WCNY-TV
WCNY-TV, virtual channel 24 (UHF digital channel 20), is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Syracuse, New York, United States. Owned by the Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York, it is sister to classical music radio station WCNY-FM (91.3). The two stations share studios on West Fayette Street in Syracuse's Near Westside neighborhood and transmitter facilities in Pompey, New York.
 | |
| Syracuse, New York United States | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WCNY Connected |
| Slogan | Connected to YOU |
| Channels | Digital: 20 (UHF) Virtual: 24 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | 24.1: PBS (1970–present) 24.2: Create 24.3: GlobalConnect 24.4: PBS Kids |
| Owner | Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York, Inc. |
| First air date | December 20, 1965 |
| Call sign meaning | Central New York |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 24 (UHF, 1965–2009) Digital: 25 (UHF, 2002–7/2019) |
| Former affiliations | NET (1965–1970) |
| Transmitter power | 125.4 kW (STA) 84.6 kW (CP) |
| Height | 307.2 m (1,008 ft) (STA) 391.7 m (1,285 ft) (CP) |
| Facility ID | 53734 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°56′41.8″N 76°7′6.2″W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information | Profile CDBS |
| Website | www |
| Deerfield/Utica, New York United States | |
|---|---|
| City | Deerfield, New York |
| Slogan | see WCNY-TV infobox |
| Channels | Digital: 22 (UHF) Virtual: 24 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | see WCNY-TV infobox |
| Owner | Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York, Inc. |
| First air date | October 27, 2011 |
| Call sign meaning | Central New York |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 59 (UHF, until 2011) |
| Transmitter power | 1.55 kW |
| Height | 228.5 m (750 ft) |
| Class | LD |
| Facility ID | 167539 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 43°8′38″N 75°10′39″W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information | (translator of WCNY-TV) Profile (translator of WCNY-TV) CDBS |
W22DO-D (virtual channel 24, UHF digital channel 22) in Deerfield operates as a translator of WCNY-TV, serving the Mohawk Valley (including Utica and Rome). This station's transmitter is located on Smith Hill Road in Deerfield.
History
WCNY was established on December 20, 1965 by the Onondaga County School Board Association under a charter by the New York State Education Department.[1] A non-profit organization known as the Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York was set up to manage the station. WCNY intended to use the call letters WHTV, but chose WCNY after the station now known as WWNY-TV in Watertown gave up the call letters.[2]
The new station's equipment was donated by General Electric, whose plant in the nearby town of Salina manufactured broadcast equipment. General Electric also provided WCNY with its studios, located on Old Liverpool Road in the eastern end of Salina. (WCNY's entire TV and radio operations would be based there until 2013, when it moved to its current location.) WCNY initially broadcast in monochrome, using cameras used to tape The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but switched to color in 1971.[2]
WCNY was initially a member station of National Educational Television (NET). When NET was replaced by the Public Broadcasting Service in 1970, WCNY became a member station of PBS. Over the years, WCNY has been responsible for producing programs and specials of local interest, some of which were distributed nationally by PBS and/or other outlets. Among the programs produced by WCNY and seen nationally include Old Enough To Care, a six-part drama that was picked up by PBS and distributed to their member stations in 1982, and Pappyland, a children's television program co-produced with Craftsmen and Scribes' Creative Workshop and telecast for three years on TLC's Ready Set Learn block, in addition to various PBS member stations.[2]
In 2006,[3] WCNY-TV became the first television station in the Syracuse market to produce and broadcast their own programs in high definition.
In 2007, the station discontinued its pledge drive, making it the only PBS member station to do so.[4] According to WCNY's President and CEO, the station is "focused on truly eliminating our dependence on any state and federal funding".[5]
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WCNY-1 | Main WCNY-TV programming / PBS |
| 24.2 | 480i | WCNY-2 | Create | |
| 24.3 | WCNY-3 | GlobalConnect | ||
| 24.4 | WCNY-4 | PBS Kids (branded on-air as "WiCkNeY Kids") |
WCNY-TV operates four digital programming subchannels, which also simulcast on W22DO-D.
Analog-to-digital conversion
WCNY-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 24, 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 signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 25.[7] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 24.
Prior to March 2013, WCNY-TV's main programming was broadcast in SD-only (480i) on subchannel 24.1, while continuous HD (1080i) programming was offered on subchannel 24.4. Create had also been cable-only until that month's channel map reorganization.
A repeater on UHF analog channel 62 had transmitted from Nedrow to reach over-the-air viewers south of Syracuse in higher elevations until the 2009 digital conversion.
Television programs produced by WCNY
| Title | Frequency | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Connect: NY | Monthly | In-depth analysis of government, social, economic, and environmental issues affecting New York State.[8] |
| Cycle of Health | Weekly | Reports on community health and wellness issues.[9] |
| Insight | Weekly | Public affairs concerning Central New York and interviews with local newsmakers.[10] |
| Ivory Tower | Weekly | Round table discussion of local, national, and international news featuring academic commentators from Syracuse and Colgate Universities and area colleges.[11] |
| SciTech Now | Weekly | Science, technology, and startup stories from the region and segments contributed by other PBS member stations.[12] |
References
- "About WCNY - Member Supported Public Television, Radio - WCNY". www.wcny.org. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- Casciano Burns, Christine, Fox, Tim, and Gulino, Lou (2013). Images of America: Syracuse Television. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 95, 96, 104, 108, 110, 118.
- "WCNY Converts to HD With Pro-Bel". TvTechnology. October 20, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- "WCNY-TV is 'stronger and moving in a better direction'". Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "WCNY-TV would lose $1 million under Trump plan to defund public broadcasting". Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- "Connect NY - Member Supported Public Television, Radio - WCNY". www.wcny.org. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "Cycle of Health | Member Supported Public Television, Radio". WCNY. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "'Insight' features most beautiful places in upstate New York - Member Supported Public Television, Radio -WCNY". www.wcny.org. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "Ivory Tower | Member Supported Public Television, Radio". WCNY. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- "SciTech Now | Member Supported Public Television, Radio". WCNY. Retrieved January 27, 2018.