“America’s Heartland” to air in Tampa, Miami and Orlando

“America’s Heartland,” the only nationally distributed weekly program offering positive stories about agriculture, is coming to PBS stations in Miami, Tampa and Orlando. The show also airs three times a week on RFD-TV, the cable and satellite channel that highlights the rural lifestyle.

WPBT, Miami, will begin airing the program at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, beginning Oct. 4. WEDU, Tampa, will air the program on Sunday at 10 a.m., beginning Sept. 27. And WMFE, Orlando, will air the program on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. beginning Nov. 1. (All times are Eastern.)

Ten prominent statewide agricultural organizations have agreed to under-write promotional announcements for the programs. The group responded to a targeted market broadcast initiative that focused on obtaining clearance for the program in the three Florida markets that rank in the 20 largest markets nationally.

The organizations providing funding are the Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association, Southeast Dairy Producers Association, Florida Citrus Mutual, the Agriculture Institute of Florida, Farm Credit, Florida Forestry Association and the Florida Nurserymen, Growers and Landscapers Association.

America’s Heartland is beginning its fifth season of broadcasting and includes program segments on Florida agricultural producers and issues. It is produced by KVIE, a PBS station in Sacramento, California. Starting in 2005, the Emmy-award winning series has become a flagship program on public television stations across the United States. It examines the importance of agriculture in America and shares the stories of farm families with viewers across the nation.