What Channel Is PBS on DISH Network? An In-Depth Review (2023)

For more than 50 years, viewers have turned to acclaimed PBS programming for enlightened entertainment combining education and enrichment. With acclaimed titles spanning science, drama, music, history and kids content under its umbrella, generations of Americans have enjoyed this beloved public broadcasting TV network.

But with the rise of streaming and shifting consumer viewing patterns causing pay-TV packages to morph constantly – what is the best way to access trusted PBS feeds in 2023 and beyond?

Join us as we analyze specifically how to watch PBS through leading satellite provider DISH Network. We’ll survey PBS channel numbers available across their platform, highlight signature PBS shows you can enjoy, evaluate emerging tech impacting accessibility and study how PBS stacks up amidst a rich modern media landscape.

A Brief History of PBS – America‘s Trusted Public Broadcasting Service

To start, let’s rewind and explore some PBS background. The network traces its origins to changes in broadcasting legislation in the late 1960s that carved out space for educational and public interest programming alongside commercial TV networks.

The Public Broadcasting Act signed by President Johnson in 1967 paved the way for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to promote non-commercial television focused on instruction rather than earning profits. CPB funded individual public TV stations and NPR radio through grants, donations and sponsorships.

PBS itself then formed in 1969 as a non-profit, private corporation (with some indirect public funding) to distribute public television content nationally via hundreds of local member stations. This allowed beloved shows to reach citizens across America despite having an initial budget of only $5 million dollars.

From fledging roots half a century ago, PBS has blossomed into a bedrock national broadcaster rivaling top cable networks today in many areas:

6 Daytime Emmy Awards honoring educational kids content in 2022
Over 31 million weekly viewers tuning into acclaimed PBS programs
1 Billion+ monthly video streams logged via online and mobile apps
2 programs ranking in Nielsen’s 2021 Top 20 highest rated prime-time series (PBS News Hour, Antiques Road Show)

Given trusted standing across demographics from longtime supporters to cord-cutting youth, public television clearly retains important mindshare amidst rising competition.

Next let‘s pivot to explore DISH Network itself and options for accessing beloved PBS through their pay-TV offerings.

DISH Network Overview – Serving 11 Million+ American Homes

Originally known as DISH Network L.L.C., this satellite broadcaster has proudly served customers nationwide since 1996 after emerging from the ashes of failed PrimeStar. They continue to innovate through offerings like:

Hopper DVR – DISH’s popular set-top box with ability to skip commercials and watch recorded or live shows anywhere
Voice remote – One remote controls the TV experience via voice commands for ease of use
DISH Anywhere – Lets you watch TV on mobile devices when away from your home TV and Hopper

When it comes to channel packages, DISH delivers flexible options to fit varying budgets and interests:

Package	Starting Price Per Month	Number of Channels
America‘s Top 120	$69.99	190+
America‘s Top 200	$84.99	240+
America‘s Top 250	$94.99	290+
America’s Everything Pack	$149.99	340+

Ranging from 120+ channels up to 340+ channels, dish offers flexible tiers to meet your needs. But what about that beloved PBS content?

Unfortunately PBS does not come standard in any base DISH package. So how can you access trusted public broadcasting on DISH?

Gaining Access to PBS Through DISH Network

Given PBS affiliates are local broadcast stations, DISH customers need to add-on a offering called the Locals Pack to enable public television feeds in their market.

Costing an extra $12/month, this ingenious option opens the door to popular local over-the-air channels from a given viewer‘s area by leveraging DISH‘s satellite infrastructure. Local news, sports, PBS and independent stations suddenly become accessible!

Some key things to know about the Locals Pack:

All available local PBS feeds in your area are included (some regions have multiple affiliates and sub-channels)
Other local content like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and more are also unlocked
Number of channels varies by market from ~6 to 15+ in major metros
Enables local programming guide data not available otherwise
Accessible when paired with a core DISH package like Top 120, Top 200 etc.

So if you‘ve been hesitant to cut the cord from cable given potential loss of local stations – DISH‘s Locals Pack provides a viable path to maintain beloved regional programming.

And when it comes to PBS specifically, this add-on option conveniently unlocks all your local public broadcasting feeds. Let‘s explore exactly what PBS channels that enables in different cities and states nationwide.

Guide to PBS Channels on DISH Network By Location

Given hundreds of individual stations have joined the PBS family over the past 50+ years, Public Broadcasting Service affiliates exist in virtually every US television market today.

But unlike more standardized cable networks, PBS channels live at all sorts of locations on local channel lineups – varying wildly from region to region.

To give a snapshot, here’s a cross-section of PBS channels available through DISH Network‘s Locals Pack in different cities big and small:

City	State	PBS Channel Number(s) on DISH
Los Angeles	California	23, 50, 58
Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	12, 38, 65
Austin	Texas	18
Phoenix	Arizona	8
Detroit	Michigan	10, 56
Denver	Colorado	6, 12
Boise	Idaho	4
Burlington	Vermont	33
Honolulu	Hawaii	11

So PBS channel availability runs the gamut from just a single channel in smaller cities like Boise or Honolulu up to 3 separate subchannels in a large market like Los Angeles.

