Frequently Asked Questions

TV FAQs

TV Schedules

How do I find the daily and weekly schedules for OPB TV and OPB's digital channels?

The OPB Television home page contains links to upcoming and recent TV schedules viewable by the day or week for all OPB channels. The print OPB Member Guide (mailed monthly to members) also provides TV schedules, as well as feature stories, information about events and member benefits and more.

Why are some programs repeated?

In order to offer multiple viewing options to our audience, OPB usually repeats programs one to three times within the week following an original broadcast. Some programs repeat after midnight to give viewers a chance to tape a show they may have seen earlier, missed or learned about too late to watch. Some programs are repeated on weekends or at alternate times so they can reach a different audience. Other shows may repeat due to audience requests or because a series is between seasons and new episodes are not yet available. (Few programs have enough original episodes to go without some repeats during the year). As part of our membership drives, some programs may repeat due to their fund-raising effectiveness.

Why is OPB airing a program at a different time from another PBS station?

Some of the PBS programs that OPB broadcasts come with requirements that they be aired on a certain day and within a certain time frame. These shows are often anchor programs of the PBS schedule - Masterpiece Theatre, NOVA, FRONTLINE, Washington Week, etc. Other programs may have no fixed schedule requirements, but do have a limited rights window during which OPB can broadcast the shows. OPB programmers take into account these and other factors as they build the TV schedule, grouping programs together in ways that serve as many segments of our audience as possible. Though most PBS stations use similar criteria, each one responds in different ways to the interests of its community, and so no two stations come up with identical schedules.

Why isn't OPB airing a program I heard about or that another PBS station carries?

All public broadcasting stations have the flexibility to make their own programming choices, and so no two stations broadcast the same schedule of shows.

In some months, more than half of OPB's prime-time schedule is allotted to "common carriage" - programs we are contractually required, as a member of the PBS system, to air during certain hours on certain days. Other blocks of OPB air time are devoted to themes -- children, crafts, cooking or comedy, for instance. Adding a new program to the schedule requires an available and appropriate time slot, something not always easily found. Ultimately, OPB makes programming choices based on many variables: quality, audience interest, diversity, importance, originality and relevance to our stated mission: giving voice to the community, connecting Oregon and its neighbors and illuminating a wider world.

Why is the TV schedule in the OPB Member Guide (or the newspaper) sometimes wrong?

The OPB Member Guide goes to press approximately three weeks before the beginning of the month, and is as accurate as we can make it on that date. Occasionally, changes in the length of a program, PBS network schedule changes, breaking news events, licensing issues and/or technical problems can result in last-minute schedule changes for OPB TV. We only make such changes with good reason, recognizing that many people will not learn of them in advance. You'll find the most up-to-date schedules for all OPB channels at the OPB Television home page. You might find it useful to bookmark the page in your browser to make it easy to check in the future.

TV Channels

How do I find a list of OPB TV channels and locations?

Here's a full list of OPB TV channels, frequencies and locations.

How do I watch OPB's digital channels?

Review our guide on how to watch OPB's digital channels.

Program Content & Information

How do I find the guest name, transcript, book title, etc. from a TV program I saw on OPB?

Details about individual programs - NewsHour, Charlie Rose, FRONTLINE, etc. - can be found on the Web sites for specific series. Your first step is to determine which program you're looking for and then find its Web address:

You may need to consult the TV schedule to find out which show OPB aired at the time in question. Many of the programs link to the OPB TV page for that program.
Web sites for programs can be found on our "Find a Program" page. Select the program you're interested in and click on "Visit Program Website." If you do not find your program listed there, try a Google search for the "program name" and "Web site" (using the quotes). Note: Not every program has its own Web site, but many do.
Once you've logged on to a program's Web site, look for an "archive" or "past shows" link to find the exact date you need. If you don't know when the episode aired, use the site's search engine and any known keywords to narrow down the date. Put quotes around any phrases or full names you're searching for -- this will make the responses more relevant to your needs.
At the discretion of the show's producers, transcripts may be available for download, printing or sale. Some TV shows will have video clips, and some - like FRONTLINE - offer entire shows viewable on demand.

How do I find a specific program's broadcast schedule or Web site?

OPB provides a Web page with upcoming broadcast information for many of the TV programs we air. To locate this page for a particular show, visit our "Find a Program" page and select your program from the alphabetical list of shows. You can also find Web sites for programs on this page. If you do not find your program listed here, try a Google search for the "program name" and "Web site" (using the quotes). Note: Not every program has its own Web site, but many do.

How do I find a recipe from a cooking program?

The producers of each cooking series decide if they will make recipes available to viewers. When offered, you can find recipes on the program's Web site. Web sites for programs can be found on our "Find a Program" page. Select the program you're interested in and click on "Visit Program Website." If you do not find your program listed there, try a Google search for the "program name" and "Web site" (using the quotes). Note: Not every program has its own Web site, but many do.

Many cookbooks can also be purchased online at Shop OPB or by phone at 888.891.7608. OPB members receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases. PBS has its own online shop with a slightly different inventory. You can order by phone at 800.531.4727.

