please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . april 2009 learn how and when to remove this template message wtvs detroit michigan united states branding detroit public tv channels digital 43 uhf virtual 56 psip affiliations .1 pbs .2 world .3 create owner detroit educational television foundation first air date october 3 1955 ; 61 years ago 1955 10 03 former channel number s analog 56 uhf 1955 2009 former affiliations net 1955 1970 transmitter power 600 kw height 318 m facility id 16817 transmitter coordinates 42 26 52 n 83 10 23 w 42.44778 n 83.17306 w 42.44778 ; 83.17306 coordinates 42 26 52 n 83 10 23 w 42.44778 n 83.17306 w 42.44778 ; 83.17306 licensing authority fcc public license information profile cdbs website www.dptv.org wtvs uhf digital channel 43 virtual channel 56 is a pbs member television station located in detroit michigan united states . the station is owned by the detroit educational television foundation . wtvs maintains studio facilities and offices located at the riley broadcast center and hd studios in wixom 1 with a satellite studio located at the maccabees building in midtown detroit ; 2 its transmitter is located at 8 mile and meyers road in oak park operating on the same tower as wmyd channel 20 and wwj tv channel 62 . the station partners with detroit public schools in the management of classical and jazz music station wrcj fm 90.9 . wtvs is also one of only three detroit stations that mention windsor and london ontario canada as part of its primary service area alongside wdiv tv channel 4 and wmyd . contents 1 history 2 digital television 2.1 digital channels 2.2 analog to digital conversion 3 programming 4 cable coverage 5 see also 6 references 7 external links history edit the station first signed on the air on october 3 1955 ; wtvs began broadcasting in color in 1968 . previously the studios were in the new center area of detroit which are now served for its fixed satellite services . 3 4 wtvs broadcasts its digital signal from the same tower as at a height of 1073 feet 327 m . prior to the digital tv switchover wtvs transmitted its signal from a 1 000 foot 300 m tower located near the intersection of 11 mile and inkster roads in southfield along with wmyd channel 20 and wkbd tv channel 50 . today only wkbd tv and wpxd tv channel 31 broadcast from that tower . on january 11 2016 detroit public television announced a partnership with wkar the pbs station serving central michigan operated by the michigan state university in which they will jointly operate a 24 hour children s television service to be carried by both stations . 5 digital television edit digital channels edit the station s digital channel is multiplexed channel video aspect psip short name programming 6 56.1 1080i 16 9 wtvs hd main wtvs programming pbs 56.2 480i wtvs sd dptv plus world 56.3 wtvssd2 create many newer television receivers also list wtvs subchannels 43.177 and 43.193 . these subchannels are artifact channels from the updatetv service . wtvs also has plans for a mobile dtv feed of subchannel 56.1 . 7 8 analog to digital conversion edit wtvs became the first public broadcaster in the state of michigan to offer a digital high definition feed launching their simulcast on uhf 43 in october 2000 exact date not yet known . 9 the station shut down its analog signal over uhf channel 56 at noon on april 16 2009 ; the switchover occurred after a presentation of the national anthems of canada o canada and the united states the star spangled banner . 10 wtvs management cited repeated failures of the station s 28 year old analog transmitter as the reason for ceasing its analog signal on april 16 rather than the june 12 transition date for full power stations the analog transmitter had failed seven times between january 1 and april 16 alone . the station s digital signal remained on its pre transition uhf channel 43 . 11 through the use of psip digital television receivers display the station s virtual channel as its former uhf analog channel 56 which was among the high band uhf channels 52 69 that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition . on october 12 2009 wtvs upgraded to a new 600 kw transmitter tripling its effective radiated power and vastly increasing the coverage area of its signal . 