2023-2024 Report to the Community
Dear Friends
AZPM continued its legacy of impactful and highly visual storytelling, compelling educational programming, and engaging live and virtual community events in FY24. With improvements to its technical infrastructure, a renewed focus on original content production, and expansion of its distribution platforms, AZPM engages television, radio, and digital audiences with award-winning, in-depth news and information, quality entertainment, and educational programming for children and adults alike.
Arizona’s first instructional television station, KUAT Channel 6, now simply PBS 6, continues to be one of the most-watched, most-supported, and highest ranked public television stations in the country. NPR 89.1 is a top performer in the news-talk format and routinely ranks among Tucson’s top three radio stations for cumulative audience. And the fastest growing audience demographic for Classical 90.5 is listeners age 12+.
In 2023/2024, AZPM’s original television, radio, and digital programs were honored with three regional Emmy® awards, nine regional Edward R. Murrow awards, its third National Murrow Award, and recognition from the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), RIAS Berlin Commission, Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA), among other highly respected news and professional media organizations.
If AZPM can earn such high achievement year over year from our current antiquated and cramped facilities, just imagine the possibilities as we transition to our new, state-of-the-art broadcast production facility, The Paul and Alice Baker Center for Public Media, in FY25. The Baker Center presents unprecedented opportunities for civic engagement, community service, and student growth, with more physical space and resources devoted to original local production and education – all to better serve you, our Southern Arizona neighbors.
For more than 65 years, the University of Arizona has been proud to provide this highly regarded public media service to the community. Your continued support makes it possible for AZPM to share the rich heritage and unique cultures of Southern Arizona with audiences throughout the region and around the globe.
We are humbled by and grateful for your viewership, listenership, and continued investment in AZPM.
Sincerely,
Jack Gibson
Chief Executive Officer, AZPM
Where to Live?
AZPM's news and content teams collaborated on a timely, cross-platform project examining the housing crisis in Southern Arizona. The series showcased first-hand accounts of young adults dealing with soaring prices, veterans struggling to find permanent housing, women experiencing homelessness, and the financial struggle of first-time home buyers.
The Press Room
In 2024, AZPM unveiled its newest original production, The Press Room. This weekly roundtable news program provides deep discussion on the latest headlines from local, trusted, and experienced journalists from around Arizona. The show is hosted by veteran newsman Steve Goldstein and is simulcast on PBS 6 and NPR 89.1.
Tapped Season 3
In 2024, AZPM’s groundbreaking original podcast returned for its third season. More than 150,000 listeners have tuned in to uncover critical water stories affecting the future of our state. Featured on All Things Considered Weekend Edition, The Indicator, and NPR’s New and Notable, Tapped delivers reporting so impactful, it’s shaping statewide conversations.
More than a Game Season 2
Exploring the untold stories of Arizona sports, season 2 showcased all new episodes, featuring everything from mountain biking to NASCAR to Arizona's rodeo tradition.
Fact Check Arizona Season 2
There's an old saying: "Don't let facts get in the way of a good story." On Fact Check Arizona, we were looking to get in the way of some good stories. Each week leading up to the 2024 Election, we investigated what people around the election were saying and whether they had the facts on their side.
In early 2024, AZPM launched FNX Digital in Southern Arizona, a 24/7 stream showcasing Native-produced and themed documentaries, dramatic series, nature, cooking, gardening, children's, and arts programming that illustrates the lives and cultures of Native American and indigenous people around the world.
PBS Kids Day
AZPM was proud to host the inaugural PBS Kids Day at the Children's Museum Tucson! This free event was an enormous hit with kids and families, and featured PBS Kids characters, prizes, and activities.
NextGenTV
PBS 6 was one of the first stations in the country to begin broadcasting in HD. This year, we continued that tradition of innovation when PBS 6 became the first PBS station in the US to broadcast in NextGenTV with significantly improved 1080P HDR picture quality.
New Classical Antenna
Over the summer, a tornado destroyed AZPM's 89.7 Classical antenna on Tumamoc Hill. We erected a taller, more durable antenna at the site, and migrated the channel to 90.9 FM, providing a smoother transition for listeners who move out of range from 90.5 FM.
Newsroom Expansion
AZPM is more committed to local journalism than ever before, producing more feature-length stories, releasing more podcasts, and probing deeper into the issues important to Arizonans. In a contested election year, we hosted 4 town halls with local and national experts, simulcast 5 Clean Elections debates on radio and television, and made 10 more available for streaming, all to help educate and inform our community.
