WCMU-TV
Encyclopedia
WCMU-TV, channel 14 is a Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) member Public television station for much of the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
, with a coverage area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others. The network is based at Central Michigan University
in Mount Pleasant
. The station's on-air branding is CMU Public Television.
WCMU came to the air on March 29, 1967. WCMV serves Cadillac
and Traverse City
, and Petoskey
while WCML services the small Alpena
television market as only one of two full-power stations serving that community, along with Cheboygan
and the Straits of Mackinac
. WCMW serves the Lake Michigan
communities of Manistee
, Ludington
and Pentwater
, all of which are on the edge of the Grand Rapids market. On January 15, 2010, WCMU took over operations of WFUM in Flint
pending approval of the sale of the station from the University of Michigan-Flint
by the Federal Communications Commission
. After the FCC approved the sale in March and CMU officially took over the station in May, the call letters of WFUM were changed to WCMZ-TV, using the same callsign as sister station WCMZ-FM in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
. Although Mount Pleasant is part of the Flint
/Saginaw/Bay City
market, the majority of its viewership is in the Traverse City/Cadillac market.
WCMU-TV's analog transmitter was located near the school in Mount Pleasant; the digital transmitter is located in Martiny Township
in Mecosta County
, north of Martiny Lake. WCML's tower is located north of Atlanta
, with WCMV's tower east of Kalkaska
, and WCMW's facilities are northeast of Ludington
. The entire network discontinued analog service on March 31, 2009.
Unlike other major stations in the Cadillac / Traverse City market, CMU Public Television does not have marketwide coverage, and following the 2009 digital transition
, the network actually lost coverage — Alpena station WCML was received throughout most of the Eastern Upper Peninsula before the analog shutdown. After WCML went to digital, residents of the Eastern Upper Peninsula (except for those on the Lake Huron shoreline) were no longer able to receive a WCML due to its 300 kW UHF signal. Currently, CMU Public Television has no plans to add transmitters in the Eastern U.P. All PBS service, whether from CMU Public Television or another station, is only available in that region only via cable or satellite. In addition, most cable systems in that region carry another PBS station instead of WCMU — in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Marquette
's WNMU is seen on Charter
, while across the locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
, Shaw
carries Detroit
's WTVS
instead.
In January 2010, WCMU-TV began airing 24 hours a day, and launched an HD feed.
WCMU-TV is also relayed on translators W69AV in Leland
and W46AD in Traverse City
. The status of these broadcasts after the 2009 DTV transition in the United States
is unknown; low-power translators are not required to be digital but channels 52-69 will be reassigned for non-television use. According to its website, they are simulcasting WCMV digital channel 17.
's PBS member station, WFUM (now WCMZ-TV), from the University of Michigan–Flint for a maximum of $1 million. The sale was approved by the FCC, allowing the network's presence to expand further south, not only including Flint, but also Ann Arbor
and the fringes of Metro Detroit
. The network now provides at least secondary over-the-air coverage from Chippewa County
to northern Monroe County
. While WFUM was folded into the CMU Public Television network, CMU vows to include Flint-area events and issues in its programming, as well as produce new programming that would originate from the region. CMU believes the acquisition of WFUM will increase its viewership from 2.2 million to 8 million. CMU originally hinted that the takeover of WFUM would begin in late November, but WCMU took over operations of WFUM on January 15, 2010. The FCC approved the sale of WFUM in March and CMU officially took over in May at which point the call letters were changed to WCMZ-TV.
s:
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) member Public television station for much of the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, with a coverage area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others. The network is based at Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Isabella County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,946. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 26,675....
. The station's on-air branding is CMU Public Television.
WCMU came to the air on March 29, 1967. WCMV serves Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
and Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
, and Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
while WCML services the small Alpena
Alpena, Michigan
Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...
television market as only one of two full-power stations serving that community, along with Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
and the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
. WCMW serves the Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
communities of Manistee
Manistee, Michigan
Manistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from...
, Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
and Pentwater
Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 958 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Pentwater Township. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters...
, all of which are on the edge of the Grand Rapids market. On January 15, 2010, WCMU took over operations of WFUM in Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
pending approval of the sale of the station from the University of Michigan-Flint
University of Michigan-Flint
The University of Michigan–Flint is a public university located in Flint, Michigan in the United States...
by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The 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...
. After the FCC approved the sale in March and CMU officially took over the station in May, the call letters of WFUM were changed to WCMZ-TV, using the same callsign as sister station WCMZ-FM in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
. Although Mount Pleasant is part of the Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
/Saginaw/Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
market, the majority of its viewership is in the Traverse City/Cadillac market.
