WYES-TV

WYES-TV is a noncommercial public television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, and nearby communities. It broadcasts on virtual channel 12 and is owned by the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation. Unlike the PBS member stations elsewhere in Louisiana, which are owned by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, WYES remains independently owned. Its signal and programming also reach cable viewers in Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi. The station traces its institutional origins to 1953, when New Orleans civic leaders led by Marion Abramson organized the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Association. The group secured the market's noncommercial VHF channel allocation and developed the station over several years. WYES began broadcasting on April 1, 1957, originally on channel 8. It was the twelfth educational television station to sign on in the United States, the second in Louisiana, and New Orleans' third television station. The station initially belonged to the National Educational Television system and became a PBS member when NET was reorganized into PBS in 1970. WYES moved from channel 8 to channel 12 on June 8, 1970, in a frequency exchange with then-ABC affiliate WVUE. The change enabled WVUE to operate with a stronger signal while reducing interference involving Jackson, Mississippi station WJTV. Channel 12 has remained WYES's virtual channel. WYES became one of the earliest television stations in the United States to broadcast in stereo when it adopted stereo transmission in May 1985. For part of its history, WYES shared the New Orleans public television market with WLAE-TV. WLAE signed on in 1984 as a secondary PBS member, with ownership involving the Willwoods Community and Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Under PBS's Program Differentiation Plan, WLAE carried a limited portion of PBS programming while WYES carried most of the network schedule. WLAE ended its PBS membership on August 1, 2013, returning WYES to exclusive PBS-member status in the market. WYES subsequently became the local over-the-air home for programs including the PBS NewsHour. Hurricane Katrina severely disrupted the station. Flooding following the August 29, 2005, levee failures damaged WYES's long-standing Navarre Avenue studios with water reportedly reaching approximately five feet. Although the transmitter itself avoided major damage, the storm damaged its backup generator and left WYES off the air for nearly four months. The station worked with Cox Communications, Charter Communications, and Louisiana Public Broadcasting to distribute LPB's signal to local cable viewers during the recovery period. WYES restored its own broadcast service on December 30, 2005, from a temporary facility in Metairie. It later constructed a new 20,000-square-foot facility behind its original building, beginning construction in 2011 and returning operations to the Navarre Avenue site in stages during 2012. WYES combines PBS and American Public Television programming with locally produced shows and nationally distributed productions. It has developed a particularly strong identity around Louisiana food, culture, history, and public affairs. The station was associated with nationally syndicated cooking programs hosted by Justin Wilson, Paul Prudhomme, and Kevin Belton, and produced Kitchen Queens: New Orleans, which highlighted women chefs and the legacy of Leah Chase. Its local public-affairs program Informed Sources, launched in 1984, continues a tradition established by City Desk, which ran from 1971 to 1978. WYES also presents annual Mardi Gras coverage, including the Rex ball and the Meeting of the Courts involving the Mistick Krewe of Comus. Its programming has made the station both a local civic institution and a producer whose work is distributed beyond Louisiana.

WYES-TV was created through a civic effort to establish educational television in New Orleans. In 1953, a group led by Marion Abramson formed the Greater New Orleans Educational Television Association and secured the Federal Communications Commission's noncommercial VHF channel 8 allocation. After several years of planning and delays, the station signed on April 1, 1957. It was the twelfth educational television station in the United States and the second in Louisiana. WYES initially operated as a National Educational Television affiliate and joined PBS after the 1970 reorganization of NET. On June 8, 1970, WYES exchanged channel positions with WVUE and moved from channel 8 to channel 12. The move improved WVUE's signal conditions and avoided interference involving WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi. WYES retained channel 12 as its virtual channel after later digital broadcasting changes. In May 1985, it became one of the earliest stations in the country to transmit in stereo. WLAE-TV's launch in 1984 created a second PBS outlet in the New Orleans market. WLAE was connected to the Willwoods Community and Louisiana Public Broadcasting and operated under PBS's Program Differentiation Plan, carrying a smaller share of the network schedule. WYES carried the majority of PBS programming. When WLAE withdrew from PBS membership on August 1, 2013, WYES again became the market's sole PBS member station. This change also affected the local availability of programs such as the PBS NewsHour, which WYES carried through its digital World service before restoring it to the primary channel. Hurricane Katrina was the most disruptive event in the station's history. The August 29, 2005, storm and subsequent levee failures flooded the Navarre neighborhood and severely damaged WYES's studios. The transmitter escaped serious structural damage, but its backup generator was damaged, leaving the station off the air for almost four months. During recovery, WYES cooperated with local cable operators and Louisiana Public Broadcasting to provide viewers with LPB programming. The station resumed its own transmission on December 30, 2005, from a temporary site in Metairie. Recovery culminated in the construction of a new broadcast facility behind the original Navarre Avenue building. Construction began in May 2011 on a roughly 20,000-square-foot complex financed through multiple fundraising sources. Technical operations were developed first, followed by space for the station's other activities. Fundraising operations returned to the original site in 2012, with the rest of the station's operations following later that year. WYES's production history is closely associated with Louisiana cuisine and culture. The station became known nationally for programs hosted by Justin Wilson and Paul Prudhomme and later originated nationally distributed cooking programs hosted by Kevin Belton. Kitchen Queens: New Orleans focused on women chefs working in the New Orleans area and honored the influence of Leah Chase. WYES also created the public-affairs program Informed Sources in 1984, following the earlier City Desk. Other production work included the documentary miniseries Spaceflight, co-produced in 1985, and the 1994 filming of The Steven Banks Show. Since 1997, the station has televised Mardi Gras coverage centered on the Rex ball and the Meeting of the Courts, reinforcing its role as a regional cultural institution.

