PBS 45 & 49 Introduces New Name

“Western Reserve Public Media” to reflect organization’s regional service to northeast Ohio

PBS 45 & 49 will launch a new corporate identity this fall as Western Reserve Public Media. The new identity better reflects the public broadcaster’s regional coverage, which unifies the four major metropolitan areas of northeast Ohio — Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown.

Western Reserve Public Media will include the two separately licensed public television stations WNEO/Alliance and WEAO/Akron. The new name will also represent the full range of the organization’s broadcast, Internet, new media and print services.

Trina Cutter, president and CEO of PBS 45 & 49, said the new identity prepares the organization for advancements in broadcast technology. “The advent of digital television opens a new realm of possibilities for multiple broadcast channels,” Cutter said. “Western Reserve Public Media better reflects the breadth of public television services that we have already begun to provide to northeast Ohioans.”

Under this umbrella identity, the channels PBS 45 & 49 will become Western Reserve PBS and will continue to operate as the primary broadcast service. Additional standard definition channels will be named to reflect the Western Reserve concept.

Beginning in July, the organization will open its Western Reserve Production Hub in downtown Akron’s United Building, where some of its production operations will be moved. Western Reserve Public Media will join 89.7 WKSU and the Cleveland-based NBC affiliate WKYC (Channel 3) in group-leasing the ground-level broadcasting studios.

The organization is working with Triad Communications Inc. of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, to help develop its new identity system, which will reflect both the advancing broadcast technologies and the organization’s regional presence.