On Thursday, Wayne A.I. Frederick, the president of Howard University, announced that the private historically black university will be keeping WHUT, which is the only HBCU licensed public television station in the world. The decision comes after the university participated in FCC Broadcast Incentive Auction over a year ago.
“Please join me as I take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to the management and staff of WHUT for their abiding commitment to provide quality programming and public service to the station’s vast viewership,” Frederick said in a statement.
Frederick also noted that, under FCC prohibited communication rules, he was not able to share this information until now and pointed out the management and staff of WHUT “remained steadfast in the face of uncertainty during the prolonged period of the FCC auction.”
He added, “I also express my thanks to the WHUT Community Advisory Board, the station’s many donors, and all who have supported the station during the past 36 years.”
“Throughout the past year, leadership of the University’s broadcast outlets and the School of Communications have been working on a strategic plan for the communications component of a future arts and communications complex at Howard University,” he said. “A vast amount of information and content is generated daily on our campuses and has the potential to be produced into dynamic programming.”
He continued, “WHUT-TV’s overall broadcast capacity remains unchanged and it is positioning itself to capitalize on the ongoing development of digital media. You will hear more about these exciting developments in the coming months.”
