WPBS-TV
Encyclopedia
WPBS-DT and WNPI-DT are a Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) member Public television station serving northern New York
. Originating in the Watertown
/Potsdam
region, its primary audience includes Kingston
, Ottawa and most of eastern Ontario
.
Like San Diego, California
's KPBS, WPBS-TV is a border station: in this case, serving viewers in both the US and Canada.
programming to be carried by local commercial broadcasting
WWNY-TV
. In 1971, it established an independent PBS station at Champion Hill, WNPE-TV, using WWNY's original studios, as the commercial station had already relocated to a larger facility in Watertown. Outgrowing the Champion Hill location itself, WNPE moved to a new building in Watertown in 1978.
Because of its large Canadian viewership, WNPE was one of the most successful PBS stations in America, with fundraising totals often exceeding those of stations in much larger markets. WNPI-DT is a rebroadcaster licensed to Norwood, New York
, and programming is identical on both stations. The station was once identified as "WNPE Channel 16 in Watertown, and WNPI Channel 18 in Norwood".
For a minor sum, the rights to use the WPBS call letters were purchased from a small radio station
in Conyers, Georgia
in the late 1990s, and the callsign change took effect on September 1, 1998.
Despite its strong viewership in Canada, Rogers Cable
, the main cable provider in Ottawa
, announced in July 2009 that it would replace WPBS on its systems with Detroit's WTVS
by mid-August to provide a higher-quality PBS feed, as WTVS could be fed via fiber optic cable
rather than from over-the-air signals. Shortly after receiving this news, a Facebook
campaign called 'Save WPBS in Ottawa' (later renamed 'Ottawa Loves WPBS') urging Rogers to reconsider its decision to pull the station was launched, attracting hundreds of supporters, as well as local Ottawa politicians. On July 30, 2009, it was announced that WPBS would offer a fiber-optic feed of the station for Rogers transmitted from Buffalo, New York
.
Erie, Pennsylvania
's WQLN, which serves viewers in the London, Ontario
area through Rogers, was also threatened with removal from the Rogers system; as with WPBS, WQLN offered a fiber connection with Rogers.
s reaches far enough to serve the Ottawa Valley
region via cable
. This market, with over 1.5 million people (almost six times the population of WPBS' American viewing area), is the fourth-largest in Canada. Much of WPBS's viewer support has also come from Canadian viewers, as 70% of donations during recent pledge drives came from viewers in Ottawa.
WPBS's transmitter is located in Copenhagen
, while WNPI's is located near Potsdam
(in Colton
off Route 56
). Both the U.S. and Canadian national anthems
were played on station sign-on and sign-off.
Despite its distinctive call letters, WPBS-TV is not a network flagship station
. Due to the local and non-profit nature of the Public Broadcasting Service
, WPBS-TV belongs not to any network owned-and-operated station
group but to the local community which it serves. In major US commercial networks, the networks own the largest-market stations; in PBS, it is individual member stations who collectively own the network. There are no network owned-and-operated stations in PBS.
, digital television receivers display its virtual channel
s as 16 and 18. It is multiplexed into the following digital subchannel
s:
Digital channels>
Channel
Name
Video
Aspect
Programming
.1
WPBS-DT
480i
4:3
Main WPBS programming /PBS
.2
WPBS-DT2
Create/ThinkBright TV
.3
WPBS-DT3
1080i
16:9
PBS national feed in HD
The three digital subchannels are identical for both WPBS-DT and WNPI-DT.
The station had requested an increase in power from 40 kW to 60 kW for each digital transmitter. While this request had not been addressed by the US Federal Communications Commission
in time for WPBS/WNPI's April 12, 2009 analogue shutoff date, a construction permit
was issued later that year for the increased-power digital facilities.
WPBS-TV's former analogue channel (UHF 16) is currently in use by WXXI-TV
in Rochester
. WNPI-TV's former analogue channel (UHF 18) and antenna location has been reassigned to WNYF-LD, a Fox
affiliate for Massena
.
includes:
WPBS-originated programming distributed to public television stations by the National Educational Telecommunications Association includes:
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 Public television station serving northern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Originating in the Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
/Potsdam
Potsdam (town), New York
Potsdam is a town located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 15,957 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 13676. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany...
region, its primary audience includes Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, Ottawa and most of eastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Like San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
's KPBS, WPBS-TV is a border station: in this case, serving viewers in both the US and Canada.
