View source for WABE-TV

{{Short description|Television station in Atlanta}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WABE-TV
| city = 
| logo = WABE (2022) logo.svg
| logo_alt = Stylized chunky letters W A B E
| logo_size = 200px
| image = WABE (FM) Building.jpg
| caption = The WABE radio and TV studios in Atlanta
| image_alt = The W A B E letters, but in a square, on a midcentury brick building with a visible satellite dish
| branding = WABE
| digital = 21 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
| virtual = 30
| affiliations = '''30.1:''' [[PBS]]
| owner = [[Atlanta Public Schools]]
| licensee = [[Atlanta Board of Education|Board of Education of the City of Atlanta]]
| location = [[Atlanta]], Georgia
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1958|02|17|p=y|br=yes}}
| callsign_meaning = "Atlanta Board of Education"
| sister_stations = {{hlist|[[WABE (FM)|WABE]]|APS Cable Channel 22}}
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WETV (1958–1984)|WPBA (1984–2022)}}
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:''' 30 (UHF, 1958–2009)
| former_affiliations = [[National Educational Television|NET]] (1958–1970)
| erp = 105 [[kilowatt|kW]]
| haat = {{convert|265.2|m|ft|1|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 4190
| coordinates = {{coord|33|45|32.4|N|84|20|7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WABE-TV transmitter}}
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| website = {{URL|wabe.org}}
}}

'''WABE-TV''' (channel 30) is a secondary [[PBS]] member [[television station]] in [[Atlanta]], Georgia, United States. Owned by [[Atlanta Public Schools]], it is a [[sister station|sister]] outlet to [[NPR]] member station [[WABE (FM)|WABE]] (90.1 FM) and local [[public access television|educational access]] cable service APS Cable Channel 22. The three outlets share studios on Bismark Road in the [[Morningside/Lenox Park]] section of Atlanta; WABE-TV's transmitter is located on New Street Northeast (south of DeKalb Avenue) in the city's [[Edgewood, Atlanta|Edgewood]] neighborhood.

WABE-TV was Georgia's first public television station, signing on as WETV in February 1958, and is the only one that is not part of [[Georgia Public Broadcasting]] (GPB). It has typically provided a programming mix more reflective of the city of Atlanta than the statewide service from GPB, though duplication between the two has been an issue at times in WABE-TV's history.

==History==
The [[Atlanta Board of Education|Board of Education of the City of Atlanta]] filed on February 16, 1953, for a construction permit to build a new noncommercial educational television station on Atlanta's reserved channel 30.<ref name="hc">{{Cite web|title=History Cards for WABE-TV|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/9568663d-50d6-933a-1e2b-f41f09123e50|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}}</ref> The [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) granted the application on March 21, 1956; the school board announced that the station would operate from the former Rock Springs School.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85473842/atlanta-school-tv-due-on-channel-30-in-y/|accessdate=September 16, 2021|date=March 22, 1956|title=Atlanta School TV Due On Channel 30 in Year|page=1|work=The Atlanta Constitution|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120164639/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85473842/atlanta-school-tv-due-on-channel-30-in/|url-status=live}}</ref> After delays in tower construction set back the start,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85473874/school-tv-on-dec-1/|accessdate=September 16, 2021|date=October 31, 1957|title=School TV on Dec. 1|work=The Atlanta Constitution|page=15|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917065806/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85473874/school-tv-on-dec-1/|url-status=live}}</ref> the station first signed on the air as WETV, for "Educational Television", on February 17, 1958; test broadcasts had started at the end of 1957.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474027/educational-tv-setup-explained-as-atlant/|page=3|date=December 30, 1957|title=Educational TV Setup Explained As Atlanta's Station Is Dedicated|accessdate=September 16, 2021|work=The Atlanta Constitution|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120164541/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474027/educational-tv-setup-explained-as/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Channel 30, the first educational television station to sign on in Georgia, focused initially on programs for use in the city's public schools. The initial offering consisted of five high school courses and two at the elementary school level.<ref>{{cite news|title=School TV Planned for Feb. 17 Here|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85473957/|page=3|first=Herman|last=Hancock|work=The Atlanta Constitution|date=February 8, 1958|accessdate=September 16, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120164556/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85473957/school-tv-planned-for-feb-17-here/|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the station aired programs from [[National Educational Television]] and produced local specialty programming, including [[Atlanta City Council|Board of Aldermen]] and Board of Education meetings and programs for senior citizens and Spanish speakers.<ref name="public25">{{cite news|pages=1F, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474254/public-broadcasting-25-in-october/ 2F]|title=Happy Birthday, Public Broadcasting|work=The Atlanta Constitution|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474301/happy-birthday-public-broadcasting/|date=September 30, 1973|accessdate=September 16, 2021|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917065805/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474301/happy-birthday-public-broadcasting/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1973, the station began broadcasting on Saturdays for the first time ever.{{r|public25}}

