Performance Report

Iowa PBS continues to expand its services beyond broadcast by utilizing the internet as a distribution mechanism. Viewers can not only find information regarding our schedules and programs, but also hours of video from Iowa PBS and PBS programming, activities for children, and timely, relevant, educational resources from Iowa PBS and PBS for our teachers. In the past year, there were over 5.7 million video views on Iowa PBS’s YouTube channel.

Iowa PBS travels across Iowa presenting at educational conferences and providing professional development in educational settings ranging from early childhood centers to universities. These professional development sessions/events align with our goal of providing free educational resources/information for both formal and informal educators throughout the state.

PBS Learning Media is rapidly becoming the choice for 21st century educators as they look for innovative digital content to ignite learning. Expressly designed for educators, this free service brings together the best of public media digital content from award-winning programs. With the access to new data gathering technologies, we are better able to see who is coming to Iowa PBS Learning Media and from where across the country.

Iowa PBS met or exceeded its performance target in fourteen of the seventeen (one measure is new this year) performance plan measures presented on pages 12 through 16. Iowa PBS’s future focus on meeting viewers where they are – on the air, online, and on the ground – will increase the value of its services to the citizens of the State.

Thank you for giving us this opportunity.

Sincerely,

Molly M. Phillips
Executive Director and General Manager
Iowa PBS

Network Overview

Mission

Iowa PBS educates, informs, enriches and inspires Iowans.

Vision

Iowa PBS enriches lives.

Purpose

Iowa is at the heart of Iowa PBS. Iowa PBS offers Iowans a partner in their quest for community and lifelong learning by engaging people of all ages with trusted services and programming that both educate and inspire. A statewide hub for public policy and a platform for civic and civil discourse, Iowa PBS provides news and information with historical perspective that enhances the lives of Iowans from all backgrounds, all generations, and all walks of life. Iowa PBS is committed to delivering high-quality and innovative media and services that create insight, fulfillment, and growth while offering companionship, comfort, and entertainment. Iowa PBS provides the lens through which Iowans may better see their world.

Guiding Principles

The people who work at Iowa PBS—staff and volunteer—share the following beliefs:

• As broadcasters and educators, we hold a public trust with the people of Iowa.
• Television can be a force for good, and we will exercise its use with integrity.
• Public television should be available to everyone in the state.
• Our programs impact the lives of those who view them; and their worth is determined by their use, their quality and the service they provide to their viewers.
• The people who make public television and the people who watch it will be treated with dignity and respect.

Iowa PBS strives to be a vital and important part of the lives of Iowans of all backgrounds, all generations, and all walks of life. We reach all of Iowa with our broadcast and online signals; similarly, our programs and services are aimed at all those who live here.

Iowa PBS provides Iowa’s youngest residents – and their parents and teachers, grandparents and caregivers – with trusted quality children’s services that educate and entertain, encouraging them to be part of a broader community. We engage learners with interactive educational tools through their early childhood programs, schools, and teachers, taking them on trips that enhance learning.

Iowans turn to Iowa PBS as a preferred source for information about the state we call home. Through interactive internet, virtual field trips to Iowa landmarks, television programming about our government, our communities, our student-athletes, and our musicians, and through educational opportunities that go beyond our broadcast, Iowans look to us as their partner in their quest for community and lifelong learning.

Iowa PBS strives to be a key source of information about Iowa, a hub for civic and civil discourse, a center for community engagement, and a leader in Iowa’s future.

Core Functions and Key Services

Iowa PBS is Iowa’s statewide public broadcasting network. Iowa PBS has two core functions.

1. With public broadcast and media services, Iowa PBS provides public television, telecommunications, and other services that educate and enrich people’s lives. Activities include programming, video creation, educational opportunities, outreach and engagement and other media services.
2. With educational services, Iowa PBS imparts knowledge by developing skills and competencies through broadcast services or other avenues. Activities may include programming, professional development, public awareness efforts, planning, research and evaluation, technical assistance, curriculum development, and fiscal and/or program oversight.

Iowa PBS staff is focused on creating and providing entertaining programming and educational content that appeal to its customers. Support staff and the Iowa PBS Foundation staff contribute to the creative process by making available necessary administrative services and funding.

As a professional broadcast organization, Iowa PBS is protective of its First Amendment rights and responsibilities to exercise independent journalistic and editorial judgments. Decisions are continuously scrutinized to ensure that programming and educational content are free of political influence or commercial consideration. Iowa PBS also has the ability to build collaboration among partners, thereby extending the value of products and services.

