WCMU-TV, virtual channel 14 (UHF digital channel 26), is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television stationlicensed to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. The station is owned by Central Michigan University. WCMU-TV's studios are located on the CMU campus in Mount Pleasant, and its transmitter is located 3 miles (5 km) west of Barryton, Michigan.
WCMU-TV operates three satellite stations: WCMW (virtual and UHF digital channel 21) in Manistee (with transmitter northeast of Ludington), WCMV (virtual channel 27, UHF digital channel 17) in Cadillac (with transmitter east of Kalkaska), and WCML (virtual channel 6, UHF digital channel 24) in Alpena (with transmitter north of Atlanta, Michigan). Collectively branded as CMU Public Television, the four stations cover an area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others.
Although Mount Pleasant is part of the Flint–Saginaw–Bay City market, the majority of CMU Public Television's viewership is in the Traverse City–Cadillac market.
History[]
WCMU came to the air on March 29, 1967.
In January 2010, WCMU-TV began airing 24 hours a day, and launched an HD feed.
Acquisition of WFUM[]
On October 27, 2009, it was announced that the CMU Board of Trustees approved a proposal for CMU to acquire Flint, Michigan's PBS member station, WFUM (later WCMZ-TV), from the University of Michigan–Flint for a maximum of $1 million. The sale was approved by the FCC, allowing the network's presence to expand further south, not only including Flint, but also Ann Arbor and into Metro Detroit. The network provided at least secondary over-the-air coverage from far Northern Emmet County to northern Monroe County. While WFUM was folded into the CMU Public Television network, CMU vowed to include Flint-area events and issues in its programming, as well as produce new programming that would originate from the region. CMU believed the acquisition of WFUM will increase its viewership from 2.2 million to 8 million. CMU originally hinted that the takeover of WFUM would begin in late November, but WCMU took over operations of WFUM on January 15, 2010. The FCC approved the sale of WFUM in March and CMU officially took over in May at which point the call letters were changed to WCMZ-TV.
Sale and closure of WCMZ-TV[]
On February 8, 2017, Central Michigan University announced it will sell WCMZ-TV in the FCC spectrum auction for $14 million, claiming its viewers are already able to watch PBS on other nearby affiliates, namely Delta College's WDCQ-TV. It signed off on April 23, 2018.
Stations[]
Full Power Stations[]
| Call signs | Location | CH | First Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCMU | Mount Pleasant, MI | 14 | March 29, 1967 |
| WCML | Alpena, MI | 6 | November 21, 1975 |
| WCMV | Cadillac, MI | 27 | September 7, 1984 |
| WCMW | Manistee, MI | 21 | September 7, 1984 |
Logo History[]
Coming soon
Gallery[]
Coming soon
| TV stations in Michigan | |
|---|---|
| CMU Public Television: | Other stations |
| WCMU, Mt. Pleasant | WTVS, Detroit |
| WCML, Alpena | WNMU, Marquette |
| WCMW, Manistee | WDCQ, Bad Axe |
| WCMV, Cadillac | WGVU/WGVK, Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo |
| WKAR, East Lansing | |
| TV stations in the Mid Michigan region, including Flint, Saginaw, Bay City and Midland |
|---|
| WNEM 5 (CBS) WJRT 12 (ABC) |
| TV stations in Northern Lower Michigan and the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including Traverse City |
|---|
| WTOM 4 (NBC) WPBN 7 (NBC) |
| TV stations in Alpena |
|---|
| WCML 6 (PBS) WBKD 11 (CBS) |