WLJT-DT

Last updated
WLJT-DT
West TN PBS logo.png
City Lexington, Tennessee
Channels
BrandingWest TN PBS
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerWest Tennessee Public Television Council, Inc.
History
First air date
February 13, 1968(55 years ago) (1968-02-13)
Former call signs
WLJT (1968–2010)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 11 (VHF (1968–2009)
  • Digital: 47 (UHF, 2004–2018)
NET (1968–1970)
Call sign meaning
Lexington Jackson Tennessee
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 71645
ERP 142 kW
HAAT 205 m (673 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 35°42′12″N88°36′10″W / 35.70333°N 88.60278°W / 35.70333; -88.60278
Links
Public license information
Website www.westtnpbs.org

WLJT-DT (channel 11), branded on-air as West TN PBS, is a PBS member television station licensed to Lexington, Tennessee, United States, serving western and northwestern Tennessee. The station is owned by the West Tennessee Public Television Council and maintains studios in Martin on rented space at the University of Tennessee at Martin; its transmitter is located on U.S. Route 412 midway between Jackson and Lexington.

Contents

WLJT began broadcasting in 1968. Built as one of four educational stations under the control of the Tennessee Department of Education, it almost exclusively rebroadcast WKNO in Memphis. In 1981, studios were established at UT–Martin, allowing for the station to begin local programming. That same year, the state began the process to spin WLJT out to community control. The station's local programming focuses on sports and community events in rural West Tennessee.

History

State ownership

In 1953, officials with the Tennessee Educational Television Commission requested the assignment of several channels across the state for noncommercial educational use, including channel 11 at Lexington, in addition to existing assignments for Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. [2] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the assignments in March 1954. [3] In 1965, the Tennessee Department of Education filed with the FCC for a construction permit and with the federal government to request a grant to cover construction costs. The station would serve 553,000 people, including 137,000 schoolchildren. [4] The station would not have associated studios but initially serve to repeat Memphis educational station WKNO (channel 10). [5]

The grant and construction permit were received in April 1966. [6] Construction work had begun in earnest by June 1967, [7] and WLJT began operations on February 13, 1968. [8] [9] It rebroadcast WKNO with extremely limited local programming; [10] while it broadcast on weekdays in 1977, [11] it did not do so in 1978, leaving the local cable system to carry WKNO itself. [10]

Community ownership

In 1980, controversy over programming at WSJK-TV in Sneedville led to scrutiny of the state educational television system, which had grown to four state-owned stations plus WKNO and WDCN in Nashville, which were community-owned. One of the two reports suggested that WLJT be sold to WKNO; [12] the other recommended spinning out all of the stations in the system to community licensees. [13] After WKNO expressed no interest, [14] the state chose the latter option when legislators passed and Governor Lamar Alexander signed the Tennessee Educational Television Network Act of 1981, [15] This legislation provided for the transfer of the four Department of Education-owned stations to community entities by 1986. [16] [17]

In August 1981, the West Tennessee Public Television Council was formed, and WLJT began local programming from studios at UT–Martin. [14] This also added hands-on experience opportunities to UT–Martin's broadcasting program. [18] In 1982, the second year of local content, it produced 101 hours of its own programming. In April 1984, the spin-off was completed, and the station began on-air fundraising efforts. [19] In addition to typical PBS programming, WLJT aired local sports and a regional country music show as part of its local output. [20] In 1993, engineering operations were able to move to Martin when a new master and remote control facility opened at the studios. [21]

WLJT began digital broadcasting on channel 47 on February 20, 2004, [21] and discontinued analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009. [22] The station continued to broadcast on channel 47, using virtual channel 11, [23] until being repacked to channel 27 as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction on August 10, 2018; channel 14 had been originally assigned. [24]

Funding

In fiscal year 2022, WLJT generated $1.72 million in revenue. Nearly half of that came in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, while $467,000 came from state agencies. The station's 892 members contributed $75,000 in funding. [25]

Local programming

In 2022, WLJT broadcast 23+1⁄2 hours (12 on broadcast, 11+1⁄2 online) of local community events. [26]

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WLJT [27]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
11.1 1080i 16:9 WLJT-HDMain WLJT-DT programming / PBS
11.2 480i WLJT-DT PBS Kids
11.3 4:3 Create

Related Research Articles

KVIE is a PBS member television station in Sacramento, California, United States. The station is owned by KVIE, Inc., a community-based non-profit organization. KVIE's studios are located on West El Camino Avenue in the Natomas district of Sacramento, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove, California.

