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West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Channels
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerWest Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
History
First air date
July 14, 1969; 55 years ago (1969-07-14)
NET (1969–1970)
Links
Websitewvpublic.org

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is the public television and radio state network serving the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is owned by the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Authority, an agency of the state government that holds the licenses for all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) member stations licensed in West Virginia. It is headquartered in Charleston with studios in Morgantown and Beckley.

On January 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

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The first public television station in West Virginia signed on July 14, 1969 under the callsign WMUL-TV, broadcasting from Marshall University in Huntington. In 1981, WMUL-TV changed its call letters to WPBY-TV;[2] two years later, the public station at West Virginia University in 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 in Grandview to 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 notably Wheeling and Parkersburg. Three directly repeat WNPB, one repeats WVPB and one repeats WSWP.

In the past the network showed some Marshall University and West Virginia University sports content, but has abandoned this practice due to Conference USA/Big 12 exclusivity 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 and West Virginia State University. It also broadcasts original documentaries on West Virginia history and culture, as well as live musical performances of Mountain Stage and 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 of Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. It is carried on the basic tier of all cable systems in West Virginia.

TV stations

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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 (55 years ago) (1969-07-14) 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″N 82°12′2.5″W / 38.494806°N 82.200694°W / 38.494806; -82.200694 (WVPB-TV) Public file
LMS
WSWP-TV Grandview
(Beckley/Bluefield) 		8 (VHF)
9 		November 1, 1970 (54 years ago) (1970-11-01) 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″N 80°59′20.3″W / 37.896222°N 80.988972°W / 37.896222; -80.988972 (WSWP-TV) Public file
LMS
WNPB-TV Morgantown
(Clarksburg/Weston/
Fairmont) 		34 (UHF)
24 		February 23, 1969 (55 years ago) (1969-02-23) (Northern) West Virginia Public Broadcasting WWVU-TV
(1969–1983) 		660 kW 448.1 m (1,470 ft) 71676 39°41′45″N 79°45′44″W / 39.69583°N 79.76222°W / 39.69583; -79.76222 (WNPB-TV) Public file
LMS

Notes:

  1. ^ Flagship station

Translators

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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″N 80°39′48.3″W / 38.728639°N 80.663417°W / 38.728639; -80.663417 (W28DR-D) 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″N 79°04′44.3″W / 39.382306°N 79.078972°W / 39.382306; -79.078972 (W16DT-D)
Martinsburg W27EE-D 27 0.3 kW 271 m (889 ft) 167357 39°27′36.3″N 78°03′44″W / 39.460083°N 78.06222°W / 39.460083; -78.06222 (W27EE-D)
Moorefield W22CV-D 22 0.095 kW 995 m (3,264 ft) 127707 38°58′57.3″N 78°54′30″W / 38.982583°N 78.90833°W / 38.982583; -78.90833 (W22CV-D) Valley TV Cooperative, Inc.
Parkersburg W34FE-D WVPB-TV 33 34 15 kW 129 m (423 ft) 167359 39°14′48.1″N 81°25′01″W / 39.246694°N 81.41694°W / 39.246694; -81.41694 (W34FE-D) West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
Romney W21DZ-D WNPB-TV 24 21 260 m (853 ft) 167358 39°18′34.9″N 78°43′00.4″W / 39.309694°N 78.716778°W / 39.309694; -78.716778 (W21DZ-D)
Wheeling W17EF-D 17 139 m (456 ft) 167354 40°03′41.3″N 80°45′07.3″W / 40.061472°N 80.752028°W / 40.061472; -80.752028 (W17EF-D)

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

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Subchannels

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All digital signals are multiplexed:

West Virginia Public Broadcasting multiplex[7]
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

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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 States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital channel allocations post-transition are as follows:[9]

  • WPBY-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 33; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 34,[10] using virtual channel 33.
  • 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

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Trey Kay and Deborah George at the 69th Annual Peabody Awards for The Great Textbook War, broadcast on WVPB

WVPB's state radio network includes eleven full-powered stations and seven low-powered translators, all on the FM band. The state network carries programs from NPR, PRI and other distributors, as well as classical and folk music. WVPB produces original weekly programs, including EclecTopia, A Change of Tune, Inside Appalachia and Sidetracks, plus the nationally distributed Mountain Stage. The network was known as "West Virginia Public Radio" until WVPB's 2015 transition to a single brand.[4]

