PBS Western Reserve presents a collection of stories that are singularly focused on the region that we all call home. Explore the people, places, history and events that make Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania so special.
About Our Region — August 2025
Published on
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Generations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 1, at 10 PM
Saturday, Aug. 2, at 3 AM
Discover the story of Ohio's only national park in GENERATIONS: CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK. GENERATIONS tells the story of the park's natural wonders and the people whose lives have crossed its many paths.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
City Centric
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Chagrin Falls:Saturday, Aug. 2, at 4:30 PM
New Castle: Sunday, Aug. 31, at 6:30 PM
PBS Western Reserve presents an inspiring series highlighting passionate individuals who reflect the fabric of their cities. Each city’s episode reveals the stories of six trailblazers who define the essence of their community and possess unique roles including business leader, revitalizer, artist, humanitarian, historian, educator and visionary.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Joseph O’Sickey: The Art of Life
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Saturday, Aug. 2, at 7 PM
Acclaimed artist Joseph O’Sickey spent seven of his more than nine decades painting and teaching. Visit the late artist’s Ohio home and garden that served as the inspiration for many of his paintings.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve and The Summit FM
Studio C Sessions
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Saturdays at 10:30 PM
Sundays at 2:30 AM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Sundays at 8 PM
Enjoy live performances that capture artists and audiences connecting in the closest of confines. To experience these unique concerts live, you have to be a member of The Summit FM, a public radio station serving Akron, Canton and Youngstown. This series allows you to watch these intimate music moments on PBS Western Reserve.
Great Lakes Now
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Sundays at 11 AM (preempted 8/10 & 8/17)
Through a regional magazine-style television program and daily online reports at GreatLakesNow.org, GREAT LAKES NOW covers the environmental, recreational, cultural, and economic issues of the lakes and the communities that depend on them.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
Forum 360
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
First Monday of every month at 5 PM and 5:30 PM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Mondays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays at 5 PM
This public affairs series provides a local viewpoint on global topics. Subjects covered are both educational and entertaining, and are hosted by a Northeast Ohio community member who assists in determining the show’s content.
Antiques Roadshow, Cleveland
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Part 2: Monday, Aug. 11, at 5 PM
Part 3: Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 5 PM
Join ROADSHOW in their journey to Cleveland and learn about items such as an Ohio salt-glazed figural stoneware match stand, an 1863 Civil War grave marker group, a 1964 Manoucher Yektai oil painting, "Big Bronco" coin-operated horse made around 1952, a Bill Watterson archive, ca. 1975, and a Tiffany & Co. pendant watch necklace.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
Gathered in Darkness
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 15, at 8:30 PM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Saturday, Aug. 30, at 2:30 PM
For thousands of years, total solar eclipses have captivated humanity. They are also great for science. The Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (CATE) 2024 brought amateur and professional scientists into partnership to gather data on our Sun’s corona, its outermost atmosphere, during the 2024 total solar eclipse. Explore perspectives of the community participants in this documentary.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Monumental Devotion: The McKinley National Memorial
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 8:30 PM
This half-hour production explores the design and construction of the president’s final resting place, William McKinley National Memorial, located in Canton, Ohio. It also examines the life of President McKinley, including his devotion to his wife, Ida, his path to the White House and his assassination.
Watch MONUMENTAL DEVOTION: THE MCKINLEY NATIONAL MEMORIAL online.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve, Ideastream Public Media and the
University of Akron’s Media Studies program
Akron Roundtable
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Thursday, Aug. 21, at 6 PM
Since 1976, the Akron Roundtable has brought new ideas to Akron. Now, PBS Western Reserve, Ideastream Public Media and the University of Akron’s Media Studies program are partnering with the Akron Roundtable to bring those ideas to our region at large. The Akron Roundtable’s signature series delivers thought-provoking presentations on a wide range of topics from speakers of global, national and regional importance.
