WCMZ-TV

WCMZ-TV was a PBS member television station serving Flint and surrounding communities in southeastern Michigan. The station operated on UHF channel 28 and was initially established as WFUM by the University of Michigan–Flint, signing on August 23, 1980. Its launch addressed a significant gap in over-the-air public television coverage in the Flint area, which had previously depended largely on cable carriage of PBS stations from other Michigan and Ohio markets. During its first era, the station developed a local identity under the name Michigan Television while remaining affiliated with PBS. Its programming included locally produced public-affairs, educational, and cultural material, including Passing Through and High School Challenge. WFUM also carried coverage of Flint’s Crim Festival of Races for many years, making the event one of its most recognizable local programming commitments. In 2008, programs associated with the station received nine regional Emmy Awards from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The station was also notable technologically: it became the first PBS member station in Michigan and the first television station in the Flint–Tri-Cities market to broadcast exclusively in digital form. In 2002, the University of Michigan reorganized its media assets, including WFUM, under Michigan Public Media, which reported to the Ann Arbor campus. In April 2009, the university announced that it intended to discontinue operation of the television station. Central Michigan University subsequently approved a proposal to acquire WFUM for a maximum purchase price of $1 million. The transfer was designed to expand CMU Public Television’s reach while preserving public television access in the Flint region. Beginning January 15, 2010, the station repeated programming from WCMU-TV in Mount Pleasant through a microwave relay arrangement involving facilities at Mott Community College. The Federal Communications Commission approved the license transfer in March 2010, and CMU completed the takeover in May. The call sign changed from WFUM-TV to WCMZ-TV. Under CMU ownership, WCMZ-TV functioned primarily as a satellite of WCMU-TV rather than as an independently programmed station. CMU stated that it would continue to reflect Flint-area events and issues and develop programming originating in the region, but the station’s principal role was to relay the broader WCMU Public Television service. Former WFUM facilities at the University of Michigan–Flint later became a newsroom and satellite studio for WFUM Radio, an all-news NPR affiliate. Central Michigan University ultimately determined that the station’s spectrum was more valuable than continued local over-the-air transmission. On February 8, 2017, CMU announced that WCMZ-TV had been sold in the FCC spectrum auction, citing the availability of other PBS services through neighboring over-the-air stations and pay-TV systems. WCMZ-TV ceased broadcasting on April 23, 2018, and its license was canceled the following day. WCMU programming continued to be available to many viewers in the former service area through cable and satellite distribution, but WCMZ-TV itself no longer operates.

WCMZ-TV originated as WFUM, a public television station established by the University of Michigan–Flint. It signed on August 23, 1980, on UHF channel 28, at a time when Flint was among the Michigan communities without a locally transmitted PBS station. Residents generally received PBS programming through cable systems carrying WCMU-TV, WDCQ-TV, WTVS, WKAR-TV, or WGTE-TV. The new station therefore served both a practical distribution purpose and a civic role by giving Flint a local public television outlet. WFUM initially used its call letters in station promotion and later developed the on-air identity Michigan Television. Its schedule combined PBS programming with locally produced material. Programs associated with the station included Passing Through, hosted by Karen Sherrin, and High School Challenge, hosted by Jim Gaver. WFUM also broadcast the Crim Festival of Races from its launch through 2007. The race coverage ended after the producer retired and the cost of continuing the production became too high. In 2008, several WFUM productions, including Childhood Places, Secret Spaces, received a total of nine regional Emmy Awards from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The station underwent major technical changes during the digital transition. WFUM discontinued regular analog programming on November 19, 2008, and resumed service several days later using its digital facilities. Its digital channel moved from pre-transition UHF channel 52 to UHF channel 28, the station’s former analog channel, because channels 52 through 69 were removed from television broadcasting use. WFUM was described as the first PBS member station in Michigan and the first Flint–Tri-Cities television station to operate exclusively in digital form. Institutionally, the station became part of Michigan Public Media in 2002, when the University of Michigan moved its media properties into an organization reporting to the university’s Ann Arbor campus. The University of Michigan announced in April 2009 that it planned to discontinue operation of WFUM-TV. Central Michigan University’s board approved a purchase proposal later that year. The acquisition was intended to preserve a public television presence in Flint while extending the reach of WCMU-TV, CMU’s Mount Pleasant-licensed PBS station. CMU began operating the station at 1:00 a.m. on January 15, 2010, and at that point WFUM began repeating WCMU programming. The signal was delivered from WCMU’s Mount Pleasant studios to the Flint-area transmitter through a microwave relay that used facilities at Mott Community College. The FCC approved the license transfer on March 16, 2010, and CMU formally completed the transaction on May 18. The call sign then changed to WCMZ-TV. Although the station became primarily a WCMU satellite, CMU said that it intended to include Flint-area events and issues in its programming and to develop programming originating from the region. The former WFUM television studios in the William L. White Building at the University of Michigan–Flint later became a newsroom and satellite studio for WFUM Radio, an all-news NPR affiliate. WCMZ-TV’s transmitter site, located near Kipp Road and M-15 south of Goodrich in southeastern Genesee County, was also associated with the former sister radio station. In 2017, CMU elected to sell WCMZ-TV’s spectrum in the FCC incentive auction. The university cited the availability of other PBS member stations, including WDCQ-TV and services from Detroit and Lansing, as well as cable and satellite distribution of WCMU programming. The announced auction proceeds were $14,163,505. WCMZ-TV stopped transmitting on April 23, 2018, and the FCC canceled its license on April 24. The station consequently became a defunct public television brand, while WCMU programming remained available to many viewers through multichannel providers.

