Across the U.S., PBS KIDS averages 13 million monthly users and nearly 400 million streams across its digital platforms. PBS stations reach more children and parents of young children than any other children’s TV network, with 60% of the audience living in rural communities and 87% in homes without internet.
Paycom founder and CEO Chad Richison knows about living in a rural community, growing up in Tuttle, Oklahoma, a town of less than 10,000 people.
To help PBS continue its reach in Oklahoma, the Richison Family Foundation gave a $500,000 program-underwriting grant to the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. This support of OETA aligns with the Richison Family Foundation’s mission of supporting sustainable organisations that have a lasting impact on the missions they serve, including children’s education, foster care, food supplies, mental health, wellness and self-care.
This investment will help sustain OETA’s public media services for Oklahomans, including PBS KIDS, the Oklahoma News Report and the statewide Wireless Emergency Alert system.
“Public broadcasting is an essential resource for communities, and I’m proud to support OETA, a sustainable organization that is making a lasting impact,” said Richison.
His heart for making a lasting impact extends into Paycom, a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, which regularly supports various nonprofit organizations nationwide, including those helping underserved communities, youth, families, mental health initiatives and the environment.
How does public broadcasting help education?
When it comes to children’s education, public broadcast television programs can make a big difference in outcomes, including better school readiness. One study found “Molly of Denali,” an animated children’s series about an Alaska Native girl, helped first-grade students from low-income households become significantly better at using informational text to solve real-world problems.
The study was conducted in 2020 and was commissioned as part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
The educational gains were achieved with as little as one hour per week of watching the show and interacting with the program’s digital video games and app.
Why is this partnership important?
This grant will help fill the gap left in the station’s budget by the uncertainties in federal funding, which previously accounted for about 12% of the station’s coffers.
“This investment from the Richison Family Foundation is both meaningful and essential,” said Shawn Black, executive director of OETA. “We are incredibly grateful for partners like the Richison Family Foundation, who believe in our mission and help make it possible. Their support also highlights the vital role underwriters play in sustaining public television as a trusted, non-commercial resource for all.”
What is underwriting compared to a donation?
Program underwriting is a cornerstone of public broadcasting. Viewers may be familiar with lines at breaks in programming that say, “This program was made possible by …”
This partnership not only helps OETA with its funding, but it also demonstrates the Richison Family Foundation’s lasting impact on children’s education. Underwriting offers a way to support public good while reinforcing credibility in a highly visible manner.
