WCFE-TV
Encyclopedia
WCFE is a Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) public television station in Plattsburgh, New York. It is known under its corporate identity of Mountain Lake PBS. This name was adopted to reflect Plattsburgh's location between the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. It broadcasts on channel 38 from transmitters on top of Lyon Mountain
, between Plattsburgh and nearby Malone
. WCFE's over-the-air coverage reaches many communities in Northeastern New York, Eastern Ontario
(including Cornwall
and parts of Ottawa
), Vermont
, and Southern Quebec
(including Montreal
). WCFE's signal is also carried in Quebec City
on cable
as well as most of the Gaspe Peninsula and Saguenay
.
On cable, WCFE can be seen on Comcast
Burlington channel 14 and Charter
Plattsburgh channel 7. On Vidéotron
, it can be seen on channel 24 in west Montreal, channel 40 in central and east Montreal, and channel 50 on Illico digital cable
.
Its studios and offices are located at One Sesame Street
in Plattsburgh.
WCFE signed on in March 1977 from studios at SUNY Plattsburgh. In 1993, it rebranded itself as "Mountain Lake PBS" to reflect its growing viewership.
From 1990 to 1996, WCFE-TV had a sister National Public Radio station, WCFE-FM on 91.9. That station was sold to Albany
's WAMC
in 1996, who operates 91.9 as a repeater, WCEL.
The station's digital channel is multiplexed
Digital channels>
Channel
Resolution
Programming
57.1
1080i
Main WCFE programming / PBS
57.2
480i
MHz Worldview
57.3
PBS World
Until the beginning of 2010, an SD simulcast of WCFE was broadcast on 57.2, while ThinkBright
was broadcast on 57.3. From January to September 2010, Classic Arts Showcase
was on 57.3.
WFCE-DT is currently transmitting at 55kW. There is an application before the FCC to increase its power to 200kW.
to the east lies the city of Burlington
, Vermont
, home to another PBS member station: Vermont Public Television
. To the west lies Watertown
and Potsdam
, New York, home to PBS member WPBS/WNPI
. As a result, in much of WCFE's broadcast area viewers are actually served by two PBS members. For years, WCFE has searched for a way to stand out.
One of its solutions has been to broadcast certain various signature PBS television shows at different dates and times from the main PBS station, much as Long Island
's WLIW
has done to differentiate itself from New York City
's WNET
. For example, for a number of years WCFE did not broadcast PBS's Masterpiece Theatre
on Sunday evenings; it would also broadcast Wall Street Week on Saturday instead of Friday, to name but two examples.
This practice has always been somewhat controversial amongst WCFE's members, especially those who do not live in overlapping broadcast areas. As a result, the station has reduced the practice somewhat, and has taken to airing a number of the most popular PBS shows at the same time as the main PBS station.
Although WCFE is the second-smallest PBS member in New York state, it reaches a potential audience of 3.9 million people. However, its Canadian audience is far larger than the entire population of its largely rural American coverage area (Montreal alone has 10 times as many people as the Burlington/Plattsburgh market). Additionally, of its 8,500 members (as of August 2007), 4,500 live in Canada. Not only must WCFE take Canadian interests into account in its programming, but its large Canadian viewership has an impact in its fundraising
activities. Not only does WCFE make an effort to include French-language
elements in its fundraising efforts, but it must take into account that a part of the funds that it receives is in Canadian dollar
s. The fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Canadian and American dollar make budgeting difficult. In addition, in the past decade the decrease in the value of the Canadian dollar compared to its American counterpart has meant a decrease in revenues for WCFE. The Canadian dollar has gained ground since 2003, meaning a slight increase for WCFE.
completely collapsed as a result of heavy amounts of ice and snow from the April 2007 Nor'easter
, and partially damaged the transmitter building at the base. The station started rebuilding a transmitter tower. In the meantime, the direct fiber optic lines to the local Charter Communications
franchise were unaffected, and the station continued to broadcast on cable. On April 23, 2007, WCFE went back on the air as a temporary digital subchannel of WCAX-TV
, broadcast from Mount Mansfield
, Vermont. WCFE was multicast on WCAX (digital channel 53), mapped
to channel 57.1. On August 10, 2007, WCAX discontinued carriage of WCFE, when interim facilities were established (see below).
Following the collapse, Vidéotron systems in Quebec that offered WCFE substituted its signal with that of Detroit
's WTVS
. On April 27, WCFE's signal was reestablished on Vidéotron, which received WCFE's signal from its temporary transmitter.
In addition, WPTZ
donated its internet streaming facilities to WCFE, which was used for WCFE's annual Art Auction, which took place as scheduled, shortly after the collapse.