History
The St. Lawrence Valley Educational Television Council, which was organized in 1958, originally produced educational televisionEducational 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 ...
programming to be carried by local commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
WWNY-TV
WWNY-TV
WWNY-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Upstate New York's North Country region, licensed to Carthage. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter along State Street/NY 126 in Wilna's Carthage section. The station can also be seen on Time Warner...
. In 1971, it established an independent PBS station at Champion Hill, WNPE-TV, using WWNY's original studios, as the commercial station had already relocated to a larger facility in Watertown. Outgrowing the Champion Hill location itself, WNPE moved to a new building in Watertown in 1978.
Because of its large Canadian viewership, WNPE was one of the most successful PBS stations in America, with fundraising totals often exceeding those of stations in much larger markets. WNPI-DT is a rebroadcaster licensed to Norwood, New York
Norwood, New York
Norwood is a village located in St. Lawrence County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,685.The Village of Norwood is on the town line of two towns so that it is partly in the Town of Potsdam and partly in the Town of Norfolk.The village is north of Potsdam.-...
, and programming is identical on both stations. The station was once identified as "WNPE Channel 16 in Watertown, and WNPI Channel 18 in Norwood".
For a minor sum, the rights to use the WPBS call letters were purchased from a small radio station
WPBS (AM)
WPBS is an AM radio station licensed to the city of Conyers, Georgia in the Atlanta, Georgia radio market. The radio station is considered a Class D AM broadcast facility by the Federal Communications Commission operating with 50,000 watts of power during the daytime, and 5,500 Watts during...
in Conyers, Georgia
Conyers, Georgia
Conyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, USA. It is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,689. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,205. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. By 2009, the reported population was...
in the late 1990s, and the callsign change took effect on September 1, 1998.
Despite its strong viewership in Canada, Rogers Cable
Rogers Cable
Rogers Cable Inc., a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, in Manitoba, Southern & Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.The...
, the main cable provider in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, announced in July 2009 that it would replace WPBS on its systems with Detroit's WTVS
WTVS
WTVS, branded as Detroit Public TV, is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in Detroit, Michigan. Broadcasting since 1955, its vision statement is "educate, entertain and inspire — in partnership with our community." The viewer supported station produces many local...
by mid-August to provide a higher-quality PBS feed, as WTVS could be fed via fiber optic cable
Fiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information...
rather than from over-the-air signals. Shortly after receiving this news, a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
campaign called 'Save WPBS in Ottawa' (later renamed 'Ottawa Loves WPBS') urging Rogers to reconsider its decision to pull the station was launched, attracting hundreds of supporters, as well as local Ottawa politicians. On July 30, 2009, it was announced that WPBS would offer a fiber-optic feed of the station for Rogers transmitted from Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
's WQLN, which serves viewers in the London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
area through Rogers, was also threatened with removal from the Rogers system; as with WPBS, WQLN offered a fiber connection with Rogers.
Coverage area
WPBS-TV can be seen by a total of 2.2 million viewers. This is despite the fact it is the smallest PBS member in New York State; its primary audience is a mostly rural area of only 252,000 people. However, the signal from its two towerRadio masts and towers
Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...
s reaches far enough to serve the Ottawa Valley
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...
region via cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
. This market, with over 1.5 million people (almost six times the population of WPBS' American viewing area), is the fourth-largest in Canada. Much of WPBS's viewer support has also come from Canadian viewers, as 70% of donations during recent pledge drives came from viewers in Ottawa.
WPBS's transmitter is located in Copenhagen
Copenhagen, New York
Copenhagen is a village in Lewis County, New York, United States. This village is situated between Watertown, New York and Lowville, New York. The population was 865 at the 2000 census...
, while WNPI's is located near Potsdam
Potsdam (town), New York
Potsdam is a town located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 15,957 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 13676. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany...
(in Colton
Colton, New York
Colton is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 1,453 at the 2000 census. The town, originally named Matildaville, is named after early settler Jesse Colton Higley....
off Route 56
New York State Route 56
New York State Route 56 is a north–south state highway in eastern St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 3 in the town of Colton. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 37 southwest of Massena in the...
). Both the U.S. and Canadian national anthems
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
were played on station sign-on and sign-off.
Despite its distinctive call letters, WPBS-TV is not a network flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
. Due to the local and non-profit nature 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....
