Cascade PBS came away with some hardware Saturday at the 2025 Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards. Cascade PBS won in the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Documentary – Cultural/Historical category for ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection.  

ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection chronicles the Washington State Historical Society’s project of digitizing 60,000 photos by renowned Pacific Northwest photographer Asahel Curtis taken between the 1890s and the 1940s. It was the first Emmy® nomination and win for director and producer Shannen Ortale. 

“We’re really honored to have been able to tell some of the stories behind Asahel Curtis’ photos, and to have worked with the Washington State Historical Society to tell them,” said Ortale. “This project was a testament to the collaborative nature of our team.” 

Credits include Shannen Ortale for director; Dave Quantic, Stephen Hegg and Knute Berger for producer; Bryce Yukio Adolphson and Amanda Snyder for photographer; Kalina Torino and Christopher Shreve for animator; David Wulzen as editor; Madeleine Pisaneschi for graphic designer; and Greg Cohen for art director.  

Cascade PBS was nominated for 13 awards, including episodes of Out & Back with Alison Mariella Désir, Black Arts Legacies, The Nosh with Rachel Belle and Mossback’s Northwest. Cascade PBS was also nominated for the Overall Excellence award, as well as craft nominations for photographer Bryce Yukio Adolphson and editors David Quantic, Andy Motz and Danielle Driehaus. 

In 2024, Cascade PBS took home two Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards: one for the episode “The Range Rider” from season 3 of Human Elements; and Mossback’s Northwest won in the category of Historical/Cultural – Short Form Content for the episode “The day Germany bombed Seattle.” 

Catch up on all of the Cascade PBS original video series here. 

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump sent a request to Congress to rescind federal funding for public media. This is a grave threat. 

Right now, we are asking all our supporters to contact their elected officials and encourage them to preserve this critical funding. 

Cascade PBS is at risk of losing approximately $3.6 million in federal support annually. While much of our funding comes from community contributions, including individual donations, foundation grants and local underwriting, a shortfall of this magnitude presents a serious challenge. 

Public media funding represents just .01% of the federal budget. Cutting public media funding would have little impact on the federal deficit but would devastate our ability to serve our communities. 

Your support in this pivotal time is incredibly important. Here are a few ways you can make a difference: 

• Connect with Protect My Public Media to learn more about funding for public media in the U.S. federal budget, and contact your U.S. Senators and Representative. 

• Help spread the word about the importance of public media by talking with your family, friends and neighbors. 

• Follow @CascadePBS and @CascadePBSNewsroom on social media for our latest reporting, programs, events and more. 

I hope we can count on your continued support and that you will make your voice heard. 

Cascade PBS won 10 of the 2024 Society of Professional Journalists’ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards. The editorial team won across a range of media types, including awards for audio, short-form video, documentary, photo and news writing. Cascade PBS competes against other “large” newsrooms in SPJ’s region 10, which encompasses Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  

Here is the list of winners from Cascade PBS, including judge’s comments when provided: 

• Audio Series - Large 

First Place: Sara Bernard, Maleeha Syed, “Northwest Reports: First Response,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Impactful reporting on a crisis viewed from the people treating victims of gun violence and other trauma. First-person accounts of success and failure and the personal impact to those involved make this series compelling. 

• Audio - Investigative Reporting - Large 

First Place: Sara Bernard, Lauren Gallup, Lizz Giordano, Maleeha Syed, “Northwest Reports: How building maintenance affects veteran care in Seattle,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Nice reporting on a problem affecting those who’ve given part of their lives to serve their country. Good focus on trying to hold people accountable and find solutions. Good work. 

• Writing - Feature (Hard News) - Large 

First Place: Lizz Giordano, “‘Beyond failure’: WA teen loses legs at school-based work program,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Incredibly tragic story. A teenage man losing both legs from an accident that could have been prevented is cause for alarm and cause for reviewing the process of using teenage labor this way. Nice work tracking down the family of the young man and getting thorough responses from all sides involved.  

