WNET
Encyclopedia
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational
public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey
. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service
and a primary provider of PBS programming. WNET's main studios and offices are located in Midtown Manhattan
with an auxiliary street-level studio in the Lincoln Center complex on the Upper West Side. The station's transmitter is on the Empire State Building
.
The license-holder is WNET.ORG, formerly known as the Educational Broadcasting Corporation. WNET.ORG is also the parent of Long Island
-based PBS station WLIW
(channel 21). The current president and Chief Executive Officer
of the two stations is Neal Shapiro
, the former president of NBC News
. WNET is the most watched PBS station in the country; its sister station WLIW is the third most watched.
radio stations, WAAT (970 AM, now WNYM) and WAAT-FM (94.7 MHz., now WFME). The three stations were based in the Mosque Theatre
on Broad Street in Newark. WATV was the first of three new stations in the New York area market to start up during 1948, and was also the first independent station. One unusual daytime program, Daywatch, consisted of a camera focused on a teletypewriter printing wire service
news stories, interspersed with cut-aways to mechanical toys against a light music soundtrack.
On October 6, 1957, Bremer Broadcasting announced it had sold its stations for $4.5 million to National Telefilm Associates
, an early distributor of motion pictures for television. On May 7, 1958, channel 13's callsign was changed to WNTA-TV to reflect the new ownership; the radio stations adopted these call letters as well. NTA's cash resources enabled WNTA-TV to produce a schedule of programming with greater emphasis on the people and events of New Jersey, in comparison to the other commercial television stations. NTA also sought to make channel 13 a center of nationally syndicated programming and produced several such entries, notably the anthology drama series Play of the Week
; the talk show Open End, hosted by David Susskind
; children's show The Magic Clown
; and a popular dance program emceed by Clay Cole
. But WNTA-TV continued to lag behind New York's other independent stations -- WNEW-TV (now WNYW
), WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV
), and WPIX
-- in terms of audience size, and NTA incurred a large debtload. National Telefilm Associates put the WNTA stations up for sale in February 1961.
allocated to the city, UHF channel 25, would not be nearly adequate enough to cover a market that had grown to include large swaths of northern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut, as well as southern New York state and Long Island. Prior to 1964, most viewers could not view UHF stations except with an expensive converter, and even with one the picture quality left much to be desired. Only a few manufacturers made sets with built-in UHF tuning. With assistance from the New York State Board of Regents and New Jersey officials, ETMA had attempted to purchase channel 13 and convert it to a non-commercial station in 1957, when Bremer Broadcasting first put the station on the block; this bid was later withdrawn. This time, ETMA was competing with Ely Landau, founding president of National Telefilm Associates, who had resigned from the company in order to head his own venture for this; and by David Susskind, who received financial backing from Paramount Pictures
.
ETMA's initial bid of $4 million was rejected by NTA, but the citizens' group remained persistent. With the support and guidance of National Educational Television
already in their pocket, ETMA later received an endorsement from newly appointed FCC Chairman Newton Minow, who established public hearings to discuss the fate of channel 13. The pendulum quickly shifted in favor of channel 13 going non-commercial, and the private firms withdrew their interest.
On June 29, 1961, ETMA agreed to purchase WNTA-TV for $6.2 million, and the FCC converted channel 13's commercial license to non-commercial. About $2 million of that amount came from the five of the six remaining commercial VHF stations (WPIX was the lone holdout), all of whom were pleased to see a commercial competitor eliminated by the conversion of channel 13 to public broadcasting. In addition, CBS
donated a facility in Manhattan to ETMA and NET for production uses.
Outgoing New Jersey governor Robert B. Meyner
, addressing state lawmakers' concerns over continued programming specific to New Jersey, and fearing the FCC would move the channel 13 allocation to New York City, petitioned the United States Court of Appeals
on September 6, 1961, to block the sale of WNTA-TV. The court ruled in the state's favor two months later.
The unsettled deal almost caused National Telefilm Associates to reconsider its decision to sell the station altogether, and NTA made plans to go forward: WNTA-TV made a play to acquire broadcast rights for the New York Mets
baseball team for its inaugural 1962 season. But faced with either consummating the transaction or seeing it cancelled, ETMA settled their differences with New Jersey officials on December 4, 1961. Almost simultaneously, the state withdrew its block petition, and the FCC gave final approval of the transfer of channel 13. After a few last-minute issues arose to cause further delays, the transfer became final on December 22. Later that evening, WNTA-TV signed off for the final time. ETMA and NET then went to work converting the station, which they said would return with its new format within three months.
