programming

|-

| OPB FM HD-1 || Main OPB radio programing

|-

| KMHD-FM HD-1 || KMHD "Jazz Radio"

|}

Other radio frequencies

  • Halfway 91.3 FM
  • Happy Hollow, Oregon 93.5 FM
  • Nedonna Beach 106.5 FM
  • Richland 91.9 FM
  • Silver Lake (Lake County) 91.7 FM
  • Riley 90.3 FM K212AQ (50 watts)
  • Mount Vernon 90.7 FM K214AQ (25 watts)
  • Pacific City 93.5 FM K228DT (10 watts)
  • Walton 98.3 FM K252DL (8 watts)
  • Corvallis 103.1 FM K276BU (15 watts)
  • Astoria 104.5 FM K283BT (70 watts)
  • Nedonna Beach 106.5 FM K293BL (10 watts)

Original programming

OPB produces original audio and video content for distribution across multiple channels including TV, radio, and online podcasting or streaming services.

Notable podcast series include Bundyville, a deep-dive investigation of the beliefs and politics behind the 2014 Bundy standoff, the 2016 Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and the sovereign citizen movement. Its second season aired in 2019 with a broadened focus on right-wing and anti-government extremism in the United States. Long-running programs include OPB Politics Now and Think Out Loud, both of which have been on air since 2008. The newest series The Evergreen is a weekly podcast highlighting stories from across the Pacific Northwest.

Notable TV and video productions include Oregon Field Guide and Oregon Art Beat, which first premiered in 1990 and 1999 respectively.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+Table of OPB Shows

!Title

!Release date

!Subject

!Ended?

!Ref.

|-

|All Science. No Fiction.

|April 18, 2022

|Science and Nature

|No

|

|-

|Class of 2025

|December 11, 2013

|Education

|No

|

|-

|Oregon Art Beat

|1999

|Art and Culture

|No

|

|-

|Oregon Experience

|June 16, 2006

|History

|No

|

|-

|Oregon Field Guide

|April 16, 1990

|Nature

|No

|

|-

|Superabundant

|November 23, 2021

|Food

|No

|

|}

See also

  • Michael Husain – documentary filmmaker and producer; former OPB producer
  • Barry Serafin – early OPB news reporter
  • Soccer Made in Germany – 1980s highlights of West German soccer games, distributed nationwide by OPB

References

  • The Remembered Years&nbsp;– KOAC history
  • "Oregon Field Guide Education Program; Focus on Organisms; Part 1," 1994–03, The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting
  • "Oregon Field Guide Education Program; Focus on Organisms; Part 2," 1994–03, The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting