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Penn State Public Broadcasting begins conversion to digital television technology Children’s programming, public affairs and news, lifelong learning and Penn State sports By Deborah A. Benedetti
Ted Krichels General Manager and Assistant Vice President for Outreach   Penn State Public Broadcasting Education   B.A., University of Pennsylvania   M.A., Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colo. Previous position   President and General Manager (1984–99), KBDI-TV, Denver, Colo. Award   Colorado Broadcast Citizen of the Year, Colorado Broadcaster Association, 1995 WPSX-TV highlights Penn State’s public television station was granted a construction permit on Sept. 22, 1964. The original call letters for the station were WSUP-TV. On May 5, 1964, the call letters were modified to WPSX-TV. The Allegheny Educational Broadcast Council was created in 1964. WPSX received its license to broadcast on June 17, 1965. The original studio was at the station’s transmitter site in Clearfield, Pa. What’s in the News began as a children’s news program in 1965 under the name Current Events. In its second year, the program’s name was changed to In the News, and in 1978, the program was renamed What’s in the News. In June 1966, WPSX-TV began broadcasting from Wagner Building. Staff members used a remote truck parked next to the building as the station’s control room until Wagner Annex was completed in the summer of 1967. In 1968, WPSX-TV and WITF-TV demonstrated the first interconnection between public stations in Pennsylvania with a weekly live series called Pennsylvania Magazine. The demonstration led to the creation of the Pennsylvania Public Television Network. In 1978, WPSX-TV formed a partnership with Pennsylvania cable television stations to create PENNARAMA, a pioneering statewide educational cable television channel that has since morphed into PCN and is now delivered via satellite to cable systems around the state. In 1978 and beyond, WPSX-TV was a member of the Appalachian Educational Satellite Program (AESP), which used a then-experimental satellite to deliver educational television programs in nursing, teacher education and early childhood development throughout the Appalachian region. The AESP eventually became The Learning Channel. In 1980 and beyond, WPSX-TV worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to experiment with the use of videodisc in the classroom by producing a program sampler for the Allegheny Educational Broadcast Council member schools and, with federal funds, worked with the College of Education to create a videodisc on American Sign Language. After the crisis at Three Mile Island, WPSX-TV and the College of Engineering conducted Penn State’s first national satellite teleconference that gave engineers throughout the country their first view of video shot inside the damaged nuclear reactor. Weather World evolved from the Farm, Home and Garden series, produced by Penn State Cooperative Extension beginning in 1983. The series underwent a number of content changes over the years, until settling into the current Weather World format. The Pennsylvania Game began production in 1984. Taking Note, with Kathleen Pavelko as host, became Take Note in 1987, when Patty Satalia took over as host of the local interview show. WPSX-TV began broadcasting 24-hours-a-day in August 1998. Jane Zimmerman Volunteer Chair & Donor   Penn State Public Broadcasting Grand Destiny Campaign Broadcast experience   Member of the Board of Representatives, Penn State Public Broadcasting   Accountant, WRSC-AM and WQWK-FM radio stations Family   Husband Robert K. Zimmerman, past president of Tele-Media Broadcasting and past president of the College of Communications’ Alumni Society Board of Directors   Children: Dr. Andrew Zimmerman and Laura Sogor   Four grandchildren Community involvement   Co-founder, Robert K. and Jane W. Zimmerman Radio Broadcast Endowment in the College of Communications and Robert K. and Jane W. Zimmerman Endowment for Pennsylvania Centre Stage   Jane W. and Robert K. Zimmerman Endowment in Support of Digital Programming   Treasurer, State College Area Family YMCA million-dollar campaign   Member, YMCA Advisory Committee   Parade Chair, 1982 and 1986 Penn State National Championship football teams   Chair, Penn State Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics 25th Anniversary Celebration   Trustee, Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust WPSU-FM highlights In 1953, WPSU-FM began operation as the student-run radio station WDFM. The studio and transmitter were originally housed in Sparks Building. In 1985, WPSU, a student-run radio station at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, ceased operation, and the WPSU call letters were reassigned to the University Park campus radio station. The station’s transmitter later was moved to the Swine Farm. In 1994, the transmitter was relocated to Rattlesnake Mountain, allowing residents in Altoona, Clearfield, Bradford and Treasure Lake to receive WPSU-FM. In 1995, a new transmitter in Kane made it possible for the WPSU signal to be heard throughout north central and northwestern Pennsylvania. WPSU-FM became a National Public Radio affiliate in 1994. WPSU-FM’s Web site (http://wpsu.psu.edu) offers information about locally produced programs, such as Erasing the Stigma, an ongoing series on mental health. Listeners can learn about upcoming programs through weekly e-mail updates.	For 36 years, Penn State Public Broadcasting has offered a diverse selection of children’s shows, locally produced public affairs and news programs, Penn State instructional programs and Penn State sports. In two years, the choices available to the more than 500,000 households served by WPSX-TV, Channel 3, will expand dramatically in all four categories, as the University’s public television station begins broadcasting in digital television (DTV) format. DTV will enable multicasting, allowing four or more programs to be delivered at the same time using a single television channel.   