Ten months later, channel 13 was ready to be reborn. With legendary reporter Edward R. Murrow
at the helm on the maiden broadcast, ETMA -- now the non-profit Educational Broadcasting Corporation -- flipped the switch to WNDT (for "New Dimensions in Television") on September 16, 1962. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gr-QxU1Sz0) (The rebirth of channel 13 was not without difficulty, however - after the inaugural broadcast, WNDT would go dark for two weeks, due to a dispute with union technicians.) The rebirth of channel 13 as WNDT gave the New York City market its first educational station, and with a dial position on the coveted VHF band. (In many other cities, including large ones, educational stations had to make do with UHF frequencies.) New York's non-commercial UHF channel, on the other hand, wouldn't make it to the air for another five years, when WNYE-TV
signed on in 1967.
was concerned about the use of teachers—some of whom were AFTRA-certified performers—on non-commercial television, and how they would be compensated should their work be distributed nationally.
AFTRA called a strike the morning of WNDT's debut. Engineers and technicians who were members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
refused to cross the AFTRA picket line, leaving the station's management and other non-union employees to produce the three-hour inaugural broadcast. Immediately afterwards, channel 13 went off the air again, as the strike continued for nearly two weeks. The striking workers returned WNDT to the air after ten days, and on September 28 the labor dispute was settled. But the station's financial resources were drained, requiring an infusion of cash from NET to help keep the station running.
NET originally wanted to merge its operations with WNDT, which would have given WNDT a direct line of funding as well as make channel 13 NET's flagship station. However, the Ford Foundation
, which supported both groups, stopped the proposed mergers on at least two different occasions (in 1962, and again in 1965).
Events that began in 1967 led the Ford Foundation to change its stance and push for a WNDT-NET merger. The newly formed Corporation for Public Broadcasting
(created by an act
of the United States Congress
) initially supported NET's network role, while providing government funding for programming. But that move was followed two years later with the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service
as the CPB's own distribution system—a direct threat to NET's turf. It has been intimated that CPB's creation was an attempt to curb NET's production of controversial documentaries and replace it with a less controversial, government-friendly broadcaster, less hostile in particular to the Johnson
, and later the Nixon
administrations. (NET, ignoring the demand, refused point-blank to stop the production of the critically acclaimed documentaries.) At one point, President Nixon, frustrated with NET's documentaries criticizing his administration, especially its handling of the Vietnam War
, almost managed to cut NET's $20 million funding grant in half. This led to both Ford and the CPB to threaten NET with funding withdrawal, unless it merged with the station. Not long after, Ford brokered the merger of WNDT and NET, which took effect on June 29, 1970. Channel 13's callsign was changed to the present WNET on October 5, 1970. NET ceased network operations, though WNET continued to produce some shows for the national PBS schedule with the NET branding until about 1972.
Channel 13's studios and offices were originally located in the Mosque Theater at 1020 Broad Street in Newark, with transmitter on First Mountain in West Orange, New Jersey
. For a short time studios were located at the Gateway Center office building in Newark. The station eventually moved its operations to Manhattan in 1982 and was based on West 58th Street in the Hudson Hotel
, while retaining the Gateway Center studios for a few more years. In 1998 it moved to 450 West 33rd Street straddling the railroad tracks going into Pennsylvania Station
. The Associated Press
and numerous other media groups have headquarters in the same building.
Channel 13's transmitter facilities, including a newly installed digital transmission system, were destroyed on September 11, 2001, when airplanes hijacked by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center
towers. Gerald (Rod) Coppola, channel 13's head transmitter engineer, was among those who perished when the north tower collapsed. For the next ten months WNYE-TV
, headquartered in Brooklyn, became WNET's surrogate transmitter and airwave: for those without cable, repeats of WNET prime-time schedules were screened on WNYE. Some time earlier, in February 2003, WNET completed its merger with Long Island
PBS broadcaster WLIW
(licensed to Garden City
and based in Plainview
), combining the two stations into one operation. While most of the two stations' operations have been merged, they still have separate studio facilities, separate governing boards, and conduct separate fundraising efforts.
