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
Channels
Programming
AffiliationsPBS (1970–present)
NPR (1973–present)
PRI
APM
BBC
APT
Ownership
OwnerWest Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
History
First air date
July 14, 1969 (1969-07-14)
NET (1969–1970)
Call sign meaning
See tables below
Technical information
Facility IDSee tables below
ERPSee tables below
HAATSee tables below
Transmitter coordinatesSee tables below
Links
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. Three directly repeat WNPB, one repeats WVPB and one repeats WSWP.

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.

The combined footprint of WVPB's television network covers almost all of West Virginia, as well as portions of Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. It is carried on the basic tier of all cable systems in West Virginia.

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[lower-alpha 1] Huntington
(Charleston)		 9 (VHF)
33		 July 14, 1969 (1969-07-14) West Virginia Public Broadcasting WMUL-TV
(1969–1981)
WPBY-TV
(1981–2015)		 23 kW 358.1 m (1,175 ft) 71657 38°29′41.3″N 82°12′2.5″W Public file
LMS
WSWP-TV Grandview
(Beckley/Bluefield)		 8 (VHF)
9		 November 1, 1970 (1970-11-01) Southern West Virginia Public Television 8.8 kW (STA)
29.9 kW (CP)		 280.1 m (919 ft) (STA)
292.6 m (960 ft) (CP)		 71680 37°53′46.4″N 80°59′20.3″W Public file
LMS
WNPB-TV Morgantown
(Clarksburg/Weston/
Fairmont)		 34 (UHF)
24		 February 23, 1969 (1969-02-23) (Northern) West Virginia Public Broadcasting WWVU-TV
(1969–1983)		 660 kW 448.1 m (1,470 ft) 71676 39°41′45″N 79°45′44″W Public file
LMS

Notes:

  1. Flagship station

Translators
City of license Callsign Translating Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates Owner
CedarvilleW28DR-D WSWP-TV 92810.1 kW185 m (607 ft)18158638°43′43.1″N 80°39′48.3″WWest Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
KeyserW16DT-D WNPB-TV 2416[5]15 kW24.4 m (80 ft)16735639°22′56.3″N 79°04′44.3″W
MartinsburgW27EE-D 270.3 kW271 m (889 ft)16735739°27′36.3″N 78°03′44″W
MoorefieldW22CV-D 220.095 kW4,631 m (15,194 ft)12770738°58′57.3″N 78°54′30″W
ParkersburgW34FE-D WVPB-TV 333415 kW129 m (423 ft)16735939°14′48.1″N 81°25′01″WValley TV Cooperative, Inc.
RomneyW21DZ-D WNPB-TV 2421260 m (853 ft)16735839°18′34.9″N 78°43′00.4″WWest Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
WheelingW17EF-D 17139 m (456 ft)16735440°03′41.3″N 80°45′07.3″W

W34FE-D (previously W51EG-D) has been silent since February 2020, when T-Mobile began using its spectrum for wireless services; it relocated to channel 34 effective October 6, 2022.

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.[6] 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 Short name Programming[7][8][9]
xx.11080i16:9WVPBSMain WVPB programming / PBS
xx.2WVPBS.2West Virginia Channel (6 p.m.–midnight)
World (midnight–6 p.m.)
xx.3480iWVPBS.3PBS Kids[10]

Analog-to-digital conversion

West Virginia Public Broadcasting's stations shut down their analog signals 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 channel allocations post-transition are as follows:[11]

  • WPBY-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 33; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 34.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14] 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 Class ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Transmitter coordinates
WVBY91.7 FMBeckley71689 B10,400280 m (920 ft)37°53′46″N 80°59′21″W
WVBL88.5 FMBluefield173309 B50,00031.5 m (103 ft)37°16′33.6″N 81°15′3.6″W
WVPW88.9 FMBuckhannon71687 B14,000259 m (850 ft)39°2′4″N 80°33′47″W
WVPB[lower-alpha 1]88.5 FMCharleston70604 B44,000134.2 m (440 ft)38°22′34.3″N 81°39′24″W
WVWV89.9 FMHuntington71656 B8,100355 m (1,165 ft)38°29′41″N 82°12′3″W
WVEP88.9 FMMartinsburg70643 B3,600473 m (1,552 ft)39°8′38″N 78°26′9″W
WVKM106.7 FMMatewan67039 C34,300229 m (751 ft)37°36′49.0″N 82°11′22.0″W
WVPM90.9 FMMorgantown70645 B5,000439 m (1,440 ft)39°41′45″N 79°45′45″W
WVPG90.3 FMParkersburg70642 B19,00098 m (322 ft)39°12′44″N 81°35′30″W
WVDS89.5 FMPetersburg71659 B10,000321.9 m (1,056 ft)39°12′7″N 79°16′31″W
WSHC[lower-alpha 2]89.7 FMShepherdstown71678 A950−3 m (−10 ft)39°25′51.6″N 77°48′18″W
WVWS89.3 FMWebster Springs176879 A850265 m (869 ft)38°35′46.4″N 80°23′54.4″W
WVNP89.9 FMWheeling71658 B25,000152 m (499 ft)40°12′58″N 80°33′31″W

Notes:

  1. Flagship station
  2. Owned by Shepherd University; broadcasts a partial schedule of WVPB programming: 6–9 a.m., 4–6 p.m. weekdays; 6–10 a.m., 8 p.m.–midnight weekends[15][16]

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.

Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license Facility ID Class ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Rebroadcasts
WVEP-FM188.9Charles Town161967 D21063 m (207 ft)WVEP (via booster)
W297AA107.3Clarksburg71684 D95146.4 m (480 ft)WVPW
W203AE88.5Elkins71686 D10364 m (1,194 ft)WVPW
W220BK91.9Logan81396 D10214 m (702 ft)WVBY
W218AT91.5Union70646 D17387 m (1,270 ft)WVBY
WVNP-FM189.9Wheeling161955 D41176 m (577 ft)WVNP (via booster)
W217CH91.7Williamson71664 D10256 m (840 ft)WVPB

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. "Request to Extend a LPTV Translator Engineering STA Application".
  6. Finn, Scott (June 1, 2016). "Educational Broadcasting Authority Approves Translator Plan". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  7. RabbitEars TV Query for WVPB
  8. RabbitEars TV Query for WSWP
  9. RabbitEars TV Query for WNPB
  10. Kabler, Phil (December 7, 2016). "WV public broadcasting to add PBS Kids". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  11. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  12. CDBS Print
  13. CDBS Print
  14. CDBS Print
  15. "WVPB, NPR Programs Now on WSHC 89.7 FM Shepherdstown". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 2 September 2017.
  16. "Shepherd radio station adds NPR news show to schedule". Hagerstown Herald-Mail. 5 April 2018.
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