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Celebrating 60 Years of WXXI

For 60 years, WXXI Public Media has been a trusted source of news, education, culture, and community connection across the Greater Rochester region. Since signing on the air in 1966 with a broadcast of Julia Child’s The French Chef, WXXI has informed, entertained, and inspired generations through its commitment to public media. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, WXXI honors six decades of storytelling, learning, and service while looking ahead to a future of continuing to connect and strengthen the communities it serves.
Click here for our historical timeline.
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WXXI MEMORY WITH US. CLICK HERE!

Six Questions Answered by WXXI President Chris Hastings About His Vision for the Next 60 Years

WXXI President Chris Hastings wearing a white shirt with splashes of paint and a black blazer. He is standing in front of The Little Theatre
Q. What do you believe WXXI must prioritize in the next decade to remain essential to the communities it serves?

A. To remain essential, we must invest in innovation, diversify revenue streams, build operational sustainability, expand production services and partnerships, and reinforce the station’s role as a vital community connector for Rochester. We’re always going to be a nonprofit; public media will always be part of our mission, and we’re going to continue to serve our community with our content. But now we need to treat ourselves more like a ‘traditional’ business, while we hold on to valuable public media mission. And we can do that by leveraging our production services to creatives that will help bring in new revenue.

Q. How do you envision the balance between traditional broadcasting and emerging digital formats evolving in the years ahead?

A. There are still many people who consume linear TV and radio, but digital media consumption is growing at an incredible rate. More and more people are getting their information through podcasts and digital media like YouTube and Instagram. 

And we know that to stay relevant, we need to meet people where they are, whether it’s on-air or online, appointment viewing or on demand and in person events. That’s why Connections with Evan Dawson, our talk show, which is heard live on FM 105.9, also streams on WXXInews.org and on WXXI News’ YouTube channel, and is available as a podcast and on the road!  This way of rolling out content will serve as a model for future WXXI projects. 

Click here to continue reading.

Upcoming programs & Events (Check back often as we will be adding more throughout the year!)

Rochester Red Wings logo with a background of the field

“WXXI 60th Anniversary Day” with the Red Wings • ESL Ballpark

09/13/2026 1:05 pm Events
Learn More

WXXI-produced documentaries over the years:

FUN FACTS ABOUT WXXI

WXXI started in an old high school basement. Before it had its own station, the organization that became WXXI produced educational programs from the basement of Rochester’s old East High School on Alexander Street.

It took five years to get a broadcast license.
The effort to launch WXXI involved a lengthy battle for a channel assignment that stretched from 1961 to 1966 before Channel 21 finally became a reality.

A Rochester community fundraising sprint helped make WXXI possible.
In 1965, community leaders had just 90 days to raise local matching funds for the station. The effort succeeded, and all cash and pledges were secured by January 1966.

Assignment The World was the longest-running instructional television program in history. The program was developed by Lloyd Kaiser when he worked for the Rochester Area Educational Television Association, forerunner of WXXI; Kaiser later became president of WQED in Pittsburgh. The first episode premiered in fall 1959 on two local commercial broadcasters. When they dropped the show in 1966, WXXI picked it up. Check out this ATW intro from 1981.

WXXI’s first TV auction raised a fortune for its time.
In 1969, 70 volunteers helped raise $75,000 during the first Channel 21 Auction, a significant achievement for the young station.

WXXI aired the nation’s only TV news program for Deaf audiences.
In 1972, News for the Deaf premiered on WXXI and was described as the only broadcast of its kind in the United States.

Monty Python was a Rochester ratings phenomenon.
During WXXI’s 10th anniversary year in 1976, the Monty Python series attracted the biggest audience of any station in Rochester.

WXXI was Rochester’s satellite pioneer.
In 1978, WXXI became the first television station in Rochester to utilize satellite transmission for PBS programming.

A pair of James Dean pants once stole the show.
At WXXI’s annual auction in 1988, one of the most sought-after items was a pair of slacks worn by James Dean in East of Eden.

WXXI-TV delivered Rochester’s first full-power digital television signal when WXXI-DT launched in 2003, marking a major technological milestone for the region.

Sixty Years of Music • WXXI Classical

WXXI Classical Music host John Andres presents a special “WXXI 60th Anniversary Show” in honor of public media in Rochester!

WXXI 60th Anniversary Show with John Andres airs Sunday, September 6 from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. on WXXI Classical FM 91.5 and streaming on WXXIClassical.org and the WXXI app!

To celebrate the official day that WXXI-TV went on the air, WXXI Classical host John Andres has curated a special anniversary playlist from several WXXI and PBS show classics including The French Chef, Masterpiece Theatre, Downton Abbey, Ken Burns (Civil War), Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and more. Tune in for a memorable musical journey through six decades. 

Leading up to this special broadcast, WXXI Classical host Brenda Tremblay’s Mystery Piece, her daily interactive quiz will be anniversary themed. Tune in to WXXI Classical September 1 through September 4 at 6:40 a.m. for musical excerpts and trivia related to WXXI.

“WXXI 60th Anniversary Day” with the Red Wings • ESL Ballpark

Go to bat with WXXI by joining us for the final game of the Red Wings season as we celebrate 60 years of public media in Rochester!

