Iowa Public Television started the year with an official name change to Iowa PBS.
The change, first reported here back in November, comes as part of a move by member stations nationally to include PBS in their names. Other regional name changes in recent years have included PBS Wisconsin, Twin Cities PBS, and Pioneer PBS.
“Iowa PBS better represents who we are and how we deliver content in today’s digital age,” Executive Director and General Manager Molly Phillips said in a December news release announcing the change.
“As Iowans increasingly look to new ways to view information and entertainment, our new name will help ensure they will easily find their favorite locally produced programs as well as PBS programs where and when they want to watch.”
Iowa PBS has nine full-power stations and eight translators covering the state. Each carries four channels: PBS, PBS Kids, World Channel, and Create.
Though the network didn’t cite it as a reason for the change in its announcement, dropping the IPTV name may also remove any confusion with the acronym for internet protocol television.