WKYU-TV
 | |
| Bowling Green, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WKU PBS |
| Slogan | Western's Public Broadcasting |
| Channels |
Digital: 18 (UHF) Virtual: 24 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | PBS |
| Owner | Western Kentucky University |
| First air date | January 15, 1989 |
| Call letters' meaning |
Western KentuckY University |
| Former channel number(s) | 24 (UHF analog, 1989-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 61 kW |
| Height | 176.9 m |
| Facility ID | 71861 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 37°3′49″N 86°26′7″W / 37.06361°N 86.43528°W |
| Website | www.wkyupbs.org/ |
WKYU-TV is a PBS member station licensed to and serving Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is owned and operated by Western Kentucky University, and is an arm of WKU's Information Technology department. Its transmitter is located 6 miles (10 km) north of Bowling Green along KY 185, sharing the tower with ABC affiliate WBKO.[1] Its studio and broadcasting facility is located at 1906 College Heights Boulevard on the WKU campus alongside sister National Public Radio network, WKU Public Radio and flagship station WKYU-FM.
History
WKYU-TV signed on for the first time on January 15, 1989. It was the second PBS member in Kentucky that was not aligned with the PBS-member statewide network Kentucky Educational Television (which has operated a repeater in Bowling Green, WKGB-TV channel 53 (digital channel 48), since 1968); the first was Louisville's WKPC-TV. KET acquired WKPC in 1998. It is one of the smallest standalone stations in the PBS system. After KET's 1998 acquisition of WKPC in Louisville, WKYU became the only PBS station in Kentucky not affiliated with KET, and WKYU competes with KET for viewing allegiances.
WKYU-TV shut down its analog signal on February 17, 2009 as part of the FCC-mandated nationwide digital transition, even though the DTV transition deadline was moved to June 12 of that year.[2] The digital signal, which began operation in 2003, continued to be broadcast on its pre-transition channel 18, but through the use of PSIP, viewers see it displayed as virtual channel 24, the station's former analog channel number.
In 2010, WKYU-TV began airing the Create TV channel that is syndicated by American Public Television on their second digital-subchannel, replacing the audio-only simulcast of WKYU-FM, WKU Public Radio. Around the same time, WKYU-DT3 began featuring the National Weather Service Fort Campbell weather radar on the screen, and simulcasting NOAA Weather Radio station KIH-45, which operates on 162.400 MHz on the weather band radio dial. It was also previously simulcast on a fourth digital sub-channel before the fourth subchannel was discontinued in late 2010. After years of branding as "WKYU-TV" or "WKYU-PBS" for most of its history, it rebranded as "WKU-PBS" in 2013, using the university's logo along with the PBS icon.
Programming
WKYU-TV's program schedule consists mainly of PBS programs as well as programs syndicated by American Public Television. Its program schedule for the day is posted in "Community Calendar" powerpoint slides shown during downtime from 12 Midnight to 7:00 a.m. CT.
On WKYU-DT2 (virtual channel 24.2), the Create TV channel features how-to programs and some cooking and travel shows. The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer is shown at 7:00 p.m. weeknights on channel 24.2. WKYU-TV occasionally airs some Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football and basketball games that don't appear on regular over-the-air regional or national commercial sports networks. The games are broadcast under a banner called "Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network." Some of WKU's games may be shown via Sinclair Broadcasting-operated American Sports Network's Conference USA syndication package beginning in Fall 2014.
WKYU-TV also occasionally broadcasts replays of WKU student-produced 6pm newscasts originating from WKU Cable 12, named "NewsChannel 12," just before signing off and switching to Community Calendar mode.[3][4]
The "Community Calendar" slides play from 12 to 7 a.m. CT.
Digital television
The station's digital signal is multiplexed, and all three services transmit in 480i standard definition:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name |
Programming[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.1 | 480i | 4:3 | WKYU-DT | Main WKYU Programming / PBS American Sports Network (occasional broadcasts, seasonal) |
| 24.2 | 4:3 | WKYU-CR | Create | |
| 24.3 | 4:3 | WKYU-WX | National Weather Service Weather radar image from Fort Campbell (link) with NOAA WX Radio KIH45 audio (162.400 MHz). |
Availability
In addition to their digital terrestrial signal on digital UHF channel 18, WKYU-TV can also be seen on Dish Network channel 24, and on Time Warner Cable channels 11 (SD) and 917 (HD).[6] In Glasgow, it is also seen on South Central Rural Telephone Cooperative (SCRTC) cable channel 24,[7] as well as on Glasgow Electric Plant Board cable channels 24 (SD) and 540 (HD).[8][9]
References
- ↑ http://rabbitears.info/tower.php?request=site&asrn=1048806
- ↑ Associated Press (February 17, 2009). TV stations ending analog service on Feb. 17. NBC News. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ↑ Student Media WKU.edu. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ NewsChannel 12 | Where Commitment Makes The Difference Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WKYU-TV
- ↑ Time Warner Cable - Channel Lineup for Bowling Green
- ↑ SCRTC Channel Lineup for Barren, Metcalfe, and Hart Counties (2015)
- ↑ Glasgow EPB Basic Cable Lineup
- ↑ Glasgow EPB Digital Cable Lineup
External links
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