Wisconsin Public Television
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| Type | Terrestrial state public broadcasting network |
|---|---|
| First air date | May 3, 1954 |
| Slogan | A place to grow through learning |
| Broadcast area | Wisconsin, United States Portions of EasternMinnesota, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Eastern Iowa and Northern Illinois |
| Owner | Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, University of Wisconsin–Extension |
| Former names | Wisconsin Educational Television (1954-1986) |
| Digital channel | 6 full-power television stations, 6 translator stations |
| Affiliation | PBS |
| Official Website | WPT.org |
Wisconsin Public Television is a network of non-profit PBS stations operated primarily by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin–Extension.
The network is available via WHA and its five major satellite stations throughout most of Wisconsin. As of April 5, 2009, all stations have converted to digital operations only. WPT is also available on most satellite and cable outlets. Several of the stations, such as Green Bay's WPNE, maintain broadcast studios on University of Wisconsin campuses, which produce programming for the network. The network also has studio facilities at the University of Wisconsin–Stout, which produced the 1980s educational sci-fi fantasy series Storylords for the network.
Wisconsin Public Television is the main conduit of educational and instructional programming produced by the Educational Communications Board (ECB), which is aired through PBS, Annenberg Media, those stations serving portions of Wisconsin without a WPT station, and other educational distributors.
Contents |
[edit] History
WPT's flagship station, WHA-TV, went on the air on May 3, 1954. It was named after WHA, the radio station operated by the University of Wisconsin–Extension, and current flagship for the Ideas Network of Wisconsin Public Radio.
In 1971, the state legislature created the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, activating five stations as satellites of WHA-TV during the 1970s - WPNE in Green Bay in 1972; WHWC in Menomonie and WHLA in La Crosse in 1973; WHRM in Wausau in 1975 and WLEF in Park Falls in 1977. The stations adopted the on-air name of Wisconsin Public Television in 1986. Network transmission and station identification is based out of ECB's Madison facility.
From 1960 to 2007, WPT aired same-day tape-delayed coverage of some home games for Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball, which was produced in association with UW's athletic department. However, because of exclusivity agreements with the Big Ten Network that launched in September, 2007, WPT no longer airs these broadcasts. [1][dead link] The network offers tape-delayed broadcasts of Badgers men's and women's hockey, women's basketball and volleyball throughout the year.[1]
[edit] Stations
[edit] Full-power stations
There are six full-power stations in the network, in major cities throughout the state, and all are broadcast on UHF. On April 5, 2009, the network ended analog service for all stations, and they map via PSIP to their former analog channel location.[2]
| Station | City of license | Channels TV / RF |
First air date | Call letters meaning | ERP |
HAAT |
Facility ID | Transmitter Coordinates |
| WHA-TV 1 | Madison | 21 (PSIP) 20 (UHF) |
May 3, 1954 | Taken from sister station WHA radio |
100 kW | 453 m | 6096 | 43°3′20.5″N 89°32′6.3″W / 43.055694°N 89.535083°W |
| WHLA-TV | La Crosse | 31 (PSIP) 30 (UHF) |
March 17, 1975 | WHA LA Crosse | 307.5 kW | 344.6 m | 18780 | 43°48′18.3″N 91°22′5.2″W / 43.805083°N 91.368111°W |
| WHRM-TV | Wausau | 20 (PSIP) 24 (UHF) |
January 20, 1976 | WHA Rib Mountain | 172 kW | 387 m | 73036 | 44°55′14.2″N 89°41′28.7″W / 44.920611°N 89.691306°W |
| WHWC-TV 2 | Menomonie (Eau Claire) |
28 (PSIP) 27 (UHF) |
June 10, 1975 | WHA West Central Wisconsin |
291 kW | 350 m | 18793 | 45°2′49.2″N 91°51′47.3″W / 45.047°N 91.863139°W |
| WLEF-TV 3 | Park Falls | 36 (PSIP) 36 (UHF) |
December 15, 1976 | W Lee E. Franks former WECB executive director |
50 kW | 244 m | 63046 | 45°56′42.1″N 90°16′23.6″W / 45.945028°N 90.273222°W |
| WPNE-TV | Green Bay | 38 (PSIP) 42 (UHF) |
September 12, 1972 | W Public Broadcasting for NorthEastern Wisconsin |
200 kW | 375 m | 18798 | 44°24′34.6″N 88°0′6.7″W / 44.409611°N 88.001861°W |
- Notes
- 1 - WHA-TV's signal is imported into the Milwaukee area via basic and digital cable systems to provide a second PBS choice for viewers; the station was carried on Time Warner systems until January 2009. It also serves as the de facto PBS member station via cable for the Rockford, Illinois market south of Madison, sharing that market with Chicago's WTTW.
