PBS Fort Wayne and the Allen County Public Library are proud to announce simplified access to the Audio Reading Service.
News release from the Allen County Public Library:
PBS Fort Wayne and Allen County Public Library Expand Access to Audio Reading Service on New Channel
Fort Wayne, Indiana (May 19, 2025) – In a continued commitment to serve the community, PBS Fort Wayne and the Allen County Public Library are proud to announce simplified access to the Audio Reading Service (ARS), a free library service providing broadcast and digital access to audio readings of local news, magazines, and other programming for individuals who have visual, physical, learning or language challenges to reading normal printed materials.
Beginning on May 19, the service is now broadcast on its own dedicated television channel, PBSFW 39.6. This advancement marks a major step forward in accessibility for individuals who have difficulty reading traditional printed materials due to a disability or other condition.
For more than a decade, the ARS was delivered through a secondary audio channel on PBSFW 39.4, requiring complex tuning and limited accessibility. With this upgrade, users throughout northeast Indiana can now access the ARS quickly and easily using just their TV remote, making the service more convenient and inclusive than ever before. The legacy PBSFW 39.4 service will continue as well for the foreseeable future.
“This new channel ensures that anyone with an antenna-connected television can receive the ARS in their home,” said Bruce Haines, General Manager at PBS Fort Wayne. “It’s a meaningful improvement for those who rely on audio services to stay informed and connected. This is another way PBS Fort Wayne honors its calling as a valued organization by giving back to our community.”
This move coincides with PBS Fort Wayne’s 50th anniversary, symbolizing the station’s enduring mission to inform, educate, and inspire.
“This collaboration makes finding and using the ARS far more convenient and increases the reach of this vital service,” said ARS Manager Monica Hadsall. “Our listeners and their care partners tell us that our volunteers’ voices are a comfort and companion to keep them connected to local news, events, and more. We are so grateful to PBS Fort Wayne for its continuing support of our listeners.”
The ARS and PBS Fort Wayne are grateful to AWS Foundation for its financial support to acquire the final equipment required to create this new broadcast service on 39.6.
Click here for more information about the Audio Reading Service or call (260) 421-1376.
For more information about PBS Fort Wayne, please visit pbsfortwayne.org or call Creative Services Manager Mark Ryan, 260-484-5663.
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About the Allen County Public Library
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has fostered lifelong learning and discovery in northeast Indiana for more than 135 years. The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 3.9 million items, with a circulation total of 4.6 million items borrowed annually. It also houses The Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest public genealogy research center, and The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, consisting of more than 30,000 artifacts related to President Abraham Lincoln.About PBS Fort Wayne
PBS Fort Wayne is the northeast Indiana region’s only locally owned and operated full power television service and only public television resource. PBS Fort Wayne broadcasts six channels, 24 hours a day: Our main channel on 39.1; PBS Kids on channel 39.2; Create on channel 39.3; Explore on channel 39.4 (local and Indiana-centric programs, international news, public affairs, and documentaries), PBS Fort Wayne WX on channel 39.5, providing National Weather Service Doppler radar, weather warnings and National Weather Service audio, and 39.6 providing the live broadcast of the Allen County Public Library’s Audio Reading Service. PBS Fort Wayne live streams its main channel (39.1) and Create (39.3) in the northeast Indiana region on its website, pbsfortwayne.org; at www.pbs.org and through the PBS App, as well as YouTube TV and Amazon Prime and the free PBS Fort Wayne App.
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