[4][5][6] KCTS-TV is the primary PBS member station for the Seattle–Tacoma market alongside Tacoma-licensed KBTC-TV (channel 28), owned by Bates Technical College.

[9][10][11][12] KYVE (channel 47) in Yakima operates as a semi-satellite of KCTS-TV, serving as the PBS member station for the western portion of the Yakima–Tri-Cities market.

[citation needed] By 1996, a third of KCTS's audience resided in British Columbia;[23] after it was removed from its channel number (9) on basic cable systems in the province, donations declined by $1.2 million.

[24] KCTS continues to receive financial support from its Canadian audience, which was processed through the Pacific Coast Public Television Association until its dissolution in 2017.

[25] KCTS switched to a digital transmission signal from its Capitol Hill tower in March 1999, becoming the third television station in the Seattle area to make the transition.

It retained architectural firm JPC Architects, general contractor Abbott Construction, and project manager OAC Services as part of a capital campaign to purchase and renovate the property.

[29] KCTS and Crosscut moved into the First Hill facility in January 2024, with both subsequently adopting the Cascade PBS name on March 1.

KYVE did produce a few local programs, including the KYVE Apple Bowl with host Tony Leita, a high school quiz competition; Northwest Outdoors with Wally Pease, an outdoors program; and Country Roads with Gwyn Gilmore, a showcase of country music videos.

KCTS is perhaps best known for producing/distributing the popular PBS Kids show Bill Nye the Science Guy, as well as other programs such as Students by Nature (not a PBS-distributed program), The Miracle Planet, cooking shows by Nick Stellino, Chefs A' Field, and the annual televised high school academic competition KYVE Apple Bowl.

's national broadcast schedule after PBS received a critical letter from then-newly-appointed Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who was upset that Buster was visiting a Vermont family headed by two women.

[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][excessive citations] WGBH, the Boston-based PBS affiliate and original producer of the program, subsequently made the episode available to stations that still wished to air it on an individual basis.