WFUM

:"For the co-owned radio station in Flint, WFUM-FM, see Michigan Radio."Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WFUM
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = Michigan Television
analog = 28 (UHF)
digital = 52 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = PBS, Create
network =
founded =
airdate = August 23, 1980
location = Flint, Michigan
callsign_meaning = Flint
University of
Michigan
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = University of Michigan
licensee =
sister_stations = WFUM-FM
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 2160 kW (analog)
200 kW (digital)
HAAT = 258 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 69273
coordinates = coord|42|53|56|N|83|27|41.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.michigantelevision.org/ www.michigantelevision.org]

WFUM, also known as Michigan Television, is a PBS member station in Flint, Michigan. It is owned and operated by the University of Michigan, with studios based at the U of M's Flint campus' William S. White Building. WFUM's transmitter is located on Hill Road, just north of the town of Goodrich in southeastern Genesee County. WFUM's transmitter is 846 feet (258 meters) tall. WFUM programing is enjoyed in the Flint/Tri-Cities and as far away as Port Huron, Michigan and Lansing.

WFUM first went on the air on August 23, 1980. Prior to then, Flint had been one of the few areas of Michigan without over-the-air PBS service. Most cable systems in the area, then as now, piped in Bay City's WDCP, Detroit's WTVS, East Lansing's WKAR-TV, Mount Pleasant's WCMU-TV or Toledo's WGTE-TV.

WFUM was, and still is, U of M's only TV station, but is no stranger to the medium -- U of M produced a syndicated educational series, "University of Michigan Presents", which was syndicated to TV stations nationwide from the 1960s into the early-1980s. Over the years WFUM has produced several of its own shows, including "Passing Through" with Karen Sherrin, and "High School Challenge" with Jim Gaver.

On cable, it is not seen on Cogeco's systems in Windsor, Ontario or Comcast systems in Detroit and the southern suburbs, though it's available on Comcast systems in Ann Arbor and Detroit's western and northern suburbs. It is unknown if Charter in Mount Pleasant will be offering the channel.

For unknown reasons, WFUM's second digital subchannel (Create) is not available on Comcast's Flint system.

Availability on Cable

WFUM-TV (analog) and WFUM-DT / PBS in HD are available on all cable systems in Mid-Michigan and some in Metro Detroit, but its digital subchannel Create is not. However, a recent agreement between the American Cable Association, the Association of Public Television Stations and PBS will require it to be put on digital cable television systems after the digital transition date of February 17, 2009. [ [http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6596993.html ACA Ratifies Digital-Carriage Deal With Public TV Stations] ]

Digital Channels

Analog to Digital Conversion

WFUM will be shutting down its analog signal in November 2008, months ahead of the federally mandated shutoff for February 17, 2009 [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=662755] . From that point on, digital broadcasts will return to channel 28. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101256191&formid=387&fac_num=69273]

External links

* [http://www.michigantelevision.org/ Michigan Television Homepage]
* [http://www.michiganchannel.org/ The Michigan Channel Homepage]
*TVQ|WFUM
*BIA|WFUM|TV|TV

References