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{{short description|Educational independent TV station in New Orleans}}
{{short description|Educational independent TV station in New Orleans}}
{{Infobox television station
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WLAE-TV
| callsign = WLAE-TV
| city =
| city =
| logo = WLAE32.png
| logo = WLAE-TV (2013).svg
| logo_size = 240px
| logo_size = 250px
| branding = WLAE
| branding = WLAE
⚫
| digital = 23 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
| slogan = ''New Orleans Public Television''
| virtual = 32
⚫
| digital = 23 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
⚫
| subchannels =
| virtual = 32 ([[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]])
⚫
| translators =
⚫
| subchannels =
⚫
| affiliations = '''32.1:''' [[non-commercial educational station|Educational]] [[independent station (North America)|Independent]]<br>'''32.2:''' [[PBS Satellite Service|WLAE Encore]]<br>'''32.3:''' CatholicTV
⚫
| translators =
| owner = Willwoods Community (50%)<br>[[Louisiana Public Broadcasting|Louisiana Educational Television Authority]] (50%)
⚫
| affiliations = '''32.1:''' [[non-commercial educational|Educational]] [[independent station (North America)|Independent]]<br>'''32.2:''' [[PBS Satellite Service|WLAE Encore]]<br>'''32.3:''' CatholicTV
| owner = Educational Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. <br> (Willwoods Community 50%/[[Louisiana Public Broadcasting|Louisiana Educational Television Authority]] 50%)
| licensee = Educational Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.
⚫
| location = [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]]
| licensee =
⚫
| country = United States
⚫
| location = [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]]
⚫
| airdate = {{start date and age|1984|7|8|p=y}}
⚫
| country = United States
⚫
| last_airdate =
⚫
| airdate = {{start date and age|1984|7|8|p=y}}
⚫
| callsign_meaning = Louisiana Educational Television
⚫
| last_airdate =
⚫
| sister_stations =
⚫
| callsign_meaning = '''L'''ouisian'''A E'''ducational Television
⚫
| former_callsigns =
⚫
| sister_stations =
⚫
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:'''<br>32 (UHF, 1984–2009)<br>'''Digital:'''<br>31 (UHF, until 2019)
⚫
| former_callsigns =
⚫
| former_affiliations = [[PBS]] (1984–2013)
⚫
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:'''<br>32 (UHF, 1984–2009)<br>'''Digital:'''<br>31 (UHF, 2009-2019)
| erp = 168 [[Watt|kW]]<br>(Construction permit to increase to 310 kW)<ref>{{cite web|title=Engineering Statement WLAE-TV New Orleans, LA Channel 23 January 2, 2023|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076ff38563263b018573dc860907e7|date=January 2, 2023|access-date=January 12, 2023}}</ref>
⚫
| former_affiliations = [[PBS]] (1984–2013)
⚫
| haat = {{convert|274|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| erp = 168 [[Watt|kW]]
⚫
| facility_id = 18819
⚫
| haat = {{convert|274|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
⚫
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|29|58|58|N|89|57|9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}}}
⚫
| facility_id = 18819
⚫
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
⚫
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|29|58|58|N|89|57|9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}}}
⚫
| website = {{URL|https://www.wlae.com/}}
⚫
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
⚫
| website = {{URL|https://www.wlae.com/}}
}}
}}


'''WLAE-TV''', [[virtual channel]] 32 ([[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] [[digital terrestrial television|digital]] channel 23), is an [[non-commercial educational|educational]] [[Independent station (North America)|independent]] [[television station]] [[city of license|licensed]] to [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]], United States. The station is owned by the Educational Broadcasting Foundation, a partnership between the Willwoods Community (a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]-related organization) and the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (operator of [[Louisiana Public Broadcasting]], which owns the [[PBS]] [[Network affiliate#Member stations|member stations]] in Louisiana that are located outside of New Orleans). WLAE's studios are located on North Causeway Boulevard in [[Metairie, Louisiana|Metairie]], and its transmitter is located on Paris Road/[[Louisiana Highway 47|Highway 47]] (northeast of [[Chalmette, Louisiana|Chalmette]]). On [[cable television|cable]], the station is available on [[Cox Communications]] channel 14.
'''WLAE-TV''' (channel 32) is an [[non-commercial educational station|educational]] [[Independent station (North America)|independent]] [[television station]] in [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]], United States. The station is owned by the Educational Broadcasting Foundation, a partnership between the Willwoods Community (a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]-related organization) and the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (operator of [[Louisiana Public Broadcasting]], which owns the [[PBS]] [[Network affiliate#Member stations|member stations]] in Louisiana that are located outside of New Orleans). WLAE's studios are located on Howard Avenue in New Orleans, and its transmitter is located on Paris Road/[[Louisiana Highway 47|Highway 47]] (northeast of [[Chalmette, Louisiana|Chalmette]]).


