Great news! PBTV service now includes ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost.* As long as you receive the ESPN networks as part of your TV subscription package, ESPN Unlimited is included— no extra charge.

With ESPN Unlimited, you can stream all ESPN networks and ESPN+ content via the ESPN website or app—anytime, anywhere. From live games to exclusive shows, it’s the ultimate sports experience.

What’s Included?

• Access to all ESPN networks and services: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SECN, ACCN, ESPN+, ESPN on ABC, SECN+, and ACCNX.
• Coverage of NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, tennis and golf majors, WWE, SEC, ACC, Big 12 football and basketball, postseason action, and more.
• Studio shows like SportsCenter, First Take, and College GameDay.
• Live and on-demand content
• Stream ESPN content across multiple devices— including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and computers.

Get Started:

1. CLICK HERE
2. Select Your Company: From the drop-down list, choose Paul Bunyan Communications
3. Log In: Enter your PBTV Everywhere username and password.
   • If you don’t have a PBTV Everywhere account, follow the Register or Create Account instructions HERE
4. After successful login, you will see Activate ESPN Unlimited Now! Click Here at the top of the page. Select that link.
5. Sign in using your PBTV Everywhere username and password.
6. Select Agree & Activate.
7. Complete ESPN/MyDisney Setup.
   • Enter your email address and click Continue.
   • If your email is not recognized, create an account by following the on-screen directions.
   • If your email is recognized, enter your password to log in. You’ll then arrive at the ESPN website/app, where you can access ESPN Unlimited content.

Note: To access ESPN Unlimited on a different device after completing the initial setup, enter your MyDisney credentials at ESPN.com

The 2026 Annual Business Meeting for Paul Bunyan Communications was held on Wednesday, May 20 in the Lakeside Rooms of the Sanford Center in Bemidji at 3:30 p.m.

The meeting included a review of 2025 financial and operational results with presentations from Board President Randy Frisk, Chief Financial Officer Craig Boyer, and Chief Executive Officer Chad Bullock. The meeting also reviewed the 2026 Director elections in which candidates in District 3 and District 8 ran unopposed.

Congratulations to the winners of the 10^th Men’s Pick-it March Mania Challenge.  587 participants entered the free online contest to pick the winners of the men’s college basketball tournament games.

The top 10 finishers all won a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account.

1^st Place- Judy Schill, Cass Lake             $500 credit

2^nd Place- Jerry Struss, Northome         $250 credit

3^rd Place- Laura Pogreba, Bemidji         $100 credit

4^th Place- Gail Ahrens, Grand Rapids    $50 credit

5^th Place- John Carroll, Bovey                 $50 credit

6^th Place- Christine Woodward, Tenstrike   $50 credit

7^th Place- Kathryn Faver, Bemidji           $50 credit

8^th Place- Jennifer Larson, Laporte        $50 credit

9^th Place- Amanda Waldoch , Bemidji    $50 credit

10^th Place-Heidi Simmons, Cass Lake     $50 credit

Random Prize Drawing:

Matt Rissanen, Turtle River  (402 place)    $100 Credit

Register now for the Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it March Mania Challenge, our free online contest for participants to pick the winners for the 2026 Men’s Division 1 college basketball tournament for a chance to win a credit on your Paul Bunyan Communications account!

First place winner will receive a $500 credit, second place is a $250 credit.  There is also a random bonus prize of $100 credit from among all who register.

To sign up for the contest visit  http://paulbunyan.pickitchallenge.com/

Register anytime but remember to come back to make your picks after the tournament teams are determined on Sunday, March 15 and before the first games start on Thursday, March 19.

The Pick-it March Mania Challenge is a fun and free way to interact with others in northern Minnesota and enjoy a little friendly competition.  Must be 18 years of age or older. Limit one entry per person per contest. Prizes not redeemable for cash. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. See Pick It March Mania Challenge website for complete contest rules.

We are excited to announce that Zivah Zebro of Solway is the winner of the cooperative’s 2026 Youth Tour Essay Contest.  Zivah is a student at Bemidji High School. She will attend the 2026 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 1-5, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.

The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry.  The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents.  They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including the Smithsonian Museums and a beautiful night tour of Washington D.C.

“The FRS Youth Tour is a unique opportunity for a local student from our area to visit Washington D.C. to gain a better perspective on how regulatory decisions impact our cooperative and rural areas.  They will also get the chance to see a lot of historic sites in our nation’s capital!” said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour since 1996.  Recent Youth Tour winners include Joseph Loehlein of Turtle River (2025), Julia Frenzel of Blackduck (2024), Michael Van Horn of Blackduck (2023), and Amelia Scherling of Bemidji (2022)

The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and improving the quality of life throughout rural America.  Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process.  The FRS is a subsidiary of the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.

Paul Bunyan Communications has completed our 2025 expansion projects across parts of Itasca and St. Louis Counties.

Itasca County:

City of Coleraine- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

Bearville(s) Township- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

City of Bovey- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

St. Louis County:

Sandy Pike, & Wuori Township- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

Alango, Angora, & Owens Township- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

French Township- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

Balkan Township- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

Great Scott Township & unorganized township north of Great Scott- COMPLETED.  Network is operational and services are now available.

