WEBR-CD

For the Buffalo, New York stations that formerly used WEBR as their callsign, see WNED.
WEBR-CD
New York, New York
United States
Branding WEBR New York
Channels Digital: 49 (UHF)
Virtual: 17 (UHF)
Affiliations Universal Affiliates Network
Owner OTA Broadcasting, LLC
(OTA Broadcasting (LGA), LLC)
Founded 1970s as W73AP
Call letters' meaning Empire BRoadcasting (former station owner)
Former callsigns W73AP (1970-1983)
W17AG (1983-1992)
W17BM (1992-1997)
WEBR-LP (1997-2001)
WEBR-CA (2001-2009)
Former affiliations independent via WPIX translator (1970-1992)
The Box (1992-1999)
Primary KBS/Korean programming (1999-2005)
GCN (2005-2013)
OnTV4Us (2013) Secondary KBS/Korean programing (1995-1999) HSN(esp) (2001-2002)
Korean Network Home Shopping (2002-mid-2005)
Transmitter power 0.315 kW
Height 308 m (1,010 ft)
Class DC
(Digital Class A)
Facility ID 67866
Transmitter coordinates 40°44′54″N 73°59′10″W / 40.74833°N 73.98611°W / 40.74833; -73.98611
Website http://www.otabroadcasting.com/?p=20

WEBR-CD is a Class A low-power digital television station located in New York City broadcasting on UHF channel 17. OTA Broadcasting, LLC purchased the station from K Licensee in 2012.

History

As W73AP and W17AG

This station was signed on over UHF channel 73 in the 1970s by its original owner WPIX, Inc. as W73AP. It was one of multiple television broadcast translators in New York City which operated at the upper end of the UHF television band in order to provide reliable coverage to certain New York boroughs whose reception was ultimately compromised by construction of the World Trade Center. This translator station relayed WPIX, which operates over VHF channel 11.

Originally, most of the New York City television stations operated their main transmitters from the Empire State Building. However, reliable reception was ultimately compromised for some viewers once the majority of the World Trade Center was constructed, thus necessitating the use of the UHF translators. In response, nearly all of the TV stations, including WPIX, relocated to the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1975.

In 1982, UHF channels 70 through 83 were decommissioned for use as television stations, and the frequencies were reassigned for the Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), an analog mobile phone system standard developed by Bell Labs which was officially introduced in the Americas in 1983. TV stations operating on these channels were either displaced to in-core broadcast channels, sold, or deleted, depending on the owners desired intentions.

WPIX filed for displacement around this time, and their translator was reallocated to channel 17 with a new alpha-numeric call-sign of W17AG, reflecting the station's new channel number. The station continued to operate as a relay for WPIX.

WPIX ultimately decided it no longer needed channel 17, and sold the station in 1992 to Empire Broadcasting, LLC.

As W17BM

On November 9, 1992, the call sign was changed to alpha-numeric call-sign W17BM, reflecting the station's transfer of ownership. It was then programmed as The Box affiliate airing music videos. In 1995, the station branded as KTV airing KBS/Korean programming along with The Box during the day and on weekends.

As WEBR-LP

On April 22, 1997, the call-sign was changed to WEBR-LP, which stands for Empire BRoadcasting. The station was later sold to K Licensee, Inc., the owner of NY Radio Korea, who programmed the station as the affiliate of KBS and Korean programming. K Licensee, Inc. later changed their corporate name to K Media, Inc. In 1999 The Box was removed and it ran Korean programming full-time. Over the years it had added news programming called KTV news and 1 hour radio public affairs each week along with foreign news like YTN which was added later that year. Also, community calendar was added during weeknights after the local news programming ends. During the day, it aired most of the KBS programming along with a 30-minute children's programming from that station in Korean language.

