WLVT Takes Over Production of “You Bet Your Garden”



 

Nationally Syndicated Radio Show with Mike McGrath Will Continue Without Interruption

 

Bethlehem, PA. – September 13, 2018 – The popular radio show, “You Bet Your Garden” starring Mike McGrath, will continue uninterrupted as a production of WLVT/PBS39.  The show, touted as an hour of “chemical-free horticultural hijinks,” is a weekly, nationally syndicated broadcast that will now be produced in the studios of PBS39 in Bethlehem, PA.  This weekly call-in program offers ‘fiercely organic’ advice to gardeners far and wide. Adding a new twist to the radio and podcast presentations, PBS39 is creating the You Bet Your Garden television show to air each Saturday morning.
For nineteen years, You Bet Your Garden was produced for radio by WHYY in Philadelphia, which recently announced that the last episode will air on September 29, 2018.  With this agreement between WLVT and McGrath, it will continue uninterrupted through its regular distribution and broadcast channels through radio, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.  All new episodes of the show will also be available at WLVT.org/you-bet-your-garden.
“This is an opportunity that we simply couldn’t pass up,” said Tim Fallon, Chief Executive Officer of PBS39. “As PBS39 and WLVT continue to extend our reach into the community, the idea of bringing Mike on board to produce his show was an easy decision. Not only does he bring an energy to our lineup of on-air personalities, he also gives us the ability to diversify our offerings and play in the radio and podcast space.”
Though WLVT is not a radio station, they have state-of-the-art studio space and a production facility that allows them to create radio shows and podcasts for distribution on a variety of platforms. You Bet Your Garden will be recorded each week in the studio and distributed through the same channels as in the past.  McGrath is a resident of Zionsville, PA and his commute to work will be shortened significantly with this move to the Bethlehem facility.
McGrath says, “I am thrilled to be moving to a Public Broadcasting outlet with great programming and an even greater reputation in the entire field of media. ‘Put me in coach; I’m ready to play!’”
You Bet Your Garden will continue to be available without interruption through over 120 affiliates nationwide.
About WLVT/PBS39
WLVT/PBS39 is a community-owned public media station licensed to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pa., serving eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. WLVT/PBS39 is owned and operated by the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. PBS39 acts as the catalyst to promote civic engagement, and to fulfill the regional needs of the Greater Lehigh Valley through its dynamic communication platforms and resources. PBS39 “Reporter Corps” journalists are now embedded in the ten counties that make up the Greater Lehigh Valley, including Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe in Pennsylvania, plus Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. The “Reporter Corps” is currently creating community-focused content for the PBS39 digital platform. The new nightly, televised newscast will launch September 17. For more information, visit wlvt.org.

 

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Jim Macdonald
Director of Marketing, PBS39