Q & A

What is Create TV?
Create is a commercial-free TV channel — available in 85% of the United States — that features the best of public television’s lifestyle and how-to programs. Create is a service of your local public television station. The channel is digitally broadcast and available via over-the air, cable and some IPTV providers.

Where can I watch Create?
You can find out if Create airs in your market in several ways. 1. Check with your local public TV station, local cable or IPTV provider. (Satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network do not carry Create.) 2. Visit CreateTV.com. A pop-up box will prompt you to enter your zip code, choose your local public TV station and select your provider. 3. Visit CreateTV.com/locate for a map featuring all of the Create stations around the United States.

Can I watch Create online? Do you have a Roku app?
A 24/7 livestream of Create is available in most television markets via the PBS app, which is available on nearly all over-the-top devices (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon, etc.), mobile devices, and smart TVs. This stream may also be viewed at pbs.org/livestream in most television markets when the local public television station carries the channel by entering your zip code and selecting the channel from the menu.

You can also find many of our shows online on their individually maintained websites or on YouTube.

Do I need an HDTV to receive Create?
No. If Create is available in your area, you can watch it on any TV equipped with a digital tuner, or attached to a digital converter box or cable set-top box.

Do I need cable or a satellite service to receive Create?
No. If Create is available in your area, you can watch it on your local public television station free via “Over-the-Air” (OTA) digital TV. You will need a TV set equipped with an antenna and either a digital tuner or a digital converter box. Create is also available on most cable television systems, and online via the PBS app. Visit CreateTV.com or check with your local public TV station, local cable or IPTV provider to find your local Create channel.

I switched to a satellite service and no longer receive Create. What happened?
Satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network do not carry Create. (There are some exceptions.) These satellite companies typically commit to carrying only one local public TV station per market and cannot accommodate public TV sub-channels like Create. We do not recommend contacting the satellite services directly; instead, contact your local public television station. They work closely with the various cable and satellite companies providing service in your market and can convey the importance of Create to their viewers.

To receive Create "over-the-air," you will need:
1. A TV antenna: an inexpensive circular or rabbit ears model to place near the set.
2. An A/B switch to allow you to switch back and forth from satellite to local broadcast reception.
3. A digital converter box, but only if you still have an older, analog tv set. (If you have a newer digital flat screen, it’s not needed.)

Explanation courtesy of Jim Wiener, Think TV Program Manager

Why isn’t Create available in my area?
Currently, Create is available in 85% of U.S. markets. For a variety of reasons, your local public TV stations may not opt to broadcast Create in your city/town. Public TV stations pay an annual subscription to air the channel and sometimes, in the face of state and federal budget cuts or bandwidth issues, they must often make difficult choices about programming. Contact your local public television station and let the staff know you’d like to see Create. They welcome your input.

Can I watch Create outside of the United States?
At this time, Create is only available to American public TV viewers in the United States. Some exceptions exist for U.S. Canadian border stations.

Why does the national Create schedule differ from my local schedule?
To maintain viewer interest and make room for brand-new programs, the schedule for Create changes from month to month. Your local public TV station may also customize the Create schedule and insert locally produced shows that appeal to their audience. In addition, not all public TV stations air Create 24/7. Stations must air Create for a minimum of 12 hours a day; they are free to schedule non-Create shows — or split Create with another digital subchannel – for the remainder of the day.

I can't customize the website to my local station's schedule. What's wrong?
From time to time we experience system issues with our schedule service provider. For this reason, you may not able to customize the Create schedule based on your location. In order to help us identify the source of the problem, please email us at info (at) createtv.com and provide us with your zip code and the name of the PBS station that provides Create in your area.

Where do the programs on Create come from?
Create’s lifestyle and how-to programs come from a wide variety of sources: independent producers, production companies and public TV stations, among others. They originate from several distributors, including American Public Television (APT), National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The vast majority Create shows receive their first run on public TV stations prior to their appearance on Create. On occasion, a program will premiere on Create before its public TV release.

How can I find more information about the hosts?
Visit the Food, Travel, Home & Garden, Arts & Crafts, Fitness, and Living sections of www.CreateTV.com to view hosts’ biographies, show details, instructional material (tips, recipes, do-it-yourself plans), links and more.

How is Create connected to public television?
The Digital Television Transition (also called the digital switchover or analog switch-off) allowed stations to "multicast" or send multiple streams of programming to their viewers. In addition to your primary public TV station, you may also receive up to four additional channels from them. Create is one of those sub-channels. Other sub-channels include WORLD and PBS Kids.

Why are you showing "infomercials"? Where did the regular schedule go?
As a non-profit entity, your public TV station depends on "viewers like you" help bring channels like Create and other informative programming to your community. A few times each year, some Create TV member stations will pre-empt the national Create feed and insert shows specifically designed to raise critical funds for the station. These membership drives typically only last a week or so, and it will eventually return to regularly scheduled programming. Show your support for your local Create station by clicking the "Donate" button on CreateTV.com.

Why aren’t there advertisements on Create?
All of the programs on Create have been created for public television. They are not designed to air on commercial television, so the programs must meet the rigid editorial and funding requirements of public television, including no advertising. Viewers will see credits and short “spots” from generous underwriters whose sponsorship makes the production and distribution of these programs possible. These underwriting credits will typically appear at the start and end of each program and conform to FCC requirements.

How can I find out when my favorite shows are on?
There are a few ways to find your favorite shows on Create. Visit www.CreateTV.com/Schedule and click on “Change My Station” to customize the website to show your local Create schedule. Then, select your favorite show from the drop-down menu. Or, select “Shows” from our home page and find your favorite show. Each show page will contain future airings, if available.

How are shows selected for Create?
Guided by viewer research, a team of public television programming veterans selects and schedules the programs on Create. The programs are drawn from the available food, travel, home and garden, arts and crafts, fitness and lifestyle shows already in distribution through American Public Television (APT), PBS, NETA and other sources.

Why are some of my favorite shows not scheduled?
The schedule for Create changes every month to accommodate new programming, to mark special events and holidays, and to return viewer favorites to the schedule. In addition, some programs’ licensing rights may have expired, so the show will be taken out of rotation until new rights are obtained or a new season is produced. Some shows are simply out of production, with their hosts and producers moving on to other projects.

How can I help get my favorite show on Create?
We are always eager to hear from viewers regarding their favorite programs. Please use the “Contact” link below to let us know what you would like to see on the channel. We always appreciate the feedback!

Why don’t you air more Painting and Crafting shows?
The Create audience — like the channel — represents many interests (painting, crafting, traveling, gardening, cooking) and we do our best to accommodate everyone's preferences with shows that have rights available for us to broadcast them. We try to offer painting and crafting shows in consistent timeslots with the inventory that is available to us. Many of Create’s top painting, crafting and needle arts shows maintain robust websites and social media accounts where enthusiasts can find information about projects and patterns and stream full-length shows from past and present seasons.

Is Create interested in program ideas?
Create does not produce programs. Its lifestyle and how-to shows have aired previously on public TV stations nationwide prior to their broadcast on Create. At this time, there is no programming being created solely for Create. However, the Create team is always eager to hear from viewers. Use the “Contact” link below to share your ideas.

Why can’t I find all the recipes or project instructions featured on the shows online?
We try to solicit and upload new content to our website, but unfortunately www.CreateTV.com cannot provide a comprehensive list of all recipes and projects featured on the channel. If the recipe or project you are seeking is not listed, look up the show title and click on the “More” tab for links to other resources. We recommend visiting our hosts’ websites and following their social media accounts for the most up-to-date information on appearances, recipes and tips.