New Hampshire Public Television
Encyclopedia
New Hampshire Public Television is a television
company and public broadcasting
state network
in New Hampshire
, licensed to the University System of New Hampshire
(USNH) and is part of the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS). Established in 1959, its broadcast center is located on the University of New Hampshire
campus in Durham, New Hampshire
.
NHPTV is overseen by a 21-member board of directors
, which is a governing board authorized by subcommittee the USNH Board of Trustees.
NHPTV is available over the air in nearly 75 percent of New Hampshire, and is available on cable television
in parts of Massachusetts
(including Boston
), Maine
(including Portland
), and Vermont
(including the Barre/Montpelier
area). Flagship station WENH is available on DirecTV
and Dish Network
's Boston feeds as well; Durham is part of the Boston market.
Because the state is split between the Boston, Portland, and Burlington
/Plattsburgh markets, nearly all NHPTV viewers also receive another PBS station on cable or satellite (in some cases more than one). As a result, NHPTV has elected to differentiate its program schedule for the other PBS stations in the market. Generally, NHPTV's broadcast of PBS programs and series do not air on the same day and time as they do on Boston's WGBH-TV
, MPBN
, Vermont Public Television
or WCFE-TV
in Plattsburgh.
NHPTV produced a number of local series, including:
Production of most local programs, except for "Wildlife Journal", was discontinued in June of 2011 because NHPTV lost all of its funding from the State Of New Hampshire, which accounted for 30% of the station's total Fiscal 2011 budget.
NHPTV produced live coverage of University of New Hampshire
men's Hockey
from the 1972/1973 season through the 2007/2008 season. However, in June 2008 NHPTV announced that it was unable to continue to broadcast the games due to budgetary considerations.
The cooking show Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito
was formerly distributed by NHPTV and produced at the NHPTV studios in Durham.
In September 2011 NHPTV was said to be in preliminary discussions with WGBH-TV
and public broadcasters in Maine and Vermont about sharing infrastructure and content.
Notes:
Notes:
Both translators directly repeat WENH. Colebrook and Pittsburg are part of the Portland market, while Hanover is part of the Burlington/Plattsburgh market.
Although NHPTV has been available for decades on cable systems in southern Maine, it has yet to be added to the Portland DBS feeds because of W26CQ and W34DQ-D's low-power status. However, NHPTV is working to change the satellite regulations so it can be carried in the Portland market as well. It also has a long-term goal of building a full-power transmitter atop Mount Washington
, which would presumably offer city-grade coverage of Portland.
In addition, NHPTV also acquired W27CP in White River Junction, Vermont
from WMTW along with W26CQ; that station went dark
on July 15, 2009 (while still owned by WMTW) due to having lost the lease on its tower site and never returned to the air, leading the FCC to delete W27CP on September 14, 2011.
WHED-TV was eventually replaced, in 1994, by a translator (originally W15BK, operating on WHED's former analog channel 15, and then, starting in 2007, low-power digital station W50DP-D). Otherwise, the defunct stations were generally superseded by cable carriage of WENH/NHPTV.
Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers will display virtual channel
s for each NHPTV station corresponding to their previous analog channel numbers.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
company and public broadcasting
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
state network
State network
A State Network in the United States broadcasting industry is a term which refers to a miniature television network serving an entire state or multiple states...
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, licensed to the University System of New Hampshire
University System of New Hampshire
The University System of New Hampshire , established in 1963, is responsible for overseeing the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College, and Granite State College. The University System is the largest provider of post-secondary education in New Hampshire...
(USNH) and is part of the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS). Established in 1959, its broadcast center is located on the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
campus in Durham, New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
.
NHPTV is overseen by a 21-member board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, which is a governing board authorized by subcommittee the USNH Board of Trustees.
NHPTV is available over the air in nearly 75 percent of New Hampshire, and is available on cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
in parts of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(including Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
), Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
(including Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
), and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
(including the Barre/Montpelier
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
area). Flagship station WENH is available on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
's Boston feeds as well; Durham is part of the Boston market.
