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Maryland Public Television

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"WMPB" redirects here. Not to be confused with Mississippi Public Broadcasting.
"WCPB" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Maryland Public Television
The plaza at MPT's headquarters in Owings Mills.
Programming
Subchannels
AffiliationsPBS
Ownership
OwnerMaryland Public Broadcasting Commission
History
First air date
October 5, 1969 (55 years ago) (1969-10-05)
Links
Websitewww.mpt.org

Maryland Public Television (MPT) is the PBS member state network for the U.S. state of Maryland. It operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, an agency of the Maryland state government that holds the licenses for all PBS member stations licensed in the state.

Studios are located in the unincorporated community of Owings Mills in northwestern Baltimore County. MPT operates six full-power transmitters that cover nearly all of the state, plus Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

History

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WMPB (licensed to Baltimore) first signed on in 1969 as the first station of the Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting; it gained satellite stations in Salisbury, Hagerstown, and Annapolis between 1971 and 1975, resulting in a formation of a statewide public television network. The network adopted its current name in 1984. Maryland Instructional Television (Maryland ITV), a division of the State Department of Education, was also housed at the network until 1991. On July 4, 1987, WFPT (licensed to Frederick) signed on to fill coverage gaps in the outer Washington market, while WGPT in Oakland began operations to cover the extreme west of the state, much of which previously had no local television service at all.

About 1999, the network launched an afternoon Britcom programming block, Afternoon Tea, replacing children's programming. By 2009, MPT was airing kids' programming during the day on its MPT Select channel.[1]

In September 2015, as part of budget cuts, MPT outsourced its master control operations to Public Media Management—a joint venture of Boston PBS member WGBH and Sony Corporation.[2]

Productions

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Inside The Irene and Edward H. Kaplan Production Studio during the Season 11 taping of MPT's original series Chesapeake Collectibles in June 2023.

Current regional productions

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  • Chesapeake Collectibles:[3] weekly series featuring people and their collectibles
  • Maryland Farm & Harvest:[4] weekly series helping Marylanders learn more about agriculture
  • Chesapeake Bay Week:[5] week long series of programs in April dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay
  • Direct Connection:[6] public affairs call-in show focusing on discussion and analysis of politics and the news
  • Outdoors Maryland:[7] outdoors show highlighting the Mid-Atlantic region's diversity and beauty
  • State Circle:[8] news and analysis program detailing Maryland's General Assembly proceedings
  • Ways to Pay for College:[9] annual special on finding money for higher education
  • Artworks:[10] regional arts updates and specials highlighting Maryland's culture and history
  • Destination Maryland[11] discover attractions and hidden gems that make Maryland an ultimate destination.
  • Made in Maryland[12] From the people to product design and delivery, find out about what's made in Maryland

Nationally distributed productions

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  • The McLaughlin Group: (2019–2020) a weekly political affairs round table
  • Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke & Project Fire: (2015–2019) outdoor cooking series with Steven Raichlen.
  • MotorWeek: (1981–present) automotive magazine featuring new automotive technology and model reviews
  • Great Performances: Star-Spangled Spectacular: Music special commemorating 200th Anniversary of FSK's National Anthem
  • F.S. Key and the Song That Built America
  • Planet Forward: A special on energy, climate, and sustainability
  • For Love of Liberty: series telling the story of America's black servicemen
  • Music of Ireland: Welcome Home
  • National Geographic Bee
  • Veterans Day: A Musical Tribute
  • Space Racers: an animated children's television series about space and science
  • My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas: a cooking show focused on Greek cuisine hosted by Diane Kochilas
  • To Dine For with Kate Sullivan: features stories of creators and dreamers at their favorite restaurant Kate Sullivan

