View source for WOSU-TV

{{Short description|Television station in Columbus, Ohio}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WOSU-TV
| logo = WOSU-TV PBS logo.png
| branding = WOSU PBS
| digital = 16 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 34
| translators = W18ES-D [[Mansfield, Ohio|Mansfield]]
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''34.1:''' [[PBS]]|''for others, see {{Section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1956|02|20|p=y}}
| location = [[Columbus, Ohio]]
| callsign_meaning = Ohio State University
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 34 (UHF, 1956–2009)|'''Digital:''' 38 (UHF, 2004–2020)}}
| owner = [[Ohio State University]]
| sister_stations = [[WOSU-FM]], [[WOSA]]
| former_affiliations = [[National Educational Television|NET]] (1956–1970)
| erp = 675 kW
| haat = {{convert|332|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 66185
| coordinates = {{coord|40|9|33|N|82|55|22.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://wosu.org/television/}}
| embed_header = Former [[satellite station]]
| embedded = {{Infobox television station
| child = yes
| callsign = WPBO
| digital = 43 (UHF)
| virtual = 42
| airdate = {{start date|1973|10|1}}
| last_airdate = {{ubl|{{end date|2017|10|25}}|({{age in years and days|1973|10|1|2017|10|25}})}}  
| location = [[Portsmouth, Ohio]]
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:''' 42 (UHF, 1973–2009)
| erp = 50 kW
| haat = {{convert|382|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 66190
| coordinates = {{coord|38|45|42|N|83|3|41|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WPBO}}
}}
}}
'''WOSU-TV''' (channel 34) is a [[PBS]] member [[television station]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]], United States. Owned by [[Ohio State University]] as part of WOSU Public Media, it is [[sister station|sister]] to [[public radio]] stations [[WOSU-FM]] (89.7) and [[WOSA]] (101.1 FM). The three stations share studios on North Pearl Street near the OSU campus; WOSU-TV's transmitter is located on Highland Lakes Avenue in [[Westerville, Ohio]].

WOSU-TV began broadcasting on February 20, 1956, though Ohio State University had pushed to start an educational television station as early as 1951. It initially engaged in the broadcast of programs for schools and college students as well as programming from [[National Educational Television]]—the forerunner to PBS. As the first [[UHF]] station in the market, many households could not receive channel 34 when it launched. A major step forward for the station was its 1968 telecast of a highly anticipated football game between Ohio State and [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]], as many went out to buy [[All-Channel Receiver Act|all-channel]] television sets or converters. Channel 34 continued to telecast live football games on a viewer-supported basis through 1971, after which the [[NCAA]] prevented the station from continuing with the practice.

In the early 1970s, WOSU-TV moved from its original studios into the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow on the OSU campus, from its original tower to its present site in Westerville, and into [[Portsmouth, Ohio|Portsmouth]] with the launch of rebroadcaster '''WPBO''' (channel 42), which broadcast from 1973 to 2017. In the 1980s, Ohio State's public broadcasting operation was the subject of internal and external reviews that found deficiencies in management, ethics, and television programming; the university placed the WOSU stations under academic supervision, where they remained through the 1990s and were frequently subject to budget cuts.

WOSU was Central Ohio's first TV station to use a digital signal to [[Multiplex (television)|broadcast multiple channels of programming]]. In 2006, it opened a second studio inside the [[COSI]] museum in downtown Columbus. This closed in 2021 when the university opened a new headquarters for the WOSU Public Media stations adjacent to the OSU campus. WOSU produces programs covering Central Ohio politics, arts and culture, and communities.

