Maryland Public Television

Maryland Public Television

statewide Maryland United States
Branding	MPT
Slogan	TV Worth Watching
Channels	Digital: see table below
Affiliations	PBS (1970–present)
Owner	State of Maryland (Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission)
First air date	October 5, 1969
Call letters' meaning	see table below
Former affiliations	NET (1969–1970)
Transmitter power	see table below
Height	see table below
Facility ID	see table below
Transmitter coordinates	see table below
Licensing authority	FCC
Public license information:	Public Television Profile Public Television CDBS
Website	www.mpt.org

Maryland Public Television (MPT) is the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member state network for the U.S. state of Maryland. Its six transmitters cover nearly all of the state, plus Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. It operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, an agency of the Maryland state government. It benefits from the support of an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization, the MPT Foundation, Inc. (formerly known as the Maryland Public Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.) Studios are located in the unincorporated community of Owings Mills.

The network first signed on in 1969 as the Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting, and adopted its current name in 1984. Maryland Instructional Television (Maryland ITV), a division of the State Department of Education, was also housed at the station until 1991.

MPT's local and regional television credits include several state-focused programs on civic and public affairs, as well as a variety of original performance, documentary, and entertainment offerings for the citizens of Maryland. Beyond broadcasting, MPT creates instructional videos, develops training, and builds Internet sites that serve tens of thousands of students, teachers, and child-care providers annually. The centerpiece of MPT's service to Maryland educators, students, and families is Thinkport, a Web site that offers online teaching resources, professional development opportunities and digital technology tools to assist educators.

Maryland Public Television has earned awards ranging from television Emmys for its quality productions to government citations for its volunteerism and educational accomplishments. MPT has been led by Larry Unger, president and chief executive officer, since 2011.

In September 2015, as part of budget cuts, MPT outsourced its master control operations to Public Media Management—a joint venture of Boston PBS station WGBH and Sony Corporation.^[1]

Productions

Inside MPT's Studio A during the taping of "Chesapeake Collectibles" in June 2010

Current Regional Productions

• MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans:^[2] Maryland Public Television salutes the men and women who served in the Vietnam era
• Chesapeake Collectibles:^[3] weekly series featuring people and their collectibles
• Maryland Farm and Harvest:^[4] weekly series helping Marylanders learn more about agriculture
• Chesapeake Bay Week:^[5] week long series of programs in April dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay
• Direct Connection:^[6] public affairs call-in show focusing on discussion and analysis of politics and the news
• Outdoors Maryland:^[7] outdoors show highlighting the Mid-Atlantic region's diversity and beauty
• State Circle:^[8] news and analysis program detailing Maryland's General Assembly proceedings
• You Can Afford College:^[9] annual special on finding money for higher education
• Your Money & Business:^[10] consumer-oriented business magazine
• ArtWorks:^[11] regional arts updates and specials highlighting Maryland's culture and history
• Our Town:^[12] a collection of documentaries showcasing different towns across Maryland

On location in Tucson, Arizona shooting Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke at the Marriott Starr Pass Resort in February 2015

Nationally Distributed Productions

• Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke (2015) outdoor cooking series with Steven Raichlen.
• MotorWeek: (1981–present PBS) automotive magazine featuring new automotive technology and model reviews
• Great Performances: Star-Spangled Spectacular: Music special commemorating 200th Anniversary of FSK's National Anthem
• 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
• Veteran's Day: A Musical Tribute
• Space Racers: an animated children's television series about space and science

Past productions

• A.M. Weather (1978-1995): a 15-minute daily program featuring detailed forecasts presented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists
• Baking with Julia (1996-1999) a cooking series with Julia Child PBS
• Barbecue University (2003–2006) outdoor cooking series with Steven Raichlen.
• 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
• Consumer Survival Kit (1970s), national PBS series.
• Cooking in America with Pierre Franey (1991), series of 13 shows.
• Cooking With Master Chefs (1990s), 13 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, (1995-1998) children's series with the Kratt Brothers. PBS.
• Lynn Fischer's Healthy Indulgences (late 1990s), 26 shows hosted by Lynn Fischer.^[13]
• Maryland State of Mind (1994–2001), 28 episode series hosted by NPR's Scott Simon, showcasing the 13 schools of the University System of Maryland.
• Newsnight Maryland, a locally produced news program that reviews the stories happening in the state of Maryland; hosted by journalists Bob Althage and Camilla Carr.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.^[14]
• To the Contrary (1992-2011) Persephone Productions PBS
• Volvo Ocean Race: 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, children's series
• Zoboomafoo (1999-2001) children's series with the Kratt Brothers and PBS in the United States; Canadian production handled by Cinar.

