FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact Information: 
Jenn Gordon, WTVP President & CEO 
jenn.gordon@wtvp.org, 309-645-0201 

July 17, 2026 

WTVP Launches Stronger Together Campaign to Strengthen Public Media in Central Illinois 

PEORIA, Ill. — WTVP PBS is launching the Stronger Together campaign, a new effort to build long-term support for public media in central Illinois. The campaign will focus on cultivating new members and encouraging current donors to increase their ongoing support for WTVP. 

“One year ago today, Congress voted to defund public media, prompting local stations to ask their communities to give more (in some instances) to literally keep the lights on,” said Jenn Gordon, WTVP President and CEO. “While some stations across the PBS system closed last year, WTVP flourished, fueled by the incredible support of the community through the We Believe in WTVP campaign and we are so grateful!” 

In January 2026, the We Believe in WTVP campaign met its goal of raising $1 million to backfill 30% of the organization’s budget, which had historically been funded by federal grants. WTVP ended the fiscal year in the black, with zero debt on its books after recently paying off the mortgage on its building at 101 State Street in Peoria. 

“Last year WTVP gained 2,500 new donors and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in one-time additional gifts,” said Audrey Kamm, WTVP Chief Development Officer. “This year, we are asking people to turn their one-time additional gift into sustaining support. And of course, we are asking people who have never become members to take that step for the first time! Our goal is to raise an additional $600,000 in new and increased sustaining gifts.” 

WTVP Board Chairman Dr. Andy Chiou said, “The WTVP Stronger Together campaign builds on the momentum generated through last year’s campaign, while pivoting to focus strategically on building year-over-year sustainability for this incredible community resource.” 

Gordon continued, “This is about the future, ensuring our children and grandchildren have access to commercial-free, high-quality educational content. This is about building a 21st-century public media engine that will meet people where they are—on broadcast, cable, digital, social media, YouTube and on-demand platforms. Wherever and however viewers watch, WTVP will be there, creating community around local stories, capturing local history and inspiring and educating our community with ‘good for you’ local and national content, something that is needed now more than ever.” 

WTVP serves 17 counties in central Illinois, providing more than 900,000 people with free access to quality content. Currently, WTVP is supported by 6,800 donors and members.  

Gordon added, “As a public media entity that relies entirely on community support, we need more individuals and businesses to partner with us to ensure our long-term sustainability. We are fully confident that our generous community will come alongside us in new ways through this campaign. They know that WTVP is committed to elevating our region through the stories we share and the content we produce. People want to be a part of building up central Illinois—and WTVP is uniquely positioned to do just that!” 

The community is invited to attend the WTVP Stronger Together Breakfast on July 22 at 8:30 a.m. at the WTVP Studio and can RSVP for the event at wtvp.tv/open-house. The event will include a presentation, a Q&A with station leadership and materials community members can share to help support the campaign. For those unable to attend, an on-demand interview with station leadership is available in the PBS App as part of the most recent episode of WTVP NOW. 

For more information on how to get involved or become a member, visit WTVP.tv/stronger. 

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Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation (WTVP) is a trusted, community-owned public media source that is dedicated to connecting and inspiring central Illinois through quality content that educates, informs and entertains. For over 50 years, WTVP has broadcast to 17 counties in central Illinois, serving as the region’s premier Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) affiliate, providing commercial-free, quality and educational programming.