| KWCM: Appleton, Minnesota KSMN: Worthington, Minnesota |
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|---|---|
| Branding | Pioneer Public Television |
| Slogan | Proudly Serving (area town) |
| Channels | Digital: KWCM: 10 (VHF) Virtual: 10 (PSIP) Digital: KSMN: 15 (UHF) Virtual: 20 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 10/20.1 PBS (Pioneer HD) 10/20.2 PBS (Create) 10/20.3 PBS (MN Channel) 10/20.4 PBS (Pioneer SD) |
| Translators | K30AF 30 Alexandria K45EH 45 Jackson K49FA 49 Fergus Falls K60AD 60 Windom K45IX 45 Frost |
| Affiliations | PBS |
| Owner | West Central Minnesota Educational Television Company |
| First air date | KWCM: January 21, 1966[1] KSMN: March 2, 1997 |
| Call letters' meaning |
KWCM: Southern MiNnesota |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: KWCM: 10 (1966-2009) KSMN: 20 (1997-2009) Digital: KWCM: 31 |
| Former affiliations | NET (1966-1970) |
| Transmitter power |
KWCM: 200 kW (digital) |
| Height |
KWCM: 290.1 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | KWCM: 71549 KSMN: 71558 |
| Transmitter coordinates | KWCM: KSMN: |
| Website | www.pioneer.org |
KWCM-TV is the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member Public television station for southwest and west-central Minnesota. The station is licensed to the town of Appleton, and airs on digital channel 10, which is also its virtual channel. It operates a full-time satellite, KSMN-TV (digital channel 15, virtual channel 20) in Worthington. It is operated by the West Central Minnesota Educational Television Company.
Together, the two stations are known as Pioneer Public Television. Signals from the stations can also be received in parts of Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. Several other translators carry the signal into other communities.
KWCM went on the air for the first time on February 7, 1966. In the early years, it repeated the signal of KTCA-TV in the Twin Cities. It adopted the Pioneer Public Television name in 1982, and added KSMN in 1997. The station was completely ignored by TV Guide until the mid-1990s; it wasn't listed in the Minnesota State Edition until 1995.
Although Appleton is part of the Twin Cities market, KWCM is not available on the Twin Cities DirecTV or Dish Network feeds. However, KSMN is available on the Sioux Falls DirecTV and Dish Network feeds, as Worthington is part of the Sioux Falls market. KWCM is currently working on making its signal available to satellite subscribers in the Twin Cities market.[2]
KWCM and KSMN's broadcasts are now digital-only, effective 9pm June 12, 2009.[3]
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Some locally-produced shows include Prairie Sportsman, Funtime Polka, Your Legislators, Country Spires and programs produced with the University of Minnesota Morris, Prairie Yard and Garden, Academic Challenge, Echoes of Cry of the Marsh and Minnesota Rivers and Fields. Some of these shows have also been shown on the Minnesota Channel, a statewide network originated at KTCI 17 Twin Cities which carries local programs on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
In addition to its two primary transmitters, Pioneer Public TV also uses a network of broadcast translators to carry its signal:
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