PBS North Carolina and WTVI PBS Charlotte announce agreement to combine organizations

CHARLOTTE, N.C. and RALEIGH, N.C. – PBS North Carolina (PBS NC) and WTVI PBS Charlotte (WTVI) today announced an agreement to combine the two organizations, with PBS NC acquiring WTVI. Central Piedmont Community College currently holds the WTVI broadcast license. The agreement brings together two public media organizations with a shared commitment to education, trusted storytelling and service to communities across North Carolina.

For more than 60 years, WTVI has served the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region through educational programming, local storytelling and community connection. PBS NC has more than 71 years of public service, first airing on Jan. 8, 1955. Its broadcast currently reaches into the Charlotte region as part of its statewide coverage. 

Under the proposed agreement, the local commitment to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region will continue. WTVI’s deep relationships across its 13-county service area will complement PBS NC’s statewide network, creating opportunities to showcase the people, ideas and developments shaping the Charlotte region to audiences throughout North Carolina.

“WTVI has been a trusted presence in living rooms across the Charlotte region, and I have deep respect for what the station has meant to its viewers, members and to the community,” shared David Crabtree, PBS North Carolina’s chief executive officer and general manager. “Bringing WTVI into the PBS NC family means that everything WTVI has built now has a statewide stage. Charlotte is a dynamic and growing city, and its stories deserve to be heard across North Carolina and beyond. We are honored to carry that mission forward.” 

PBS NC will bring WTVI’s robust archive of local content into its library of North Carolina stories and will also explore opportunities to develop new programming from the Charlotte market. The organization plans to maintain a local presence in Mecklenburg County, including a production studio on Central Piedmont Central Campus near Uptown Charlotte. The studio, coupled with significant local community engagement that PBS NC has committed to, will help ensure that local perspectives, people and stories continue to have a strong presence in public media and across the state.

“Central Piedmont has been proud to steward WTVI for the past 14 years and help strengthen its service to this community,” said Dr. Tracie Clark, interim leader for WTVI and senior vice president of strategy, talent and institutional effectiveness for Central Piedmont. “As the public media landscape evolves, this agreement provides an opportunity to build on that legacy by combining WTVI’s deep connection to the Charlotte region with PBS NC’s statewide reach and resources.”

The agreement will also strengthen the infrastructure behind reliable emergency communication. Integrating WTVI’s broadcast facilities into PBS NC’s statewide network will strengthen the public safety communications infrastructure that supports the distribution of emergency information when it matters most.

Building on WTVI PBS Charlotte’s legacy

Central Piedmont acquired the WTVI license in 2012 and has invested in the station and strengthened its financial position over the past 14 years.

The public media funding landscape changed significantly following the loss of federal funding in 2025, which represented $1.2 million in annual support for WTVI. Strong local fundraising helped close the immediate funding gap, but maintaining the station’s current operating model creates substantial uncertainty about WTVI's long-term financial and operational viability.

Against that changing landscape, Central Piedmont and PBS NC began exploring whether combining the organizations could provide greater long-term stability while preserving WTVI’s service to the Charlotte region.

Next steps

The agreement is subject to review and approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). PBS NC and WTVI plan to jointly file the proposed transaction with the FCC, seeking approval to transfer the WTVI broadcast license to PBS NC. The FCC review process provides an opportunity for public comments before a decision is made.

Until the necessary approvals are received and the transaction is completed, WTVI and PBS North Carolina will continue operating as separate organizations.