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 2026
Published on
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Around Akron with Blue Green
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Saturday, Aug. 1, at 10 PM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Saturday, Aug. 1, at 4:30 PM
AROUND AKRON shines a spotlight on all of the good things that Akron has to offer. Each show consists of four stories, including segments on dining, arts and culture, history, business, and movers and shakers.
See what’s new and exciting in Akron on PBS Western Reserve’s legacy series AROUND AKRON WITH BLUE GREEN, now in its 10th season.
NEW SEASON!
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 (preempted Aug. 8 & Aug. 15)
Sundays at 2:30 AM (preempted Aug. 9 & Aug. 16)
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Sundays at 8 PM
In Akron, Ohio, the birthplace of rock legends The Black Keys, Chrissie Hynde, and DEVO, a new chapter of musical excellence unfolds. STUDIO C SESSIONS are 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, Youngstown, and Athens. PBS Western Reserve and The Summit FM have teamed up to share highlights of these intimate music moments on PBS Western Reserve.
Partnership with Akron Children’s
More Childhood, Please
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / 49.1)
Sunday, Aug. 2, at 8 AM
Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 9:30 AM
Thursday, Aug. 6, at 4:30 PM
Friday, Aug. 14, at 1 PM
Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 6 AM
Monday, Aug. 24, at 10:30 AM
Thursday, Aug. 27, at 1:30 PM
“Screen Time: Remix” Explore screen time and its role in modern childhood. Co-hosts Lily and Rhys follow teens making a movie, a 12-person family goes phone-free for a weekend, and Akron Children’s experts share advice.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
The Ohio & Erie Canal
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1)
Sunday, Aug. 2 at 11 AM
From its immense benefits to commerce in the 1800s to its present-day natural, historic and recreational importance, the Ohio and Erie Canal has impacted life in Ohio and the nation.
Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Sunday, Aug. 2, at 4 PM
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.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
The History of Jazz in Akron: 1920–Present: A Local Focus Feature
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Aug. 21, at 9 PM
Saturday, Aug. 22, at 2 AM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Sunday, Aug. 2, at 4 PM
Thursday, Aug. 6, at 7 PM
Filmed at the Akron Civic Theatre, this special captures performances and a panel discussion featuring prominent Akron jazz artists and experts as they celebrate a century of local music history. Reflecting on the legacy of Howard Street’s vibrant jazz scene and drawing connections to the current day, panelists explore the genre’s indelible impact as a quintessential American art form.
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
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.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 10 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 3 AM
Learn the story of the formation of Black college football, the contributions that players from historically Black colleges and universities have made to the NFL, the founding of its hall of fame and why the hall is in the unexpected location of Canton.
Stream BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: JOURNEY TO CANTON.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 10:30 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 3:30 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.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
Joseph O’Sickey: The Art of Life
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 3 PM
Acclaimed artist Joseph O’Sickey has spent seven of his more than nine decades painting and teaching. In JOSEPH O’SICKEY: THE ART OF LIFE, we visit the artist’s Ohio home and garden that serve as the inspiration for many of his paintings. We learn about the love affair that he had with his belated wife, Algesa, that continues today. It’s a touching story of the beauty and the brush.
A PBS Western Reserve Production
East Liverpool, Ohio: My Town
PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Saturday, Aug. 5, at 6:30 PM
East Liverpool has faced challenges similar of many Rust Belt towns, including job losses and declining population. However, the depressed area’s young people are now returning home with a vision for a new tomorrow. Several alumni, with talents ranging from jazz singing to marketing and architecture, bring an innovative spirit to the challenge of revitalizing their hometown.
Presented by PBS Western Reserve
Ken Nordine: Video for the Ear
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 10 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 3:30 AM
Monday, Aug. 31, at 12:30 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.
Trolley Park: Great Lakes
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Saturday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 PM
Trolley Parks were born when trolley companies began adding picnic areas, playgrounds and carousels to the ends of lines to increase weekend ridership. In the early 1900s, there were more than 1,000 trolley parks, but today, only a dozen remain. TROLLEY PARK: GREAT LAKES is a half-hour documentary that reveals the rich histories of two iconic, surviving trolley parks located on the shores of the Great Lakes: Seabreeze Park and Waldameer Park.
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. 27, 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 Episode:
Steve Marks & Harvey Nelson, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs , Main Street Gourmet