Parallel to WETV's early years, the [[University of Georgia]] built [[WGTV]], channel 8 in [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]], in 1960, and the Georgia Educational Television Network was constructed in the 1960s, providing service to the rest of the state. However, in the early 1980s, when WGTV was amalgamated with Georgia Educational Television to form the present [[Georgia Public Broadcasting]], Governor [[George Busbee]] called for the state to negotiate to purchase WETV.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81361415/busbee-asks-statewide-public-tv/|accessdate=July 13, 2021|first=Fran|last=Hesser|work=Atlanta Constitution|title=Busbee Asks Statewide Public TV|page=2-C|date=November 20, 1980|archive-date=July 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714023033/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81361415/busbee-asks-statewide-public-tv/|url-status=live}}</ref> The late 1970s and early 1980s also saw other changes: the formation of a Public Broadcasting Association to advise on the operations of WETV and WABE;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474444/pba-reaches-for-community-leaders/|accessdate=September 16, 2021|page=10D|date=December 27, 1979|title=PBA Reaches For Community Leaders|first=Donna|last=Williams|work=The Atlanta Constitution|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917110048/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474444/pba-reaches-for-community-leaders/|url-status=live}}</ref> upset workers who threatened a wildcat strike over work schedule issues;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474390/|accessdate=September 16, 2021|date=February 5, 1981|first=Donna|last=Williams|page=6D|title=Upset TV Crew Airs Complaints|work=The Atlanta Constitution}}</ref> and [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton County]]'s decision to stop funding WABE and WETV in 1982, which almost led the Atlanta school board to turn both over to GPB.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474505/|accessdate=September 16, 2021|title=Public Broadcasting Stations Get Breathing Room|first=Sharon J.|last=Salyer|work=The Atlanta Constitution|date=April 12, 1982|page=12-A|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120164612/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474505/public-broadcasting-stations-get/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ultimately, the factor that dissuaded the Board of Education from handing over its broadcasting outlets was that it was a minority school system and had no interest in turning over the services to a predominantly White group.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474626/school-board-backs-down-on-stations-offe/|title=School board backs down on stations offer|first=Jane|last=Hansen|page=Intown Extra 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474645/cover-story/ 4]|work=The Atlanta Constitution|date=October 7, 1982|accessdate=September 16, 2021}}</ref>