The transmitter that was damaged was a Thomson TBM unit. The company was able to provide one of their Affinity transmitters on lease to the station within two weeks of getting the request from the station. This temporary transmitter was located at the station's studio location until they could get the main transmitter facility repaired (which was a very involved process due to site access issues).
On October 9, 2007, WCFE's new tower at Lyon Mountain went into service, almost six months after the collapse. WCFE's digital signal went on the air on October 23.
WCFE-TV ceased analog transmissions on February 17, 2009 and continued to broadcast digitally on channel 38, because of the Burlington/Plattsburgh area going exclusively digital for its TV stations. However, with the use of PSIP, receivers list its virtual channel as 57.
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) public television station in Plattsburgh, New York. It is known under its corporate identity of Mountain Lake PBS. This name was adopted to reflect Plattsburgh's location between the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. It broadcasts on channel 38 from transmitters on top of Lyon Mountain
Lyon Mountain, New York
Lyon Mountain is a hamlet located in the Town of Dannemora in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 423 at the 2010 census.Lyon Mountain is in the western part of the town....
, between Plattsburgh and nearby Malone
Malone (village), New York
-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....
. WCFE's over-the-air coverage reaches many communities in Northeastern New York, Eastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
(including Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
and parts of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
), Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and Southern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
(including Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
). WCFE's signal is also carried in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
on cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
as well as most of the Gaspe Peninsula and Saguenay
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
.
On cable, WCFE can be seen on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
Burlington channel 14 and Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
Plattsburgh channel 7. On Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
, it can be seen on channel 24 in west Montreal, channel 40 in central and east Montreal, and channel 50 on Illico digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
.
Its studios and offices are located at One Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
in Plattsburgh.
WCFE signed on in March 1977 from studios at SUNY Plattsburgh. In 1993, it rebranded itself as "Mountain Lake PBS" to reflect its growing viewership.
From 1990 to 1996, WCFE-TV had a sister National Public Radio station, WCFE-FM on 91.9. That station was sold to Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
's WAMC
WAMC
WAMC is a public radio network headquartered in Albany, New York. As of April, 2011, the network comprised 11 transmitters and 11 translators. The organization's legal name is "WAMC" and it is also known as "WAMC Public Radio" or "WAMC Northeast Public Radio Network."In addition, the station...
in 1996, who operates 91.9 as a repeater, WCEL.
Digital television
The station transmits on channel 38. But through the use of a virtual remapping ability of ATSC, it appears as channel 57.1, 57.2 and 57.3. The stations old analog channel number was 57. Thus the association with the virtual remapping being used.The station's digital channel is multiplexed
MHz Worldview
MHz WorldView is an independent, non-commercial Public television network that broadcasts newscasts and other programs from around the world. It is owned and operated by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation who also run MHz Networks....
PBS World
PBS World is a 24-hour United States over-the-air digital subchannel showing public TV non-fiction, science, nature, news, public affairs and documentaries...
Until the beginning of 2010, an SD simulcast of WCFE was broadcast on 57.2, while ThinkBright
ThinkBright
ThinkBright TV is a PBS television digital subchannel serving New York State except New York City. Its programming includes educational series, lifelong learning, arts and culture, children's shows and public affairs coverage with a focus on New York's people, places and heritage.ThinkBright & Well...
was broadcast on 57.3. From January to September 2010, Classic Arts Showcase
Classic Arts Showcase
Classic Arts Showcase is a television channel in the United States promoting the fine arts. The television program content includes prepared media and recorded live performances...
was on 57.3.
WFCE-DT is currently transmitting at 55kW. There is an application before the FCC to increase its power to 200kW.
Challenges
WCFE is in a unique market. Across Lake ChamplainLake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
to the east lies the city of Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, home to another PBS member station: Vermont Public Television
Vermont Public Television
Vermont Public Television is a state network of Non-commercial educational Public television stations throughout the state of Vermont, affiliated with Public Broadcasting Services . It has been operational since October 16, 1967...
. To the west lies Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
and Potsdam
Norwood, New York
Norwood is a village located in St. Lawrence County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,685.The Village of Norwood is on the town line of two towns so that it is partly in the Town of Potsdam and partly in the Town of Norfolk.The village is north of Potsdam.-...
, New York, home to PBS member WPBS/WNPI
WPBS-TV
WPBS-DT and WNPI-DT are a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station serving northern New York. Originating in the Watertown/Potsdam region, its primary audience includes Kingston, Ottawa and most of eastern Ontario....
. As a result, in much of WCFE's broadcast area viewers are actually served by two PBS members. For years, WCFE has searched for a way to stand out.
One of its solutions has been to broadcast certain various signature PBS television shows at different dates and times from the main PBS station, much as Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
's WLIW
WLIW
WLIW, channel 21, is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Garden City, New York; which serves as a secondary Public Broadcasting Service member station for the New York City television market...
has done to differentiate itself from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
. For example, for a number of years WCFE did not broadcast PBS's Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service on January 10, 1971, making it America's longest-running weekly prime time drama series. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions...
on Sunday evenings; it would also broadcast Wall Street Week on Saturday instead of Friday, to name but two examples.
