A History of WQPT- Quad Cities Public Television WQPT strives to promote, through broadcasting and other means, the general education of the public by offering programs and related services that inform, stimulate, entertain, and thereby enrich and improve lives. Prior to the creation of WQPT in 1983, Black Hawk College was involved in television programming in the Quad Cities. In conjunction with its television production curriculum, Black Hawk formed a partnership to operate a cable channel with Cox Cable. This channel featured instructional television course, locally produced programs, and other programming obtained via alliances with Orange Coast community college, City Colleges of Chicago, and Dallas Community College. The broadcasting curriculum trained staff for all local television stations. At the time, the Quad Cities was the largest community in the nation without a public television station of its own. Based on the colleges experiences with television, and the fact that the community was adequately served by other public television signals; Black Hawk College created a local advisory board to assist Howard Braren in a capital campaign to launch WQPT. Funds were raised for a tower, transmitted, and studio equipment, and the WQPT signed on in 1983. A local Friends organization was created during the start-up phase and continued on as WQPT’s fundraising group. Additional staff was hired to complement existing BHC employees, local programming was developed, and WQPT secured carriage on local cable systems. Today, WQPT is a full service public television station, operating 120 hours a week, with a staff of 16. It offers innovative, state-of-the-art educational services to child care centers, public school districts, colleges and other community institutions. Its local programming has been honored with educational awards and an EMMY nomination. PBS honored WQPT in 1994 and 1995 with its PBS Development Award for dramatic improvements in local fundraising. The station also won national awards and recognition in 1994 and 1995 for its monthly WQPT program Guide, and its annual Imagination Station children’s programming fundraiser. In 1996, WQPT received the top award presented at the annual PBS meeting: The Beryl Spector award for creativity and resourcefulness. In 2000 WQPT received a PBS Overall Membership Award for stations reaching between 250,000 and 500,000 households.

wqpt@bhc.edu
www.wqpt.org