==History==
===Early years===
The [[Ohio State University]] (OSU) had expressed interest in educational television as early as 1951. That year, it petitioned the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to move [[very high frequency]] (VHF) channel 12 to [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]] so that it could use it as an educational channel.<ref name="Dail510911">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advocate-osu-formally-asks-tv/138235013/|date=September 11, 1951|page=8|agency=United Press|title=OSU Formally Asks TV Station Rights|newspaper=The Daily Advocate|location=Greenville, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108065520/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advocate-osu-formally-asks-tv/138235013/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue --><ref name="Lima511221">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lima-news-osu-asks-tv-permit/138235071/|date=December 21, 1951|page=3|agency=International News Service|title=OSU Asks TV Permit|newspaper=The Lima News|location=Lima, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108065526/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lima-news-osu-asks-tv-permit/138235071/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> The FCC denied the proposal because it would have had to delete channels from three other cities, including [[Indianapolis]] and [[Huntington, West Virginia]]; this left OSU to use the previously assigned channel 34 in the new [[ultra high frequency]] (UHF) band.<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/fcc-tells-why-channel-12-was-refused-osu-use/yqaccgpgmxanbuzraaaxlrdhqtfbyesx_ip-10-166-46-162_1704646585445|date=April 17, 1952|page=42-B|title=FCC Tells Why Channel 12 Was Refused for OSU Use|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071204/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/fcc-tells-why-channel-12-was-refused-osu-use/yqaccgpgmxanbuzraaaxlrdhqtfbyesx_ip-10-166-46-162_1704646585445|url-status=live}}</ref> In spite of being forced to UHF, the university chose to press forward with its plans for educational TV,<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/o-s-u-push-tv/oeuwoebsdgkwgqdluehgzlofchlvixxp_ip-10-166-46-175_1704646785269|page=21|work=The Plain Dealer|title=O. S. U. to Push TV|agency=Associated Press|date=May 13, 1952|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071027/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/o-s-u-push-tv/oeuwoebsdgkwgqdluehgzlofchlvixxp_ip-10-166-46-175_1704646785269|url-status=live}}</ref> requiring it to start over with its preparation of engineering data for the application.<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-drafting-new-plans-uhf-video-station/qpwrzyeoalnovfqdzxdtnbtmqicfluoc_ip-10-166-46-182_1704646758105|first=Dean A.|last=Myers|work=The Columbus Dispatch|title=OSU Drafting New Plans For UHF Video Station|page=5A|date=May 22, 1952|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071207/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-drafting-new-plans-uhf-video-station/qpwrzyeoalnovfqdzxdtnbtmqicfluoc_ip-10-166-46-182_1704646758105|url-status=live}}</ref> The application was nearly ready by January 1953, the university having waited so that it did not buy equipment that immediately became obsolete with advancements in UHF technology. OSU had identified a location on its farm, on the west side of the [[Olentangy River]], for a studio site.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-may-start-tv-station-end-year/cgmikdljkmczeylmlxwqfxiiauzfeqja_ip-10-166-46-160_1704646847818|page=6A|work=The Columbus Dispatch|title=OSU May Start TV Station By End of Year|date=January 28, 1953|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071028/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-may-start-tv-station-end-year/cgmikdljkmczeylmlxwqfxiiauzfeqja_ip-10-166-46-160_1704646847818|url-status=live}}</ref> It was formally filed on February 18, 1953, and approved by the FCC on April 22.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/fe09df52-8a71-acaa-d3e7-3503846fb3cd|title=History Cards for WOSU-TV|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110062957/https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/fe09df52-8a71-acaa-d3e7-3503846fb3cd|url-status=live}}</ref>

While Keith Tyler, a WOSU leader, expected the university to move quickly on establishing the station, administration took a slower tack; this frustrated Tyler, who saw the university slipping behind [[Michigan State University]] and the [[University of Wisconsin]] in setting up educational television.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=123}} OSU approved a contract for tower construction on the corner of Star Road and Lane Avenue in February 1954,<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ideco-awarded-contract-new-osu-tv-antenna-tower/gastovrbzudchprlgpohkbphtggxpjdj_ip-10-166-46-72_1704647050077|page=3B|title=Ideco Awarded Contract For New OSU TV Antenna Tower|date=February 15, 1954|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071030/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ideco-awarded-contract-new-osu-tv-antenna-tower/gastovrbzudchprlgpohkbphtggxpjdj_ip-10-166-46-72_1704647050077|url-status=live}}</ref> and the television studio on the site broke ground that December.{{r|CD551017}} In September 1955, channel 34 broadcast its first [[test pattern]],<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/air-want-ads-radio-tv-journals-interesting/uwfhksuknxryidijjimvnvgkmaqnokkv_ip-10-166-46-169_1704647180802|page=Tab 19|title=On the Air: Want Ads in Radio-TV Journals Interesting|date=September 25, 1955|first=Robert|last=Connors|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071206/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/air-want-ads-radio-tv-journals-interesting/uwfhksuknxryidijjimvnvgkmaqnokkv_ip-10-166-46-169_1704647180802|url-status=live}}</ref> which soon expanded to include the occasional broadcast of programs.<ref name="CD551017">{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tv-begins-test-broadcasting-units/iskvzzpwzenyxklwefvsnariioagdboo_ip-10-166-46-174_1704647224899|page=2A|first=Bob|last=Connors|date=October 17, 1955|title=WOSU-TV Begins Test Of Broadcasting Units|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071143/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tv-begins-test-broadcasting-units/iskvzzpwzenyxklwefvsnariioagdboo_ip-10-166-46-174_1704647224899|url-status=live}}</ref> The station officially began broadcasting on February 20, 1956, becoming the 19th noncommercial educational TV station on air.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=128}} Its first day on air included a film program showing scenes of the OSU campus and a performance by its symphonic choir.<ref name="CD560221">{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/response-pleases-wosu-tv-officials/aexnpodkojlqsulkenlvxqcoczwuiiqy_ip-10-166-46-72_1704647356889|page=11B|title=Response Pleases WOSU-TV Officials|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=February 21, 1956|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071034/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/response-pleases-wosu-tv-officials/aexnpodkojlqsulkenlvxqcoczwuiiqy_ip-10-166-46-72_1704647356889|url-status=live}}</ref>

