Beloved Shows Gone As CPTV Spirit Wraps Up Its Run

Have you noticed that there is a little less 'Media for the Curious' in Connecticut? One of my favorite local television channels/digital sub-channels has quietly faded away.

CPTV Spirit was Channel 139 on my Optimum-Litchfield County channel lineups, the programming was basically classic episode repeats of some of the best shows offered by CPTV. When CPTV started another episode of Doc Martin, I loved flipping to CPTV Spirit to watch Weekends with Yankee, Nova, Austin City Limits, or a classic PBS rerun of Antiques Roadshow, Bob Ross, or Julia Child cooking programs and more.

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Well, unfortunately, according to ctpublic.org, and confirmed by the photo above - 'Spirit permanently went off air June 29, 2025 at 11:59PM ET'. The statement continues with 'Most of Spirit's programs remain available on CPTV's Broadcast Schedule and through CPTV Passport'.

What Happened? Budget Cuts? Low Ratings? Rick Steves' Saw Enough of Europe?

Your guess is as good as mine, there is no further explanation. Although we've all heard about cuts nationally to programs that support the arts - PBS, NPR, and The Kennedy Center, did CPTV have to make a tough choice? Operating costs too much?

I'm very familiar with cable tv carriers and major sports networks and news conglomerates pulling their channels away millions of subscribers in an attempt to give themselves leverage during carrier contract renegotiations, but if channels like MTV2 and 5 Home Shopping Network clones can survive, I feel like as 1 of the 1% of average daily viewers the need to say 'Wait a minute, I enjoyed what you were doing'.