How it Works
The strength of #In2Languages / #en2idiomas lies in its delivery design. Each day, WPAA‑TV airs four 30‑minute programs from Deutsche Welle (DW) in a bilingual sequence: English → Spanish → Spanish → English. This creates a solid one‑hour block of current Spanish news content at midday, framed by English‑language counterparts. This creates a full hour of Spanish‑language news at midday, framed by English‑language counterparts.
Because each program covers the same topic areas — Global News, Health, Technology, Art & Culture — viewers can watch the same stories in both languages.This parallel structure supports natural language learning through repetition, context, and curiosity. Our partnership with DW ensures access to reliable global news, culture, science, and health content while strengthening dual‑language literacy.
The program’s reach is amplified through WPAA‑TV’s internet simulcast, which requires dedicated infrastructure and ongoing bandwidth. WPAA‑TV prioritizes this capability in technical grant funding to ensure the service remains accessible beyond cable TV.
Isn’t Comminity TV Local?
A local‑global collaboration is exactly what makes this literacy initiative local.
Community TV content produced outside Wallingford gains local purpose when a local organization believes it is Good Enough To Share. Since the pilot in 2013, the Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW) has been that connection — identifying DW’s content as valuable for Spanish‑speaking residents and language learners.
DW permits redistribution of their content within this service structure because it mirrors how the programming appears on cable TV. WPAA‑TV connects each collaborator doing what they do best in the public interest.
For more than a decade, #In2Languages / #en2idiomas was available only to Wallingford cable subscribers. It served a small but steady group of viewers improving their language skills through current news. During COVID, WPAA‑TV explored simulcasting. Even with limited outreach, the channel averaged about 100 daily midday views.
Backstory – Nearly Lost
Despite promising simulcast engagement, maintaining the technical and fiscal capacity to continue was unsustainable. Once technical issues were resolved, community dynamics had shifted. Our local partner, SCOW, refocused on the new realities facing agencies serving non‑English‑speaking residents. They formally withdrew sponsorship — which had also been our marketing and outreach.
With licensing and distribution costs looming, the program’s continuation was suddenly at risk.
This challenge prompted us to rethink how we support language learners and community media viewers. Literacy is not just a skill — it is a pathway to confidence, connection, and long‑term community resilience.
We asked: How can this program continue to provide a foundational means of gaining long‑term language agency?
The Recovery
What saved #In2Languages was a powerful combination of generosity, partnership, and community leadership.
DW Support DW extended our license at no charge through September 1, 2026, keeping the signal live while we rebuilt stability. Their message underscored the value of the collaboration:
Simulcasting DW content on your channel via the Internet complies with DW regulations as long as …We can also agree to an extension of the renewal…We highly value our collaboration with WPAA TV and will do our best to assist you.
Essential Fiscal Support The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund awarded an $1,800 grant, securing our Spanish news contract and reinforcing community well‑being and equity.
“With deep respect for the work Wallingford Public Access Association Inc is undertaking, I share that your grant request for #in2languages / #en2idiomas has been approved in the amount of $1,800.00. The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund is honored to support this critical effort within the community.”
Community Leadership A former SCOW Executive Director stepped forward to help reconnect the program with Spanish‑speaking families. Her endorsement reflects the program’s value:
I’m a big fan of what WPAA-TV has done with DW’s content to create #In2languages as a daily resource! The production quality from DW is outstanding. The content is always informative, engaging, and relevant. If you’re looking to improve your English or Spanish, this is an excellent resource. Listening to the programs is a fun and effective way to build your listening comprehension, expand your vocabulary, reinforce grammar, and improve pronunciation—all while learning about fascinating topics and current events from around the world. I highly recommend giving it a try. Learning a language is so much easier when you’re genuinely interested in what you’re listening to!
— former SCOW Executive Director Maria Fernanda Campos Harlow
Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
Access to reliable, high‑quality bilingual information is not a luxury — it is a cornerstone of an inclusive community. #In2Languages / #en2idiomas does more than inform; it strengthens language literacy, cultural understanding, and equitable access to global perspectives for English‑learners, Spanish‑speakers, and dual‑language families.
Language literacy builds confidence, connection, and shared purpose — all essential to community resilience.
The program has been renewed. Now we must sustain it. Let’s build awareness together.
How You Can Help
- Watch & Share: Tune in Monday–Saturday, 11 AM–1 PM here on the internet wpaa.tv. (Wallingford residents who subscribe to Comcast Cable can watch on Comcast Channel 18 / 1070)
- Spread the Word: Connect educators, advocates, and families to the resource.
- Partner With Us: Help expand language‑literacy access.
