WKNO (TV)

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WKNO
city =
station_
station_slogan = Public Broadcasting for the Mid-South
station_branding = WKNO Channel 10
analog = 10 (VHF)
digital = 29 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = PBS
network =
founded =
airdate = June 25, 1956
location = Memphis, Tennessee
callsign_meaning = KNOwledge
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Mid-South Public Communications Foundation
licensee =
sister_stations = WKNO-FM
former_affiliations = NET (1956-1970)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
835 kW (digital)
HAAT = 324 m (analog)
320.2 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 42061
coordinates = coord|35|9|16.1|N|89|49|19.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WKNO
homepage = [http://www.wkno.org/ www.wkno.org]

WKNO is a PBS member television station in Memphis, Tennessee, broadcasting locally on VHF channel 10.

The station is owned and operated by The Mid-South Public Communications Foundation, a non-profit organization governed by a board of trustees composed of volunteers. Unlike most of Tennessee's public TV outlets, WKNO has never had direct or indirect ties to state government, even though during its early years the station would identify as "Tennessee Educational Television" during in-school hours and "Tennessee Public Television" during off-school hours, including prime time.

History

WKNO signed on the air on June 25, 1956 as Tennessee's first public television outlet and is one of several independent non-commercial stations in the U.S. still in continuous operation. Its studios were first located in midtown Memphis, but relocated to the south campus of Memphis State University (now University of Memphis) in 1979. According to station management, work has begun on new studios for WKNO television and radio in Cordova, Tennessee, east of Memphis, and will likely be completed sometime in 2009. [http://www.wkno.org/campaign.html] The new facility, projected to cost around $15 million, will permit full digital capability for the television and radio operations and replace the small, aging studios at UM.

From 1968 to 1981, WLJT in Lexington repeated WKNO's signal for viewers in the remainder of western Tennessee outside the Memphis metropolitan area, but afterward began broadcasting separate programming.

In November 2007, WKNO decided not to air the documentary "Judgement Day (intelligent design)" because of the "controversial nature" of the subject, but after receiving criticism, the station has promised to broadcast it in 2008. [cite news | url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/nov/15/topic-too-hot-for-wkno/ | title=Topic too hot for WKNO: Show on intelligent design didn't air here | publisher=Commercial Appeal |date= 15 November 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-11-17]

WKNO broadcasts its digital signal on channel 29.

MSPCF also operates two FM public radio stations; see WKNO-FM.

External links

* [http://www.wkno.org/ Official site]
*TVQ|WKNO
*BIA|WKNO|TV|TV

References