Milwaukee Public Television

1946
The Milwaukee Radio and TV Council formed to encourage quality programming.

1950
Dr. William Rasche, director of Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools (MATC's forerunner), Milwaukee Mayor Frank Zeidler, and Milwaukee Public School Superintendent Harold Vincent, with support from the Milwaukee Public Museum, the UW-Milwaukee Extension Service, and the Milwaukee Public Library, propose an educational TV system for the Milwaukee area.

1952
Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools announces plans for a TV technician and telecasting program. Local civic leaders back application to operate an educational TV station using equipment and students from the new vocational program.

1952
FCC allocates 11 reserved channels throughout Wisconsin for educational and non-commercial broadcasts.

1952
Voters reject statewide educational TV system in a referendum vote by 4-1 margin, leaving the door open to individual licenses.

1954
FCC awards Educational TV license to Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools for Channel 10.

1954
UW System Board of Regents receives license and begins operating WHA, Channel 21, in Madison.

1954
The Hearst Corporation, whose bid for a TV channel had been denied, challenges FCC award to Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools. Asks court to declare reserved channels for education unconstitutional.

1957
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Hearst case. Authorizes Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools to begin operating Channel 10.

October 28, 1957
Channel 10, WMVS-TV, begins service with four hours of programming, Monday through Friday. Becomes nation's 28th educational television station (before LA & NYC) under General Manager Paul Taff.

1957
Channel 10 presents Wee Weekly, a children's series, with Dr. Otto Schlaak as producer.

1958
Using Channel 10 facilities, the Milwaukee Public Schools system produces the first local live instructional broadcasts--several a day--as part of the Ford Foundation's 25-city experiment using TV in classrooms.

1959
MATC offers its first credit telecourse, Beginning Slide Rule, with instructor Paul Witzke.

1959
The first video tape machine is installed.

1960
Dr. Otto Schlaak succeeds Paul Taff as Station Manager of Channel 10.

1960
Channel 10 produces its first national broadcast for NET, the adult telecourse Inquiring Mind, with Dr. Cyril Houl.

1960
Green Thumb, with Herman Geske, is first locally-produced how-to program.

April 1961
Channel 10 purchases its first remote truck.

1961
The first Channel 10 live remote broadcast from State Fair Park (also taped for repeat broadcast).

July 1962
The transmission antenna is moved from Donges Bay Road Tower to the Storer Tower on Capitol Drive.

January 28, 1963
Channel 36, WMVT, goes on the air, with transmission equipment donated by WOKY-TV, a defunct UHF station.

July 4, 1963
Circus Parade #1 broadcast in black and white from the 6th floor of MATC's Main Building. Cables were run throughout the school. Eventually, coverage was offered nation-wide.

1963
First live broadcast of Milwaukee Civic Orchestra performance from MATC's Cooley Auditorium.

1963
Channel 10 broadcasts School Desegregation Hearings.

1964
Channel 10 receives its first HEW grant. The station also purchases a film camera, VTR, and a new Channel 36 transmitter.

January 1965
First color program in the nation for educational TV broadcast during the regular schedule, achieved with a flying spot scanner donated by Channel 6.

July 4, 1966
Channel 10 moves from 1015 N. Sixth Street (Main Building), into new facilities at 1036 N. Eighth Street (C-Building).

January 1967
Color cameras, color video tape recorders, and a color film chain are installed, using money from a federal matching grant.

November 1967
Public Broadcasting Laboratory (PBL) Sunday Night series begins: the first regularly scheduled live interconnection service with the network. The first broadcast originated from Channel 10 with host Edward P. Morgan.

1967
The Channel 10/36 Friends, Inc., begins under the name Community Broadcast Council, an offshoot of The Milwaukee Radio and TV Council.

March 31, 1968
Live in WMVS/WMVT studio (here for the Wisconsin Presidential Primary held that week), Eugene McCarthy makes first response to President Johnson's press conference, at which Johnson stated he would not seek re-election. WMVS provided PBL origination for National Educational Network.

May 12-18, 1969
First Great TV Auction broadcast in black and white from State Fair Park--raises $67,000.

September 17, 1969
Channel 10 broadcasts the opening of the Milwaukee Performing Arts Center live.

May 1970
Channel 10 purchases remote truck to replace small older unit.

1969-1971
Channel 10's first series focusing on the African-American culture and experience, Black Thang, is produced with hosts Tejumoli Oloboni and Rocky McGlon. Subsequent series with an Africian American theme: This Is It, Thinking Ebony, The Key, and Black Nouveau.

October 5, 1970
Hatha Yoga premieres with host Kathleen Hitchcock.

1971
The Great TV Auction broadcast in color (with rented equipment) for the first time.

1972
MATC creates College of the Air, broadcast on both Channels 10&36, offering credit to students who participated in course work associated with telecourses.

1972
Color equipment installed in remote truck.

April 1972
Wisconsin 1972 Primary covered by Sander Vanocour and Robert MacNeil for NPACT (National Public Affairs Center for Television) through live WMVS studio broadcasts.

