Maryland Public Television Explained

Maryland Public Television (MPT) is the PBS member state network for the U.S. state of Maryland. It operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, an agency of the Maryland state government that holds the licenses for all PBS member stations licensed in the state.

Studios are located in the unincorporated community of Owings Mills in northwestern Baltimore County. MPT operates six full-power transmitters that cover nearly all of the state, plus Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

History

WMPB (licensed to Baltimore) first signed on in 1969 as the first station of the Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting; it gained satellite stations in Salisbury, Hagerstown, and Annapolis between 1971 and 1975, resulting in a formation of a statewide public television network. The network adopted its current name in 1984. Maryland Instructional Television (Maryland ITV), a division of the State Department of Education, was also housed at the network until 1991. On July 4, 1987, WFPT (licensed to Frederick) signed on to fill coverage gaps in the outer Washington market, while WGPT in Oakland began operations to cover the extreme west of the state, much of which previously had no local television service at all.

About 1999, the network launched an afternoon Britcom programming block, Afternoon Tea, replacing children's programming. By 2009, MPT was airing kids' programming during the day on its MPT Select channel.^[1]

In September 2015, as part of budget cuts, MPT outsourced its master control operations to Public Media Management—a joint venture of Boston PBS member WGBH and Sony Corporation.^[2]

Productions

Current regional productions

• Chesapeake Collectibles:^[3] weekly series featuring people and their collectibles
• Maryland Farm & 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
• Ways to Pay for College:^[9] annual special on finding money for higher education
• Artworks:^[10] regional arts updates and specials highlighting Maryland's culture and history
• Destination Maryland^[11] discover attractions and hidden gems that make Maryland an ultimate destination.
• Made in Maryland^[12] From the people to product design and delivery, find out about what's made in Maryland

Nationally distributed productions

• The McLaughlin Group

(2019–2020) a weekly political affairs round table

• Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke & Project Fire: (2015–2019) outdoor cooking series with Steven Raichlen.
• MotorWeek

(1981–present) 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
• Veterans Day: A Musical Tribute
• Space Racers

an animated children's television series about space and science

• My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas: a cooking show focused on Greek cuisine hosted by Diane Kochilas
• To Dine For with Kate Sullivan: features stories of creators and dreamers at their favorite restaurant Kate Sullivan

Regional documentaries and specials

• Racing Rivals: Log Canoes of Chesapeake Bay (2024)
• Water's Edge: Black Watermen of the Chesapeake (2023)
• Kent County's Storied Landscape: Place Past & Present (2023)
• Discovering the Dove (2023)
• Eatin' Blue Catfish: Chesapeake Style (2023)
• Chesapeake Decoys: The Nature of Waterfowl Art (2022)
• Creatures of the Chesapeake (2021)
• Chesapeake Beacons (2020)
• Chesapeake & Delaware Canal: Gateway to the World (2019)
• Eatin' The Chesapeake: The Five Feasts (2018)
• Eatin' Oysters: Chesapeake Style! (2017) who's eating & shucking oysters, why they love them, and where to find the best.
• Search for the USS Scorpion: (2017) Search for the Commodore Barney's Flotilla
  • The Chesapeake Bay Summit: (2016–2024) Moderator Frank Sesno and a panel discuss the status of the Chesapeake Bay Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna (2016) the dam's unique story and place in Maryland history
• Eatin' Crabcakes: The Best I Ever Had: (2011) the ultimate crab cake treasure hunt
• Potomac by Air: (2015) explores incredible natural and man-made history along our nation's river
• Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style: (2008) a rollicking foray into the world of the blue crab, from dockside to table.
• Distinctive Homes of the Chesapeake: (2013) opening the door to Maryland's magnificent homes surrounding the Chesapeake Bay
• The Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Spanning the Bay (2014) an exciting look back at the monumental creation of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Past productions

• A.M. Weather (1978–1995): a 15-minute daily program featuring detailed forecasts presented by NOAA meteorologists
• Baking with Julia (1996–1998) 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 (1993), 16 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, (1996) 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.
• MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans:^[14] Maryland Public Television salutes the men and women who served in the Vietnam era
• Newsnight Maryland, a locally produced news program that reviews the stories happening in the state of Maryland.
• 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.
• Our Town:^[15] a collection of documentaries showcasing different towns across Maryland
• 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.^[16]
• 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, presenting station only
• Your Money & Business:^[17] consumer-oriented business magazine
• Zoboomafoo (1999–2001) children's series with the Kratt Brothers and PBS in the United States; Canadian production handled by Cinar (now part of WildBrain).

