MAY/JUNE 2026
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO, PAUL GROVE
As summer approaches, we’re nearing the close of our fiscal year — and marking nearly one year since federal funding for public media was rescinded. While that shift has reshaped the landscape, it has underscored something powerful: This service matters, and our community is committed to sustaining and shaping what comes next.
The months ahead offer time to reflect and move forward with purpose. Through moments like the National Memorial Day Concert, we honor those who gave their lives in service to our country and reaffirm the value of thoughtful storytelling. Public Media Giving Days invite you to invest in the future — ensuring WEDU PBS continues to educate, inform, inspire, and entertain West Central Florida.
In honor of AANHPI Heritage Month, Independent Lens presents two films centered on family and generational legacy. Plus, you can follow the joy and hardship of six baby animals on Animal Babies: First Year on Earth.
Your support of WEDU preserves what our community relies on and strengthens what we’re building for the future.
National Memorial Day Concert
Honoring America’s Heroes
The National Memorial Day Concert is one of our most anticipated annual events and a powerful way to mark the meaning of the holiday. Broadcast from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the concert blends music, storytelling, and tribute in an evening that resonates with viewers across generations as it honors the fallen.
Through music, archival footage, and dramatic readings, we reflect the breadth of our nation’s military history while keeping the focus firmly on the individuals behind it. Both uplifting and reflective, the National Memorial Day Concert is a way we can all celebrate the enduring spirit of service and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
National Memorial Day Concert premieres Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. Watch live or stream with the PBS app.
Two Days to Make a Lasting Impact
Mark your calendars! Public Media Giving Days returns May 1–2, uniting supporters to celebrate and strengthen stations like WEDU PBS. This year, your generosity goes even further: Gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $35,000, thanks to the Susan B. Howarth Fund at Community Foundation of Tampa Bay.
Your support powers trusted journalism, inspiring stories, and educational programs that enrich lives across West Central Florida. Join this two-day movement — and consider making an extra gift during this special matching opportunity.
Stream Your Favorites
WEDU PBS Passport is the ultimate member benefit, giving you extended access to PBS favorites anytime, anywhere. Binge your favorite MASTERPIECE series like Downton Abbey, All Creatures Great & Small, and Miss Scarlet, plus Ken Burns films.
Stream all six seasons of Downton Abbey through Passport before Seasons 1–3 are rebroadcast Sundays on PBS starting May 17.
With WEDU PBS Passport, you can watch on demand, catch up on iconic series, and enjoy your favorite shows at your convenience.
Downton Abbey
Independent Lens: In Light of the Setting Sun
Amplifying AANHPI Voices
Independent Lens presents two deeply personal documentaries exploring family, memory, and what carries from one generation to the next.
In Light of the Setting Sun, filmmaker Vicky Du examines her family’s history of displacement, silence, and mental illness, linking life in Taiwan and New Jersey to the lasting shadow of the 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution and the possibility of healing.
Third Act offers a moving portrait of a father and son. Tadashi Nakamura films his father, Robert A. Nakamura — the godfather of Asian American cinema — as they confront art, activism, and aging. Spanning wartime incarceration to Parkinson’s, the film captures them shaping how their story will be remembered.
Both films honor Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) experiences with honesty, care, and the power of authentic voices.
Light of the Setting Sun premieres Monday, May 18, at 10 p.m.
Third Act premieres Monday, May 25, at 10 p.m.
Watch live or stream with the PBS app.
WEDU PBS is here to stay because of viewers like you. Thank you.
Unlocking the Universe
From the vastness of space to the subatomic realm, NOVA: Decoding the Universe takes viewers on a thrilling journey across two episodes.
Cosmos explores the origins and vastness of the universe, while Quantum reveals the surprising rules of the tiniest particles shaping today’s discoveries and tomorrow’s innovations. Prepare to rethink everything you know about the universe.
NOVA: Decoding the Universe airs Wednesdays, May 6 and May 13, at 9 p.m.
Watch live or stream with the PBS app.
Born to Be Wild
From first wobbly steps to daring independence, Animal Babies: First Year on Earth follows six iconic young animals through their most vulnerable months.
In First Steps, we witness early bonds, playful discoveries, and the first threats of the wild. Then, in Testing Limits, growing confidence brings new dangers as each baby searches for food, faces predators, and learns to survive. Experience the wonder — and resilience — of life’s first year.
Animal Babies: First Year on Earth airs Wednesday, June 3, at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Watch live or stream with the PBS app.
Living in Harmony
Shared Planet isn’t just another nature series — it’s a celebration of hope and collaboration.
The series highlights people around the world creating real change by working with nature. In the American West, ranchers help beavers revive dried-up rivers. In Borneo, women protect endangered orangutans while supporting their families.
And in Kenya, Maasai warriors learn to coexist peacefully with lions. Filmed across the globe by an Emmy-winning team, Shared Planet shows that we’re not separate from nature, we’re part of it.
Shared Planet airs Wednesdays, from April 29 through May 20, at 10 p.m.
Watch live or stream anytime with the PBS app.
Shared Planet
American Masters: W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause
Rebel Visionary
American Masters: W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause offers an in-depth look at one of the most influential Black scholars and civil rights pioneers in American history.
More than 120 years after the release of “The Souls of Black Folk,” Du Bois’ words still resonate across the globe. His groundbreaking ideas on systemic racism, “double consciousness”, and cultural identity shaped the Harlem Renaissance and inspired future leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This powerful documentary explores the lasting impact of Du Bois’ scholarship, activism, and fearless commitment to justice.
American Masters: W .E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause premieres Tuesday, May 19, at 9 p.m.
Watch live or stream with the PBS app.
Every contribution makes a difference.
There are a variety of opportunities to donate and help support the programming you love by considering creative non-cash gifts such as:
IRA Charitable Rollover
Individuals who have reached age 73 can donate up to $105,000 to WEDU PBS directly from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA), without treating the distribution as taxable income. Giving from your IRA is a great way to satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) tax-free and support WEDU PBS’s mission to serve the public good and to aid in the creation of an informed citizenry. Talk to your financial or tax advisor about rolling 401(k) monies into an IRA to make a tax-free charitable contribution to WEDU PBS.
Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
Donating stock or mutual funds you have held longer than one year and which have appreciated in value directly to WEDU is a savvy giving strategy to avoid capital gains taxes. Consult with your financial advisor to help leverage your gift for the best tax savings. Remember, sometimes it might be more tax advantageous to sell depreciated stock and give a gift of cash to WEDU PBS with the proceeds — a double tax savings!
Donate your car, motorcycle, boat, RV, kayak, or even real estate!
We make donating your vehicle or other mode of transportation simple and convenient with fast pickup and streamlined paperwork. You benefit by possibly being able to reduce your taxable income. Plus, you avoid paying for advertising, loss of privacy, and possible security risk. In addition, there is no need to pay for registrations, insurance, and repairs to keep your transportation in working condition.
Please contact us for easy gifting of real estate that may have become a burden to own or insure. For more information:
CALL: (813) 739-2959
EMAIL: [email protected]
VISIT: wedugiving.org
