WCMU-TV (channel 14) is a PBS member television station in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States, owned by Central Michigan University. The station's studios are located at the Public Broadcast Center on the CMU campus on East Campus Drive in Mount Pleasant, and its transmitter is located west of Barryton, Michigan.
WCMU-TV operates three satellite stations: WCMW (channel 21) in Manistee (with transmitter northeast of Ludington), WCMV (channel 27) in Cadillac (with transmitter east of Kalkaska), and WCML (channel 6) in Alpena (with transmitter north of Atlanta, Michigan). Collectively branded as WCMU Public Television, the four stations cover an area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others. They are sister stations to WCMU Public Radio under the WCMU Public Media umbrella.
The network's footprint extends into parts of four markets. Although Mount Pleasant is part of the Flint–Saginaw–Bay City market, WCMU Public Television is the PBS member for the Traverse City–Cadillac and Alpena markets, where most of its viewership is located. Its footprint also extends into parts of the Lansing and Grand Rapids–Kalamazoo–Battle Creek markets; WCMU-TV's transmitter is located in the Grand Rapids market.
History
WCMU came to the air on March 29, 1967.FCC History Cards for WCMU-TV. Federal Communications Commission. It expanded into a network in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Its Manistee and Cadillac satellites brought over-the-air public television to Northern Michigan for the first time.
In January 2010, WCMU-TV began airing 24 hours a day, and launched an HD feed.Midland Daily News January 21, 2010 CMU Public Television begins 24-hour broadcasting, high-definition TV
Acquisition of WFUM On October 27, 2009, it was announced that the CMU Board of Trustees approved a proposal for CMU to acquire Flint, Michigan's PBS member station, WFUM (later WCMZ-TV), from the University of Michigan–Flint for a maximum of $1 million. The sale was approved by the FCC, allowing the network's presence to expand further south, not only including Flint, but also Ann Arbor and into Metro Detroit. The network provided at least secondary over-the-air coverage from far Northern Emmet County to northern Monroe County. While WFUM was folded into the CMU Public Television network, CMU vowed to include Flint-area events and issues in its programming, as well as produce new programming that would originate from the region. CMU believed the acquisition of WFUM will increase its viewership from 2.2 million to 8 million. CMU originally hinted that the takeover of WFUM would begin in late November, but WCMU took over operations of WFUM on January 15, 2010. The FCC approved the sale of WFUM in March and CMU officially took over in May at which point the call letters were changed to WCMZ-TV.
On February 8, 2017, Central Michigan University announced it will sell WCMZ-TV in the FCC spectrum auction for $14 million, claiming its viewers are already able to watch PBS on other nearby affiliates, namely Delta College's WDCQ-TV. It signed off on April 23, 2018.
WCML transmitter fire On February 28, 2024, a fire broke out at the WCML transmitter building in Montmorency Township, knocking out over-the-air PBS service to northeast Michigan, along with radio sister WCML-FM (91.7). The transmitter building was a total loss, and both stations would be off the air for several months as a complete rebuild of the site will be required. Cable carriage and streaming of both stations were not impacted by the outage. By March 9, WCMU updated their website, and the exact cause of the fire was unable to be determined.
On July 30, 2024, WCML TV and FM both returned to the air at 50% power, with an estimated coverage percentage at around 70% of the normal full power coverage area. WCMU Public Media anticipated a permanent full power restoration of both signals would not occur until sometime in 2025. On November 21, 2025, WCML TV resumed full power operations.
Technical information Subchannels The stations' signals are multiplexed: +WCMU Public Media multiplex Channel Res. Short name Programming xx.1 1080i CMU PBS PBS xx.2 720p CMUkids PBS Kids xx.3 480i @create Create xx.4 CMU MLC Michigan Learning Channel xx.5 CMU FNX First Nations Experience
The entire network discontinued analog service on March 31, 2009.
Unlike other major stations in the Traverse City–Cadillac–Sault Ste. Marie market, CMU Public Television does not have marketwide coverage. Following the 2009 digital transition, the network lost significant coverage. WCML decently penetrated most of the Eastern Upper Peninsula before the analog shutdown. With the switch to digital, residents of the Eastern Upper Peninsula (except for those on the Lake Huron shoreline) were no longer able to receive WCML due to its 300 kW UHF signal. Currently, WCMU Public Media has no plans to add transmitters in the Eastern U.P. All PBS service, whether from CMU Public Television or another station, is available in that region only via cable or satellite. Some cable systems in that region carry another PBS station instead of WCMU — in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Marquette's WNMU is seen on Charter, while across the locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Shaw carries Detroit's WTVS instead mainly because of the lack of a local over-the-air signal to the nearly 90,000 people in the twin Saults and Eastern U.P. (Shaw previously carried WNMU for that same reason before it was replaced by WTVS in 2002.)
Satellite stations Station City of license Channels(VC/RF) First air date Call letters' meaning ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates Public license information WCML Alpena 6 24 (UHF) Central Michigan Alpena 300 kW 9917 WCMV Cadillac 2734 (UHF) V - first letter after U 338 kW 9922 WCMW Manistee 2120 (UHF) W - second letter after U 70 kW 9913 WCMU-TV was previously relayed on W46AD in Traverse City and W69AV in Leland; however, the transmitters ceased operations before their licenses were canceled by the FCC on September 7, 2011.
WCML once carried the -TV suffix.
References
External links WCMU