During 2009, WNET's parent company, now known as WNET.org, had sustained financial difficulties -- in January, the company pared its workforce from 500 employees to 415, due to severe problems with its budget and fundraising. In October, WNET announced that its studios at 450 West 33rd Street would soon be up for sale, as it no longer needed the extra space. In November, WNET announced that all WNET.org employees would take an unpaid furlough for three to five days between Christmas
and New Year's Day
, with a skeleton crew of engineers remaining during that time to keep the stations on the air; however, they, too, would have to go on furloughs at the start of 2010.
On July 1, 2011, WNET took over the programming of the New Jersey Network
, which was renamed NJTV
. The network features increased coverage of news and issues pertinent to New Jersey, as well as programming from the WNET and PBS libraries. The transfer of programming to WNET was part of Governor Chris Christie's plan for New Jersey's exit from public broadcasting. As part of the deal, WNET airs NJTV's nightly statewide newscast, NJToday, to meet its local programming obligations since it still operates on a frequency allocated to Newark. Previously, it had aired NJN's newscast, NJN News
, which it co-produced with NJN.
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Digital channels>
Channel
Name
Video
Aspect
Programming
13.1
WNET-DT
1080i
16:9
Main WNET Programming / PBS HD
13.2
KIDS
480i
4:3
Kids Thirteen
13.3
V-ME
V-me
WNET has also produced programming for public televisions stations distributed outside of the PBS system, including:
WNET is also the co-producing entity of PBS NewsHour, along with Washington, D.C.
PBS station WETA-TV
and MacNeil-Lehrer Productions. The show started in 1975 as a local news-analysis program, The Robert MacNeil
Report. Jim Lehrer
, a frequent guest on MacNeil's show, became co-host the following year, when the show was picked up by the other PBS outlets.
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 station licensed to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the 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....
and a primary provider of PBS programming. WNET's main studios and offices are located in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
with an auxiliary street-level studio in the Lincoln Center complex on the Upper West Side. The station's transmitter is on the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
.
The license-holder is WNET.ORG, formerly known as the Educational Broadcasting Corporation. WNET.ORG is also the parent of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
-based PBS station WLIW
WLIW
WLIW, channel 21, is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Garden City, New York; which serves as a secondary Public Broadcasting Service member station for the New York City television market...
(channel 21). The current president and Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the two stations is Neal Shapiro
Neal Shapiro
Neal B. Shapiro is the president of PBS station Thirteen/WNET New York City, installed in February 2007. He is the chief executive of the station's license holder, the Educational Broadcasting Corporation , which also operates the Long Island, New York, PBS outlet WLIW.- Life and Career :Shapiro...
, the former president of NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
. WNET is the most watched PBS station in the country; its sister station WLIW is the third most watched.
Independent station
WNET commenced broadcasting on May 15, 1948 as WATV, a commercial television station owned by Atlantic Television, a subsidiary of Bremer Broadcasting Corporation. Bremer also owned two northern New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
radio stations, WAAT (970 AM, now WNYM) and WAAT-FM (94.7 MHz., now WFME). The three stations were based in the Mosque Theatre
Newark Symphony Hall
Newark Symphony Hall at 1020 Broad Street in Newark, New Jerseywas built in 1925 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was known for many years as The Mosque Theater.-Design and construction:...
on Broad Street in Newark. WATV was the first of three new stations in the New York area market to start up during 1948, and was also the first independent station. One unusual daytime program, Daywatch, consisted of a camera focused on a teletypewriter printing wire service
Wire Service
Wire Service is an American drama series that aired on ABC as part of its 1956-57 season lineup.-Synopsis:Wire Service focuses on three reporters for the fictional Trans-Globe wire service, which was similar to real-life news wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International...
news stories, interspersed with cut-aways to mechanical toys against a light music soundtrack.
On October 6, 1957, Bremer Broadcasting announced it had sold its stations for $4.5 million to National Telefilm Associates
National Telefilm Associates
National Telefilm Associates was an independent distribution company that handled reissues of American film libraries, including much of Paramount Pictures' animated and short-subjects library.-History:...
