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Maryland Public Television (MPT) is the Public Broadcasting Service (
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...
)
member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
state network for the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sov ...
of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...
. It operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, an agency of the Maryland state government that holds the
licenses A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
for all PBS member stations licensed in the state. Studios are located in the
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
community of Owings Mills in northwestern
Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
. MPT operates six full-power transmitters that cover nearly all of the state, plus
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
and parts of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
,
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
, and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Mary ...
.


History

WMPB (
licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
) first signed on in 1969 as the first station of the Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting; it gained satellite stations in Salisbury, Hagerstown, and
Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
between 1971 and 1975, resulting in a formation of a statewide public television network. The network adopted its current name in 1984. Maryland Instructional Television (Maryland ITV), a division of the State Department of Education, was also housed at the network until 1991. On July 4, 1987, WFPT (licensed to Frederick) signed on to fill coverage gaps in the outer Washington market, while WGPT in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
began operations to cover the extreme west of the state, much of which previously had no local television service at all. About 1999, the network launched an afternoon Britcom programming block, ''Afternoon Tea'', replacing children's programming. By 2009, MPT was airing kids' programming during the day on its MPT Select channel. In September 2015, as part of budget cuts, MPT outsourced its
master control Master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations and television networks. It is distinct from a production control room (PCR) in television studios where the activities such as switc ...
operations to Public Media Management—a joint venture of
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
PBS member
WGBH WGBH may refer to: * WGBH Educational Foundation The WGBH Educational Foundation (also known as GBH since August 2020) is an American public broadcasting group based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1951, it holds the licenses to all of ...
and
Sony Corporation , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
. This PBS station is currently not yet subject to a logo change, as PBS changed its logo on November 4, 2019; Maryland Public Television may or may not change its logo in 2023.


Productions


Current regional productions

*''MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans'': Maryland Public Television salutes the men and women who served in the
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
era *''Chesapeake Collectibles'': weekly series featuring people and their collectibles *''Maryland Farm & Harvest'': weekly series helping Marylanders learn more about agriculture *''Chesapeake Bay Week'': week long series of programs in April dedicated to the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / E ...
*''Direct Connection'': public affairs call-in show focusing on discussion and analysis of politics and the news *''Outdoors Maryland'': outdoors show highlighting the Mid-Atlantic region's diversity and beauty *''State Circle'': news and analysis program detailing Maryland's General Assembly proceedings *''Ways to Pay for College'': annual special on finding money for higher education *''Your Money & Business'': consumer-oriented business magazine *''Artworks'': regional arts updates and specials highlighting Maryland's culture and history *''Our Town'': a collection of documentaries showcasing different towns across Maryland


Nationally distributed productions

*''
The McLaughlin Group ''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly public affairs television program in the United States, during which a group of four pundits, prompted by the host, discusses current political issues in a round table format. John M ...
'' (2019–) a weekly political affairs round table *'' Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke & Project Fire'' (2015–2019) outdoor cooking series with
Steven Raichlen Steven Raichlen (born March 11, 1953 ) is an American culinary writer, TV host, and novelist. Early life Raichlen was born in Nagoya, Japan. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, US. He is Jewish. Education In 1975, Raichlen earned a Bachelor of ...
. *''
MotorWeek ''MotorWeek'' is an automotive news and information program focused on car road tests, previews, and maintenance tips. The program is produced by Maryland Public Television for PBS and also airs on the commercial cable/satellite channel MAVTV. ...
'': (1981–present
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...
) automotive magazine featuring new automotive technology and model reviews *'' Great Performances: Star-Spangled Spectacular'': Music special commemorating 200th Anniversary of
FSK FSK may refer to: * FSK (band), a German band * Federal Counterintelligence Service, (Russian ') of Russia * Fiskerton railway station, in England * Forskolin, a diterpene * Forsvarets Spesialkommando, a Norwegian special forces unit * Fort Scott M ...
's
National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europe ...
*'' F.S. Key and the Song That Built America'' *'' Planet Forward'': A special on energy, climate, and sustainability *'' For Love of Liberty'': series telling the story of America's black servicemen *'' Music of Ireland: Welcome Home'' *''
National Geographic Bee The National Geographic GeoBee (called the National Geography Bee from 1989 to 2000 and the National Geographic Bee from 2001 to 2018, also referred to as the Nat Geo Bee) was an annual geography contest sponsored by the National Geographic Soci ...
'' *'' Veterans Day: A Musical Tribute'' *'' Space Racers'': an animated children's television series about space and science *''My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas'': a cooking show focused on Greek cuisine hosted by Diane Kochilas *''To Dine For with Kate Sullivan'': features stories of creators and dreamers at their favorite restaurant Kate Sullivan


