Wheeling-area WVPB television could be out for weeks

The television translator for WVPB in the Wheeling viewing area is offline and could be out for several weeks while engineers look for a solution.

Dave McClanahan, WVPB’s chief engineer, said the translator is irreparable. “Parts and technical support for this model are not available,” McClanahan said. “There is no reasonable way to fix the translator and parts from other manufacturers won’t work.”

The purchase of a new translator could cost up to $20,000 and potentially cause a conflict with the station’s overall system in the next few years when the statewide network is standardized and shifted to VHF and lower-UHF channels, a process that is underway for broadcasting organizations across the nation with the goal of freeing up spectrum for wireless services for mobile devices.

Chuck Roberts, interim executive director, said despite the challenges, the WVPB engineering team is working diligently to get Wheeling-area viewers access to WVPB television as quickly as possible.

“We have a talented and creative team working toward a solution,” Roberts said. “We ask for your patience as we work to resolve the problem and we will keep you informed of our progress at wvpublic.org.”

Sustaining members of WVPB can continue to watch PBS and WVPB television programming utilizing Passport, the online streaming service for members of WVPB. For more information, go to wvpublic.org/passport.