, an early distributor of motion pictures for television. On May 7, 1958, channel 13's callsign was changed to WNTA-TV to reflect the new ownership; the radio stations adopted these call letters as well. NTA's cash resources enabled WNTA-TV to produce a schedule of programming with greater emphasis on the people and events of New Jersey, in comparison to the other commercial television stations. NTA also sought to make channel 13 a center of nationally syndicated programming and produced several such entries, notably the anthology drama series Play of the Week
Play of the Week
Play of the Week is an American anthology series of televised stage plays which aired in NTA Film Network syndication from October 12, 1959 to May 1, 1961...
; the talk show Open End, hosted by David Susskind
David Susskind
David Susskind was a producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a pioneer TV talk show host.-Personal:...
; children's show The Magic Clown
The Magic Clown
The Magic Clown was a NBC TV series which ran from 1949 to 1954. The final NBC broadcast was on June 27, 1954. The show then moved to WABD where it stayed until 1958. After that, It was renamed "Bonomo, The Magic Clown" and was broadcast on WNTA from September 29, 1958 to July 24, 1959. The show...
; and a popular dance program emceed by Clay Cole
Clay Cole
Clay Cole was an American host and disk jockey, best known for his eponymous television dance program, The Clay Cole Show, which aired in New York City on WNTA-TV and WPIX-TV from 1959 to 1968.-Origins:...
. But WNTA-TV continued to lag behind New York's other independent stations -- WNEW-TV (now WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
), WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
), and WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
-- in terms of audience size, and NTA incurred a large debtload. National Telefilm Associates put the WNTA stations up for sale in February 1961.
Transition
At least three prospective purchasers expressed interest in WNTA-TV. The most prominent was the New York City-based group Educational Television for the Metropolitan Area (ETMA). Composed of local businesspeople, cultural leaders, and educators, ETMA was focused on creating an educational television outlet for New York, and believed that the non-commercial frequency the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
allocated to the city, UHF channel 25, would not be nearly adequate enough to cover a market that had grown to include large swaths of northern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut, as well as southern New York state and Long Island. Prior to 1964, most viewers could not view UHF stations except with an expensive converter, and even with one the picture quality left much to be desired. Only a few manufacturers made sets with built-in UHF tuning. With assistance from the New York State Board of Regents and New Jersey officials, ETMA had attempted to purchase channel 13 and convert it to a non-commercial station in 1957, when Bremer Broadcasting first put the station on the block; this bid was later withdrawn. This time, ETMA was competing with Ely Landau, founding president of National Telefilm Associates, who had resigned from the company in order to head his own venture for this; and by David Susskind, who received financial backing from Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
ETMA's initial bid of $4 million was rejected by NTA, but the citizens' group remained persistent. With the support and guidance of 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...
already in their pocket, ETMA later received an endorsement from newly appointed FCC Chairman Newton Minow, who established public hearings to discuss the fate of channel 13. The pendulum quickly shifted in favor of channel 13 going non-commercial, and the private firms withdrew their interest.
On June 29, 1961, ETMA agreed to purchase WNTA-TV for $6.2 million, and the FCC converted channel 13's commercial license to non-commercial. About $2 million of that amount came from the five of the six remaining commercial VHF stations (WPIX was the lone holdout), all of whom were pleased to see a commercial competitor eliminated by the conversion of channel 13 to public broadcasting. In addition, 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...
donated a facility in Manhattan to ETMA and NET for production uses.
Robert B. Meyner
Robert Baumle Meyner of Phillipsburg, New Jersey was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 44th Governor of New Jersey, from 1954 to 1962...
, addressing state lawmakers' concerns over continued programming specific to New Jersey, and fearing the FCC would move the channel 13 allocation to New York City, petitioned the United States Court of Appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
on September 6, 1961, to block the sale of WNTA-TV. The court ruled in the state's favor two months later.
The unsettled deal almost caused National Telefilm Associates to reconsider its decision to sell the station altogether, and NTA made plans to go forward: WNTA-TV made a play to acquire broadcast rights for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
baseball team for its inaugural 1962 season. But faced with either consummating the transaction or seeing it cancelled, ETMA settled their differences with New Jersey officials on December 4, 1961. Almost simultaneously, the state withdrew its block petition, and the FCC gave final approval of the transfer of channel 13. After a few last-minute issues arose to cause further delays, the transfer became final on December 22. Later that evening, WNTA-TV signed off for the final time. ETMA and NET then went to work converting the station, which they said would return with its new format within three months.