WVIZ is a PBS member television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is owned by Ideastream Public Media alongside classical music station WCLV and co-managed with Kent State University–owned WKSU, the NPR member for both Cleveland and Akron. The three stations share studio facilities at the Idea Center on Playhouse Square in Downtown Cleveland; WVIZ's transmitter is located in suburban Parma, Ohio.

KVCR-DT is a PBS member television station in San Bernardino, California, United States. It is owned by the San Bernardino Community College District alongside NPR member KVCR. The two stations share studios at the San Bernardino Valley College campus on North Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino; KVCR-DT's transmitter is located atop Box Springs Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLMT</span> CW affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee

WLMT is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with The CW and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside ABC affiliate WATN-TV. Both stations share studios at the Shelby Oaks Corporate Park on Shelby Oaks Drive in northeast Memphis, while WLMT's transmitter is located in the Brunswick section of unincorporated northeast Shelby County.

WTCI is a PBS member television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation, the station maintains studios on Bonnyshire Drive in Chattanooga, and its transmitter is located on Sawyer Cemetery Road in unincorporated Mile Straight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Educational Television</span> PBS member network serving Kentucky

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNPT</span> PBS member station in Nashville, Tennessee

WNPT is a PBS member television station in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The station is owned by Nashville Public Television, Inc., a community-funded, non-profit organization. WNPT's studios are located on Rains Avenue in southeast Nashville, and its transmitter is located in the southern suburb of Forest Hills.

WCTE is a PBS member television station in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States, serving the Upper Cumberland region. Owned by the Upper Cumberland Broadcast Council, the station originally had studios on the campus of Tennessee Technological University within the west-side stadium construction of Tucker Stadium; after an extensive relocation effort, the studios are now located on East Broad Street in downtown Cookeville, adjacent to the Putnam County courthouse. Its transmitter is located northwest of Monterey, Tennessee. Although Cookeville is part of the Nashville market, the station also serves the western fringe of the Knoxville market.

WKNO is a PBS member television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The station is owned by the Mid-South Public Communications Foundation, a non-profit organization governed by a board of trustees composed of volunteers, and is operated alongside NPR member WKNO-FM (91.1). The two stations share studios on Cherry Farms Road with the TV station's transmitter on Raleigh LaGrange Road, both in the Cordova section of unincorporated Shelby County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPTD</span> PBS member station in Dayton, Ohio

WPTD is a television station in Dayton, Ohio, United States, serving the Miami Valley as a member of PBS. The station broadcasts from studios in downtown Dayton and a transmitter near South Gettysburg Avenue in the Highview Hills neighborhood in southwest Dayton. Its signal is relayed by translator station W25FI-D in Maplewood, Ohio, which broadcasts to Celina, Lima, and Wapakoneta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KRWG-TV</span> PBS member station in Las Cruces, New Mexico

KRWG-TV is a PBS member television station in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. The station is owned by the Regents of New Mexico State University. KRWG-TV's studios are located at Milton Hall on the NMSU campus in Las Cruces, and its transmitter is located atop Tortugas Mountain in central Doña Ana County. KRWG-TV's signal is relayed on low-power translator stations across southern New Mexico.

KCPT, branded on-air as Kansas City PBS or KC PBS, is a PBS member television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is owned by Public Television 19, Inc., alongside adult album alternative radio station KTBG and online magazine Flatland. KCPT and KTBG share studios on East 31st Street in the Union Hill section of Kansas City, Missouri. KCPT's transmitter is located near 23rd Street and Stark Avenue in the Blue Valley neighborhood. The station provides coverage to the Kansas City and St. Joseph areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVLT-TV</span> CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee

WVLT-TV is a television station in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Crossville-licensed dual CW/Telemundo affiliate WBXX-TV. Both stations share studios on Papermill Drive on the west side of Knoxville, while WVLT-TV's transmitter is located on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEMT</span> Fox affiliate in Greeneville, Tennessee

WEMT is a television station licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Tri-Cities area. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Bristol, Virginia–licensed dual NBC/CW affiliate WCYB-TV, for the provision of certain services. However, Sinclair effectively owns WEMT; the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. Both stations share studios on Lee Street on the Virginia side of Bristol, while WEMT's transmitter is located at Rye Patch Knob on Holston Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi Public Broadcasting</span> Public broadcaster of the state of Mississippi, United States

