About Us
Local Public is the streaming and digital engagement platform built for local public media, by local public media.
We help local PBS stations connect with their communities through modern streaming experiences, featuring on-demand video, live channels, digital fundraising and, soon, content distribution and audience engagement tools. All from a single platform.
Created to meet the evolving needs of public media, Local Public combines the trusted local relationships of PBS stations with the convenience and reach of today's digital platforms. Our technology enables stations to deliver local stories, educational content, cultural programming, events, and community services wherever audiences choose to watch.
More than a technology provider, Local Public is building a nationwide network for local public media – helping stations grow their audiences, generate new revenue, strengthen donor relationships, and expand their community impact.
By bringing together public media organizations, creators, distributors, and partners, we are creating new opportunities for local storytelling and public service in a rapidly changing media landscape.
Our mission is simple: empower local public media to thrive in the digital age while keeping communities connected to trusted, locally relevant content.
History
Local Public was created and incubated within Cascade PBS, the Seattle-based station serving the Cascadia region in the U.S. and Canada. We originally built apps for our own station. Then, supported by ten Founding Sponsor partner stations, we launched the Local Streaming Initiative (LSI), which expanded our platform to serve stations nationwide.
On July 1, 2026, we launched as a separate company, Local Public, a Public Benefit Corporation.
The easiest way to characterize a public benefit corporation is a for-profit entity with a nonprofit mission.
We selected this legal structure because it is the best way for us to reflect the mission-centric work of our client base but with the ability to take investment from fellow PBS stations. It is our view that Local Public should be held by ‘the system’ and not owned by just one entity like Cascade PBS.
Our apps
Local Public delivers station-branded and curated apps across 10 (and counting) platforms, including:
- Roku
- FireTV
- Apple TV
- Google TV
- Android TV
- iPhone
- Android
- LG smart TV
- Samsung smart TV
- Web video portal
Frequently asked questions
Who owns/operates Local Public?
Local Public became an independent public benefit company (PBC) on July 1, 2026, spinning off from parent company, Cascade PBS.
We expect to be co-owned by a coalition of PBS stations in the near-future.
Does Local Public work with PBS Passport and Media Manager?
Yes. Apps are fully integrated with PBS Media Manager and Passport.
We import PBS programming data as available, and then enrich metadata, courtesy of The Programming Service and other programming partners (details coming soon). Metadata is human-powered, and added by programmers who have screened each title.
Example metadata: 60+ additional genres (eg: mystery, thriller, comedy), 30+ vibes (eg: cozy, heart-warming, dark), program type (eg: Episodic Series, Non-Episodic Series, Movie, News) and production locale.
Does Local Public work with NPR services and infrastructure?
We are starting to integrate radio and podcast programming into our apps. Our dual-licensee stations will be able to serve NPR programming, PBS, local and third-party programming from one unified app.
What platforms are covered?
We currently offer apps on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, Samsung smart TV, LG smart TV, iOS and Android and the web.
One fee covers all platforms.
We are now also offering a more affordable "Light" tier of service, which covers justRoku, iOS, Android and the web.
For the technical folks: We intentionally chose to use a shared React Native codebase for all apps (but Roku), to make adding it easier to expand while keeping features consistent across all platforms.
What staff size is needed to maintain local apps?
We've designed Local Public apps to work well for stations of all sizes.
Our built-in metadata and autopilot options make for a relatively easy lift for small staffs. And our powerful CMS, with roles-based permissions, makes it easy for teams to collaborate on your viewers' streaming experience.
Stations can run a well-curated app with a single (non-technical) person, who may have other duties.
Our team is working on a playbook now, based on best-practices developed by our coalition. Look for that in FY27.
Can stations integrate Local Public with their existing websites?
Yes. We offer full API access, which stations can use to build custom streaming integrations with their websites or other apps (subject to PBS rules).
Cascade PBS will also release a template for the Ghost CMS platform with full Local Public integration. Ghost includes built-in newsletters, donation forms and digital member management.
We'd also love to work with stations to create integrations with other platforms (Grove, Drupal, Wordpress, etc.)
What sort of data is available?
Local Public offers near real-time data feeds of invaluable first-party data (which is not fully available on the PBS App).
With station's permission, we also deliver data in VPPA format to CDP, which will present the apples-to-apples comparisons with PBS App performance.
We also tag apps with local station's Google Analytics and offer a starter pack of reports, so stations of all levels of data maturity can get the insights they need to succeed.
Additional data services are available upon request.
What kind of support is available?
Local Public offers stations training and documentation, on-boarding and uptime guarantees. Our team is available during west coast working hours, via Slack, email and telephone.
We also have an active coalition of station users, who share bright ideas, shortcuts and programming ideas.
Does Local Public encourage cross-station knowledge sharing?
Absolutely. We see collaboration as one of the core benefits of the platform.
Our CMS encourages stations to share carousel ideas, which can be copied and customized for local audiences with just a few clicks.
Beyond the tech, we have station-led working groups focused on Programming, Data, Marketing and Project Management. We are about to launch a Revenue group as well.
These groups meet regularly via videoconference to share ideas and best-practices, to develop shared documentation, and to relay feature requests to the Local Public product team.
Does Local Public require a long-term commitment?
No.
We offer annual subscriptions, with optional renewals. After one-year, any station can take their front-end app code and data, and strike out on their own. (Apps would require a back-end CMS.)
Why should my station trust Local Public to deliver the goods?
Cascade PBS has run local apps since 2020. Despite being on fewer platforms (Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, iOS and Android) for a shorter time, we've seen our local apps deliver twice as much Passport revenue as our localized PBS App.
We launched our multi-station platform in 2025, and currently serve 18 markets.
Before founding Local Public as VP of Media & Innovation with Cascade PBS, our CEO Kevin Colligan designed and built large-scale, locally curated platforms for Major League Baseball Advanced Media (one admin, many locally curated team websites/apps) and the Grammy Awards (one academy, many regional chapters).
Our in-house tech team is backed by a senior principal architect who designed the Bally Sports and Sinclair streaming apps infrastructure. And our primary app development partner Oxagile brings 20+ years experience building video streaming apps.
We also partner with best-in-class service providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Recombee.
If your station is considering joining, we would encourage you to reach out to our current client list to learn about their experience with Local Public.
What does it cost?
See our Pricing page for current pricing (which is guaranteed not to increase for three years -- decreases are possible).
We evaluate our pricing model regularly and are always looking for ways to make services more affordable for stations.
My station is interested. How should I proceed?
Reach out to our business development manager Lynn Valiquette to schedule a demo and/or a discussion.
Have another question for us?
Please drop us a note at hello@localpublic.tv, and we will answer your question (and might drop your anonymized question into our FAQs.)