As WEBR-CA

On March 5, 2001, the call-sign suffix was changed to WEBR-CA, reflecting the station's new Class A status. Korean programming and KBS was moved up to 5pm to 1pm, while HSN esp ran from 1pm to 5pm on weekdays and on weekends. On September 11, 2001, the affiliate temporarily switched to CNN which aired news coverage as a backup after the planes hit the main transmitter on the north tower. In 2002, HSN esp was dropped to another Korean shopping channel as KNH. The format stayed the same. Later that year, it ran from 1am to 7am. This lasted until mid-2005, when the programming was temporarily changed back to KBS along with Korean programming. GCN (Global Christian Network) programming began on September 1, 2005. At that time, it aired three hours repeated programming for six weeks. Some of the programming came from out of market religious ministries such as sermons by Korean pastor Jaerock Lee, Quick Study, Day Of Discovery, and some of the promo programming throughout most of the day for a couple of weeks. Children's programming was added on Saturdays from 7-10am and from 8-10 pm to fill most of the gaps. Also, testimony concert airs each week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Additional programming was added in multiple languages on October 10, 2005. After the transition, some of the promos were dropped and more religious programming was added most of the day. Thus children's programming was extended to one hour each day and 2 hours during the morning and evenings on weekends. The following year, religious news programming was added from CBN along with Worship Network music videos. Later that year, movies were added each week.

As WEBR-CD

On September 16, 2009, the call-sign suffix was changed to WEBR-CD. The religious format stayed mostly the same except the station ID classified as WEBR 17 New York, While WEBR-CD 17 is only used on 17.2 re-branding as KTV.

As a condition for its continued operation on Channel 17, WEBR-CD may not cause harmful interference to operations on Channel 16, as frequencies on that channel are utilized for public safety communications systems within New York City. The station has an agreement with the New York Metropolitan Advisory Committee (NYMAC) which requires any operation on Channel 17 to be reduced or ceased should any interference occur from this channel 17 operation to the public safety operations on the first-adjacent channel below. Any proposed modifications to the respective operations by either the NYMAC or Channel 17 must be made known to the other party, and responses from the other party must be included within such public filings.

WEBR-CD operates at significantly less wattage than its analog predecessor. It also operates with a stringent mask filter, which reduces emissions so the channel 17 signal will not exceed -123 DBM within the NYMAC assigned spectrum.

On March 20, 2012, K Licensee Inc., a company whose president is Young Dae Kwon, entered into an agreement to sell WEBR-CD to OTA Broadcasting, a company controlled by Michael Dell's MSD Capital, for $6.6 million. On April 30, 2012, the license was officially transferred.[1] The deal closed on August 15, 2012.[2] Prior to the transfer of ownership of OTA Broadcasting, the GCN format stayed the same for a couple of months before being taken off the air in 2013. With GCN moving to sub channel 17.3, another format was added and it is currently airing Infomercials. Later that year, in 2013, it switched to Universal Affiliates Network which airs movies, local programming, religious, and most of the infomercials during the day. In 2015, WEBR moved to digital channel 49 for the first time in 32 years.

Achievements

WEBR has won awards in broadcasting for 5 straight years for best programming


WEBR becoming the third Korean owned and operated station behind WMBC-TV and WKOB-LD to be owned by K license from 1997 to 2012.

WEBR was the third over the air station behind WFME-TV now WNYJ-TV and WTBY-TV to air religious programming in NYC from September 1, 2005 to January 2013.

WEBR is the second over-the-air station behind WPIX, WMUN-CD, and WCBS-TV. WEBR the only low power station to operate 2 translator stations. As of 2015 both translator stations remain inactive.

Conversion to digital transmission

In August 2009, the station flash-cut to its present low-power DTV signal, and the call-sign suffix was changed to CD, reflecting the station's Class A status using digital transmission.

Digital television

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Channel Name Video Aspect Programming
17.1 UAN 480i 4:3 Main UAN programming
17.3 GCN 480i 4:3 GCN programming

In late November 2009, WEBR added MBC-D after Newton, NJ- based WMBC-TV dropped it in favor of a new network, CGN, a Korean Christian network which was later moved to 63.2 and is now a Sinovision English affiliate. A couple of weeks later, NY Radio Korea, an aural service, was added on 17-4.

Effective March 1, 2011, MBC-D programming was discontinued on 17-2. Replacing it is a slide reading "KTV 17.2" with audio from NY Radio Korea – the same which is also carried on 17-4 – albeit slightly louder. The PSIP information still identifies 17-2 as MBCD.

In summer 2011, a fourth sub-channel, 17-3, was added as GCN, replacing primary channel 17.1 as infomercials. However, as of January, the entire GCN programming was removed, leaving only two sub-channels blank without audio. The KTV slide was discontinued with the KRB audio remaining. The same aural programming is replicated on 17-4. As of mid-2013, channels 2 sub channels were removed, remaining only its main channel 17.1. Early that year GCN programming returned to channel 17.3.

References

  1. ↑ OTA looks east with Big Apple Class A acquisition from RBR March 20, 2012
  2. ↑ http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=WEBR
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