The key takeaway? Add the Locals Pack to your DISH TV plan to access ALL PBS feeds available in your region. DISH makes it refreshingly simple.

Using Online Tools to Lookup PBS Channels on DISH By Zip Code

In addition to the market snapshots above, DISH also offers an easy way to lookup exactly which PBS stations are accessible in a given area.

Their website features a powerful ZIP code-based channel lookup tool letting you input any US region to see live listings.

For instance, putting in ZIP code 27560 for Raleigh, NC shows PBS affiliate network UNC-TV on channels 4 and 1071.

Whereas over in Spokane, WA (ZIP 99201), DISH‘s finder shows both KSPS (digital channel 7) and KWSU (digital 34) available to give expanded PBS offerings.

So whenever relocating or researching PBS availability on DISH in a new locale, be sure to reference their handy finder at www.dish.com/programmingguides/.

Signature PBS Shows to Enjoy on DISH Network

With so many award-winning PBS programs spanning history, science, performance and beyond over the years, which beloved public TV shows can you look forward to watching through DISH Network?

Here‘s a curated taste of just some of most popular and enduring PBS series that Dish makes available in markets nationwide:

Show	Genre	Years Aired	Host or Notable Stars
Nova	Science & Tech	1974-Current	Hosts have included physicists, engineers, researchers
Masterpiece Theatre	Drama	1971-Current	Stars of individual BBC classics like Downton Abbey
This Old House	Home Improvement	1980-Current	original host Bob Vila, Norm Abram, Tommy Silva, Roger Cook
PBS Newshour	News	1975–Present	Anchors Judy Woodruff, David Brooks, Ruth Marcus and Lisa Desjardins
Austin City Limits	Music	1976–Present	Showcases top names across country, blues, soul, rock and indie
Frontline	Investigative Journalism	1983–Present	Won 75 journalism awards including Emmys and Peabodys

From the longest running prime-time show on American TV (Masterpiece) to seminal music concert showcase Austin City Limits approaching its 50th anniversary — PBS has no shortage of cultural touchstone programming worth watching.

And we‘ve just scratched the surface given enduring children‘s content, acclaimed historical docs, award-winning gardening coverage and much more also fill out their diverse schedules.

Thanks the DISH‘s Locals Pack add-on granting easy access to these feeds, you‘d need to be streaming only to miss this quality entertainment.

Speaking of streaming, how has the rise of online video impacted America‘s public broadcasting giant?

Analyzing How Streaming and New Technology Affects PBS

With seismic shifts in home entertainment tech radically changing how studios distribute and monetize content, what are the implications for a non-profit public broadcaster like the PBS in 2023 and beyond?

On the upside, PBS has proven adept at adapting unlike some left behind cable networks still clinging to antiquated models.

PBS Digital Studios – their thriving YouTube presence attracts younger audiences under 35 with original series exceeding 1 billion lifetime views
PBS KIDS 24/7 Channel – available via live stream for free on platforms like Plex, YouTubeTV, PBS Kids app and via stations like WSRE
PBS Documentaries Anywhere – iOS and Android apps with 300+ indie films available on-demand
PBS Passport – Subscribers paying $5/month directly support their station to access full episodes, bonus features and more from a central app. Over 100 local stations participate including Detroit, Philadelphia, Austin, Denver and Honolulu‘s PBS Hawai’i.

So increased accessibility of programming through apps and partnerships has helped public broadcasting stay vital despite cord cutting trends:

31% of viewership via online streaming as of 2021, up from just 15% in 2019
Over 25% growth in YouTube watch time year-over-year
1 million+ downloads of universal PBS Video app on major platforms

However risks still remain – especially if more viewers shift from satellite/cable bundles where retransmission feeds help fund local stations. But for now, PBS continues defying dire predictions.

And satellite leader DISH Network deserves credit for sustaining accessibility via offerings like their Locals Pack which prop up regional member stations.

On the technology front powering distribution, DISH also invests heavily – having launched 16 next generation broadcast satellites to date. Their satellites utilize advanced modulation, encoding and compression to efficiently deliver huge amounts of content to consumers.

So while streaming garners buzz, tried and true satellite TV innovation continues enabling stations like PBS to thrive in the 21st century.

The Road Ahead – What Does the Future Hold for PBS?

While the media landscape grows ever more fragmented with endless streaming niche services battling for eyeballs, PBS provides a refreshing alternative.

Viewers know they can turn to public television for intelligent programming worth watching rather than DISH Network reality shows about house flippers or cheerleader moms.

Even in an era of hyper-partisanship, PBS News and public affairs analysis continues garnering praise for fair and balanced coverage. Ratings routinely trounced cable news.

And their enduring focus on instructional children‘s series and educational content for adults fills a vital gap that purely commercial broadcasters have little incentive to fill given profit pressures.

Given trusted brand equity and goodwill that PBS has rightly earned over 50+ years, they remain well positioned for success in the next era of TV. Americans clearly still value the informed enlightenment and enrichment public television affords.

So don‘t be surprised if this venerable non-profit institution continues shining light through television sets for decades more thanks in part public support and partners like DISH Network.