Regional documentaries and specials

*'' Eatin' Oysters: Chesapeake Style!'' (2017) who's eating & shucking
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not a ...
s, why they love them, and where to find the best. *'' Search for the USS Scorpion'': (2017) Search for the Commodore Barney's Flotilla *'' Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna'' (2016) the dam's unique story and place in Maryland history *'' Eatin' Crabcakes: The Best I Ever Had'': (2011) the ultimate crab cake treasure hunt *'' Potomac by Air'': (2015) explores incredible natural and man-made history along our nation's river *'' Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style'': (2008) a rollicking foray into the world of the
blue crab Blue crab may refer to: * Blue Crab 11, an American sailboat design * ''Callinectes sapidus ''Callinectes sapidus'' (from the Ancient Greek ,"beautiful" + , "swimmer", and Latin , "savory"), the blue crab, Atlantic blue crab, or regionally as t ...
, from dockside to table. *'' Distinctive Homes of the Chesapeake'': (2013) opening the door to Maryland's magnificent homes surrounding the Chesapeake Bay *'' The Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Spanning the Bay'' (2014) an exciting look back at the monumental creation of the Bay Bridge


Past productions

*'' A.M. Weather'' (1978–1995): a 15-minute daily program featuring detailed forecasts presented by
NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
meteorologists *''
Baking with Julia ''Baking with Julia'' is an American television cooking program produced by Julia Child and the name of the book which accompanied the series. Each episode featured one pastry chef or baker who demonstrates professional techniques that can be perfo ...
'' (1996-1998) a cooking series with
Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, '' ...
(PBS) *'' Barbecue University'' (2003–2006) outdoor cooking series with
Steven Raichlen Steven Raichlen (born March 11, 1953 ) is an American culinary writer, TV host, and novelist. Early life Raichlen was born in Nagoya, Japan. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, US. He is Jewish. Education In 1975, Raichlen earned a Bachelor of ...
. *'' Bob the Vid Tech'' (1993–2010), children's specials and interstitials. *'' Coastal Cooking with John Shields'' (2005), 13 programs hosted by John Shields, distributed by
American Public Television American Public Television (APT) is an American nonprofit organization and syndicator of programming for public television stations in the United States. It distributes public television programs nationwide for PBS member stations and indepen ...
*'' Consumer Survival Kit'' (1970s), national PBS series. *'' Cooking in America with Pierre Franey'' (1991), series of 13 shows. *'' Cooking With Master Chefs'' (1993), 16 shows hosted by Julia Child. *'' Cuisine Rapide'' (1990), series of 13 cooking shows hosted by chef Pierre Franey. *'' Dessert Circus'' (1997), a cooking series featuring Jacques Torres. *'' Hodgepodge Lodge'' (1970s), a nature show for children hosted by Jean Worthley. *'' Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan'' (1998–2002) (PBS) *'' Julia Child: Lessons With Master Chefs'' (2000–2011) (PBS) *''
Kratts' Creatures ''Kratts' Creatures'' is a half-hour children's television series that originally ran on PBS Kids during the summer of 1996. The first in a series of programs produced by the Kratt Brothers, Chris and Martin Kratt, ''Kratts' Creatures'' was made ...
'', (1996) children's series with the
Kratt Brothers Martin William Kratt (born December 23, 1965) and Christopher Frederick James Kratt (born July 19, 1969), are American zoologists, actors, producers, directors, and educational nature show hosts. Sons of musical-instrument manufacturer Willi ...
(PBS) *'' Lynn Fischer's Healthy Indulgences'' (late 1990s), 26 shows hosted by Lynn Fischer. *'' Maryland State of Mind'' (1994–2001), 28-episode series hosted by
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
's Scott Simon, showcasing the 13 schools of the
University System of Maryland The University System of Maryland (USM) is a public higher education system in the U.S. state of Maryland. The system is composed of the eleven campuses at College Park, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Princess Anne, Towson, Salisbury, Bowie, ...
. *'' Newsnight Maryland'', a locally produced news program that reviews the stories happening in the state of Maryland. *'' On Nature's Trail'' (1978), a television show featured Elmer and Jean Worthley observing and discussing plants growing at different locations in
Baltimore County, Maryland Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City ...
. *'' On Stage at Wolf Trap'' (1980s), concert series. *'' Of Earth and Man'' (1970s), educational series. *'' Primal Grill'' (2008—2011) outdoor cooking series with
Steven Raichlen Steven Raichlen (born March 11, 1953 ) is an American culinary writer, TV host, and novelist. Early life Raichlen was born in Nagoya, Japan. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, US. He is Jewish. Education In 1975, Raichlen earned a Bachelor of ...
. *'' The Transformation Age: Surviving a Technology Revolution with Robert X. Cringely'' (2007), 1 hour documentary on technology and business. A co-production with the Robert H Smith School of Business. *'' To the Contrary'' (1992–2011) Persephone Productions (PBS) *''
Volvo Ocean Race The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. Originally named the Whitbread Round the World Race after its initiating sponsor, British brewing company Whitbread, in 2001 it became the Volvo Ocean Rac ...
'': sailing race around the world with host Gary Jobson *'' Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser'' (1972–2002), MPT's signature long running financial information program **'' Wall $treet Week (with Fortune)'' (2002–2005), which succeeded the original program after the departure of Louis Rukeyser *''Weeknight Alive!'' (1980s), arts series *''
Wimzie's House ''Wimzie's House'' is a half-hour Canadian preschool television program produced in Montreal which ran as ''La Maison de Ouimzie'' on Télévision de Radio-Canada in the morning and Radio-Québec in late afternoons starting March 4, 1995, and i ...
'', children's series, presenting station only *''
Zoboomafoo ''Zoboomafoo'' is a live-action/animated children's television series that originally aired on PBS from January 25, 1999, to June 7, 2001. It was formerly shown in public television (depending on the area) and was regularly shown on Sprout unti ...
'' (1999–2001) children's series with the
Kratt Brothers Martin William Kratt (born December 23, 1965) and Christopher Frederick James Kratt (born July 19, 1969), are American zoologists, actors, producers, directors, and educational nature show hosts. Sons of musical-instrument manufacturer Willi ...
and PBS in the United States;
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...
production handled by
Cinar Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. (also known as Cookie Jar Group and originally known as CINAR; renamed as DHX Cookie Jar Inc. from 2012 until 2014, or simply just Cookie Jar) was a Canadian media production and distribution company owned by DHX M ...
(now part of
WildBrain WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...
).


