WPDS-LP

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WPDS-LP
Largo, Florida
Branding	PDS-TV 14
Channels	14 (UHF) analog, none digital
Affiliations	none (educational)
Owner	Pinellas County Schools
Founded	early-1980s (cable); 1990 (UHF)
Call letters meaning	W Pinellas District Schools
Former callsigns	W14AW (early-1990s)
Transmitter Power	19.7kw
Website	www.wpds.tv/

WPDS-LP is the low-power educational channel owned and operated by the Pinellas County school board, broadcasting educational programming for schoolchildren, plus board meetings and classic movies.

In addition to UHF channel 14 (which can be tuned in from most parts of Pinellas County), WPDS can be seen in Pinellas County on cable channel 14 on Bright House and Knology.

The station originally had its start in the early-1980s as a cable-only channel. In 1990, it opened a low-powered UHF channel on channel 14, to reach viewers that don't have cable. Initially as W14AW, it changed its calls to the current WPDS-LP in the mid-1990s.

While the station is onwed by the "School Board of Pinellas County" (more commonly-known as "Pinellas County Schools"), the station's calls are named after "Pinellas District Schools", which is the name used on public school buses in Pinellas County. All public school buses in Florida are named similarly.

The station's studios and transmitters are located at the School Board headquarters in downtown Largo.

[edit] Trivia

The WPDS calls were originally used in the Tampa Bay area in the early-1980s by an easy-listening station "WPDS-FM", "Paradise 93" (now WFLZ-FM). It was later used in Indianapolis from 1984 to 1985 as the first call letters used by present-day FOX affiliate, WXIN.

[edit] External links

• WPDS Homepage
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WPDS