Stations

The MPT television stations are:

Station	City of license	Channels TV/RF	First air date	Callsign meaning	ERP	HAAT	Transmitter coordinates	Facility ID	Public license information
WMPB	Baltimore	67 (PSIP) 29 (UHF)	October 5, 1969	Maryland Public Broadcasting (or Baltimore)	42.6 kW	309 m	39°26′50″N 76°46′48″W / 39.44722°N 76.78000°W	65944	Profile CDBS
WMPT^1	Annapolis	22 (PSIP) 42 (UHF)	September 22, 1975	Maryland Public Television	516 kW	289 m	39°0′36″N 76°36′33″W / 39.01000°N 76.60917°W	65942	Profile CDBS
WCPB	Salisbury	28 (PSIP) 28 (UHF)	March 18, 1971	Coastal Public Broadcasting (or: Corporation for Public Broadcasting)	132 kW	155 m	38°23′9″N 75°35′33″W / 38.38583°N 75.59250°W	40618	Profile CDBS
WWPB	Hagerstown	31 (PSIP) 44 (UHF)	October 5, 1974	Western Maryland Public Broadcasting	500 kW	369 m	39°39′4″N 77°58′15″W / 39.65111°N 77.97083°W	65943	Profile CDBS
WGPT	Oakland	36 (PSIP) 36 (UHF)	July 4, 1987	Garrett County Public Television	100 kW	285 m	39°24′14″N 79°17′37″W / 39.40389°N 79.29361°W	40619	Profile CDBS
WFPT	Frederick	62 (PSIP) 28 (UHF)	July 4, 1987	Frederick Public Television	41.2 kW	158 m	39°15′37″N 77°18′44″W / 39.26028°N 77.31222°W	40626	Profile CDBS

Notes:

• WMPT used the callsign WAPB (the "A" standing for Annapolis) from its 1975 sign-on to July 4, 1984.

Cable and satellite coverage

MPT is available on all Maryland cable systems. Additionally, WMPB is available on the Baltimore DirecTV and Dish Network feeds. WMPT is available on nearly all cable systems in the Washington area, as well as the Washington DirecTV and Dish Network feeds. WCPB is available on the Salisbury DirecTV and Dish Network feeds.

Digital television

Digital channels

The stations' digital channels are multiplexed:

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming[15][16][17][18][19][20]
xx.1	1080i	16:9	MPT-HD	Main MPT programming / PBS
xx.2	480i	4:3	MPT2	PBS Encore
xx.3			V-me	V-me

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:^[21]

• WMPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 67; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 29,^[22] using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel 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,^[23] 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.^[24]
• WWPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 31; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 44,^[25] 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.^[26]
• WFPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 62; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 28,^[27] 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.

Awards

For 2008, MPT received 14 Emmy Award 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 also received the Board of Governors Award.^[28]

References

1. "More downsizing at MPT as master control function shifts to Boston". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
2. "Vietnam Veterans". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
3. "Welcome to Chesapeake Collectibles". Maryland Public Television. 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
4. "Maryland Farm and Harvest". Maryland Public Television. 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
5. "Chesapeake Bay Week". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
6. "About Direct Connection". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
7. "Outdoors Maryland". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
8. "State Circle". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
9. "You Can Afford College". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
10. "Your Money & Business". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
11. "Artworks". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
12. "Our Town". Maryland Public Television. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
13. "About Lynn Fischer".
14. "The Transformation Age". Robert H. Smith School of Business.
15. RabbitEars TV Query for WMPB
16. RabbitEars TV Query for WMPT
17. RabbitEars TV Query for WCPB
18. RabbitEars TV Query for WWPB
19. RabbitEars TV Query for WGPT
20. RabbitEars TV Query for WFPT
21. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
22. "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
23. "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
24. "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
25. "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
26. "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
27. "CDBS Print". Federal Communications Commission.
28. "2007 Emmy Award Recipients". The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

External links

• MPT homepage
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WMPB
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WMPB-TV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WMPT
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WMPT-TV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WCPB
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WCPB-TV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WWPB
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WWPB-TV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WGPT
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WGPT-TV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WFPT
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WFPT-TV