The youngest viewers of Wisconsin Public Television now have their own channel, thanks to a gift from the Dr. Monroe and Sandra Trout Charitable Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

A $150,000 grant from the Trouts’ charitable fund paid for the launch in Wisconsin of the 24/7 PBS Kids Channel this year.

Dawn Nowakowski, WPT’s corporate and community development engagement representative in northeast Wisconsin, gets first-hand reviews as she walks around Timber Rattlers baseball games at Fox Cities Stadium with characters from the Kids Channel.

“I get lots of parents saying they love the channel and thanking me for it,” she said.

The channel is produced by the national organization PBS and features such shows Arthur, Bob the Builder and Sesame Street. It is available by broadcast or streaming online.

The Trouts gave the gift to WPT in memory of their son, Timothy William Trout, who died May 20, 2016, at the age of 50.

Dr. Trout, quoted in a WPT publication, said he called Wisconsin Public Television as the possible place for a tribute because he was impressed with the quality of the work they did on a display of portraits of veterans that appeared at the Trout Museum of Art in downtown Appleton.

“Sandy and I decided these gifts to honor Tim had to be about education, because he had two small boys of his own and loved kids,” he said. “We have been very pleased. This is an excellent commemoration of Timothy’s life.”

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