Idaho Public TV’s history a roller-coaster ride

The history of Idaho Public Television – the public TV network that consistently has the highest percentage of viewers among its state residents of any in the country – has been a story of ups and downs, in funding and programming, as politics, public information and public funding have intertwined over the years. Now that the network has passed its 50th birthday, Royce Williams, who as an Idaho Fish & Game employee in the early 1980s helped create “Outdoor Idaho” with Idaho PTV’s Peter Morrill, chronicles that history, in which varying … [Read more...]

Meet your IPC: Ryan Hawes

Interviewed by Scott McIntosh Ryan is the news director at KBOI2 News and is a member of the Idaho Press Club board. Q: Where were you born and where did you grow up? A: I was born and raised in Yakima, Washington. Q: How and why did you get into TV journalism? A: My parents were big fans of local news. As a young child, I watched it with them every day. I didn’t care so much for the news, but enjoyed the interaction between the people who delivered the news. Little did I know at the time, the relationship I watched the … [Read more...]

The history of Idaho Public Television: A roller-coaster ride of funding, programs

By Royce Williams For 50 years of Idaho Public Television’s existence, the network’s budget has been the best and the worst story, usually the result of the network’s somewhat schizophrenic relationship with the Legislature. Every budget is a river with funds rarely at flood stage but just as rarely at drought stage. IdahoPTV has experienced both. As a general rule, any organization sitting on the shore is ultimately measured by its reaction to funding levels. It is tougher when the organization has little or no control over the … [Read more...]