Panhandle PBS Recognized Nationally by PBS President Paula Kerger at Annual Meeting 

Panhandle PBS received national recognition during the recent PBS Annual Meeting in Austin as PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger highlighted the station’s leadership in statewide collaboration, educational outreach, and community engagement across Texas.

Speaking before public media leaders from across the country, Kerger praised the work being accomplished through Texas PBS, specifically noting the collaborative efforts of all 10 Texas PBS stations, including Panhandle PBS’s role in helping shape a statewide model for shared content, collaborative journalism, and community service.

“In Texas, all 10 PBS stations came together through Texas PBS,” Kerger said. “They built a statewide model for shared content, collaborative journalism and joint fundraising.”

Kerger specifically referenced the August 2025 gathering hosted in Amarillo, where station leaders from across the state met to launch the “Made in Texas” documentary initiative — a monthly series featuring locally produced documentaries from communities across Texas.

“They gathered in Amarillo — leaders from Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, El Paso, College Station and Midland around one table,” Kerger said.

Kerger also highlighted Panhandle PBS’s educational outreach connected to The American Revolution, noting the station’s teacher-focused events developed in partnership with Region 16 Education Service Center and the Texas Panhandle War Memorial and Education Center. The events used the PBS series as a foundation for classroom engagement and community learning opportunities and exceeded attendance expectations.

“Panhandle PBS hosted teacher events in partnership with the regional Education Service Center and the Texas Panhandle War Memorial, exceeding every attendance goal they set,” Kerger said.

She described the effort as an example of the future of public media: “Content created at national scale, activated at the local level, every station making it their own.”

Panhandle PBS leaders said the recognition reflects the station’s ongoing commitment to serving the Texas Panhandle through educational programming, local storytelling, and meaningful community partnerships.

“We were honored to hear Panhandle PBS recognized on the national stage,” said Cullen Lutz, Panhandle PBS manager of community development. “What Paula Kerger described is exactly what public television is about — local stations working together to serve their communities while creating opportunities for learning and connection close to home.”

About Panhandle PBS

Panhandle PBS serves the Texas Panhandle with high-quality educational programming, local storytelling, and community engagement across broadcast and digital platforms. As a PBS member station, it is committed to enriching lives through content that informs, inspires, and connects.