TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 19, 2017) – On the evening of Oct. 15, WUSF ended a proud era of television broadcasting by signing off the air for the final time. Fortunately, WUSF and WEDU are working closely together to ensure WUSF viewers can now find many of their favorite programs on WEDU.
“WEDU has been a terrific partner for us in the process,” WUSF general manager and associate vice president JoAnn Urofsky said. “We are fortunate that WEDU is offering our programming and, through their able stewardship, will continue to support our viewers.”
As part of the transition, viewers may notice a temporary channel, WEDQ, has been established while cable companies add WEDU’s new channels to their lineups, according to Susan Howarth, president and CEO of WEDU.
“It will take a few months for schedules to catch up with our programming changes,” Howarth said. “But rest assured that essentially all of WUSF television programs are available on WEDU.”
Viewers with questions about where and when to locate their favorite programs should contact WEDU by calling (813) 254-9338.
After carefully considering all options, WUSF ended television broadcasting as part of the Federal Communications Commission’s incentive auction that was authorized by Congress in 2012. The auction gave television stations across the country an opportunity to sell or trade their broadcasting rights in order to allow the valuable space on the broadcast spectrum to be freed up for today’s technology and broadband demands, including data-hungry smartphones and other wireless devices.
Earlier this year, the University of South Florida Board of Trustees agreed to sell the WUSF-TV broadcast spectrum license for $18.7 million.
WUSF Public Media’s radio stations, WUSF 89.7 and Classical WSMR, will remain on the air.
About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, established in 1956 and located in Tampa, is a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three, separately accredited institutions: USF; USF St. Petersburg; and USF Sarasota-Manatee. Serving more than 49,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.6 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is ranked in the top 30 nationally for research expenditures among public universities, according to the National Science Foundation. In 2016, the Florida Legislature designated USF as “Emerging Preeminent,” placing USF in an elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.