WLJT-DT explained

Callsign:WLJT-DT
City:Lexington, Tennessee
Logo Alt:The words "West TN" in a slightly thinner blue font next to the PBS network logo.
Branding:West TN PBS
Digital:27 (UHF)
Virtual:11
Country:United States
Callsign Meaning:Lexington Jackson Tennessee
Former Callsigns:WLJT (1968–2010)
Owner:West Tennessee Public Television Council, Inc.
Former Affiliations:NET (1968–1970)
Erp:142 kW
Haat:2050NaN0
Facility Id:71645
Coordinates:35.7033°N -88.6028°W
Licensing Authority:FCC

WLJT-DT (channel 11), branded West TN PBS, is a PBS member television station licensed to Lexington, Tennessee, United States, serving western and northwestern Tennessee. The station is owned by the West Tennessee Public Television Council and maintains studios in Martin on rented space at the University of Tennessee at Martin; its transmitter is located on U.S. Route 412 midway between Jackson and Lexington.

WLJT began broadcasting in 1968. Built as one of four educational stations under the control of the Tennessee Department of Education, it almost exclusively rebroadcast WKNO in Memphis. In 1981, studios were established at UT–Martin, allowing for the station to begin local programming. That same year, the state began the process to spin WLJT out to community control. The station's local programming focuses on sports and community events in rural West Tennessee.

History

State ownership

In 1953, officials with the Tennessee Educational Television Commission requested the assignment of several channels across the state for noncommercial educational use, including channel 11 at Lexington, in addition to existing assignments for Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.[1] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the assignments in March 1954.[2] In 1965, the Tennessee Department of Education filed with the FCC for a construction permit and with the federal government to request a grant to cover construction costs. The station would serve 553,000 people, including 137,000 schoolchildren.[3] The station would not have associated studios but initially serve to repeat Memphis educational station WKNO (channel 10).[4]

The grant and construction permit were received in April 1966.[5] Construction work had begun in earnest by June 1967,[6] and WLJT began operations on February 13, 1968.[7] [8] It rebroadcast WKNO with extremely limited local programming;[9] while it broadcast on weekdays in 1977,[10] it did not do so in 1978, leaving the local cable system to carry WKNO itself.

Community ownership

In 1980, controversy over programming at WSJK-TV in Sneedville led to scrutiny of the state educational television system, which had grown to four state-owned stations plus WKNO and WDCN in Nashville, which were community-owned. One of the two reports suggested that WLJT be sold to WKNO;[11] the other recommended spinning out all of the stations in the system to community licensees.[12] After WKNO expressed no interest, the state chose the latter option when legislators passed and Governor Lamar Alexander signed the Tennessee Educational Television Network Act of 1981,[13] This legislation provided for the transfer of the four Department of Education-owned stations to community entities by 1986.[14] [15]

In August 1981, the West Tennessee Public Television Council was formed, and WLJT began local programming from studios at UT–Martin.[16] This also added hands-on experience opportunities to UT–Martin's broadcasting program.[17] In 1982, the second year of local content, it produced 101 hours of its own programming. In April 1984, the spin-off was completed, and the station began on-air fundraising efforts.[18] In addition to typical PBS programming, WLJT aired local sports and a regional country music show as part of its local output.[19] In 1993, engineering operations were able to move to Martin when a new master and remote control facility opened at the studios.[20]

WLJT began digital broadcasting on channel 47 on February 20, 2004, and discontinued analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009.[21] The station continued to broadcast on channel 47, using virtual channel 11,[22] until being repacked to channel 27 as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction on August 10, 2018; channel 14 had been originally assigned.[23]

Funding

In fiscal year 2022, WLJT generated $1.72 million in revenue. Nearly half of that came in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, while $467,000 came from state agencies. The station's 892 members contributed $75,000 in funding.[24]

Local programming

In 2022, WLJT broadcast hours (12 on broadcast, online) of local community events.[25]

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Channel! scope="col"
Res.AspectShort nameProgramming
11.1 WLJT-HD PBS
11.2 WLJT-DT PBS Kids
11.3 Create

