WFWA
Encyclopedia
WFWA is a Public television station in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, broadcasting locally on channel 39 (remapped from channel 40) as a Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) member station. Bruce Haines is the current president and general manager of WFWA.
in Bowling Green, Ohio
, signed on on channel 39. Prior to 1974, Fort Wayne had been the only area of Indiana without access to PBS programming even on cable. (It was standard practice for PBS to offer programs to commercial stations in markets without PBS-member stations, but no evidence concerning Fort Wayne has yet surfaced.) This low-powered repeater station was merely a placeholder, as channel 39 was allocated as a full-powered Educational television
channel in Fort Wayne. By the early 1980s, the station became a translator of Indianapolis
PBS station WFYI.
On March 12, 1985, a local public television group was granted the channel 39 slot from the FCC, and was granted the call letters WFWA; on December 5, 1986, WFWA signed on, bringing northeast Indiana its own PBS station for the first time ever.
The station currently operates from the Dr. Rudy and Rhonda Kachmann Teleplex at the corner of Coliseum Boulevard and Crescent Avenue on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
. Their former studio on Butler Road continues to serve as the station's transmitter site.
In 2003, WFWA became the first station in Fort Wayne to broadcast in digital, originally airing the national PBS HDTV feed on a separate subchannel from regular programming; funding issues would later cause the national HD feed to be pulled, leaving all programming in standard-definition for several years. WFWA ceased analog broadcasts after February 17, 2009, the original deadline for the digital television
transition. It was announced that WFWA's main channel 39.1 would broadcast high-definition full-time sometime during summer 2010. During a summer 2010 pledging break, general manager, Bruce Haines, announced this change would occur on July 4, 2010 at 7:30 P.M.
Digital channels>
Channel
Programming
39.1
Main WFWA programming / PBS HD
39.2
Kids 39*
39.3
Create
39.4
39-4you~
* Formerly, WFWA had shown PBS Kids on channel 39.2. When the service ended on Setember 26, 2005, WFWA replaced it with its own service for children.
~ WFWA aired the Annenberg/CPB Channel on 39.4 until October 1, 2008. The satellite feed for Annenberg was discontinued at that time.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, broadcasting locally on channel 39 (remapped from channel 40) as a 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) member station. Bruce Haines is the current president and general manager of WFWA.
History
In 1964, W39AA, a translator of WBGU-TVWBGU-TV
WBGU-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in Bowling Green, Ohio operated by the Bowling Green State University. Unlike its companion radio station, WBGU , WBGU-TV is not primarily operated by students at the university.The station was founded in 1964 and currently...
in Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
, signed on on channel 39. Prior to 1974, Fort Wayne had been the only area of Indiana without access to PBS programming even on cable. (It was standard practice for PBS to offer programs to commercial stations in markets without PBS-member stations, but no evidence concerning Fort Wayne has yet surfaced.) This low-powered repeater station was merely a placeholder, as channel 39 was allocated as a full-powered Educational television
Educational television
Educational television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access ...
channel in Fort Wayne. By the early 1980s, the station became a translator of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
PBS station WFYI.
On March 12, 1985, a local public television group was granted the channel 39 slot from the FCC, and was granted the call letters WFWA; on December 5, 1986, WFWA signed on, bringing northeast Indiana its own PBS station for the first time ever.
The station currently operates from the Dr. Rudy and Rhonda Kachmann Teleplex at the corner of Coliseum Boulevard and Crescent Avenue on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northern Indiana, United States, offering more than 200 Indiana University and Purdue University degrees and certificates. Since 1968, IPFW has conferred nearly 8,800 master’s degrees, 27,000 bachelor’s degrees, more...
. Their former studio on Butler Road continues to serve as the station's transmitter site.
In 2003, WFWA became the first station in Fort Wayne to broadcast in digital, originally airing the national PBS HDTV feed on a separate subchannel from regular programming; funding issues would later cause the national HD feed to be pulled, leaving all programming in standard-definition for several years. WFWA ceased analog broadcasts after February 17, 2009, the original deadline for the digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
transition. It was announced that WFWA's main channel 39.1 would broadcast high-definition full-time sometime during summer 2010. During a summer 2010 pledging break, general manager, Bruce Haines, announced this change would occur on July 4, 2010 at 7:30 P.M.
Programming
The station's channel is multiplexed:* Formerly, WFWA had shown PBS Kids on channel 39.2. When the service ended on Setember 26, 2005, WFWA replaced it with its own service for children.
~ WFWA aired the Annenberg/CPB Channel on 39.4 until October 1, 2008. The satellite feed for Annenberg was discontinued at that time.