West Virginia Public Broadcasting
| |
---|---|
Channels | |
Programming | |
Affiliations | |
Ownership | |
Owner | West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority |
History | |
First air date | July 14, 1969 |
NET(1969–1970) | |
Links | |
Website | wvpublic |
West Virginia Public Broadcasting(WVPB) is thepublic televisionandradiostate network serving theU.S. stateofWest Virginia.It is owned by the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Authority, an agency of thestate governmentthat holds thelicensesfor all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR)member stationslicensed in West Virginia. It is headquartered inCharlestonwith studios inMorgantownandBeckley.
OnJanuary 1,2015, West Virginia PBS and West Virginia Public Radio merged their brands, branding exclusively as "West Virginia Public Broadcasting" across radio and television.[1]
Television
[edit]The firstpublic televisionstation in West Virginia signed on July 14, 1969 under the callsign WMUL-TV, broadcasting fromMarshall UniversityinHuntington.In 1981, WMUL-TV changed its call letters to WPBY-TV;[2]two years later, the public station atWest Virginia Universityin Morgantown, WWVU-TV, was renamed WNPB-TV.[3]WPBY-TV and WNPB-TV received their new call letters to underline that the operations were managed by the state educational broadcasting authority, and not the university system. In 1992, the state completed a microwave link that permitted it to convert WNPB and the state's third PBS station, WSWP-TV inGrandviewto become repeaters of WPBY-TV in Huntington and form a state network. On January 5, 2015, WPBY-TV changed its call letters to WVPB-TV[2]as part of an effort to unify all of West Virginia Public Broadcasting's services under a single brand; the television network had previously been branded as "West Virginia PBS", a name that was phased out starting on January 1, 2015.[4]
The state network has a total of five low-powered repeaters serving other areas out of the range of the three full-powered stations, most notablyWheelingandParkersburg.Three directly repeat WNPB, one repeats WVPB and one repeats WSWP.
In the past the network showed someMarshall UniversityandWest Virginia Universitysports content, but has abandoned this practice due toConference USA/Big 12exclusivity agreements with commercial and cable outlets.
The current local content consists of a daily recap of the state legislative session, shows produced by the West Virginia University medical school, and student produced news from campus weekly products from Marshall University andWest Virginia State University.It also broadcasts original documentaries on West Virginia history and culture, as well as live musical performances ofMountain Stageand the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
The combined footprint of WVPB's television network covers almost all of West Virginia, as well as portions ofKentucky,Maryland,Ohio,PennsylvaniaandVirginia.It is carried on the basic tier of all cable systems in West Virginia.
TV stations
[edit]Station | City of license (other cities served) |
Channels (RF/VC) |
First air date | Call letters' meaning | Former callsigns | ERP | HAAT | Facility ID | Transmitter coordinates | Public license information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WVPB-TV[a] | Huntington (Charleston) |
9 (VHF) 33 |
July 14, 1969 | West Virginia Public Broadcasting | WMUL-TV (1969–1981) WPBY-TV (1981–2015) |
23 kW | 358.1 m (1,175 ft) | 71657 | 38°29′41.3″N82°12′2.5″W/ 38.494806°N 82.200694°W | Public file LMS |
WSWP-TV | Grandview (Beckley/Bluefield) |
8 (VHF) 9 |
November 1, 1970 | Southern West Virginia Public Television | 8.8 kW (STA) 29.9 kW (CP) |
280.1 m (919 ft) (STA) 292.6 m (960 ft) (CP) |
71680 | 37°53′46.4″N80°59′20.3″W/ 37.896222°N 80.988972°W | Public file LMS | |
WNPB-TV | Morgantown (Clarksburg/Weston/ Fairmont) |
34 (UHF) 24 |
February 23, 1969 | (Northern) West Virginia Public Broadcasting | WWVU-TV (1969–1983) |
660 kW | 448.1 m (1,470 ft) | 71676 | 39°41′45″N79°45′44″W/ 39.69583°N 79.76222°W | Public file LMS |
Notes:
Translators
[edit]City of license | Callsign | Translating | Channel | ERP | HAAT | Facility ID | Transmitter coordinates | Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cedarville | W28DR-D | WSWP-TV 9 | 28 | 10.1 kW | 185 m (607 ft) | 181586 | 38°43′43.1″N80°39′48.3″W/ 38.728639°N 80.663417°W | West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority |
Keyser | W16DT-D | WNPB-TV 24 | 16[5] | 15 kW | 24.4 m (80 ft) | 167356 | 39°22′56.3″N79°04′44.3″W/ 39.382306°N 79.078972°W | |
Martinsburg | W27EE-D | 27 | 0.3 kW | 271 m (889 ft) | 167357 | 39°27′36.3″N78°03′44″W/ 39.460083°N 78.06222°W | ||
Moorefield | W22CV-D | 22 | 0.095 kW | 995 m (3,264 ft) | 127707 | 38°58′57.3″N78°54′30″W/ 38.982583°N 78.90833°W | Valley TV Cooperative, Inc. | |
Parkersburg | W34FE-D | WVPB-TV 33 | 34 | 15 kW | 129 m (423 ft) | 167359 | 39°14′48.1″N81°25′01″W/ 39.246694°N 81.41694°W | West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority |
Romney | W21DZ-D | WNPB-TV 24 | 21 | 260 m (853 ft) | 167358 | 39°18′34.9″N78°43′00.4″W/ 39.309694°N 78.716778°W | ||
Wheeling | W17EF-D | 17 | 139 m (456 ft) | 167354 | 40°03′41.3″N80°45′07.3″W/ 40.061472°N 80.752028°W |
On June 1, 2016, West Virginia Public Broadcasting announced a plan to shut down five of its translators — W07DN-D, W08EE-D, W09CT-D, W30CO-D, and W41AO — due to state budget cuts and changes in viewing habits.[6]All five translators were originally planned to be taken silent for a year in order to determine a long-term plan. Operations on W08EE-D (Martinsburg) and W30CO-D (Wheeling) resumed on August 10, 2016, while the licenses for W07DN-D (Wardensville), W09CT-D (Mathias), and W41AO (Hampshire) were surrendered to the FCC for cancellation on May 26, 2017.