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) is the public broadcasting state network serving the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is owned by the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television (MAET), an agency of the state government that holds the licenses for all of the PBS and NPR member stations in the state. MPB's headquarters is located on Ridgewood Road in northeast Jackson. The public broadcaster was established as Mississippi Educational Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXXV-TV</span> TV station in Gulfport, Mississippi

WXXV-TV is a television station licensed to Gulfport, Mississippi, United States, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast as an affiliate of Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Morris Multimedia, and maintains studios on US 49 in Lyman ; its transmitter is located on Wire Road East, in unincorporated Stone County, northeast of McHenry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJKT</span> Fox affiliate in Jackson, Tennessee

WJKT is a television station in Jackson, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with the Fox network and owned by Nexstar Media Group. Its advertising sales office is located on Oil Well Road in Jackson, and its transmitter is located in Alamo, Tennessee.

KBZK is a television station in Bozeman, Montana, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, it is part of the Montana Television Network (MTN), a statewide network of CBS-affiliated stations. KBZK has its studios on Television Way in Bozeman; its primary transmitter is located atop High Flat, southwest of Four Corners.

WMSB is a radio station on 88.9 FM licensed to Byhalia, Mississippi, United States. It is a full-time repeater of the American Family Radio (AFR) network and is owned by the American Family Association, broadcasting from a tower in Chulahoma.

WETP-TV and WKOP-TV, together branded as East Tennessee PBS, are public television stations serving Knoxville and the Tri-Cities in East Tennessee, United States. The stations are owned by the East Tennessee Public Communications Corporation and broadcast from studios and offices on East Magnolia Avenue in downtown Knoxville. WETP-TV, licensed to Sneedville, Tennessee, is broadcast from a transmitter atop Short Mountain near Mooresburg, while WKOP-TV's transmitter is situated on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WLJT-DT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "More Educational TV Stations for State Proposed". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. United Press. November 28, 1953. p. 12. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Sneedville, Cookeville Get Educational TV". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. March 19, 1954. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "State Files Application For Educational TV Booster". The Leaf-Chronicle. Associated Press. October 20, 1965. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Casey, James (May 20, 1965). "Area TV Scope To Be Widened". The Jackson Sun. pp. 1, 11 . Retrieved June 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "$228,338 Granted For TV Station At Lexington". The Jackson Sun. April 1, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved June 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "New ETV Station To Open In Fall". The Jackson Sun. June 20, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "ETV Facility Sets Program Tests". The Jackson Sun. Associated Press. February 6, 1968. p. 7. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  9. ↑ "ETV Reception Studied". The Jackson Sun. February 22, 1968. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "Why are both educational television stations..." The Jackson Sun. March 30, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Mercer, Michael (September 23, 1977). "Alternative Programming On Public TV". The Jackson Sun. pp. Leisure 1, 2 . Retrieved June 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Lyons, David (July 10, 1980). "Knox Educational-TV Transmitter Urged". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Drop Educational TV Network, Panel Advises State". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. Associated Press. April 11, 1980. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. 1 2 Tanzer Roberts, Sue Ann (August 19, 1981). "WLJT-TV to initiate local programming". The Jackson Sun. p. 1B. Retrieved June 23, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Locker, Richard (September 7, 1983). "Residents Seek Ownership of WLJT". The Commercial Appeal. p. A3. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Karnes, Lloyd H. (April 3, 1981). "State Senate passes bill on educational television". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "State budget on House floor, Senate finance committee". The Daily News-Journal. Associated Press. May 17, 1981. p. 8A. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Siegel, Stephanie (June 24, 1986). "Public gives UT at Martin high ranking". The Jackson Sun. pp. 1A, 8A . Retrieved June 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Roberts, Bill (February 5, 1984). "WLJT struggles for identity, dollars". The Jackson Sun. p. 1B. Retrieved June 23, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Visser, Steve (December 26, 1987). "Area public TV earns its place: Coverage of community events boosts WLJT support, funds". The Jackson Sun. p. 7A. Retrieved June 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  21. 1 2 "History and Mission". West TN PBS. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  22. ↑ "List of TV stations ending analog broadcasts". NBC News. Associated Press. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  23. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  24. ↑ "FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table" (CSV). Federal Communications Commission . April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Annual Financial Report 2022". West TN PBS. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Local Content and Service Report". West TN PBS. 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  27. ↑ "RabbitEars TV Query for WLJT". RabbitEars . Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.