WBKP

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WBKP / WBUP
Calumet / Ishpeming / Marquette, Michigan
Branding	ABC 5/10
Channels	5 (VHF) analog, 11 (VHF) digital
Translators	WBUP: 10 (VHF)
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	Stephan Marks (Lake Superior Community Broadcasting)
Founded	October 28, 1996
Call letters meaning	W Beautiful Keweenaw/Upper Peninsula
Transmitter Power	133 / 100 kW
Website	www.wbuptv.com

WBKP is a television station in Calumet, Michigan, serving the Marquette market on channel 5 as an affiliate of ABC. The station also serves the city of Ishpeming directly via satellite station WBUP channel 10.

[edit] History

WBKP first went on the air on October 28, 1996 as an affiliate of ABC, with Monday Night Football as their first televised program. In 1997, the station began airing weekday newscasts at 6pm and 11pm, with Dick Reynolds as news anchor. Shortly thereafter, in August 1997, the station set up a repeater station in Marquette, W28BX. The low power repeater's over-the-air signal was very weak and could only be picked up in the city of Marquette and Negaunee.

In 2001, the station moved its studios from their old home in Calumet, to the Marquette Mall. However, in March 2002, the station dropped its local newscasts, due to low ratings and budget cuts. In January 2003, the station replaced its low-power repeater with a full-power satellite, WBUP channel 10 in Ishpeming, Michigan.

The transmitter for WBKP is located on Tolonen Hill near the town of Painesdale, approximately 12 miles south of Houghton. The transmitter site at one time was a United States Air Force radar station.

WBUP's transmitter is located at WNMU's tower, 25 miles west of Marquette in Ely Township.

In January 2004, the original owner, Tom Scanlon sold both stations to Lake Superior Community Broadcasting, a company owned by Stephan Marks of Maryland. Shortly afterward, a new newscast, UGN News (with "UGN" meaning "Upper Great Lakes News Network"), debuted, originating from WBUP and WBKB, featuring news from the entire Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan regions. In addition to WBKP and WBUP, Marks also owns KYUS-TV in Miles City, Montana, KXGN-TV in Glendive, Montana and WBKB-TV in Alpena, Michigan.

[edit] External links

• WBUP-TV website
• [1] -WBUP News Staff
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WBKP
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WBUP