New Hampshire PBS
PBS member network operated by New Hampshire Public Broadcasting and serving viewers across New Hampshire.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
New Hampshire PBS, commonly abbreviated NHPBS, is a nonprofit public television network serving the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is a member station network of the Public Broadcasting Service and is operated by New Hampshire Public Broadcasting, the community-based nonprofit that holds the broadcast licenses for the state's PBS stations. Its principal facilities are at the NHPBS Broadcast Center near the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham. The network began broadcasting on July 6, 1959, when the University of New Hampshire signed on WENH-TV on VHF channel 11. WENH was New Hampshire's first educational television station and one of the earliest such stations in New England outside the Boston area. During the late 1960s, the service expanded through satellite stations and translators intended to reach the state's mountainous northern and western regions. It initially operated under the name New Hampshire Network, adopting the New Hampshire Public Television identity in 1976. The organization became New Hampshire PBS on October 1, 2017. NHPBS has historically combined national PBS programming with locally produced public-affairs, educational, cultural, sports and environmental content. Notable programs associated with the service include Granite State Challenge, New Hampshire Crossroads, NH Outlook, Windows to the Wild, Wildlife Journal and earlier productions such as The State We're In, Channel 11 News, New Hampshire Journal, A Time for Music and Your Time. It also carried live University of New Hampshire men's ice hockey for many years and served as the original distributor and production home for the cooking series Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito. The network's operating environment has been shaped by New Hampshire's fragmented television geography. The state lies across the Boston, Portland and Burlington–Plattsburgh viewing areas, so many households can receive one or more additional PBS services through cable, satellite or over-the-air reception. NHPBS has therefore used schedule differentiation, regional transmitters, translators and broad carriage arrangements to maintain a distinct statewide presence. Its flagship WENH signal and additional stations and translators provide coverage across most of New Hampshire, while some signals extend into neighboring parts of Maine and Vermont. A major institutional turning point came after the loss of state support. State funding represented approximately 30 percent of the station's fiscal 2011 budget, and the withdrawal of that support led to the discontinuation of most locally produced programs in June 2011. New Hampshire Public Broadcasting became an independent nonprofit organization on July 1, 2012, following a period in which it had operated within the University of New Hampshire and the wider University System of New Hampshire. Some business functions were outsourced to WGBH in Boston, while NHPBS remained an independently operated public broadcaster. In September 2012, it moved toward a schedule aligned with PBS and WGBH services, and master-control operations were relocated to Boston. Today, New Hampshire PBS remains a public-service media organization focused on educational, cultural, informational and entertainment programming. Its broadcast distribution is complemented by digital services and community-oriented content, while its identity continues to emphasize New Hampshire's people, institutions, environment and civic life.
History
New Hampshire PBS traces its history to July 6, 1959, when the University of New Hampshire placed WENH-TV on the air from Durham. The station was the first educational television outlet in New Hampshire and among the first educational stations established in New England outside Boston. Its original mission was to provide instructional and cultural television to a state whose terrain and dispersed communities made statewide educational distribution difficult. During the late 1960s, the service expanded with UHF satellite stations and translators serving northern and western New Hampshire. The broader operation was known as the New Hampshire Network before taking the New Hampshire Public Television name in 1976. In its early years the Durham operation broadcast in black and white; conversion of the studio to color in 1972 supported a larger slate of locally produced programming. The early 1970s brought several distinctly New Hampshire-oriented programs. The State We're In was a nightly state-issues newscast, while A Time for Music presented live performances by musicians from New England. The station also broadcast University of New Hampshire men's hockey and offered Your Time, a program that gave nonprofit organizations airtime to explain their work. Your Time later became Public Access 11. Financial pressures became severe by 1981. A budget crisis led to the cancellation of Channel 11 News, the successor to The State We're In, and the shutdown of satellite transmitters in Hanover and Berlin. New Hampshire Journal, a lower-cost weekly news review, followed, while New Hampshire Crossroads continued with outside funding. Hockey broadcasts also survived for a time because they were supported by underwriters. Granite State Challenge premiered in the winter of 1984 and became one of the network's most durable local productions. Tom Bergeron was its original host, followed by Jim Jeanotte, who also provided many years of play-by-play for UNH hockey. Jon Cannon later became host. Other enduring productions included New Hampshire Crossroads, NH Outlook, Windows to the Wild and Wildlife Journal, the latter produced with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The network also produced or distributed Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito from its Durham studios. The relationship with the University System of New Hampshire changed over time. NHPB was established in 2008 as a nonprofit subsidiary to manage day-to-day operations, although the university system's trustees initially retained the licenses. The loss of state funding in 2011 accelerated the move toward independent nonprofit governance and forced major reductions in local production. On July 1, 2012, New Hampshire Public Broadcasting became an independent nonprofit organization. It entered shared-services arrangements with WGBH, including the relocation of master-control operations to Boston. On September 30, 2012, its schedule began following PBS programming in closer alignment with WGBH-TV, while its secondary service moved toward a schedule similar to WGBX-TV. The network completed the federally required transition from analog to digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009, using digital facilities associated with WENH-TV, WLED-TV and WEKW-TV. Translators continued to extend service into difficult terrain, including the Upper Connecticut Valley and the northern part of the state. NHPBS has also maintained carriage on most New Hampshire cable systems and has had varying levels of availability in parts of Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. The New Hampshire Public Television brand was replaced by New Hampshire PBS on October 1, 2017. The rebrand connected the statewide service more directly with the PBS identity while retaining its local mission. The organization continues to operate as a nonprofit public broadcaster, distributing national PBS content and New Hampshire-focused programming through broadcast, cable and digital channels.