Programming
NHPTV's three signals are multiplexed.| Channel | Video | Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| xx.1 | 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... |
16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... |
Main NHPTV programming / PBS |
| xx.2 | 480i 480i 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC... |
4:3 | SD simulcast of xx.1 |
| xx.3 | NHPTV Explore (educational, New England and local programming) | ||
Because the state is split between the Boston, Portland, and Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
/Plattsburgh markets, nearly all NHPTV viewers also receive another PBS station on cable or satellite (in some cases more than one). As a result, NHPTV has elected to differentiate its program schedule for the other PBS stations in the market. Generally, NHPTV's broadcast of PBS programs and series do not air on the same day and time as they do on Boston's WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
, MPBN
Maine Public Broadcasting Network
The Maine Public Broadcasting Network is a state network of public television and radio stations located in the state of Maine in the United States. It is operated by the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation, which holds the licenses for all the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public...
, Vermont Public Television
Vermont Public Television
Vermont Public Television is a state network of Non-commercial educational Public television stations throughout the state of Vermont, affiliated with Public Broadcasting Services . It has been operational since October 16, 1967...
or WCFE-TV
WCFE-TV
WCFE is a Public Broadcasting Service public television station in Plattsburgh, New York. It is known under its corporate identity of Mountain Lake PBS. This name was adopted to reflect Plattsburgh's location between the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. It broadcasts on channel 38 from transmitters...
in Plattsburgh.
NHPTV produced a number of local series, including:
- NH Outlook
- Windows to the Wild
- Granite State ChallengeGranite State ChallengeGranite State Challenge is an American television quizbowl game show that airs on New Hampshire Public Television and began in 1983.-Description:...
- Wildlife Journal (co-produced with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)
- New Hampshire Crossroads
Production of most local programs, except for "Wildlife Journal", was discontinued in June of 2011 because NHPTV lost all of its funding from the State Of New Hampshire, which accounted for 30% of the station's total Fiscal 2011 budget.
NHPTV produced live coverage of University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
men's Hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
from the 1972/1973 season through the 2007/2008 season. However, in June 2008 NHPTV announced that it was unable to continue to broadcast the games due to budgetary considerations.
The cooking show Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito
Mary Ann Esposito
Mary Ann Esposito is the host and creator of the television program, Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito, which has been on the air since 1989 and is America's longest-running cooking program....
was formerly distributed by NHPTV and produced at the NHPTV studios in Durham.
In September 2011 NHPTV was said to be in preliminary discussions with WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
and public broadcasters in Maine and Vermont about sharing infrastructure and content.
Stations
As of the DTV transition on February 17, 2009, the NHPTV stations are:| Station | City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... |
Channels Channel (broadcasting) In broadcasting, a channel is a range of frequencies assigned by a government for the operation of a particular radio station, television station or television channel. In common usage, the term also may be used to refer to the station operating on a particular frequency.-See also:*Broadcast... TV Virtual channel In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels.... / RF Digital terrestrial television Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals... |
First air date | Call letters’ meaning Call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations... |
ERP Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... |
HAAT Height above average terrain Height above average terrain is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is actually much more important than effective radiated power in determining the range of broadcasts... |
Facility ID Facility ID The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international broadcast station in its Common Database System . Licensees are required to provide the relevant station's FIN when filing reports and... |
Transmitter Coordinates |
| WENH-TV | Durham Durham, New Hampshire As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile... |
11 (PSIP Program and System Information Protocol The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch... ) 11 (VHF Very high frequency Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency... ) |
July 6, 1959 | Educational New Hampshire | 30 kW | 304.1 m | 69237 | 43°10′33"N 71°12′29"W |
| WEKW-TV | Keene Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,409 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cheshire County.Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England, and hosts the annual Pumpkin Fest... |
52 (PSIP) 49 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
May 21, 1968 | Educational Keene Western New Hampshire |
43 kW | 330 m | 69271 | 43°2′0"N 72°22′4"W |
| WLED-TV | Littleton Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,928 at the 2010 census. Situated at the edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River.... |
49 (PSIP) 48 (UHF) |
February 19681 | Littleton EDucational | 45 kW | 388 m | 69328 | 44°21′10"N 71°44′15"W |
Notes:
- 1. The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says WLED signed on February 7, while the Television and Cable Factbook says it signed on February 8.
