![]() | |
| |
---|---|
Channels | |
Programming | |
Affiliations | |
Ownership | |
Owner | Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc. |
WFYI-FM | |
History | |
First air date | October 4, 1970 |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 20 (UHF, 1970–2009) |
Call sign meaning | "For Your Information" [1] |
Technical information [2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 41397 |
ERP | 225 kW |
HAAT | 251 m (823 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°53′56.9″N86°12′02.4″W / 39.899139°N 86.200667°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
WFYI (channel 20) is a PBS member television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is owned by Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc. alongside NPR member WFYI-FM (90.1). The two stations share studios between Pierson and Illinois Streets (using a North Meridian Street address) north of downtown Indianapolis, within the city's Television Row section. The TV station's transmitter is located on West 79th Street and Township Line Road on the city's northwest side (near Meridian Hills).
After a years-long fight to start public television, much delayed by competing tower site plans proposed by commercial stations, WFYI debuted on October 4, 1970. Its foundation was supported by a women-led fundraising drive to raise the first year's operating expenses. In addition to airing PBS and other public television programs, WFYI also produces programs of local and regional interest.
Channel 20 was allocated for non-commercial educational use in Indianapolis by the Federal Communications Commission in 1952; [3] however, in 1958, I. Lynd Esch, the president of Indiana Central College, now the University of Indianapolis, asked the FCC to allocate channel 13, then in a disputed application process, for educational use. Esch believed channel 20 would never be used because it was in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band and not all homes could receive it. [4] A booster group, the Indianapolis Committee for Educational Television, was formed in 1960, with the idea of bringing in educational programming from Indiana University for broadcast or possibly supporting a station to be built by Butler University or Indiana Central College. [5] Butler applied for channel 20 in September 1962, though it admitted at the time that its plans were incomplete. [6] [7]
At the end of 1965, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Television Association, a new group headed by Esch, applied for channel 20. At the same time, WTTV in Bloomington sought permission to move its transmitter to a site in Indianapolis, which it would share with the new educational station alongside other donations by WTTV founder and owner Sarkes Tarzian; studios would be on the Indiana Central campus. [8] [9] The idea of sharing the tower with WTTV and a second proposed commercial independent station for Indianapolis was part of a leverage strategy to try and convince the FCC to let WTTV move its facility from Bloomington, where it had been at a disadvantage to the Indianapolis network affiliates. [10]
Two of the Indianapolis network affiliates—WISH-TV and WLWI—then made a counter-offer to the television association in 1967 to permit the use of one of their towers and provide $350,000 in equipment, noting that the WTTV tower move condition was a hindrance to approving channel 20. [11] WTTV responded by sweetening its proposal, stating that it would offer the use of the existing WTTV mast at Trafalgar to Indiana University, which was in the process of building WTIU (channel 30). [12] The effect was to mire the establishment of channel 20 in a dispute between commercial stations. [13]
In June 1967, the FCC rejected WTTV's proposed relocation. [13] The application sat in limbo, but progress was reported by October, even though the channel 20 proposals had to be amended to specify a new tower site. [14] Plans firmed up in early 1968 with the appointment of a general manager; the selection of WISH-TV's tower for the channel 20 antenna; and proposals to use studios of the Christian Theological Seminary as well as equipment donated by WISH, WLWI, and WFBM-TV. [15] In July, the amended application was mailed to the FCC, [16] but another problem bogged down approval. The new WISH tower was objected to by WLFI in Lafayette, Indiana. Like WISH, WLFI was a CBS affiliate, and WLFI feared that WISH would encroach on its territory to its detriment. [17] During this time, WTIU began broadcasting in March 1969, but Indianapolis was still the largest city in the nation without an educational station. [18] Richard K. Shull, television columnist of The Indianapolis News , criticized local residents that had not moved to Indianapolis from elsewhere for not understanding the benefits of such a station and demonstrating "monumental apathy and rampaging lassitude". [19] Mayor Richard Lugar formed a group to raise funds to sustain operations and receive a matching grant. [20]
After meeting its fundraising deadline and modifying its application to specify a tower owned by WFBM-TV, thereby bypassing the WISH tower dispute, [21] the impasse finally broke at the end of June 1969. The FCC granted the construction permit on June 26, and a federal facility grant was approved days later. [22] By October, there were call letters—WFYI—and facilities, but no fund drive had yet been slated to raise $350,000 needed to finance the first year of operational expenses, raising the prospect that nothing would come of all the effort. [1] When Sesame Street debuted nationally that fall, WLWI aired the series until WFYI could begin broadcasting. [23]
We're here because men couldn't get the job done. The men have been batting this thing around since 1951 and it's about time for them to give up.
