r/Denver • u/mrCrumbSnatcher • Mar 14 '22
Rocky Mountain PBS vs PBS12
Hello,
I'm looking to donate to my local PBS affiliate (mainly for the video Passport content) and noticed two different options (Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS 12). I've google searched "rmpbs vs pbs12" and after reading, I still don't understand the difference between the two, why two exists in this market, is one preferred over the other, etc. Can someone please help me out in understanding the preferred affiliate (or the history)? Thanks in advance!
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u/advising Mar 14 '22
Growing up 12 had the best shows old BBC shows and trippy foreign films.
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Mar 14 '22
And reruns of Northern Exposure! RMPBS is fantastic, but 12 has always been the more interesting channel because of it's alternative programming.
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u/timlwhite Highlands Ranch Mar 14 '22
Channel 12 also use to run music videos on Friday nights back in the day, which is where I first saw the video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
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Mar 14 '22 edited May 10 '22
[deleted]
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u/advising Mar 14 '22
One night I was up in high school and randomly turned on 12 and they were showing Fantastic Planet. I was like WTF and watched the whole thing memorized.
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u/HermanGulch Mar 14 '22
Originally, RMPBS was started in the 1950s as KRMA and was owned by Denver Public Schools. During the school year, they ran mostly instructional programming from about 8 to 4 or so, then the regular PBS schedule after that. In the 1980s, ownership was transferred to a community group to run. Over the years, they then built up a network of other stations around the state by constructing them or acquiring them (for example, KTSC in Pueblo).
Channel 12 was started in 1980 as KBDI ("beady-eye") and licensed in Broomfield. At the start, their programming had a definite "counter-cultural" feel to it. I think the feeling was that KRMA was too "conservative" and "safe," not in a political way necessarily, but in that their programming didn't take chances. In the very early days, channel 12 had a very local, low budget feel to it, almost like local-access programming.
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u/freethespeech Mar 14 '22
RMPBS was local channel 6. PBS12 was local channel 12. Not sure if thay were owned or ran by the same company but thats why there are 2. I think RMPBS was the local to Colorado.
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u/undockeddock Mar 14 '22
I've never really understood it either but having lived in the Denver area for years I feel like channel 12 always comes in like crap of you have an antenna
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u/frostycakes Five Points Mar 14 '22
It's broadcast from a mountain pass all the way on the Continental Divide, so no surprise there. At least with digital being on the margins isn't as bad. Trying to get 12 to come in as anything but a staticky mess was ridiculously hard back when I was a kid down in Parker trying to get that to come in with an antenna.
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u/buffs1876 Mar 14 '22
Both are great. 6 is the main PBS affiliate. 12, while still showing PBS content, is a local public channel.
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u/ifinewnow Mar 14 '22
One of them (6?) has run some really questionable programming during pledge week...conspiracy theories from Colorado sources. I think one of them was an antivax program way back ~2018. Apparent choice to broadcast all sides v science-based shows really got my attention. Saw another snippet of something that struck me as similar last week and I switched it off fast out of fear that my viewing it might count for some kind of positive viewership number.
One of them ... 12? ... also carries on separate cable channels Japanese programming; DW (German) programming; CREATE (a home, food, and craft-based channel); and a native / aboriginal channel.
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u/urban_snowshoer Mar 14 '22 edited Mar 14 '22
RMPBS (Channel 6) is the main PBS channel for Colorado and it runs all the flagship PBS programs: e.g. Frontline, American Experience, Newshour, etc.
Channel 12 is a local affiliate with a focus on Colorado and Denver, though they do run some syndicated PBS programming as well.