This month: Senator Jon Husted
A PBS Western Reserve Production
By Nature’s Design: Exploring Our Native Wildlife, Native & Invasive Species of the Wetlands
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 22, at 8:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 1:30 AM & 6:30 PM
Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 4 PM
Sunday, Aug. 31, at 11 AM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 1:30 PM
Sunday, Aug. 31, at 7 PM
Explore wetlands in this close look at the flora and fauna in and around the ecosystem. With the help of more local experts, learn about the essential role of native species, the destructive force of invasive species, and the importance of protecting biodiversity in our wetlands.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Local Focus
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 22, at 9 PM
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2 AM
Saturday, Aug. 30, at 10 PM
Sunday, Aug. 31, at 2 AM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Sunday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 PM
LOCAL FOCUS brings two Kent State University student films to broadcast in the special episode, “What Happened to Judy Martins / Vital Pages.” The episode explores a local cold case and highlights the importance of Ohio’s public libraries.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
The World According to Polka, Polkas in Nature
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 22, at 9:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2:30 AM
The band performs selections inspired by the great outdoors including “The Happy Wanderer,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Goodnight Irene” and more throughout the beautiful landscapes of the Geauga Park District. Joined by Chief Naturalist John Kolar, lead singer Jake Kouwe celebrates the excellent opportunity for outdoor recreation here in Northeast Ohio before being interrupted by a woodland creature.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
The Master Craftsman
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 22, at 10 PM
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 3 AM
For more than 50 years Richard Grell has been hand-crafting Windsor chairs on his Hudson, Ohio, property, using wood from his farm. His museum-quality chairs are owned by institutions, businesses and individuals across the country, including famous actors, musicians, Fortune 500 CEOs and presidents. This documentary is an intimate look into Grell’s woodworking skills and techniques.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 22, at 10:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 10:30 AM
In 1946, Canton native Marion Motley was one of four African American men to break pro football’s color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns. This local production tells the Canton native’s story of adversity, personal tragedy and triumphs using rarely heard archival interviews and new interviews with historians, friends and descendants.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
Ken Nordine: Video for the Ear
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Saturday, Aug. 23, at 9:30 PM
Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2:30 AM
Ken Nordine, nationally known voice-over and commercial recording artist, is featured in a new local production that is the work of Uniontown resident Carl Palmer of Wild Life Media. KEN NORDINE: VIDEO FOR THE EAR celebrates Chicago’s oldest living hipster and original beatnik. Musical and performance artist Laurie Anderson provides narration for the production.
Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Sunday, Aug. 24, at 4 AM
Sunday, Aug. 31, at noon
The Ashtabula train disaster on Dec. 29, 1876, was the worst train disaster of the 19th century, claiming the lives of 95 people. This documentary explores the events surrounding the Ohio disaster, including the engineering, construction and collapse of the Ashtabula bridge.
Watch ENGINEERING TRAGEDY: THE ASHTABULA TRAIN DISASTER online.
A PBS Western Reserve Production in collaboration with Akron 200
Akron 200: Forgotten History Forum Series, The Akron History Anthology
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Thursday, Aug. 28, at 6 PM
AKRON 200: FORGOTTEN HISTORY FORUM SERIES explores lesser-known chapters of Akron's history, from urban renewal and the story of deaf rubber workers to the local history of the African American church and much more. Presented in collaboration with the city’s bicentennial commission, the series is more than expert lectures, it is an invitation to foster dialogue that shines a light on the influential and at times challenging corners of Akron’s 200-year lifespan.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
A Higher Law: The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Sunday, Aug. 31, at 2 PM
PBS Western Reserve presents the inspiring rescue story of an enslaved Black man named John Price and the 37 abolitionists from Oberlin, Ohio, whose bravery changed the trajectory of the abolitionist movement in the years leading up to the Civil War. The production is the work of filmmakers Christina Paolucci and Scott Spears of Production Partners Media in Columbus, Ohio.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
Training for Freedom
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Sunday, Aug. 31, at 3:30 PM
In 1890, Mississippi had 190,000 registered Black voters. By 1966, that number was reduced to 2,000 due to a complicated voter registration process. This documentary is the transformational story of how idealistic college students and Black activist teachers came together in Oxford, Ohio, to fight as one in the freedom struggle that would define a nation and alter the course of history.
