WTCI Works with Tennessee Public Television Stations on Launch of Statewide Tennessee Channel
New Tennessee Channel will Promote Abundance of Local-Interest Programming
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee – (December 3, 2009) – Harnessing the power of Tennessee’s intrastate fiber connection, WTCI-TV (PBS) and all of the state’s public television stations will now be able to quickly share programming with each other and their respective viewing audiences. Starting Saturday, December 5, 2009, these stations will take advantage of this new broadcasting opportunity by presenting the Tennessee Channel, a new four-hour block of original Tennessee-centered programming gathered from the local content at all the public television stations in the state – WTCI in Chattanooga, NPT in Nashville, ETPtv in Knoxville, WCTE in Cookeville, WKNO in Memphis and WLJT in Martin.
The block of programming will be broadcast simultaneously throughout Tennessee on Saturdays from 6:00-10:00 p.m. EST and Sundays from 2:00-6:00 p.m. EST on each station’s additional digital channel. Those in WTCI's viewing area will be able to see the Tennessee Channel on WTCI Create, available to viewers on Comcast Digital Cable channel 201 and over-the-air on channel 45.2.
Each station will provide programming for the Tennessee Channel, which will then be compiled each week and broadcast statewide to create a rotating mix of Tennessee shows from all around the state. Each week will give viewers throughout the state the opportunity to see Tennessee-based shows that were previously only available to a station’s local viewers.
“WTCI is committed to offering unique local programming because, as a PBS station, our connection within the community is what makes us different and vital to the members who support us,” said Paul Grove, President & CEO of WTCI-TV (PBS). “Up to now it has been difficult for Tennessee PBS stations to share programming in a timely manner. Thanks to this new fiber interconnection, we’ve overcome this obstacle and are excited to expand the reach of our own local programs and to provide programming related to Tennessee from around the state to our local viewers."
Among the variety of programming that will be made available throughout the state are WTCI's local documentaries and series, including The A List with Alison Lebovitz, Southern Accents with Karen Elliott and First Things First with Julie Baumgardner; NPT’s recorded performances of the Blair Concert Series at Vanderbilt University and episodes of Insider’s Views from Belmont University; WLJT’s West Tennessee Journal; WCTE’s Live Green Tennessee; WKNO’s Best of Memphis Memoirs; and ETPtv’s Treasures in Your Attic, among many others.
The Tennessee Channel is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
About WTCI-TV (PBS)
WTCI, PBS for the Tennessee Valley, has been helping the community “Be more connected” for nearly 40 years by encouraging our viewers to engage more deeply in the world around them. WTCI reaches over 312,000 households and serves a total population of over 850,000 in a four state, 35-county viewing area. Through quality programming and educational outreach services, WTCI can help you “Be More!” .
