Prairie Public Television - Manitoba

Manitoba

In 1975, PPTV appeared on cable TV in Canada for the first time when it was picked up by cable systems in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba.

Prairie Public has produced numerous local documentaries, including many about southern Manitoba, including Portage Avenue: Dreams of Castles in the Sky, Red River Divide, Assiniboine Park: A Park for all Seasons, Lake Winnipeg's Paradise Beaches, among others.

Manitoba has historically been a significant supporter of Prairie Public Television. Indeed, the network's audience there is far larger than its American one (Winnipeg alone has a population greater than the entire state of North Dakota), in part because unlike other provinces, Manitoba has never had its own full-time provincial educational television station. Prairie Public's role in this capacity has been unofficial, as Prairie Public has not made efforts to meet Canadian content requirements or appear on the CRTC's list of approved American television services.

Not only must Prairie Public take its large Canadian audience into account in its programming, but a significant portion of its donations during fundraising drives are in Canadian dollars. The station has opened up many of its contests for Canadian residents. It is also involved in many family events in Manitoba, including the International Friendship Festival in Winnipeg, and an annual sweater drive .