The 50-year-old analog TV technology is being replaced by digital technology. Viewers do not have to understand the technology behind these changes to enjoy the results that will be coming their way by 2003. That is when the Federal Communications Commission has mandated public television stations make the conversion to digital TV. Stations that do not convert may lose their license to broadcast.   What will DTV mean for Penn State Public Broadcasting viewers?   “There will be many more programs to choose from, and each program will have additional resources associated with it, such as Web links to facts, pictures, sounds, on-line discussions and materials for teachers,” Ted Krichels, assistant vice president for outreach and general manager, said. “The potential of DTV is boundless.”   Digital television technology has the power to enrich Penn State Public Broadcasting, the viewing experience in profound ways. Rather than the passive absorption of material, digital television technology will enable a two-way interactive process for the viewer.   Funding support for the conversion to digital television technology is coming from a number of sources. In November 2000, WPSX-TV received about $2 million from the federal Public Telecommunications Facilities Program for an experimental on-channel booster to improve the reach of its signal, which originates from its main transmitter in Clearfield, Pa. Much of WPSX-TV’s coverage area is rural.   “This is the largest grant we have received from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, and it was one of the largest grants awarded nationally by this federal program,” Krichels said. “This is a significant grant, because of the competitive process involved. It is a tribute to the efforts of our engineers, George Thurman and Carl Fisher, who wrote the successful grant.”   The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has awarded WPSX-TV $1.5 million to begin replacement of analog TV equipment. “Most of our equipment needs to be replaced, because it is not compatible with digital TV technology,” Krichels said. Penn State Public Broadcasting has already begun the process of converting its transmission equipment.   “These grants are enabling us to build our capacity to broadcast in both high-definition and standard television and to use multi-channel broadcasting,” he said. “With the new technology, we will be able to broadcast four to five different program strands using one channel.”   The Public Telecommunications Facilities Program grant has a matching-funds component. To match this grant, which will support the conversion to digital TV, Penn State Public Broadcasting is planning a capital campaign to raise $2 million from individuals, corporations and foundations in its 29-county viewing area, Dr. Sophie W. Penney, director of development for Outreach and Cooperative Extension, said. This campaign is one element of the overall $9 million in funding needed to support the project.   “While the focus of the campaign is to fund the equipment needed for the digital conversion, the primary goal is to bring to the region an exciting array of new programming options,” Penney said.   She agreed with Krichels that the technology is secondary in importance to the impact DTV will have on individuals and communities, because DTV will mean more channels and much more content.   “The possibilities are very exciting,” Penney said. “Digital television has the potential to significantly increase the quality of life for viewers from Kane to Johnstown, State College and Altoona, in short, our whole region. What’s more, our link with Penn State gives Penn State Public Broadcasting access to a tremendous amount of content on a myriad of subjects, from education to entertainment to potentially life-changing programs on health, as well as children’s programming. Our viewers can enjoy this vast content without leaving the comfort of their homes. The conversion is a worthwhile endeavor that will touch the lives of all of our viewers, from the very young to senior citizens — all those who already watch public television and even more people who tune into Penn State Public Broadcasting.”   Krichels added, “As we prepare to launch our community campaign, I am finding it very inspiring to see how much goodwill exists within the University community and the many other communities we serve.”   Penn State will also invest in the future of Penn State Public Broadcasting by providing $16.4 million to assist with the conversion to digital television and for a new building that will house expanded facilities for the University’s public television and radio stations and the World Campus.   The increased capacity, made possible by digital television and the new building, will open the door to enhanced partnerships with communities and schools that will make WPSX-TV’s programming meaningful and beneficial to the quality of life for the 1.5 million people living in central Pennsylvania and southern New York.   For many years, the Allegheny Educational Broadcast Council has helped WPSX-TV assist teachers and school districts in educating students, Krichels noted. DTV will expand these kinds of opportunities. Penn State Public Broadcasting’s affiliation with the University is a critical asset in this process.   “Penn State Public Broadcasting is in a position to create content by tapping the extensive resources of a nationally and internationally renowned university,” Krichels said. “Our goals align perfectly with Penn State’s mission of engagement with communities, organizations and people to make life better.”   The foundation for Penn State Public Broadcasting’s expanded programming will continue to be the expertise of the University’s faculty.   “Our relationship with Penn State distinguishes us from many other public broadcasting stations around the country. We can access the vast knowledge of the University’s faculty to respond to the needs of our audiences,” he noted.   “The key to digital television is not technology for technology’s sake,” Krichels added. “The key is how we use the technology to enhance the services we provide. Technology allows us to do what we do to a greater capacity. The future is truly exciting. We have always played a role in schools, preparing our children for the world. Now, we can provide many more materials to teachers and children and help reenergize learning. We can use our programming to increase our engagement with communities.”   He cited some ongoing and new projects that will take advantage of digital television technology: What’s in the News (WITN) Interactive is a new project designed to enhance the Web site for WPSX-TV’s award-winning, weekly current events program for children. WPSX-TV is seeking funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Digital Kids Fund to support innovations to the WITN Web site, including redesigning the site; adding interactive learning games; offering weekly chats with Katie O’Toole, producer/writer and host of WITN and a guest; and providing opportunities for children to participate in a wider variety of learning activities. There is a potential audience of 5.7 million students nationwide who could benefit from this project, Krichels said. WITN also is experimenting with expanding its news show for children from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. (See the article on WITN.) For more information on this project, contact Katie O’Toole or Betsy Hutton: 814-865-3333; O’Toole’s e-mail: kxo1@psu.edu; Hutton’s e-mail: emh6@psu.edu. The On-line Educational Service is a partnership of public broadcasting and education leaders nationwide. Penn State is a founding member of the group, which includes the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS); WGBH, Boston; Thirteen/WNET, New York City; Kentucky Educational Telecommunications; Nebraska Educational Telecommunications; and the California State University System, among others. The group is creating a nonprofit organization to develop and disseminate on-line and broadband educational content and services and provide access to the nation’s best resources in professional training and lifelong learning. Krichels and Dr. Gary E. Miller, associate vice president for Distance Education and executive director of the Penn State World Campus, represent Penn State. Krichels explained, “The goal is to create a strong and flexible education service for teachers in K–12 and ultimately to assist in lifelong learning. For example, we could take content on earthquakes from PBS’s Nova series and make it available to teachers in the form of learning objects, teacher manuals and videoclips. We are in a very good position to create educational content and links with the World Campus.” For more information on this project, contact Ted Krichels: 814-865-3333; e-mail: tzk1@psu.edu. Digital District is a partnership between Penn State Public Broadcasting and Ridgway Area School District to increase student interest in science and achieve state and local science standards. Funding is being sought from the Pennsylvania state government. The project has the potential to become a demonstration project for all Pennsylvania students. It involves determining which science standards need up-to-date supplemental teaching materials and reviewing WPSX-TV’s resources to find materials correlated to these standards. Then small “chunks” or “digital objects” will be created for teachers in collaboration with the Eberly College of Science and the College of Education. Part of the project will involve training teachers to integrate digital objects into their curricula. DTV has the potential to help teachers and students. “We hope to expand this project by partnering with other school districts,” Krichels said. The Creating Health initiative seeks to make a difference in the lives of people by motivating them to change their behavior for improved health. This initiative is modeled after the Creating Health series of Wisconsin Public Television and the University of Wisconsin-Extension, under the leadership of Byron Knight, director of Broadcasting and Media Innovations. Krichels said the project will take a multi-dimensional approach to health education and use public TV and radio, video, on-line resources, community-based activities and the established network of Penn State Cooperative Extension offices in each county of the state to reach people. Dr. Theodore R. Alter, associate vice president for outreach, director of Cooperative Extension and associate dean, College of Agricultural Sciences, said, “This programming partnership among Penn State Cooperative Extension, Penn State Public Broadcasting and the health sciences expertise across our University has great power to provide current, relevant information and education to Pennsylvania citizens.” The first program will be on osteoporosis; future topics may focus on mental health, cardiac health, cancer, asthma, diabetes and obesity. During Phase 1, WPSX-TV will work with WITF-TV and WITF-FM in Harrisburg, Pa., to deliver the program to 40 counties in central Pennsylvania. The Penn State College of Medicine, College of Health and Human Development and College of Agricultural Sciences will provide the academic base for the program. The Penn State World Campus and the Division of Continuing Education also will play key roles in developing and disseminating educational programming. Ultimately, this model could be used nationwide, Krichels said. Support is being sought from foundations and corporations to produce Creating Health and to disseminate information from the programs