This practice has always been somewhat controversial amongst WCFE's members, especially those who do not live in overlapping broadcast areas. As a result, the station has reduced the practice somewhat, and has taken to airing a number of the most popular PBS shows at the same time as the main PBS station.
Although WCFE is the second-smallest PBS member in New York state, it reaches a potential audience of 3.9 million people. However, its Canadian audience is far larger than the entire population of its largely rural American coverage area (Montreal alone has 10 times as many people as the Burlington/Plattsburgh market). Additionally, of its 8,500 members (as of August 2007), 4,500 live in Canada. Not only must WCFE take Canadian interests into account in its programming, but its large Canadian viewership has an impact in its fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
activities. Not only does WCFE make an effort to include French-language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
elements in its fundraising efforts, but it must take into account that a part of the funds that it receives is in Canadian dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s. The fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Canadian and American dollar make budgeting difficult. In addition, in the past decade the decrease in the value of the Canadian dollar compared to its American counterpart has meant a decrease in revenues for WCFE. The Canadian dollar has gained ground since 2003, meaning a slight increase for WCFE.
2007 transmitter tower collapse
On April 18, 2007, WCFE's 400-foot transmitter tower located on Lyon MountainLyon Mountain, New York
Lyon Mountain is a hamlet located in the Town of Dannemora in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 423 at the 2010 census.Lyon Mountain is in the western part of the town....
completely collapsed as a result of heavy amounts of ice and snow from the April 2007 Nor'easter
April 2007 Nor'easter
The April or Spring Nor’easter of 2007 was a nor'easter that affected mainly the eastern parts of North America during its four day course April 14 to April 17, 2007. The combined effects of high winds, heavy rainfall, and high tides led to flooding, storm damages, power outages, and evacuations,...
, and partially damaged the transmitter building at the base. The station started rebuilding a transmitter tower. In the meantime, the direct fiber optic lines to the local Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
franchise were unaffected, and the station continued to broadcast on cable. On April 23, 2007, WCFE went back on the air as a temporary digital subchannel of WCAX-TV
WCAX-TV
WCAX-TV, virtual channel 3, is a television station in Burlington, Vermont, USA. WCAX is affiliated with the CBS Television Network and has been locally owned by the Hasbrook/Martin family and their company, Mount Mansfield Television, since the station's inception...
, broadcast from Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
, Vermont. WCFE was multicast on WCAX (digital channel 53), mapped
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
to channel 57.1. On August 10, 2007, WCAX discontinued carriage of WCFE, when interim facilities were established (see below).
Following the collapse, Vidéotron systems in Quebec that offered WCFE substituted its signal with that of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
's WTVS
WTVS
WTVS, branded as Detroit Public TV, is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in Detroit, Michigan. Broadcasting since 1955, its vision statement is "educate, entertain and inspire — in partnership with our community." The viewer supported station produces many local...
. On April 27, WCFE's signal was reestablished on Vidéotron, which received WCFE's signal from its temporary transmitter.
In addition, WPTZ
WPTZ
WPTZ, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Plattsburgh, New York, USA. WPTZ is owned by Hearst Television, and has its studios in Plattsburgh and transmitter located on Mount Mansfield in Vermont....
donated its internet streaming facilities to WCFE, which was used for WCFE's annual Art Auction, which took place as scheduled, shortly after the collapse.
The transmitter that was damaged was a Thomson TBM unit. The company was able to provide one of their Affinity transmitters on lease to the station within two weeks of getting the request from the station. This temporary transmitter was located at the station's studio location until they could get the main transmitter facility repaired (which was a very involved process due to site access issues).
On October 9, 2007, WCFE's new tower at Lyon Mountain went into service, almost six months after the collapse. WCFE's digital signal went on the air on October 23.
WCFE-TV ceased analog transmissions on February 17, 2009 and continued to broadcast digitally on channel 38, because of the Burlington/Plattsburgh area going exclusively digital for its TV stations. However, with the use of PSIP, receivers list its virtual channel as 57.
Outlying translators
- W25AT Tupper Lake
- W25BT Monkton, VTMonkton, VermontMonkton is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,759 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monkton is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 square miles , of which 36.0 square miles is land and...
- W60AO Port HenryPort Henry, New YorkPort Henry is a village in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,152 at the 2000 census.The Village of Port Henry lies on the east side of the Town of Moriah and is approximately one hour's drive south of Plattsburgh...
- W67AR WillsboroWillsboro, New YorkWillsboro is a town in Essex County, New York, in the United States, and lies thirty miles south of the city of Plattsburgh. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,903...