FAQ | SDPB
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - MEMBERSHIP
How do I make a donation, change my giving level, or cancel my membership?
The best place to start is at the Friends of SDPB website. There you can become a member, start your Passport account, and manage your donation level.
I did not receive my SDPB Passport Activation Code? (note, it can take up to three hours)
Check your spam folder, or use the Passport Member Lookup to have your activation code resent.
If you are still having problems, call the PBS Help Desk up from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Friday at 703-270-0069.
How do I sign in to my SDPB Passport account?
Go to https://watch.sdpb.org/
You should see a Sign In button in the upper right, click on it, then select the account that you originally signed in with (PBS Account, Facebook, Google or Apple). If you are on a mobile device (smart phone or tablet) look for the “hamburger” menu (horizontal lines) at the top of the page, you should find a Sign In link there. If you do not recall how you signed in, call the PBS Help Desk at 703-270-0069 (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.).
I paid my renewal but received another renewal notice!
Our apologies! It is not unusual for a payment and a new notice to cross in the mail. There’s no need to contact us. If we received your payment, your account has been or will be renewed and you should not receive any additional notices.
I made a donation but haven’t received my thank you gift yet.
Unfortunately, it can take some time for premiums to be delivered. We use a fulfillment house for many of the items and with numerous public TV stations running membership drives at the same time it can sometimes take a few weeks.
When is my renewal due? Why am I receiving early renewal notices?
Your membership anniversary is 12 months from the date of your last contribution. Based on multiple considerations, we send the first renewal reminder four months in advance of your anniversary date to allow plenty of time and opportunity to renew on your preferred timeline.
I donate monthly. How can I update my credit card or bank information for my monthly sustaining gift?
Online: Visit the MySDPB site.
Phone: Contact Audience Services at 605-443-6960. Phone hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
By Mail: Send updated information to Friends of SDPB, PO BOX 5000, Sioux Falls, SD 57117
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - PROGRAMMING
What happened to (name of show)?
SDPB works with PBS and other companies that offer programming. We have contracts with these companies to offer programs for a certain amount of time. Once the contract expires, we are unable to continue carrying the show. Most likely our agreement expired, and the decision was made to replace the program with something else. Sometimes the show just isn’t available any longer.
Our goal is not to anger you. Honest! Our goal is to present programs that are not available on other programming services, and that we think might be of particular interest to our viewers and listeners. We’re always willing to listen to our audience, so if you have questions or concerns feel free to email us at programming(at)sdpb.org.
How can I find out what is on SDPB TV or Radio?
Visit our schedule page, which usually has information about our latest schedule changes for all four TV channels, plus the weekly schedule for SDPB Radio.
The listings on my TV are wrong!
The TV schedules are subject to frequent changes. When we receive notice of changes to the schedule, we send that information to a number of companies who provide listing services to TV distributors – such as your cable company, your satellite company, online streaming services, and the company that inserts listings on your TV set. Sometimes these listing services don’t update the program information in a timely fashion or lack accuracy.
If your on-screen listings are consistently incorrect, please let us know. Email us at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 605-677-5861. We need to know how you receive your signal (antenna, cable, satellite, other), the name of your provider and what community you live in.
I have an idea for a show. How can I submit a program or produce content to SDPB?
Visit the Production Guidelines for Independent Producers. Programs must meet technical and content requirements in order to be considered for broadcast.
How can I make a comment about PBS News Hour.
The best way for your view to be heard is to provide direct feedback to the producers: [email protected]. All comments are read and vetted.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - GENERAL
How is SDPB different from PBS?
SDPB is a member of PBS (Public Broadcasting System) serving South Dakota and adjacent states. We are the vital link that provides PBS and NPR services to the state. We broadcast programs made available through PBS, NPR and other program providers.
PBS is private, nonprofit corporations made up of member stations serving all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. All the stations work together to fulfill our mission – to provide trusted programming that is uniquely different from commercial broadcasting. PBS does not produce any programming itself – instead it reviews and distributes programming that is produced by the member stations themselves
SDPB’s primary mission is to serve the people of South Dakota. We choose, from the programming that’s available, shows that we believe enhance the knowledge, culture, and understanding of our viewers. We bring the world to South Dakota, and present South Dakota to the world.
How is SDPB different from NPR?
SDPB is an affiliate of NPR serving South Dakota and adjacent states. As with PBS, we broadcast programming available from NPR and other public radio producers in order to enhance our listeners’ understanding of the world.
NPR (National Public Radio) is a non-profit media organization that produces and distributes public radio programming. NPR's mission is to provide listeners with a deeper understanding of events, ideas, and cultures. NPR produces and broadcasts daily news programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered and distributes programming to more than 1,000 public radio stations across the United States.
How is SDPB funded?
There are three primary funding sources: the state of South Dakota, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and local individuals and organizations.
The state of South Dakota pays for SDPB’s staff, including content creators, engineers, and administrative staff. And it pays for the maintenance and upkeep of our broadcast infrastructure.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a federally funded non-profit organization that supports public broadcasting in the United States. Congress established the CPB in 1967 to manage the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. CPB's mission is to provide access to high-quality, non-commercial content and telecommunications services.
SDPB is also funded by individuals and organizations, maintained by an independent organization, Friends of SDPB, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises money and advocates on behalf of SDPB.
Funds from CPB and Friends of SDPB are used to pay for programming, educational outreach, events and activities.
For more about our operations, visit the Governance page.
How can I get permission to use some video or a photo I found on your website?
Email us at [email protected] and we’ll direct your request to the proper department. Note: any photograph displayed on our SDPB Flickr page is available to use, free of charge, by any journalistic, educational, or non-profit organization. Credit SDPB (unless otherwise indicated).
How can I comment about the content of programming on SDPB?
If you send us an email, we can work with you to route it to the correct department.
If your question or concern is about programming from NPR, you may contact NPR directly.
For information about how to contact PBS, please visit the PBS website.