in 13 communities through the Penn State Cooperative Extension network. For more information on this project, contact Tracy Vosburgh: 814-865-3333; e-mail: tvf1@outreach.psu.edu. Partners in Public Service (PIPS) is a project uniting libraries, museums and public television stations in outreach efforts that benefit the public. Penn State is administering this national initiative. The University Libraries partnered with Penn State Public Broadcasting to use technology to increase public accessibility for a Palmer Museum of Art exhibit titled “History Past, History Present: The Daguerreotype Portrait in America.” Penn State Public Broadcasting created an interactive Web site to accompany the museum exhibit, inviting children to take photos and submit them, along with some descriptive information. These photos are on the Web site with scans of the daguerreotypes. This component of the project is giving teachers and children opportunities to learn about daguerreotype photos and modern photos and the cultures of both eras. The Ford Foundation provided partial support for PIPS. (See the article on PIPS.) For more information on this project, contact Laura Miller: 814-865-3333; e-mail: lxm49@psu.edu. The conference Lewis and Clark: The Unheard Voices is a follow-up project to Penn State Public Broadcasting’s first Partners in Public Service project. The conference involves the resources of the Division of Continuing Education, Distance Education/World Campus and Penn State Public Broadcasting. The College of Arts and Architecture is sponsoring the conference with the College of Education. Faculty in the College of the Liberal Arts and the Eberly College of Science are involved in the project as well. In addition, the Palmer Museum of Art and the Matson Museum of Anthropology are participating in the project. Planned for Nov. 14 to 16, 2002, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, the conference commemorates the 200th anniversary of the expedition. It will look at the expedition through the eyes of Native Americans and others. Penn State Public Broadcasting will build a Web site, providing streaming video and archiving of Lewis and Clark: The Unheard Voices. The Ford Foundation is providing partial funding. For more information on this project, contact Melanie Doebler: 814-865-7679; e-mail: mkdoebler@psu.edu. Evolving the Links: The University Digital Business Partnership Project is a collaborative effort to convert to digital TV technology. Penn State Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Television and Washington State University and their respective distance education organizations are partners in the project. Evolving the Links, the second phase of the project, builds on the activities and lessons learned during Reforging the Links, the first phase of the project. Evolving the Links is aimed at reenergizing the link between public broadcasting and higher education. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Future Fund is supporting the project. In addition to Penn State Public Broadcasting, Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Penn State World Campus are involved with the project. WITF-TV (Harrisburg) and WPSX-TV are collaborating to bring new and enhanced programs to Pennsylvanians. The Ready to Learn service encourages parents to help their children learn to read, shows parents how to use public TV to help and also provides free books. “This is a valuable program for parents, and we are always exploring ways to enhance the offerings through partnerships,” Krichels said. For more information on this project, contact Eve Evans: 814-865-3333; e-mail: eke1@psu.edu. The Northeast Extension Directors, an organization of state Cooperative Extension directors at universities in the northeast, is interested in exploring opportunities to bring together universities and public television stations to provide just-in-time information to people. Along with Penn State, the universities of Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire have expressed interest in the project. Penn State is studying the feasibility of organizing a conference to explore such partnerships, Krichels said. Dr. Theodore R. Alter, associate vice president for outreach, director of Cooperative Extension and associate dean, College of Agricultural Sciences, said, “A public broadcasting/cooperative extension partnership affords mutually beneficial programming opportunities for cooperative extension and public broadcasting. Ted Krichels and I are very committed to moving this partnership initiative forward, in Pennsylvania and the northeast.” For more information on this project, contact Theodore R. Alter: 814-863-3438; e-mail: talter@psu.edu. Penn State sports broadcasts will increase as a result of DTV. Penn State Public Broadcasting already works with the University to provide audio Webcasts of lacrosse, softball, soccer and other athletic events. WPSX-TV also airs women’s basketball and produces the award-winning show Center Court with Rene Portland. (See article.) Future plans for sports programming will include collaborations with other Big Ten institutions to share coverage of away games. WPSX-TV also plans to increase broadcasts of gymnastics, wrestling, women’s basketball, volleyball and other events. Public affairs programming that addresses issues of concern to viewers will continue to be a high priority for Penn State Public Broadcasting. One example of this type of programming is the community call-in model. President Graham Spanier (see photo at top) uses this model to bring University and other experts to WPSX-TV and WPSU-FM audiences during his monthly To the Best of My Knowledge program. Other community call-in programs have focused on topics of health, gardening and politics, among others.   