Ardath Burkhart [24]
Early 1970 was spent raising funds to put WFYI into service. A major effort was mounted starting on March 1, involving more than 9,000 women selling charter memberships door-to-door; [25] churches announcing the fund drive from their pulpits; and the organization of a fundraising auction. [26] That day, WLWI aired a 30-minute sampler of educational programs. [27] Response to the door-to-door effort was reported to be greater than anticipated, [28] but a lack of knowledge of educational TV programming and bad weather worked against it. [29] Within a month, the group, led by Ardath Burkhart and dubbed "Ardath's Army", had raised more than $250,000, which was enough to assure that WFYI would sign on the air and resulted in a congratulatory telegram from first lady Pat Nixon. [30] [31]
The launch was originally set for September 1970, but equipment issues resulted in a month's delay. [32] The transmitter was activated on September 16, [33] and WFYI began programming on the evening of October 4, becoming the first new television station in Indianapolis since 1957. The next day, PBS began operations in replacement of National Educational Television. [34] Offices were maintained at Oldfields until WFYI moved into the former WISH-TV studios at 1440 Meridian Street in August 1971, [35] enabling it to start producing its first local programming on January 2, 1972. [36]
When Frank Meek became WFYI's general manager in 1972, the station was struggling to make payroll, and the only cameras it owned filmed in black-and-white. [37] In 1973, after WISH ultimately opted not to build its proposed tower, WFYI began construction of its own mast. [38] The relocation came with a decrease in effective radiated power but raised the height above average terrain by 600 feet (180 m), improving reception. [39] The Women's Council for Channel 20 became Friends of Channel 20, the station's fundraising support arm, in 1975; [40] Ardath Burkhart served on the WFYI board and the PBS national board of directors before dying in 1983 at the age of 78. [41]
WFYI left the former WISH-TV studios but remained on Meridian Street when it moved into studios being vacated by WTHR at 1401 Meridian in 1982; [42] new UHF startup WPDS-TV (channel 59) then occupied the 1440 Meridian facility. [43] In 1986, Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Broadcasting acquired WIAN (90.1 FM), a public radio station owned by Indianapolis Public Schools. [44] The station became known as WFYI-FM in March 1988. [45]
From 1985 to 1989, WFYI programming was seen in Fort Wayne, Indiana, until public television station WFWA-TV there began originating its own programming. [46] [47]
Meek retired at the end of 1988; [37] he was replaced by Lloyd Wright, who began a 30-year tenure as general manager (a title changed to president and CEO). [48] Under Wright, WFYI began its first-ever capital fundraising effort in 1995, as part of its 25th anniversary; this was undertaken to replace outdated equipment, which included the oldest UHF transmitter in use in the state of Indiana. [49] In 1999, WFYI and Butler, which had built WTBU (channel 69) in 1991, entered into a joint operating agreement whereby the two stations would collaborate on programming and facilities. [50] This continued until Butler sold WTBU in 2004 to the Daystar Television Network. [51]
What was then known as the "WFYI Teleplex" announced in 2007 that it would move to 1630 N. Meridian Street, a building previously used by Indiana Energy. The $20 million relocation included the $8.5 million purchase of the building and $11.6 million in new equipment. The larger facility offered more room for community events, more parking, and space that WFYI could sublease to other companies. [52] WFYI television was the last component of the public media company to move into the building in 2008. [53] During this time, in 2007, the station began offering subchannels on its digital signal. [54]
The state of Indiana eliminated funding for WFYI in 2009 due to a major revenue shortfall from the Great Recession. As a result, production ceased on new episodes of Across Indiana , a popular state travel series on the air since 1988. [55]
In March 2024, WFYI content staff announced their intentions to unionize with SAG-AFTRA and asked management for voluntary recognition. [56]
In fiscal year 2021, WFYI TV had total revenue of $8.67 million. Its 17,789 contributors donated more than $1.9 million. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting contributed $1.3 million, most of it in the form of a Community Service Grant. [57]
