WHYY's Technology Center will be the first broadcasting facility in the region that will be built from the foundation up for digital television and other new communications technology. The facility's flexible multi-use space will allow for increased television, radio and multimedia production, as well as a civic space for the convergence of arts, education, commerce and the community.
-- Edward G. Rendell,
"We haven't even scratched the surface of the potential of being able to communicate ideas in Philadelphia to viewers in Portland, Oregon. This digital technology opens the world to common communication and common news. What we're doing at WHYY is just that."
Mayor, City of Philadelphia
The Technology Center will be built at WHYY's current site in Philadelphia. Construction began at the end of fiscal year 1998, and Phase I will open by the end of 1999. The facade's open qualities will reflect upon the relationship between public broadcasting and the birthplace of the First Amendment at nearby Congress Hall on Independence Mall. Out front, a WHYY Member's Plaza will pay tribute to community members who pledge gifts of $1,000 or more toward the project.
Infrastructure and Services that Put WHYY a Step Ahead of the Rest
Great cultural institutions--museums, libraries and universities--are essential elements in maintaining the quality of life in our region. WHYY's services combine facets of each of these elements and much more. As a public broadcasting and communications agency, WHYY has the ability to connect millions of people every day and to give them opportunities to learn about the world around them and to share their own interests with others.
To expand the number of opportunities we can offer to the community, this year WHYY announced its $15 million Campaign for Independence. The Campaign is part of WHYY's $23 million initiative which will result in a new Technology Center in Philadelphia, conversion to digital broadcasting and a lasting program endowment.
- The Technology Center will deliver WHYY's broadcast, distance learning, educational outreach and interactive computer services to every family in the tri-state region. Working in partnership with educational, cultural and business leaders, WHYY will offer new opportunities for everyone at home, at school and at work (see chart at right).
- The program endowment will allow WHYY to dramatically expand the range of radio, television and multimedia programming, as well as the information it produces and distributes.
- By the end of 1999, WHYY plans to broadcast a digital signal, four years before the FCC's deadline. The signal will provide multiple television, radio and data channels, delivered simultaneously. The new digital signal will also enable broadcast of high-definition television (HDTV) during prime-time hours.