WCMU-TV's analog transmitter was located near the school in Mount Pleasant; the digital transmitter is located in Martiny Township
Martiny Township, Michigan
Martiny Township is a civil township of Mecosta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,606 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
in Mecosta County
Mecosta County, Michigan
Mecosta County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county is named after Chief Mecosta, the leader of the Potawatomi Native American tribe that once traveled the local waterways in search of fish and game. Chief Mecosta was one of the signers the Treaty of Washington in 1836. The easily...
, north of Martiny Lake. WCML's tower is located north of Atlanta
Atlanta, Michigan
Atlanta is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan, along the 45th parallel. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 757 at the 2000 census...
, with WCMV's tower east of Kalkaska
Kalkaska, Michigan
Kalkaska is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,226. It is the county seat of Kalkaska County.-Geography:...
, and WCMW's facilities are northeast of Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
. The entire network discontinued analog service on March 31, 2009.
Unlike other major stations in the Cadillac / Traverse City market, CMU Public Television does not have marketwide coverage, and following the 2009 digital transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
, the network actually lost coverage — Alpena station WCML was received throughout most of the Eastern Upper Peninsula before the analog shutdown. After WCML went to digital, residents of the Eastern Upper Peninsula (except for those on the Lake Huron shoreline) were no longer able to receive a WCML due to its 300 kW UHF signal. Currently, CMU Public Television has no plans to add transmitters in the Eastern U.P. All PBS service, whether from CMU Public Television or another station, is only available in that region only via cable or satellite. In addition, most cable systems in that region carry another PBS station instead of WCMU — in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
's WNMU is seen on Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
, while across the locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, Shaw
Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications is Canada's largest telecommunications company that provides telephone, Canada's fastest Internet and television services as well as broadcasting and soon Wifi. Shaw is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta...
carries Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
's WTVS
WTVS
WTVS, branded as Detroit Public TV, is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in Detroit, Michigan. Broadcasting since 1955, its vision statement is "educate, entertain and inspire — in partnership with our community." The viewer supported station produces many local...
instead.
In January 2010, WCMU-TV began airing 24 hours a day, and launched an HD feed.
Satellite stations
| 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.... |
PSIP Channel |
ATSC ATSC ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks.... Channel |
First air date | Call meaning | 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 |
| WCML | Alpena Alpena, Michigan Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census... |
6 | 24 (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... ) |
November 21, 1975 | Central Michigan ALpena | 300 kW | 393 m | 9917 | 45°8′18"N 84°9′45"W |
| WCMV | Cadillac Cadillac, Michigan Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115... |
27 | 17 (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... ) |
September 7, 1984 | V - first letter after U | 338 kW | 393 m | 9922 | 44°44′53"N 85°4′8"W |
| WCMW | Manistee Manistee, Michigan Manistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from... |
N/A | 21 (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... ) |
September 7, 1984 | W - second letter after U | 70 kW | 134 m | 9913 | 44°3′57"N 86°19′58"W |
| WCMZ-TV | Flint Flint, Michigan Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the... |
28 | 28 (UHF) | Originally signed on as WFUM-TV by the University of Michigan–Flint on August 23, 1980; CMU took over broadcast operations on January 15, 2010 | Z - fifth letter after U | 500 kW | 258 m | 69273 | 42°53′56"N 83°27′41.6"W |
WCMU-TV is also relayed on translators W69AV in Leland
Leland, Michigan
Leland is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was the county seat of Leelanau County from 1883 to 2008, when a new government center was completed in Suttons Bay Township, closer to the county's geographic center....
and W46AD in Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
. The status of these broadcasts after the 2009 DTV transition in the United States
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
is unknown; low-power translators are not required to be digital but channels 52-69 will be reassigned for non-television use. According to its website, they are simulcasting WCMV digital channel 17.
Acquisition of WFUM
On October 27, 2009, it was announced that the CMU Board of Trustees approved a proposal for CMU to acquire FlintFlint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
's PBS member station, WFUM (now WCMZ-TV), from the University of Michigan–Flint for a maximum of $1 million. The sale was approved by the FCC, allowing the network's presence to expand further south, not only including Flint, but also Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and the fringes of Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
. The network now provides at least secondary over-the-air coverage from Chippewa County
Chippewa County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge* Hiawatha National Forest * Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
to northern Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
. While WFUM was folded into the CMU Public Television network, CMU vows to include Flint-area events and issues in its programming, as well as produce new programming that would originate from the region. CMU believes the acquisition of WFUM will increase its viewership from 2.2 million to 8 million. CMU originally hinted that the takeover of WFUM would begin in late November, but WCMU took over operations of WFUM on January 15, 2010. The FCC approved the sale of WFUM in March and CMU officially took over in May at which point the call letters were changed to WCMZ-TV.
Digital channels
CMU Public Television carries three digital subchannelDigital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
s:
| Subchannel (## = local channel) |
Programming |
|---|---|
| ##.1 | Main WCMU Programming / PBS 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.... HD |
| ##.2 | SD simulcast of ##.1 |
| ##.3 | Create |