WHRO-TV

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WHRO-TV
Channels
BrandingWHRO
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerHampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association
WFOS, WHRO-FM, WHRV
History
First air date
October 2, 1961
(63 years ago) (1961-10-02)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 15 (UHF, 1961–2009)
  • Digital: 16 (UHF, 2002–2020)
NET (1961–1970)
Call sign meaning
Hampton Roads, the region the station serves
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID25932
ERP1,000 kW
HAAT375.3 m (1,231 ft)
Transmitter coordinates36°48′31.8″N 76°30′11.3″W / 36.808833°N 76.503139°W / 36.808833; -76.503139
Links
Public license information
Websitewhro.org

WHRO-TV (channel 15) is a PBS member television station licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It is owned by the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association (HRETA), a consortium of 21 Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore school systems, alongside public radio stations WFOS (88.7 FM), WHRV (89.5 FM), and WHRO-FM (90.3). The four stations share studios at the Public Telecommunications Center for Hampton Roads next to the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk; WHRO-TV's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

Educational television first came to Hampton Roads in 1957 when commercial station WVEC-TV began broadcasting a limited amount of programs for Norfolk city schools. In 1959, WVEC-TV moved from channel 15 to channel 13. When that station discontinued educational programs in 1961, the Hampton and Norfolk school systems formed the Hampton Roads Educational Television Association, bought the channel 15 tower and antenna in Hampton, obtained a new construction permit, and began broadcasting as WHRO-TV on October 2, 1961. Permanent studios were set up in Norfolk near what is now Old Dominion University in 1963. Later in the 1960s, more school divisions in southeastern Virginia joined the association; the station's educational programming earned it a Peabody Award for 1972.

Under the management tenure of John R. Morison, from 1975 to 2001, WHRO-TV merged with a struggling classical music station, today's WHRV; expanded its facilities in 1990; and was recognized as a model station by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. His successors navigated cuts in support for public broadcasting from the state of Virginia while expanding educational and other services.

History

Establishment

Channel 21 was the originally allotted channel to Norfolk for educational use when reserved channels were made available in 1952. However, there was no immediate interest in building a station to use the channel as a result of the cost involved.[2][3] Educational television did not come to Hampton Roads until September 1957, when WVEC-TV (then on channel 15) began broadcasting two hours a day of programs for Norfolk city schools.[4] This was reduced to one hour in 1959, when WVEC-TV moved from ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 15 to very high frequency (VHF) channel 13.[5]

The move of WVEC-TV from channel 15 to channel 13 left an option open for the activation of a dedicated educational station, a matter which became acute when WVEC-TV announced in December 1960 that it would cease carrying educational programming beginning in June 1961. Three months later, in March 1961, an association of local school systems was formed, with proposals to use channel 15 instead of 21 as well as WVEC-TV's former tower from its channel 15 facility the tower.[6] Only two school systems emerged in favor of the project, those in Hampton and Norfolk.[7] The two school systems formed the Hampton Roads Educational Television Association (HRETA), which formally applied for channel 15 on May 29, 1961.[8][9] Francis N. Crenshaw, the chairman of the Norfolk school board, predicted the station would be in service by September.[10] Both school systems set aside funds to help start the station,[11] and a construction permit was issued on July 17, 1961.[9] The HRETA immediately hired a general manager and executed contracts to buy the former WVEC-TV tower and antenna.[12] An October 2 start date was set,[13] as was the call sign WHRO-TV; the first choice, WHRE, belonged to a ship.[14] The new station also affiliated with National Educational Television.[15]

After a delay in the shipment of the transmitter nearly put the start date in doubt,[16] WHRO-TV began broadcasting on October 2, 1961, as Virginia's first noncommercial television station; the first broadcast, planned for two hours, was cut to 30 minutes by technical difficulties. The next day, educational programs for classroom use were broadcast for the first time.[17][18] However, some schools lacked UHF converters necessary to view the programs on their VHF-only TV sets, and all-channel sets were not being sold in the Norfolk area even though it had only been two years since WVEC-TV moved to VHF.[19] WHRO-TV was the first educational television station in Virginia. After the first year, the association began encouraging other school systems as well as local private and parochial schools to join in an effort to bring down per-student costs by expanding the number of subscribing schools.[20] The number of courses offered had grown to 20, ranging from fourth-grade social studies to calculus.[21]

