For Our Members ...

Central and northern Michigan is an enchanting place to live, undoubtedly you can agree with that— except for a few days here and there. Enjoying the rural splendor, rolling hills, and scenic vistas augments our quality of life in amazing ways.

As with so many other aspects of life, there are tradeoffs that come with the benefits. One such tradeoff is that Television and Radio signals must navigate this terrain to get to our receivers and provide the enjoyment and enlightenment that WCMU provides. Great TV and Radio reception can require some extra effort.

As we now start to see the leaves pop out and experience that deep seeded feeling of joy that it inspires, the downside for many of us is that TV reception can get a bit ‘dicey’. If we cut down all the trees, and flattened the hills, then the supercompact inside TV antennas might work for more than just a lucky few.

How much change in reception you get depends on what channel you are viewing, the species of tree, the size of the leaves, the details of the terrain in the path to your receiver, and a few other mind numbingly technical laws of physics. And if you have a failing LED light or some other appliance that’s creating electrical noise nearby, you’ll have difficulty enjoying reliably good reception until the appliance is repaired.

While we’d love to double the height of our transmitting antennas, and increase the power tenfold, there are government guidelines for power and towers. Currently, we should be ‘good enough’ for reception throughout our area. For most, that’s correct— but certainly not for everyone. Sometimes moving the entire antenna setup a few feet left or right can make an amazing difference, however illogical that may seem.

WCMU maintains twenty tower locations, nine relay microwave sites, fiber, and internet connections. A couple of these areas are only accessible in the winter by snowshoeing in. There are two of us transmitter guys traveling roughly 50,000 miles each to perform maintenance every year. We’re inventive and scrappy when it comes to fixing things. Your investment in WCMU makes a difference.

Thanks for watching and listening to WCMU!

John Martin Transmission Supervisor (Transmitter guy)

National Memorial Day Concert

On Our Cover America’s national night of remembrance takes us back to the real meaning of the holiday through personal stories and tributes interwoven with musical performances.

Sunday, May 28, 8 p.m.

Endeavour: The Final Season

The crossword will be completed, the opera’s last note will sound, the sun will set behind Oxford’s dreaming spires, and the beloved long-running detective series Endeavour will come to an end in its ninth and final season. The first of its three thrilling, enigmatic, and emotional episodes premieres Sunday, June 18, 9 p.m.

Go behind the scenes of Endeavour with the all-new documentary, Morse and the Last Endeavour, Sunday, June 11, 9 p.m. Look back at the nine seasons of Endeavour and the journey taken to bring the epic series to an end, from the Inspector Morse series, 1987-2000 to the spinoff, Inspector Lewis 2006-2015, to the final season of Endeavour. You’ll hear from Shaun Evans, Abigail Thaw, Kevin Whately, and many more.

Get caught up with these Endeavour marathons

Season 6 Sunday, May 14, Noon-6 p.m.

Season 7 Sunday, May 21, Noon-6 p.m.

Season 8 Sunday, May 28, Noon-6 p.m.