Stations

The MPT stations are: WGPT is assigned to the
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
market and elects
must-carry In cable television, governments apply a must-carry regulation stating that locally licensed television stations must be carried on a cable provider's system. North America Canada Under current CRTC regulations, the lowest tier of service on ...
status on satellite providers there. For the purposes of pay-television carriage, WMPT and WMPB are assigned to the Baltimore market, while WFPT and WWPB are assigned to Washington-Hagerstown and WCPB to Salisbury. Notes: *1. Aside from their transmitters, the MPT stations (except WMPB) do not maintain any physical presence in their cities of license. *2. WMPB used the callsign WETM during its construction permit from 1967 to 1968. *3. WWPB used the -TV suffix in its callsign from its 1974 sign-on to October 15, 1976. *4. WMPT used the callsign WAPB (Annapolis) from its 1975 sign-on to July 4, 1984. *5. WGPT and WFPT were both first licensed in 1979 as
translators Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
W36AB and W62AY, respectively. They were later replaced by full-powered licenses from the same transmitter sites.


Digital television


Digital channels

The stations' digital signals are
multiplexed In telecommunications and computer networking, multiplexing (sometimes contracted to muxing) is a method by which multiple analog or digital signals are combined into one signal over a shared medium. The aim is to share a scarce resource - a ...
:


WMPT / WMPB digital channels


Analog-to-digital conversion

MPT's stations shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital channel allocations post-transition are as follows: * WMPB shut down its analog signal, over
UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...
channel 67; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 29, using
PSIP The Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) is the MPEG (a video and audio industry group) and privately defined program-specific information originally defined by General Instrument for the DigiCipher 2 system and later extended for the ...
to display the station's
virtual channel In most telecommunications organizations, a virtual channel is a method of remapping the ''program number'' as used in H.222 Program Association Tables and Program Mapping Tables to a channel number that can be entered via digits on a receiver's ...
as its former UHF analog channel 67, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition. * WMPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 22; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42, using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 22. * WCPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 28; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 56, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era UHF channel 28. * WWPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 31; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 44, using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 31. * WGPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 36; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 54, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era UHF channel 36. * WFPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 62; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 28, using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 62, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition.


Spectrum reallocation

As a part of the repacking process following the 2016–2017 FCC incentive auction, channels 38 through 51 were removed from television broadcasting. None of MPT's stations sold their allocations, but five of them moved channels within the UHF band: WMPT moved to channel 21, WMPB to channel 22, WWPB to channel 29, WGPT to channel 26, and WCPT to channel 16.


ATSC 3.0

MPT joined the Baltimore market's
ATSC 3.0 ATSC 3.0 is a major version of the ATSC standards for television broadcasting created by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). The standards are designed to offer support for newer technologies, including HEVC for video channels of u ...
lighthouse station, hosted at
WNUV WNUV (channel 54) is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Fox/MyNetwo ...
, on June 24, 2021. In return, WMPT and WMPB hosts WNUV's main channel (54.1) to preserve coverage for existing ATSC 1.0 TV sets.


Awards

For 2008, MPT received 14
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). MPT received Emmys for ''Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style'', two awards for ''Bob the Vid Tech: The Mystery of the Missing Pizza'' and one for ''ArtWorks: Manuel Barrueco Special''. MPT received two 2008 CINE Golden Eagle Awards for ''The Transformation Age: Surviving a Technology Revolution with Robert X. Cringely'', a coproduction of MPT/University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, and ''Lethal Landscapes: Canvases of the Combat Artist''. For 2007, the station received 11 nominations and won 1 National Capitol Emmy including 3 nominations for their regional ''The War'' series and 5 nominations for '' Outdoors Maryland''. ''
Motorweek ''MotorWeek'' is an automotive news and information program focused on car road tests, previews, and maintenance tips. The program is produced by Maryland Public Television for PBS and also airs on the commercial cable/satellite channel MAVTV. ...
'' also received the Board of Governors Award.


References


External links


MPT homepageMaryland Public Television records
at the
University of Maryland Libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an o ...
{{Authority control 1969 establishments in Maryland PBS member networks Television channels and stations established in 1969 Television stations in Maryland Companies based in Baltimore County, Maryland