USF putting WUSF's spectrum on the block

[mvcg66b3r]

Despite pleas to keep the station on the air, University of South Florida’s top officials voted to put WUSF’s spot on the broadcast spectrum up for auction — even if that means going dark for good.

The USF Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to enter WUSF in the Federal Communications Commission’s incentive broadcast spectrum auction. The auction allows TV stations across the country to voluntarily sell or trade their broadcasting rights to free up space on the spectrum for the growing demand for wireless mobile devices like smart phones and tablets.

The auction, held March 29, leaves multiple options for the station’s future, but selling all its broadcast rights to local digital UHF channel 34 and virtual channel 16 could bring millions to the university.

When it was launched in the 1960’s, the television station broadcast classes for students studying remotely. Now that those classes are streamed online, it contributes little to students’ academics, the trustees said.

http://www.tbo.com/news/politics/wu...selling-stations-broadcast-spectrum-20151013/

 

[Jonathan7157]

I currently have a petition in change.org for WUSF-TV to explore all options BUT CEASE TO EXIST and/or LOSE ONE OF THEIR SUBCHANNELS!! There are families in Tampa Bay that actually watch their subchannel 16.2 and may never see it again! It is here in this link! To Tampa Bay, spectrum auctions are "USELESS" education-wisely!
https://www.change.org/p/university-of-south-florida-save-wusf-tv-from-the-spectrum-auction-8ea4d093-4a99-4323-b32c-d027a117552e?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_week_one

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Auction nets USF $18.8M, but spells end to WUSF-TV

The University of South Florida has sold WUSF-TV's public broadcast license for $18.8 million, bringing an end to the station's run of more than 50 years.

The station will go off the air late this year, once USF receives its proceeds at the close of what is known as the Federal Communication Commission's "broadcast incentive auction."

Meanwhile, the future remains unclear for the station's programming and its 22 employees.

http://cars.tampabay.com/news/business/auction-nets-usf-188m-but-spells-end-to-wusf-tv/2312582

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/106416

Update WUSF goes off the air in October.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://current.org/2017/08/tampas-...nnels-and-programs-as-wusf-tv-nears-shutdown/


Another Update WEDU takes programming from WUSF-TV

Public television viewers in Tampa, Fla., are weighing in on what programs they’d like to continue watching after WUSF goes dark Oct. 15.

That’s when Tampa’s WEDU will become the sole public TV station in a market with 1.9 million television households, according to Nielsen.

The University of South Florida, licensee of WUSF’s TV and radio stations, sold the television channels for $18.7 million in the FCC spectrum auction. Those proceeds are being used to support university initiatives.

WEDU will pick up the Create and PBS Kids multichannels, said spokesperson Allison Alvarez Hedrick. “We are working on the technical aspects of that now and anticipate those channels being available in October immediately after WUSF goes off the air or very soon after,” she said.

Meanwhile, WEDU is offering WUSF viewers three complimentary months of its Premiere member magazine. It’s also asking viewers to provide feedback on programming changes through online questionnaires and in Premiere. “We are working to add programs from the WUSF-TV schedule that are not already carried