Who Watches TV12?
Every month, about 80 percent of Delaware Valley viewers -- or 6.4 million people -- watch TV12. While commercial networks find audiences migrating away, viewership holds steady with public TV, which also continues to be seen by more viewers than any cable network. TV12's audience is broad and represents all the people who live in the tri-state region.
-- Judith Rodin, Ph.D.,
"My favorite things about WHYY? Where do I begin? I grew up in Philadelphia, so I especially enjoyed the
program Things That Aren't There Anymore. It brought back
so many memories. I still smile when I recall watching Sesame Street
with my son. And, as an opera fan, I cannot get enough of the Three
Tenors. Programs like these are illustrative of the best of public
television -- high-quality, substantive programming with heart and intellect."
President, University of Pennsylvania
Above: TV12 is the place where local viewers are exposed to cultural riches from around the world, such as Ipi Ntombi.
Programs That Keep Viewers
Returning to TV12
TV12 independently, and through the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), presents in-depth programs that viewers continually turn to for excellence. These are the programs that build common bonds, allowing us to fulfill our mission: to make the region a better place by connecting each of us to the world's richest ideas and all of us to each other.
Each day, our television broadcast service begins with our children. WHYY airs over 60 hours of educational programming each week exclusively for children, our region's most precious assets. Promoting enthusiasm for learning is the best investment we can provide for the Delaware Valley's future. While most broadcast TV stations simply meet the FCC's minimum requirement of 2.5 hours per day of children's educational programs, TV12 exceeds that goal with 10.5 hours every weekday and more on weekend mornings, too. We extend this broadcast service through our Ready To Learn program, which delivers lesson plans, books and media usage advice to daycare providers, teachers and parents throughout the tri-state region.
Helping young minds grow is just part of the TV12 broadcast story. Because learning is a lifelong process, we provide programs that speak intelligently, involve our entire multi-cultural community and inspire viewers of all ages.
For example, history programs on WHYY show us where we've been and where we are going. Arts programming on TV12 enriches our lives while providing front row seats at great performances and sneak previews of the world's finest cultural events. Science and nature programs focus on incredible discoveries of the past and present. There's no better place to learn "how to do it" than watching Saturday's lineup of TV12 cooking and home improvement shows. Keeping up with current affairs, 12 Tonight continues its 35-year tradition of presenting in-depth news about the region. This is only part of WHYY's news and information service, which includes daily and weekly updates on the world's civic and business news.
In the coming fiscal year, WHYY's emphasis on lifelong learning continues with the formation of a History Unit to create local documentaries. Other local program production also will increase, adding to viewers' exposure to area arts, culture, education and commerce.
In addition, the station is gearing up for the coming digital production and broadcasting age, as WHYY builds its new Technology Center for the future. Creative application of this digital technology will enable WHYY to transmit at least four simultaneous TV channels, which can be employed to extend the effectiveness of our region's most innovative educational, economic and cultural initiatives.
Far Right: The rising cost of prescription medication and its impact on older adults was discussed at a taping of the WHYY 12 Tonight series, "The Cost of Healing," which aired the summer of 1997. Series host Dr. Joseph A. Lieberman III, chair of Christiana Care Health System's department of family and community medicine, is shown at left with Romie Lutz, a public health educator with the Delaware Health and Social Services' Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities.
Right: Bhutan, The Last Shangri-La took viewers to new lands.