By 1958, WOSU-TV operated for about 30 hours a week; nearly half of that output consisted of live programs from the studio or remote locations.{{r|Dayt580504}} A local children's show, ''Five and Ten'', was among channel 34's early successes; another offering, the ''German Hour'', was a carry-over from a popular WOSU radio program.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|pp=133–134}} Its educational offerings ranged from remedial college-level math to driver's education courses. The general audience was limited by the fact that most sets of the time did not come equipped to tune the UHF band; the university estimated only about 2,000 Columbus-area homes could watch.<ref name="Dayt580504">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-tv-to-boom-as-teacher/138288320/|date=May 4, 1958|pages=Camerica 8, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-tv-to-boom-as-teacher/138288339/ 9]|first=Mary|last=Stentz|title=TV To Boom as Teacher|newspaper=Dayton Daily News|location=Dayton, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110062955/https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-tv-to-boom-as-teacher/138288320/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sun --> When it signed on for the first time, one potential viewer called to say it was impossible that WOSU-TV was broadcasting on channel 34 when their TV dial stopped at 13;{{r|CD560221}} station management treasured comments from viewers, since they proved that there were viewers beyond students in classrooms.{{r|CD860216}} In 1959, the station acquired the first [[video tape recorder]] in Columbus; its studios grew cramped, with the men's restroom doubling as an office and a small house being built nearby to alleviate the crowded conditions.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=135}} Its educational programs supported not only the university but public schools and the [[Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction]].{{sfn|Rieland|2019|pp=139–140}}

===Football on 34===
From before channel 34 signed on, officials anticipated using it as a telecasting outlet for the popular [[Ohio State Buckeyes football]] team. In 1955, George E. Condon of the Cleveland ''[[Plain Dealer]]'' asked what might motivate households to notice channel 34 and convert their VHF-only sets to receive the area's first UHF station. He remarked, "Down deep, most people here feel Big Ten football will be the big answer."<ref>{{Cite news|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/educational-tv-plant-ohio-state-be-ready-autumn-opening/dnxcbgiajmnbvstmelacmgkliicetkak_wma-gateway002_1689561708741|page=20|date=April 2, 1955|first=George E.|last=Condon|title=Educational TV Plant at Ohio State to Be Ready for Autumn Opening|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071205/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/educational-tv-plant-ohio-state-be-ready-autumn-opening/dnxcbgiajmnbvstmelacmgkliicetkak_wma-gateway002_1689561708741|url-status=live}}</ref> In the late 1950s, the station began taping football games with a tape recorder installed in a converted passenger bus, known by staff as "The Wire" and as an unreliable setup.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|pp=135–136}}

Shortly after it signed on in 1956, station management was hopeful that the [[NCAA]] would grant approval to televise home football games.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/buckeye-games-television-possibility-claims-ohio-state-official/uggvsmuvmefqsywwemzhcnrsidvbypsu_wma-gateway008_1689561740612|date=April 28, 1956|page=26|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|title=Buckeye Games on Television Is 'Possibility' Claims Ohio State Official|first=George E.|last=Condon|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108071027/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/buckeye-games-television-possibility-claims-ohio-state-official/uggvsmuvmefqsywwemzhcnrsidvbypsu_wma-gateway008_1689561740612|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the 1957 season, the NCAA revised restrictions on college football telecasts, at the behest of several state legislatures, to permit the telecast of home games on a noncommercial basis by "the home college's institutionally owned educational television station".<ref>{{cite news|id={{ProQuest|1285737831}}|title=NCAA Releases TV Football Plan|work=Broadcasting|page=113|date=February 25, 1957}}</ref> Channel 34 finally got its chance in 1968, when the station received NCAA approval to telecast the sold-out [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|Michigan–Ohio State]] game. The broadcast was the station's first local production in color,<ref name="Lanc681119">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancaster-eagle-gazette-osu-michigan-gam/138288443/|date=November 19, 1968|page=11|title=OSU-Michigan Game on TV|newspaper=Lancaster Eagle-Gazette|location=Lancaster, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001806/https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancaster-eagle-gazette-osu-michigan-gam/138288443/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue --> using a unit from New York.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ohio-state-michigan-game-will-be-shown-wosu-tv/uouwnzzzthffzbksvrgwymqpxszdcecr_ip-10-166-46-86_1704648196299|page=18A|title=Ohio State-Michigan Game Will Be Shown On WOSU-TV|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=November 19, 1968|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001900/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ohio-state-michigan-game-will-be-shown-wosu-tv/uouwnzzzthffzbksvrgwymqpxszdcecr_ip-10-166-46-86_1704648196299|url-status=live}}</ref> The broadcast, organized at the last minute and produced by [[ABC Sports]],{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=158}} was announced by the station's program director and the general manager of WOSU; the Buckeyes won the game en route to a national championship.<ref name="CD860216">{{cite news|title=WOSU-TV celebrates 30 years|page=5H|first=David|last=Jones|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=February 16, 1986}}</ref> It stimulated the sale of all-channel sets and UHF converters as fans flocked to buy the necessary equipment to see the highly anticipated matchup.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=158}} Channel 34 broadcast multiple sold-out OSU home football games in 1969, 1970,<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/sports-gleanings/blyqkaryqqjcqanqwaffobkepsjumlfp_ip-10-166-46-74_1704648971710|work=Daily Jeffersonian|title=Sports Gleanings|first=Glenn|last=McCasland|date=September 23, 1970|page=11|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001810/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/sports-gleanings/blyqkaryqqjcqanqwaffobkepsjumlfp_ip-10-166-46-74_1704648971710|url-status=live}}</ref> and 1971, conditional on public support to front the costs of renting equipment.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-would-tv-2-games/nbvhfjkjzddcrhjntpzlbqndhwkbnfdz_ip-10-166-46-73_1704649082024|page=34|title=OSU Would TV 2 Games|agency=Ohio Press Service|work=Canton Repository|date=October 15, 1971|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001840/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-would-tv-2-games/nbvhfjkjzddcrhjntpzlbqndhwkbnfdz_ip-10-166-46-73_1704649082024|url-status=live}}</ref> Even though the team sold out all its home games in 1972, the NCAA no longer allowed WOSU-TV to air games live. Citing the station's increased distribution on cable systems well outside its broadcast coverage area, it declined to allow the station to air further telecasts and thus hurt attendance at colleges in areas as distant as [[Sandusky, Ohio|Sandusky]], [[Portsmouth, Ohio|Portsmouth]], [[Xenia, Ohio|Xenia]], and [[Zanesville]].<ref>{{Cite news|work=Canton Repository|agency=Ohio Press Service|page=56|title=OSU Has Sellouts but No TV|date=September 13, 1972|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-has-sellouts-no-tv/epgcfnxmmdljfkjmqrvrrkdvbelhgbcj_ip-10-166-46-72_1704649246453|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001857/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-has-sellouts-no-tv/epgcfnxmmdljfkjmqrvrrkdvbelhgbcj_ip-10-166-46-72_1704649246453|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1978 to 1990, the station offered tape-delayed football broadcasts, which included the [[Ohio State University Marching Band|Ohio State Marching Band]]'s pregame and halftime routines.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=185}}