September 1972
WPNE, Green Bay, becomes first public TV station to be licensed to Educational Communications Board (ECB). In December 1977, WLEF, Park Falls, goes on the air, completing the six stations which currently make up Wisconsin Public Television. Five are licensed to the ECB, while WHA is licensed to the UW Board of Regents. Including Channel 8 in Duluth, MN, licensed to Duluth/Superior Area Educational TV, and Channels 10&36, licensed to MATC, there are a total of nine public TV stations serving Wisconsin, licensed to three entities.

1975
The Channel 10/36 Friends, Inc., conduct their first on-air membership campaign, raising approximately $23,000.

1977
Local program underwriting begins.

1978
Joseph Rozman becomes the Great TV Auction's first featured artist with "Rainbow Vision."

1978
Satellite dish interconnection installed at MATC's North Campus, allowing Channels 10&36 to select from diversified sources of programming.

1978
Microwave relay unit is purchased for local remote broadcasts.

December 24, 1978
Channel 10 airs Milwaukee Ballet for the first time. The group presents its rendition of the The Nutcracker from the Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.

1979
Closed Captioning introduced.

January 21, 1979
Channel 10 becomes one of the first public TV stations to broadcast live via satellites, doing a broadcast with Rep. Henry Reuss in Washington, D.C., 50 of his constituents at the Allen-Bradley Corporation auditorium,and community leaders in Channel 10's studio, all connected to achieve a 3-way Satellite Forum on the nation's economy.

September 1979
Channel 36 televises the two-week-long Amaro Murder Trial, the first complete courtroom trial ever broadcast in Wisconsin, and the second in the United States (the first was from Miami public television station WPBT).

October 1979
Business of Wisconsin premieres with host Peter Banzhaf. Succeeded by Dollar Signs, hosted by Elizabeth Kay and Bob Landaas.

March 1, 1980
Channel 10 begins month-long experiment with 24-hour a day broadcasts. Thousands phone in during the night with positive responses.

April 1981
State-of-the-art transmission antennas installed on newly constructed tower erected cooperatively and shared, in perpetuity, with WVTV, Channel 18, near Capitol Dr. and Humboldt Ave. MATC owns the land; Channel 18 owns the tower.

August 20, 1981
First annual Channel 10/36 Friends' Wine Tasting event held outdoors at MGIC.

March 10, 1982
FRIDAYS, a poignant TV drama/comedy produced by Channel 10 in cooperation with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, premieres.

July 9, 1983
25th Anniversary Reunion of Telecasting Alumni held.

1984
Children's Auction added to the The Great TV Auction.

1984
A new remote truck added to upgrade production quality, replacing worn-out unit.

November 1, 1984
Outdoor Wisconsin premieres on Channel 10.

June 1985
Channel 10 is first TV station in Wisconsin to experiment with stereo (multi-channel) sound.

July 4, 1985
Channel 10 begins non-stop stereo broadcasting. On the same day, Channel 10 experiments for a second time with temporary, 24-hour a day broadcasts.

February 1986
Tom Axtell selected by MATC board to succeed retiring General Manager Dr. Otto Schlaak.

October 6, 1986
Channel 36 produces Homework Hotline, a call-in program helping junior high school students with math or English questions. Series ran two years.

January 1987
Channel 10 joins nine other public TV stations in the nation in an experiment with Descriptive Video Service (DVS), pioneering an audio service to help the visually impaired enjoy more TV.

April/May 1987
Metropolitan Builders Association donates first Dream Home to The Great TV Auction.

January 1987
First Volunteer Recognition Event held.

June 1987
Conciencia offers Spanish version on the second Audio Program (SAP) channel.

March 1989
Fire in Channel 36 antenna pushes it off the air for nearly a week. Went back on with temporary, low-power antenna until full-power equipment installed in September 1989 at a cost of more than $100,000.

May 1989
The Great TV Auction tops the million-dollar mark for the first time.

July 1989
The Great Circus Parade is taped in High Definition (HDTV)-one of the first programs in the nation to use this new technology. Was also the first national LIVE test for Surround Sound Stereo.

September 1991
The Great TV Auction named highest net-revenue auction in the country.

February 1991
Wm. Bryce Combs succeeds Tom Axtell as General Manager.

April 1991
First International Beer Tasting held at Mayfair Mall sponsored by the Channel 10/36 Friends.

June 3, 1992
WMVT is the world's first station to broadcast historical long-distance Digital High Definition signals throughout southeastern Wisconsin to the Zenith Test Center in Glenville, Illinois.

August 1994
Switched to digital network feeds utilizing satellite dishes installed on top of Foundation Hall.

October 1994
Milwaukee Public Television begins experimental, cooperative effort with WTMJ-TV, Channel 4, which provides Channel 10 with a nightly newsbreak. In November, Channel 10 aired live, continuous election coverage produced by Channel 4. The station also aired exclusive coverage of a live debate on proposed gun control laws, also broadcast on Channel 10.

October 3, 1995
Milwaukee Public Television takes the next step in being the community's Information SuperFreeway. Its Web site goes on-line unannounced with 65 pages which increases to 210 by mid-November. An ex-Milwaukee resident, living in Florida, is the first visitor just 3 hours later, simply by "surfing". Unsolicited PBS recognition occurs 3 days later.

June 1999
New HDTV tower is completed.

November 1999
Wm. Bryce Combs, General Manager of Milwaukee Public Television, resigns. Program Director Tom Dvorak takes over as Acting General Manager.

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