Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Encyclopedia
Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) is a state-run, viewer-supported state network
of Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) non-commercial educational
Public television member stations serving the state of Louisiana
outside Greater New Orleans. The stations are operated by the Louisiana Educational Television Authority. It is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
.
signed on from Monroe
on March 1, 1957. LSU
professor Lucille Woodward had urged Governor Robert Kennon to create an Educational Television Commission as part of the state department of education, and KLSE was intended as the first station in a statewide educational television network along the lines of Alabama Educational Television
. However, KLSE went off the air in 1964. For the next 11 years, the only area of the state with a clear signal from a National Educational Television
or PBS station was New Orleans, served by WYES-TV
. That station had signed on a month after KLSE, but was separately owned and operated.
Woodward continued to urge the state not to drop the idea of educational television during the 1960s. Finally, in 1971, the recently-created Educational Television Authority approved the money to launch the stations. On September 6, 1975, WLPB-TV in Baton Rouge began as the state's first PBS station outside New Orleans. From 1976 to 1983, five more stations appeared throughout the state, extending LPB's signal to portions of Arkansas
, Mississippi
and Texas
.
LPB's flagship news program is Louisiana: The State We're In, which has aired since 1976. LPB started broadcasting in stereo in 1990.
Among the original programs it has produced is Evangeline
, which was broadcast by PBS stations throughout the United States and Canada in 2000. One of Justin Wilson
's cooking series was also produced by LPB.
Since 1985, Beth Courtney
of Baton Rouge has been president and CEO of LPB.
In 2001, LPB premiered a new cable-only channel, "LPB Kids & You," on cable channel 11 in Baton Rouge. The channel, a predecessor to LPB 2, aired children's programming during prime time and adult and creative programs during daytime. When PBS U and PBS Kids went out of business in 2005, the channel became "LPB Plus" and later aired on Lafayette cable, as well. In 2008, the changed its name to the current LPB 2.
On June 12, 2009 LPB's stations turned off their analog signals at 7:00am after a episode of "Martha Speaks."
and Gustav
), LPB's Baton Rouge facilities are used by New Orleans CBS
affiliate WWL-TV
(Channel 4) as a backup studio to provide additional news coverage from the station inland, and act as the station's main set should WWL be unable to broadcast from their Rampart Street facilities in New Orleans. As part of this agreement, WWL's coverage airs across the entire LPB network to provide a statewide conduit for news and information from a well-established news organization.
Digital channels>
Digital channel
Name
Programming
x.1
LPBHD
Main LPB Programming / PBS
x.2
LPB2
PBS Kids
(06p-09p)
PBS Encore (09p-06p)
x.3
LPB3
Create
Note:
1. The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says KLPB-TV signed on May 2, while the Television and Cable Factbook says it signed on May 13.
2. In the New Orleans market, WLAE-TV
is 50% owned by LPB and carries some LPB programming, mostly news and public affairs. WYES has rights to most PBS programming in prime time in New Orleans.
State network
A State Network in the United States broadcasting industry is a term which refers to a miniature television network serving an entire state or multiple states...
of Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) non-commercial educational
Non-commercial educational
The term non-commercial educational applies to a radio station or TV station that does not accept on air advertisements , as defined in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission . NCE stations do not pay broadcast license fees for their non-profit uses of the radio spectrum...
Public television member stations serving the state of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
outside Greater New Orleans. The stations are operated by the Louisiana Educational Television Authority. It is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
.
History
Louisiana was one of the first states in the Deep South with an educational television station within its borders when KLSEKLSE (TV)
KLSE, channel 13, was an educational television station in Monroe, Louisiana. The station was owned by the Louisiana State Department of Education, and operated by the Louisiana Educational Television Commission, an agency of the Department of Education....
signed on from Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
on March 1, 1957. LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
professor Lucille Woodward had urged Governor Robert Kennon to create an Educational Television Commission as part of the state department of education, and KLSE was intended as the first station in a statewide educational television network along the lines of Alabama Educational Television
Alabama Public Television
Alabama Public Television is a state network of Public Broadcasting Service member non-commercial educational Public television stations serving the US state of Alabama. The television stations are licensed by the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which was created by the Alabama state...
. However, KLSE went off the air in 1964. For the next 11 years, the only area of the state with a clear signal from a National Educational Television
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
or PBS station was New Orleans, served by WYES-TV
WYES-TV
WYES-TV is the primary Public Broadcasting Service member public television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, owned by the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation. It broadcasts on virtual channel 12.-History:...
. That station had signed on a month after KLSE, but was separately owned and operated.
Woodward continued to urge the state not to drop the idea of educational television during the 1960s. Finally, in 1971, the recently-created Educational Television Authority approved the money to launch the stations. On September 6, 1975, WLPB-TV in Baton Rouge began as the state's first PBS station outside New Orleans. From 1976 to 1983, five more stations appeared throughout the state, extending LPB's signal to portions of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
LPB's flagship news program is Louisiana: The State We're In, which has aired since 1976. LPB started broadcasting in stereo in 1990.