===New tower, new studios, and Portsmouth expansion===
In 1967, [[Nationwide Communications]], the broadcasting division of Columbus-based [[Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company]], obtained a construction permit to build a new UHF TV station in the city. It proposed a tower near [[Westerville, Ohio|Westerville]], which was initially vociferously opposed by the university because it feared disruption to the operations of its [[radio astronomy]] observatory.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wnci-tv-request-controversial-application-moves-slowly/cnxkqagyfytpikwkhmeouedylbvsjflw_ip-10-166-46-74_1704649976398|title=WNCI-TV Request Controversial: Application Moves Slowly|page=22B|date=July 24, 1968|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001911/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wnci-tv-request-controversial-application-moves-slowly/cnxkqagyfytpikwkhmeouedylbvsjflw_ip-10-166-46-74_1704649976398|url-status=live}}</ref> Nationwide and the university reached an agreement to share the tower, which also faced opposition from residents and the [[Genoa Township, Ohio|Genoa Township]] zoning board. However, the zoning board's 2–1 vote against the tower was not unanimous, as was required to prevent the rezoning of the site.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/delaware-county-petitions-hit-tv-antenna/irivdeldatplimzinonvhopxnaenwncj_ip-10-166-46-74_1704648766423|first=Joe|last=Ionne|title=In Delaware County: Petitions Hit TV Antenna|date=July 10, 1970|page=27B|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001810/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/delaware-county-petitions-hit-tv-antenna/irivdeldatplimzinonvhopxnaenwncj_ip-10-166-46-74_1704648766423|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1971, WOSU-TV received federal funding to help acquire local color cameras and build the Westerville tower,<ref>{{Cite news|title=WOSU Tower Funded|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tower-funded/cvuymcaifqzgstxjxpnhhkmwhabfpyix_ip-10-166-46-86_1704652795802|page=21A|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=February 28, 1971|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110002915/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tower-funded/cvuymcaifqzgstxjxpnhhkmwhabfpyix_ip-10-166-46-86_1704652795802|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|While WNCI-TV never materialized, channel 28 eventually did under another owner as [[WTTE]] in 1984, using WOSU's Westerville site.<ref>{{cite news|title=Channel 28 ready to broadcast after 8-year struggle|work=The Columbus Dispatch|page=D4|first=Jeff|last=Borden|date=May 27, 1984|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/channel-28-ready-broadcast-after-8-year-struggle/jqvydukhrqkdryewtpwziqnhlkrqypgu_ip-10-166-46-167_1704773243340|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110002915/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/channel-28-ready-broadcast-after-8-year-struggle/jqvydukhrqkdryewtpwziqnhlkrqypgu_ip-10-166-46-167_1704773243340|url-status=live}}</ref>}} which was completed in January 1973.<ref name="Dela730131">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-delaware-gazette-wosu-tv-tower-in-ge/138288203/|date=January 31, 1973|page=9|title=WOSU-TV Tower In Genoa Tp. Is Completed|newspaper=The Delaware Gazette|location=Delaware, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110003007/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-delaware-gazette-wosu-tv-tower-in-ge/138288203/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Wed -->
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 220
 | image1 = Fawcett Center for Tomorrow.jpg
 | alt1 = A dark brick office building with a large Ohio State logo
 | image2 = WOSU Satellite relay.jpg
 | alt2 = Two large, white satellite dishes mounted to the ground
 | footer = WOSU-TV broadcast from the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow from 1971 to 2021.
}}

