W33BY
Encyclopedia
WHPR is the unofficial call sign
of TV
channel 33 (officially called W33BY), and is a low-power broadcasting
station based in Highland Park, Michigan
.
The station is a Class-A operation, even though the station's official calls are still translator-style calls.
WHPR's web site mentions that it was carried on Comcast
channel 20 in Detroit
, but as of April 2011, it is unknown whether or not it is actually on Comcast's line-up. ("Local Origination" appears in this channel slot instead.) Also, neither Bright House
Livonia nor Cogeco
Windsor has this channel in their line-ups.
W33BY is also the only remaining American station in the Metro Detroit area to still broadcast only in analog, with no construction permit or application on file with the FCC
for digital conversion, which is currently optional for low-powered television stations; however, W33BY will be required to convert to digital or close down by September 1, 2015.
(then WGPR) became a CBS
affiliate. The station is owned by R.J. Watkins, who, in the late-1980s and early-1990s, hosted and produced a dance program for WGPR-TV, The New Dance Show
.
The station's television airtime is occupied mostly by phone-in talk shows (most are radio simulcasts), televangelism
, fundraising, traditional television commercials and apparently Bloomberg
-inspired on-screen advertising, and recently added AWWL Big Time Wrestling to its line up. At night music videos are seen.
WHPR TV and Radio are also streamed online via their website.
Here is a list of its former call signs, from most recent to oldest, from fccinfo.com.
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
of TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
channel 33 (officially called W33BY), and is a low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
station based in Highland Park, Michigan
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
.
The station is a Class-A operation, even though the station's official calls are still translator-style calls.
WHPR's web site mentions that it was carried on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
channel 20 in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, but as of April 2011, it is unknown whether or not it is actually on Comcast's line-up. ("Local Origination" appears in this channel slot instead.) Also, neither Bright House
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
Livonia nor Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
Windsor has this channel in their line-ups.
W33BY is also the only remaining American station in the Metro Detroit area to still broadcast only in analog, with no construction permit or application on file with the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for digital conversion, which is currently optional for low-powered television stations; however, W33BY will be required to convert to digital or close down by September 1, 2015.
Background
WHPR is the Detroit area's first Black-owned TV station since channel 62WWJ-TV
WWJ-TV, virtual channel 62 , is the CBS-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan. It is co-owned with Detroit's CW station, WKBD-TV , and the two stations share a studio in Southfield, Michigan, a Detroit suburb....
(then WGPR) became a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate. The station is owned by R.J. Watkins, who, in the late-1980s and early-1990s, hosted and produced a dance program for WGPR-TV, The New Dance Show
The New Dance Show
The New Dance Show was a television show in Detroit which ran in the late-1980s to mid-1990s on WGPR-TV 62 . Hosted by R.J. Watkins, The New Dance Show was a low-budget local version of Soul Train and featured regular dancers including a man who dressed like a vampire and wore a cape and a woman...
.
The station's television airtime is occupied mostly by phone-in talk shows (most are radio simulcasts), televangelism
Televangelism
Televangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
, fundraising, traditional television commercials and apparently Bloomberg
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
-inspired on-screen advertising, and recently added AWWL Big Time Wrestling to its line up. At night music videos are seen.
History
The station started out as W68CH on channel 68 back in 1990, and branded itself as "UHF 68, Highland Park". The station "moved" to W33BY in November, 2001, but the station still operated on both channels. This continued until August 2002, when 33 and 68 carried separate schedules. Channel 68 would close down for good in September 2003. However, as of July 2006, TVguide.com still shows the station as on the air, carrying a schedule separate from W33BY. http://online.tvguide.com/listings/?rnd=705.5475 As of current, however, the FCC database has no listings for W68CH, or any channel 68, in the Detroit area. Viewers in the area have confirmed that channel 68 is no longer broadcasting, and hasn't for quite some time.WHPR TV and Radio are also streamed online via their website.
Here is a list of its former call signs, from most recent to oldest, from fccinfo.com.
- W33BY from Oct 11 2002
- W68CH from Jun 3 1999
- W33BY from Jun 2 1999
- W68CH from Jun 2 1999
- DW68CH from Mar 12 1996 (D in callsign signifies deleted callsign)
- W68CH from Aug 31 1990