A studio of its own

Initially, all of the station's locally produced educational programs were filmed at the studios of the three commercial stations in Hampton Roads.[22] The HRETA immediately began searching for a studio site and considered locating the studio at one of three schools in the Norfolk system, favoring a site adjacent to the Norfolk College of William & Mary, which in August 1962 became Old Dominion College.[23][24] The first proposal at the Larchmont School site was initially found to be unsuitable due to site conditions,[25] but the site was approved.[26]

In January 1963, the HRETA awarded a contract for the construction of the studio.[27] Norfolk assumed most of the cost, as it educated more students than Hampton.[28] The facility was completed in August, at which time the station rented a mobile production unit from WVEC-TV to provide equipment until tape recorders and other hardware could be purchased.[29] Programs were still taped and transported to the transmitter until a microwave link was set up from the studio to Hampton in 1964.[30]

More school divisions would join the HRETA in 1964 and 1966. First, on the Middle Peninsula, schools in Gloucester County and Mathews County joined after they lost the use of instructional television from Richmond.[31] Two years later, the schools in the cities of Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, as well as those in Isle of Wight, Nansemond, and York counties, joined at the board's invitation.[32][33] In addition, the studios were expanded.[34] With these 10 school divisions, the HRETA formally incorporated in 1968.[35]

WHRO-TV received a George Foster Peabody Award in 1972 for its programs for schools, with four specific shows cited in the announcement; this was unusual, given that educational stations typically received awards for a specific program.[36]

Growing beyond education

In 1969, WHRO-TV began a campaign to raise its profile in the community and promote its evening programs for adults from NET; the station also set up a community advisory board.[37] NET was replaced with PBS in 1970.[38]

John R. Morison was named the president and general manager in 1975 and oversaw a transformative 26-year tenure for the station.[39] That year, WHRO-TV moved to a new tower and transmitter facility near Driver and became the first public television station on the UHF band to transmit with the maximum 5 million watts.[40] During its construction, two men died in a construction accident, one falling 1,000 feet (300 m) to his death from near the top of the mast.[41] Also in 1975, WHRO-TV merged with WTGM-FM, a struggling classical music station owned by the Virginia Cultural Foundation;[42] to reflect advances in technology and its expanded scope, HRETA renamed itself the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association in 1976.[43] WTGM-FM was renamed WHRO-FM in 1978;[44] the 89.5 frequency became WHRV when its programming was split and a second WHRO-FM was set up on 90.3 MHz in 1990.[45]

In 1976, WHRO-TV held its first-ever "Great TV Auction" fundraiser.[46] The station continued to conduct annual fundraising auctions through 1991, after which they were eliminated, having fallen short of its goal in their last year.[47]

In 1990, WHRO completed a $5 million facility at its existing site, which offered twice the space of its existing studio complex, and renovated the existing building. The completion followed planning that dated back to 1986[48] and an 18-month period in which some staffers worked in temporary buildings.[45] By the time Morison announced his retirement, the staff had doubled from 50 to 100 and operating revenue had risen from $2 million to $9 million.[49] A $10.2 million capital campaign to support the station's conversion to digital broadcasting had raised $13 million.[39] Further, in 1996, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) cited the station as a model organization.[18]

Cutbacks

Morison was succeeded by Joseph Widoff, who had worked at WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., prior to leading HRETA.[50] Under Widoff, WHRO completed the launch of its digital television facility, which began broadcasting on channel 16 in March 2002.[51] When it went on the air, WBOC-TV in Salisbury, Maryland, which also broadcast in analog on channel 16, complained of interference created by atmospheric ducting.[52]

However, Widoff's largest challenge in six years of running the broadcaster was navigating drops in support from the Virginia government, which cut funding by 8 percent and 15 percent in consecutive years.[53] From 2001 to 2005, WHRO cut 23 percent of its staff and canceled all of its weekly local TV programs, including public affairs programs such as Hampton Roads Weekly[54] and It's Your Call, becoming the only one of Virginia's five public TV stations with no regular local production. Cuts were prolonged as the station burned through cash reserves from its digitalization capital campaign; from 2003 to 2005, revenues declined by 27 percent. People involved with the station variously described it as in a state of "internal collapse" and "choked with fear and uncertainty and insecurity". The CPB inspector general cited the station for violations of public meeting laws and false certifications. Station officials defended Widoff's belt-tightening as necessary.[18] Widoff remained for five years at WHRO before resigning in September 2006;[55] he was replaced by Bert Schmidt, who joined from WVPT in Harrisonburg.[56] On February 17, 2009—the original date for the digital television transition in the United States—WHRO-TV ceased analog broadcasting on channel 15.[57]