Beyond football and a new tower, the 1970s were a busy decade for the new station. In May 1970, Ohio State University shut down after the [[Kent State shootings]] in northeast Ohio; this included the temporary closure of the WOSU radio and television stations.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ohio-state-students-go-home-campus-shut-officials-meet/szhsgllunreclgdxtoqpavbmcbprbnhb_ip-10-166-46-166_1704648487832|pages=1A, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu/tonfwwlqkhsvvbxntbbckgweudluylty_ip-10-166-46-102_1704648414188 8A]|first=Graydon|last=Hambrick|title=Ohio State Students Go Home: Campus Shut; Officials Meet|date=May 7, 1970|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110003027/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ohio-state-students-go-home-campus-shut-officials-meet/szhsgllunreclgdxtoqpavbmcbprbnhb_ip-10-166-46-166_1704648487832|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, WOSU television was still at the research farm, far enough from campus that it was joked that students could not find WOSU-TV if they tried.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=163}} The WOSU stations moved to the newly built Center for Tomorrow in August 1971, uniting WOSU radio and television under one roof for the first time;{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=124}} the previous site became the home of the Ohio Educational Television Network Commission.<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tv-plans-move-center/byipozdawwwtyywbrlmxmdfkmueleosr_ip-10-166-46-94_1704650372693|title=WOSU-TV Plans Move To Center|date=July 1, 1971|page=12B|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110003012/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tv-plans-move-center/byipozdawwwtyywbrlmxmdfkmueleosr_ip-10-166-46-94_1704650372693|url-status=live}}</ref> The Fawcett Center facility had been intended for three television studios but was scaled back to two due to financial constraints.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|pp=166–167}} The Network Commission used the site as the hub of its statewide distribution system for educational television broadcasts over WOSU-TV and other stations.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/learning-microwave-network-educational-television-covers-ohio/oqnoudoyiomeyfdgptdtmvilateonlqw_ip-10-166-46-169_1704649375069|first=Joe|last=Ionne|pages=Magazine 6, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/etv/xcpmlazxamvrowzfzwnagmulkzkiwcxm_ip-10-166-46-86_1704649395712 10], [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/etv/zxjgkqvbnryzkiplsiuewrzckpflavjo_ip-10-166-46-77_1704649422777 11]|title=Learning by Microwave: Network of Educational Television Covers Ohio|date=July 29, 1973|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110003014/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/learning-microwave-network-educational-television-covers-ohio/oqnoudoyiomeyfdgptdtmvilateonlqw_ip-10-166-46-169_1704649375069|url-status=live}}</ref> Friends of WOSU, a local fundraising group, was established in 1973 to provide additional financial support during a time when it appeared the [[Nixon administration]] would reduce public broadcasting funding;{{r|CD211004}} in 1978, it established an endowment whose value grew from an initial $100,000 to $5.4 million by 2018.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=173}} Meanwhile, the station's role in providing televised instruction diminished during this time.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=137}}

In addition to providing programming, the Network Commission built additional transmitters to extend educational television service to previously unserved portions of Ohio. One of these rebroadcast WOSU-TV: WPBO (channel 42) in Portsmouth, to the south of Columbus. WPBO began broadcasting on October 1, 1973,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hShGAAAAIBAJ&dq=WPBO+Ohio&pg=PA1&article_id=3914,478431|pages=1, 12|work=The Portsmouth Times|date=October 5, 1973|title=Local Educators Favor ETV Use|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108060735/https://books.google.com/books?id=hShGAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=WPBO+Ohio&article_id=3914,478431&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjhr5TDis2DAxWaDEQIHSAMC08Q6AF6BAgJEAI#v=onepage&q=WPBO%20Ohio&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> from a transmitter located on Peach Orchard Hill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MzpGAAAAIBAJ&dq=WPBO+Ohio&pg=PA1|title=Area TV Station Dedication Held|work=The Portsmouth Times|page=1|date=March 11, 1974|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108060736/https://books.google.com/books?id=MzpGAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA1&dq=WPBO%20Ohio&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=WPBO%20Ohio&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> The station was built by and originally licensed to the Network Commission;<ref name="Dela770609">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-delaware-gazette-osu-trustees-back-t/128485043/|date=June 9, 1977|page=12|title=OSU trustees back transfer of station|newspaper=The Delaware Gazette|location=Delaware, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=July 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719050037/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-delaware-gazette-osu-trustees-back-t/128485043/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --> its license was transferred to OSU in 1978.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RuZbAAAAIBAJ&dq=WPBO+Ohio&pg=PA1&article_id=3202,1836008|title=WPBO-TV License Is Transferred To OSU|work=The Portsmouth Times|page=1|date=April 12, 1978|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=January 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108060736/https://books.google.com/books?id=RuZbAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=WPBO+Ohio&article_id=3202,1836008&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH3NLqiM2DAxUFiO4BHSw-AH4Q6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=WPBO%20Ohio&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the late 1970s, WOSU's unconventional programming philosophy helped it become one of the fastest-growing PBS stations in the country in total viewership with frequent runs of such shows as ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''[[All Creatures Great and Small (1978 TV series)|All Creatures Great and Small]]'', and ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''. This came in spite of the station's chief local program of the time, ''Ohio Journal'', being canceled after five years in 1980 due to insufficient state funding.<ref>{{cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ohio-journal-ch-34-threatened-finances/ifsygpryswwusyvhqlavepeiubnklsxk_ip-10-166-46-190_1704651037563|date=May 2, 1980|page=D-4|title='Ohio Journal' On Ch. 34 Threatened By Finances|first=Jeff|last=Borden|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110002503/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/ohio-journal-ch-34-threatened-finances/ifsygpryswwusyvhqlavepeiubnklsxk_ip-10-166-46-190_1704651037563|url-status=live}}</ref> The scheduling practice ended in 1981 when the station instead bought all of PBS's programs in a bundle to save money, requiring it to discontinue some of the series.<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tv-opts-pbs-programs/vptvzvvzswyjhnkcbwestcfffgtfyvge_ip-10-166-46-73_1704651315938|page=C-11|date=August 12, 1981|first=Jeff|last=Borden|title=WOSU-TV Opts For PBS Programs|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110002408/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-tv-opts-pbs-programs/vptvzvvzswyjhnkcbwestcfffgtfyvge_ip-10-166-46-73_1704651315938|url-status=live}}</ref>