On Sunday, September 13 the Rochester Red Wings take on the Scranton/WB RailRaiders in their final game of the season. WXXI will be there to root, root, root for the home team, while celebrating our 60th anniversary serving the Rochester and Finger Lakes community. The first 1,000 fans will receive a FREE 60th anniversary tote! The games starts at 1:05pm and the doors open at 12 p.m.

Click here to purchase tickets!
WXXI Anniversary Activities include:

– WXXI Trivia
– Meet & Greet with some of our hosts and reporters
– PBS KIDS bookmarks and sticker giveaways
– A PBS KIDS sing-along song
– And more!

Six Questions Answered by WXXI President Chris Hastings About His Vision for the Next 60 Years

Q. What do you believe WXXI must prioritize in the next decade to remain essential to the communities it serves?

A. To remain essential, we must invest in innovation, diversify revenue streams, build operational sustainability, expand production services and partnerships, and reinforce the station’s role as a vital community connector for Rochester. We’re always going to be a nonprofit; public media will always be part of our mission, and we’re going to continue to serve our community with our content. But now we need to treat ourselves more like a ‘traditional’ business, while we hold on to valuable public media mission. And we can do that by leveraging our production services to creatives that will help bring in new revenue.

Q. How do you envision the balance between traditional broadcasting and emerging digital formats evolving in the years ahead?

A. There are still many people who consume linear TV and radio, but digital media consumption is growing at an incredible rate. More and more people are getting their information through podcasts and digital media like YouTube and Instagram. And we know that to stay relevant, we need to meet people where they are, whether it’s on-air or online, appointment viewing or on demand and in person events. That’s why Connections with Evan Dawson, our talk show, which is heard live on FM 105.9, also streams on WXXInews.org and on WXXI News’ YouTube channel, and is available as a podcast and on the road!  This way of rolling out content will serve as a model for future WXXI projects. 

Q. What role do you see WXXI playing in strengthening local news ecosystems, and how will you ensure sustainability in an era of shrinking newsrooms nationwide?

A. I have said this many times – I want WXXI to be seen as the standard-bearer for good journalism in the Rochester area, both maintaining and growing community trust in its reporting. Our news team consists of an award-winning group of public media journalists, hosts, and editors covering Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. They are dedicated to telling the stories of diverse communities.

To ensure sustainability, we need to think big while staying nimble. One way we are doing this is by being part of the New York Public News Network, which is a collaborative statewide alliance of public media newsrooms across the state. Formed to share reporting resources and reduce duplicated coverage, the network coordinates regional and state-level journalism. WXXI News was also selected to join Report for America, a project designed to fill critical news gaps in our community with talented, next-generation journalists, which enabled us to recently hire a Latino communities reporter.

We are also looking to expand the use of independent journalists who contribute to our coverage to help us be more inclusive of the many communities we serve.

Q. Collaboration has become essential in public media. What partnerships do you believe will be most critical for WXXI’s growth over the next 10 years? 

A. I would start with independent creators (filmmakers, journalists, podcasters, musicians, artists, and educators). I often come back to my “Mister Rogers” example. Fred Rogers was an independent creator who found a home at a local public television station in Pittsburg, WQED. WQED helped him build something that started locally and ultimately reached the nation through PBS. I think public media needs to get back to being that kind of place.

For all we know, the next Mister Rogers may be in Rochester! I want WXXI to be the place where creators can find a trusted partner, production support, community connections, and distribution.

That also means strong partnerships with cultural institutions, universities, community organizations, other public media stations, and digital platforms. Over the next decade, our growth will come from building an ecosystem that helps great creators and great ideas travel further.

Q. If you could describe your vision for WXXI at its 70th anniversary, what would you hope the station becomes?

A. Through WXXI Studios, we are building pathways that can take an artist’s work from creation to distribution to engagement with audiences. Through WXXI News and CITY Magazine, we are investing in journalism rooted in this community. Through The Little Theatre, our music services, education work, events, and digital platforms, we can bring people together in ways that few organizations can. Put all of those pieces together and I believe WXXI will be the center of Rochester’s creative economy: a place where stories are created, artists and journalists are supported, young people discover possibilities, ideas are exchanged, and our community can see and hear itself.

That’s my vision for WXXI. Not an institution simply trying to preserve what it has been, but one becoming even more vital to the community it serves.

Q. You have said you grew up as a PBS KID, how does that shape the work of your education team?

A. I was a PBS KID, and public media was part of how I discovered the world. I grew up with a learning disability, and programs like Sesame Street, Mister Rogers and Reading Rainbow weren’t simply television shows. They enhanced my learning and helped prepare me for the classroom. That experience shapes how I think about WXXI’s education work today. Our children’s content isn’t simply a set of PBS KIDS programs that we distribute. Our education team looks at the entire ecosystem around a child — their family, caregivers, teachers, neighborhoods and community organizations — and asks how WXXI can be a trusted partner and resource.

For the kids of today, and those who will come after them, I want WXXI to create content and experiences for kids who may need another way into learning, another resource, or simply a little more support. Public media can provide things families often can’t find in commercial media: trusted resources built around children rather than around selling something to them.