As Virginia state subsidies continued to wane before ultimately being eliminated in 2012, WHRO extended its involvement in educational services sold to local schools. In 2008, WHRO began offering online courses to its member school divisions for free and selling them to others. It also debuted a portal selling workforce training classes. This additional funding helped keep revenues nearly flat and reduced WHRO's dependence on government subsidies.[58]

WHRO's digital signal—broadcast on channel 16 from its start in 2002 and remaining there after the 2009 digital transition[59]—moved to channel 31 on July 3, 2020, as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction.[60][61]

Funding

In fiscal year 2022, WHRO-TV generated $6.59 million in total revenue. $1.3 million was provided, primarily in the form of a Community Service Grant, from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; more than $2.5 million was generated by local memberships.[62]

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WHRO-TV[63]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
15.1 1080i 16:9 WHRO-HD PBS
15.2 480i World World Channel
15.3 Kids PBS Kids
15.4 Create Create
15.5 WHROFNX First Nations Experience

Translators on the Eastern Shore

On the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Accomack County owns two translators, W18EG-D and W25AA-D (licensed to Onancock and broadcast from Mappsville), that provide the main channel of WHRO-TV alongside those of WTKR, WAVY-TV, and WVEC.[64][65]

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WHRO-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Ryan, Jim (November 30, 1952). "Educational TV: No Norfolk Groups Are Interested". The Virginian-Pilot. p. 2:16. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Education TV Extension Plea Will Be Made: Request by Brewbaker To Be Presented at State Meeting". The Virginian-Pilot. April 21, 1953. pp. 30, 23. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Carter, Luther J. (June 20, 1957). "Will Begin About Sept. 9: WVEC-TV Will Telecast Programs for Schools". The Virginian-Pilot. pp. 46, 28. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "On New Channel: TV Education Programs Will Change in Fall". Ledger-Dispatch and Star. July 29, 1959. p. 16. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Clymer, Adam (March 9, 1961). "Schools Eye Unused Tower For Educational Television". The Virginian-Pilot. p. 27. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Hampton and Norfolk: 2 Boards Favor School TV". The Virginian-Pilot. March 17, 1961. p. 26. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Educational TV Permit Sought". The Virginian-Pilot. May 4, 1961. p. 36. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "FCC History Cards for WHRO-TV". Federal Communications Commission.
  10. ^ "School TV Slated by September: Norfolk Board Backs Application for UHF Channel 15". Ledger-Dispatch and Star. April 14, 1961. p. 17. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "School TV Fund Voted: Council Orders $100,000". The Virginian-Pilot. July 6, 1961. p. 29. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "School Channel 15 Approved by FCC". The Virginian-Pilot. July 19, 1961. p. 13. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Educational TV On Air by Oct. 2: Facilities Checked Out By Manager, Engineer". The Virginian-Pilot. August 5, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "WHRO-TV Assigned School TV". The Virginian-Pilot. August 3, 1961. p. 31. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Cultural TV Set For Oct. 2: Channel 15 To Plug Arts". The Virginian-Pilot. August 24, 1961. p. 29. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Clymer, Adam (October 1, 1961). "TV Classes, Culture Bow". The Virginian-Pilot. p. F-1. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Educational TV Reception Poor In Some Areas". Daily Press. October 7, 1961. p. 3. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b c Sizemore, Bill (September 11, 2005). "Searching for regular, locally produced public television? You might as well put down the remote". The Virginian-Pilot. pp. D1, D5.
  19. ^ Carhart, Mary Alice (October 9, 1961). "Area Mainly VHF: UHF Conversions Delay School TV". Ledger-Star. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Private and Parochial Schools Invited To Join TV Program". Ledger-Dispatch and Star. August 29, 1962. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Stevens, William K. (November 18, 1962). "Tidewater Educational TV Strives for Quality". The Virginian-Pilot. p. B-4. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Educational TV In Classrooms To Begin Today". Daily Press. October 3, 1961. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Building Proposed: W&M May Become School TV Partner". The Virginian-Pilot. November 15, 1961. p. 9. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Stevens, William K. (August 3, 1962). "New Name in Norfolk: Old Dominion College". The Virginian-Pilot. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  26. ^ "Educational TV Trustees Approve $100,000 Studio; Land Sought From Norfolk". Daily Press. February 14, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Educational TV Studio Contract Let". Daily Press. January 30, 1963. p. 3, 24. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "ETV Building Share Voted". The Virginian-Pilot. February 13, 1963. p. 13. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Chambers, Elisabeth (August 14, 1963). "Rented Mobile Unit: ETV Taping in New Facility May Begin Before Month's End". Ledger-Star. p. 28. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Maret, Joyce (March 11, 1964). "Educational TV Tower Groundbreaking Due Next Week". Daily Press. p. 3. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Gloucester And Mathews Schools To Participate In WHRO-TV Programs". Daily Press. October 7, 1964. p. 19. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Odom, Jerry (March 19, 1966). "4 Cities Accept Offer To Join Educational Television Association". Daily Press. pp. 3, 12. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Odom, Jerry (June 8, 1966). "Eight New Schools Join Educational TV System". Daily Press. pp. 3, 8. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Two Additions At ETV Station Near Completion". Daily Press. December 6, 1966. p. 12. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "Non-Profit Service: HRETA Incorporation Starts July 1". Daily Press. May 1, 1968. pp. 3, 7. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "WHRO Wins Prized Peabody TV Awards". Daily Press. March 27, 1973. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Piester, Rick (August 8, 1969). "WHRO Ads To Tell Public Of 'Unique' Evening Shows". Daily Press. p. 10. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Does ETV hold key to fairness?". Broadcasting. October 5, 1970. p. 50. ProQuest 1016855219 – via ProQuest.
  39. ^ a b Nicholson, David (June 24, 2001). "WHRO chief will miss it all". Daily Press. pp. J1, J2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "New WHRO-TV Tower Finally Gets Under Way". Daily Press. May 29, 1975. p. 62. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Two men killed in tower construction". The Staunton Leader. Associated Press. May 29, 1975. p. 6. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Getchell, Halver (May 30, 1975). "WHRO-TV, Troubled WTGM-FM Merger Planned". Daily Press. p. 16. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Getchell, Halver (September 16, 1976). "HRETA Reorganizes Personnel Duties". Daily Press. p. 33. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ Hammitt, Harry (June 14, 1978). "WHRO OKs Higher Budget". Daily Press. p. 11. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ a b Hanson, Cynthia (July 8, 1990). "Building gives WHRO room to grow". The Virginian-Pilot. p. G3. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  46. ^ Getchell, Halver (March 14, 1976). "WHRO Gearing For Fund Drive". Daily Press. p. TV Time 20. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ Hanson, Cynthia (June 30, 1991). "WTAR is switching to an all-news format". The Virginian-Pilot. p. G3. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  48. ^ Page, Lynda R. (January 15, 1986). "WHRO board OKs building addition". Daily Press. p. B2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ Gabriele, Tony (June 21, 2000). "WHRO CEO announces plans to retirement: Morison to leave after 25 years". Daily Press. pp. C8, C9. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ Nicholson, David (March 14, 2001). "WHRO names new president, CEO; Widoff will oversee move to digital TV". Daily Press. p. C9. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "Local stations' progress report". The Virginian-Pilot. June 11, 2002. p. D2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  52. ^ Shapiro, Carolyn (July 2, 2002). "Md. station blames static on WHRO's digital signal". The Virginian-Pilot. pp. D1, D2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  53. ^ Bonko, Larry (January 12, 2003). "WHRO is ready to weather the great budget crunch of 2003". The Virginian-Pilot. p. E1.
  54. ^ Bonko, Larry (June 22, 2003). "WHRO pulls plug on 'Hampton Roads Weekly'". The Virginian-Pilot. pp. E1, E2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  55. ^ Bonko, Larry (September 2, 2006). "President and CEO of WHRO resigns". The Virginian-Pilot. p. D1.
  56. ^ Bonko, Larry (April 11, 2007). "Local public broadcasting company picks leader". The Virginian-Pilot. pp. D1, D2. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  57. ^ "List of TV stations ending analog broadcasts". NBC News. Associated Press. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  58. ^ Janssen, Mike (February 25, 2014). "PubTV stations earn new revenues as 'problem-solver' for educators". Current. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  59. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  60. ^ "FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table" (CSV). Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  61. ^ "Important Message to our TV Viewers: New Broadcast Frequency". WHRO. October 1, 2019. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  62. ^ "Annual Financial Report 2022, WHRO-TV" (PDF). WHRO Public Media. 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  63. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WHRO". RabbitEars.info. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  64. ^ "Eastern Shore, Virginia". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  65. ^ "Translator Television". Accomack County. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
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