UNC-TV

University of North Carolina Television, branded on-air as UNC-TV, is a public television network serving the state of North Carolina. It is operated by the University of North Carolina system, which holds the licenses for all but one of the thirteen PBS member television stations licensed in the state—WTVI (channel 42) in Charlotte is owned by Central Piedmont Community College. The broadcast signals of the twelve television stations cover almost all of the state, as well as parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The network's operations are located at the UNC Center for Public Television at Research Triangle Park between Raleigh and Durham.

University of North Carolina Television
statewide North Carolina
United States
BrandingUNC-TV
SloganPBS & More for All of North Carolina
ChannelsDigital: see table below
AffiliationsPBS (1970–present)
OwnerUniversity of North Carolina
First air dateJanuary 8, 1955 (1955-01-08)
Call sign meaningUniversity of North Carolina
Fourth letter in callsign varies depending on the station
Former affiliationsNET (1955–1970)
Transmitter powersee table below
Heightsee table below
Facility IDsee table below
Transmitter coordinatessee table below
Websitewww.unctv.org

History

WUNC-TV in Chapel Hill, the state network's flagship station, first signed on the air on January 8, 1955 as the second non-commercial educational television station located south of Washington, D.C.—one day after Cheaha, Alabama-licensed WCIQ-TV. Over the next twelve years, four more satellite stations signed on. WUND-TV in Edenton (originally WUNB-TV, licensed to Columbia) was the first of these satellites to debut on September 10, 1965, followed by the launches of WUNE-TV in Linville in September 1967, WUNF-TV in Asheville in September 11, 1967, WUNG-TV in Concord in September 11, 1967, and WUNJ-TV in Wilmington in June 4, 1971. This was supplemented with a network of translator stations in the Appalachian Mountains that also allowed the network's programming to reach across the entire state.

Five additional satellites debuted afterward: WUNK-TV in Greenville in May 1972, WUNL-TV in Winston-Salem in February 1973, WUNM-TV in Jacksonville in November 1982, WUNP-TV in Roanoke Rapids in 1986, and WUNU-TV in Lumberton in September 1996. The state network's youngest station, WUNW in Canton, signed on in July 2010 to replace a translator that had served the area since the 1980s. The state network was branded on-air as "North Carolina Public Television" (identified in North Carolina editions of TV Guide as "CPT", an abbreviated form of "University of North Carolina Center for Public Television") from 1979 to the mid-1990s, when it rebranded itself as "University of North Carolina Television". It simplified the brand name to "UNC-TV" later in the 1990s; it had previously used that brand for most of the 1970s.

WUNC-TV airs its own public affairs programming on Sunday mornings.

Programming

The state network produces many programs of local interest, including the weeknightly public affairs program North Carolina Now, Our State, Carolina Outdoor Journal, Exploring North Carolina, North Carolina Bookwatch with D. G. Martin, and special programs about the state's history and culture. It also produces The Woodwright's Shop, Growing a Greener World, and Song of the Mountains for national distribution. In addition to PBS and American Public Television programs and local productions, the station also runs programming from the United Kingdom, including "Britcoms" on Saturday evenings and soap opera EastEnders on Sunday evenings. In the 1990s, UNC-TV introduced "Read-A-Roo," a kangaroo used as the mascot for the network's children's programming.

Stations

UNC-TV operates twelve stations that relay its programming across the entire state as well as into portions of Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Each station's callsign consists of "UN" for University of North Carolina, followed by a letter assigned sequentially in the order in which it was activated, except for the first station.