• 2018

  Station closes

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCMZ-TV ends broadcasting on April 23, and its license is canceled the following day.

• 2017

  Spectrum sold in FCC auction

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CMU announces the sale of WCMZ-TV’s spectrum for $14,163,505.

• 2010

  CMU assumes operations

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CMU begins operating the station as a satellite of WCMU-TV and later completes the license transfer.

• 2010

  WFUM becomes WCMZ-TV

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station changes its call sign after the transfer to Central Michigan University.

• 2009

  CMU approves acquisition proposal

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Central Michigan University approves a proposal to purchase WFUM for a maximum price of $1 million.

• 2008

  Digital-only operation begins

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WFUM discontinues regular analog broadcasting and returns using its digital channel on UHF 28.

• 2008

  Regional Emmy recognition

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WFUM programs receive nine regional Emmy Awards from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

• 2002

  WFUM becomes part of Michigan Public Media

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The University of Michigan moves its media assets, including WFUM, into Michigan Public Media under the Ann Arbor campus.

• 1980

  WFUM signs on

  [1]WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The University of Michigan–Flint launches WFUM on UHF channel 28, introducing an over-the-air PBS service to the Flint area.

A nonprofit public television service focused on educational, cultural, and community programming for Flint and southeastern Michigan audiences.

• Public television · 1980

  PBS programming service

  The station’s core offering was a PBS member television service combining national public television programming with locally relevant educational, cultural, and public-affairs content. After the 2010 ownership change, the service primarily relayed programming from WCMU-TV in Mount Pleasant.

• Local television production · 1980

  Local Flint-area programming

  During the WFUM era, the station produced or presented programs tied to local communities and regional interests. Notable examples included Passing Through, High School Challenge, and coverage of the Crim Festival of Races. Later, CMU stated that Flint-area events and issues would remain part of its broader public television service.

• Broadcast transmission · 2008

  Digital broadcast television

  WFUM converted its transmission facilities during the digital television transition and operated exclusively in digital form, using UHF channel 28 after its pre-transition digital assignment on channel 52 was displaced by federal spectrum reallocation.

• 1980Crim Festival of Races coverage

  Flint, Michigan

  WFUM broadcast the Crim Festival of Races from its launch through 2007, giving the Flint community recurring local event coverage and making the race a recognizable part of the station’s identity.

  Outcome. Coverage ended in 2007 after the producer retired and production costs were considered too high.

  Source

• 2017

  CMU sells WCMZ-TV spectrumStrategy

  Background

  CMU cited overlapping PBS availability from nearby stations and continued access to WCMU programming through cable and satellite providers.

  Action taken

  The university sold WCMZ-TV’s broadcast spectrum in the FCC incentive auction.

  Aftermath

  WCMZ-TV ceased broadcasting on April 23, 2018, and its FCC license was canceled the next day.

  FCC spectrum-auction proceeds. $14,163,505 (Announced February 2017)

  Source

• 2010

  WFUM is converted into a WCMU satelliteStrategy

  Background

  CMU sought to integrate the acquired Flint station into its Mount Pleasant-based public television network.

  Action taken

  The station began repeating WCMU-TV programming through a microwave relay and changed its call sign to WCMZ-TV after the transfer.

  Aftermath

  WCMZ-TV operated primarily as a relay of WCMU, with CMU retaining an expressed interest in Flint-area content.

  Source

• 2009

  Central Michigan University decides to acquire WFUMM&A

  Background

  The University of Michigan planned to discontinue operation of its Flint television station, while CMU sought to expand the reach of its public television service.

  Action taken

  CMU’s board approved a proposal to acquire WFUM for a maximum purchase price of $1 million.

  Aftermath

  The station became a satellite of WCMU-TV, eventually adopted the WCMZ-TV call sign, and continued serving the Flint area until its later closure.

  Source

1. 1WCMZ-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WCMU Public Mediawcmu.org