Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network

The Story of TBAE: Enriching Tampa Bay for Over Three Decades

Our Mission

The Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network (TBAE) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to presenting exceptional artistic, cultural, and educational programs that encourage the pursuit of intellectual achievement and the joy of lifelong learning for the residents of Hillsborough County and beyond.

From TECC to TBAE: A History of Dedication (1987-Present)

The organization began its community service in 1987 as the Tampa Educational Cable Consortium, Inc. (TECC). It was founded by a cooperative of major educational and cultural institutions in the county with a clear mission: to restore and provide practical, non-commercial broadcast cable television access.

Initially operating as The Education Channel, TECC quickly became a vital public resource. It established core services that remain vital today, such as broadcasting Hillsborough County School Board Meetings and providing assistance through the Math Homework Hotline. It gave a platform to local educational content that viewers couldn't find in commercial programming.

As the media landscape evolved, the organization recognized the need to expand its focus to better serve a growing and diverse Tampa Bay community. In 2011, TECC officially rebranded as the Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network (TBAE). This new identity successfully broadened its scope to actively embrace arts and cultural content, complementing its strong educational roots.

Today, TBAE operates two 24/7 local cable television channels (Spectrum Cable 636 and Frontier FiOS 34) and streams globally via its web app, Watch.TBAE.net.

TBAE's commitment to excellence and community is proven by its consistent achievements:

• Award-Winning Content: The network has been nationally recognized over 100 times for broadcast and production excellence, including multiple Telly Awards.

• Local Storytelling: A significant portion of its content is locally produced, focusing on Tampa Bay’s unique stories in history, humanities, science, technology, and art.

• Empowering the Future: TBAE provides hands-on, career-building internships to local students, preparing them for the modern communications workforce.

• Accessibility: The organization continually upgrades its technology to ensure high-quality broadcasting with closed captioning, making its content accessible to all residents.

By leveraging the power of media, the Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network continues its over three-decade-long mission to inspire, enlighten, and motivate the Tampa Bay community, ensuring that the pursuit of knowledge and creative passions remains a constant and thriving force in the region.

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

LINKEDIN