Station City of license1
(other cities served)		 Channels
(VC / RF)		 First air date ERP
 HAAT
 Transmitter coordinates Facility ID Public license information
WUNC-TV Chapel Hill
(Raleigh/Durham)		 4 (PSIP)
20 (UHF)		 January 8, 1955 (1955-01-08) 1000 kW 461.9 m (1,515 ft) 35°51′59″N 79°10′0.5″W 69080 Profile
CDBS
WUND-TV2 Edenton3
(Elizabeth City/Hampton Roads, VA)		 2 (PSIP)
29 (UHF)		 September 10, 1965 (1965-09-10) 543 kW 489 m (1,604 ft) 35°53′58.3″N 76°20′47.5″W 69292 Profile
CDBS
WUNE-TV Linville 17 (PSIP)
36 (UHF)		 September 11, 1967 (1967-09-11) 1,000 kW 546.9 m (1,794 ft) 36°3′50″N 81°50′32″W 69114 Profile
CDBS
WUNF-TV Asheville 33 (PSIP)
20 (UHF)		 September 11, 1967 (1967-09-11) DTS1: 1,000 kW
DTS2: 1.73 kW		 DTS1: 550.7 m (1,807 ft)
DTS2: −144.8 m (−475 ft)		 DTS1: 35°13′20″N 82°32′58″W
DTS2: 35°28′25.4″N 83°19′22.5″W		 69300 Profile
CDBS
WUNG-TV Concord
(Charlotte)		 58 (PSIP)
21 (UHF)		 September 11, 1967 (1967-09-11) 260 kW 416.7 m (1,367 ft) 35°21′30.7″N 80°36′36.4″W 69124 Profile
CDBS
WUNJ-TV4 Wilmington 39 (PSIP)
21 (UHF)		 June 4, 1971 (1971-06-04) 1,000 kW 294.1 m (965 ft) 34°19′17.2″N 78°13′41.4″W 69332 Profile
CDBS
WUNK-TV Greenville 25 (PSIP)
25 (UHF)		 May 7, 1972 (1972-05-07) 60 kW (STA)
1,000 kW (CP)		 197.6 m (648 ft) (STA)
348 m (1,142 ft) (CP)		 35°33′11″N 77°36′4.8″W 69149 Profile
CDBS
WUNL-TV Winston-Salem
(Greensboro/High Point)		 26 (PSIP)
33 (UHF)		 February 22, 1973 (1973-02-22) 1,000 kW 502.6 m (1,649 ft) 36°22′31.7″N 80°22′17.5″W 69360 Profile
CDBS
WUNM-TV Jacksonville
(New Bern)		 19 (PSIP)
28 (UHF)
 November 16, 1982 (1982-11-16) 65 kW 561 m (1,841 ft) 35°6′15.6″N 77°20′11.4″W 69444 Profile
CDBS
WUNP-TV Roanoke Rapids 36 (PSIP)
27 (UHF)		 October 16, 1986 (1986-10-16) 248 kW 363.4 m (1,192 ft) 36°17′29.2″N 77°50′9.4″W 69397 Profile
CDBS
WUNU Lumberton
(Fayetteville)		 31 (PSIP)
30 (UHF)		 September 23, 1996 (1996-09-23) 113 kW 294 m (965 ft) 34°47′51.1″N 79°2′41.4″W 69416 Profile
CDBS
WUNW Canton
(Waynesville)		 27 (PSIP)
27 (UHF)		 February 12, 2008 (2008-02-12) 50 kW 503 m (1,650 ft) 35°34′6″N 82°54′25″W 83822 Profile
CDBS

Notes:

  • 1. Aside from their transmitters, the network's stations (except WUNC-TV) do not maintain any physical presence in their cities of license.
  • 2. WUND-TV formerly used the callsign WUNB-TV from its 1965 sign-on to 1967.
  • 3. WUND-TV was originally licensed to Columbia; the license was moved to Edenton in 2005, effectively gaining must-carry rights in the Norfolk–Newport News–Portsmouth television market, which includes several northeastern North Carolina counties. [1]
  • 4. Five commercial television stations in the Wilmington media market began transmitting solely in digital on September 8, 2008. WUNJ-TV was required to continue analog broadcasts until the national digital television transition on June 12, 2009, as they were the official conduit of emergency information in the Wilmington area.

Digital television

Digital channels

UNC-TV's current over-the-air digital configuration, which is multiplexed among three subchannels, was introduced on September 25, 2008. On that date, UNC-TV revised its subchannel lineup on its stations, reducing the number of channels to three: UNC-TV (the main channel of each station, which now carries high definition programming), and the standard definition-only services UNC-KD and UNC-EX ("The Explorer Channel"). UNC-TV HD and UNC-EX are also available to DirecTV customers with MPEG4-compatible receivers. Prior to February 1, 2016, Time Warner Cable customers also received UNC-MX (described as "an eclectic mix of programming for adults") in standard definition; the North Carolina Channel has since replaced UNC-MX on Time Warner Cable systems.[2] Prior to November 1, 2009, the third subchannel was named UNC-NC.[3]

This configuration is used for WUNC, WUND, WUNF, WUNG, WUNJ, WUNK, WUNL, and WUNU:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
xx.11080i16:9UNC-TVMain UNC-TV programming / PBS
xx.2480iROOTLEPBS Kids Channel
xx.3UNC-EXThe Explorer Channel[12]
xx.4NCCHLThe North Carolina Channel

An alternate configuration is used for WUNE, WUNM, WUNP, and WUNW. The original purpose for this was to obtain must-carry status for UNC-KD since those are secondary stations in their respective markets.[13] On June 15, 2010, UNC-KD switched subchannels with UNC-EX on the four stations previously mentioned, which transferred UNC-KD's must-carry status to UNC-EX.[14]

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[15]
xx.1480i16:9UNC-EXThe Explorer Channel
xx.21080iUNC-TVMain UNC-TV programming / PBS
xx.3480iROOTLEPBS Kids Channel
xx.4NCCHLThe North Carolina Channel

