Wyoming Public Broadcasting Service celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion, the PBS president and chief executive officer visited the state this week.

Paula Kerger is the only PBS president to come to Wyoming. She spent time in Jackson; Riverton, where Wyoming PBS is headquartered; and Casper before flying back to Washington today.

In driving through the state, she witnessed some of Wyoming's unique topography. She said Wyoming plays a large role in a documentary series set to run in September 2009.

Filmmaker Ken Burns is working on a 12-hour series "The National Parks," she said.

"It's recognizing one of Wyoming's greatest treasures and bringing it to a national audience," Kerger said.

Wyoming PBS is working on a program called "Artists in Yellowstone" that will accompany the series, according to Ruby Calvert, general manager for Wyoming PBS. She said the film is currently in the editing phases.

Calvert accompanied Kerger on her visit to Casper.

Traveling the state also allowed Kerger to see the vast distances Wyoming PBS must cover and the challenges ahead during the transition to digital television, Kerger said.

Wyoming PBS studied the transition to digital television and with the financial help of the Legislature has been working on the change since, Calvert said.

Kerger said she has been traveling to communities to talk to viewers about what they need to do to make the transition to digital television in their own homes. She said the federal government is offering coupons for people to buy converters for their televisions.

The coupons can be accessed at www.ntia.doc.gov, the Web site for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

She said education about the transition is more important in rural areas where more people rely on over-the-air television instead of cable.

Kerger also announced Calvert was elected to the PBS board of directors and would be joining the board in November.

Wyoming PBS reaches about 30,000 households each week through its TV programs, Calvert said, and about 30,000 users from its Web site.

"We're trying to reach a lot younger audience through our Web sites," Kerger said. "Younger adults don't base their TV viewing around traditional broadcasting schedules."

Contact reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.