==History==
==History==


===As a PBS member station===
===As a PBS member station===
[[File:Wlaelogo.JPG|thumb|left|165px|WLAE "32-LAE" logo used 1999 to late 2006, at the earliest.]]
[[File:Wlaelogo.JPG|thumb|right|165px|WLAE "32-LAE" logo used 1999 to late 2006, at the earliest.]]
In 1978, a group of married couples, supported by the [[Catholic Church]], formed the Willwoods Community. The organization joined forces with the Louisiana Educational Television Authority, which had been looking for a way to get its locally based programming into the state's largest market, to obtain the other non-commercial license allocated to the New Orleans [[media market|market]]. On December 14, 1981, under the banner of the "Educational Broadcasting Foundation," the partnership was granted an educational [[broadcast license|station license]] from the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC).
In 1978, a group of married couples, supported by the [[Catholic Church]], formed the Willwoods Community. The organization joined forces with the Louisiana Educational Television Authority, which had been looking for a way to get its locally-based programming into the state's largest market. At the time, [[WYES-TV]] (channel 12) was the city's sole public TV station, and Willwoods sought to obtain the other non-commercial license allocated to the New Orleans [[media market|market]]. On December 14, 1981, under the banner of the "Educational Broadcasting Foundation," the partnership was granted an educational [[broadcast license|station license]] from the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC).


WLAE-TV first signed on the air on July 8, 1984; it originally served as a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). WLAE-TV operated as a secondary member of the network through PBS' Program Differentiation Plan, as New Orleans' primary PBS station was [[WYES-TV]] (channel 12);<ref name=c-wlaenopbs>{{cite news|title=New Orleans PDP station WLAE ends PBS membership|url=http://www.current.org/2013/08/new-orleans-pdp-station-wlae-ends-pbs-membership/|access-date=January 16, 2014|newspaper=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|date=August 2, 2013}}</ref> as a result, the station only carried 25% of the programming broadcast by PBS. As a side note, ''[[Sesame Street]]'' was one of the few programs that was shown on both stations.<ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Dave|title='NewsHour,' 'Charlie Rose' viewers will scramble as WLAE drops PBS affiliation|url=http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2013/07/newshour_charlie_rose_viewers.html|access-date=January 16, 2014|newspaper=[[The Times-Picayune]]|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> In addition to offering PBS programming, WLAE also aired, and still airs, locally produced educational programs, as well as select programming from Louisiana Public Broadcasting (mostly consisting of news and [[public affairs (broadcasting)|public affairs]] programming).
WLAE-TV first signed on the air on July 8, 1984; it originally served as a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). WLAE-TV operated as a secondary member of the network through PBS' Program Differentiation Plan, and thus only carried 25% of the programming broadcast by PBS, while the remainder aired on WYES. ''[[Sesame Street]]'' was one of the few programs that was shown on both stations.<ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Dave|title='NewsHour,' 'Charlie Rose' viewers will scramble as WLAE drops PBS affiliation|url=http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2013/07/newshour_charlie_rose_viewers.html|access-date=January 16, 2014|newspaper=[[The Times-Picayune]]|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> In addition to offering PBS programming, WLAE also aired, and still airs, locally produced educational programs, as well as select programming from Louisiana Public Broadcasting (mostly consisting of news and [[public affairs (broadcasting)|public affairs]] programming).