===WOSU in the 1980s and 1990s===
In 1983, the high school quiz show ''In the Know'' moved from [[WBNS-TV]] to WOSU-TV, becoming a long-running staple of channel 34.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=183}} On its new outlet, it was hosted by Bill Schiffman, a professional accountant who had previously hosted WOSU-TV pledge drives; OSU began providing scholarships to students who made the quarterfinals.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=195}} Following the pattern of other public TV stations across the nation, the station held its first televised auction in 1984;<ref>{{Cite news|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-puts-bid-auction-action/zihdppsqnzwpayksdqlpwccupjrxwgxb_ip-10-166-46-190_1704651751087|date=April 29, 1984|page=D3|title=WOSU puts bid on auction action|work=The Columbus Dispatch|first=Jeff|last=Borden|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110002507/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wosu-puts-bid-auction-action/zihdppsqnzwpayksdqlpwccupjrxwgxb_ip-10-166-46-190_1704651751087|url-status=live}}</ref> the auction routinely brought in between $150,000 and $300,000 for channel 34's operations and continued through 2008.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=185}} The station began broadcasting stereo sound in 1986, making it the second local outlet to do so after [[WCMH-TV]].{{r|CD860216}}

Until this time, the WOSU stations were supervised by Ohio State University president's office. Irregularities with the 1986 edition of the station's auction attracted negative attention, leading station representatives to admit they had placed bids on slow-moving auction items in hopes of getting them to sell. In response, president [[Edward H. Jennings]] ordered internal and external reviews of the station. The process was lengthy; portions of the internal review leaked to ''[[The Lantern]]''—Ohio State's student newspaper—and the Cleveland ''Plain Dealer''. First to be completed was the internal review.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=187}} The external review, conducted by public broadcasters from other states, stated,<ref name="CPD880918">{{Cite news|work=The Plain Dealer|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu-tv-radio-stations-ripped-reports/pzcxuhvfaicicigcukhxxfiqbblgwmbc_ip-10-166-46-109_1704652072986|pages=1-A, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/osu/jwjumatiqgelbovobmaqgwezchwcxfae_ip-10-166-46-190_1704651959526 16-A]|first=Gary|last=Webb|title=OSU TV, radio stations ripped in reports|date=September 18, 1988}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Although there are vague mentions of aspirations to excellence, the administration of the University does not seem to have a clear idea of why the institution is in the broadcasting business and what would constitute excellence for WOSU.}}

The reviews identified a myriad of issues in the operation of the WOSU stations. There were ethics lapses; the Ohio Department of Development paid for coverage of its activities, WOSU-TV aired a program on hog farming produced by the pork industry, and it aired a series paid for by a local health system.{{r|CPD880918}}{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=187}} University administrative decisions came under fire, such as directives to air OSU football rebroadcasts and the 1987 memorial service for football coach [[Woody Hayes]]. The stations were seen as avoiding controversial community issues in their news coverage and discouraging journalists from doing so in order not to offend potential donors. Workplace conditions were characterized by pervasive "paralysis and paranoia", low salaries and staff morale, aging equipment, and a "mysterious" chain of command to the rest of the university.{{r|CPD880918}} WOSU-TV came in for special criticism in the external review, which called its output "basic at best" and noted that channel 34's operation evinced the radio-first nature of WOSU.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|pp=187–188}}

When the review process culminated in 1990, a strategic plan was drafted for the WOSU stations, which were placed under the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences—the OSU academic unit that included programs in journalism and communication. The implementation of the strategic plan was adversely affected by Jennings's departure that same year, and the station became a neglected component of the college and the primary destination of its budget cuts during university-wide spending reductions in the early 1990s.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|pp=188-189}}

In 1992, in response to state-mandated cuts, Jennings's successor, [[Gordon Gee]], mentioned the possibility of eliminating the WOSU stations. By that time, the public provided 40 percent of support for the stations and the university 20 percent;<ref>{{Cite news|first=Tim|last=Feran|work=The Columbus Dispatch|page=7E|title=University is not planning to eliminate stations|date=April 24, 1992}}</ref> in the period from 1980 to 1996, OSU support remained flat as community funding increased.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=200}} During this time, there was some discussion as to whether WOSU was best transferred from the university to a community licensee.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Tim|last=Feran|title=Whither goes WOSU?|via=GenealogyBank|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/whither-goes-wosu/ypypbwbehdfmpfnmhzdpjtiguvpclgag_ip-10-166-46-162_1704652143371|work=The Columbus Dispatch|page=1B|date=May 16, 1993}}</ref> This resulted in a study that found the value of WOSU's airtime to the university to exceed $2 million a year.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=191}} At this time, under the urging of OSU dean Randall Ripley, the station produced more programming reflective of OSU, such as ''CsurisVision''—a documentary on computer artist [[Chuck Csuri]]—and programs for the university's 125th anniversary.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=192}} The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences continued to supervise the stations until 2001, when they were placed under the vice president of university relations.{{sfn|Rieland|2019|p=202}}