- 2 - WHWC serves portions of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul television market, and is carried by some cable systems in southeastern Minnesota, providing a PBS choice to viewers in addition to Twin Cities Public Television's stations.
- 3 - WLEF's analog signal was terminated on February 3, 2009, with WLEF-DT moving from Channel 47 back to Channel 36.
[edit] Digital television
The network carries three digital subchannels:[3]
| Subchannel (## = local channel) |
Programming Service | Programming Description |
|---|---|---|
##.1  |
WPT-HD | Wisconsin Public Television's traditional schedule; this signal is used to provide the downcoverted 4:3 analog signal for cable and satellite viewers. |
##.2  |
Wisconsin Channel (WIS) |
Features WPT's and MPTV's programming about state issues and state history, university lectures, new local programs and performances from Wisconsin arts groups Also streams online (WMP). |
##.3  |
WPT Create (WPT-3) |
Airs public television digital network Create. PBS Kids programming airs on this subchannel weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. while the main WPT channel carries ECB instructional programming. |
- In some areas where local cable and satellite receive the network directly via a fiber optic connection from WPT, all three services air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on those systems.
- The programming schedule of all three channels over-the-air depends on the main WPT schedule; on late nights without overnight instructional programming, WPT goes off the air at 1 a.m. and signs back on at 6 a.m.
- A PBS Kids subchannel previously aired on WPT's .2 subchannels until 2007, when PBS discontinued the service; subsequently the Wisconsin Channel launched in its place, along with a modified children's programming schedule across all of WPT's services.
[edit] Network translator stations
A translator network also serves portions of the state where over-the-air reception for a regular station is hindered by area topography, and to fill in holes between full-power stations. All of the listed translators are owned by the WECB, and flash-cut from analog to digital in the first two weeks of November 2008, including adding the subchannel services.[4] Each translator has its virtual channel mapped via PSIP to the channel number of the closest full-power station to the translator.[5]
| Call sign | Location | Translator channel (ATSC) |
PSIP station/channel |
| W18CU-D | Sister Bay | 18 | WPNE 38 |
| W22CI-D | Bloomington | 22 | WHLA 31 |
| W24CL-D | Grantsburg | 24 | WHWC 28 |
| W45CD-D | Fence | 45 | WHWC 28 |
| W47CO-D | River Falls | 47 | WHWC 28 |
| W48DB-D | Coloma | 48 | WHRM 20 |
[edit] Network programming in Milwaukee and Superior-Duluth
WPT's public affairs programming is carried by MPTV flagship WMVS (Channel 10) in Milwaukee, including Here and Now and In Wisconsin, while WDSE (Channel 8) Superior-Duluth and WRPT (Channel 31) Hibbing air the shows in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The two stations also air the network's live teen issues program Teen Connection quarterly with WPT, along with political debates produced by the network; in turn some Milwaukee Public Television programming (such as Outdoor Wisconsin) and MPTV-produced debates air on WPT. Some of the network's tape-delayed sports coverage airs in Milwaukee on WMVT (Channel 36).
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Wisconsin Public Television Sports
- ^ Richgels, Jeff. "WHA-TV ending analog broadcasts April 5". 77 Square. http://77square.com/tech/story_441305. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ "Wisconsin Public Television to Launch New Digital Broadcast Lineup". October 6, 2008. http://www.wpt.org/pressroom/index.cfm?did=34900. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ "Translators Conversion Schedule". Wisconsin Public Television. http://www.wpt.org/digitaltv/translators.cfm. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ "Antennas and Reception". Wisconsin Public Television. http://www.wpt.org/digitaltv/faq_antennas_reception.cfm. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
[edit] External links
- Wisconsin Public Television Website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WHA-TV
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WHLA
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WHRM
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WHWC
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WLEF
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WPNE
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W18CU
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W22CI
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W24CL
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W45CD
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W47CO
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W48DB
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