Historically, WFYI has rarely been a large producer of network programming. This was because there were fewer underwriters for expensive productions, as fewer major companies were headquartered in Indianapolis. [58] However, it has produced a significant amount of local and regional programming. In 1974, the station began airing state public affairs program The Lawmakers, later retitled Indiana Lawmakers, which covers the activities of the Indiana General Assembly. [59]
The station's signal is multiplexed:
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
20.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WFYI 1 | Main WFYI programming / PBS |
20.2 | WFYI 2 | PBS Kids | ||
20.3 | 480i | WFYI 3 | Create | |
All three subchannels are also broadcast on WFYI-LD (channel 29), an ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) transmitter that began service in 2022. [61]
WFYI shut down its analog signal on UHF channel 20 on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate; the station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 21, using virtual channel 20. [62]
WTHR is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside low-power, Class A MeTV affiliate WALV-CD. The two stations share studios on North Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis; WTHR's transmitter is located near Ditch Road and West 96th Street in Carmel.
Kentucky Educational Television (KET) is a state network of PBS member television stations serving the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is operated by the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, an agency of the Kentucky state government, which provides more than half of its annual funding. KET is the dominant public broadcaster in the commonwealth, with transmitters covering the vast majority of the state as well as parts of adjacent states; the only other PBS member in Kentucky is WKYU-TV in Bowling Green. KET is the largest PBS state network in the United States; the broadcast signals of its sixteen stations cover almost all of the state, as well as parts of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The network's offices, network center, and primary studio facilities are located at the O. Leonard Press Telecommunications Center on Cooper Drive in Lexington; KET also has production centers in Louisville and at the Kentucky State Capitol Annex in Frankfort.
WRTV is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on Meridian Street north of downtown Indianapolis, and its transmitter is located on the city's northwest side near Meridian Hills, Indiana.
WTTV, licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, United States, and WTTK, licensed to Kokomo, Indiana, are television stations affiliated with CBS and serving the Indianapolis area. They are owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Fox affiliate WXIN. The stations share studios on Network Place in northwestern Indianapolis. WTTV's transmitter is located on State Road 252 in Trafalgar, while WTTK's transmitter sits on West 73rd Street on the northern outskirts of Indianapolis.
WISH-TV is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is locally owned by Circle City Broadcasting alongside Marion-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WNDY-TV and low-power, Class A getTV affiliate WIIH-CD. The stations share studios on North Meridian Street on the near north side of Indianapolis; WISH-TV and WNDY-TV also share transmitter facilities on Walnut Drive in the Augusta section of the city's northwest side.
WXIN is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Bloomington-licensed CBS affiliate WTTV, channel 4. The stations share studios on Network Place in northwestern Indianapolis; WXIN's transmitter is located on West 73rd Street on the northern outskirts of the city.
WNDY-TV is a television station licensed to Marion, Indiana, United States, serving the Indianapolis area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is locally owned by Circle City Broadcasting alongside Indianapolis-licensed CW affiliate WISH-TV and low-power, Class A getTV affiliate WIIH-CD. The stations share studios on North Meridian Street on the near north side of Indianapolis; WNDY-TV and WISH-TV also share transmitter facilities on Walnut Drive in the Augusta section of the city's northwest side. Despite Marion being WNDY-TV's city of license, the station maintains no physical presence there.