Customers and Stakeholders

Iowa PBS’s three key customer groups are viewers, educators, and funders.

Viewers want to receive our network’s content with a clear, clean signal, easy access online, a variety of available content and consistent and quality programming.

Educators expect quality programming and services that fit their core curriculum. While educators expect outreach tools such as study guides and workshops, viewers see outreach more as a bonus than an expectation. When choosing technology based curriculum materials, the two most important criteria for teachers are relevance to the curriculum and age/grade appropriateness.

Funders such as government agencies and foundations expect mission critical work to be completed and delivered within the funding cycle. Underwriters expect on-air credit around programs that deliver a targeted audience. Iowa PBS Foundation members want strong customer service and recognition for donations and gifts.

Delivery Mechanisms

Programming is delivered to viewers by over-the-air digital broadcast, cable and satellite providers, as well as Iowa PBS Passport, IowaPBS.org, PBS.org, and a variety of social media platforms, including: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tik Tok. Services to educational customers are provided through broadcast airwaves, the Iowa Area Education Agencies, and the internet and social media, including: iowapbs.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Organizational Structure

The Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, the broadcast licensee, governs Iowa PBS, approves its budget and sets general programming objectives and policy guidelines. Iowa PBS is an autonomous agency under the umbrella of the Iowa Department of Education. The Iowa Public Broadcasting Board hires the Executive Director/General Manager of Iowa PBS.

The Iowa PBS Foundation is a separate 501(c)3 that exists to foster giving to Iowa PBS. The Iowa PBS Foundation Board is comprised of as many as twenty-four (24) members. This Board shall include representation from several geographic areas of the State of Iowa. The Board members are approved by both the Iowa PBS Foundation Board and the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board.

Staff

Iowa PBS employs 91 full-time staff. An additional staff of 17 is employed by the Iowa PBS Foundation. Talent, contractors, and intermittent employees are hired as needed for productions and other network activities.

Locations

Iowa PBS operates nine high-power digital transmitters and eight translators across Iowa. The 62,000 square foot headquarters in Johnston houses three production studios, master control, edit suites, scene shop, and field production equipment. A satellite farm is also located on the seven and one-half acres of ground in Johnston. Iowa PBS owns a second building in Johnston for additional Iowa PBS and Foundation staff.

Budget

Iowa PBS had a $16,830,000 annual operating budget in FY 2023, of which state appropriations were approximately 47%.

Key Results

Programming and Production, Local Production

Description: The acquisition, production and scheduling of local programs that educate, inform, enrich and inspire viewers each month across the state, resulting in 570 broadcast hours of local programs covering Iowa issues and events this past fiscal year.

Why we are doing this: Iowa PBS is Iowa’s network of community, education, enlightenment, and civic engagement – distinguished from all other media sources by local ownership and by its commitment of service to Iowans. Iowa PBS’s local programs are the embodiment of that commitment.

What we're doing to achieve results: Iowa PBS provides its production staff with new technology and training opportunities to help them produce high-quality programming more efficiently. Iowa PBS utilizes an internal Audience Research & Tracking Committee to help Iowa PBS determine the local topics of greatest value to Iowans using available data, data tracking practices and measures of success. Iowa PBS is also working closely with Iowa’s diverse community of independent filmmakers to support them in producing locally relevant programming for broadcast on Iowa PBS.

Performance Measure: Total number of broadcast hours of local programs covering Iowa issues and events broadcast over-the-air on Iowa PBS’s four channels.

Performance Target: 700

Data Sources: Myers ProTrack data management software.

Results

Data reliability: Every second (24/7/365) of programming Iowa PBS broadcasts over-the-air on its four broadcast channels is scheduled using Myers ProTrack data management software. Iowa PBS notes the source of each program scheduled for broadcast in ProTrack. ProTrack can easily distinguish local programs by source. The 570 broadcast hours of local programming total is derived from four reports – one for each of Iowa PBS’s broadcast channels – generated by ProTrack. The information is 100% accurate, with the only margin of error existing in the hand-calculation of the grand total from the four subtotals.

Why we are using this measure: While Iowa PBS’s noncommercial, public-service mission enables the organization to concentrate on presenting an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans regardless of where they live or what they can afford, increasing the amount of local programs each year has been imperative. In an ever-expanding media landscape that gives Iowans unlimited content choices, furthering Iowa PBS’s mission relies on its ability to connect on a local level. Iowa PBS’s local programs offer a unique choice to Iowans. Volume (in broadcast hours) is a relevant and significant measure – each local program is yet another opportunity to deepen Iowa PBS’s connection with Iowans.