WLAE is also one of very few [[public television]] stations to televise a daily [[Catholic Mass]], presented live from the [[St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)|St. Louis Cathedral]] in the city's Jackson Square district; PBS had tightened its restrictions regarding religious programming on member stations in 2009, although WLAE was exempted from these restrictions through a [[grandfather clause]].<ref name=c-wlaenopbs/> WLAE was one of at least two PBS member stations that were owned at least in part by a Catholic-related organization ([[KFXV (TV)|KMBH]] in [[Harlingen, Texas]] was the other, now owned by commercial media company [[Entravision Communications]]), and one of at least three in general that were run by a religious organization (counting [[KBYU-TV]] in [[Provo, Utah]], which left PBS in 2018).
WLAE is also one of very few [[public television]] stations to televise a daily [[Catholic Mass]], presented live from the [[St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)|St. Louis Cathedral]] in the city's Jackson Square district; PBS had tightened its restrictions regarding religious programming on member stations in 2009, although WLAE was exempted from these restrictions through a [[grandfather clause]].<ref name=c-wlaenopbs>{{cite news|title=New Orleans PDP station WLAE ends PBS membership|url=http://www.current.org/2013/08/new-orleans-pdp-station-wlae-ends-pbs-membership/|access-date=January 16, 2014|newspaper=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|date=August 2, 2013}}</ref> WLAE was one of at least two PBS member stations that were owned at least in part by a Catholic-related organization (KMBH in [[Harlingen, Texas]] was the other; it is now [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] [[network affiliate|affiliate]] [[KFXV (TV)|KFXV]], owned by commercial media company [[Entravision Communications]]), and one of at least three in general that were run by a religious organization (counting [[KBYU-TV]] in [[Provo, Utah]], which left PBS in 2018).


[[File:WLAE-TV New Orleans.png|165px|thumb|right|WLAE's last logo as a PBS station, used from c. 2006 to August 1, 2013.]]
[[File:WLAE-TV New Orleans.png|165px|thumb|right|WLAE's last logo as a PBS station, used from c. 2006 to August 1, 2013.]]
Line 47: Line 46:


===Hurricane Katrina===
===Hurricane Katrina===
{{main|Hurricane Katrina}}
When Hurricane Katrina struck the [[New Orleans metropolitan area]] on August 29, 2005, WLAE was knocked off the air due to significant damage to its transmitter. It took two years for the station's over-the-air signal to be restored. Soon after the storm, it established a direct feed to New Orleans area cable providers (including the market's largest, Cox Communications) and to satellite provider [[DirecTV]]. The station's analog signal resumed operations in January 2007, its digital signal signed on the air for the first time two months later in March 2007.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the [[New Orleans metropolitan area]] on August 29, 2005, WLAE was knocked off the air due to significant damage to its transmitter. It took two years for the station's over-the-air signal to be restored. Soon after the storm, it established a direct feed to New Orleans area cable providers (including the market's largest, Cox Communications) and to satellite provider [[DirecTV]]. The station's analog signal resumed operations in January 2007, its digital signal signed on the air for the first time two months later in March 2007.


Line 54: Line 54:
On August 1, 2013, WLAE ended its membership with PBS to increase its focus on its locally produced programming; WYES became the market's exclusive PBS station once again as a result. The station had contemplated the move since the [[Government of Louisiana|Louisiana state government]] reduced the station's funding by $270,000 in 2010. The decision to drop PBS programming was estimated to save the station around $130,000 annually (out of an annual budget of $2.3 million), allowing WLAE to invest the money into its local productions. The station's departure from PBS resulted in the ''[[PBS NewsHour]]'' only being available through WYES-TV's [[World (TV channel)|World]] subchannel on digital channel 12.2 until it was added to that station's primary channel the following month on September 2, 2013; the program had aired on WLAE under a longstanding arrangement with WYES.<ref name=c-wlaenopbs/><ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs/> The station is considering entering into production and business partnerships with WYES.<ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs/>
On August 1, 2013, WLAE ended its membership with PBS to increase its focus on its locally produced programming; WYES became the market's exclusive PBS station once again as a result. The station had contemplated the move since the [[Government of Louisiana|Louisiana state government]] reduced the station's funding by $270,000 in 2010. The decision to drop PBS programming was estimated to save the station around $130,000 annually (out of an annual budget of $2.3 million), allowing WLAE to invest the money into its local productions. The station's departure from PBS resulted in the ''[[PBS NewsHour]]'' only being available through WYES-TV's [[World (TV channel)|World]] subchannel on digital channel 12.2 until it was added to that station's primary channel the following month on September 2, 2013; the program had aired on WLAE under a longstanding arrangement with WYES.<ref name=c-wlaenopbs/><ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs/> The station is considering entering into production and business partnerships with WYES.<ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs/>