- 2017
Rebrand to New Hampshire PBS
[1]New Hampshire Public Television adopts the New Hampshire PBS name.
- 2012
Independent nonprofit governance begins
[1]New Hampshire Public Broadcasting becomes an independent nonprofit and enters operational cooperation with WGBH.
- 2011
State support ends
[1]The loss of New Hampshire state funding prompts major reductions in locally produced programming.
- 2009
Digital television transition
[1]NHPBS stations shut down their analog signals and continue with post-transition digital allocations.
- 1984
Granite State Challenge premieres
[1]The academic quiz program begins a long-running association with the network.
- 1981
Budget crisis cuts news and transmitters
[1]Severe financial pressure ends Channel 11 News and leads to the permanent shutdown of satellite transmitters in Hanover and Berlin.
- 1976
New Hampshire Public Television name adopted
[1]The statewide operation replaces the New Hampshire Network identity with New Hampshire Public Television.
- 1972
Durham studio converts to color
[1]The main studio changes from black-and-white production to color, supporting expanded local programming.
- 1959
WENH-TV begins broadcasting
[1]The University of New Hampshire signs on WENH-TV in Durham, creating New Hampshire's first educational television station.
Products and positioning
A statewide nonprofit public-media network combining PBS programming with New Hampshire-focused education, culture, public affairs and environmental storytelling.
Public television network · 1959
NHPBS broadcast network
The core statewide television service distributes PBS national programming together with selected New Hampshire-oriented content. Its principal service is WENH-TV in Durham, supplemented by other full-power facilities and translators designed to reach communities across the state's varied geographic regions.
Educational quiz program · 1984
Granite State Challenge
Granite State Challenge is an academic competition program involving New Hampshire high-school students. It premiered in 1984 and became one of the network's best-known locally associated productions, with hosts including Tom Bergeron, Jim Jeanotte and later Jon Cannon.
Environmental and outdoor series
Windows to the Wild
Windows to the Wild is a New Hampshire-focused outdoor and environmental program associated with NHPBS. Its subject matter reflects the region's landscapes, wildlife and conservation culture, reinforcing the network's role in documenting local natural resources.
Wildlife series
Wildlife Journal
Wildlife Journal is a locally relevant wildlife program produced in cooperation with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The series connects public broadcasting with conservation education and coverage of the state's fauna and habitats.
Regional feature magazine · 1981
New Hampshire Crossroads
New Hampshire Crossroads is a feature-magazine series examining people, places and issues in the state. It premiered during the network's financially difficult early-1980s period and continued because it had support from outside sources.
Cooking program
Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito
Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito was produced at the Durham studios and formerly distributed by NHPBS. The cooking series gave the station a nationally distributed production in addition to its regional programming.
Brand decisions
2012
Adopt shared services and align the schedule with WGBHStrategyBackground
After becoming an independent nonprofit, NHPBS evaluated ways to reduce operating costs and coordinate with neighboring public broadcasters in a region with overlapping viewing markets.
Action taken
Certain business functions were outsourced to WGBH, master-control operations moved to Boston, and the schedule began following PBS programming in tandem with WGBH-TV.
Aftermath
The network retained independent organizational status while operating with closer technical and scheduling integration with a major neighboring PBS station.
2011
Reduce locally produced programming after state funding lossStrategyBackground
State funding had accounted for a significant portion of the network's fiscal 2011 budget. After that support was withdrawn, the organization faced a substantial structural shortfall.
Action taken
Most local productions, with Wildlife Journal among the exceptions, were discontinued in June 2011.
Aftermath
The reduction narrowed the locally produced schedule and accelerated the network's transition toward nonprofit independence and shared operational services.
2009
Complete the analog-to-digital television transitionOtherBackground
Federal television policy required full-power stations to discontinue analog broadcasting and use digital facilities.
Action taken
NHPBS stations ended their analog transmissions on February 17, 2009, with WENH, WLED and WEKW continuing through designated digital channels.
Aftermath
The network continued statewide service through digital transmitters and translators.
Recent events
New Hampshire PBS partners on children's cooking series[3]
Reported:
Amy LaBelle and New Hampshire PBS partnered to present an online series of interactive cooking classes for children, hosted by LaBelle and produced by New Hampshire PBS.
Sources3 sources
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