In addition to these projects, Penn State Public Broadcasting produces several long-running programs that Krichels said will become the cornerstones for future programming efforts: Our Town, Weather World, Take Note and To the Best of My Knowledge.   The Our Town model developed by Penn State Public Broadcasting has gained national attention for its ability to bring together public television and communities. WPSX-TV invites community members to shoot video of people and places important to their community. Then WPSX-TV staff members edit the video into an Our Town program and air it on Channel 3.   The documentary series is modeled on the concept of day-in-the-life photo books, but it takes the concept a step further, transforming community members into video producers. The first Our Town, featuring Bradford, Pa., aired in 1996. Since then, WPSX-TV has worked with communities to produce nearly 20 Our Town programs.   This series also has led to a spinoff: Our Town: Kids, where children take on the role of videographers and shoot footage of people, places and events of interest to their peers. The first such program is Our Town: Kane — The Kids Cut.   “Historically, there has been a barrier between viewers and the provider of public television services,” Krichels said. “Our Town has changed that. These programs give us a way to get involved with communities. The programs inform and highlight communities. It is really inspiring to see the pride of the citizens when we hold the premier of an Our Town.”   The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is providing funding for Penn State Public Broadcasting to share the Our Town model nationally, he noted.   Funding is a critical issue for Penn State Public Broadcasting.   “To help support programming, the Outreach Office of Development actively seeks underwriting support for programs,” noted Ashear Barr, assistant director of development.   Brian McCullough, assistant director of development, is concentrating on identifying funding support for the Creating Health initiative and Lewis and Clark: The Unheard Voices conference.   Robert Butler, development assistant, is focusing his efforts on support for What’s in the News; Play Ball, a documentary on the history of Little League Baseball; a program celebrating the centennial of 4-H (2002); and the newly redesigned series The Pennsylvania Game.   Another important component of Penn State Public Broadcasting’s locally produced and national PBS programs is its cadre of loyal viewers. Many of these viewers value and enjoy WPSX-TV’s programming and show their support by becoming members.   According to Joy Vincent-Killian, membership manager, 54 percent of the Penn State Public Broadcasting programming budget is supported by viewers and listeners.   “Membership is essential in procuring a large selection of programs for WPSX-TV and for buying a variety of music CDs for WPSU-FM,” she said. “In an era of increased competition from cable and satellite TV, supporting public television is more important than ever.”   Vincent-Killian pointed out that many Penn State Public Broadcasting members are avid supporters of their favorite local programs, including Our Town, Penn State sports and the Alphabet Cooking shows, now in their fourth year. Forty percent of revenue from on-air pledge drives comes from locally produced programming. This is unique among public TV stations, she said.   The many “thank-yous” and comments she receives from viewers “affirm the good work that we do,” she added.   Mayme Gigl of Centre Hall, Pa., is an enthusiastic supporter of Penn State Public Broadcasting. She and her husband, Paul, both enjoy WPSX-TV and WPSU-FM.   “When we moved to the area in 1996, one of the first things we did was check out the public television and radio stations,” she said. “We supported public broadcasting when we lived in Columbus, Ohio, and we wanted to do the same thing here.”   A retired schoolteacher, Mayme Gigl is a substitute teacher, volunteer and board member of the Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra, because of her love of classical music, which her husband shares. Paul Gigl is vice president at Dennis Tool Co. He also collaborates with researchers at Penn State’s Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) and serves as an adjunct professor at MRL.   Mayme Gigl’s favorite public TV program is Masterpiece Theatre, while her husband enjoys Take Note, hosted by Patty Satalia, and 15 Minutes, hosted by Steve Jones. As soon as Paul Gigl gets up in the morning, he turns on the TV and exercises while watching Channel 3.   Guiding the future of Penn State Public Broadcasting is a Board of Representatives, chaired by D. Edward Chaplin of DuBois. Chaplin is executive vice president and trust officer of the First Commonwealth Trust Co., an affiliate of First Commonwealth Financial. (See list of board members.)   “What differentiates Penn State Public Broadcasting from other television media is the number of local productions and the impact these productions have on the people who live in the WPSX-TV service area,” he said. “The future of public television is tied to its application to people’s lives. No other television service can do this and do it as well as public television.”   Chaplin cited the Creating Health initiative as one public television project destined to make an impact in his community, especially because the DuBois Regional Medical Center is participating in the project.   Local productions that focus on quality educational content coupled with digital television technology will help “to ensure the success of public television for the WPSX-TV region,” he said. “The capital campaign is critical to making this success possible.”   Krichels added, “We recognize the value of digital TV, and we have set a goal of being a leader in digital TV. We want to bring the full potential for education and entertainment to schools, homes and businesses throughout the WPSX-TV viewing area.”