FM stations

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Call sign Frequency City of license Facility ID Class ERP
(W) 		Height
(m (ft)) 		Transmitter coordinates
WVBY 91.7 FM Beckley 71689 B 10,400 280 m (920 ft) 37°53′46″N 80°59′21″W / 37.89611°N 80.98917°W / 37.89611; -80.98917 (WVBY)
WVBL 88.5 FM Bluefield 173309 B 50,000 31.5 m (103 ft) 37°16′33.6″N 81°15′3.6″W / 37.276000°N 81.251000°W / 37.276000; -81.251000 (WVBL)
WVPW 88.9 FM Buckhannon 71687 B 14,000 259 m (850 ft) 39°2′4″N 80°33′47″W / 39.03444°N 80.56306°W / 39.03444; -80.56306 (WVPW)
WVPB[a] 88.5 FM Charleston 70604 B 44,000 134.2 m (440 ft) 38°22′34.3″N 81°39′24″W / 38.376194°N 81.65667°W / 38.376194; -81.65667 (WVPB)
WVWV 89.9 FM Huntington 71656 B 8,100 355 m (1,165 ft) 38°29′41″N 82°12′3″W / 38.49472°N 82.20083°W / 38.49472; -82.20083 (WVWV)
WVEP 88.9 FM Martinsburg 70643 B 3,600 473 m (1,552 ft) 39°8′38″N 78°26′9″W / 39.14389°N 78.43583°W / 39.14389; -78.43583 (WVEP)
WVKM 106.7 FM Matewan 67039 C3 4,300 229 m (751 ft) 37°36′49.0″N 82°11′22.0″W / 37.613611°N 82.189444°W / 37.613611; -82.189444 (WVKM)
WVPM 90.9 FM Morgantown 70645 B 5,000 439 m (1,440 ft) 39°41′45″N 79°45′45″W / 39.69583°N 79.76250°W / 39.69583; -79.76250 (WVPM)
WVPG 90.3 FM Parkersburg 70642 B1 9,000 98 m (322 ft) 39°12′44″N 81°35′30″W / 39.21222°N 81.59167°W / 39.21222; -81.59167 (WVPG)
WVDS 89.5 FM Petersburg 71659 B 10,000 321.9 m (1,056 ft) 39°12′7″N 79°16′31″W / 39.20194°N 79.27528°W / 39.20194; -79.27528 (WVDS)
WSHC[b] 89.7 FM Shepherdstown 71678 A 950 −3 m (−10 ft) 39°25′51.6″N 77°48′18″W / 39.431000°N 77.80500°W / 39.431000; -77.80500 (WSHC)
WVWS 89.3 FM Webster Springs 176879 A 850 265 m (869 ft) 38°35′46.4″N 80°23′54.4″W / 38.596222°N 80.398444°W / 38.596222; -80.398444 (WVWS)
WVNP 89.9 FM Wheeling 71658 B 25,000 152 m (499 ft) 40°12′58″N 80°33′31″W / 40.21611°N 80.55861°W / 40.21611; -80.55861 (WVNP)

Notes:

  1. ^ Flagship station
  2. ^ Owned by Shepherd 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

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In addition to five low-powered, separate-frequency translators, two low-powered boosters also 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

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West Virginia Public Broadcasting maintains a website with West Virginia news and free access to original video and audio productions. It also provides its videos through its YouTube page.

WVPB also operates a free website with educational videos and games for teachers, parents and students called West Virginia LearningMedia, part of PBS LearningMedia.

References

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  1. ^ "West Virginia Public Broadcasting merges brands". The Montgomery Herald. Montgomery, West Virginia: Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Call Sign History (WVPB-TV)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "Call Sign History (WNPB-TV)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "West Virginia Public Broadcasting merges brands". Montgomery Herald. January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Request to Extend a LPTV Translator Engineering STA Application".
  6. ^ Finn, Scott (June 1, 2016). "Educational Broadcasting Authority Approves Translator Plan". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  7. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WVPB". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Kabler, Phil (December 7, 2016). "WV public broadcasting to add PBS Kids". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  9. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  10. ^ CDBS Print
  11. ^ CDBS Print
  12. ^ CDBS Print
  13. ^ "WVPB, NPR Programs Now on WSHC 89.7 FM Shepherdstown". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 2 September 2017.
  14. ^ "Shepherd radio station adds NPR news show to schedule". Hagerstown Herald-Mail. 5 April 2018.
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