West Virginia Public Broadcasting

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is the public television and radio state network serving the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is owned by the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Authority, an agency of the state government that holds the licenses for all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) member stations licensed in West Virginia. It is headquartered in Charleston with studios in Morgantown and Beckley.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting
statewide West Virginia
United States
SloganTelling West Virginia's Story
ChannelsAnalog: See tables below
Digital: See tables below
AffiliationsPBS (1970–present)
NPR (1973–present)
PRI
APM
BBC
APT
OwnerWest Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
First air date1969 (1969)
Call sign meaningSee tables below
Former affiliationsNET (1969–1970)
Transmitter powerSee tables below
HeightSee tables below
Facility IDSee tables below
Transmitter coordinatesSee tables below
WebsiteOfficial Website

On January 1, 2015, West Virginia PBS and West Virginia Public Radio merged their brands, branding exclusively as "West Virginia Public Broadcasting" across radio and television.[1]

Television

The first public television station in West Virginia signed on July 14, 1969 under the callsign WMUL-TV, broadcasting from Marshall University in Huntington. In 1981, WMUL-TV changed its call letters to WPBY-TV;[2] two years later, the public station at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WWVU-TV, was renamed WNPB-TV.[3] WPBY-TV and WNPB-TV received their new call letters to underline that the operations were managed by the state educational broadcasting authority, and not the university system. In 1992, the state completed a microwave link that permitted it to convert WNPB and the state's third PBS station, WSWP-TV in Grandview to become repeaters of WPBY-TV in Huntington and form a state network. On January 5, 2015, WPBY-TV changed its call letters to WVPB-TV[2] as part of an effort to unify all of West Virginia Public Broadcasting's services under a single brand; the television network had previously been branded as "West Virginia PBS," a name that was phased out starting on January 1, 2015.[4]

The state network has a total of five low-powered repeaters serving other areas out of the range of the three full-powered stations, most notably Wheeling and Parkersburg. In the past the network showed some Marshall University and West Virginia University sports content, but has abandoned this practice due to Conference USA/Big 12 exclusivity agreements with commercial and cable outlets.

The current local content consists of a daily recap of the state legislative session, shows produced by the West Virginia University medical school, and student produced news from campus weekly products from Marshall University and West Virginia State University. It also broadcasts original documentaries on West Virginia history and culture, as well as live musical performances of Mountain Stage and the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.

TV stations
Station City of license
(other cities served)		 Channels
(RF/VC)		 First air date Call letters' meaning Former callsigns ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates Public license information
WVPB-TV Huntington
(Charleston)		 34 (UHF)
(to move to 9 (VHF))
33 (PSIP)		 July 14, 1969 (1969-07-14) West
Virginia
Public
Broadcasting		 WMUL-TV
(1969–1981)
WPBY-TV
(1981–2015)		 76.3 kW
23 kW (CP)		 360.5 m (1,183 ft)
358.1 m (1,175 ft) (CP)		 71657 38°29′41.3″N 82°12′2.5″W Profile
CDBS
WSWP-TV Grandview
(Beckley/Bluefield)		 10 (VHF)
(to move to 8 (VHF))
9 (PSIP)		 November 1, 1970 (1970-11-01) Southern
West Virginia
Public Television		 24 kW
29.9 kW (CP)		 317.9 m (1,043 ft)
292.6 m (960 ft) (CP)		 71680 37°53′46.4″N 80°59′20.3″W Profile
CDBS
WNPB-TV Morgantown
(Clarksburg/Weston/Fairmont)		 34 (UHF)
24 (PSIP)		 February 23, 1969 (1969-02-23) (Northern)
West Virginia
Public
Broadcasting		 WWVU-TV
(1969–1983)		 168.3 kW
660 kW (CP)		 456.7 m (1,498 ft)
449.6 m (1,475 ft) (CP)		 71676 39°41′45″N 79°45′44″W Profile
CDBS

Translators
Broadcast translator of WVPB-TV
Station City of license Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates
W51EG-D Parkersburg 51 (UHF) 15 kW 106 m (348 ft) 167359 39°12′43″N 81°35′31″W
Broadcast translators of WNPB-TV
Station City of license Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates
W08EE-D Martinsburg 8 (VHF) 0.3 kW 281 m (922 ft) 167357 39°27′36″N 78°3′45″W
W22CV-D Moorefield 22 (UHF) 95 W 463 m (1,519 ft) 127707 38°58′57.3″N 78°54′30″W
W23DR-D Romney 23 (UHF) 15 kW 267 m (876 ft) 167358 39°18′34.5″N 78°43′1.3″W
W30CO-D Wheeling 30 (UHF) 4.5 kW 140 m (459 ft) 167354 40°3′41″N 80°45′8″W
W41DK-D Keyser 41 (UHF) 7 kW 402 m (1,319 ft) 167356 39°12′43″N 81°35′31″W
Broadcast translator of WSWP-TV
Station City of license Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates
W28DR-D Cedarville 28 (UHF) 10.1 kW 185 m (607 ft) 181586 38°43′42″N 80°39′48″W

W22CV-D is independently owned by Valley TV Cooperative, Inc., of Moorefield.

On June 1, 2016, West Virginia Public Broadcasting announced a plan to shut down five of its translators — W07DN-D, W08EE-D, W09CT-D, W30CO-D, and W41AO — due to state budget cuts and changes in viewing habits.[5] All five translators were originally planned to be taken silent for a year in order to determine a long-term plan. Operations on W08EE-D (Martinsburg) and W30CO-D (Wheeling) resumed on August 10, 2016, while the licenses for W07DN-D (Wardensville), W09CT-D (Mathias), and W41AO (Hampshire) were surrendered to the FCC for cancellation on May 26, 2017.

