BCC鈥檚 television station, WBCC, will broadcast Central Florida鈥檚 primary PBS channel, W91吃瓜网 TV, in high definition beginning July 1, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, 91吃瓜网 President John C. Hitt and BCC President James A. Drake announced today. WBCC also will continue broadcasting both partners鈥� institutional channels, WBCC and 91吃瓜网TV.
鈥淚n April, when WMFE-TV announced its affiliation with PBS would end as of June 30, we at 91吃瓜网 knew that Central Florida stood to lose a treasured community resource,鈥� Hitt said. 鈥淗owever, as America鈥檚 leading partnership university, we also know that great turnarounds can happen for the common good through the power of partnerships. I look forward to July 1 and enjoying some of my favorite shows on the new W91吃瓜网 TV.鈥�
W91吃瓜网 TV will broadcast PBS鈥� Emmy-award winning news and public affairs, history, drama and performing arts programming, including the PBS NEWSHOUR, MASTERPIECE and NOVA. The channel also will feature first-class local content about the Central Florida community.
W91吃瓜网 TV also will broadcast seven hours of PBS KIDS programming each weekday. PBS KIDS is the nation鈥檚 most trusted educational media brand and has been proven to help children succeed in the classroom and in life. The schedule will include such curriculum-based series as SESAME STREET, CURIOUS GEORGE, DINOSAUR TRAIN and many others.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thankful that the 91吃瓜网 and Brevard Community College are partnering to ensure that the people of Orlando continue to benefit from the full range of high-quality PBS content and services,鈥� Kerger said. 鈥淲e look forward to working with W91吃瓜网 TV to offer the very best of national and locally produced content to the people of Orlando.鈥�
W91吃瓜网 TV will be seen over the air on digital channel 68.1, the current position of WBCC.聽 The 91吃瓜网-BCC partnership is working with cable and satellite providers to determine the channels that will carry the new channel.
More information about the partnership and its new high-definition channel is available on the W91吃瓜网 TV website 鈥� – which launched today. The site will become a more robust source of information and news about W91吃瓜网 TV in the coming weeks, as more details about the new channel are set.聽 Public broadcasting supporters can make donations through the website beginning today. A membership plan is under development.
W91吃瓜网 TV can be contacted at wucftv@ucf.edu or 1-855-423-9823 (W91吃瓜网).
鈥淪erving our communities is a key component of our institution and our partnership鈥檚 mission,鈥� Drake said. 鈥淲e believe our new partnership channel, W91吃瓜网 TV, will fulfill our mission by delivering programming to viewers that will educate, enlighten and inspire.鈥�
BCC and 91吃瓜网 have a long history of working together and operating and producing programming for television channels. BCC has owned and operated a non-commercial television channel — WBCC — for more than two decades. WBCC broadcasts the 91吃瓜网TV channel.
WBCC first started airing PBS programming in January 2002 as one of the secondary channels in the Orlando market. WBCC and 91吃瓜网TV will continue to provide high-quality local and PBS programming, remaining separate from the new W91吃瓜网 TV channel.
Just a few days after W91吃瓜网 TV launches, viewers will be able to watch America鈥檚 biggest and brightest birthday party at 8 p.m. July 4. A CAPITOL FOURTH will feature unrivaled musical performances by some of the country鈥檚 best-known artists and the National Symphony Orchestra live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
PBS鈥� summer season also will feature MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! on Sunday evenings. HISTORY DETECTIVES, a show that proves once again that an object found in an attic or backyard might be anything, will air Tuesday evenings. GREAT PERFORMANCES will air a production of Verdi鈥檚 鈥淩igoletto鈥� starring tenor Placido Domingo at 9:30 p.m. July 15.
For images, video and additional up-to-date information on the PBS Summer 2011 season, go to .