Why does OPB have "ads" on the air?

Sixteen percent of OPB's operating budget comes from business underwriters who receive on-air acknowledgements of their contributions to public broadcasting. Both the Federal Communications Commission and OPB limit the form these acknowledgements can take. For example, underwriting recognition credits cannot include inducements to buy, the use of superlatives, calls to action or references to price.

Financial support from our underwriters does not influence program content or programming decisions. OPB maintains strictly enforced barriers between program content and all funding.

Why does OPB need to have membership drives and pledge breaks?

Almost two-thirds of OPB's operating budget comes from individual membership contributions from viewers and listeners. While a significant portion of member donations come through mail solicitation and automatic renewals, on-air drives allow OPB to attract the largest number of new and renewing members in the most efficient and effective way possible. Though new members are an essential part of OPB's long-term financial health, the length of membership drives is kept to the minimum that will allow us to reach our goals. OPB's membership drive format is based on own experiences, as well as the shared experiences of public broadcasters throughout the country.

Why does OPB air different programming during TV membership drives?

In contrast to radio, most of our regular television programming does not have built-in breaks appropriate for fund-raising segments. Therefore, OPB supplements its regular programming with shows produced especially for membership drives. Since we strive to have as efficient a fund-raising period possible, we air specials that attract large audiences, including many who are not regular viewers of OPB, and keep the length of our drives to the minimum that will allow us to reach our financial goals. OPB's experience, as well as that of other public broadcasting stations, has shown that a mix of specials and regular programming results in the most effective membership drive schedule. Once a drive has ended, we evaluate results and viewer response, and make changes as needed.

Why are certain programs no longer on the air?

Programs may no longer air for various reasons. Rights for some programs have expired (this is true of many of the best-loved programs from Masterpiece Theatre, for instance) and OPB is no longer able to air them. Other programs may be replaced by newer shows or series. The Programming Department works very hard to serve as many audience segments as possible, to balance their competing and diverse interests and to provide a variety of programs that educate, entertain and enlighten.

Purchasing Programs

How do I buy a copy of a program I saw on OPB?

Many TV programs aired on OPB can be purchased online at Shop OPB or by phone at 888.891.7608. OPB members receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases. PBS also has an online shop with a slightly different inventory. You can order by phone at 800.531.4727.

To order copies of OPB-produced programs like Oregon Field Guide and Oregon Art Beat, call Stacy Coonfield at OPB at 503.293.1904. It's helpful if you can provide the program's episode number when ordering. You can find the episode number by browsing the season schedules or searching the story archives on each program's home page: Oregon Field Guide or Oregon Art Beat.

Most episodes of Oregon Experience are available online at Shop OPB. To order copies of Oregon Experience episodes not available at Shop OPB, as well as some other OPB productions like The Oregon Story, call Kayo Lackey at OPB at 503.977.7792.

Why aren't copies and transcripts of some programs available for sale?

Each program's producers determine whether or not a show is available for purchase. Some programs include footage which involves negotiating complicated royalty and licensing issues or artist releases that make sales prohibitive. Other shows may once have been available, but because of lapsed rights can no longer be offered for sale.

Program producers also decide whether transcripts are available. Many news programs -- NewsHour and Nightly Business Report, for instance -- offer transcripts of individual stories and complete shows. To find out if a transcript is available, visit the program's Web site. Web sites for programs can be found on our "Find a Program" page. Select the program you're interested in and click on "Visit Program Website." If you do not find your program listed there, try a Google search for the "program name" and "Web site" (using the quotes). Note: Not every program has its own Web site, but many do.

Giving Feedback

How do I contact or leave feedback for OPB?

To reach us by e-mail, use the form on the OPB Contact Us Page. To reach us by phone, call the Member Center at 800.241.8123, the main switchboard at 503.244.9900 or the Radio Department at 503.293.1905 during weekday business hours. If you are experiencing a technical problem, you can call us at 888.293.1982. Our mailing address is OPB, 7140 SW Macadam Avenue, Portland, OR 97219.

How do I contact or leave feedback for PBS (Public Broadcasting System)?

PBS has a feedback page and a viewer ombudsman, Michael Getler, who can be reached via his home page or by phone at 703.739.5290. If you'd prefer to write a letter, the mailing address is PBS, 2100 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202.

How do I request that OPB air a program?

Send us details via the OPB Contact Us Page. Although we can't promise that all requested shows will air, audience feedback and interest play a key role in our decision-making process.

How do I suggest a story idea for Oregon Field Guide, Oregon Art Beat or Oregon Experience?

Contact Oregon Field Guide.
Contact Oregon Art Beat.
Contact Oregon Experience.

Technical Issues/Reception

How do I report a TV reception problem?

Please use our Reception Report Form or call the OPB Member Center at 800.241.8123.

How do I improve the OPB TV signal I get via an antenna?

AntennaWeb, a Web site run by the Consumer Electronics Association, can help you locate the precise distance and direction from your house to the nearest broadcast tower used by OPB. With the site's help, you should be able to set up your antenna to receive the best possible signal from OPB. If this optimum orientation doesn't produce an adequate signal, you may need to upgrade your antenna.