WHMB-TV is a religious independent television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Family Broadcasting Corporation. WHMB's studios are located on Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville, and its transmitter is located on Walnut Drive in northwestern Indianapolis.
WIPX-TV is a television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, United States, serving the Indianapolis area as an affiliate of Ion Television. It is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings alongside Bounce TV affiliate WCLJ-TV. WIPX-TV and WCLJ-TV share offices on Production Drive in southwestern Indianapolis; through a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WIPX-TV's spectrum from an antenna on SR 252 in Trafalgar, Indiana.
WBAA and WBAA-FM (101.3 FM) are jointly operated non-commercial educational radio stations licensed to West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, both serving the Lafayette metro area and the Indianapolis area with public radio formats. The stations were founded by Purdue University, but in 2022, 100 years after WBAA's start, ownership was transferred to Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc. (MIPM), which also owns WFYI radio and television in Indianapolis. Both stations originate from studios in the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music on the Purdue campus, with transmitter sites south of Lafayette at the Throckmorton Purdue Agricultural Center.
WTLC is a commercial AM radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is owned by Urban One and broadcasts an urban gospel radio format, with some Christian talk and teaching shows heard middays and afternoons. The studios and offices are downtown at the corner of Meridian and St. Joseph Streets.
Sarkes Tarzian was an Ottoman-born American engineer, inventor, and broadcaster. He was ethnic Armenian born in the Ottoman Empire. He and his family immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in 1907, following their persecution by Ottoman Turks. "His father escaped to America from the Turkish massacres of Armenians, and got a job as a weaver." In 1918, he was the top high school graduate in the city of Philadelphia, earning him a four-year, all-expenses-paid college scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania where he received an undergraduate degree in 1924 and a graduate degree in 1927. Tarzian worked for the Atwater Kent company and then for RCA in Bloomington, Indiana.
Media in Indianapolis includes various print media, television, and radio in the Indianapolis, Indiana market. As of 2009, Indianapolis is ranked as the 25th largest media market, with over 1.1 million homes.
WFYI-FM is a public radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is operated by Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Broadcasting, a public broadcasting community licensee which also operates the area's Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member station, WFYI Public Television via on-air digital channels 20.1, 20.2 and 20.3. WFYI-FM is a member of National Public Radio (NPR) and carries news and information programming, plus weekly shows featuring the Indianapolis Symphony the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Harmonia, and the possible return of Classics by Request, Evening Concert, and Opera Hour.
Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc. (MIMP) is a not-for-profit corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, that operates television station WFYI and radio station WFYI-FM, which are member stations of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), respectively. Digital TV channel 20.1 primarily broadcasts mainline PBS Kids programming during the day and both locally produced and nationally produced and distributed PBS productions in the evenings and overnight. Digital TV channel 20.2 operates as "PBS Kids," airing children's programming. Digital TV channel 20.3 airs some re-runs of nationally developed programming as well as elements of the national "Create" network, which focuses programming on "how-to" types of educational TV. The beginnings of the "Indiana Channel" are also aired weekly on WFYI 3.
Hoosier Millionaire is an American television lottery game show which aired on television stations in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky from October 28, 1989, to November 19, 2005. At its peak, it was among the highest-rated lottery game shows in the United States and one of the highest-rated television programs in Indiana.
WSOM is a radio station in Franklin, Indiana, United States. Owned by Inter Mirifica, Inc., the station is part of its regional Catholic Radio Indy network.
Classical Music Indy is an American nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, that produces and syndicates classical music radio programming. Classical Music Indy provides the classical music programs heard on WICR in Indianapolis and part-time on three other stations in the state. It was established in 1968 to build support for classical music on the radio after a prior commercial station was sold and changed formats.
WIFE-FM was a radio station broadcasting on 107.9 FM in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Owned and operated by the Star Stations group for most of its history, it broadcast from October 22, 1961, to September 2, 1976.
WYIC was a radio station broadcasting on 1110 kHz AM in Noblesville, Indiana, United States. It was last owned by Broadcast Communications, Inc., and operated from 1971 to 1991.