Sign Up Now for Fiber Optic Connection
Residents and businesses in these expansion areas that have not signed up for service yet can do so at anytime.  We will come back to install the fiber optic connection up to the location when feasible and with no construction fee. Service applications can be done online, by phone, or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.

Services Available Upon Completion

Once the new all-fiber optic network is operational, homes and businesses can get fast, dependable GigaZone™ Internet and WiFi built to keep every device connected. Voice services, including unlimited local and long-distance will also be available. Business customers will gain access to Managed IT Business Services like VOIP, Disaster Backup and Recovery, and Network Management.

Service interruption of some individual channels on Paul Bunyan Television may occur during the afternoon hours through March 15 due to solar interference.

During the interference, your PBTV service reception may range from minor sparkles to loss of reception or picture freezing for 10-15 minutes.

Solar interference occurs each calendar year in both the spring and the fall. It does not impact internet or telephone service.

What channels are affected and when will vary through March 15.

As a cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications is governed by a seven-person member-elected Board of Directors.  In 2026, there are two Board of Directors positions up for election representing Districts 3 and 8.

Article III, Section 3 of your Cooperative’s Bylaws requires any member interested in serving as a Director to submit a candidate packet to the Cooperative headquarters by the application deadline date.  This enables the Cooperative to properly verify the eligibility of all candidates to serve as a member of the Board if elected.

District 3

The current director for District 3 is Tracy Mistic-Schaar and she was the only applicant.  As a result, her uncontested director re-election to the board for District 3 will be ratified by the members at the annual meeting.

District 8; In-person Caucus

The current director for District 8 is Board Vice-President Jim Sutton and he did not apply for re-election.  Two cooperative members from District 8 applied for the position, Carrie Scott and Becky Haskell.  As a result, a District 8 in-person Caucus will be held.  All members within District 8 will be notified of the Caucus meeting by mail.

The purpose of the in-person Caucus is to select two pre-qualified candidates to seek election to be the district’s representative on the Paul Bunyan Communications Board of Directors to serve a five-year term through 2031.  The Caucus votes will be tallied and listed on the general membership ballot.

The names of two candidates are listed on the ballot to be voted on by the general membership of the Cooperative.  Votes are tallied and then announced at the Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 20, 2026.  The candidate with the greatest number of votes from the general membership is elected as the Director for District 8.

As a cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications is governed by a seven-person member-elected Board of Directors.  In 2026, there are two Board of Director positions up for election representing Districts 8 and District 3.  To see what areas each District represents, check our Cooperative District Map here

Article III, Section 3 of your Cooperative’s Bylaws requires any member interested in serving as a Director to submit a completed candidate packet to the Cooperative headquarters at least 25 business days prior to the Caucus Election date.  This enables the Cooperative to properly verify the eligibility of all candidates to serve as a member of the Board if elected.  Members interested can find the candidate application packet and related information online at https://paulbunyan.net/cooperative/documents/

The deadline for completed Director-candidate packets to be returned to the Cooperative is 3 p.m. Tuesday, February 10.

If there are less than two pre-qualified candidates seeking election to the Board of Directors from the same district (an uncontested district election), no in-person Caucus Meeting and Caucus Election for that district will be held.

If there are two or more pre-qualified candidates seeking election from the same district, the in-person Caucus Meeting will be held and all members residing within the district will be notified by mail of the date, time, and location.  The purpose of the in-person Caucus is to select two pre-qualified candidates to seek election/re-election to be the district’s representative on the Paul Bunyan Communications Board of Directors. Directors serve a five-year term through 2031.

The current director for District 8 is Board Vice-President Jim Sutton and he will not be seeking re-election.

The current director for District 3 is Tracy Mistic-Shaar and she has expressed her intent to seek re-election.

Based on the results of any contested Caucus Election, the names of two candidates are listed on the ballot to be voted on by the general membership of the Cooperative.  Votes are tallied and announced at the Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 20, 2026.  The candidate with the greatest number of votes from the general membership is elected/re-elected as the Director for such district.

Area High School Students age 16 or 17 are encouraged to enter the Paul Bunyan Communications Essay Contest for a chance to attend the 2026 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 1-5, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.

To enter students need to submit a short essay, no more than 500 words in length, on why they would like to attend the Youth Tour and a letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, or employer. Students must be 16 or 17 years of age and in high school with their parent/guardian a member of Paul Bunyan Communications Cooperative.

Entries can be submitted online at paulbunyan.net/youthtour

The deadline for entries is Friday, February 27.

The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry.  The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents.  They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including the Smithsonian Museums and a beautiful night tour of Washington D.C.

“By equipping our youth with world-class connectivity with Internet speeds up to 10 Gig and connecting them with cultural and educational experiences like the FRS Youth Tour, we aim to inspire students to build their futures here at home and become engaged members of our rural communities,” said Brian Bissonette, Marketing Supervisor at Paul Bunyan Communications.

Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour since 1996.

Recent Youth Tour winners include Joseph Loehlein of Turtle River (2025), Julia Frenzel of Blackduck (2024), Michael Van Horn of Blackduck (2023), and Amelia Scherling of Bemidji (2022) 

The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and to improving the quality of life throughout rural America.  Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process.  The FRS is a subsidiary of the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.