Hollywood at Home Goes Virtual
Our popular Saturday night double feature of classic films was given a visual upgrade and is now shot entirely on AZPM’s new virtual set, the only one of its kind in Southern Arizona.
PBS Kids Relaunch
AZPM created a new PBS Kids web portal to make it easier than ever for children and families to stream, play, and learn. In mid-2024, we also launched the PBS Kids channel on YouTubeTV®. Now you can watch over broadcast, on the app and online, or streaming on your SmartTV.
The Paul & Alice Baker Center for Public Media
Construction continues on AZPM's new home at the corner of South Kino Parkway and East 36th Street. The Baker Center will change AZPM's relationship with our community, and will be a live-work-play-learn environment and one of the region’s most innovative and exciting developments.
2025 NETA Conference
AZPM is proud to be the presenting station for the 2025 National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) conference. The conference is dedicated to providing public media professionals with meaningful and relevant connections to the people and ideas that are at the heart of public media's mission to educate, engage, and entertain.
Television
Arizona's first public television station, PBS 6, continues to offer high-quality entertainment and educational programs for children and adults, including fan favorites like PBS NewsHour, MASTERPIECE, Finding Your Roots, NOVA, and award-winning original content.
361,118 households in Southern Arizona watched PBS 6 in full year 2023. More importantly, we reached 99% of households with income under $25k, 64% of hispanic households, and 78% of seniors living alone*.
Thanks to incredible support from viewers like you, PBS 6 was once again #1 in viewership per capita among the top 57 PBS markets.*
*Source: TRAC Media, Nielsen
Radio
In 2024, AZPM averaged more than 125,000 weekly unduplicated listeners* across our three radio stations, reaching a wide and diverse audience through news, music, and entertainment.
While we will continue to serve our broadcast audience, AZPM is also making significant investments in streaming. This year, our radio stations saw exceptional growth in digital listenership. More than 440,000 people* streamed one of our radio stations on azpm.org, on smart speakers, or on mobile devices, more than ever before.
*Source: Radio Research Consortium, Streamguys
AZPM Passport continues its extraordinary success. PBS and AZPM content was streamed more than 1.1 million times with Passport in 2024, beating last year's all-time best.
As of December 2024, over 86% of AZPM's eligible members have activated AZPM Passport and continue to enjoy its ever-expanding library of dramas, documentaries, and news series.
*Source: PBS VPPA Data / PBS DOMO
PBS Kids
Providing engaging and educational programming for kids remains one of the most critical parts of our mission. As technology needs for families have changed, AZPM has adapted. Now, more children are watching our content through apps and OTT (over-the-top or non-television) devices than over traditional broadcast. With the launch of our PBS Kids channel on YouTubeTV®, our content is available on more platforms and more devices than ever before.
In 2024, free PBS Kids content was streamed more than 11.1 million times* by Southern Arizona families.
*Source: PBS DOMO
Podcasts
In 2024, AZPM saw unprecedented success with our podcasts. We produced new episodes for six different shows, including the highly-anticipated third season of our break-out hit, Tapped. This season resonated strongly with audiences across the country. During the week of August 19, Tapped was the #1 trending podcast in the world* on the Chartable podcast charts.
In total, AZPM podcasts have been downloaded over 700,000 times* this year, a remarkable 59% year-over-year increase.
*Source: Chartable, PodTrac
AZPM.org
From video and radio streaming, to respected local journalism, our robust online presence at azpm.org allows us to reach audiences far beyond our broadcast area — and that audience is larger than ever in its history.
Over 1.5 million unique people* visited azpm.org during 2024, our best ever performance.
*Source: Google AnalyticsFinancials
The Buzz earns two national awards
AZPM's podcast, The Buzz, won two national awards for its innovative story, "El Tour de Mayor of Tucson," a take on the renowned perimeter bicycle race, El Tour de Tucson. Host Christopher Conover drove the three candidates for Tucson Mayor around the area and spoke with them about what they saw out the windows.
The story was honored with a national first-place award in the Interview category from the Public Media Journalists Association, an award for Public Affairs reporting at the 56th NETA Public Media Awards, and a regional Edward R. Murrow award for Excellence in Innovation.
Edward R. Murrow Awards
In 2024, AZPM was honored with nine Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Excellence in Innovation, and Investigative Reporting.
In November 2024, AZPM was proud to receive five Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards in the categories of Arts and Entertainment, Science and Environment, Education, and Societal Concerns, more than any public media broadcaster in the region.
Winners
