| Cocoa / Orlando, Florida | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WBCC TV WUCF |
| Channels | Digital: 30 (UHF) Virtual: 68 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | (see article) |
| Affiliations | PBS (since 2002) |
| Owner | Brevard Community College (digital subchannels 68.1 and 68.3 leased to the University of Central Florida |
| First air date | June 18, 1987 |
| Call letters' meaning | Brevard Community College |
| Former callsigns | WRES (1987-1992) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 18 (1987-1992) 68 (1992-2008) |
| Former affiliations | educational independent (1987-2002) |
| Transmitter power | 300 kW |
| Height | 491 m |
| Facility ID | 6744 |
| Website | www.wbcctv.org www.wucftv.org |
WBCC is a PBS member station serving the Orlando television market. It broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 30, and serves as the sole PBS affiliate in the Central Florida television market.
In addition to the full PBS schedule, WBCC also offers programming from Brevard Community College (channel 68.2) and the University of Central Florida (channel 68.3). On May 26, 2011, it was announced that WBCC would replace WMFE-TV as Central Florida's primary PBS outlet as WUCF-TV, a joint venture between UCF and Brevard Community College (BCC); the new service began July 1, 2011.
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WBCC began on June 18, 1987 as WRES on channel 18. In 1992, the station changed its call letters to WBCC and swapped channel positions with commercial WKCF, moving to channel 68. It was originally an educational independent. On January 1, 2002, the station became a secondary PBS member station, showing some limited programming from the network. By that April, renovations began to accommodate WBCC-DT channel 30, which took to the air on November 4, 2003.[1]
Until the Summer of 2010 BPS-TV, the educational channel of Brevard Public Schools, had originated and was broadcast from the studios of WBCC, broadcasting on subchannel 68.3 -- since then, BPS-TV became available only on cable.
Prior to July 2011, WMFE-TV offered primary PBS service to Central Florida beginning in 1965. In Fall 2010, WMFE indicated that they were facing financial hardships that had led to furloughs.[2][3] On April 1, 2011, WMFE announced that it was selling the station and leaving PBS due to these financial difficulties and "critical uncertainties in federal and state funding".[4]
When news spread of the sale, a campaign was undertaken by local residents and students at UCF to try and keep an active PBS station in the Orlando market.[5][6] On May 26, 2011, the UCF Board of Trustees approved a partnership with BCC to create WUCF-TV, the new primary PBS station for Central Florida, broadcasting using the facilities and licence of WBCC.[7] On June 2, PBS approved the creation of WUCF and announced that it would become Central Florida's primary PBS channel.[8] The new station serves as the Orlando market's only PBS station, as WDSC-TV in Daytona Beach left PBS on July 1, concurrent with WMFE's departure from PBS and the launch of WUCF.[9]
WUCF-TV currently airs PBS programming, such as NewsHour and Nova, and has plans to add local content and university-related programs.[10]The station will also air seven hours of PBS Kids daily.[11] However, as of recently, the station currently airs a full twelve hours of PBS Kids just as WUCF's predecessor, WMFE had done.
WUCF's digital channel is multiplexed, airing PBS-HD programming. The WBCC branding continues as a subchannel of WUCF-TV, with programming related to Brevard Community College and Brevard County, while UCF-TV continues as a service of UCF, offering original content, such as university sporting events, as well as partnership programs.[12]
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | Main WBCC/WUCF programming / PBS |
| 68.2 | 480i | 4:3 | WBCC |
| 68.3 | UCF-TV | ||
| 68.4 | WBCC+ (Florida Channel) |
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