, WPBS-TV belongs not to any network owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
group but to the local community which it serves. In major US commercial networks, the networks own the largest-market stations; in PBS, it is individual member stations who collectively own the network. There are no network owned-and-operated stations in PBS.
Digital channels
WPBS and WNPI's digital channels are 41 and 23, through the use of PSIPProgram and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display its virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
s as 16 and 18. It is multiplexed into the following digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
s:
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,...
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...
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 ...
HD
HD may refer to:- Science and technology :* High-definition, reference to:** high-definition video** high-definition television ** Intel High Definition Audio** HD Voice...
The three digital subchannels are identical for both WPBS-DT and WNPI-DT.
The station had requested an increase in power from 40 kW to 60 kW for each digital transmitter. While this request had not been addressed by the US Federal Communications Commission
Federal 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...
in time for WPBS/WNPI's April 12, 2009 analogue shutoff date, a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
was issued later that year for the increased-power digital facilities.
WPBS-TV's former analogue channel (UHF 16) is currently in use by WXXI-TV
WXXI-TV
WXXI is a public television station which operates on Channel 21 in Rochester, New York, and is the PBS member station for that city and the surrounding metro area...
in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. WNPI-TV's former analogue channel (UHF 18) and antenna location has been reassigned to WNYF-LD, a Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate for Massena
Massena, New York
There are two places named Massena in St. Lawrence County in the U.S. state of New York: *Massena , New York*Massena , New York, within the town of Massena...
.
Officers
- Jack J. Boak, Chairman
- Sister Ellen Rose Coughlin, SSJ, Vice-Chair
- Paul D.M. Ward, Treasurer
- Terrance Roche, Secretary
- Thomas F. Hanley, President
Board Members
- Kevin Kent
- Dennis Mastascusa
- Carole A. McCoy
- Ellen O'Connor
- Timothy Sheridan
- Jacquelyn A. Schell
- John F. Schwaller
- Faye Waterman
- Gary West
- Russell Wilcox
Community Advisory Board
- Barbara DeYear
- Monique Dodds
- Eleanor Ede
- Sue and James Koch Sr.
- Dave and Eleanor Nellis
- Norm and Elta Watt
- Jane Yon
Staff
- Thomas F. Hanley, General Manager
- Tracy Duflo, Director of Production
- Timothy Ames, Chief Engineer
- Lynn Brown, Director of Programming and Development
- Leslie O'Hara, Director of Corporate Support
Programming
WPBS produces a variety of programming for both local and national distribution. For many outside New York and the surrounding region, WPBS is synonymous with programming ranging from Rod and Reel and Streamside (distributed to PBS member stations nationally from 1985–2006) to Classical Stretch (distributed nationally since 1999).WPBS-produced TV series
- Energy Efficiency: Enhancing Home Performance
- Bill Saiff's Rod & Reel (1985–2001, national)
- Cabin Country
- Camp Willie
- Discovering Pets
- The Gardener (2001, a thirteen-part series).
- Journeys Of An Artist (2006, national) a thirteen-episode series combining art and travel.
- Streamside with Don Meissner
National programming
WPBS-originated programming distributed to public television stations nationally by American Public TelevisionAmerican Public Television
American Public Television is the largest syndicator of programming for public television stations in the United States.-History:...
includes:
- Artist's World, The
- Artist's World Sketches
- CD Highway
- Classical Stretch (1999–2005)
- Cottage Country
- Flyfishing Destinations
- From A Country Garden
- Rod & Reel Streamside (2001–2006)
- Streamside
WPBS-originated programming distributed to public television stations by the National Educational Telecommunications Association includes:
- The New Fly Fisher
WPBS local and regional television series
- Jefferson's TableJefferson Community College (New York)Jefferson Community College, a two-year college located in Watertown, New York, was chartered in 1961 and was initially accredited in 1969. It is one of the 30 community colleges that make up the State University of New York system.-Students:...
, local wines, history and cuisine. - Whiz QuizWhiz QuizWhiz Quiz is a local TV program produced by WPBS-TV in Watertown, New York. It invites over 30 high-schools from across the North Country to participate in a quizbowl-style tournament. It debuted in 1980, and has been on the air since. The show airs on WPBS Mondays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m in...
, a quizbowlQuizbowlQuiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
-style competition. - Whiz Quiz Canada, a quizbowlQuizbowlQuiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
-style competition. - WPBS-LIVE!, a live call-in show presenting topics of local interest to both nations.