WETA-TV

From Freepedia

WETA-TV
Image:Weta.gif
Washington, D.C.
Branding	WETA
Slogan	Be more...
Analog channel	26 (UHF)
Digital channel	27 (UHF)
Affiliations	PBS
Owner	Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association
Founded	1961
Call letters meaning	Washington Educational Telecommunications Association
Former affiliations	None
Website	www.weta.org

WETA is the PBS station serving the Washington, D.C., area. Its studios are located in Arlington, Virginia. WETA produces many nationally syndicated programs for PBS, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Washington Week, and Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered.

History

In 1952, the FCC allocated 242 channels for non-commercial use across the U.S.. Channel 26 was allocated for use in Washington, DC. In 1953, the Greater Washington Educational Television Association was formed to develop programming for channel 26. Elizabeth Campbell, thought by many to be the major force in founding WETA was elected president of the association in 1957.

In the early days, the GWETA did not have enough funding to operate on allocated channel 26, so instead they produced educational programming for WTTG. Finally, in October, 1961, the GWETA was granted a license by the FCC to activate channel 26. Until WETA moved to Howard University in 1964, WETA operated from Yorktown High School. The transmitter was moved to Bethesda, MD. The move brought an upgrade to production value and signal strength. In 1967, WETA produced Washington Week in Review, its first nationally syndicated program for non-commercial educational stations. In October, 1970, PBS began broadcasting and WETA became an member. Around that time, the Greater Washington Educational Television Association changed their name to the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association to reflect the oversight of the new WETA-FM.

In the 1990s, WETA established itself as a leader in new developing forms of communication. In 1992, WETA broadcast the first over-the-air HDTV signal in the U.S. In 1995, WETA launched weta.org, becoming one of the first PBS stations in the country to have a website. In 1997, WETA tested its new full-power HDTV transmitter, and began to showcase it to the public in 1999. In 2002, WETA became one of the first stations to offer digital subchannels, which include WETA Prime, WETA Plus, and WETA Kids.

WETA has always been a powerful force in the communities which it serves. In 1995, WETA acquired CapAccess, an interactive computer network. From that aquisition, WETA helped connect public schools, public libraries, and local government agencies to the internet. WETA's community efforts continue to this day. Since 2003, WETA has sponsored a toll-free phone service for The Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc.'s dial-in newspaper and magazine service, providing news for the blind, visually impaired, and print-handicapped.

Recently, WETA has produced Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered, hosted by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson as part of an effort to provide a balanced perspective. WETA continues to be regarded as a positive force in the Washington, D.C., area.

External links

• Full history of WETA
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WETA