Digital television

Digital channels

All digital signals are multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[6][7][8]
xx.11080i16:9WVPBSMain WVPB programming / PBS
xx.2WVPBS.2West Virginia Channel (6 p.m.–midnight)
World (midnight–6 p.m.)
xx.3480iWVPBS.3PBS Kids[9]

Analog-to-digital conversion

West Virginia Public Broadcasting'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 post-transition are as follows:[10]

  • WPBY-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 33; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 34.[11] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 33.
  • WSWP-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 53, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to VHF channel 10.[12] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 9.
  • WNPB-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 24; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 33.[13] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 24.

Radio
Trey Kay and Deborah George at the 69th Annual Peabody Awards for The Great Textbook War, broadcast on WVPB

WVPB's state radio network includes eleven full-powered stations and seven low-powered translators, all on the FM band. The state network carries programs from NPR, PRI and other distributors, as well as classical and folk music. WVPB produces original weekly programs, including EclecTopia, A Change of Tune, Inside Appalachia and Sidetracks, plus the nationally distributed Mountain Stage. The network was known as "West Virginia Public Radio" until WVPB's 2015 transition to a single brand.[4]

FM stations
Call sign Frequency City of license Facility ID ERP Height Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
WVBL88.5 FMBluefield17330950,000 W31.5 m (103 ft)B37°16′33.6″N 81°15′3.6″WFCC
WVBY91.7 FMBeckley7168910,400 W280 m (919 ft)B37°53′46″N 80°59′21″WFCC
WVDS89.5 FMPetersburg7165910,000 W321.9 m (1,056 ft)B39°12′7″N 79°16′31″WFCC
WVEP88.9 FMMartinsburg706433,600 W473 m (1,552 ft)B39°8′38″N 78°26′9″WFCC
WVKM106.7 FMMatewan670394,300 W229 m (751 ft)C337°36′49.0″N 82°11′22.0″WFCC
WVNP89.9 FMWheeling7165825,000 W152 m (499 ft)B40°12′58″N 80°33′31″WFCC
WVPB88.5 FMCharleston7060444,000 W134.2 m (440 ft)B38°22′34.3″N 81°39′24″WFCC
WVPG90.3 FMParkersburg706429,000 W98 m (322 ft)B139°12′44″N 81°35′30″WFCC
WVPM90.9 FMMorgantown706455,000 W439 m (1,440 ft)B39°41′45″N 79°45′45″WFCC
WVPW88.9 FMBuckhannon7168714,000 W259 m (850 ft)B39°2′4″N 80°33′47″WFCC
WVWS89.3 FMWebster Springs176879850 W265 m (869 ft)A38°35′46.4″N 80°23′54.4″WFCC
WVWV89.9 FMHuntington716568,100 W355 m (1,165 ft)B38°29′41″N 82°12′3″WFCC

One additional station broadcasts a partial schedule of WVPB programming:

Call sign Frequency City of license Facility ID ERP Height Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info Broadcast times
WSHC89.7 FMShepherdstown71678950 W1 m (3 ft)A39°25′51.6″N 77°48′18″WFCC6–9 a.m., 4–6 p.m. weekdays
6–10 a.m., 8 p.m.–midnight weekends[14][15]

Translators

In addition to five low-powered, separate-frequency translators, two low-powered boosters also extend coverage. Boosters are licensed on the same frequency as the parent station but at a different location. They are given the same callsign as the parent station with a number added to differentiate the transmitter site.

Broadcast translators of WVBY
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC info
W218AT91.5Union17387 m (1,270 ft)DFCC
W220BK91.9Logan10214 m (702 ft)DFCC
Broadcast translators of WVEP
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC info
WVEP-FM188.9Charles Town21063 m (207 ft)DFCC
Broadcast translators of WVNP
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC info
WVNP-FM189.9Wheeling41176 m (577 ft)DFCC
Broadcast translators of WVPB
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC info
W217CH91.7Williamson10256 m (840 ft)DFCC
Broadcast translators of WVPW
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC info
W203AE88.5Elkins10364 m (1,194 ft)DFCC
W297AA107.3Clarksburg95146.4 m (480 ft)DFCC

Website and online services

West Virginia Public Broadcasting maintains a website with West Virginia news and free access to original video and audio productions. It also provides its videos through its YouTube page.

WVPB also operates a free website with educational videos and games for teachers, parents and students called West Virginia LearningMedia, part of PBS LearningMedia.

References
  1. "West Virginia Public Broadcasting merges brands". The Montgomery Herald. Montgomery, West Virginia: Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  2. "Call Sign History (WVPB-TV)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  3. "Call Sign History (WNPB-TV)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  4. "West Virginia Public Broadcasting merges brands". Montgomery Herald. January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  5. Finn, Scott (June 1, 2016). "Educational Broadcasting Authority Approves Translator Plan". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  6. RabbitEars TV Query for WVPB
  7. RabbitEars TV Query for WSWP
  8. RabbitEars TV Query for WNPB
  9. Kabler, Phil (December 7, 2016). "WV public broadcasting to add PBS Kids". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  10. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  11. CDBS Print
  12. CDBS Print
  13. CDBS Print
  14. "WVPB, NPR Programs Now on WSHC 89.7 FM Shepherdstown". West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
  15. "Shepherd radio station adds NPR news show to schedule". Hagerstown Herald-Mail. 5 April 2018.
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