WPPT (TV)

callsign	WPPT
branding	PBS 39 Extra
digital	9 (VHF), shared with WBPH-TV, WFMZ-TV and WLVT-TV‡R1R‡
virtual	35
affiliations	35.1: PBS 35.2: World
owner	Lehigh Valley Public Media‡R2R‡
licensee	Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation
location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
country	United States
airdate	June 10, 1990
former callsigns	WYBE (1990–2018)
callsign meaning	Pennsylvania Public Television
sister stations	WLVT-TV
former channel numbers	Analog: 35 (UHF, 1990–2009) Digital: 34 (UHF, 1998–2009), 35 (UHF, 2009–2018)
former affiliations	Educational Independent (1990–2018) MHz Worldview (2018–2020) 35.66: WNYJ-TV simulcast
erp	80.6 kW
haat	332.5 m
facility id	28480
coordinates	40.56444°N, -75.44°W
licensing authority	FCC
website	http://www.wppt.tv/

WPPT (channel 35) is a PBS member television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by Lehigh Valley Public Media alongside Allentown-licensed fellow PBS member WLVT-TV (channel 39). As WYBE, the station's transmitter was located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia; in 2018, it entered into a channel sharing agreement with Allentown-based independent station WFMZ-TV (channel 69) and began operating from WFMZ's transmitter on South Mountain near Allentown.

WYBE's main channel was previously carried in the New York City television market on the 66.4 digital subchannel of West Milford, New Jersey–licensed MHz WorldView affiliate WNYJ-TV.

History

Prior uses of channel 35 in Philadelphia

The UHF channel 35 allocation in Philadelphia was first used by WHYY-TV

WYBE

The current incarnation of channel 35 began broadcasting as WYBE on June 1, 1990, under the ownership of Independence Public Media of Philadelphia, Inc. (also known as Independence Media).

From 1998 to 2004, the organization was led by Sherri Hope Culver, formerly of the New Jersey Network (NJN). During this period, WYBE moved into a new facility; began operating a digital signal, and focused on original productions, such as Culture Trek (a series of three specials, followed U.S. teenagers as they pursued projects with local teens in Costa Rica, Ireland and Jamaica), The Neighbors Project and The Tolerance Project (which addressed race, sexual orientation and religion). The station also featured a nightly talk show, Philly Live, which was later restructured into five different talk shows: Gente (aimed at Hispanic audiences), Shades of Opinion (focusing on issues relevant to African-American community), Asian Outlook, Global Lens and Out Loud (focusing on LGBT issues). Most of WYBE's programs in this period were syndicated shows distributed by American Public Television (APT) and the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA); the weeknightly news discussion program Democracy Now! was also part of the program schedule. Several of these programs won national Telly Awards, Emmy nominations and a special screening at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The WYBE World Heritage Council Initiative supports Philadelphia's diverse ethnic communities, funded by the William Penn Foundation.

Since 2005, WYBE was led by Howard Blumenthal, who also served simultaneously as executive director of the New Jersey Network from 2009 to 2010.

MiND: Media Independence

On May 15, 2008, the station was rebranded as "MiND: Media Independence", which emphasized its schedule on short-form programs, often with a "public media for the public good" perspective. MiND became the first broadcast television station in the U.S. whose program stream was simultaneously available online and on broadcast television worldwide, in a form of an internet simulcast of its broadcast signal, and a library of programs available on-demand. Some WYBE programs are also available on the MHz Worldview network, which is seen on selected television stations and cable systems, as well as on satellite and the internet.

On April 13, 2017, Independence Public Media of Philadelphia, Inc. announced that it gave up its broadcast license as WYBE (channel 35), and would sign off the air on November 3, 2017. Independence Media, however, would continue to operate as a non-profit corporation.

On October 27, 2017, it was announced that WYBE would continue MiND 35.1, despite previous notices regarding termination of broadcast. Prior to its planned termination date, MiND TV went temporarily off air due to the equipment at the WYBE transmitter site having failed, according to the channel's website, but would be restored on November 1, 2017.

WPPT (TV)

History

Prior uses of channel 35 in Philadelphia

WYBE

MiND: Media Independence

MiND: Media Independence

WPPT

Programming

Technical information

Subchannels

Analog-to-digital conversion

See also

References