==Programming==
⚫
==Digital television==
⚫
As a non-commercial independent station, much of WLAE's programming currently consists of locally produced programs as well as programs distributed by [[American Public Television]] (APT) and other distributors of [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] public television programs. The station's original productions include the hour-long health discussion program ''Hello Health'' (which debuted in 2008 under a partnership with the [[Ochsner Medical Center]]); the legal discussion program ''John Redman: Power of Attorney''; the [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]-targeted monthly magazine series ''Conexiones''; [[interior design]] how-to program ''Chet Chat''; and interview and discussion program ''Ringside Politics''.<ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs/> It also airs many programs from part-owner LPB, including its flagship news program, ''Louisiana: The State We're In.''

In October 2022, WLAE-TV aired a documentary about the historic African American village of [[Fazendeville, Louisiana]], entitled "Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville."<ref>Pope, John. "[https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/lost-black-settlement-on-the-chalmette-battlefield-is-the-topic-of-documentary/article_05da7e0c-4732-11ed-a05e-5794655cadcd.html Lost Black settlement on the Chalmette Battlefield is the topic of documentary]." New Orleans, Louisiana: Nola.com, October 21, 2022.</ref> As part of its educational outreach for the program, the station also held a special screening of the documentary at the St. Bernard Docville Farm in Violet on October 30. The event was supported by the Mereux Foundation.<ref>Rooney, Meghan. "WLAE-TV Debuts Groundbreaking Documentary Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville (Presented by the Mereaux Foundation)," in "[https://www.myneworleans.com/snapshots-91/ Snapshots]." New Orleans, Louisiana: ''New Orleans Magazine'', December 30, 2022.</ref>

==Technical information==


===Digital channels===
===Subchannels===
The station's digital signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
The station's digital signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
⚫
|+Subchannels of WLAE-TV<ref>[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WLAE#station RabbitEars TV Query for WLAE]</ref>
⚫
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
⚫
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
⚫
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 32.1
⚫
! [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
⚫
| [[1080i]] || [[16:9]] || WLAE HD || Main WLAE-TV programming
⚫
! [[Display resolution|Video]]
⚫
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! [[Program and System Information Protocol#What PSIP does|PSIP short name]]
⚫
! Programming<ref>[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WLAE#station RabbitEars TV Query for WLAE]</ref>
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 32.2
⚫
| 32.1 || [[1080i]] || [[16:9]] || WLAE HD || Main WLAE-TV programming
⚫
| rowspan="2"|[[480i]] || rowspan="2"|[[4:3]] || Encore || [[PBS Satellite Service|WLAE Encore]]
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 32.3
⚫
| 32.2 || rowspan="2"|[[480i]] || rowspan="2"|[[4:3]] || Encore || [[PBS Satellite Service|WLAE Encore]]
⚫
| C TV || [[CatholicTV]]
|-
⚫
| 32.3 || C TV || [[CatholicTV]]
|}
|}


===Analog-to-digital conversion===
===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WLAE-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] channel 32, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 31.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=2012-03-24}}</ref> Through the use of [[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]], digital television receivers display the station's [[virtual channel]] as its former UHF analog channel 32.
WLAE-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] channel 32, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 31.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=2012-03-24}}</ref> Through the use of [[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]], digital television receivers display the station's [[virtual channel]] as its former UHF analog channel 32.