===Digitalization, new headquarters, and repack===
[[File:WOSU at COSI.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A large vertical sign reading W O S U over an exhibit space in an indoor hallway|Entrance to WOSU@COSI]]
In 2006, WOSU opened a second studio and facility inside the [[COSI]] museum in Columbus, known as WOSU@COSI, complementing the Fawcett Center; a $1.6 million gift from the [[Battelle Memorial Institute]], the largest in station history to that time, helped fund construction and an endowment.<ref>{{cite news|page=2B|first=Tim|last=Feran|date=January 26, 2006|title=$1.6 million gift funding WOSU center at COSI |work=The Columbus Dispatch}}</ref> In addition to radio and television studios, the {{convert|12000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} digital media center contained two interactive exhibits.<ref>{{cite news|date=September 29, 2006|title=Digital studio ready to open|page=7B|first=Tim|last=Feran|work=The Columbus Dispatch}}</ref> The arrangement was also useful to COSI, which was facing declining attendance and seeking partners to share in its high utility costs in its new Broad Street building.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Columbus Business First|title=COSI looks to increase revenue, partner with WOSU|id={{ProQuest|232333936}}|first=Eileen|last=Coyne|date=October 10, 2003|page=A6}}</ref>

WOSU began broadcasting a digital signal in January 2004 and was the first TV station in Central Ohio to broadcast multiple programs on its digital transmitter. In addition to a simulcast of channel 34's main programming, WOSU-DT offered subchannels of [[PBS Kids]] programs, education and learning programs, and Ohio and public affairs programs during the day, which closed at night to allow a high-definition broadcast.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 30, 2004|page=10D|title=WOSU uses high-definition signal to air array of programs|work=The Columbus Dispatch|first=Tim|last=Feran}}</ref> In order to make the move to digital, the station launched a three-year capital campaign, the first in the history of WOSU broadcasting, to support the new studio and transmission equipment necessary for the conversion.<ref>{{Cite news|title=WOSU Stations to launch $7M capital campaign|first=Kathy|last=Showalter|work=Columbus Business First|page=A14|date=September 5, 2003|id={{ProQuest|232334894}} }}</ref> WOSU and WPBO ceased analog broadcasting on March 31, 2009, to save on electrical costs for maintaining both analog and digital signals through the June 12 transition date.<ref>{{Cite news|page=5D|title=WOSU to end analog|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=March 19, 2009}}</ref>

