Tag: Studio upgrade

West Virginia Public Broadcasting receives grant to upgrade its Charleston television operation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Charleston, W.Va. – January 30, 2014 –  West Virginia Public Broadcasting has been awarded a $750,000 competitive grant to replace all the television equipment in its main Charleston studio. The upgrades will allow the organization to record and transmit locally produced programs in high definition.

“This grant will transform what we can do from our Charleston studio,” said Scott Finn, executive director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. “Not only will we be able to replace our failing, 25-year-old equipment, we will be able to record and broadcast locally-produced shows such as The Legislature Today in HD.”

The grant application received bi-partisan support from Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito.

“Public broadcasting provides excellent programming and information to West Virginians,” Senator Rockefeller said.  “This grant will help West Virginia Public Broadcasting continue to bring the news and the arts to all corners of the state, which is a mission I am deeply proud to support.”

Capito said that as a regular PBS viewer, she was delighted to support West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s mission to provide high-quality educational and community programming to West Virginians and viewers in surrounding states.

“Grants such as this invest in the people of West Virginia, improve our local communities and help our economy grow,” she wrote.

USDA Rural Development awarded the grant through the Public Television Digital Transition Grant program.

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West Virginia Public Broadcasting Awarded $750,000 Grant

West Virginia Public Broadcasting has been awarded a $750,000 competitive grant to replace all equipment in its main Charleston studio and record and transmit local programs in high definition.

This grant was very competitive — we received about a quarter of all funding available this year! And it will transform what we can do from our Charleston studio in two ways:

1. We will finally be able to replace our failing, 25-year-old equipment.

It’s so old, our engineers have to go to hobbyists on e-bay to find parts.

These cameras were purchased in 1988.

Our current cameras date back to 1988. We know this because they were bought after a debate between then-Gov. Arch Moore and challenger Gaston Caperton. As the story goes, the color on one of the cameras was off, making the candidates appear green. Soon after, money was found to purchase the “new” cameras, which we still use to this day.

We’ve had some quality issues in the last two years with our broadcast of the Legislature Today. Occasionally, a red vertical line appears across the screen that we can’t get rid of. By this time next year, all those worries should be gone.

2. We will be able to record and broadcast locally-produced shows such as ‘The Legislature Today’ in HD.

…as well as our town hall specials, and election debates, and even the West Virginia Lottery drawing, which we produce daily from our Charleston studio.

The grant application received bi-partisan support from Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito.

Capito said that as a regular PBS viewer, she was delighted to support West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s mission to provide high-quality educational and community programming to West Virginians and surrounding states.

“Grants such as this invest in the people of West Virginia, improve our local communities and help our economy grow,” she wrote.

USDA Rural Development awarded the grant through the Public Television Digital Transition Grant program. For more information on the grant, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_dtv.html.

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