WCET-48 - Cincinnati, Ohio
The Future of Public Television
From its beginning in 1954 as America's first licensed non-commercial Educational Television Station, WCET-48 has worked to assure that television technology best serves the needs of its viewers. WCET-48 has been the vehicle through which the world's arts and sciences, cultures and countries, news and newsmakers are shared with the Greater Cincinnati community.
In the late 1990s, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that all television stations must be able to broadcast a digital signal by 2003 or face going dark. In response to this mandate, and in order to continue to provide Cincinnati with access to the quality programming of public television and the unique and much needed educational services the station also provides, the Board of Trustees of the Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation initiated an $11 million capital campaign. The Campaign for WCET secured an initial $3.5 million from state and federal sources, leaving $7.5 million to be raised through private philanthropic sources. Now, with the Campaign's recent success, the citizens of Greater Cincinnati will not lose their public television station and will, in turn, be the recipients of digital television's new, innovative teaching tools to realize new visions for challenging minds.
What Made It Happen?
The Campaign for WCET was successful due to the tireless work of campaign volunteers and the community's deep belief in the importance of public television and its educational programs. With the assistance of Skystone Ryan, a feasibility study was completed to direct the course of the $11 million fundraising effort. The firm subsequently wrote a case statement that defined for donors the urgent needs inherent in the federal mandate and the high costs of conversion to a digital signal. Achieving the Campaign's goal was directly connected to a continuation of the momentum of the Campaign and the ongoing motivation of volunteer solicitors during an unforeseen presidential leadership transition. WCET-48 is prepared to meet the requirements for broadcasting a digital signal - dramatically changing the way television is used in the 21st century.
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