WYES-TV
Encyclopedia
WYES-TV is the primary Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) member public television station in New Orleans, Louisiana
, owned by the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation. It broadcasts on virtual channel
12.
had allocated channel 8 in New Orleans for noncommercial use, and the group quickly snapped up the license.
After numerous fits and starts, WYES signed on the air April 1, 1957 as the nation's 25th educational television station, the second in Louisiana, and the third in New Orleans (after WDSU
and WMJR [now WVUE
]). It was originally associated with NET
until it became PBS
in 1970. On June 8 of that year at 8:00 PM, the station swapped dial positions with WVUE
and moved to channel 12, where it is today. This was done so that WVUE could have a stronger broadcasting signal such that it did not interfere with Jackson, Mississippi
station WJTV
, also on channel 12.
WYES is best known outside of New Orleans as the home of famous Louisiana chef and storyteller Justin Wilson
, whose show originated from WYES's studios. It is also known as the home for another famous Louisiana chef, Paul Prudhomme
. The station is also seen on cable in Biloxi
and Gulfport, Mississippi
, alongside its own PBS station, WMAH-TV
.
Due to massive flooding from the levee failure disaster during Hurricane Katrina
on August 29, 2005, WYES' studios on Navarre Avenue in the Navarre neighborhood
sustained massive damage.
Their transmitters were spared serious damage but the storm damaged the backup generator that provided emergency power to their transmitter facility, keeping the station off the air for several weeks.
Following Katrina, WYES began carrying the feed of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
in November on local cable television
systems. On December 30, WYES returned to broadcasting on the air for the first time since Katrina, from temporary studios on Veterans Boulevard and Phosphor Avenue in Metairie
, while its main studios are being rebuilt. As of 2010, WYES remains at its temporary studios.
Digital channels>
Digital Channel
Programming
12.1
Main WYES Programming / PBS
12.2
WYES Kids
12.3
Create
On June 12, 2009, WYES ceased broadcasting in analog on channel 12, completing its digital transition. Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display WYES-TV's virtual channel
as "12".
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 in New Orleans, 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...
, owned by the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation. It broadcasts on 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....
12.
History
WYES traces its history to 1953, when a group of civic leaders formed the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Association. 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...
had allocated channel 8 in New Orleans for noncommercial use, and the group quickly snapped up the license.
After numerous fits and starts, WYES signed on the air April 1, 1957 as the nation's 25th educational television station, the second in Louisiana, and the third in New Orleans (after WDSU
WDSU
WDSU, virtual channel 6, is the NBC-affiliated television station for the New Orleans, Louisiana television market. It is owned by Hearst Television, which in turn is wholly owned by the Hearst Corporation. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 43...
and WMJR [now WVUE
WVUE
WVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
]). It was originally associated with NET
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...
until it became PBS
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....
in 1970. On June 8 of that year at 8:00 PM, the station swapped dial positions with WVUE
WVUE
WVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
and moved to channel 12, where it is today. This was done so that WVUE could have a stronger broadcasting signal such that it did not interfere with Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
station WJTV
WJTV
WJTV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Jackson, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Raymond. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 13 and in high definition on digital channel 433. Owned by Media General, WJTV has...
, also on channel 12.
WYES is best known outside of New Orleans as the home of famous Louisiana chef and storyteller 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....
, whose show originated from WYES's studios. It is also known as the home for another famous Louisiana chef, Paul Prudhomme
Paul Prudhomme
Paul Prudhomme is an American celebrity chef whose specialty is Cajun cuisine. He is also the owner of one of the top restaurants in New Orleans, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.-Early life:...
. The station is also seen on cable in Biloxi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
and Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, alongside its own PBS station, WMAH-TV
Mississippi Public Broadcasting
Mississippi Public Broadcasting is the public broadcasting state network in Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, an agency of the Mississippi state government that holds the licenses for all of the PBS and NPR member stations in the...
.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane 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...
on August 29, 2005, WYES' studios on Navarre Avenue in the Navarre neighborhood
Navarre, New Orleans
Navarre is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Lakeview District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: I-610, Canal Boulevard and Florida Boulevard to the north, Orleans Avenue to the east, City Park Avenue to the south and the...
sustained massive damage.
Their transmitters were spared serious damage but the storm damaged the backup generator that provided emergency power to their transmitter facility, keeping the station off the air for several weeks.
Following Katrina, WYES began carrying the feed of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is a state-run, viewer-supported state network of Public Broadcasting Service 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...
in November on local cable television
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...
systems. On December 30, WYES returned to broadcasting on the air for the first time since Katrina, from temporary studios on Veterans Boulevard and Phosphor Avenue in Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
, while its main studios are being rebuilt. As of 2010, WYES remains at its temporary studios.
Digital television
The station's digital channel on VHF 11, is multiplexed: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...
Create (TV channel)
Create is a digital television public television network in the United States. The network was created after the closure of PBS YOU in 2006. Create is a public television network, and runs mainly how-to, DIY, and other non-commercial educational television shows from the libraries of Public...
On June 12, 2009, WYES ceased broadcasting in analog on channel 12, completing its digital transition. Through the use of PSIP
Program 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 WYES-TV's 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....
as "12".