At its core, I want our education team to create the same thing public media gave me: access, curiosity and possibility. I want a young person in Rochester to encounter something through WXXI that helps them learn, gives them confidence, or makes them think, “I didn’t know that existed. Maybe that could be me.”

That is the power of public media. I experienced it myself, and that is why this work is so personal to me.

WXXI TV & radio signals face daytime interruptions


Some of WXXI’s broadcast television and radio services will be intermittently interrupted this week (August 17-21), if planned tower maintenance work proceeds as scheduled. 
 
WXXI’s four television stations as well as Classical 91.5 and 88.5 “The Route” may be off the air or broadcasting at reduced power between 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 3:30 p.m. each weekday. WXXI News on 105.9 FM may also be affected by the outages.

You can continue to watch your favorite TV channels online right here: wxxi.org/channels/ and, your favorite radio channels here: wxxi.org/listen/

Carl the Collector Visits for an End-of-Summer Celebration and Meet & Greet!

Join WXXI and Central Library for a special end-of-summer celebration with Carl the Collector! Come meet Carl, snap a photo, enjoy hands-on activities, and share a snack with friends.

¡Únete a WXXI y Central Library en una celebración especial de fin de verano con Carl the Collector, de PBS KIDS! Ven a conocer a Carl, hazte una foto, disfruta de actividades prácticas y comparte un tentempié con tus amigos.

Carl, a raccoon, sitting reading a book on a bench next to a dog.

Event Details:

Detalles del evento:

Location: Central Library Children’s Center – 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
Dirección: Centro Infantil de la Biblioteca Central – 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604

Date: Friday, August 21, 2026
Fecha: viernes, 21 de agosto de 2026

Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Hora: de las 14:30 a las 16:00

Please note: The event is free and open to the public. Meet and greets with Carl the Collector are first come, first served. Only Carl will be in attendance for this event.

Nota: El evento es gratuito y está abierto al público. Las sesiones de encuentro con Carl el Coleccionista se realizarán por orden de llegada. Solo Carl estará presente en este evento.

Partners & Support

Socios y entidades financiadoras

This event is being presented in partnership with the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County and the Monroe County Library System. Support for this engagement is provided by the Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library and the Ames Amzalak Foundation.

Este evento se celebra en colaboración con el Central Library of Rochester y Monroe County y el Monroe County Library System. Esta iniciativa cuenta con el apoyo de los Friends y Foundation of the Rochester Public Library así como de la Ames Amzalak Foundation.

About CARL THE COLLECTOR

Acerca de CARL THE COLLECTOR

CARL THE COLLECTOR follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who enjoys collecting things and loves his friends and family in Fuzzytown. In each episode, Carl and his friends work and play together. In the process they find out what makes each of them who they are. Through its relatable stories, characters, and messages, and with a production team that includes neurodiverse writers, production staff, animators, advisors, and voice talent, CARL THE COLLECTOR showcases and celebrates our differences and commonalities, and that we all have something unique to offer. Learn more about CARL THE COLLECTOR here.

CARL THE COLLECTOR presenta las aventuras cotidianas de Carl, un mapache autista que tiene un gran corazón, a quien le gusta coleccionar cosas y quiere mucho a sus amigos y a su familia en Fuzzytown. En cada episodio, Carl y sus amigos juegan y aprenden juntos. A lo largo del proceso, descubren qué es lo que los hace únicos. Descubre más sobre CARL THE COLLECTOR aquí.

PBS KIDS Special: The Day You Begin & Read-Aloud

On their first day of school, four imaginative kids feel like they don’t belong, until they learn that everyone has a unique story to share. “The Day You Begin” is a journey of self-acceptance, courage, and the magic that comes when we connect with others. Bursting with color, laughs, and compassion, this animated adaptation brings Jacqueline Woodson’s beloved book to life, reminding kids that every voice matters and every difference is a strength. Watch on-demand below or on WXXI-TV and WXXI PBS KIDS 24/7 at the schedule listed below. It is also the livestream for each channel. Find More Back To School Resources

WXXI-TV or Livestream
August 7th at 8am
August 12th at 1pm
August 16th at 7:30am
August 23rd at 10am

WXXI PBS KIDS 24/7 or Livestream
August 7th at 2:30pm
August 8th at 7pm
August 9th at 7pm
August 14th at 11:30am
August 18th at 1pm
August 27th at 7:30pm
August 30th at 6:30am

The animated special is based on a book by Jacqueline Woodson: The Day You Begin. Here is a read aloud by the author.

Walkable USA • WXXI-TV

Walkable USA explores the impact of city planning on our society, and the film uses Hammond as an in-progress case study of a possible solution to years of car-centric design

“Walkable USA” Sunday, August 23 at 2:30 pm. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

During the 20th century, many cities in the United States saw their centers turn to veritable ghost towns. One such community is Hammond, Indiana. Recently, the city partnered with noted planner Jeff Speck to create a new vision for the city through the eyes of a person walking. Through the lens of Hammond, the film examines the history and concepts behind contemporary urban design.

Photo Credit: PBS

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