FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Thomas F. Hanley
President & General Manager
thanley@wpbstv.org
or
Contact WPBS
(315) 782-3142, Ext. 234
WPBS-DT is pleased to announce that in a decision made on December 3, 2010, by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Services, WPBS is selected to receive funding to
complete the third and final phase of its digital conversion project. WPBS is one of a number of
public television licensees across 13 states to receive funding in the amount of $698,000. The
funding is provided through the Public Television Digital Transition Grant Program, which is
administered by USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. The program provides equipment funding to
public television stations that serve substantial rural populations.
This means everything to WPBS-DT, stated Mr. Thomas F. Hanley, President & General
Manager. WPBS completed the transmission piece of the digital conversion on both towers and
converted our entire master control suite. However, the third and final phase of the digital
conversion was in desperate need of completion. This funding will allow WPBS to completely
update its production control, studio lights & cameras and an entirely new digital editing suite.
This has to do with what we can provide on a local level, stated Mr. Hanley. From all of
our ‘live’ televised events to the completion of all of our local productions, we will now be able
to film, edit and air in high definition. This is a wonderful achievement for WPBS-DT that will
translate into benefits for our entire two-nation audience.
WPBS-DT is currently working on local initiatives to include a component on the War of
1812 and a 13-part series entitled Fishing Behind the Lines with Don Meissner. We are
delighted to be able to update the studio equipment and editing equipment in time for the launch
of a new local productions, stated Tracy Duflo, Director of Production. WPBS-DT has needed
an update for quite some time now.
WPBS-DT is a not-for-profit public television station serving approximately 650,000
households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario. WPBS-DT’s mission is to
educate, entertain and inform in order to enhance the lives of those it serves.
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