Why has my TV reception recently changed or become worse?

TV and radio reception can be affected by many things: weather, trees, placement of objects (like cars, people or furniture), a building's materials and components, sunspots and local terrain, among others.

Your antenna quality and its placement are also important. AntennaWeb, a Web site run by the Consumer Electronics Association, can help you locate the precise distance and direction from your house to the nearest broadcast tower used by OPB. With the site's help, you should be able to set up your antenna to receive the best possible signal from OPB.

OPB constantly monitors the quality of our outgoing radio and TV signals. Our engineering staff works throughout Oregon, maintaining, upgrading and repairing equipment in the more than 75 sites from which an OPB TV or Radio signal originates. When weather conditions are bad or when access to equipment is made difficult or even impossible, repairs may take longer than any of us would like. At such times we ask for your patience and understanding while our engineers diagnose the problems and repair equipment. If a problem does persist, please use our Reception Report Form or call the Member Center at 800.241.8123.

How do I set the time on my VCR or DVR using the time signal from OPB TV?

The analog OPB television signal contains an embedded time code which VCRs and DVRs can use to set their internal clocks automatically. However, the 2007 change to the beginning and ending dates for Daylight Savings Time (DST) now causes many machines to display the wrong time, even though the signal they receive from OPB is correct.

All but the newest VCRs and DVRs are programmed with the old (and now incorrect) dates for DST. Most machines reset their clocks only when power is disconnected for a significant period of time or when their internal software directs them to do so. This means that a machine with outdated software will not respond to any change in OPB's time signal until the software, on the wrong date, tells it to.

To synchronize your VCR's or DVR's clock with OPB's, you will need to manually override the incorrectly programmed dates for DST:

In the setup menu, make sure that the daylight savings menu flag is turned off, and that you're on a manual, not an automatic, setting.
Make sure that the channel selection for the time clock is set on manual and on the channel through which you receive OPB. This is especially important if you are have cable or satellite service, since other stations also transmit the time signal, and some are not in the Pacific time zone. Unless "instructed" otherwise by a manual setting, your recorder will take the time signal from the first station that offers it, no matter where that station is located.
Finally, when it's time to change to Daylight Savings Time or Pacific Standard Time, unplug your DVR or VCR and let it stand powerless for at least several minutes. (In some extreme cases, you may need to let it stand powerless for a few hours.)
Once reconnected, with a manual setting for OPB as its time source, your DVR or VCR should search for and set its clock to ours. Remember, though, if your machine's software is outdated, you'll need to continue to pull the plug on it twice a year, spring and fall.

Why am I hearing an audio track on my TV that doesn't match the program being aired?

The SAP (Secondary Audio Program) channel on your TV set has been accidentally activated. As a result, you're not receiving the audio track that accompanies the TV program being aired, but instead you're hearing the Accessible Information Network, an OPB radio reading and information service for those who are unable to read traditional printed material, the physically disabled and senior citizens, or Descriptive Video Information (DVI). The Accessible Information Network and DVI run on the SAP channel on TVs and VCRs, and you can easily turn it on without realizing by pressing a button on your TV or VCR remote. (Households with children are more prone to this occurrence; we've even had reports of dogs and cats activating the SAP channel by sitting or rolling on the remote control.)

It's easy for you to restore the proper audio, though. To deactivate the SAP channel, look for a button on your remote that says "SAP," "MTS" or "Audio Mode." When you locate the button, turn it to the "off" position or follow any onscreen displays which tell you how to deactivate the function. Or, you may need to change the setting from SAP to "mono" or "stereo." Consult your TV or VCR owner's manual or contact the place where you bought your TV or VCR if you have difficulty turning off the SAP channel. Once the SAP channel has been turned off, the audio track that accompanies the TV program being shown will return.

Why is the music so loud in relation to the voices on my TV?

Many home TVs have relatively low fidelity speakers which accentuate upper mid-range and high frequencies, while the human voice tends to be in the mid-audio range. The rest of the sound spectrum, which would ideally help keep music and voices distinct, is often deficient on home televisions. In contrast, most program producers and editors work in studios outfitted with the best sound systems, and determine the balance of voices and music in programs based on their acoustically superior technology. A further complication is the gradual loss of frequency range in the human ear over time.

TV sets with better audio systems offer controls that may improve the listening experience. Stereo and digital sets with "surround (or enhanced) sound" tend to enhance the low and high ranges (which is where the music is), while ignoring or dampening the mid-range (which is where the voice usually is). When there is a music/voice balance problem, try switching from "stereo to mono" or switching off the "surround sound."

The relative positions of the set and the viewer may also improve or degrade the sound balance. If moving one or the other is an option, try to find a position which reduces echoes from walls or furniture.

How do I find the answer to a question that's not part of this list?

If you have a question that is not answered here, contact the OPB Member Center by e-mail or by phone at 800.241.8123 weekdays from 9am-4pm. You can reach us by mail at OPB Member Center, 7140 SW Macadam Avenue, Portland, OR 97219. We'll do our best to find your answer.

Oregon Public Broadcasting:: 7140 SW Macadam Avenue
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