WGCU Public Media provides PBS television and NPR radio programming to all of Southwest Florida.
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To inspire, inform, educate, engage and entertain through the power of public media. WGCU Public Media is Southwest Florida’s source for PBS and NPR, and a member-supported service of Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU provides quality programming 24 hours a day and is a trusted storyteller, teacher, theater, library and traveling companion. Serving all or part of 12 counties in south and Southwe
st Florida with five distinct digital TV channels, three radio services, and multiple digital media platforms, WGCU delivers national and international programming, as well as develops and produces award-winning relevant, informative and educational local content.
08/26/2025
🚨 Precautionary Boil Water Notice – Estero 🚨
Lee County Utilities has issued a precautionary boil water notice for about 450 residences and 5 businesses in Wildcat Run after a water main break.
Residents in the affected streets should boil water for 1 minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or washing dishes — or use bottled water.
The notice is expected to remain in effect until at least Friday, Aug. 29, pending water safety testing.
Stay updated via leegov.com or Lee County Government on Facebook.
By WGCU Staff
Boil water notice issued for Wildcat Run in Estero
08/26/2025
🀄 Think mahjong is just your grandma’s game? Think again. 🎲
From 19th-century China to 1920s America, to a revival in Jewish American communities — and now, a stylish resurgence right here in Florida — mahjong has always been more than just tiles on a table.
We sat down with the founders of Southwest Florida Mahjong to find out why this "old-fashioned" game still clicks with new generations, and how they’re bringing people together through pop-up events, workshops, and even private mahjong parties.
🎧 Tune in to our latest episode of and discover the strategy, luck, and community behind this timeless game.
🎙️ By Mike Kiniry, Emma Rodriguez | WGCU
Mahjong originated in China in the mid-to-late 19th century, but its exact origins are debated. It was first introduced to the United States in the 1920s and it quickly became a massive fad. There was a mahjong revival in the 1950s and 60s and in recent years there’s been a resurgence in popularit...
08/26/2025
Students at FGCU’s Vester Marine Science Summer Camp are spending their summer like real marine biologists 🌊🦐🐟. From pulling up shrimp and seahorses in seagrass beds to boating out on Estero Bay, they’re learning just how important these waters are for the creatures that call them home — and for the future of our coast. 🛶✨
Tap the link below to read more!
WGCU | By Pam James
Middle schoolers from Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties participate in a week-long summer camp hosted by The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University. The goal is to teach students about the water habitats they live near and play in.
08/26/2025
Some scholarships pay for tuition—this one pays for FUN 🎉
Since 2015, the Isabella Eghrari Memorial “fun money” scholarships have given Immokalee Foundation students $500 to spend purely on enjoyment—whether that’s a family road trip, a theme park visit, or even a first concert.
More than 130 students have experienced joy beyond academics thanks to this unique scholarship 💙
WGCU | By Dayna Harpster
Some Immokalee students are getting scholarships that simply require them to have a good time. Since 2015, Dr. Massoud Eghrari and his wife, Tayebeh, have awarded “fun money” scholarships in honor of Dr. Eghrari’s late wife, Isabella, to deserving Immokalee Foundation students. To be eligible,...
08/25/2025
Take control of your health 💪 Lee Health is offering a FREE 6-week workshop to help adults manage chronic conditions.
📅 Thursdays, starting Aug. 28
🕤 9:30 AM – 12 PM
📍 Healthy Life Center, Estero
Participants get a free copy of Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions.
Call 239-424-3121 to register today!
WGCU | By Cary Barbor
People who suffer from chronic diseases have an opportunity to learn more about managing their conditions.
08/25/2025
Here's what's onstage at Southwest Florida theaters during the week of Aug 25th 🎭
This week, one show opens, two shows close and six shows continue their runs at Southwest Florida theaters.
Click the link below for the full list. 🍿
✍️ Tom Hall | WGCU
This week, one show opens, two shows close and six shows continue their runs at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.
08/25/2025
Historic McCollum Hall in Fort Myers could soon see new life as a mixed-use hub with co-working space, a restaurant, and cultural programming. A new feasibility study calls it more than a commercial project — it’s a chance for community and cultural revitalization.
The findings will be discussed at Wednesday’s Fort Myers CRA meeting.
Turning historic McCollum Hall in Fort Myers into a mixed-use development with co-working space and a restaurant is not only commercially viable but represents an opportunity for cultural and community revitalization.That was one of the findings from a feasibility analysis done with the help of AI b...