In 1984, seeking to improve its image, channel 30 changed its call letters to WPBA ("Public Broadcasting Atlanta").<ref name="shed">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474692/channel-30-may-shed-more-than-old-image/|title=Channel 30 may shed more than old image|first=John|last=Carman|work=Atlanta Constitution|date=May 30, 1984|page=5-C|accessdate=September 16, 2021|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917065809/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474692/channel-30-may-shed-more-than-old-image/|url-status=live}}</ref> The station periodically explored potential new directions, such as a 1991 study that suggested focusing on local productions and deemphasizing network shows; the same study also suggested a move to a multicultural format for WABE, which drew the ire of public broadcasting supporters.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474920/2nd-wpba-wabe-study-set/|accessdate=September 17, 2021|first=Bernadette|last=Burden|work=The Atlanta Constitution|title=2nd WPBA-WABE study set|page=F4|date=October 28, 1991|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917143211/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474920/2nd-wpba-wabe-study-set/|url-status=live}}</ref> The advisory board campaigned in 1993 to take full control of the stations;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474962/change-urged-for-wabe-wpba/|title=Change urged for WABE, WPBA|accessdate=September 17, 2021|first=Betsy|last=White|page=C1|date=October 23, 1993|work=The Atlanta Constitution|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917073504/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474962/change-urged-for-wabe-wpba/|url-status=live}}</ref> this led to its restructuring as the Atlanta Educational Telecommunications Collaborative in 1994.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85474999/restructuring-at-wabe-fm-wpba-means-nin/|date=August 11, 1994|title=Restructuring at WABE-FM, WPBA means nine employees to lose jobs|accessdate=September 17, 2021|page=E11|first=Derrick|last=Henry|work=The Atlanta Constitution}}</ref> After the handover, WPBA more than doubled its annual budget thanks to increased corporate and viewer donations, and its number of members tripled;<ref name="abc98">{{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/1998/09/28/editorial3.html|first=David|last=Rubinger|work=Atlanta Business Chronicle|title=Atlanta's 'other' public broadcasting operation slowly gains momentum|date=September 28, 1998}}</ref> however, much of this came from airing PBS programming, prompting more concern by some donors of overlap with GPB. The statewide network made another overture to take over WPBA and WABE, which the Atlanta Board of Education rebuffed, with the racial composition of channel 30's management compared to the state agency again being cited.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB898623950561924500|date=June 24, 1998|page=S1|title=Atlanta's Small Public TV Station Struggles to Remain Independent|first=Motoko|last=Rich|accessdate=September 18, 2021|archive-date=September 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918173707/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB898623950561924500|url-status=live}}</ref> Milton Clipper, president and CEO of Public Broadcasting Atlanta, told the ''[[Atlanta Business Chronicle]]'', "We can certainly do interesting [programming] for the state as well, but that's not where we're heading right now. I want to make sure that I'm doing what I am responsible to do for our city."<ref>{{cite news|title=Milton Clipper is intent on keeping WPBA and WABE independent of state control|work=Atlanta Business Chronicle|first=Wendy|last=Bowman-Littler|id={{ProQuest|235192362}}|date=March 13, 1998|page=12A}}</ref>
[[File:WPBA PBA30 logo 2008.png|left|thumb|upright=0.8|Former WPBA logo, used from 2008 until July 23, 2018; the logo is based on the design used by [[NPR]]|alt=From top left: Three blocks, blue, black, and red, with white letters P, B, and A; the numeral 30 in the top right in black; beneath both, the text "Atlanta's P B S Station".]]

On September 6, 1999, WPBA assumed time-lease rights to Atlanta Public Schools's APS Cable channel (carried on Comcast channel 22 in [[Atlanta metropolitan area|metropolitan Atlanta]]), which began to air programming from the upstart [[PBS Kids#Network|PBS Kids Channel]] each night from 6:00&nbsp;p.m. to 6:00&nbsp;a.m., with instructional programming acquired by the school district continuing to air during the daytime hours.<ref>{{cite news|title=Multi-purpose PBS Kids takes flight next week|url=http://www.current.org/ch/ch916k.html|first=Karen|last=Everhart Bedford|newspaper=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|publisher=Current, LLC|date=August 30, 1999|access-date=December 9, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991216121548/http://www.current.org/ch/ch916k.html|archive-date=December 16, 1999}}</ref>

In 2005, WPBA heavily reduced its PBS program offerings after Atlanta Public Schools and station management decided to make channel 30 a participant in the service's Program Differentiation Plan; this came amid frequent complaints of duplication between WPBA and GPB and a desire to cut costs at the station.{{r|pdp}} As a result, the station began to carry only 25 percent of the programming broadcast by PBS's national feed, giving GPB primary status for most new PBS programs. To make up for the reduced lineup of PBS shows, WPBA also expanded its reliance on syndicated programs from [[American Public Television]] and other distributors as well as locally produced news and [[public affairs (broadcasting)|public affairs]] programs.{{r|pdp}}

