WLJT-DT

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WLJT-DT
The words "West TN" in a slightly thinner blue font next to the PBS network logo.
CityLexington, Tennessee
Channels
BrandingWest TN PBS
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerWest Tennessee Public Television Council, Inc.
History
First air date
February 13, 1968 (56 years ago) (1968-02-13)
Former call signs
WLJT (1968–2010)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 11 (VHF (1968–2009)
  • Digital: 47 (UHF, 2004–2018)
NET (1968–1970)
Call sign meaning
Lexington Jackson Tennessee
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID71645
ERP142 kW
HAAT205 m (673 ft)
Transmitter coordinates35°42′12″N 88°36′10″W / 35.70333°N 88.60278°W / 35.70333; -88.60278
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.westtnpbs.org

WLJT-DT (channel 11), branded on-air as West TN PBS, is a PBS member television station licensed to Lexington, Tennessee, United States, serving western and northwestern Tennessee. The station is owned by the West Tennessee Public Television Council and maintains studios in Martin on rented space at the University of Tennessee at Martin; its transmitter is located on U.S. Route 412 midway between Jackson and Lexington.

WLJT began broadcasting in 1968. Built as one of four educational stations under the control of the Tennessee Department of Education, it almost exclusively rebroadcast WKNO in Memphis. In 1981, studios were established at UT–Martin, allowing for the station to begin local programming. That same year, the state began the process to spin WLJT out to community control. The station's local programming focuses on sports and community events in rural West Tennessee.

History[edit]

State ownership[edit]

In 1953, officials with the Tennessee Educational Television Commission requested the assignment of several channels across the state for noncommercial educational use, including channel 11 at Lexington, in addition to existing assignments for Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.[2] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the assignments in March 1954.[3] In 1965, the Tennessee Department of Education filed with the FCC for a construction permit and with the federal government to request a grant to cover construction costs. The station would serve 553,000 people, including 137,000 schoolchildren.[4] The station would not have associated studios but initially serve to repeat Memphis educational station WKNO (channel 10).[5]

The grant and construction permit were received in April 1966.[6] Construction work had begun in earnest by June 1967,[7] and WLJT began operations on February 13, 1968.[8][9] It rebroadcast WKNO with extremely limited local programming;[10] while it broadcast on weekdays in 1977,[11] it did not do so in 1978, leaving the local cable system to carry WKNO itself.[10]

Community ownership[edit]

In 1980, controversy over programming at WSJK-TV in Sneedville led to scrutiny of the state educational television system, which had grown to four state-owned stations plus WKNO and WDCN in Nashville, which were community-owned. One of the two reports suggested that WLJT be sold to WKNO;[12] the other recommended spinning out all of the stations in the system to community licensees.[13] After WKNO expressed no interest,[14] the state chose the latter option when legislators passed and Governor Lamar Alexander signed the Tennessee Educational Television Network Act of 1981,[15] This legislation provided for the transfer of the four Department of Education-owned stations to community entities by 1986.[16][17]

In August 1981, the West Tennessee Public Television Council was formed, and WLJT began local programming from studios at UT–Martin.[14] This also added hands-on experience opportunities to UT–Martin's broadcasting program.[18] In 1982, the second year of local content, it produced 101 hours of its own programming. In April 1984, the spin-off was completed, and the station began on-air fundraising efforts.[19] In addition to typical PBS programming, WLJT aired local sports and a regional country music show as part of its local output.[20] In 1993, engineering operations were able to move to Martin when a new master and remote control facility opened at the studios.[21]

WLJT began digital broadcasting on channel 47 on February 20, 2004,[21] and discontinued analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009.[22] The station continued to broadcast on channel 47, using virtual channel 11,[23] until being repacked to channel 27 as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction on August 10, 2018; channel 14 had been originally assigned.[24]

Funding[edit]

In fiscal year 2022, WLJT generated $1.72 million in revenue. Nearly half of that came in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, while $467,000 came from state agencies. The station's 892 members contributed $75,000 in funding.[25]

Local programming[edit]

In 2022, WLJT broadcast 23+1⁄2 hours (12 on broadcast, 11+1⁄2 online) of local community events.[26]

Subchannels[edit]

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WLJT[27]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
11.1 1080i 16:9 WLJT-HD Main WLJT-DT programming / PBS
11.2 480i WLJT-DT PBS Kids
11.3 4:3 Create

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WLJT-DT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "More Educational TV Stations for State Proposed". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. United Press. November 28, 1953. p. 12. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Sneedville, Cookeville Get Educational TV". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. March 19, 1954. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "State Files Application For Educational TV Booster". The Leaf-Chronicle. Associated Press. October 20, 1965. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Casey, James (May 20, 1965). "Area TV Scope To Be Widened". The Jackson Sun. pp. 1, 11. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "$228,338 Granted For TV Station At Lexington". The Jackson Sun. April 1, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "New ETV Station To Open In Fall". The Jackson Sun. June 20, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "ETV Facility Sets Program Tests". The Jackson Sun. Associated Press. February 6, 1968. p. 7. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "ETV Reception Studied". The Jackson Sun. February 22, 1968. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Why are both educational television stations..." The Jackson Sun. March 30, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Mercer, Michael (September 23, 1977). "Alternative Programming On Public TV". The Jackson Sun. pp. Leisure 1, 2. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Lyons, David (July 10, 1980). "Knox Educational-TV Transmitter Urged". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Drop Educational TV Network, Panel Advises State". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. Associated Press. April 11, 1980. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b Tanzer Roberts, Sue Ann (August 19, 1981). "WLJT-TV to initiate local programming". The Jackson Sun. p. 1B. Retrieved June 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Locker, Richard (September 7, 1983). "Residents Seek Ownership of WLJT". The Commercial Appeal. p. A3. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Karnes, Lloyd H. (April 3, 1981). "State Senate passes bill on educational television". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "State budget on House floor, Senate finance committee". The Daily News-Journal. Associated Press. May 17, 1981. p. 8A. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Siegel, Stephanie (June 24, 1986). "Public gives UT at Martin high ranking". The Jackson Sun. pp. 1A, 8A. Retrieved June 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Roberts, Bill (February 5, 1984). "WLJT struggles for identity, dollars". The Jackson Sun. p. 1B. Retrieved June 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Visser, Steve (December 26, 1987). "Area public TV earns its place: Coverage of community events boosts WLJT support, funds". The Jackson Sun. p. 7A. Retrieved June 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ a b "History and Mission". West TN PBS. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "List of TV stations ending analog broadcasts". NBC News. Associated Press. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  23. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  24. ^ "FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table" (CSV). Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  25. ^ "Annual Financial Report 2022". West TN PBS. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  26. ^ "Local Content and Service Report". West TN PBS. 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  27. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WLJT". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-08-23.

External links[edit]

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