• 2013

  WYES becomes the market's sole PBS member

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WLAE ends its PBS affiliation, leaving WYES as the exclusive PBS member station in New Orleans.

• 2011

  New broadcast facility construction begins

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYES starts construction of a new facility behind its original Navarre Avenue building.

• 2005

  Hurricane Katrina recovery

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Flooding damages the station's studios and disrupts transmission; WYES restores service from Metairie on December 30.

• 1985

  Stereo broadcasting introduced

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYES adopts stereo transmission, becoming an early stereo television broadcaster.

• 1984

  WLAE-TV launches

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  A second PBS member station begins serving the New Orleans market, creating a shared PBS environment.

• 1970

  Station moves to channel 12

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYES exchanges channel positions with WVUE and moves to its present virtual channel.

• 1970

  PBS membership begins

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYES joins PBS following the replacement of National Educational Television by PBS.

• 1957

  WYES signs on

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYES begins broadcasting on April 1 on VHF channel 8.

• 1953

  Educational television association formed

  [1]WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org

  New Orleans civic leaders led by Marion Abramson establish the organization that develops the city's noncommercial television station.

Independent public television station centered on PBS service, regional education, Louisiana culture, food, public affairs, and community storytelling.

• Public affairs television · 1984

  Informed Sources

  A WYES discussion program examining local and regional news with journalists. It premiered in 1984 and followed the station's earlier City Desk, which aired from 1971 to 1978.

• Cooking and cultural television

  Kitchen Queens: New Orleans

  A locally rooted cooking series focused on women chefs and New Orleans restaurant culture. The program also reflects WYES's broader role in documenting Louisiana food traditions and the influence of chef Leah Chase.

• Cultural-event broadcasting · 1997

  WYES Mardi Gras coverage

  Annual coverage of New Orleans Carnival traditions, including the Rex ball and the Meeting of the Courts involving the Mistick Krewe of Comus. WYES has presented this coverage since 1997.

• Cooking television

  Louisiana cooking programs

  A body of WYES-originated and nationally distributed food programming associated with hosts including Justin Wilson, Paul Prudhomme, and Kevin Belton. These productions helped establish the station's national identity around Louisiana cuisine.

• 2013

  Return to exclusive PBS membershipStrategy

  Background

  WLAE-TV ended its PBS membership to focus more heavily on locally produced programming.

  Action taken

  WYES resumed its position as the New Orleans market's exclusive PBS member station and carried the market's full PBS service.

  Aftermath

  PBS programs previously shared with WLAE, including the PBS NewsHour, were consolidated onto WYES services.

  Source

• 2005

  Emergency broadcasting response after Hurricane KatrinaOther

  Background

  Flooding destroyed or damaged parts of WYES's main facility and damaged the backup generator supporting its transmitter operations.

  Action taken

  WYES used a temporary Metairie facility and worked with cable operators and Louisiana Public Broadcasting to maintain programming access before restoring its own signal.

  Aftermath

  The station eventually returned to New Orleans operations after constructing a replacement facility on its Navarre Avenue property.

  Source

• 1970

  Channel reassignment to VHF 12Strategy

  Background

  WYES and WVUE exchanged channel positions in order to improve WVUE's signal and reduce interference involving WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi.

  Action taken

  WYES moved from channel 8 to channel 12, retaining channel 12 as its virtual channel thereafter.

  Aftermath

  The reassignment established the channel identity associated with WYES's subsequent analog and digital service.

  Source

1. 1WYES-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official WYES-TV websitewyes.org