Celebrating 65 Years with You

It all began with an idea, A UNH professor thought the nascent medium of television should be used to educate, inspire and entertain – and on July 6th, 1959, the University of New Hampshire launched WENH-TV.

The first program, at 6 PM, was a half hour dedicated to the founding of WENH-TV. It was followed by Louis Lyons and the News, The Friendly Giant, Highway Holiday, Sew Easy, Japanese Brush Painting and The Boston Symphony. At 10 PM, we signed off, giving way to the test pattern until the next day.

Over the years, WENH-TV became channel 11, then NHPTV and now NHPBS as it grew into a statewide community-based multimedia, multi-platform network with five channels available 24/7 over the air (NHPBS, NHPBS Explore, World, Create and PBS Kids), thousands of hours of streaming programs, community engagement programs and classroom resources.

While how people access content has changed over the years – more of you are watching your favorite programs – the essence of our mission remains the same. The NHPBS team is dedicated to serving everyone in our community with trusted programs that educate, engage and enrich.

New Hampshire’s PBS station has always presented stories that reflect the best of what the Granite State has to offer. This year, in celebration of our 65th anniversary, we are opening our vault and revisiting some of our most beloved series and documentaries.

Much of the work we’ve shared with you over the years has been produced in partnership with our local communities. For example, A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN celebrates the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. It will air on Saturday, July 6th at 6:30 PM. Like all our programs, if you miss the broadcast, you can watch online at nhpbs.org or on the PBS app.

This anniversary year, we’ll also be reviving some vintage NEW HAMPSHIRE CROSSROADS programs, award-winning documentaries, political coverage and more. Maybe you have a favorite program you’d like to see again? Let us know, and we’ll look in the vault and see if we can find it. While not all the programs have stood the test of time, we’ll do our best to find some gems from the past.

We are also looking to the future with the new season of WINDOWS TO THE WILD, an exploration of the Gulf of Maine offshore wind proposal, our new documentary on Christa McAuliffe’s legacy and a ground-breaking series by Ken Burns on Leonardo Da Vinci as well as convention and election coverage from the PBS NEWS HOUR, FRONTLINE and our partners at the Granite State News Collaborative.

There’s something for everybody at New Hampshire PBS, and it’s all made possible by you. Membership is our largest source of income. Your support fuels the engine that makes programs available when and where you want them. Go to nhpbs.org/65years to contribute to our 65th anniversary celebration.

Pressroom Contact

Carla Gordon Russell
Director of Communications
crussell@nhpbs.org
(603) 868-4339