WATERTOWN, NY (October 12, 2023) – WPBS is excited to announce that the much-beloved high school trivia competition, Whiz Quiz returns to WPBS-TV for season 43 (Monday – Friday at 7:30 pm, starting October 16th).
Some of the smartest high school students from across our region will be back in the WPBS studio as 32 teams representing local schools from Jefferson, Lewis, and surrounding counties carry on the legacy of the North Country’s longest running academic quiz show. WPBS is very pleased to welcome back Canadian school Frontenac Secondary School in Kingston, Ontario – who will go head-to-head with the new U.S. Champion school in the final match of this season.
“At WPBS education and lifelong learning is our #1 priority and central to all that we do. We are so pleased and excited to be able to celebrate the academic excellence of our local students, and we are very grateful to the teachers, educators, volunteer judges, sponsors parents and student who make Whiz Quiz possible,” said Mark Prasuhn, President & General Manager of WPBS.
Whiz Quiz is a local TV program produced by WPBS-TV in Watertown, New York. Hosted by Joleene DesRosiers, this quiz bowl-style tournament invites over 30 high-schools from across the North Country and Canada to participate and compete for a scholarship prize. The program debuted in 1980, and has been on the air for over 40 years. Competing high school students from both sides of the border showcase their knowledge in areas like Math, Geography, Literature, and the Arts. This trivia competition is a single-elimination format and the winning team takes home the Glenn Gough Honorary Scholarship.
Teams of four students will compete in four different rounds, following the game’s traditional format. From thinking fast to one-on-one face-offs, students will have the opportunity to answer questions related to a variety of topics.
Joleene DesRosiers, the show’s host for the fourth season now, said: “We amp up the energy of this show every year and this year we’re really going to bring the energy, the fun, and the challenge. These students look forward to Whiz Quiz every year. It’s the most unique way for them to test their knowledge and increase their confidence.”
Taping for Whiz Quiz started Thursday, October 5th, and episodes will be broadcast on WPBS-TV weeknights at 7:30 pm, beginning Monday, October 16th. All matches will also be available for online viewing at
watch.wpbstv.org.
“We always look forward to seeing the students back in the studio,” said Tracy DuFlo, Director of Production and Executive Producer at WPBS. “And the students are always so excited to be here. It’s a great way to have our local schools involved with Public Television. It gives students a behind-the-scenes chance to see how a TV production operates. They’re so thrilled to be a part of it. A special thank you to our local schools and BOCES; we couldn’t produce this program without them.”
Production funding for Whiz Quiz is provided by Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, St. Lawrence Lewis BOCES, Samaritan Medical Center, and Laura Whitney-State Farm Insurance. Scholarships for winning Whiz Quiz teams are provided in part by National Grid, EDF Renewables, Stewarts Shops, The Sunrise and Noon Rotary Clubs of Watertown, the Antwerp Masonic Lodge #226, and the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge #916. Additional support provided by Jefferson Community College and Dunkin’ Donuts.
For more information about Whiz Quiz, please visit www.wpbstv.org/whiz-quiz.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