Subscribers of Charter Communications, the major cable provider in the state, can receive each of the UNC-TV digital subchannels. Time Warner Cable built a direct-fiber optic connection to UNC-TV's studios in RTP, a connection inherited by Charter when it merged with Time Warner Cable in 2016. Cable providers with a direct fiber optic link to UNC-TV (including Charter) also carry UNC-MX (formerly UNC-ED) on their digital tiers. UNC-MX features a mix of how-to and public affairs programs, along with encore presentations of programs originally broadcast on the primary UNC-TV channel. Cable providers which rely on off-air reception for broadcast stations are limited to the four-channel lineup. On February 1, 2016, UNC-MX was renamed UNC-NC "The North Carolina Channel" and was added over-the-air on subchannel 4 on both channel configurations.[16] On July 2, 2016, UNC-KD was rebranded as ROOTLE.[17]

Prior to September 25, 2008, UNC-TV formerly operated four digital channels: in addition to the main signal on the primary channel, the second digital subchannel of each station carried UNC-HD (which carried PBS and regional programming in high-definition), the third subchannel carried UNC-KD (which carried children's programs), the fourth subchannel carried UNC-ED (an educational television service) and the fifth subchannel carried UNC-NC (centering on North Carolina public affairs and original local productions). Due to bandwidth limitations at the time, the over-the-air feed of UNC-HD was only available between 8-11 p.m., during which UNC-ED and UNC-NC ceased transmission in the interim. Cable systems with a direct fiber link to UNC-TV facilities aired all five channels on a 24-hour schedule.

On April 16, 2018, WRAY and WLXI were merged onto WUNC's spectrum, after parent company Tri-State Christian Television (TCT) sold the stations' individual bandwidth in the 2016 FCC incentive auction.[18][19] WUNC is the only station in the 12-station network that has a channel sharing agreement.[20]

Analog-to-digital conversion

UNC-TV's stations shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital channel allocations pre- and post-transition are as follows:[21]

Call LettersInitial Analog
Channel		Pre-Transition
Digital Channel		Post-Transition
Digital Channel		FCC Repack
Plan (2017)[22]
WUNC4592520
WUND2202029
WUNE17541736
WUNF33252520
WUNG58444421
WUNJ39292921
WUNK25232325
WUNL26323233
WUNM19181928
WUNP36393627
WUNU31253130
WUNW——2727

All channels retained their original numbering for display to viewers via PSIP.

UNC-TV opted not to join other broadcasters in the Wilmington market in an early switch to digital-only broadcasts on September 8, 2008, nine months ahead of the national transition deadline.[23] Following that date, WUNJ-TV became only full-power station in Wilmington that continued to broadcast an analog signal until the national digital transition on June 12, 2009.

Translators

UNC-TV operates 24 translators. Each translator is assigned to the license of a parent UNC-TV full-power station, all of which simulcast the same network signal. Two directly repeat WUNC-TV, three directly repeat WUNE-TV, two directly repeat WUNG-TV, three directly repeat WUNL-TV, and 14 directly repeat WUNF-TV.

The 22 mountain-based translators serve as low-power, limited-area repeaters that bring the network's signal to towns in deep mountain valleys where the parent signal is blocked by the surrounding terrain. The translators of WUNC-TV act as digital replacement translators serving the few areas of the Triangle where WUNC-TV lost over-the-air coverage during the analog-digital conversion in 2009.