Ten months later, channel 13 was ready to be reborn. With legendary reporter Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
at the helm on the maiden broadcast, ETMA -- now the non-profit Educational Broadcasting Corporation -- flipped the switch to WNDT (for "New Dimensions in Television") on September 16, 1962. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gr-QxU1Sz0) (The rebirth of channel 13 was not without difficulty, however - after the inaugural broadcast, WNDT would go dark for two weeks, due to a dispute with union technicians.) The rebirth of channel 13 as WNDT gave the New York City market its first educational station, and with a dial position on the coveted VHF band. (In many other cities, including large ones, educational stations had to make do with UHF frequencies.) New York's non-commercial UHF channel, on the other hand, wouldn't make it to the air for another five years, when WNYE-TV
WNYE-TV
WNYE-TV, channel 25 is an non-commercial educational, independent television station located in New York City, USA. WNYE-TV is part of the NYC Media Group and has its studios located in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and transmitter at the Conde Nast Building....
signed on in 1967.
Educational station
During the transition, and after the inaugural broadcast, WNDT faced an immediate crisis. The American Federation of Television and Radio ArtistsAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a performers' union that represents a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, as well as radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists , promo and voice-over announcers and other...
was concerned about the use of teachers—some of whom were AFTRA-certified performers—on non-commercial television, and how they would be compensated should their work be distributed nationally.
AFTRA called a strike the morning of WNDT's debut. Engineers and technicians who were members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a labor union which represents workers in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or Inside Wiremen, in the construction industry and linemen and other...
refused to cross the AFTRA picket line, leaving the station's management and other non-union employees to produce the three-hour inaugural broadcast. Immediately afterwards, channel 13 went off the air again, as the strike continued for nearly two weeks. The striking workers returned WNDT to the air after ten days, and on September 28 the labor dispute was settled. But the station's financial resources were drained, requiring an infusion of cash from NET to help keep the station running.
NET originally wanted to merge its operations with WNDT, which would have given WNDT a direct line of funding as well as make channel 13 NET's flagship station. However, the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, which supported both groups, stopped the proposed mergers on at least two different occasions (in 1962, and again in 1965).
Events that began in 1967 led the Ford Foundation to change its stance and push for a WNDT-NET merger. The newly formed Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
(created by an act
Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 set up public broadcasting in the United States, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and eventually the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio .When Lyndon B...
of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
) initially supported NET's network role, while providing government funding for programming. But that move was followed two years later with the establishment of the 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....
as the CPB's own distribution system—a direct threat to NET's turf. It has been intimated that CPB's creation was an attempt to curb NET's production of controversial documentaries and replace it with a less controversial, government-friendly broadcaster, less hostile in particular to the Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, and later the Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
administrations. (NET, ignoring the demand, refused point-blank to stop the production of the critically acclaimed documentaries.) At one point, President Nixon, frustrated with NET's documentaries criticizing his administration, especially its handling of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, almost managed to cut NET's $20 million funding grant in half. This led to both Ford and the CPB to threaten NET with funding withdrawal, unless it merged with the station. Not long after, Ford brokered the merger of WNDT and NET, which took effect on June 29, 1970. Channel 13's callsign was changed to the present WNET on October 5, 1970. NET ceased network operations, though WNET continued to produce some shows for the national PBS schedule with the NET branding until about 1972.
Channel 13's studios and offices were originally located in the Mosque Theater at 1020 Broad Street in Newark, with transmitter on First Mountain in West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
. For a short time studios were located at the Gateway Center office building in Newark. The station eventually moved its operations to Manhattan in 1982 and was based on West 58th Street in the Hudson Hotel
Hudson Hotel
The Hudson Hotel is a boutique hotel located at West 58th Street, New York City, USA.-History:The building, which currently houses the Hudson Hotel, was constructed in 1928 by the daughter of J. P. Morgan as the American Women’s Association clubhouse and residence for young women in New York....
, while retaining the Gateway Center studios for a few more years. In 1998 it moved to 450 West 33rd Street straddling the railroad tracks going into Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station is a label first applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals.-New York City:...
. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and numerous other media groups have headquarters in the same building.
