WTCI
Encyclopedia
WTCI is the PBS
member television station for Chattanooga, Tennessee
and the Tennessee Valley
. It transmits on digital channel 29 from a location north of Chattanooga, and west of Middle Valley, covering much of southeast Tennessee
. The station is carried on cable channel 5.
The Tennessee Department of Education began WTCI on March 4, 1970 on channel 45, as the third in a series of public television stations that included WLJT
in northwest Tennessee and WSJK-TV in the Tri-Cities
and Knoxville; WCTE-TV in Cookeville followed a few years later. It is now operated by the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation, a non-profit community organization, which assumed the station's broadcast license
in 1984.
WTCI offers a diverse mix of programming and cultural entertainment shows from both local and PBS resources to viewers in portions of four states (Tennessee
, Georgia
, Alabama
, and North Carolina
). However, some program duplication occurs with Georgia Public Broadcasting
's northwest Georgia station, WNGH-TV, which operates at a much higher power and is seen in most (if not all) of WTCI's broadcast range. This has been the case throughout the history of WTCI's existence and is simply the result of adjoining state boundaries, not of any deliberate action on GPB's part to encroach on WTCI's territory.
Although WTCI has discontinued analog broadcasts on channel 45, its virtual channel
remains on 45 using PISP.
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....
member television station for Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and the Tennessee Valley
Tennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
. It transmits on digital channel 29 from a location north of Chattanooga, and west of Middle Valley, covering much of southeast Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. The station is carried on cable channel 5.
The Tennessee Department of Education began WTCI on March 4, 1970 on channel 45, as the third in a series of public television stations that included WLJT
WLJT
WLJT-DT is the Public Broadcasting Service member station serving western and northwestern Tennessee on digital channel 47...
in northwest Tennessee and WSJK-TV in the Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Tennessee
In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...
and Knoxville; WCTE-TV in Cookeville followed a few years later. It is now operated by the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation, a non-profit community organization, which assumed the station's broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
in 1984.
WTCI offers a diverse mix of programming and cultural entertainment shows from both local and PBS resources to viewers in portions of four states (Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
). However, some program duplication occurs with Georgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Public Broadcasting is the public broadcasting radio and television state network in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission....
's northwest Georgia station, WNGH-TV, which operates at a much higher power and is seen in most (if not all) of WTCI's broadcast range. This has been the case throughout the history of WTCI's existence and is simply the result of adjoining state boundaries, not of any deliberate action on GPB's part to encroach on WTCI's territory.
Digital Television
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 45.1 | Main WTCI programming / PBS |
| 45.2 | Create |
Although WTCI has discontinued analog broadcasts on channel 45, its virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
remains on 45 using PISP.