Among the original programs it has produced is Evangeline
Evangeline (musical)
Evangeline is a musical with a book by Jamie Wax, lyrics by Wax and Paul Taranto, and music by Taranto.Peopled by characters introduced by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem of the same name, it tells the tale of Evangeline Bellefontaine and Gabriel Lajeunesse, born on the same...
, which was broadcast by PBS stations throughout the United States and Canada in 2000. One of Justin Wilson
Justin Wilson (chef)
Justin E. Wilson was a southern American chef and humorist known for his brand of Cajun cuisine-inspired cooking and humor. He was a self-styled "raconteur" and a staunch political conservative....
's cooking series was also produced by LPB.
Since 1985, Beth Courtney
Beth Courtney
Elizabeth G. Courtney, known as Beth Courtney , has since 1985 been the president and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, her state's educational technology resources center based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
of Baton Rouge has been president and CEO of LPB.
In 2001, LPB premiered a new cable-only channel, "LPB Kids & You," on cable channel 11 in Baton Rouge. The channel, a predecessor to LPB 2, aired children's programming during prime time and adult and creative programs during daytime. When PBS U and PBS Kids went out of business in 2005, the channel became "LPB Plus" and later aired on Lafayette cable, as well. In 2008, the changed its name to the current LPB 2.
On June 12, 2009 LPB's stations turned off their analog signals at 7:00am after a episode of "Martha Speaks."
Hurricane coverage
During coverage of major hurricanes affecting the state (as has happened with Hurricanes KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Gustav
Hurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
), LPB's Baton Rouge facilities are used by New Orleans CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
(Channel 4) as a backup studio to provide additional news coverage from the station inland, and act as the station's main set should WWL be unable to broadcast from their Rampart Street facilities in New Orleans. As part of this agreement, WWL's coverage airs across the entire LPB network to provide a statewide conduit for news and information from a well-established news organization.
Format
LPB transmits 3 channels in its digital format along with guide data:PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
(06p-09p)
PBS Encore (09p-06p)
Stations
| Station | City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... |
Channels Channel (broadcasting) In broadcasting, a channel is a range of frequencies assigned by a government for the operation of a particular radio station, television station or television channel. In common usage, the term also may be used to refer to the station operating on a particular frequency.-See also:*Broadcast... (Digital Digital terrestrial television Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals... ) |
First air date | Call letters’ meaning Call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations... |
ERP Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... (Digital) |
HAAT Height above average terrain Height above average terrain is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is actually much more important than effective radiated power in determining the range of broadcasts... (Digital) |
Facility ID Facility ID The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international broadcast station in its Common Database System . Licensees are required to provide the relevant station's FIN when filing reports and... |
Transmitter Coordinates |
| WLPB-TV | Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South... |
25 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
September 6, 1975 | Louisiana Public Broadcasting |
200 kW | 295 m | 38586 | 30°22′23"N 91°12′17.3"W |
| KLTM-TV | Monroe Monroe, Louisiana Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636... |
13 (VHF Very high frequency Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency... ) |
September 8, 1976 | Louisiana Television Monroe |
6.7 kW | 153.8 m | 38589 | 32°31′40"N 92°6′8.7"W |
| KLTS-TV | Shreveport Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States.... |
24 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
August 9, 1978 | Louisiana Television Shreveport |
57 kW | 258 m | 38591 | 32°40′40.1"N 93°55′30.6"W |
| KLPB-TV | Lafayette Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census... |
23 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
May 19813 | Louisiana Public Broadcasting |
50 kW | 463.2 m | 38588 | 30°2′39"N 92°22′15.3"W (analog) 30°19′18.1"N 92°16′58.7"W |
| KLTL-TV | Lake Charles Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in... |
20 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
May 5, 1981 | Louisiana Television Lake Charles |
55 kW | 299.1 m | 38587 | 30°23′46.8"N 93°0′3.6"W |
| KLPA-TV | Alexandria Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes.... |
26 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
July 1, 1983 | Louisiana Public Alexandria |
76 kW | 413 m | 38590 | 31°33′57.2"N 92°32′50.7"W |
| WLAE-TV WLAE-TV WLAE-TV, virtual channel 32, is a public television station located in New Orleans, Louisiana, serving as a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service. The station is broadcast on UHF digital channel 11. The station is one of two PBS stations serving the market; WYES-TV is the other... |
New Orleans |
Note:
1. The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says KLPB-TV signed on May 2, while the Television and Cable Factbook says it signed on May 13.
2. In the New Orleans market, WLAE-TV
WLAE-TV
WLAE-TV, virtual channel 32, is a public television station located in New Orleans, Louisiana, serving as a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service. The station is broadcast on UHF digital channel 11. The station is one of two PBS stations serving the market; WYES-TV is the other...
is 50% owned by LPB and carries some LPB programming, mostly news and public affairs. WYES has rights to most PBS programming in prime time in New Orleans.