Station City of license Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter Coordinates Notes
Direct repeaters of WUNC-TV
WUNC-TV Raleigh 30 (UHF) 0.5 kW 148 m (486 ft) 69080 35°40′28″N 78°31′40″W Digital replacement translator.[24]
Oxford 46 (UHF) 0.6 kW 87 m (285 ft) 36°27′39″N 78°45′19″W Digital replacement translator.[25]
Direct repeaters of WUNE-TV
W29FE-D Bat Cave 29 (UHF) 0.5 kW 278 m (912 ft) 168591 35°25′49″N 82°15′17″W Former call sign W41DI-D
W42AX-D Bakersville 42 (UHF) 1 kW 311 m (1,020 ft) 69040 36°02′01″N 82°12′08″W Former callsign W42AX.
W51EE-D Marion 51 (UHF) 0.5 kW 167 m (548 ft) 168595 35°40′17″N 82°00′19″W
Direct repeaters of WUNF-TV
W19CR-D Tryon 19 (UHF) 0.2 kW 555 m (1,821 ft) 69189 35°15′58″N 82°14′40″W Former callsigns W19CR, W24BA and W56AN.
W19DB-D Franklin (Cowee Bald) 19 (UHF) 0.5 kW 669 m (2,195 ft) 168592 35°10′23″N 83°34′52″W
W19DD-D Brevard 19 (UHF) 0.5 kW 421 m (1,381 ft) 69220 35°10′36″N 82°40′54″W Former callsigns W59AR and W68DM.
W33EH-D Black Mountain 33 (UHF) 0.5 kW 540 m (1,772 ft) 69389 35°34′04″N 82°23′02″W Former callsigns W52BA and W19HK-D.
W28EE-D Canton 28 (UHF) 0.011 kW 374 m (1,227 ft) 168588 35°38′14″N 82°29′56″W Former callsign W46EC-D.
W29DE-D Hayesville 29 (UHF) 0.6 kW 270 m (886 ft) 168593 34°59′57″N 83°51′34″W
W31AN-D Murphy 31 (UHF) 0.5 kW 83 m (272 ft) 69154 35°05′02″N 84°00′58″W Former callsign W31AN.
W31DH-D Franklin (Wine Springs) 31 (UHF) 0.5 kW 736 m (2,415 ft) 69058 35°19′40″N 83°20′11″W Former callsigns W56AG and W60DA.
W35CK-D Highlands 35 (UHF) 0.6 kW 346 m (1,135 ft) 168594 35°02′21″N 83°13′04″W
W35CO-D Burnsville 35 (UHF) 0.5 kW 431 m (1,414 ft) 69291 35°56′16″N 82°17′48″W Former callsigns W27BF, W67AQ and W67DV.
W42DF-D Cashiers 42 (UHF) 0.6 kW 539 m (1,768 ft) 168590 35°07′54″N 82°59′01″W
W46AX-D Bryson City 46 (UHF) 0.5 kW 250 m (820 ft) 69123 35°24′47″N 83°30′02″W Former callsigns W46AX and W67AV.
W47DM-D Cullowhee 47 (UHF) 1 kW −138 m (−453 ft) 69388 35°18′12″N 83°10′40″W Former callsign W23AF.
W49DB-D Andrews 49 (UHF) 1 kW 595 m (1,952 ft) 69015 35°15′26″N 83°47′43″W Former callsign W59AD.
Direct repeaters of WUNG-TV
W25AY-D Jefferson 25 (UHF) 1 kW 502 m (1,647 ft) 68993 36°27′40″N 81°29′19″W Former callsign W25AY.
W31DI-D Spruce Pine 31 (UHF) 0.5 kW 311 m (1,020 ft) 69347 35°52′47″N 82°06′17″W Former callsign W28AO.
Direct repeaters of WUNL-TV
W15EF-D Sparta 15 (UHF) 0.6 kW 259 m (850 ft) 69172 36°31′13″N 81°07′27″W Former callsigns W50DV-D and W35AD.
W30CS-D Zionville 30 (UHF) 0.6 kW 585 m (1,919 ft) 69374 36°18′09″N 81°43′20″W Former callsign W59AK.
W27EK-D Boone 27 (UHF) 0.5 kW 390 m (1,280 ft) 69204 36°14′07″N 81°42′20″W Former callsigns W46AG, W27AO, W65DT, and W41DL-D

Cable and satellite carriage

UNC-TV is carried on all cable television providers in North Carolina. Additionally, WUND in Edenton is carried by Cox Communications' systems in the southern portion of the Hampton Roads market in Virginia; Edenton is part of the Hampton Roads market. It has also been carried on some cable systems in the Roanoke market in Virginia and the Tri-Cities market in Tennessee.

On DirecTV and Dish Network, WUNC-TV, WUNG, WUNL, WUNF, WUND, WUNJ, and WUNU are carried on the respective local feeds for the Research Triangle, Charlotte, the Piedmont Triad, Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville, Hampton Roads, Wilmington, and Florence/Myrtle Beach markets. In previous years, WUNL has also been carried on the Roanoke DirecTV feed;[26] the Piedmont Triad market includes portions of western Virginia.

See also

References
  3. "Exclusive News for Facebook Fans like April Green: UNC-TV Announces an Exciting New Service Coming on November 1...UNC-EX". October 2, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  4. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  5. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  6. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  7. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  8. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  9. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  10. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  11. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  12. UNC-TV Presents...UNC-EX The Explorer Channel Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  14. "Power Outage Problem - Help". DBSTalk Community.
  15. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  16. "Ask SAM: Are chickens allowed in the city?". Winston-Salem Journal. January 23, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  17. Caine, Brooke (July 1, 2016). "UNC-TV launches Rootle, a new statewide 24-hour channel for kids". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  18. "Channel Sharing Transition PSA and Crawl Regarding WRAY, Channel 42, Wilson, NC" (PDF). FCC. April 16, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  19. "Channel Sharing Transition PSA and Crawl Regarding WLXI, Channel 43, Randleman, NC" (PDF). FCC. April 16, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  20. "UNCTV - FAQs". UNCTV. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  21. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  22. "RabbitEars.Info: Repack Plan for UNC-TV". April 13, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  24. "BMPEDT-20100908AAI". September 17, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  25. "BDRTET-20090428AAE". July 22, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  26. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-07-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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