WBPG
Encyclopedia
WFNA is the CW Television Network affiliate for the Mobile, Alabama
and Pensacola, Florida
market. The station is owned by LIN Broadcasting along with WALA
in the same market. The city of license is Gulf Shores, Alabama
.
as the area's WB Television Network affiliate after the station reverted to independent
status on August 31 of the same year. WFGX's signal reaches mostly the Pensacola side of the market, but WBPG could reach both areas. The original call letters were WGMP (meaning Gulf Shores, Mobile, Pensacola) before the station went on the air. Pegasus Broadcasting originally owned the station until Emmis Communications
, owners of WALA purchased the station in 2003. Both stations have since been located under one facility. Its transmitter is located at the WALA-TV tower near Spanish Fort, Alabama
.
When LIN acquired WALA-TV on November 30, 2005, the company began operating WBPG (which had already been WALA's sister station under Emmis) under a local marketing agreement
(LMA). A little over seven months later, on July 7, 2006, LIN purchased WBPG outright.
On September 18, 2006, WBPG joined the CW Television Network, formed by the merger of the WB and the United Paramount Network.
With WALA having been relaunched using the myFox format, WBPG is now relaunched on a separate website on late August 2007.
The station changed its call letters to WFNA in October 2009, as part of a larger rebranding campaign that took effect on December 18. The new branding de-emphasizes the network branding in favor of the station's call letters — a practice similar to that of Tribune Broadcasting
's CW affiliates.
after the FCC
finalized the DTV
allotment plan on April 21, 1997 http://www.transmitter.com/FCC97115/chanplan.html, WBPG did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station
. However, because Channel 55 is out-of-core for DTV (and has been auctioned to Qualcomm
for use by their MediaFLO
mobile video system), WBPG was assigned channel 25 by the FCC for digital broadcasting post-transition.
The station was broadcasting a digital signal on sister station WALA-DT (10.2) until March 2007.
WBPG signed off analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009 (the original date chosen for the digital TV transition) and now broadcasts full-time on digital channel 25, though its virtual channel
appears as 55.1 through PSIP protocol
.
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
and Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
market. The station is owned by LIN Broadcasting along with WALA
Wala
Wala can refer to:Places* Wala , a small island in Vanuatu, and a popular destination for cruise ships*Wala , a volcano in Papua New GuineaPeople*Wala of Corbie , an advisor to the Frankish kings including Charlemagne...
in the same market. The city of license is Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores, Alabama
-External links:*...
.
History
WFNA began broadcasting as WBPG on Channel 55 on September 2, 2001, replacing WFGXWFGX
WFGX is a television station serving the Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida areas. The station is licensed to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and broadcasts on digital channel 50...
as the area's WB Television Network affiliate after the station reverted to independent
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
status on August 31 of the same year. WFGX's signal reaches mostly the Pensacola side of the market, but WBPG could reach both areas. The original call letters were WGMP (meaning Gulf Shores, Mobile, Pensacola) before the station went on the air. Pegasus Broadcasting originally owned the station until Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications is a media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company owns radio stations and magazines in the United States, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.-History:...
, owners of WALA purchased the station in 2003. Both stations have since been located under one facility. Its transmitter is located at the WALA-TV tower near Spanish Fort, Alabama
Spanish Fort, Alabama
Spanish Fort is a suburb of Mobile, Alabama in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The 2000 census lists the population of the city as 5,423. It is part of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area....
.
When LIN acquired WALA-TV on November 30, 2005, the company began operating WBPG (which had already been WALA's sister station under Emmis) under a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
(LMA). A little over seven months later, on July 7, 2006, LIN purchased WBPG outright.
With WALA having been relaunched using the myFox format, WBPG is now relaunched on a separate website on late August 2007.
The station changed its call letters to WFNA in October 2009, as part of a larger rebranding campaign that took effect on December 18. The new branding de-emphasizes the network branding in favor of the station's call letters — a practice similar to that of Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
's CW affiliates.
Digital television
Because it was granted an original construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
after 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...
finalized the DTV
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
allotment plan on April 21, 1997 http://www.transmitter.com/FCC97115/chanplan.html, WBPG did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
. However, because Channel 55 is out-of-core for DTV (and has been auctioned to Qualcomm
Qualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
for use by their MediaFLO
MediaFLO
MediaFLO is a technology developed by Qualcomm for transmitting audio, video and data to portable devices such as mobile phones and personal televisions, used for mobile television...
mobile video system), WBPG was assigned channel 25 by the FCC for digital broadcasting post-transition.
The station was broadcasting a digital signal on sister station WALA-DT (10.2) until March 2007.
WBPG signed off analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009 (the original date chosen for the digital TV transition) and now broadcasts full-time on digital channel 25, though its virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
appears as 55.1 through PSIP protocol
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
.
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 55.1 | Main WFNA programming / The CW |
| 55.2 | Bounce TV Bounce TV Bounce TV is a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks in... (Coming 9/26/2011) |