Channel 13's transmitter facilities, including a newly installed digital transmission system, were destroyed on September 11, 2001, when airplanes hijacked by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers. Gerald (Rod) Coppola, channel 13's head transmitter engineer, was among those who perished when the north tower collapsed. For the next ten months WNYE-TV
WNYE-TV
WNYE-TV, channel 25 is an non-commercial educational, independent television station located in New York City, USA. WNYE-TV is part of the NYC Media Group and has its studios located in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and transmitter at the Conde Nast Building....
, headquartered in Brooklyn, became WNET's surrogate transmitter and airwave: for those without cable, repeats of WNET prime-time schedules were screened on WNYE. Some time earlier, in February 2003, WNET completed its merger with Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
PBS broadcaster WLIW
WLIW
WLIW, channel 21, is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Garden City, New York; which serves as a secondary Public Broadcasting Service member station for the New York City television market...
(licensed to Garden City
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
and based in Plainview
Plainview, New York
Plainview is a hamlet located on Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The population of the CDP as of 2010 was 26,217. The Plainview post office has the ZIP code 11803....
), combining the two stations into one operation. While most of the two stations' operations have been merged, they still have separate studio facilities, separate governing boards, and conduct separate fundraising efforts.
During 2009, WNET's parent company, now known as WNET.org, had sustained financial difficulties -- in January, the company pared its workforce from 500 employees to 415, due to severe problems with its budget and fundraising. In October, WNET announced that its studios at 450 West 33rd Street would soon be up for sale, as it no longer needed the extra space. In November, WNET announced that all WNET.org employees would take an unpaid furlough for three to five days between Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, with a skeleton crew of engineers remaining during that time to keep the stations on the air; however, they, too, would have to go on furloughs at the start of 2010.
On July 1, 2011, WNET took over the programming of the New Jersey Network
New Jersey Network
The New Jersey Network, or NJN, was a network of public television and radio stations serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. NJN was a member of the Public Broadcasting Service for television and the National Public Radio for radio, broadcasting their programming as well as producing and...
, which was renamed NJTV
NJTV
NJTV is a public television network serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is operated by WNET.org, the parent company of New York City's flagship public television stations, WNET and WLIW...
. The network features increased coverage of news and issues pertinent to New Jersey, as well as programming from the WNET and PBS libraries. The transfer of programming to WNET was part of Governor Chris Christie's plan for New Jersey's exit from public broadcasting. As part of the deal, WNET airs NJTV's nightly statewide newscast, NJToday, to meet its local programming obligations since it still operates on a frequency allocated to Newark. Previously, it had aired NJN's newscast, NJN News
NJN News
NJN News was a half-hour daily broadcast television news program by the New Jersey Network which also aired in New York City on WNET Monday through Friday. It was sometimes preempted on holidays by special programming....
, which it co-produced with NJN.
Out of market carriage
WNET is carried in all of Mercer County, New Jersey (Comcast, Cablevision and FIOS) and portions of central Bucks County, Pennsylvania carrying Doylestown and New Hope programming.Digital television
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
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...
V-me
V-me is a public television service in the United States, broadcasting only in Spanish. The 24-hour digital broadcast service was launched on March 5, 2007, and is currently available in over 75% of all U.S...
Analog-to-digital conversion
WNET discontinued regular analog programming at 12:30 PM on June 12, 2009. The station then returned to channel 13.Original productions
WNET has produced, created and/or presented a number of PBS shows. This includes, but is not limited to:- Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley WinksJakers! The Adventures of Piggley WinksJakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks is a children's television series. The show is animated using computer-generated imagery and broadcast in the United States on PBS Kids from 2003–2008, currently WMBC, and Univision ; in Ireland on RTÉ Two, as part of The Den; in Australia on...
(2003-2010) - AFRICA (2001)
- The Africa American Journey (2002-2005)
- Aging Out (2005)
- Amato: A Love Affair with Opera (2001)
- American MastersAmerican MastersAmerican Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City...
(1983-present) - The American President (2000)
- Angelina BallerinaAngelina BallerinaAngelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse, created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, who is featured in a popular series of children's books...
(originally presented by Connecticut Public TelevisionConnecticut Public TelevisionConnecticut Public Television is the PBS member network for the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is owned by Connecticut Public Broadcasting, who also owns Connecticut Public Radio. Together, the television and radio stations make up the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network...