Stations

The MPT stations are:

Station! scope = "col"

City of license		Facility ID	ERP	HAAT	Transmitter coordinates	First air date	Public license information
WMPT	Annapolis	22 (21)	65942	1000 kW	2840NaN0	39.0102°N -76.6088°W
WMPB	Baltimore	67 (22)	65944	90 kW	3070NaN0	39.4472°N -76.7798°W
WFPT	Frederick	62 (28)	40626	71.3 kW	1560NaN0	39.2606°N -77.3121°W
WWPB	Hagerstown	31 (29)	65943	700 kW	3750NaN0	39.6511°N -77.9706°W
WGPT	Oakland	36 (26)	40619	200 kW	2830NaN0	39.404°N -79.2934°W
WCPB	Salisbury	28 (16)	40618	320 kW	1540NaN0	38.3858°N -75.5919°W

WGPT is assigned to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market and elects must-carry status on satellite providers there. For the purposes of pay-television carriage, WMPT and WMPB are assigned to the Baltimore market, while WFPT and WWPB are assigned to Washington–Hagerstown and WCPB to Salisbury.^[18]

Technical information

The stations' signals are multiplexed:

Channel! scope = "col" rowspan="2"

Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
22.1	67.1			MPT-HD	PBS
22.2	67.2			MPT-2	MPT2 (7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.) / Create
22.3	67.3			MPTKIDS
22.4	67.4			NHK-WLD	NHK World
		720p	16.9	CWWNUV	The CW (WNUV)

Channel! scope = "col"

Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
xx.1			MPT-HD	PBS
xx.2			MPT-2	MPT2 (7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.) / Create
xx.3			MPTKIDS
xx.4			NHK-WLD	NHK World

Analog-to-digital conversion

MPT's stations ended regular programming on their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The stations' digital channel allocations post-transition are as follows:^[19]

• WMPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 67; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 29,^[20] using virtual channel 67.
• WMPT ended regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 22; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42,^[21] using virtual channel 22. As part of the SAFER Act, WMPT kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters.^[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.^[23]
• WWPB shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 31; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 44,^[24] using virtual 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.^[25]
• WFPT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 62; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 28,^[26] using virtual channel 62.

Spectrum reallocation

As a part of the repacking process following the 2016–2017 FCC incentive auction, channels 38 through 51 were removed from television broadcasting. None of MPT's stations sold their allocations, but five of them moved channels within the UHF band: WMPT moved to channel 21, WMPB to channel 22, WWPB to channel 29, WGPT to channel 26, and WCPT to channel 16.^[27]

ATSC 3.0

MPT joined the Baltimore market's ATSC 3.0 lighthouse station, hosted at WNUV, on June 24, 2021.^[28] In return, WMPT and WMPB hosts WNUV's main channel (54.1) to preserve coverage for existing ATSC 1.0 TV sets.^[29]

External links

• MPT homepage
• Maryland Public Television records at the University of Maryland Libraries

Notes and References

1. Web site: Many stations packaging their own kids' channels . Current . January 12, 2009 . Katy June-Friesen . December 9, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160123125842/http://current.org/2009/01/many-stations-packaging-their-own-kids-channels/ . January 23, 2016 . dead .
2. Web site: More downsizing at MPT as master control function shifts to Boston. The Baltimore Sun. September 8, 2015.
3. Web site: Welcome to Chesapeake Collectibles. Maryland Public Television. January 10, 2013. August 11, 2013.
4. Web site: Maryland Farm and Harvest. Maryland Public Television. January 10, 2013. August 11, 2013.
5. Web site: Chesapeake Bay Week. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
6. Web site: About Direct Connection. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
7. Web site: Outdoors Maryland. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130825085311/http://www.mpt.org/outdoorsmd. August 25, 2013. dead.
8. Web site: State Circle. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130907185510/http://www.mpt.org/sc. September 7, 2013. dead.
9. Web site: Ways to Pay for College. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
10. Web site: Artworks. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
11. Web site: Destination Maryland. Maryland Public Television.
12. Web site: Made in Maryland. Maryland Public Television.
13. Web site: About Lynn Fischer.
14. Web site: Vietnam Veterans. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
15. Web site: Our Town. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
16. Web site: The Transformation Age. Robert H. Smith School of Business.
17. Web site: Your Money & Business. Maryland Public Television. September 4, 2013.
18. Web site: Must-Carry or Retransmission Consent Election . FCC OPIF.
19. Web site: DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds . March 24, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf . August 29, 2013 . dead .
20. Web site: CDBS Print. Federal Communications Commission.
21. Web site: CDBS Print. Federal Communications Commission.
22. Web site: UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program. Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. June 14, 2024.
23. Web site: CDBS Print. Federal Communications Commission.
24. Web site: CDBS Print. Federal Communications Commission.
25. Web site: CDBS Print. Federal Communications Commission.
26. Web site: CDBS Print. Federal Communications Commission.
27. Web site: Repack Channel Assignments . RabbitEars.
28. Web site: Modification of a License for DTV Application (NextGen) (LMS File No. 136496) . FCC LMS.
29. Web site: DTV Legal STA Application (File No. 136473) . FCC LMS.