08/25/2025
✨ Step back into the Roaring Twenties! ✨
The Sarasota Art Museum is celebrating the centennial of Art Deco with Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration — opening Aug. 31. 🎨 The exhibition features 100 rare posters from the 1920s and ’30s, along with stunning Art Deco furniture, sculpture, and design pieces.
These vibrant works, once meant to be torn down and forgotten, now shine as lasting icons of modernity, luxury, and style.
🗓 On view through March 29, 2026
📍 Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 South Tamiami Trail
WGCU | By Tom Hall
Art Deco was known as the Golden Age of Illustration. To celebrate its centenary, the Sarasota Art Museum opens an exhibition at the end of the month that features 100 rare fine art advertisement posters created during the 1920s and ‘30s by some of the world’s earliest, master graphic designers....
08/24/2025
☀️🌪️ Brand-new on PBS KIDS! Weather Hunters follows 8-year-old weather detective Lily Hunter and her family as they explore the wonders of weather, climate, and Earth science.
Packed with adventure, comedy, and real science, this animated STEM series from Al Roker Entertainment helps kids ages 5–8 discover how weather works—and how it shapes our world. 🌍✨
🎉 Join WGCU and IMAG for a FREE premiere screening of Weather Hunters on Sunday, September 7 from 12–1 PM at IMAG. Seating is limited—RSVP now: https://bit.ly/3UoHUJK
08/23/2025
This week on Southwest Florida In Focus, we’re diving into stories shaping our community:
🎭 SWFL Arts Community Feeling Funding Cuts – Local arts leaders weigh in after major state funding vetoes.
🚴 Connecting SWFL Through the Outdoors – A new Gulf Coast Trail aims to link 420 miles from Tampa to Naples.
🎙️ Ye Gods Podcast Comes to WGCU – A new show of “biblical proportions” joins our lineup.
🤸 The Combination of Arts and Aerobics – Aerial silks take fitness in SWFL to new heights.
And catch Southwest Florida In Focus Friday at 6:30 & 9 PM, Saturday at 5:30 AM & 6:30 PM, and Sunday at 11:30 AM on WGCU PBS and on YouTube.
08/22/2025
After nearly 3 years, the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp at the foot of the Sanibel Causeway is officially back open! 🚤
Leaders and residents celebrated the long-awaited reopening ahead of Labor Day weekend — a milestone in Southwest Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian.
Boaters can now launch from the ramp, with more improvements on the way. 🌊⚓️
WGCU | By Jennifer Crawford
Almost three years after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, Lee County’s Punta Rassa Boat Ramp at the foot of the Sanibel Causeway —is finally open to the public.Residents, community and state leaders, gathered to celebrate with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
08/22/2025
A federal judge has ordered Florida to wind down the controversial immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” built in the middle of the Everglades.
The injunction halts further expansion, citing environmental damage and decades of work to preserve the Everglades. 🌿 Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe call it a landmark victory.
Florida has already filed an appeal.
WGCU | By The Associated Press
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting further expansion of an immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as it winds down its operations in 60 days to comply with environmental laws. Environmental groups and th...
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“To inspire, inform, educate, engage and entertain through the power of public media.”
WGCU Public Media is Southwest Florida’s source for PBS and NPR. WGCU provides quality programming 24-hours a day and is a trusted storyteller, teacher, theater, library and traveling companion. As a member-supported service of Florida Gulf Coast University, WGCU’s mission is to provide educational programming that inspires, informs and engages our community.
Serving seven counties (one-fifth of the state of Florida) with five distinct digital TV channels, two FM radio channels, two HD radio channels, and one subcarrier, WGCU delivers national and international programming and develops, produces and delivers relevant, informative and educational local programs to the Southwest Florida community.
WGCU’s educational programs, community-based initiatives, and informative and entertaining events make public media integral to the vitality of Southwest Florida. WGCU is reaching beyond its service area to the country and the world through web-based applications.
Many of its locally produced programs have been broadcast throughout the country. WGCU has received numerous national, regional, state and local awards for its locally produced television and radio programs.
THE HISTORY OF WGCU
WGCU Public Media and its predecessor, WSFP-TV/FM, have served Southwest Florida with the finest in public television and radio programming for 35 years. Originally a satellite operation licensed to the University of South Florida, WGCU Public Media became an independent entity in 1996 when the broadcast licenses were transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University, a new public university that was being built to serve the Southwest Florida region.
The stations’ call letters were changed to WGCU-TV/FM, and a new state-of-the-art broadcast facility was built as part of the new university’s campus. The building is named the Myra Janco Daniels Public Media Center, in honor of Ms. Daniels’ major gift to local arts programming.
