New TV Translator in North Coast of Oregon

On October 12, OPB turned on a new TV translator service on the North Coast area. The signal can be seen on Channel 23, and the translator itself is located just North of the Columbia river near Chinook, Washington.

The new signal will serve the Astoria/ Seaside/ Gearhart, etc., areas, as well as most of Long Beach Peninsula in Washington.

OPB Receives $1.2 Million Grant from the James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation

Many Oregonians have stories to tell and now Oregon Public Broadcasting will be able to share some of those stories thanks to a generous $1.2 million grant from the James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation.

The funds, equally allocated over the next three years, will go to support the continuation of OREGON ART BEAT and the production of a new series, THE OREGON EXPERIENCE.

OREGON ART BEAT, an Emmy-award winning weekly series airing Thursdays at 8pm and Sundays at 6pm, introduces OPB viewers to artists, the arts and cultural events in our region. ART BEAT began its seventh season on September 22. To date, more than 400 artists from throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington have been featured on the program, providing a greater appreciation of the breadth and diversity of the arts in our area.

THE OREGON EXPERIENCE will be a series of half-hour programs that will bring to life fascinating stories about Oregon that will help us understand who we are and reinforce our shared identity as Oregonians.

Director of Local Production Jeff Douglas said, "One purpose of the series is to give viewers a greater connection to this place we call Oregon. At a time when most media are building walls, THE OREGON EXPERIENCE program aspires to build bridges -- bridges between the past and the future; bridges between liberal and conservative and between urban and rural Oregon."

Produced in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society, the series will feature biographies of personalities who helped build the state and played key roles in developing its institutions and businesses. Lesser-known stories, or hidden histories, will reveal interesting facts and lore about Oregon, including how Abe Lincoln almost became the governor of the Oregon Territory and what happened to Portland's Streetcars. THE OREGON EXPERIENCE will also chronicle stories of who we are today with programs on such topics as the effect of wineries on Oregon's landscape and geography, to how OHSU has become a premiere center for research.

"A better understanding of our shared Oregon experience will help Oregonians successfully deal with the many challenges facing our state," said Maynard Orme, president and CEO of OPB. "We are grateful for the generous support of the Miller Foundation in providing us the opportunity to continue to produce programs that inform, preserve our heritage, build community and create change."

The Miller Foundation commitment is a key investment in OPB's Campaign for the Future, a major fundraising initiative to endow its core activities and develop new programming and educational services.