Network Knowledge

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WMEC / WQEC / WSEC
Macomb/Quincy/Jacksonville/Springfield, Illinois
Branding	Network Knowledge
Slogan	Watch and Learn.
Channels	22 / 27 / 14 (UHF) / 8(VHF) analog, 21 / 34 / 15 (UHF)(8 is low power, has no digital signal) digital
Affiliations	PBS
Owner	West Central Illinois Educational Telecommunications Corporation
Founded	1984/1985/1983
Former callsigns	WMEC: WIUM-TV (1984-1989) WSEC: WJPT (1983-1989)
Transmitter Power	195 kW/57.5 m(analogue) 85.5 kW/57.5 m (digital)
Website	http://www.networkknowledge.tv/

Network Knowledge is the brand name of West Central Illinois Educational Telecommunications Corporation, the not-for-profit organization that owns and operates public television stations in central and western Illinois. Before October 13, 2004; it used the name Convocom.

Network Knowledge owns and operates 3 regular noncommercial television stations and 1 translator station, all of which simulcast the same program feed:

Station	City	Analog Channel	Digital Channel	Callsign Meaning
WMEC	Macomb	22	21	Macomb EduCational
WQEC	Quincy	27	34	Quincy EduCational
WSEC	Jacksonville	14	15	Springfield EduCational
W08DP	Springfield	8

Network Knowledge also provides educational outreach through a network of volunteers, schools, hospitals and corporate partners in communities throughout central and western Illinois.

Network Knowledge produces a number of regularly-scheduled programs each month, including:

• The Ambassador Series (monthly; produced by Scott Troehler)
• Cardia (monthly; hosted by Mark McDonald & Dr. Gregory Mishkel; produced by Mark McDonald & Brent Barrow)
• CapitolView (weekly; hosted by Bernie Schoenburg and Kate Clements (rotating); produced by Scott Troehler)
• Illinois Stories (3x/week; produced & hosted by Mark McDonald)
• InLife (monthly; hosted by Becky Cramblit; produced by Scott Troehler & Becky Cramblit)
• Lawmakers (monthly; hosted by Mark McDonald; produced by Scott Troehler)
• The Smart Patient (monthly; hosted by Dawn Torchia; produced by Brent Barrow & Dawn Torchia)

Special programming has included

• Making Conversation (produced by Brent Barrow)
• Expedition United Kingdom (hosted by Becky Cramblit, produced by Scott Troehler)

[edit] History

The first station in the network, WJPT, signed on in August 1983. The station was originally supposed to sign on in 1979, using the tower of defunct ABC affiliate WJJY-TV. The transmitter broadcast at 4.5 million watts, which would have made WJPT one of the most powerful stations in the PBS system. However, the tower collapsed in a massive 1978 ice storm. With little money to build a more powerful tower, WJPT was forced to build a tiny (by modern television standards) 339-foot tower, broadcasting at a mere 28,000 watts. As a result, despite nominally being Springfield's PBS member station, it was virtually unviewable over the air in that city.

WIUM in Macomb and WQEC in Quincy would follow during 1984-1985.

Originally a consortium of Western Illinois University and Quincy University, the stations were taken over by the West Central Illinois Educational Telecommunications Corporation in 1989. At that time, WJPT became WSEC, while WIUM became WMEC. A 1,400 watt translator was built at Springfield in 1998. Originally broadcasting on channel 65, it moved to channel 8 in 2001.

Although WMEC appears to be the main station, the network is headquartered in Springfield.

[edit] External links

• "WSEC to be called Network Knowledge" - from the Herald & Review (Decatur, Illinois)
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WMEC
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WQEC
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WSEC
• Query the FCC's TV station database for W08DP

Broadcast television in the Champaign-Urbana/Decatur/Springfield market  (Nielsen DMA #82)
WCIA 3 (CBS) - WSIU 8 / WUSI 16 (PBS) - WILL 12 (PBS) - WSEC 14 (PBS) - WICD 15 / WICS 20 (ABC) - WAND 17 (NBC) - WBUI 23 (The CW) - W29BG/W34DL 34 (TBN) - WBXC 46 (MTV2) - WCFN 49 (MNTV) - WEIU 51 (PBS) - WRSP 55 / WCCU 27 (Fox)
Defunct stations:
WJJY 14 (ABC)