WTVS, virtual channel 56 (UHF digital channel 43), is a PBS member television station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, United States. The station is owned by the Detroit Educational Television Foundation. WTVS' main studios are located at the Riley Broadcast Center and HD Studios in Wixom, with a satellite studio at the Maccabees Building in Midtown Detroit; its transmitter is located at 8 Mile and Meyers Road in Oak Park (operating on the same tower as MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYD, channel 20, and CBS owned-and-operated station WWJ-TV, channel 62).
The station partners with Detroit Public Schools in the management of classical and jazz music station WRCJ-FM (90.9). WTVS is also one of only three Detroit stations that mention Windsor and London, Ontario, Canada as part of its primary service area (alongside WDIV-TV and WMYD).
The station is available in standard definition on channel 6 on most cable systems (except on WOW!, where it is carried on channel 3, and Charter Spectrum, where it is carried on either channel 10 or channel 11), channel 56 on AT&T U-verse, and channel 67 on Cogeco's Windsor system, and in high definition on Comcast Xfinity channel 240, Cogeco channel 715, and U-verse channel 1056.
History[]
The station first signed on the air on October 3, 1955; WTVS began broadcasting in color in 1968. Previously the studios were at 9345 Lawton in Detroit, along with the studios of WRCJ, before later moving studios to the New Center area of Detroit which are now served for its fixed satellite services. WTVS broadcasts its digital signal from the same tower as at a height of 1,073 feet (327 m). Prior to the digital TV switchover, WTVS transmitted its signal from a 1,000-foot (305 m) tower located near the intersection of 11 Mile and Inkster Roads in Southfield, along with WMYD (channel 20) and CW O&O WKBD-TV (channel 50). Today, only WKBD-TV and Ion Television O&O WPXD-TV (channel 31) broadcast from that tower.
On January 11, 2016, Detroit Public Television announced a partnership with WKAR, the PBS station serving Mid-Michigan operated by Michigan State University, in which they will jointly operate a 24-hour children's television service to be carried by both stations.
| 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 Southeast Michigan, including Detroit |
|---|
| WJBK 2 (Fox) WDIV 4 (NBC) WXYZ 7 (ABC) WHNE-LD 14 (LIGHT) WDWO-CD 18 (AZA) WUDL-LD 19 (Info) WMYD 20 (Ind) WUDT-LD 23 (Daystar) WPXD 31 (Ion) WHPS-CD 33 (Ind) WADL 38 (MNTV) WLPC-CD 40 (Impact) WKBD 50 (CW) WTVS 56 (PBS) WWJ 62 (CBS) |