WVIZ

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WVIZ
city =
station_
station_slogan = Where You Belong
station_branding = WVIZ/PBS Ideastream
analog = 25 (UHF)
digital = 26 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = PBS
network =
founded =
airdate = February 7, 1965
location = Cleveland, Ohio
callsign_meaning = viz. is abbreviation for "videlicet", the Latin word meaning "namely"
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Ideastream
licensee =
sister_stations = WCPN
former_affiliations = NET (1965-1970)
effective_radiated_power = 2140 kW (analog)
100 kW (digital)
HAAT = 304 m (analog)
313 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 18753
coordinates = coord|41|20|28.2|N|81|44|23.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wviz.org/ www.wviz.org]

WVIZ is a public television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was the 100th public television station to sign on in America. Its founder was Betty Cope, a former producer at Cleveland's ABC affiliate, WEWS, who recognized the value of non-commercial television for the schools. After a long struggle to clear all the hurdles, WVIZ signed on Sunday, February 7, 1965, just in time for the start of the Cleveland school year's second semester. Original studios were located in Cleveland's Max Hayes Trade School.

Overview

The first voice heard on WVIZ was that of Alan R. Stephenson, Ph.D. He was the first director of WVIZ's educational services department. Stephenson's duties included casting, setting budgets, and acting as executive producer for dozens of local instructional television productions.

WVIZ's first affiliation was with National Educational Television (NET), which became PBS in 1970. While some large-market PBS stations established themselves with prime-time series, WVIZ remained committed first and foremost to the schools, and chose not to engage in national productions for a number of years.

However, when PBS began feeding programs via satellite in 1979, WVIZ hired its first executive producer, Milton Hoffman. He oversaw a few WVIZ productions before resigning in 1982. The next executive producer was Dennis Goulden, formerly of NBC (owned-and-operated) affiliate WKYC. Goulden was responsible for the creation of a number of programs and series, such as "Kovels On Collecting", "Producers Showcase", "Mediscene", "Dimension" and "CookSmart". He credits Betty Cope with their creation because, Goulden says, she let him experiment. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 1987] He also gave Larry Elder (now a nationally syndicated radio host) his first show.

There were specials, too. There was a Paul Meincke-hosted special on the tenth anniversary of busing in Cleveland; an hour special on Margaret Bourke White, and others. "Mediscene" was a medical series hosted by an ex-nurse, now deceased, M. R. Berger. "CookSmart" was hosted by Susie Heller, and guests included Jacques Pepin and Julia Child. "Dimension" was modeled along the lines of CBS' "Sunday Morning" and aired monthly. "Kovels On Collecting" was a well-traveled showcase of the wonderfully talented Ralph and Terry Kovel. Dennis Goulden lasted approximately four years; WVIZ replaced Goulden quickly in mid-1988 with Mark Rosenberger.

On June 1, 1993, after 28 years at the helm, WVIZ president Betty Cope stepped down. Her post went to Jerrold Wareham, the former general manager at Greater Dayton Public Television (operating WPTD in Dayton and WPTO in Oxford, Ohio). Wareham effectively rid WVIZ of its ITV schedule, filling the daytime hours with PBS Kids series such as "Barney & Friends". Wareham also modified the station name to WVIZ/PBS in December 1999.

In December 2001, WVIZ/PBS merged with Cleveland NPR station 90.3 WCPN to establish a unified source for public broadcasting and lectures. The non-profit entity is known as ideastream.

In early 2006, WVIZ/PBS with WCPN 90.3FM moved to a new digital studio headquarters in Downtown Cleveland. WVIZ was originally on Brookpark Road and WCPN was based out of Cleveland State University. WVIZ is one of few PBS affiliates to have a new updated digital studio center. WVIZ is in the heart of Cleveland's Playhouse Square or theater district. Its new facility has an auditorium to studios for dance to music.

WVIZ also operates two translators in northeastern Ohio—W63CT in Eastlake, and W64AK in Conneaut.

Digital TV

WVIZ's digital transmitter is temporarily located atop its previous studio building at the very south edge of Cleveland, and is operating at a very low 1 kW ERP.

WVIZ plans to mount a permanent full-power digital antenna on top of WKYC's tower. Along with WKYC's digital antenna, the new antenna stack will replace the current WKYC analog antenna after the February 17, 2009 analog cut-off date. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=625925]

WVIZ-DT has five digital sub-channels. They are:

A complete schedule of WVIZ channels and programs can be found [http://www.wviz.org/schedule/index.php here.]

External links

* [http://www.wviz.org/ WVIZ home page]
*TVQ|WVIZ
*TVQ|W63CT
*TVQ|W64AK
*BIA|WVIZ|TV|TV

References