© 2024 WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting
Member-Supported Public Media from Southern Illinois University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

WSIU Stations Deliver Instructional Television Content for Middle School Students; Launches PBS KIDS

WSIU Public Broadcasting is announcing new instructional television programming to help with home learning. WSIU has preempted its daytime educational block for young children with instructional content for middle school students and expanded educational programming for pre-school and elementary school children with the launch of PBS KIDS 24/7, an around the clock line-up of family-friendly programming for young learners.

Each weekday from 1pm-5pm, students in grades 4 through 8 can enjoy instructional television content featuring some of public media's most informative and educational series.

Subjects include science, math, history, and English language arts. This programming block is the newest component of WSIU’s ‘Public Media Resources for Home Learning’ initiative available to school districts, classroom teachers, and parents who seek support in educating children at home. Programs featured in the instructional television block include free corresponding curriculum from pbslearningmedia.org. PBS LearningMedia provides thousands of digital resources such as videos, lesson plans and quizzes for teachers and students. The new programming is available over-the-air via antenna on the WSIU stations: WSIU: 8.1 - Carbondale, WUSI: 16.1 - Olney, WSEC: 14.1 - Springfield/Jackson, WMEC: 22.1 - Macomb, and WQEC: 27.1 - Quincy, and via most cable providers.

We believe these new offerings will add valuable support to families as they shift to home learning with their children while schools are closed.

We’re pleased to offer this supplement for middle school learners. The service was developed in cooperation with the Illinois State Board of Education, Regional Offices of Education, local school districts, and teachers,” says WSIU Interim Executive Director, Jak Tichenor. “We believe these new offerings will add valuable support to families as they shift to home learning with their children while schools are closed," he says.

"We are doing what we can to help teachers, families and students continue their education together,” says WSIU Outreach & Educational Services Coordinator Beth Spezia. “We welcome questions and comments concerning public media’s preschool through high school content. We invite ideas and feedback as we respond to changes in the need for education service delivery.”

WSIU's collection of public media resources for home learning include content for learners at every level. High school students can utilize WORLD Channel’s ‘At-Home Learning’ block weekdays from 11am-4pm on WORLD Channel while preschool and early elementary students can continue to enjoy PBS KIDS programming on our main channels each weekday morning until noon. WSIU is also excited about expanding access to content for young learners with the launch of the PBS KIDS 24/7 this month.  

PBS KIDS 24/7 channel is available over-the-air via antenna on WSIU: 8.4 - Carbondale, WUSI: 16.4 - Olney, WSEC: 14.4 - Springfield/Jackson, WMEC: 22.4 - Macomb and 27.4 - Quincy. It will also be available on select cable service providers and is available to stream free on pbskids.org and on the PBS KIDS Video App. Households may need to perform a channel rescan in order to receive the broadcast.

PBS KIDS 24/7 channel delivers high-quality content to all children and caregivers on a platform and at a time that works for them, including primetime, weekends, and when school is out of session.

"Launching PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and introducing educational programming and services for the multi-state region served by the WSIU stations is the latest example of our ongoing partnership with parents, teachers, and students. It dates back to our first public television broadcast in November, 1961,” says Tichenor.

"With schools closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our dedicated staff worked tirelessly in recent weeks to finalize the long list of engineering, operational, and educational resources needed to add PBS KIDS 24/7 as our fourth over the air broadcast channel. We’re proud to include additional instructional content on our main HD channels weekday afternoons as well as organizing web-based support materials and lesson plans that complement the new programming," he says.

About WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than five million people across seven states and beyond through five digital public television channels (WSIU: 8.1 - Carbondale, WUSI: 16.1 - Olney, WSEC: 14.1 - Springfield/Jackson, WQEC: 27.1 - Quincy, and WMEC: 22.1 - Macomb), three public radio stations (90.3FM Olney, 91.9FM Carbondale & 88.9FM Mt. Vernon), a radio information service - Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS) for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, two websites (wsiu.org & news.wsiu.org), and a children’s media, education and community outreach department.

WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook (WSIU TV | WSEC TV) and Twitter (WSIU TV | WSEC TV) pages.

WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

About WORLD Channel
WORLD Channel shares the best of public media in news, documentaries, and fact-based informational programming that helps us understand conflicts, movements and cultures that may be distinct from our own. WORLD's original content examines issues too often ignored by mainstream media by telling stories for and with a diversity of voices. WORLD has won a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, a National News and Documentary Emmy Award and?numerous national honors—including?1st and 2nd place Native Media Awards, an RTNDA Kaleidoscope Award, a Media for a Just Society Award, two Lesbian & Gay Journalist Awards, a Gracie, and an Asian American Journalists Award. WORLD is a growing platform carried by 171 partner stations in markets representing more than 70% of US TV households. It is also available on WORLDChannel.org and social media platforms. Funding for World Channel is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. WORLD Channel is produced by WGBH with the support of WNET and is distributed by American Public Television (APT).

About PBS LearningMedia
PBS LearningMedia is a free public media education platform available to every teacher and student across the country. Bringing together the best available high-quality media from 1500 public media producers and more than 350 local PBS stations, PBS LearningMedia is a next-generation digital media platform for PreK-16 classrooms to help re-imagine classroom learning, transform teaching, and more creatively engage students. The platform delivers classroom-ready, high-quality content tied to curriculum standards, professional development courses, a robust content delivery system, and a flexible infrastructure designed for customization and seamless integration into existing services.

About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’s premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV— including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices.

As a WSIU donor, you don’t simply watch or listen to public media programs, you are a partner. By making a gift, you help WSIU produce, purchase, and broadcast programs you care about and enjoy – every day of the year.