WECU-TV: Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[East Carolina University#Student life]] |
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'''WECU-TV''' was the official (commercial) television station of [[East Carolina University]], located in [[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville]] [[North Carolina]]. It was created on July 1, 1954 <ref>{{Cite web|url = https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/reflector/2442|title = The Daily Reflector image collection|date = |accessdate = |website = |publisher = |last = Department of Cultural Resources|first = State Library of North Carolina}}</ref> to help tell the story of the young college then named '''East Carolina Teachers College''' (ECTC).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/libs/upload/History.pdf|title = History of the Program East Carolina Teachers College|date = |accessdate = |website = East Carolina University|publisher = ECU Library|last = ECU College of Education|first = State of North Carolina Library System}}</ref> ECU was "made a regional university effective July 1, 1967, and assumed its present name, East Carolina University." The station was originally housed on the Main Campus near the School of Education.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Welcome to the College of Education|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> It had a small studio with two TK-11 RCA broadcast cameras<ref>{{Cite web|title = RCA TV Equipment Archive|url = http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/TV/RCA-TV.htm|website = www.oldradio.com|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> and four Bell and Howell field cameras and a large black and white processing/editing lab combo and a low-wattage transmission antenna located on campus. |
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The new offices and studio (in the area of the [[Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University|Brody School of Medicine]]) were completed in early 1972 along with formalized FCC licensing to create the nation's first university (commercial)/public television duopoly with WUNK-TV,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Station Profiles « Federal Communications Commission|url = https://stations.fcc.gov/station-profile/wunk-tv|website = stations.fcc.gov|accessdate = 2015-09-30|first = Federal Communications Commission -|last = FCC}}</ref> the University of North Carolina Television PBS satellite affiliate, now 25 (PSIP) 23 (UHF). With shared staff, equipment the stations created short documentaries for UNC-TV<ref>{{Cite web|title = UNC-TV — Life-changing television|url = http://www.unctv.org/content|website = www.unctv.org|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> and starting in 1974, served the needs of the new medical college. Students were allowed to work via work study program and held numerous positions at the station.<ref>{{Cite web|title = East Magazine - Now in HD - Spring 2011|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/mktg/east/now_in_hd.cfm|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-30|others = NOTE: Paragraph about student days.}}</ref> |
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The station remained in the same location until January 1, 2010. The general manager was hired away by the nation's third largest news website in 2008 and the station manager/sales manager died from cancer in 2009. Both positions were state of North Carolina jobs, so WECU-TV was forced to close because of severely lowered tax revenues brought on by the [[Great Recession in the United States|great recession]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = For NC state budget, it’s forever 2010|url = http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article31658447.html|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> All university stations were closed by 2014 with some being repurposed for teaching such as WNCP-TV.<ref>{{Cite web|title = WNCP-TV|url = http://www.uncp.edu/academics/opportunities-programs-resources/opportunities-programs/wncp-tv|website = www.uncp.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-28}}</ref> Central control for WUNK-TV programming is now located in the [[UNC-TV]] headquarters and the current general manager is really an antenna engineer<ref>{{Cite web|title = Station Profiles « Federal Communications Commission|url = https://stations.fcc.gov/station-profile/wunk-tv|website = stations.fcc.gov|accessdate = 2015-09-30|first = Federal Communications Commission -|last = FCC}}</ref> |
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== Milestones == |
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*Broadcasting became full-power through the University of North Carolina Television antenna system in 1972 |
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*Occasional color started in 1968 to work with Greenville cable company<ref>{{Cite web|title = Cable Clipping noted in File - C|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/ncc/cclip.cfm|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> Full color started in 1975. |
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*Public Access channel 99 was added to the local cable company's offerings, named ECU-TV per FCC rules<ref>{{Cite web|title = ECU TV|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/poe/1105/programs.cfm|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-30|others = NOTE: See 4th to the last paragraph}}</ref> |
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*24 hour programming started on January 1, 2004 |
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*Digital transformation<ref>{{Cite web|title = Digital Television|url = https://www.fcc.gov/digital-television|website = www.fcc.gov|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> happened one year ahead of the other full-power TV stations on June 12, 2008 |
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== Expansion == |
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The station remained a service unit until the 2002 hiring of a new chancellor <ref>{{Cite web|title = ECU News Services - News Story|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/newsstory.cfm?id=420|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-28}}</ref> and provost.<ref>{{Cite web|title = William Swart|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-bus/faculty/swartw.cfm|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-28}}</ref> The new administration immediately funded programming and added management to the station <ref>{{Cite web|title = ECU TV|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/poe/1105/programs.cfm|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> with the internal promotion of the new general manager, who was a veteran, media liaison of four newspaper groups to broadcast partners in two Top 50 markets and two Top 100 markets. The new station manager (#2) was hired away from Chicago's WGN. From 2002-2008 the station grew, tripling viewership and doubling revenue year over year through political advertising and by adding sports contracts.<ref>{{Cite web|title = ECU sports TV contracts|url = http://www.bonesville.com/articles/AlMyatt/2002/July/072502_View_from_the_East.htm|website = www.bonesville.com|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> Daily broadcasting expanded into [[Wilmington, North Carolina]], Outer Banks/[[Norfolk, Virginia]] and [[Raleigh, North Carolina]]. Nielsen certified ratings grew from 16th to 2nd largest during the same time period. Unique web page views grew from 125,000 per year to 2.38 million per month. |
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== Programming == |
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Along with C-SPAN, WNCT-TV, and WCTI-TV, the newly revived station hosted the October 14, 2002 debate between [[United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2002|North Carolina U.S. Senate candidates]] Erskine Bowles (D) and eventual winner [[Elizabeth Dole]] (R).<ref>{{Cite web|title = North Carolina Senate Debate|url = http://www.c-span.org/video/?173336-1/north-carolina-senate-debate|website = C-SPAN.org|accessdate = 2015-09-28}}</ref> Starting in 2003 new shows and documentaries<ref>{{Cite web|title = New programming at WECU-TV|url = http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/poe/1105/programs.cfm|website = www.ecu.edu|accessdate = 2015-09-30}}</ref> were created each proceeding year. PBS programming <ref>{{Cite web|title = Programs A to Z: List of PBS Shows|url = https://www.pbs.org/programs/|website = www.pbs.org|accessdate = 2015-09-28}}</ref> was scheduled from 9pm until the daily scheduled close at 11:59:59 pm. Stating in 2004 PBS programming started at 11:00 pm and ended at 5:00 am. |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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{{Greenville/New Bern/Washington TV}} |
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<!--- Categories ---> |
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[[Category:East Carolina University]] |
[[Category:East Carolina University]] |
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[[Category:Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area]] |
[[Category:Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area]] |
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Latest revision as of 13:34, 14 April 2024
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