View source for WGTV

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Short description|Television station in Athens}}
{{distinguish|KGTV}}
{{for|the television station in Melbourne, Australia|GTV (Australian TV station)}}
{{other uses of|GTV}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WGTV
| city = Athens, Georgia
| logo = Georgia Public Broadcasting 2025 vector logo.svg
| logo_size = 220px
| branding = [[Georgia Public Broadcasting|GPB]] PBS
| digital = 7 ([[very high frequency|VHF]])
| virtual = 8
| network = Georgia Public Broadcasting
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''8.1:''' GPB/[[PBS]]|'''8.2:''' [[Create (TV network)|Create]]|'''8.3:''' [[World Channel|GPB Knowledge]]|'''8.4:''' [[PBS Kids]]}}
| translators = {{ubl|W23EV-D 23 [[Carrollton, Georgia|Carrollton]]|W28EW-D 28 [[Toccoa, Georgia|Toccoa]]}}
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1960|5|23|p=y}}
| location = [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]]–[[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]]
| former_callsigns = WPBS (March 2–22, 1984)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 8 (VHF, 1960–2009)|'''Digital:''' 12 (VHF, 2007–2009)|8 (VHF, 2009–2020)}}
| owner = Georgia Public Broadcasting
| licensee = Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission
| callsign_meaning = Georgia Television
| sister_stations = WABW-TV, WACS-TV, WCES-TV, WJSP-TV, WMUM-TV, WNGH-TV, WVAN-TV, WXGA-TV
| former_affiliations = [[National Educational Television|NET]] (1960–1970)
| erp = 62 kW
| haat = {{convert|327.2|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 23948
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|33|48|18|N|84|8|40|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline,title}}}}
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| website = {{URL|http://www.gpb.org/}}
}}

'''WGTV''' (channel 8) is a [[PBS]] member [[television station]] licensed to [[Athens, Georgia]], United States, a legacy of the station's early years as a service of the [[University of Georgia]] (UGA). Owned by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission (technically under the [[Georgia Board of Regents]], along with the [[University System of Georgia]]), it is the [[flagship (broadcasting)|flagship station]] of the statewide [[Georgia Public Broadcasting]] (GPB) television network, serving the [[Atlanta metropolitan area]] from a transmitter atop [[Stone Mountain]] just east of [[Atlanta]].

WGTV has been part of GPB proper since January 1, 1982, after the state government ordered the consolidation of the two broadcasting entities. It was a separate entity owned by UGA for its first 22 years, though it supplied much of the non-instructional programming seen on the state's educational network.

==History==
WGTV began broadcasting on May 23, 1960. It was licensed to the [[University of Georgia]] and operated out of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.<ref name="hc">{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=84141 |title= History Cards for WGTV|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}--></ref> Channel 8 had been placed in Athens by the 1952 ''Sixth Report and Order'', which ended the [[Federal Communications Commission#Freeze of 1948|TV freeze of 1948]] and revised the table of television station allotments nationally; it had previously been in Atlanta, used by [[WSB-TV]] on channel 8 and then by its facility successor [[WXIA-TV|WLTV]], which moved to channel 11 as a result of the order in 1953.

While WGTV was a separate station from the Atlanta-based Georgia Educational TV Network, which had transmitters in the rest of the state, WGTV provided all of the non-instructional evening programming that aired on its transmitters.<ref name="wceson">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81403440/states-fifth-educational-tower-opens/|accessdate=July 13, 2021|date=September 13, 1966|title=State's Fifth Educational Tower Opens|page=14|work=Atlanta Constitution}}</ref> WGTV moved its transmitter to [[Stone Mountain]] in 1969, adding Atlanta to its coverage area;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81360978/station-closed-for-summer-channel-8/|accessdate=July 13, 2021|date=May 17, 1969|title=Station Closed for Summer: Channel 8 Moving to Stone Mountain|work=Atlanta Constitution|page=15-A}}</ref> the university had desired for channel 8 to be receivable in the state capital since 1958.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82489889/fcc-approval-asked-university-seeks/|accessdate=July 30, 2021|date=April 16, 1958|page=17|work=The Atlanta Constitution|title=FCC Approval Asked: University Seeks Channel For Educational TV Here}}</ref>