• Writing - Feature (Soft News) - Large 

First Place: Charles R. Cross, “Why Seattle lost its mind over the Wallingford Taco Time closure,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: This is a fun first-person account of the closing of just one restaurant. The breezy style makes for a true connection with reader. Nice work. 

• General News Photography - Large 

First Place: Genna Martin, “Dueling Israel/Palestine protests on UW campus remain peaceful,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: The first-place winner is a wonderfully composed protest photo. 

• Feature Photography – Large 

Second Place: Genna Martin, “Under God: How Christianity permeates Yakima city politics,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Color and composition combined to make this a winner. 

• Video - Investigative Reporting - Large 

First Place: “Priced Out: Fear and Resistance in WA Mobile Parks,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: EXCELLENT WORK! This is the best investigative piece I’ve judged in years. The focus is on the people impacted and that's what resonates with viewers. Thorough reporting. Well-produced. Nice work. 

• Video Series - Large 

First Place: “Mossback’s Northwest,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Absolutely, incredibly fascinating stories. Excellent use of stills, video and narration. Superb! 

Second Place: “Out & Back,” Cascade PBS 

• Video - General Assignment (Pre-Produced) - Large 

Second Place: “THE NEWSFEED: Phone restrictions paying off at one WA school,” Cascade PBS 

The winning filmmaker for the fourth season of the Cascade PBS Origins series will be Andrew Inaba, who will create a short-form docuseries telling the story of Japanese American imprisonment following the attack on Pearl Harbor through the unique lens of Pacific Northwest communities. Inaba was announced as the winner Saturday at the closing ceremony of the Seattle International Film Festival. 

Inaba was one of several dozen directors who applied to work with Cascade PBS to create a video series that reflects the makeup of our region told from an insider’s perspective. A key requirement for the Origins grant is that the filmmaker be part of the community they are documenting. 

The project will receive $40,000 in grant funding to cover production costs for the five-part series, as well as technical and editing support. Their work has the potential to be broadcast and streamed by Cascade PBS. 

As a second-generation Japanese American filmmaker with deep regional roots, Inaba will bring a unique depth of knowledge to the series, documenting the historical trauma that forever altered our regional identity. Through intimate stories, archival materials, animations inspired by survivor testimonies and explorations of historical sites across Washington and Oregon, “Our Thousand Days” will reveal how this history continues to resonate today — offering urgent lessons about systematic dehumanization and community resilience. 

The docuseries is intended for release on Cascade PBS platforms in March 2026. 

The most recent season of Origins, “The Last Reefnetters,” examined the Native practice of reefnet fishing, an innovative method developed by the Lummi Nation and other Northern Straits Salish tribes thousands of years ago. Following punitive legislation, environmental damage and devastation caused by a budding cannery industry, they were all but removed from the practice. 

The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival is Saturday, May 31 at the Amazon Meeting Center, 2031 Seventh Ave. The day-long festival hosts nationally recognized podcasts like The Wall Street Journal’s The Journal and true-crime podcast Criminal in conversation with featured speakers such as Jake Tapper, Amanda Knox and Rick Steves.  

This year, the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival is expanding – the fifth floor of the Amazon Meeting Center will host the Northwest Reports Stage, dedicated to Cascade PBS podcasts.  

The fifth floor will also host the Share Your Story space, where attendees can talk with a Cascade PBS journalist about their favorite sessions, coverage ideas or other areas of interest. With permission, conversations will also be recorded on audio to use for potential coverage of the Festival. 

The Northwest Reports Stage will focus on leaders and change-makers from the Seattle area. Here is a full list of the Northwest Reports Stage sessions:  

1. 11:30 a.m.: Washington State Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal joins host Rachel Belle for a special live edition of the James Beard Award-finalist podcast Your Last Meal. Each episode, Belle asks a luminary what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she consults experts from around the world to uncover the history, science and culture of these dishes.  

2. 12:30 p.m.: Vanishing Seattle founder Cynthia Brothers joins Northwest Reports hosts Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed for a live podcast taping. Launched via social media in 2016, Vanishing Seattle documents the disappearing institutions, businesses and cultures of the Emerald City. Brothers discusses the places that made her hometown what it is and once was – and why they matter.      