12 programming edit locally produced programming on the station includes get up get out in the frame exploring the dia leaders on leadership american black journal and am i right . wtvs is also a leading producer of fundraising programs for pbs . citation needed in addition to locally produced programming detroit pbs also is the sole creator of all il volo popular italian singing group dvd concerts and related cds . the detroit pbs il volo concerts were the oct. 2011 il volo takes flight live from the detroit opera house the march 2013 il volo at the miami fillmore we are love concert the march 2013 il volo at the miami fillmore buon natale concert the june 2015 il volo live at pompeii concert and july 2016 il volo tribute to the 3 tenors in florence concert . cable coverage edit wtvs is carried on most cable television providers in southeast michigan southwestern ontario and parts of the british columbia southern interior wtvs is carried in that province despite the existence of kcts tv in seattle the pbs member station commonly found in that province . wtvs is one of five detroit television stations available in canada on cable through shaw broadcast services and on satellite provider shaw direct ; it began to be distributed by cancom now shaw broadcast services in 1983 as the pbs station signal for canadian cable television systems too distant to receive a border station over the air . since then it had developed a strong base of canadian viewer support in all provinces and territories . see also edit television in the united states portal metro detroit portal media in detroit references edit contact us . wtvs . retrieved on december 8 2012 . contact us riley broadcast center and hd studios 1 clover court wixom mi 48393 2247 detroit public tv opens midtown studio . model d. tuesday march 22 2011 . retrieved on december 8 2012 . driving directions . wtvs . retrieved on december 8 2012 . frequently asked questions . wtvs . february 4 2005 . retrieved on december 8 2012 . detroit public television 7441 second avenue detroit mi 48202 wkar to stay on air launch 24 7 children s channel with detroit public tv . mlive.com . retrieved 12 january 2016 . rabbitears tv query for wtvs http www.rabbitears.info market.php request atscmph http www.mdtvsignalmap.com http www.michiguide.com history tv.html thesameretrowindsor 2009 04 16 wtvs final sign off april 16 2009 retrieved 2016 02 11 dtv tentative channel designations for the first and second rounds pdf . retrieved 2012 03 24 . wtvs detroit public tv digital tv information page external links edit wtvs official website query the fcc s tv station database for wtvs biafn s media web database information on wtvs tv wtvs tv channel 56 detroit 4 27 2005 . michigan s radio & tv broadcast guide . v t e broadcast television in the metro detroit and windsor ontario area reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television all stations are digital except when noted . metro detroit and southeast michigan local stations wjbk 2 .1 fox .2 movies .3 buzzr .4 h & i wdiv tv 4 .1 nbc .2 this .3 metv wxyz tv 7 7.1 abc .2 bounce .3 laff whne ld 14 .1 latv lc .2 retro tv .3 the bob .4 tuff .5 sbn .6 vibrant 20.2817 simulcast of 14.6 shows as 20.817 on some tuners wudl ld 19 .1 tcn .2 sbn .3 lc .4 newsmax .5 qvc east .6 qvc west wmyd 20 .1 mynet .2 ant tv .3 escape wpxd tv 31 .1 ion .2 qubo .3 ion life .4 ion shop .5 qvc over air .6 hsn w33by d 33 .1 ind .2 whpr fm .3 wvie fm .4 dream wadl 38 .1 ind asn newsmax .2 grit .3 gettv .4 cozi wkbd tv 50.1 cw wtvs 56 .1 pbs .2 world .3 create wwj tv 62 .1 cbs .2 decades religious stations whne ld 14.5 sonlife wdwo cd 18 .1 tct sd cor .2 tct hd cor .3 tct family kids wudl ld 19.2 sonlife wudt cd 23.1 daystar wlpc cd 40 .1 impact .2 blank cable only stations fox sports detroit comcast television ctnd catholictv mgtv michigan channel pbs u of m wolv u of m student tv southwestern ontario essex kent lambton counties local stations cbet dt 9.1 cbc chwi dt 16.1 ctv two ciii dt 22 22.1 global chwi dt 60 26.1 ctv two ciii dt 29 29.1 global cico dt 32 32.1 tvo cico dt 59 33.1 tvo cftv dt 34 .1 ind community .2 french spanish comm . .3 first nation comm . .4 town council ckco tv 3 42 analog ctv chch dt 2 51.1 ind cable only stations cblft dt ici radio canada french leafs tv sportsnet ontario tfo ola cogecotv windsor windsor and leamington cogecotv chatham and sarnia atsc m h mobile dtv wjbk 2.1 fox wdiv tv 4.1 nbc wxyz tv 7.3 laff wpxd tv 31.1 ion 31.2 qubo wtvs 56.1 pbs defunct channels wpag tv 20 wjmy tv 20 w48av 48 ion w48av d 48.1 uhf 23 daystar whda lp 27 tct cbeft 35 radio canada french w67aj 67 cbs pass comcast local michigan broadcast television areas by city alpena detroit duluth mn flint saginaw bay city grand rapids kalamazoo green bay wi lansing jackson marquette northern michigan south bend in toledo oh see also list of ontario stations ontario tv media in detroit media in windsor ontario v t e pbs member stations in the state of michigan cmu public television wcml 6 alpena wcmu 14 mt. pleasant wcmw 21 manistee wcmv 27 cadillac wcmz 28 flint other stations michigan channel ann arbor wnmu 13 marquette wdcq 19 bad axe wkar 23 east lansing wgvu 35 wgvk 52 grand rapids kalamazoo wtvs 56 detroit see also abc cbs cw fox ion mynetworktv nbc pbs other stations in michigan retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title wtvs & oldid 744216300 categories pbs member stationstelevision channels and stations established in 1955television stations in detroittelevision stations in ontarioatsc m h stationshidden 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