Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jul 2000.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
73 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
12 people listed on the 990; $394K paid to officers and key staff.
Debra Kohr Sheppard’s $196K as President & CEO is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3394 $1–10M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 3 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debra Kohr Sheppard | $195,705 | $195,687 | $170,697 | $164,060 | $157,385 |
| Melissa Hiler | — | — | — | — | $119,423 |
| Brian Lockman | — | — | — | $35,411 | $116,838 |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Programs and updates
Broadcasts Pennsylvania's politics, history, culture, and sports via TV and streaming.
Questions for Pennsylvania Educational Communications Systems
Your first name shows with your question. Pennsylvania Educational Communications Systems answers here, for everyone.
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Programming
PCN is responsible for the editorial decisions of its content, on-air scheduling, and the production of its programming. Its core programming is pennsylvania politics and policy, high school sports, and history and culture.
Delivery System
PCN transmits its programming signal to the cable systems who ultimately provide PCN programming to subscribers throughout the state. PCN also transmits its signal and video on demand content to its streaming subscribers available to view on its website and various streaming devices.
Business Development
PCN'S primary revenue source has been cable system service fees. As consumer trends change, PCN seeks to fund its mission through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, program underwriting, sponsored programming, grants, etc. To support its programming.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $2.5M | $2.4M |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $2.8M | $3.5M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $2.9M | $2.7M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $8.1M | $8.7M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $2.9M | $2.1M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $5.3M | $6.6M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $337K | $10K | $278K | $49K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $2.2M | $1.9M | $209K | $114K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $57K | $49K | $5K | $3K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $191K | $170K | $9K | $13K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $184K | $141K | $32K | $12K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $12K | $12K | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $32K | $32K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $9K | $9K | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $176K | $176K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $137K | $75K | $48K | $14K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $70K | $70K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $53K | $51K | $240 | $2K |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $1K | $975 | $478 | |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $326K | $317K | $8K | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $108K | $82K | $19K | $7K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $416K | $296K | $120K | $308 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $118K | $108K | $3K | $6K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $4.4M | $3.3M | $784K | $397K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $4.7M | $4.4M | $268K | $7.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $4.5M | $4.6M | −$39K | $7.4M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $5.0M | $4.4M | $589K | $7.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $5.0M | $4.6M | $474K | $6.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 Viewing | $5.7M | $4.4M | $1.3M | $6.6M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $5,714,016 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 11 of 12 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $5,714,016 across 8 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,437,519 across 17 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $8,673,873 assets, 15 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,569,535 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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