3. 2:10 p.m.: Seattle writer, musician and director Mindie Lind joins the Northwest Reports team to discuss ableism. A longtime Seattle resident, she’s aware of the disconnect when it comes to accessibility and disability rights around the city, including our music venues and the new Waterfront Park.   

4. 3:40 p.m.: Northwest Reports talks with Kiesha B. Free, a speaker, comedian and the founder of Hey, Black Seattle! The online resource and movement grew out of frustration with the notion that there isn’t a large Black population in Seattle, and helps connect and nurture the local community. 

5. 5:15 p.m.: For the final live podcast taping on the Northwest Reports Stage, Bernard and Syed are joined by Lex Vaughn, founder and editor-in-chief of The Needling. The Onion-style satirical news site dubs itself “Seattle’s only real fake news.” 

Tickets are still available at cascadepbs.org/festival.   

Cascade PBS and Daybreak Star Radio hosted a community event Sunday around the Origins: The Last Reefnetters docuseries at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in Discovery Park.  

The event, attended by over 30 participants, included a screening of the first three episodes of Origins: The Last Reefnetters followed by a roundtable discussion to hear from community members. Some attendees shared that the documentary was their first foray into the history of reefnet fishing in Puget Sound, while others shared details of future events and powwows aimed at preserving Indigenous practices. Participants highlighted how history can be shaped based on the different voices, perspectives and backgrounds of the storytellers, and how nuances can be erased by popular narratives. 

When asked their “origins” story — what they would want to share about their families and culture — participants shared stories of joy, perseverance and humor. Some attendees vocalized a desire to see cross-pollination among communities, giving people the opportunity to connect with stories outside their immediate communities.
 

If you're interested in attending future community events, the Cascade PBS documentary Wolf Land will premiere at the SIFF Film Festival on May 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Shoreline Community College and May 18 at 1:30 p.m. at AMC Pacific Place. United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, which supports Daybreak Star Radio, will host their annual Seafair Powwow at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center July 18-20. Origins: The Last Reefnetters is available to stream on Cascade PBS.  

We also want to provide our readers with coverage that benefits you. Let us know what issues you want to hear more about and what topics or communities you feel are overlooked by taking our latest reader survey. 

Join Cascade PBS and Daybreak Star Radio for a free screening of three episodes of Origins: The Last Reefnetters, a five-part documentary series on the history and culture of reefnet fishing in the Salish Sea, followed by a community discussion with Cascade PBS and Daybreak Star Radio journalists. 

The event will be held on Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m. at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, 5011 Bernie Whitebear Way in Discovery Park. It will be free and open to the public. RSVP here. 

The five-part docuseries follows the final 12 captains to hold a reefnet fishing license, of whom only one is an enrolled tribal member. The practice was developed by the Lummi Nation and other Northern Straits Salish tribes thousands of years ago, but following punitive legislation, environmental damage and devastation caused by a budding cannery industry, Indigenous reefnetters were all but removed from the practice. Filmmaker Samuel Wolfe examines the legal, spiritual and cultural subtext that intertwines the Salish Sea’s last reefnetters. 

Cascade PBS has received 13 2024 Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards nominations from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Here are the nominated titles and categories:

Overall Excellence

Cascade PBS

Documentary – Cultural/Historical

ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection, produced by Shannen Ortale, David Quantic, Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger, Bryce Yukio Adolphson, Amanda Snyder, Kalina Torino, Christopher Shreve, David Wulzen, Madeleine Pisaneschi, Greg Cohen. 

Diversity/Equity/Inclusion – Short Form Content

Out & Back: Spreading the Stoke, produced by Shirlyn Wong, Alison Mariella Désir, Sarah E. Hall, Bryce Yukio Adolphson, Madeleine Pisaneschi, David Wulzen. 

Out & Back: Healing Powers of Water, produced by Shirlyn Wong, Alison Mariella Désir, Sarah E. Hall, Bryce Yukio Adolphson, Madeleine Pisaneschi, Andy Motz. 

