| Baton Rouge, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WBRL CW21 Baton Rouge |
| Slogan | TV To Talk About |
| Channels | Digital: 21 (UHF) WGMB 44.2 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | The CW |
| Owner | Communications Corporation of America |
| Founded | March 30, 1989 |
| Call letters' meaning | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Sister station(s) | WGMB-TV, WVLA-TV, KZUP-CD |
| Former callsigns | K65EF (1989-1992) K21DQ (1992-1995) KANC-LP (1995-2002) WBRL-CA (2002-2011) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1989-1999) All News Channel (as WTNC, 1994-2002) The WB (1999-2006) |
| Website | cw21br.com/ |
WBRL-CD is a low-powered digital television station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana affiliated with The CW network. It is a sister station to WGMB, Baton Rouge's Fox affiliate. It is available to viewers in the south central Louisiana area on channel 21 on broadcast. The station is seen via satellite through DirecTV and on cable Cox Communications and AT&T U-verse.
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Communications Corporation of America brought WB programming to Baton Rouge cable subscribers in February 1, 1999 as WBBR, a cable-only station on Cox Communications channel 10 (WBBR's call was used in a fictitious mannter).[1] Previously, WB programming was available on WTVK-11, a low-power station owned by Gulf Atlantic Communications also affiliated with America One. While the station was carried by several small cable systems in the Greater Baton Rouge Area, TCI, then Baton Rouge's cable provider, did not carry the station, and it only had a broadcasting range of six miles.[2] TCI, however, did carry WGN irregularly between 1995-1999, making WB programming available to subscribers. Eventually, WTVK signed-off, and channel 11 is now occupied by KPBN-LP, an America One affiliate.
The station now known as WBRL signed on the air March 30, 1989 as Channel 65. It was founded by Woody Jenkins of Great Oaks Broadcasting Corporation. In 1992, it became WTNC-TV, Channel 21 and served as Baton Rouge's first all-news station affiliated with the All News Channel. On November 13, 2002, WTNC-TV was purchased by ComCorp with the objective of bringing WBBR/WB programming over-the air. The call sign was changed to WBRL and was initially on channel 19 before moving to channel 21 (sister station KZUP-CA is now on channel 19).[3] WBRL was previously used as the call letters to the FM counterpart to WJBO-AM from 1941-1958--this station is now WYNK-FM and is unrelated to WBRL-CD.
The station's digital channel:
Digital channel
| Channel | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 21.1 | WBRL-DT | WBRL Main Programming / The CW HD 1080i |
WBRL currently airs all of The CW network programming in High Definition and a few of its syndicated programming such as The King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, 30 Rock, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Heartland, House and Ugly Betty in HD. The station also airs infomercials, such as Jack Van Impe presents. WBRL also airs first run syndicated promgrams, including, The Nate Berkus Show, The Jeremy Kyle Show, Better, Recipe, The Steve Wilkos Show, The Wendy Williams Show, Dr. Drew's Lifechangers, The Jerry Springer Show, Maury and Excused. And sitcom syndicated programming at the station includes: The Cosby Show and Everybody Loves Raymond.
On March 7, 2006, Baton Rouge UPN affiliate, WBXH, announced that they would take affiliation with My Network TV in September. On March 9, 2006 it was announced that WBRL would affiliate with The CW network.
In June 2006, owner ComCorp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. ComCorp said in a press release viewers and staff would see no changes at the station.
WBRL's logo still used the WB's 'Michigan J. Frog', a logo discontinued by The WB in 2005, up to that network's final night.
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