Low-power stations
| Station | Channel | City |
| W26CQ1 | 26 (analog) | Colebrook Colebrook, New Hampshire Colebrook is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2010 census. Situated in the Great North Woods Region, it is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River and home to Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area.... |
| W34DQ-D2 | 26 (digital) | Pittsburg Pittsburg, New Hampshire Pittsburg is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 869 at the 2010 census. It is the northernmost town in New Hampshire and the largest town by area in the state - and in New England as well - more than twice the size of the next largest town, Lincoln. U.S... |
| W50DP-D3 | 50 (digital) | Hanover Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007.... |
Notes:
- 1. Successor to W18BO, which operated on analog channel 18 in Pittsburg. From 2005 until November 4, 2009, W26CQ was owned by Hearst Television and served as a translator for ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WMTW. - 2. The Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) considers W34DQ-D to be the same station as the former W18BO. It went on the air on September 27, 2010 and is currently operated in addition to W26CQ. - 3. Formerly W15BK, which operated on analog channel 15 (it flash-cut to digital on September 4, 2007).
Both translators directly repeat WENH. Colebrook and Pittsburg are part of the Portland market, while Hanover is part of the Burlington/Plattsburgh market.
Although NHPTV has been available for decades on cable systems in southern Maine, it has yet to be added to the Portland DBS feeds because of W26CQ and W34DQ-D's low-power status. However, NHPTV is working to change the satellite regulations so it can be carried in the Portland market as well. It also has a long-term goal of building a full-power transmitter atop Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, which would presumably offer city-grade coverage of Portland.
In addition, NHPTV also acquired W27CP in White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
from WMTW along with W26CQ; that station went dark
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
on July 15, 2009 (while still owned by WMTW) due to having lost the lease on its tower site and never returned to the air, leading the FCC to delete W27CP on September 14, 2011.
Former stations
In the summer of 1981, New Hampshire Public Television was suffering a significant financial crisis. These stations were turned off for good as a result.| Station | City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... |
Channel Channel (broadcasting) In broadcasting, a channel is a range of frequencies assigned by a government for the operation of a particular radio station, television station or television channel. In common usage, the term also may be used to refer to the station operating on a particular frequency.-See also:*Broadcast... |
Call letters’ meaning Call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations... |
Facility ID Facility ID The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international broadcast station in its Common Database System . Licensees are required to provide the relevant station's FIN when filing reports and... |
Transmitter Coordinates |
| WHED-TV | Hanover Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007.... |
15 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... )1 |
Hanover EDucational | 69303 | 43°42′32.1"N 72°9′14.7"W |
| WEDB-TV | Berlin Berlin, New Hampshire Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest... |
40 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
EDucational Berlin | 69056 | 44°22′15.8"N 71°12′47.1"W |
| W59AB (low power) | North Woodstock North Woodstock, New Hampshire North Woodstock is a census-designated place in the town of Woodstock in Grafton County, New Hampshire. It had a population of 528 at the 2010 census.... |
59 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
|||
WHED-TV was eventually replaced, in 1994, by a translator (originally W15BK, operating on WHED's former analog channel 15, and then, starting in 2007, low-power digital station W50DP-D). Otherwise, the defunct stations were generally superseded by cable carriage of WENH/NHPTV.
Post-analog shutdown
NHPTV shut down all full-service analog transmissions on February 17, 2009:- WENH, which used channel 57 for its pre-transition operations, moved its digital broadcasts back to its former analog channel 11;
- WEKW and WLED remained on their respective pre-transition channels (49 and 48).
Through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers will display virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
s for each NHPTV station corresponding to their previous analog channel numbers.
External links
- NHPTV web site
- UHF Morgue: WEDB, WHED