==Programming==
==See also==
⚫
*[[Catholic television]]
⚫
As a non-commercial independent station, much of WLAE's programming currently consists of locally produced programs as well as programs distributed by [[American Public Television]] (APT) and other distributors of [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] public television programs. The station's original productions include the hour-long health discussion program ''Hello Health'' (which debuted in 2008 under a partnership with the [[Ochsner Medical Center]]); the legal discussion program ''John Redman: Power of Attorney''; the [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]-targeted monthly magazine series ''Conexiones''; [[interior design]] how-to program ''Chet Chat''; and interview and discussion program ''Ringside Politics''.<ref name=ttp-wlaenopbs/> It also airs many programs from part-owner LPB, including its flagship news program, ''Louisiana: The State We're In.''
*[[:Category:Catholic television channels|Catholic television channels]]
*[[:Category:Catholic television networks|Catholic television networks]]


==References==
==References==
Line 83: Line 93:


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://www.wlae.com/ WLAE.com] - WLAE official website
*[https://www.wlae.com/ WLAE.com] – WLAE official website
*[http://www.willwoods.org/ willwoods.org] - The Willwoods Community official website
*[http://www.willwoods.org/ willwoods.org] – The Willwoods Community official website
*{{TVQ|WLAE}}
*{{BIA|WLAE|TV|TV}}


{{New Orleans TV}}
{{New Orleans TV}}

Latest revision as of 20:20, 4 April 2024

WLAE-TV
Channels
BrandingWLAE
Programming
Affiliations32.1: Educational Independent
32.2: WLAE Encore
32.3: CatholicTV
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
July 8, 1984 (40 years ago) (1984-07-08)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
32 (UHF, 1984–2009)
Digital:
31 (UHF, until 2019)
PBS (1984–2013)
Call sign meaning
Louisiana Educational Television
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID18819
ERP168 kW
(Construction permit to increase to 310 kW)[2]
HAAT274 m (899 ft)
Transmitter coordinates29°58′58″N 89°57′9″W / 29.98278°N 89.95250°W / 29.98278; -89.95250
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.wlae.com

WLAE-TV (channel 32) is an educational independent television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The station is owned by the Educational Broadcasting Foundation, a partnership between the Willwoods Community (a Catholic-related organization) and the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (operator of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, which owns the PBS member stations in Louisiana that are located outside of New Orleans). WLAE's studios are located on Howard Avenue in New Orleans, and its transmitter is located on Paris Road/Highway 47 (northeast of Chalmette).

History

[edit]

As a PBS member station

[edit]
WLAE "32-LAE" logo used 1999 to late 2006, at the earliest.

In 1978, a group of married couples, supported by the Catholic Church, formed the Willwoods Community. The organization joined forces with the Louisiana Educational Television Authority, which had been looking for a way to get its locally-based programming into the state's largest market. At the time, WYES-TV (channel 12) was the city's sole public TV station, and Willwoods sought to obtain the other non-commercial license allocated to the New Orleans market. On December 14, 1981, under the banner of the "Educational Broadcasting Foundation," the partnership was granted an educational station license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

WLAE-TV first signed on the air on July 8, 1984; it originally served as a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). WLAE-TV operated as a secondary member of the network through PBS' Program Differentiation Plan, and thus only carried 25% of the programming broadcast by PBS, while the remainder aired on WYES. Sesame Street was one of the few programs that was shown on both stations.[3] In addition to offering PBS programming, WLAE also aired, and still airs, locally produced educational programs, as well as select programming from Louisiana Public Broadcasting (mostly consisting of news and public affairs programming).

WLAE is also one of very few public television stations to televise a daily Catholic Mass, presented live from the St. Louis Cathedral in the city's Jackson Square district; PBS had tightened its restrictions regarding religious programming on member stations in 2009, although WLAE was exempted from these restrictions through a grandfather clause.[4] WLAE was one of at least two PBS member stations that were owned at least in part by a Catholic-related organization (KMBH in Harlingen, Texas was the other; it is now Fox affiliate KFXV, owned by commercial media company Entravision Communications), and one of at least three in general that were run by a religious organization (counting KBYU-TV in Provo, Utah, which left PBS in 2018).