Notes and References

  1. News: More Educational TV Stations for State Proposed. November 28, 1953. 12. United Press. The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622111849/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-more-educati/126847383/. live.
  2. News: Sneedville, Cookeville Get Educational TV. March 19, 1954. 6. The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622074726/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-sneedville/126847413/. live.
  3. News: State Files Application For Educational TV Booster. October 20, 1965. 7. Associated Press. The Leaf-Chronicle. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230623184001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leaf-chronicle-state-files-applicati/126847672/. live.
  4. News: Area TV Scope To Be Widened. May 20, 1965. 1, 11. James. Casey. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 25, 2023.
  5. News: $228,338 Granted For TV Station At Lexington. April 1, 1966. 6. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 25, 2023.
  6. News: New ETV Station To Open In Fall. June 20, 1967. 1. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 25, 2023.
  7. News: ETV Facility Sets Program Tests. June 23, 2021. February 6, 1968. 7. The Jackson Sun. Associated Press.
  8. News: ETV Reception Studied. February 22, 1968. 5. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622124521/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jackson-sun-etv-reception-studied/126892144/. live.
  9. News: Why are both educational television stations.... March 30, 1978. 1. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 25, 2023.
  10. News: Alternative Programming On Public TV. September 23, 1977. Leisure 1, 2. Michael. Mercer. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 25, 2023.
  11. News: Knox Educational-TV Transmitter Urged. July 10, 1980. 10. David. Lyons. The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622111850/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-knox-educati/126892742/. live.
  12. News: Drop Educational TV Network, Panel Advises State. April 11, 1980. 1. Associated Press. The Memphis Press-Scimitar. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230623184619/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-memphis-press-scimitar-drop-educatio/126892640/. live.
  13. News: Residents Seek Ownership of WLJT. September 7, 1983. A3. Richard. Locker. The Commercial Appeal. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622111853/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-commercial-appeal-residents-seek-own/126893543/. live.
  14. News: State Senate passes bill on educational television. April 3, 1981. 6. Lloyd H.. Karnes. Johnson City Press-Chronicle. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622082625/https://www.newspapers.com/article/johnson-city-press-state-senate-passes-b/126871979/. live.
  15. News: State budget on House floor, Senate finance committee. May 17, 1981. 8A. Associated Press. The Daily News-Journal. Newspapers.com. June 22, 2023. June 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230622094826/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-state-budget-on-h/126893529/. live.
  16. News: WLJT-TV to initiate local programming. The Jackson Sun. Sue Ann. Tanzer Roberts. August 19, 1981. 1B. June 23, 2021. Newspapers.com.
  17. News: Public gives UT at Martin high ranking. June 24, 1986. 1A, 8A. Stephanie. Siegel. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 26, 2023.
  18. News: WLJT struggles for identity, dollars. June 23, 2021. February 5, 1984. 1B. The Jackson Sun. Bill. Roberts. Newspapers.com.
  19. News: Area public TV earns its place: Coverage of community events boosts WLJT support, funds. December 26, 1987. 7A. Steve. Visser. The Jackson Sun. Newspapers.com. June 26, 2023.
  20. Web site: History and Mission. West TN PBS. June 25, 2023. March 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320191949/https://www.westtnpbs.org/history-and-mission/. live.
  21. News: List of TV stations ending analog broadcasts. Associated Press. February 17, 2009. NBC News. March 20, 2023. January 6, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230106052115/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna29245267. live.
  22. Web site: May 23, 2006 . DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf . August 29, 2013 . August 29, 2021 . Federal Communications Commission.
  23. Web site: FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table. CSV. Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. April 17, 2017. April 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170417160749/http://data.fcc.gov/download/incentive-auctions/Transition_Files/Phase_Assignment_Closing_PN.csv. live.
  24. Web site: Annual Financial Report 2022. West TN PBS. June 25, 2023.
  25. Web site: Local Content and Service Report. 2022. West TN PBS. June 25, 2023.

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