Ohio State University announced on March 3, 2017, that it had sold the license for WPBO for $8.8 million in the FCC's [[Spectrum reallocation#Broadcast incentive auction|spectrum auction]]. WOSU general manager Tom Rieland told ''[[The Columbus Dispatch]]'' that Portsmouth had "incredible duplication of PBS signals"; he cited high cable penetration and the availability of [[WOUB-TV]] in [[Athens, Ohio|Athens]] as well as transmitters of [[Kentucky Educational Television]] and [[West Virginia Public Broadcasting]].<ref name="cd-wpboclosing">{{cite news|last1=Edwards|first1=Mary Mogan|title=Ohio State sells broadcast license for WPBO|url=http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170303/ohio-state-sells-broadcast-license-for-wpbo|access-date=March 5, 2017|work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]]|date=March 3, 2017|language=en}}</ref> Parts of its coverage area also overlapped with WOSU-TV itself and [[WCET (TV)|WCET]] in Cincinnati.<ref name="c-wpboclosing">{{cite news|last1=Sefton|first1=Dru|title=WPBO in Ohio goes for $8.8M in spectrum auction|url=http://current.org/2017/03/wpbo-in-ohio-goes-for-8-8m-in-spectrum-auction/|access-date=March 5, 2017|work=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|date=March 3, 2017}}</ref> WPBO ceased operations October 25, 2017;<ref name="fcc-wpbooff">{{cite web|title=Suspension of Operations of a DTV Station Application|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076ff35de2dff5015e10695b461873&id=25076ff35de2dff5015e10695b461873&goBack=N|website=Licensing and Management System|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=October 28, 2017|date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> its license was cancelled two days later.<ref name="fcc-wpbodefunct">{{cite web|title=Cancellation Application|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f915f5883d0015f5de34fd61160&id=25076f915f5883d0015f5de34fd61160&goBack=N|website=Licensing and Management System|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=October 28, 2017|date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> The spectrum auction was followed by a repack that saw WOSU move from channel 38 to channel 16 in 2020.<ref name="Repack Table">{{Cite web|url=http://data.fcc.gov/download/incentive-auctions/Transition_Files/Phase_Assignment_Closing_PN.csv|title=FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table|format=CSV|website=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|date=April 13, 2017|access-date=April 17, 2017|archive-date=April 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417160749/http://data.fcc.gov/download/incentive-auctions/Transition_Files/Phase_Assignment_Closing_PN.csv|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2015, the partnership with COSI began to end with the realization that WOSU had outgrown its space at the Fawcett Center and wanted to continue to engage the community through a public space. A new studio building was included in plans by Campus Partners, OSU's development arm, to construct a new development known as University Square at 15th Street and High Avenue adjacent to the campus,<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jim|last=Weiker|page=9B|title=New buildings planned at N. High, 15th Ave. |date=November 9, 2018|work=The Columbus Dispatch}}</ref> and the station launched a second capital campaign in 2018.<ref name="CD181025">{{Cite news|last=Feran|first=Tim|title=WOSU launches campaign for new campus-area headquarters|url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181025/wosu-launches-campaign-for-new-campus-area-headquarters|access-date=August 20, 2021|website=The Columbus Dispatch|language=en|archive-date=August 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805145737/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181025/wosu-launches-campaign-for-new-campus-area-headquarters|url-status=live}}</ref> The facility opened in 2021; it reunited the broadcasting stations' operations, which had been split between the COSI studio for television and Fawcett Center for administrative staff and radio, and offered {{convert|53000|ft2|m2}} for WOSU radio and television.<ref name="CD211004">{{Cite news|title=WOSU moving up – Public station leaves basement for bright, new space|first=Earl|last=Hopkins|work=The Columbus Dispatch|page=B1|date=October 4, 2021}}</ref> The facility was financed by a second capital campaign as well as $7.8 million of the $8.8 million OSU earned from selling WPBO-TV's spectrum.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 28, 2019|work=Current|title=Capital campaign, spectrum sale fund new WOSU headquarters|first=Jill|last=Goldsmith|url=https://current.org/2019/06/capital-campaign-spectrum-sale-fund-new-wosu-headquarters/|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=June 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605165032/https://current.org/2019/06/capital-campaign-spectrum-sale-fund-new-wosu-headquarters/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Funding==
In fiscal year 2022, WOSU-TV had a total revenue of more than $11.8 million. The station was provided a Community Service Grant totaling $1.46 million by the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]] and $972,000 in appropriations by OSU, as well as $1.9 million in revenue from its endowment. It had 24,170 members, who donated a total of $3.71 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wosu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wosu-tv-cpb-afr-fy2022.pdf|date=2022|title=Annual Financial Report, WOSU-TV|publisher=WOSU Public Media|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331021334/https://wosu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wosu-tv-cpb-afr-fy2022.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Local programming==
[[File:WOSU office 02.jpg|right|thumb|The WOSU Public Media building in the University Square development in Columbus|alt=A four-story brick and glass building, freshly constructed, with vertical W O S U signage sticking out]]
WOSU-TV's local programming primarily covers the Columbus area, including arts and culture magazine ''Broad & High'' and ''Columbus on the Record'', a weekly political program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wosu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wosu-2022-community-report.pdf|title=Community Report 2022|year=2022|publisher=WOSU Public Media|access-date=January 8, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331021130/https://wosu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wosu-2022-community-report.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, the station debuted ''Columbus Neighborhoods'', a series of historical documentaries focusing on one part of the city of Columbus.<ref>{{cite news|page=1D|first=Tim|last=Feran|work=The Columbus Dispatch|title=Short North to go first in neighborhood series|date=March 2, 2010}}</ref> Originally designed for the city's bicentennial, the station turned the series into a running program in 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://columbusunderground.com/wosus-columbus-neighborhoods-series-to-continue-bw1/|work=Columbus Underground|first=Brent|last=Warren|title=WOSU's 'Columbus Neighborhoods' Series to Continue|date=February 15, 2013}}</ref>

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WOSU-TV<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WOSU#station|website=[[RabbitEars]]|title=TV Query for WOSU}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 34.1 
| [[1080i]] || rowspan=5| [[16:9]] || WOSU-D1 || [[PBS]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 34.2 
| rowspan=4| [[480i]] || WOSU-D2 || WOSU Ohio ([[The Ohio Channel]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 34.3 
| WOSU-D3 || WOSU Plus ([[Create (TV network)|Create]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 34.4 
| WOSU-D4 || WOSU Kids ([[PBS Kids]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 34.7
| WOSU-D7 || VoiceCorps ([[radio reading service]])
|}

==See also==
*[[WOSU (AM)]]
*[[WOSU-FM]]
*[[WOSA]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Rieland |first=Thomas |title=Sparks flew: WOSU's century on the air |publisher=Ohio State University Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-0-8142-1396-4 |location=Columbus, Ohio }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://wosu.org/television/}}
*[http://www.ohiochannel.org/programming/broadcast_schedule.cfm The Ohio Channel]
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|50138|W18ES-D}}

{{Ohio State University|media}}
{{Columbus TV}}
{{Zanesville TV}}
{{HuntingtonCharlestonTV}}
{{Cleveland TV}}
{{PBS Ohio}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wosu-Tv}}
[[Category:Ohio State Buckeyes media]]
[[Category:Ohio State University]]
[[Category:Television stations in Columbus, Ohio|OSU-TV]]
[[Category:PBS member stations]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1956]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Ohio]]