One of two PBS Member stations in the Toledo DMA has decided to end its relationship with the source of news and educational programming, with June 30 the day those who tune to Bowling Green State University‘s TV station will begin seeking another outlet to go to.
WBGU-TV, based in Bowling Green, Ohio, and situated between Toledo and Findlay, is making the decision to end its relationship with PBS because of the loss of federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as voted on in 2025 by Congressional and Senate Republicans.
In a statement, the university shared that federal funding represented $1.1 million of WBGU’s annual budget, resulting in a loss of more than 40% of the dollars needed to keep PBS on the station. While WBGU has close to 4,000 active donors, their contributions account for roughly 15% of the annual budget for the station.
“After careful financial review, and ahead of the upcoming annual spring fundraising campaign, a national, PBS-affiliated fundraising effort, the university felt it was not right to continue to ask donors for funding support, knowing WBGU would no longer be able to carry PBS programming after June 30, 2026,” the university said.
WBGU will broadcast Columbus-focused statewide political offering The Ohio Channel in place of PBS programming while sunsetting locally produced shows, including “The Journal” and “BGSU Brain Game,” citing both federal and state funding cuts.
In a statement, Bowling Green State University Spokesperson Colleen Rerucha said,
“As a public university for the public good, Bowling Green has deep appreciation for the critical role public institutions, like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, have in enriching our society. For more than six decades, WBGU-PBS has been a fixture at Bowling Green State University, providing learning experiences and opportunities for students interested in broadcast communications and springboarding careers, while serving 19 counties across northwest Ohio with educational and community-focused programming.”
While WBGU serves 550,000 households across 19 counties, Nielsen data show 40,000 households watch WBGU-PBS. That’s because the Public Broadcasting Foundation of Northwest Ohio operates both WGTE-TV and WGTE-FM in Toledo, with WGTE Public Media serving as the primary source for cultural and educational programming across the region.
