PBS Kansas Channel 8, the educational and quality programmer headquartered in Wichita, Kansas will soon be making a big move.
PBS Kansas Channel 8, formerly known as KPTS – Channel 8, is relocating. The PBS affiliate for Central Kansas will move from its headquarters, where it brought vital programming to the area for over 50 years, to a much larger, more modern space. (The station has been serving Central Kansas since 1970.) The move highlights the importance of public television in the community and will enable Kansas' most watched public television station to vastly expand its local programming and outreach possibilities.
Many donors helped move PBS Kansas to the larger facility that will accommodate staff and enable PBS Kansas to produce a variety of local programs and documentaries. The new location at 8710 E. 32nd St. N. also puts PBS Kansas in a more accessible, visible location and will be available to the community in a number of ways.
Victor Hogstrom, President & CEO, spoke about their new, state-of-the-art headquarters and the services that will be provided for residents to enjoy.
When will you be moved into the new facilities?
PBS Kansas Channel 8 will move throughout April 2022. The public is invited to our open house on May 20 from 3 to 7 p.m. or our Family Open House on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What will the new facilities look like? (compared to the current location)
The new PBS Kansas Channel 8 headquarters are four times the size of our current location. We’ve gone from 8,000 to 31,000 square feet.
The new facility includes two studios, the Bonavia Foundation PBS Kansas Museum and the PBS Kansas Cochener-Garvey Children’s Education & Discovery Center. The new facility also includes spaces for the community to use, including the Alvin Sarachek Board Room, the Sedgwick County Community Room, the volunteer and training center and conference rooms.
How will the Children’s Education & Discovery Center be used, and will it be open to the public?
The PBS Kansas Cochener-Garvey Children’s Education & Discovery Center will feature STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics) interactive stations, a makerspace, a reading and media center and a quiet room, called the Phil & Lori Richardson Little Tigers’ Den (after the PBS character Daniel Tiger). The stations and activities will focus on children 2-10 years old and their families. However, we know children older and younger than those age ranges will also visit with their families. The Children’s Education & Discovery Center and Museum will both be free and open to the public on weekdays.
We’re very excited to welcome our community into the Children’s Education & Discovery Center. We’ll also have science-to-go kits, so families can do more activities at home. We plan to expand the reach even further through online, YouTube and outreach projects.
How do you think the new facility will impact the Wichita community?
The new PBS Kansas Channel 8 headquarters is already creating a buzz in the community as evidenced by the fact that in six months we’ve raised over $2 million dollars toward its purchase, remodel and new equipment. The new building expands our capacity and will allow us to produce and be more creative with our local programs.
The new studios will allow us to host other events including musicals, town hall forums, and drama performances. The building will also have the Alvin Sarachek Board Room, the Sedgwick County Community Room, the volunteer and training center and conferences, all available for use by our public.
Make48 has a strong relationship with PBS due to our successful docuseries that has aired on the channel since 2015. Public television relies on viewers like you to produce local shows and to serve as a vital educational and cultural resource within the community. If you want to contribute to their new PBS Kansas Headquarters buildingvisit this linkto become a chartered contributor.
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