In November 1980, Governor [[George Busbee]] proposed the consolidation of WGTV with the state's network of transmitters into a new Georgia Public Telecommunications Council and also called for said body to negotiate to buy Atlanta's public television station, [[WABE-TV|WETV]], from the Atlanta Board of Education.<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}}</ref> The Georgia state senate approved the bill, but it stalled in the House of Representatives due to the objections of Athens-area members and those involved with the UGA station.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81361553/state-etv-merger-bill-short-circuited/|accessdate=July 13, 2021|first=Bill|last=King|work=Atlanta Constitution|title=State ETV Merger Bill Short-Circuited|date=March 20, 1981|page=13-B}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Zoglin|title=Ch. 8 Battles Consolidation Of State's Public TV Outlets|pages=1-B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81403758/zoglin-wgtv-georgia-etv-consolidation/ 10-B]|date=January 29, 1981|accessdate=July 13, 2021|work=Atlanta Constitution|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81403639/ch-8-battles-consolidation-of-states/}}</ref> After the legislative session ended, Governor Busbee revived the proposal by executive order.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81361588/educational-tv-board-gets-ok/|accessdate=July 13, 2021|date=May 15, 1981|title=Educational TV Board Gets OK|work=Atlanta Constitution|agency=United Press International|page=4-C|first=William O.|last=Tome}}</ref> On January 1, 1982, the new council took operational control of WGTV, and the combined service rebranded as Georgia Public Television; by June 1982, after the expiration of remaining program contracts, WGTV was fully incorporated into the network, and UGA's role was reduced to program supplier.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/gua1179162/1982-01-29/ed-1/seq-1|title=State network takes control of WGTV|first=Jim|last=Massara|newspaper=The Red and Black|date=January 29, 1982|pages=1, [https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/gua1179162/1982-01-29/ed-1/seq-2/ 2]|accessdate=July 13, 2021}}</ref>

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
{{main|Georgia Public Broadcasting#Subchannels}}

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WGTV shut down its analog signal, over [[Very high frequency|VHF]] channel 8, on February 17, 2009, at 11:59&nbsp;p.m., to conclude the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref name="Analog to Digital">{{Cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=List of Digital Full-Power Stations |access-date=July 13, 2014 |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition VHF channel 12 to channel 8. The station played the original sign-off video with outdoor scenes around Georgia set to the tune of "Georgia On My Mind" before permanently ceasing transmission. A final message at the end of the video read "Presented in fond remembrance of the analog broadcast era on Georgia Public Broadcasting." The transition to digital ended nearly 49 years of analog broadcasting by WGTV.

WGTV's [[analog television|analog]] signal was the strongest of the GPB TV network, covering most of the northern part of Georgia, extending in about a {{convert|75|mi|km|0|adj=on}} radius from the transmitter site. WGTV's digital/[[high-definition television|HDTV]] facility began broadcasting on December 20, 2007, on channel 12. However, it was at very low power, unable to be received through much (if not most) of metro Atlanta. It moved from channel 12 to full power on channel 8 after the analog shutdown in February 2009, using the same digital transmitter re-tuned to use the channel 8 antenna. This selection, made without conflict in the first-round [[digital channel election]], is due to [[WDEF-TV]] in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] opting to stay digital on channel 12. WGTV was originally assigned channel 22 for DTV operations, but requested the [[frequency allotment]] change to channel 12 by the FCC.

The analog station had an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 316&nbsp;[[kilowatt]]s (the maximum for [[band III|high VHF]]), at {{convert|326|m|ft|0|sp=us}} [[height above average terrain]] (HAAT). The temporary digital station had an ERP of only 16&nbsp;kW at {{convert|304|m|ft|0|sp=us}}. The previous 21&nbsp;kW and current 17.3&nbsp;kW are still well below the limit of 63&nbsp;kW for digital stations on high VHF (channels 7 to 13), which would also be legally equivalent to what it had on analog. Because of this, reception is still difficult in much of metro Atlanta. This was expected to improve once the station changed to physical channel 7 in 2020, after May 1 (when other stations in phase 9 finish) but no later than July 3 (the end of phase 10, the final phase of the national repacking of all stations to below [[channel 37]]).  The omnidirectional signal will increase to 62&nbsp;kW toward the north-northwest with a [[directional antenna]], but areas south and southeast of a line from Carrollton to Athens will not see an improvement in [[signal strength]]. The lowest signal strengths (18&nbsp;kW) will be in slight [[null (radio)|null]]s toward the southwest (to protect Alabama Public Television station [[WCIQ]] TV 7) and toward the east.  Despite the channel change at noon on July 3, the station is still difficult to receive, as it has actually dropped to 17.3&nbsp;kW under [[special temporary authority]] (STA), which expires at the end of 2020.  The temporary antenna model listed is different from both the old channel 8 antenna and the channel 7 model listed in its permit, but all are at the same height, indicating that the old antenna must be removed before the new permanent one can be installed, tested, and switched over to for full-power operation.

===Translator===
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|23924|3=W28EW-D}}''' [[Toccoa, Georgia|Toccoa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gpb.org/public/tv/ GPB website]
** [http://www.gpb.org/files/pdfs/tv_stationmap2A.pdf GPB stations map] — includes WGTV coverage area

{{GPB}}
{{AtlantaTV}}
{{GSA TV}}
{{PBS Georgia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wgtv}}
[[Category:1960 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:PBS member stations]]
[[Category:Stone Mountain]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1960]]
[[Category:Television stations in Atlanta|GTV]]
[[Category:University of Georgia]]