VINCENNES, IND. – Vincennes University and WVUT-TV are the recipients of a
federal grant totaling $596,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The grant is from the USDA’s 2009 Public Television Digital Transition
Grant Program.
The two-year grant will allow WVUT-TV22 (PBS) to complete the transition
from an analog to a digital television station. The federal funding will
be used to purchase studio cameras and other digital production equipment
necessary for acquiring and editing digital content. This will allow the
station to broadcast local and national programming in both standard
digital definition (DTV) and high-definition (HDTV).
“This will allow WVUT to complete short-term and long-term goals
desperately needed to serve the public with high-quality digital television
local, regional, and statewide programming. It will also allow VU
Broadcasting students, who work with the WVUT-TV staff on productions, to
gain knowledge in the aspects of high-definition TV production,” said Al
Rerko, general manager of WVUT and associate professor of Broadcasting.
WVUT provides emergency information, political coverage, high quality
national programming, and award-winning local programming. The broadcast
signal serves viewers in Knox, Daviess, Pike, Martin, Gibson, Sullivan,
Greene, Dubois, and Warrick counties in Indiana and in Lawrence, Crawford,
Wabash, Edwards, Jasper, and Richland counties in Illinois. According to
the FCC, WVUT reaches 270,000 viewers over 11,600 square kilometers.
“This grant award marks a significant milestone in the station’s 41-year
history,” said VU President Dick Helton. “WVUT was the first public TV
station in Indiana and was the first public television station in the state
to broadcast a high-definition television signal. This grant will ensure
that WVUT continues to serve regional viewers with the high-quality
programming they have always received from VU.”
WVUT is a non-commercial educational broadcast station owned and operated
by VU. WVUT is the only public television station in Indiana that is part
of a postsecondary program where students are able to learn and refine
their broadcasting skills in a hands-on, real-world production environment.
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY – Indiana’s First College
VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional
sites such as the Indianapolis International Airport. VU also offers
instruction at military sites throughout the nation. In addition to
offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers
bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, and
secondary education programs in mathematics, science, and special
education.
VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 26 other states, and 37
foreign countries. Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses
with residence halls. VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in
the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the
United States. William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded
VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. More information is
available at www.vinu.edu.