, with HIT EntertainmentHIT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) - Australia: Beyond the Fatal Shore (2000)
- Bill Moyers Reports: Earth On Edge (2001)
- Center of the StormKofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
(2002) - Changing Stages (2001)
- Colonial HouseColonial House (TV series)Colonial House is an American reality series produced by Thirteen/WNET New York and Wall to Wall Television in the United Kingdom, following the success of The 1900 House, an exercise in vicarious "experiential history" that is characteristic of an attempt to provide an educational version of...
(2004) - Cucina Amore (1999-2002)
- CyberchaseCyberchaseCyberchase is an American educational television series for children age 6-12, that teaches children discrete mathematics. The show airs on Public Broadcasting Service and PBS Kids GO! in the United States. Seasons one through five were produced by Thirteen/WNET New York and Nelvana...
(2002-2010, produced by NelvanaNelvanaNelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
) - Dickens (2003)
- DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
(2003) - Echoes From the White House (2001)
- EGG, the Arts ShowEGG, the Arts ShowEGG, the arts show was an American nonfiction television program that aired on PBS from 2000 to 2003. EGG documented both the famous and the unusual aspects and projects of classical and modern arts; its narrator was Elaine Stritch....
(2000-2003) - Extreme Oil (2004)
- Freedom: A History of US (2003)
- Frontier HouseFrontier HouseFrontier House was an educational reality TV series that originally aired on PBS in April 2002. The show, which was filmed over the course of five months, followed the lives of three family groups that agreed to live as homesteaders did on the American frontier in 1883. Each family was given a ...
(2002) - The Great American Dream MachineThe Great American Dream MachineThe Great American Dream Machine was a weekly satirical variety television series, produced in New York City by WNET and broadcast on PBS from 1971 to 1973. The program was hosted by humorist and commentator Marshall Efron. The show centered around skits and satirical political commentary. The...
(1971-1972) - Great Food (2001)
- Great PerformancesGreat PerformancesGreat Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
(1972-present) - Heroes of Ground Zero (2002)
- Innovation: Life, Inspired (2004)
- In Search of Ancient Ireland (2002)
- Justice and the Generals (2002)
- Live from Lincoln CenterLive from Lincoln CenterLive From Lincoln Center is an ongoing series of musical performances produced by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with Thirteen/WNET in New York City....
(1976-present) - Lord of the Universe
- Local News (2001)
- MasterChef USAMasterChef USAMasterChef is a 2010 American competitive cooking reality show, open to amateur and home chefs. It is co-hosted and co-produced by Gordon Ramsay. Produced by Reveille Productions, it first debuted on July 27, 2010 at 9 pm ET/PT on the Fox Television Network, following one of Ramsay's other...
(1999-2001) - The Mind
- MonarchyMonarchy (TV series)Monarchy is a Channel 4 British TV series, 2004-2006, by British academic David Starkey, charting the political and ideological history of the English monarchy from the Saxon period to modern times. The show also aired on PBS stations throughout the United States, courtesy of PBS-member station...
- Moyers on Addiction: Close to Home (1998)
- NatureNature (TV series)Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the U.S. and...
(1982-present) - New York: A Documentary FilmNew York: A Documentary FilmNew York: A Documentary Film is an eight-part, 17½ hour, American documentary film on the history of New York City. It was directed by Ric Burns and originally aired in the U.S. on PBS. The film was a co-production of Thirteen New York and WGBH Boston....
(1999-2003); co-produced with WGBH-TVWGBH-TVWGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
) - NOW
- On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying (2000)
- Our Genes Our Choices (2003)
- Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood (2002)
- Religion and Ethics Newsweekly (1997-present)
- Reel New York
- The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow (2002)
- Savage Earth (1998)
- Savage Seas (1999, co-produced with Granada TelevisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
- The Secret Life of the Brain (2002)
- Secrets of the DeadSecrets of the DeadSecrets of the Dead is a PBS television series produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. The show generally follows an investigator or team of investigators exploring what modern science can tell us about some of the great mysteries of history...
(2000-present) - Shining Time StationShining Time StationShining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
(1989-1993) - Simon Schama's Power of ArtSimon Schama's Power of ArtPower of Art is a BBC documentary series written and presented by Simon Schama. The series was broadcast in October and November 2006 on BBC2...