What was achieved: The number of broadcast hours of local programming was slightly below the performance goal.

Analysis of results: As Iowans continue to engage with Iowa PBS online in greater (and greater) numbers, Iowa PBS will need to focus more of its resources on producing digital-only content. Iowa PBS expanded the number of stand-alone digital content created and still managed to achieve 570 broadcast hours of local programming. Iowa PBS is serving both its streaming and broadcast audiences.

Factors affecting results: While the number of broadcast hours of local programming broadcast over-the-air on Iowa PBS’s four channels is significant, it does not take into consideration the number of hours of locally produced digital-only content created, and streamed on Iowa PBS’s internet platforms of distribution.

Resources used: These activities are funded with contributions made to the Iowa PBS Foundation and with state appropriations.

Emerging Media, YouTube Video Views

Description: Iowa PBS develops educational resources and programming for distribution online and through streaming devices. Iowa PBS distributes both long- and short-form content on YouTube, one of the biggest platforms for on-demand video online, including content originally intended for broadcast and digital-only content.

Why we are doing this: Our audience is constantly expanding the platforms where they watch video, and being able to watch content on demand (versus the appointment viewing of broadcast) is quickly becoming an expectation for our viewers. Learners of all ages also benefit from having access to short-form video, and we can further fulfill our mission through smaller segments available on platforms where users expect them.

What we're doing to achieve results: YouTube is one of our primary platforms for distributing on-demand video, but certainly not the only one. Where copy, image, and music rights allow, all full-length programs, clipped segments from full shows, and online only, digital short-form videos are uploaded to YouTube (among other platforms) through network and show-specific channels intended to maximize loyal subscribers. Our YouTube uploads are optimized for SEO to make them more likely to be discovered by YouTube users not subscribing to our channels.

Performance Measure: Number of YouTube video views

Performance Target: 7,000,000

Data Sources: YouTube Analytics

Results

Data reliability: The software utilized was developed to track the information reported.

Why we are using this measure: YouTube is one of our most established digital platforms for watching on demand video with us, and one of our only platforms that features both short and long form content. The particular measure we are using, video views, is the most straight-forward data we can collect for the platform that quickly showcases how our content is being received by our online audience.

What was achieved: The number of YouTube video views was over 5.7 million.

Analysis of results: FY23 results were below what we estimated they would be based on our average year-over-year growth. With our distribution and promotion efforts remaining relatively the same for this platform, we attribute the inability to meet goal this year to a lower than expected number of videos going viral/semi viral on the platform, plus a declining number of year-over-year uploads with several programs being sunset, creating several inactive YouTube accounts with declining video views as a result.

Factors affecting results: Content continues to be made available across more platforms online, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, and the PBS Video app. We see continued growth in on-demand viewing across our various platforms, and while YouTube’s growth sometimes sees some dramatic numbers due to viral content, overall the audience there is increasing as well. FY23 numbers weren’t as high as initially predicted due in part to a lack of many videos reaching “viral” status and a temporary decline in regularly produced content from local programs, which resulted in multiple YouTube channels no longer getting new content added to them.

Resources used: Emerging Media staff are funded with state appropriations and the Community Services Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

FY 2022 Network Performance Plan Results

Core Function: Public Broadcast and Media Services

Service, Product or Activity: Programming and Production

Service, Product or Activity: Content Distribution, Delivery, and Support

Core Function: Education

Service, Product or Activity: Educational Telecommunications

Core Function: Resource Management

Service, Product or Activity: Public and Governmental Services

Service, Product or Activity: Administration

Resource Reallocation

Iowa PBS continues to execute its ongoing network-wide strategic plan focused on fiscal best practices, competitive advantages and responding to trend analyses. Each division of Iowa PBS works to more closely align with the plan objectives as well as conduct periodic reviews to track progress. The plan has helped Iowa PBS recognize and take advantage of opportunities and reallocate resources to better position the network for the future. To date, the largest remaining strategies and tactics identified by the plan left to complete is the transition to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) broadcasting. Iowa PBS has been working on a new strategic plan and will be finalizing the plan, which includes our Strategic Priorities, Strategic Impact Areas, and Success Measures. This plan will be utilized to formulate fiscal year goals.

Network Contacts

Copies of Iowa PBS’s Performance Report can be obtained by contacting Michelle Wendel at 515-725-9828.