Arts/Entertainment – Short Form Content

Black Arts Legacies: Visual Arts, produced by Tifa Tomb, Neftali Kirkland, Brangien Davis, Kalina Torino, Arlo Greene and Adam Spiro Brown.

The Nosh with Rachel Belle: Bagel Boom!, produced by Brianna Dorn, Rachel Belle, Bryce Yukio Adolphson, Amanda Snyder, David Wulzen and David Quantic.

Historical/Cultural – Short Form Content

Mossback’s Northwest: The Big Boeing Cover-up, produced by Michael McClinton, Knute Berger, Resti Bagcal, Danielle Driehaus, Madeleine Pisaneschi and Tony Arias.

Mossback’s Northwest: Three Problem Bodies, produced by Michael McClinton, Knute Berger, Resti Bagcal, David Quantic, Alegra Figeroid, Madeleine Pisaneschi, Rachel Sandoffsky, Matthew Jorgensen and Tony Arias.

Promotion – Non-News – Campaign

Cascade PBS 70th Anniversary Campaign, produced by Arlo Greene, Greg Cohen, Brodrick Aberly, Madeleine Pisaneschi, Kalina Torino, Matthew Jorgensen, Michael Fox, Resti Bagcal, Don Wilcox, Jeremy Cropf

Photographer – Short Form or Long Form Content

Bryce Yukio Adolphson 

Editor – Short Form Content

David Quantic
Danielle Driehaus
Andy Motz

The recipients will be announced at the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Emmy Awards Gala Event on June 7.

In a news cycle that is constantly changing, Cascade PBS wants to learn more about our readers. Help us understand how you get your news and how you feel about the current media climate by taking our latest reader survey.  

We also want to provide our readers with coverage that benefits you. Let us know what issues you want to hear more about and what topics or communities you feel are overlooked. 

The short survey should take only about five minutes, and contact information is optional if you feel more comfortable responding anonymously. Thank you for your participation!

As a Cascade PBS news reader, you may have questions about the recent headlines regarding public media, from threats to federal funding to the closing of PBS national’s DEI office. We want to address these issues, how they impact this crucial public service, and share what you can do to protect the future of public media. 

The majority of Cascade PBS funding comes from the community – giving from individuals like you, grants from foundations and local underwriting. Cascade PBS also receives a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), for which funding is currently at risk in Congress. On average, our CPB grant represents about 10% of our annual operating budget. 

Cascade PBS remains committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. This work is at the heart of what we do to serve all members of our community and team. More information on our commitment to this work can be found on our website. 

PBS stations are nonprofit organizations, owned locally by the communities they serve. They are individually managed and foster deep community connections through local reporting, events and programs. Each year Cascade PBS provides: 

• Powerful local journalism and storytelling, with essential information and invaluable insights about our region. 

• Cultural preservation, ensuring our unique local stories are documented and shared. 

• Thoughtful local events that celebrate our communities. 

• Educational programs that help children make significant strides in literacy, math and science. 

• Free sample lesson plans and educational resources for teachers. 

You can read more about the impact of the Cascade PBS newsroom in our 2024 Impact Report, and our 2024 Investigations Impact Report, and about the impact of Cascade PBS more broadly in our 2024 Annual Report.

We need community support now more than ever. Here are a few ways you can get involved in protecting the programs and services you care about: 

• Make your voice heard. Connect with Protect My Public Media to learn more about funding for public media in the U.S. federal budget and contact your U.S. Senators and Representative. 

• Share your Cascade PBS Story. Fill out this short form to let us know what public media means to you. 

• Stay connected. Follow @CascadePBS and @CascadePBSNewsroom on social media or subscribe to our other email newsletters for our latest reporting, programs, events, and more. 

• Share some time with us. Sign up to join us as a volunteer for an upcoming event. 

• Remember the power of community. Help spread the word about the importance of public media by talking with your family, friends, and neighbors. 

If you have any questions or concerns about what you see in the headlines, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Donor and Audience Relations team.