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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Twin Cities PBS to Become Minnesota PBS as KSMQ Joins Expanded Network
SAINT PAUL, MN (August 18, 2026) Twin Cities PBS will become Minnesota PBS on September 1 as the Saint Paul-based public broadcaster adds KSMQ-TV and expands its service into southern Minnesota.
The consolidation will extend regional and national PBS programming to nearly 350,000 additional viewers in Austin, Rochester, Winona and seven southern Minnesota counties, according to the organization.
Twin Cities PBS currently operates KTCA-TV and KTCI-TV, which broadcast from Shoreview and are commonly known under the TPT name.
KSMQ has served southern Minnesota from Austin for more than 50 years. Station leaders said the loss of federal public-broadcasting funding created a growing possibility that KSMQ could go off the air.
Congress eliminated federal funding for public broadcasting in July 2025. The resulting financial pressure has forced local public-media organizations across the country to reduce expenses, seek new funding arrangements or consider consolidations.
By bringing KSMQ into the expanded Minnesota PBS organization, station leaders said they will preserve public television service in southern Minnesota while broadening the programming available to viewers.
The combined operation is expected to continue KSMQ’s local programs while providing regional and national PBS programming, legislative coverage, PBS KIDS educational content and public health and safety information.
Minnesota PBS will also continue operating the Minnesota Channel, which distributes programming produced by public television stations across the state.
“As a public media organization, Minnesota PBS will be dedicated to reflecting and serving communities across the state while celebrating the local perspectives that make each community unique,” Twin Cities PBS President and CEO Sylvia Strobel said in announcing the transition.
Kathleen Harrington, chair of the KSMQ Board of Directors, said joining Minnesota PBS would allow the Austin station to continue providing local programming after decades of service to southern Minnesota.
The Minnesota PBS name will take effect across the expanded organization’s broadcast channels on September 1. Viewers may continue accessing programming through the existing Twin Cities PBS and KSMQ platforms until the transition is completed.
The new organization plans to operate online at MinnesotaPBS.org after the change takes effect.
The transition represents more than a name change. It is also a response to the financial instability facing public broadcasting after the elimination of federal support, while substantially expanding the geographic territory served by the Saint Paul-based organization.
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