WBPH-TV
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| WBPH-TV/WBPH-DT | |
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| Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | |
| Branding | WBPH |
| Slogan | Positively Different Television |
| Channels | 60 (UHF) analog, 9 (VHF) digital |
| Affiliations | FamilyNet |
| Owner | Sonshine Family Television Corporation |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Call letters meaning | Beth and Pat Huber |
| Former affiliations | None |
| Transmitter Power | 2950 kW/284 m (analog) 3.2 kW/284 m (digital) |
| Website | www.wbph.org |
WBPH-TV is a television station in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania DMA. The station, owned by Sonshine Family Television Corporation, broadcasts programming as a FamilyNet affiliate, Worship Network programming, special interest programs that are produced in-house, and paid religious infomercials. WBPH-TV is also an affiliate of the Lafayette College Sports Network.
WBPH-TV's transmitter is located on South Mountain in Allentown, Pennsylvania (specifically Salisbury Township in Lehigh County). The station is licensed to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but maintains offices and studio facilities in Allentown.
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[edit] History
WBPH-TV signed on December 20, 1990. The station was an outgrowth of Christian programming Pat Huber had begun on a local cable public access channel. In 1985, Huber formed the Sonshine Family Television Corporation and applied for a television broadcast license.[1]
[edit] Programming
[edit] Current programming
Since its inception, two of WBPH's in-house programs have been "60 Live" and "Bethlehem Glory," both hosted by station owner Pat Huber.[2][3]
[edit] Past programming
Through the course of its existence, the station has also produced shows in conjunction with area radio stations and churches. One program that had short lived popularity among area church youth was "Live from Studio 60." Produced along with Word FM, "Live from Studio 60" showcased local Christian bands performing to a live audience at the WBPH-TV studio in Allentown. The program reached its peak in 2000 when it played host to Christian band The Waiting in conjunction with the Fallout concert, a large Christian music festival held annually in the Lehigh Valley as a promotional event for See You at the Pole. The end of the program was quickened by poor production quality, such as audio overmodulation and inconsistent scheduling, which brought an end to WBPH-TV's move toward attracting a younger audience.
[edit] System carriage
[edit] Cable
WBPH-TV identifies itself with its correct city of license, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. However, in an attempt to rebut challengers of the station's must carry status throughout the Philadelphia DMA, the station featured a bug typically seen at the top right of the screen which read "WBPH Philadelphia." One such challenger, cable magnate Comcast, filed a petition in 2003 with the Federal Communications Commission to modify WBPH-TV's market as they did not meet any interests of the southern half of the DMA. The FCC denied the petition, and WBPH-TV remained on cable in places such as Mercer County, New Jersey.[4]
Presently, WBPH-TV is seen on cable systems in most of the Philadelphia DMA. Exceptions are a majority of Chester County, most of southern New Jersey, and Delaware.[5] The majority of areas in which WBPH-TV is carried are those within reach of the station's over-the-air broadcast signal.
[edit] Satellite
Currently, WBPH-TV is not available on any satellite television service. The station is in the process of being added to the DirecTV and Echostar systems.[6]
[edit] Digital allocation
In 2002, WBPH applied to have their digital channel assignment reallocated from channel 59 to channel 9. The reason for this was that both their analog and digital channels were out-of-core and would be taken out of television service in the future. With the FCC's approval of this application, WBPH became the first station in the Lehigh Valley to broadcast on a VHF channel.[7]
[edit] External links
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KYW 3 (CBS) - WPVI 6 (ABC, AccuWX TV on DT3) - W07DC 7 (ABC) - WELL-LP 8 (DS) - WCAU 10 (NBC) - WHYY 12 (PBS) - WPHL 17 (MNTV, The Tube on DT2) - WNJS 23/WNJT 52 (PBS/NJN) - W25AW 25 (A1) - WFPA-CA 28 (TFR) - WTXF 29 (Fox) - WQAV-LP 34 (AV/Ind) - WYBE 35 (Public) - WLVT 39 (PBS) - W40AZ 40 (Smile) - WMGM 40 (NBC) - WGTW 48 (TBN) - WTVE 51 (Religious) - WPSG 57 (The CW) - WBPH 60 (FamNet) - WPPX 61 (ION) - WWSI 62 (TEL) - WUVP 65 (UVN) - WFMZ 69 (Ind, The AccuWeather Channel on DT2) |
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| Local digital television channels | ||
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| Past broadcast stations |
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| Local cable television channels |
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CN8 - Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia - La Salle 56 (La Salle U.) - MCTV 26 (Mercer Co., NJ) |
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| See also Broadcast television in the New York City, Scranton/Wilkes Barre and Susquehanna Valley markets | ||
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Independent Stations: WYBE 35 (Philadelphia)* - WGCB 49 (Red Lion) - WTVE 51 (Reading) - WBGN-LP 59 (Pittsburgh) - WFMZ 69 (Allentown) |
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*WYBE is a non-commercial independent station. See article. |
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| See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, and PBS stations in Pennsylvania | |