Regional documentaries and specials

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  • Racing Rivals: Log Canoes of Chesapeake Bay (2024)
  • Water's Edge: Black Watermen of the Chesapeake (2023)
  • Kent County's Storied Landscape: Place Past & Present (2023)
  • Discovering the Dove (2023)
  • Eatin' Blue Catfish: Chesapeake Style (2023)
  • Chesapeake Decoys: The Nature of Waterfowl Art (2022)
  • Creatures of the Chesapeake (2021)
  • Chesapeake Beacons (2020)
  • Chesapeake & Delaware Canal: Gateway to the World (2019)
  • Eatin' The Chesapeake: The Five Feasts (2018)
  • Eatin' Oysters: Chesapeake Style! (2017) who's eating & shucking oysters, why they love them, and where to find the best.
  • Search for the USS Scorpion: (2017) Search for the Commodore Barney's Flotilla
  • The Chesapeake Bay Summit: (2016–2024) Moderator Frank Sesno and a panel discuss the status of the Chesapeake Bay
  • Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna (2016) the dam's unique story and place in Maryland history
  • Eatin' Crabcakes: The Best I Ever Had: (2011) the ultimate crab cake treasure hunt
  • Potomac by Air: (2015) explores incredible natural and man-made history along our nation's river
  • Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style: (2008) a rollicking foray into the world of the blue crab, from dockside to table.
  • Distinctive Homes of the Chesapeake: (2013) opening the door to Maryland's magnificent homes surrounding the Chesapeake Bay
  • The Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Spanning the Bay (2014) an exciting look back at the monumental creation of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Past productions

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Stations

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The MPT stations are:

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Maryland Public Television transmitters
Station City of license[a]
Facility ID ERP HAAT Transmitter coordinates First air date Public license information
WMPT Annapolis 22 (21) 65942 1000 kW 284 m (932 ft) 39°0′36.7″N 76°36′31.8″W / 39.010194°N 76.608833°W / 39.010194; -76.608833 (WMPT) September 22, 1975[b]
WMPB Baltimore 67 (22) 65944 90 kW 307 m (1,007 ft) 39°26′49.9″N 76°46′47.2″W / 39.447194°N 76.779778°W / 39.447194; -76.779778 (WMPB) October 5, 1969[c]
WFPT Frederick 62 (28) 40626 71.3 kW 156 m (512 ft) 39°15′38″N 77°18′43.6″W / 39.26056°N 77.312111°W / 39.26056; -77.312111 (WFPT) July 4, 1987[d]
WWPB Hagerstown 31 (29) 65943 700 kW 375 m (1,230 ft) 39°39′4″N 77°58′14″W / 39.65111°N 77.97056°W / 39.65111; -77.97056 (WWPB) October 5, 1974[e]
WGPT Oakland 36 (26) 40619 200 kW 283 m (928 ft) 39°24′14.3″N 79°17′36.1″W / 39.403972°N 79.293361°W / 39.403972; -79.293361 (WGPT) July 4, 1987[f]
WCPB Salisbury 28 (16) 40618 320 kW 154 m (505 ft) 38°23′9″N 75°35′31″W / 38.38583°N 75.59194°W / 38.38583; -75.59194 (WCPB) March 18, 1971
  1. ^ Aside from their transmitters, the MPT stations (except WMPB) do not maintain any physical presence in their cities of license.
  2. ^ WMPT used the callsign WAPB from 1975 to July 4, 1984.
  3. ^ WMPB used the callsign WETM during its construction permit from 1967 to 1968.[18]
  4. ^ First licensed in 1979 as translator W62AY and replaced by a full-powered license from the same transmitter site.[19]
  5. ^ WWPB used the -TV suffix in its callsign from 1974 to October 15, 1976.[20]
  6. ^ First licensed in 1979 as translator W36AB and replaced by a full-powered license from the same transmitter site.[21]

WGPT is assigned to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market and elects must-carry status on satellite providers there. For the purposes of pay-television carriage, WMPT and WMPB are assigned to the Baltimore market, while WFPT and WWPB are assigned to Washington–Hagerstown and WCPB to Salisbury.[22]

Technical information

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The stations' signals are multiplexed:

Subchannels of WMPT[23] and WMPB[24]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
WMPT WMPB
22.1 67.1 1080i 16:9 MPT-HD PBS
22.2 67.2 480i MPT-2 MPT2 (7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.) / Create
22.3 67.3 MPTKIDS PBS Kids
22.4 67.4 NHK-WLD NHK World
54.1 54.11 720p 16.9 CWWNUV The CW (WNUV)
  Broadcast on behalf of another station
Subchannels of the other MPT stations[25]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
xx.1 1080i 16:9 MPT-HD PBS
xx.2 720p MPT-2 MPT2 (7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.) / Create
xx.3 480i MPTKIDS PBS Kids
xx.4 NHK-WLD NHK World

Analog-to-digital conversion

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MPT's stations ended regular programming on their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The stations' digital channel allocations post-transition are as follows:[26]

  • WMPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 67; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 29,[27] using virtual channel 67.
  • WMPT ended regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 22; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42,[28] using virtual channel 22. As part of the SAFER Act, WMPT kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters.[29]
  • WCPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 28; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 56, which was among the high band UHF channels (52–69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era UHF channel 28.[30]
  • WWPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 31; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 44,[31] using virtual channel 31.
  • WGPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 36; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 54, which was among the high band UHF channels (52–69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era UHF channel 36.[32]
  • WFPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 62; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 28,[33] using virtual channel 62.

Spectrum reallocation

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As a part of the repacking process following the 2016–2017 FCC incentive auction, channels 38 through 51 were removed from television broadcasting. None of MPT's stations sold their allocations, but five of them moved channels within the UHF band: WMPT moved to channel 21, WMPB to channel 22, WWPB to channel 29, WGPT to channel 26, and WCPT to channel 16.[34]

ATSC 3.0

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MPT joined the Baltimore market's ATSC 3.0 lighthouse station, hosted at WNUV, on June 24, 2021.[35] In return, WMPT and WMPB hosts WNUV's main channel (54.1) to preserve coverage for existing ATSC 1.0 TV sets.[36]

References

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  1. ^ Katy June-Friesen (January 12, 2009). "Many stations packaging their own kids' channels". Current. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "More downsizing at MPT as master control function shifts to Boston". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  3. ^ "Welcome to Chesapeake Collectibles". Maryland Public Television. January 10, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  4. ^ "Maryland Farm and Harvest". Maryland Public Television. January 10, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  5. ^ "Chesapeake Bay Week". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  6. ^ "About Direct Connection". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  7. ^ "Outdoors Maryland". Maryland Public Television. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  8. ^ "State Circle". Maryland Public Television. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  9. ^ "Ways to Pay for College". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  10. ^ "Artworks". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  11. ^ "Destination Maryland". Maryland Public Television.
  12. ^ "Made in Maryland". Maryland Public Television.
  13. ^ "About Lynn Fischer".
  14. ^ "Vietnam Veterans". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  15. ^ "Our Town". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  16. ^ "The Transformation Age". Robert H. Smith School of Business.
  17. ^ "Your Money & Business". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  18. ^ "FCC History Cards for WMPB".
  19. ^ "DW62AY Facility Data". FCCData.
  20. ^ "FCC History Cards for WWPB" (PDF).
  21. ^ "DW36AB Facility Data". FCCData.
  22. ^ "Must-Carry or Retransmission Consent Election" (PDF). FCC OPIF.
  23. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WMPT". rabbitears.info.
  24. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WMPB". rabbitears.info.
  25. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WCPB". rabbitears.info.
  26. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  27. ^ "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
  28. ^ "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
  29. ^ "UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  30. ^ "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
  31. ^ "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
  32. ^ "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
  33. ^ "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
  34. ^ "Repack Channel Assignments". RabbitEars.
  35. ^ "Modification of a License for DTV Application (NextGen) (LMS File No. 136496)". FCC LMS.
  36. ^ "DTV Legal STA Application (File No. 136473)". FCC LMS.
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