Arizona PBS Wins Greater Phoenix Chamber IMPACT Award

Arizona PBS has been selected as one of eight winners of the Greater Phoenix Chamber IMPACT Awards – the first time in the station’s history – capturing the top prize in the Arizona Advocate/Small-Medium Business category.

The IMPACT Awards honor the accomplishments of Valley businesses and the positive influence they have on the community and the economy. More than 100 businesses vied for the 34th Annual IMPACT Awards this year.

“We are humbled to be honored as an Arizona Advocate by the Greater Phoenix Chamber and we are beyond grateful,” said Julia Wallace, interim general manager. “This is especially meaningful since the tenets of our mission are to inform, engage, educate and entertain people in communities across Arizona.”

Arizona PBS, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, has grown exponentially over the years into one of the nation’s leading public media organizations, with four broadcast channels, a radio station and a growing array of digital platforms that includes a website, apps and live-streaming capabilities.

Arizona PBS, which is operated by Arizona State University and housed at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, fosters lifelong learning through quality programming, in-depth news coverage and critical educational outreach services. It is one of the country’s largest public television stations — reaching 1.9 million households each week – and is the 10th most-watched public television station in the nation during prime time.

The IMPACT application described Arizona PBS as “a valuable contributor to Arizona’s quality of life. Available free to everyone, the station’s channels are a trusted source of in-depth news and civil dialogue without commercial influence. We educate children, specialize in lifelong learning for adults and celebrate the Grand Canyon State’s diverse arts and culture.”

Some of the programming mentioned in the application include the Emmy-winning local show “Plate & Pour” with Chef Mark Tarbell; “Arizona Horizon” with Ted Simons; and “Horizonte” with José Cárdenas. Other shows that set the agenda for local issues and spark the important conversations include “PBS NewsHour West,” which creates original content with a Southwest focus, and the new “Break It Down,” which airs at the end of “Horizon” and is a civil discourse that explores the topic of the day.

2021 IMPACT Awards recipients:

Large Business category (more than 250 employees):
Arizona Advocate – Honeywell Aerospace
Community Champion – Boys & Girls Club of the Valley
Economic Driver – Amazon
Exceptional Innovator – Waste Management of Arizona

Small to medium business category (250 employees or fewer):
Arizona Advocate – Arizona PBS
Community Champion – Valley of the Sun United Way
Economic Driver – Telgian Holdings, Inc.
Exceptional Innovator – Arizona Technology Council

The two 2021 IMPACT Businesses of the Year were selected from these honorees and announced during the virtual 34th Annual IMPACT Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 13.

IMPACT Award finalists with more than 250 employees include the Biodesign Institute at ASU, Avnet, Mercy Care and Shamrock Foods Company. Finalists with 250 employees or fewer include Center for the Future of Arizona, Fennemore, FirstBank and Slalom LLC.

“The Greater Phoenix Chamber is proud to honor this year’s IMPACT Award recipients. These businesses represent the innovation and development happening in Greater Phoenix, and we are thrilled to shed light on their incredible work,” said Greater Phoenix Chamber president and CEO Todd Sanders. “We look forward to seeing their continued investment in the region as they contribute to economic prosperity and community connectivity in Arizona for years to come.”