WLAE's last logo as a PBS station, used from c. 2006 to August 1, 2013.

In 2000, WLAE and WYES both received a $691,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to negotiate and establish joint production and master control facilities. The two stations' operators agreed to build the facility on the grounds of a Lakefront research park owned by the University of New Orleans. In 2005, WLAE and WYES planned a campaign to raise $4 million in capital on behalf of their relocation plan.[3] During most of 2016, WLAE underwent a technical upgrade, preventing the airing of its programming on its three subchannels, but it is now at full programming.

Hurricane Katrina

[edit]
Main article: Hurricane Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina struck the New Orleans metropolitan area on August 29, 2005, WLAE was knocked off the air due to significant damage to its transmitter. It took two years for the station's over-the-air signal to be restored. Soon after the storm, it established a direct feed to New Orleans area cable providers (including the market's largest, Cox Communications) and to satellite provider DirecTV. The station's analog signal resumed operations in January 2007, its digital signal signed on the air for the first time two months later in March 2007.

Meanwhile, the University of New Orleans campus suffered major damage due to the storm. WYES and WLAE management agreed to forgo plans to build the new studio facility at the research park. Instead, the money earmarked for that project was used to purchase new master control equipment to replace the equipment at the WLAE studios that had been damaged by the storm.[3]

As an educational independent station

[edit]

On August 1, 2013, WLAE ended its membership with PBS to increase its focus on its locally produced programming; WYES became the market's exclusive PBS station once again as a result. The station had contemplated the move since the Louisiana state government reduced the station's funding by $270,000 in 2010. The decision to drop PBS programming was estimated to save the station around $130,000 annually (out of an annual budget of $2.3 million), allowing WLAE to invest the money into its local productions. The station's departure from PBS resulted in the PBS NewsHour only being available through WYES-TV's World subchannel on digital channel 12.2 until it was added to that station's primary channel the following month on September 2, 2013; the program had aired on WLAE under a longstanding arrangement with WYES.[4][3] The station is considering entering into production and business partnerships with WYES.[3]

Programming

[edit]

As a non-commercial independent station, much of WLAE's programming currently consists of locally produced programs as well as programs distributed by American Public Television (APT) and other distributors of syndicated public television programs. The station's original productions include the hour-long health discussion program Hello Health (which debuted in 2008 under a partnership with the Ochsner Medical Center); the legal discussion program John Redman: Power of Attorney; the Hispanic-targeted monthly magazine series Conexiones; interior design how-to program Chet Chat; and interview and discussion program Ringside Politics.[3] It also airs many programs from part-owner LPB, including its flagship news program, Louisiana: The State We're In.

In October 2022, WLAE-TV aired a documentary about the historic African American village of Fazendeville, Louisiana, entitled "Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville."[5] As part of its educational outreach for the program, the station also held a special screening of the documentary at the St. Bernard Docville Farm in Violet on October 30. The event was supported by the Mereux Foundation.[6]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WLAE-TV[7]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
32.1 1080i 16:9 WLAE HD Main WLAE-TV programming
32.2 480i 4:3 Encore WLAE Encore
32.3 C TV CatholicTV

Analog-to-digital conversion

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WLAE-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 32, 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 station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 31.[8] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 32.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WLAE-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Engineering Statement WLAE-TV New Orleans, LA Channel 23 January 2, 2023". January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Walker, Dave (July 29, 2013). "'NewsHour,' 'Charlie Rose' viewers will scramble as WLAE drops PBS affiliation". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "New Orleans PDP station WLAE ends PBS membership". Current. August 2, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  5. ^ Pope, John. "Lost Black settlement on the Chalmette Battlefield is the topic of documentary." New Orleans, Louisiana: Nola.com, October 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Rooney, Meghan. "WLAE-TV Debuts Groundbreaking Documentary Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville (Presented by the Mereaux Foundation)," in "Snapshots." New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans Magazine, December 30, 2022.
  7. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WLAE
  8. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
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