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WMFE-TV, channel 24, is a V-me affiliated public television station located in Orlando, Florida. The station is a former member station of the Public Broadcasting Service, and is co-owned with WMFE-FM (90.7 MHz.) by Community Communications, Inc. On local cable, WMFE-TV can be seen on Bright House Networks analog channel 20 or digital channel 1024.

In March 2012 WMFE-TV owner Community Communications cancelled a previously-announced sale of the station to Daystar Television Network, a religious broadcaster, citing an unexpectedly lengthy sale process and an improving market for station sales. The station is still for sale, and Community Communications still intends to exit the public television business.[1] The decision came several days after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 13 raised questions as to whether Daystar, through associated nonprofit companies, was qualified to purchase WMFE-TV and Waco, Texas station KDYW.[2]

History

In 1963, the public school systems of Orange, Volusia, Lake, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard and Flagler counties formed Florida Central East Coast Educational Television with the goal of winning the license for channel 24. In the meantime, WDBO-TV (now WKMG-TV) and WLOF-TV (now WFTV) donated air time for Educational television Spanish and Florida history programs produced by the group.

WMFE finally went on the air on March 15, 1965 from the campus of Mid-Florida Tech. After only two years of operation, the Orange County school board became the sole operator of the station. In the early 1970s, the school district sold the station to a non-profit community board of trustees that still operates the station today.

In 1978, WMFE moved to its current home in the Union Park neighborhood east of Orlando, on the corner of SR 50 and O'Berry Hoover Road at the studios previously used by defunct independent station WSWB-TV.[3][4]

WMFE-TV signs off every night on its over the air, satellite and cable HDTV signal at approximately 1 am.

In Fall 2010, WMFE indicated that they were facing financial hardships that had led to furloughs. [5][6]

Sale to Daystar

On April 1, 2011, WMFE announced that it will sell channel 24 due to financial difficulties and "critical uncertainties in federal and state funding". In preparation for the sale, the station has left PBS, which remains available to Orlando market viewers on WBCC from Cocoa,[7][8] which (like WMFE) also broadcasts from a transmitter site at Bithlo.[9] The announcement of the sale came shortly after WMFE-TV's March pledge drive was completed.[9]

On April 4, 2011, it was revealed that "Community Educators of Orlando, Inc.", a licensee owned by the Daystar Television Network (a Christian broadcaster based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas), had agreed to purchase WMFE-TV for a reported price of $3 million.[10][11] PBS programming aired on WMFE until the end of June, 2011.;[9] Upon Daystar's takeover of the station, WMFE-TV's call letters will be changed, as the sale does not include the rights to use the WMFE calls.[10] While WMFE-TV waits for FCC approval of the sale of the station to Daystar, WMFE-TV continues operations as an independent public television station.[12] On June 2, 2011, it was announced that the primary affiliation for the Central Florida market will be taken over by WBCC, which begain broadcasting under the "WUCF-TV" branding on July 1, 2011. (Its legal calls as of that date are still WBCC.)[13][14] Although WMFE had indicated that WDSC-TV from Daytona Beach, which also transmits from Bithlo, would also continue as a PBS station,[7] that station announced on June 16 that it would also leave PBS on July 1 for financial reasons, though that station will continue to air programming from other non-CPB funded public television organizations such as American Public Television.[15] These moves left WBCC as the only PBS station in the Central Florida television market.[15]

In the interim period between dismembership from PBS and the FCC's decision on the sale to Daystar, V-me airs on WMFE's primary signal (the only such arrangement for the network), while Florida Channel was expected to replace one of WMFE's subchannels[16]. However as of mid-July 2011, V-me is replicated thrice on 24.1, 24.2 and 24.3, with the 24.1 signal remaining in HD despite V-me only being operated in standard definition.

Sister station WMFE-FM, which remains successful, will not be affected.[9]

Digital programming

WMFE's broadcasts have been digital-only since February 17, 2009.[17] As mentioned above, V-me airs on all three channels offered, with 24.4 discontinued after July 1.

References

  1. ^ WMFE says deal to sell TV station is off, seeks better offer, Orlando Sentinel, March 16, 2012
  2. ^ "Re: Form 314 Application for Consent to Assignment of License of…". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  3. ^ http://www.wmfe.org/site/PageServer?pagename=contact
  4. ^ http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=wmfe%20orlando&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
  5. ^ http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/10/wmfe-avoids-layoffs-asks-employees-to-go-on-two-week-furloughs.html
  6. ^ http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/09/wmfe-fund-raising-radio-is-terrific-but-television-is-off.html
  7. ^ a b WMFE press release: "WMFE Officials Announce Shift to Radio-Focused Public Media", April 1, 2011.
  8. ^ http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-wmfe-sale-20110401,0,1173689.story
  9. ^ a b c d WMFE: "Questions & Answers about the Sale of WMFE-TV", April 1, 2011.
  10. ^ a b WMFE: "Questions & Answers about the Sale of WMFE-TV", April 4, 2011.
  11. ^ http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/04/wmfe-sale-dallas-religious-broadcaster-is-the-buyer.html
  12. ^ Current: "With WMFE out, there’s a hole in PBS map", April 18, 2011.
  13. ^ "PBS to play on WUCF in Orlando". Orlando Sentinel. May 26, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  14. ^ "WUCF TV will be Central Florida's PBS station". Orlando Sentinel. June 2, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Bodeker, Hal (June 17, 2011). "PBS: Daytona Beach station will stop PBS lineup July 1". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  16. ^ Boedeker, Hal (June 27, 2011). "What happens to programming at former PBS stations WMFE, WDSC?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  17. ^ http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/etan_on_tech/2009/02/wmfe-will-shut-off-its-analog-tv-signal-on-february-17.html
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