Digital television
[edit]Subchannels
[edit]All digital signals aremultiplexed:
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WVPB-TV | WSWP-TV | WNPB-TV | WVPB-TV | WSWP-TV | WNPB-TV | |||
33.1 | 9.1 | 24.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WVPB-D1 | WSWP-D1 | WNPB-D1 | PBS |
33.2 | 9.2 | 24.2 | WVPB-D2 | WSWP-D2 | WNPB-D2 | West Virginia Channel (6 p.m.–midnight) World(midnight–6 p.m.) | ||
33.3 | 9.3 | 24.3 | 480i | WVPB-D3 | WSWP-D3 | WNPB-D3 | PBS Kids[8] |
Analog-to-digital conversion
[edit]West Virginia Public Broadcasting's TV stations shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcastsunder federal mandate. The station's digital channel allocations post-transition are as follows:[9]
- WPBY-TV shut down its analog signal, overUHFchannel 33; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 34,[10]usingvirtual channel33.
- WSWP-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 53, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to VHF channel 10,[11]using virtual channel 9.
- WNPB-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 24; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 33,[12]using virtual channel 24.
Radio
[edit]WVPB's state radio network includes eleven full-powered stations and seven low-powered translators, all on theFM band.The state network carries programs from NPR,PRIand other distributors, as well asclassicalandfolkmusic. WVPB produces original weekly programs, includingEclecTopia,A Change of Tune,Inside AppalachiaandSidetracks,plus the nationally distributedMountain Stage.The network was known as "West Virginia Public Radio" until WVPB's 2015 transition to a single brand.[4]
FM stations
[edit]Notes:
- ^Flagship station
- ^Owned byShepherd University;broadcasts a partial schedule of WVPB programming: 6–9 a.m., 4–6 p.m. weekdays; 6–10 a.m., 8 p.m.–midnight weekends[13][14]
Translators
[edit]In addition to five low-powered, separate-frequency translators, two low-poweredboostersalso extend coverage. Boosters are licensed on the same frequency as the parent station but at a different location. They are given the same callsign as the parent station with a number added to differentiate the transmitter site.
Call sign | Frequency (MHz) |
City of license | Facility ID | Class | ERP (W) |
Height (m(ft)) |
Rebroadcasts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WVEP-FM1 | 88.9 | Charles Town | 161967 | D | 210 | 63 m (207 ft) | WVEP (via booster) |
W297AA | 107.3 | Clarksburg | 71684 | D | 95 | 146.4 m (480 ft) | WVPW |
W203AE | 88.5 | Elkins | 71686 | D | 10 | 364 m (1,194 ft) | WVPW |
W220BK | 91.9 | Logan | 81396 | D | 10 | 214 m (702 ft) | WVBY |
W218AT | 91.5 | Union | 70646 | D | 17 | 387 m (1,270 ft) | WVBY |
WVNP-FM1 | 89.9 | Wheeling | 161955 | D | 41 | 176 m (577 ft) | WVNP (via booster) |
W217CH | 91.7 | Williamson | 71664 | D | 10 | 256 m (840 ft) | WVPB |
Website and online services
[edit]West Virginia Public Broadcasting maintains awebsitewith West Virginia news and free access to original video and audio productions. It also provides its videos through itsYouTube page.
WVPB also operates a free website with educational videos and games for teachers, parents and students calledWest Virginia LearningMedia,part of PBS LearningMedia.
References
[edit]- ^"West Virginia Public Broadcasting merges brands".The Montgomery Herald.Montgomery, West Virginia:Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.January 7, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 7,2015.
- ^ab"Call Sign History (WVPB-TV)".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedJanuary 7,2015.
- ^"Call Sign History (WNPB-TV)".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedJanuary 7,2015.
- ^ab"West Virginia Public Broadcasting merges brands".Montgomery Herald.January 7, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 7,2015.
- ^"Request to Extend a LPTV Translator Engineering STA Application".
- ^Finn, Scott (June 1, 2016)."Educational Broadcasting Authority Approves Translator Plan".West Virginia Public Broadcasting.RetrievedFebruary 26,2020.
- ^"RabbitEars TV Query for WVPB".RabbitEars.info.RetrievedJune 18,2024.
- "RabbitEars TV Query for WSWP".RabbitEars.info.RetrievedJune 18,2024.
- "RabbitEars TV Query for WNPB".RabbitEars.info.RetrievedJune 18,2024.
- ^Kabler, Phil (December 7, 2016)."WV public broadcasting to add PBS Kids".Charleston Gazette-Mail.RetrievedDecember 15,2016.
- ^"DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds"(PDF).Retrieved2012-03-24.
- ^CDBS Print
- ^CDBS Print
- ^CDBS Print
- ^"WVPB, NPR Programs Now on WSHC 89.7 FM Shepherdstown".West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 2 September 2017.
- ^"Shepherd radio station adds NPR news show to schedule".Hagerstown Herald-Mail.5 April 2018.