WFYI (TV)

WFYI (channel 20) is a PBS member television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is owned by Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc. alongside NPR member WFYI-FM (90.1). The two stations share studios between Pierson and Illinois Streets (using a North Meridian Street address) north of downtown Indianapolis, within the city's Television Row section. The TV station's transmitter is located on West 79th Street and Township Line Road on the city's northwest side (near Meridian Hills).

After a years-long fight to start public television, much delayed by competing tower site plans proposed by commercial stations, WFYI debuted on October 4, 1970. Its foundation was supported by a women-led fundraising drive to raise the first year's operating expenses. In addition to airing PBS and other public television programs, WFYI also produces programs of local and regional interest.

History

Prologue

Channel 20 was allocated for non-commercial educational use in Indianapolis by the Federal Communications Commission in 1952;[1] however, in 1958, I. Lynd Esch, the president of Indiana Central College, now the

Construction and launch

After meeting its fundraising deadline and modifying its application to specify a tower owned by WFBM-TV, thereby bypassing the WISH tower dispute,[19] the impasse finally broke at the end of June 1969. The FCC granted the construction permit on June 26, and a federal facility grant was approved days later.[20] By October, there were call letters—WFYI—and facilities, but no fund drive had yet been slated to raise $350,000 needed to finance the first year of operational expenses, raising the prospect that nothing would come of all the effort.[21] When Sesame Street debuted nationally that fall, WLWI aired the series until WFYI could begin broadcasting.[22]

Early 1970 was spent raising funds to put WFYI into service. A major effort was mounted starting on March 1, involving more than 9,000 women selling charter memberships door-to-door;[24] churches announcing the fund drive from their pulpits; and the organization of a fundraising auction.[25] That day, WLWI aired a 30-minute sampler of educational programs.[26] Response to the door-to-door effort was reported to be greater than anticipated,[27] but a lack of knowledge of educational TV programming and bad weather worked against it.[28] Within a month, the group, led by Ardath Burkhart and dubbed "Ardath's Army", had raised more than $250,000, which was enough to assure that WFYI would sign on the air and resulted in a congratulatory telegram from first lady Pat Nixon.[29][30]

The launch was originally set for September 1970, but equipment issues resulted in a month's delay.[31] The transmitter was activated on September 16,[32] and WFYI began programming on the evening of October 4, becoming the first new television station in Indianapolis since 1957. The next day, PBS began operations in replacement of National Educational Television.[33] Offices were maintained at Oldfields until WFYI moved into the former WISH-TV studios at 1440 Meridian Street in August 1971,[34] enabling it to start producing its first local programming on January 2, 1972.[35]

callsign	WFYI
digital	21 (UHF)
virtual	20
affiliations	20.1: PBS 20.2: PBS Kids 20.3: Create
owner	Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc.
location	Indianapolis, Indiana
country	United States
airdate	October 4, 1970
callsign meaning	"For Your Information"
sister stations	WFYI-FM
former channel numbers	Analog: 20 (UHF, 1970–2009)
erp	225 kW
haat	251 m
facility id	41397
coordinates	39.89914°N, -86.20067°W
licensing authority	FCC
website	www.wfyi.org

History

Prologue

Construction and launch

Growth in the 1970s and 1980s

1990s to today

Funding

Programming

Technical information

Subchannels

Analog-to-digital conversion

External links

References