Blue Ridge PBS

Blue Ridge PBS
southwestern Virginia

Branding	Blue Ridge PBS
Slogan	Your Community Resource for Lifelong Learning
Channels	Digital: see chart
Affiliations	PBS
Owner	Blue Ridge Public Television, Inc.
Founded	August 1, 1967
Former channel number(s)	Analog: WBRA-TV: 15 (UHF, 1967-2009) WSBN-TV: 47 (UHF, 1971-2009) WMSY-TV: 52 (UHF, 1981-2009)
Former affiliations	NET (1967-1970)
Website	www.blueridgepbs.org/

Blue Ridge PBS is the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member Public television station for western Virginia. It serves the Roanoke/Lynchburg and Tri-Cities markets from studios in Roanoke.

The primary station, WBRA-TV (channel 15) in Roanoke, signed on for the first time on August 1, 1967, originally affiliated with the National Educational Television (NET), before that organization was replaced by PBS in 1970.

Over the years, WBRA established two satellite transmitters -- WSBN-TV (channel 47) in Norton was activated in 1971 and WMSY-TV (channel 52) in Marion began operations in 1981. WSBN brought a city-grade PBS signal to the Tri-Cities for the first time.

In the 1980s, WBRA began identifying on-air as Blue Ridge Public Television, due of its location near the Blue Ridge Mountains. On February 19, 2007, it changed its on-air name to Blue Ridge PBS though WBRA remains the official call sign.

Stations

Station	City of license	Channels TV / DT	First air date	ERP	HAAT	Facility ID	Transmitter Coordinates
WBRA-TV	Roanoke	15 (PSIP) 3 (VHF)	August 1, 1967	9.8 kW	618 m	5981
WSBN-TV¹	Norton	47 (PSIP) 32 (UHF)	March 30, 1971	100 kW	591 m	5985
WMSY-TV	Marion	52 (PSIP) 42 (UHF)	August 1, 1981	100 kW	448 m	5982

Note:

1. WSBN-TV used the callsign WSVN-TV from its 1971 sign-on to 1981; there is no connection between this station and the current WSVN, a FOX affiliate in Miami, Florida.

Digital television

WBRA-TV, WSBN-TV and WMSY-TV broadcast a multiplexed digital signal:

Sub-channel	Video	Programming
x.1	1080i	Main Blue Ridge PBS programming / PBS
x.2	480i	SD simulcast of x.1
x.3	480i	PBS World

External links

Broadcast television in Roanoke/Lynchburg area

Local stations	WDRG-LP 2 (TBN) • WDBJ (7.1 CBS, 7.2 MNTV) • WSLS (10.1 NBC, 10.2 WX, 10.3 Me-TV) • WSET (13.1 ABC, 13.2 RTN) • WBRA (15.1 PBS-HD, 15.2 PBS, 15.3 World) • WWCW (21.1 CW, 21.2 Fox) • WEFC (24.1 IND) • WFXR (27.1 Fox, 27.2 CW) • WPXR (38.1 Ion, 38.2 qubo, 38.3 Life) • WYAT-LP 40 (IND) • WMDV-LD 44.1, 44.2, 44.3, 44.4 • WTLU-CA (50 Analog, 43.1 & 43.2 Digital) (Religious)

Defunct stations	WRFT 27 (ABC) • WROV-TV 27 (IND)

Virginia Broadcast television: Bristol • Bluefield • Charlottesville • Hampton Roads • Harrisonburg • Richmond • Roanoke • Washington, DC

Broadcast television in the Tri-Cities of Tennessee and Virginia, including Bristol, VA-TN, Johnson City and Kingsport

Local stations	WETP (2.1 PBS, 2.2 World, 2.3 Create) • WCYB (5.1 NBC, 5.2 The CW) • WOPI-CA 9 (RTV) • WJHL (11.1 CBS, 11.2 Me-TV, 11.3 Weather) • WKPT (19.1 ABC, 19.2 MNTV, 19.3 RTV) • WAPK-CA 36 (MNTV) • WEMT (39.1 Fox) • WSBN 47 / WMSY 52 (x.1 PBS-HD, x.2 PBS, x.3 World) • WLFG 68 / WAGV 44 (IND)

Adjacent locals	Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television WVVA 6 (NBC) • WDBJ 7 (CBS) • WBIR 10 (NBC) • WLOS 13 (ABC) • WUNE 17/WUNF 33 (PBS/UNC-TV) • WKPI 22/WKHA 35 (PBS/KET) • WYMT 57 (CBS)

Tennessee Broadcast television: Chattanooga • Huntsville, AL • Jackson • Knoxville • Memphis • Nashville • Paducah, KY • Tri-Cities Virginia Broadcast television: Bristol • Bluefield • Charlottesville • Hampton Roads • Harrisonburg • Richmond • Roanoke • Washington, DC

PBS Member Stations in the Commonwealth of Virginia

WBRA 15 / WSBN 47 / WMSY 52 (Roanoke / Norton / Marion) - WHRO 15 (Hampton) - WCVE 23 / WCVW 57 / WHTJ 41 (Richmond / Charlottesville) - WETA 26 (Arlington / Washington, DC) - WVPT 51 / WVPY 42 (Staunton / Front Royal)

See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, ION, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in Virginia

Public broadcasting in the United States

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Radio syndicators	National Public Radio · Public Radio International · American Public Media/APM Group · Pacifica Radio

Terrestrial television	Public Broadcasting Service · American Public Television

Cable and satellite	Link TV · Free Speech TV · Create · Classic Arts Showcase · DOC: The Documentary Channel · PBS World · Pentagon Channel · MHz Worldview/MHz Networks · SCOLA · PBS HD Channel · PBS-X · V-Me

Regional networks	Alabama Public Television · AlaskaOne · Arkansas Educational Television Network · Blue Ridge PBS · Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation · Connecticut Public Broadcasting (Radio, Television) · East Tennessee PBS · Georgia Public Broadcasting · Idaho Public Television · Iowa Public Television · Kentucky Educational Television · KWCM-TV · Louisiana Public Broadcasting · Maine Public Broadcasting Network · Maryland Public Television · Milwaukee Public Television · Mississippi Public Broadcasting · Nebraska Educational Telecommunications · Network Knowledge · New Hampshire Public Television · New Jersey Network · Northern California Public Broadcasting · Oklahoma Educational Television Authority · Oregon Public Broadcasting · Pennsylvania Public Television Network · Prairie Public Television · Rocky Mountain PBS · Smoky Hills Public Television · South Carolina Educational Television · South Dakota Public Broadcasting · Southern Oregon Public Television · Twin Cities Public Television · UNC-TV · Vermont Public Television · WAMC Northeast Public Radio · WCMU-FM · WCMU-TV · West Virginia Public Broadcasting · Wisconsin Public Television · WXXI Public Broadcasting Council · Wyoming PBS

Local non-commercial independents	K07UF · K35DG-CA · KCET-TV · KRSC-TV · KUEN · MHz Networks · W06BD · W07BP-D · W40CN-D · WBEC-TV · WLMF-LP · WNYE-TV · WPDS-LD · WYBE