- The Six Wives of Henry VIIIThe Six Wives of Henry VIIIThe Six Wives of Henry VIII is a series of six television plays produced by the BBC and first transmitted between 1 January and 5 February 1970....
(2003) - Slavery and the Making of AmericaSlavery and the Making of AmericaSlavery and the Making of America is a 2004 PBS series and documentary on African American slaves and their contributions to the United States. Famous African Americans such as Colonel Tye and historical figures such as President George Washington and John Murray are all documented in the series...
(2004) - Sound and FurySound and FurySound and Fury is a documentary film released in 2000 about two American families with young deaf children and their conflict over whether or not to give their children cochlear implants, surgically implanted devices that may improve their ability to hear but may threaten their deaf identity...
(2000) - Soul!Soul!Soul! or SOUL! was a pioneering performance/variety television program in the late 1960s and early 1970s produced by New York City PBS affiliate, WNET...
(1967-1973) - Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave (1999)
- Stage on ScreenStage on ScreenNot to be confused with , the London-based company producing DVD versions of classic stage plays and which has produced commercial DVDs of Doctor Faustus , The School for Scandal , Volpone and The Duchess of Malfi ....
(2001) - The Story of EnglishThe Story of EnglishThe Story of English is the title of an Emmy Award-winning nine-part television series, and a companion book, both produced in 1986, detailing the development of the English language....
- Tavis SmileyTavis Smiley (TV series)Tavis Smiley is a late-night talk show hosted by journalist Tavis Smiley that airs weeknights on PBS. The show began in January 2004 is filmed in Los Angeles, California, making it the first ever west-coast talk show for PBS...
(2004-present) - Taxi Dreams (2001)
- That Money Show (2000-2001)
- Thomas and Friends (Originally produced by Connecticut Public Television, with HIT EntertainmentHIT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) - Thomas Hampson: I Hear America Singing (1997)
- The A Walk Through... series of historical walking tours of New York City: A Walk Through Central Park, A Walk Through Greenwich Village, A Walk Through the Bronx, A Walk Through Brooklyn, A Walk Through Queens, and A Walk Through Staten Island
- Warrior ChallengeWarrior ChallengeWarrior Challenge was a 2003 PBS reality television series. The show, produced by WNET in association with Channel 5 in Britain, premiered May 6, 2003 and lasted four episodes....
(2003) - Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America (2001)
- Who's Dancin' Now? (2001)
- WorldfocusWorldfocusWorldfocus was an American newscast focused on international news and reporting. The newscast was originally anchored by Martin Savidge and is now hosted by Daljit Dhaliwal. It was produced by WNET New York and distributed to U.S. public television stations by American Public Television...
A program that Looks At International News Hosted By Martin Savidge and Daljit Dhaliwal - Wide Angle (2002-Present)
- Wild TVWild TVWild TV is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel providing outdoor programming in the form of hunting and fishing programs. The channel is owned by Dieter Kohler through Wild TV Inc.-Distribution:Wild TV was launched in September 2004...
(2002) PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe 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.... - Verna: U.S.O. Girl
WNET has also produced programming for public televisions stations distributed outside of the PBS system, including:
- Planet H2O
- In the Mix: The New Normal, a co-production with In the Mix
- What's Up in Factories
- What's Up in Technology
- What's Up in Finance
WNET is also the co-producing entity of PBS NewsHour, along with Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
PBS station WETA-TV
WETA-TV
WETA-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member public televisionstation for the Washington, D.C., area. Its studios are in nearby Arlington, Virginia...
and MacNeil-Lehrer Productions. The show started in 1975 as a local news-analysis program, The Robert MacNeil
Robert MacNeil
Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil, OC, known sometimes as Robin MacNeil, , is currently a novelist and formerly was a television news anchor and journalist who had paired with Jim Lehrer to create The MacNeil/Lehrer Report in 1975.-Early life:MacNeil was born in Montreal, the son of Margaret...
Report. Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer
James Charles "Jim" Lehrer is an American journalist and the executive editor and former news anchor for PBS NewsHour on PBS, known for his role as a frequent debate moderator during elections...
, a frequent guest on MacNeil's show, became co-host the following year, when the show was picked up by the other PBS outlets.