About ideastream

Stimulated by the success of a collaborative project, the planning committees of WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN met in the fall of 1999 to discuss how the two stations could continue to partner to better serve the community. As discussions evolved, it became clear that the then separate organizations shared a public service mission, had identical business models, and held a common view of the digital future.

In January of 2000, the committees made the following recommendation to their respective Boards: Combine WCPN & WVIZ to form a new non-profit multi-media entity with distinctive, locally-based content in areas of news, education, entertainment, culture and public service to serve the Northeast Ohio community and beyond.

Both Boards agreed, and each appointed members to an implementation team. That team worked diligently over the next nine months to outline a specific plan to merge the organizations into a new non-profit entity. The plan was approved by the two Boards and announced in October of 2000.

On June 30, 2001, the former non-profit organizations, Educational Television Association of Metropolitan Cleveland and Cleveland Public Radio, were dissolved. On July 1, a non-profit organization, ideastream, took life as a new public service multiple media organization with a Board of Trustees comprised of members of the former Boards of the predecessor organizations.

The concept of ideastream is to bring together a variety of educational and public service media programs to leverage creative, technical and financial assets to better serve our communities.

90.3 WCPN helps Northeast Ohioans connect with their world. The schedule includes news, talk, information and variety programs, complemented by arts and cultural coverage and musical offerings with an emphasis on jazz.

Whether people tune in for award-winning, locally-produced reports on the important news events in Northeast Ohio, or they hear national and international news coverage or talk shows from trusted sources like NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media or Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, listeners know the news and information programming on 90.3 WCPN will be intelligent and balanced, delivered by diverse voices with a range of perspectives.

For loyal viewers of WVIZ/PBS, it’s not enough that the station offers some of the world’s highest quality educational, cultural, news and information programs: WVIZ/PBS viewers expect more. They are looking for in-depth understanding of local, regional and world events they know they won’t find anywhere else. They want to come away from their television having acquired knowledge they can act on, and that will add to their interactions with family, friends and others.

WVIZ/PBS viewers also expect variety. They want arts and drama, nature and science, history, home and hobby, news and information, and public affairs series and specials. And, of course, they expect the very best educational children’s programming. Moreover, they want to be inspired, and they look for opportunities to inspire others.

WVIZ/PBS World broadcasts non-fiction, science, news, current affairs and documentaries from the public broadcasting library of programs and programs obtained from producers across the country. Each month, the WVIZ/PBS WORLD schedule features programs with a theme in mind. Some of the programs presented are classics, while some feature brilliant new voices. In all cases, WVIZ/PBS World works to present a mix of thoughtful programs that represent the diversity of America today.

WVIZ/PBS Create is a channel that provides expert advice on cooking, arts and crafts, gardening, home improvement and travel. The programming is designed to inspire viewers to taste, grow, imagine, explore and live more fully. More often called “do-it-yourself,” the program genres seen on WVIZ/PBS Create include viewers' favorite public television series and specials. WVIZ/PBS Create broadcasts round-the-clock, presenting some of the most popular lifestyle and how-to programming seen on public television - where lifestyle programming got its start!

The Ohio Channel is a service of Ohio's public broadcasting stations. A new concept in public affairs programming, the Ohio Channel combines Statehouse coverage with locally produced PBS programs to give a statewide perspective on issues that affect the lives of all Ohioans.

Using live Statehouse programming supplied by Ohio Government Telecommunications and distributed by eTech Ohio, and packaging this programming with Ohio PBS station public affairs programming and documentaries, the Ohio Channel provides the most comprehensive coverage of state government issues.

Watch The Ohio Channel live online.

The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded through eTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream.

The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. The Bureau strives to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio.

The Idea Center® at PlayhouseSquare is the result of a partnership between WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream® and PlayhouseSquare. It is located at 1375 Euclid Avenue, in the heart of Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare District, between the Allen Theatre and the United Way building. It’s a center for the arts, technology, education and ideas.

Take a virtual tour through the downtown home of 90.3 WCPN and WVIZ/PBS. Stops on your tour will include the Westfield Insurance Studio Theatre, the KeyBank Studio, and the The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation & The Kent H. Smith Charitable Trust Studio.