On July 23, 2018, WPBA discontinued the "PBA 30" branding, used since the late 1990s, and changed its moniker to "ATL PBA", removing references to its over-the-air virtual channel. The following day (July 24), Atlanta Public Schools reached an agreement with PBS to convert WPBA into a full-service member outlet in order to better compete with GPB for viewers, public and private monetary contributions, and corporate programming underwriters. The move, which allows WPBA to carry any content supplied by the service and to provide PBS Passport to its members, resulted in a roughly $500,000 increase in programming expenditures; however, the station announced that it would not simulcast programming with GPB and would inform the statewide network of its scheduling decisions. In addition, it was announced that the station planned to keep its Monday and Friday lineups—which primarily relied on British programming—unchanged and expand local program production.<ref name="pdp">{{cite news|title=EXCLUSIVE: Public Broadcasting Atlanta's Channel 30 becoming full-service PBS station|url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/public-broadcasting-atlanta-channel-becoming-full-service-pbs-station-competing-more-directly-with-gpb-channel/ZglSeCnx0vJtnhHlrlim5J/|first=Rodney|last= Ho|newspaper=[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|publisher=[[Cox Enterprises]]|date=July 26, 2018|access-date=August 2, 2018|archive-date=August 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802223433/https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/public-broadcasting-atlanta-channel-becoming-full-service-pbs-station-competing-more-directly-with-gpb-channel/ZglSeCnx0vJtnhHlrlim5J/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Atlanta viewers to get second full PBS member station|url=https://current.org/2018/07/atlanta-viewers-to-get-second-full-pbs-member-station/?wallit_nosession=1#|first=Dru|last= Sefton|newspaper=Current|publisher=Current, LLC|date=July 27, 2018|access-date=August 2, 2018|archive-date=August 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803014025/https://current.org/2018/07/atlanta-viewers-to-get-second-full-pbs-member-station/?wallit_nosession=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 18, 2022, Public Broadcasting Atlanta rebranded both WPBA and its sister station WABE, along with their websites, podcasts and smartphone apps, as a single unified entity named WABE, with a new logo and slogan, "Amplifying Atlanta".<ref name="rebrand">{{Cite news |last=Ho |first=Rodney |date=January 18, 2022 |title=WABE launches a major rebranding with new logo, music, slogan |language=English |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url=https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/wabe-launches-a-major-rebranding-with-new-logo-music-slogan/OIUVFRJDHRFERLPOWXLRGQPW54/ |access-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120164604/https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/wabe-launches-a-major-rebranding-with-new-logo-music-slogan/OIUVFRJDHRFERLPOWXLRGQPW54/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The call sign of the television station changed to WABE-TV on that date.<!--See talk page for info on discrepancies-->

==Funding==
In fiscal year 2021, WPBA generated $5.13 million in total revenue. The [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]] provided $925,000, primarily in the form of a Community Service Grant. $1.8 million in revenue was generated from memberships and subscriptions from a total of 9,770 contributors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wabe.org/app/uploads/2022/02/WPBA_FY21_AFR.pdf|title=Annual Financial Report Fiscal Year 2021 (WPBA-TV)|website=WABE|access-date=June 22, 2023}}</ref>

==Local programming==
WABE-TV's local programming, fitting the station's remit, traditionally focuses on Atlanta issues and culture,{{r|abc98}} though in recent years it has been more limited while WABE built out a digital presence and a series of podcasts. The weekly talk show ''Love and Respect with [[Killer Mike]]'' airs on television and expanded to radio in 2022; that same year, the station began a concert series franchise, ''Sounds Like ATL''.{{r|rebrand}}

==Technical information==
WABE-TV's transmitter is located on New Street Northeast (south of DeKalb Avenue) in the city's [[Edgewood, Atlanta|Edgewood]] neighborhood.{{r|FCC-LMS-4190}} The station broadcasts one subchannel:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Subchannel of WABE-TV<ref name="rei">{{cite web|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WABE|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WABE#station|website=[[RabbitEars]]|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 30.1 
| [[1080i]] || [[16:9]] || WABE-TV || [[PBS]] 
|}

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WPBA began transmitting a [[digital television]] signal on [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] channel 21 on January 1, 2005.<ref>{{Cite book|work=Television & Cable Factbook|year=2006|title=WPBA-DT|page=A-2665}}</ref> WPBA shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 30, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 21, using [[virtual channel]] 30.<ref name="Analog to Digital">{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2006 |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |access-date=August 29, 2021 |website=Federal Communications Commission}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.wabe.org/}}
* [https://rose.library.emory.edu/ Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library], Emory University: [http://pid.emory.edu/ark:/25593/902m0 The Southern Voice videotapes, 1984]

{{AtlantaTV}}
{{Georgia (U.S. state) TV}}
{{Atlanta Public Schools}}

[[Category:PBS member stations]]
[[Category:Television stations in Atlanta|ABE-TV]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1958]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]