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{{short description|Cornerstone Television station in Greensburg, Pennsylvania}}
{{short description|Cornerstone Television station in Greensburg, Pennsylvania}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WPCB-TV
| callsign = WPCB-TV
Line 5: Line 6:
| logo =
| logo =
| branding = Cornerstone Network
| branding = Cornerstone Network
| digital = 28 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
| digital = 28 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 40
| virtual = 40
| subchannels =
| subchannels =
| translators = ''[[WKBS-TV]] 47 (6 [[very high frequency|VHF]]) [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona, PA]]''
| translators = [[WKBS-TV]] 47 (6 [[VHF]]) [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]]
| affiliations = '''40.1:''' [[Cornerstone Television|Cornerstone TV]]<br />'''40.2:''' [[Court TV]]<br />'''40.3:''' [[Bounce TV]]<br />'''40.4:''' [[Quest (American TV network)|Quest]]<br />'''40.5:''' [[GetTV]]<br />'''40.6:''' Pittsburgh's Faith & Family Channel
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''40.1:''' [[Cornerstone TV]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| network =
| network =
| country = United States
| country = United States
Line 15: Line 16:
| airdate = {{start date and age|1979|4|15|p=y}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1979|4|15|p=y}}
| last_airdate =
| last_airdate =
| location = [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania|Greensburg]]/[[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
| location = [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania|Greensburg]]–[[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
| callsign_meaning = '''W'''estern<br />'''P'''ennsylvania<br />'''C'''hristian<br />'''B'''roadcasting<br />(original name of company)
| callsign_meaning = Western Pennsylvania Christian Broadcasting (original name of company)
| former_callsigns =
| former_callsigns =
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:'''<br />40 (UHF, 1979–2009)<br />'''Digital:'''<br />50 (UHF, 2003–2019)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 40 (UHF, 1979–2009)|'''Digital:''' 50 (UHF, 2003–2019)}}
| owner = [[Cornerstone Television|Cornerstone Television, Inc.]]
| owner = [[Cornerstone Television|Cornerstone Television, Inc.]]
| licensee =
| licensee =
| sister_stations =
| sister_stations =
| former_affiliations =
| former_affiliations =
| erp = 530 [[kilowatt|kW]]
| erp = 530 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|278|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| haat = {{convert|278|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| class =
| class =
| facility_id = 13924
| facility_id = 13924
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|40|23|34|N|79|46|53|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|40|23|34|N|79|46|53|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.ctvn.org/}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.ctvn.org/}}
}}
}}


'''WPCB-TV''', [[virtual channel]] 40 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]] [[digital terrestrial television|digital]] channel 28), is the [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship station]] of the [[religious broadcasting|religious television]] network [[Cornerstone Television]], serving [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], United States and [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania|Greensburg]]. Cornerstone originates most of its programs from this station. WPCB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in [[Wall, Pennsylvania]].
'''WPCB-TV''' (channel 40) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania]], United States, serving the [[Pittsburgh]] area as the [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] of the [[religious broadcasting|religious]] network [[Cornerstone Television]]. Cornerstone originates most of its programs from this station. WPCB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located on Signal Hill Drive in [[Wall, Pennsylvania]].

On [[Cable television|cable]], WPCB-TV is carried on [[Xfinity|Comcast Xfinity]] channel 5 (channel 2 in [[Bethel Park, Pennsylvania|Bethel Park]], channel 9 in [[Monroeville, Pennsylvania|Monroeville]]) in [[standard-definition television|standard definition]] and channel 805 in [[high-definition television|high definition]], and Verizon FiOS channels 5 (standard definition) and 505 (high-definition).


'''[[WKBS-TV]]''' (channel 47) in [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]] operates as a full-time [[Broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|satellite]] of WPCB.
'''[[WKBS-TV]]''' (channel 47) in [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]] operates as a full-time [[Broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|satellite]] of WPCB.


==History==
==History==
In the 1960s, Rev. Russ Bixler was visiting the [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]] area and came across [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] [[WGNT|WYAH-TV]], which was running an all-Christian format. Bixler came to visit the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] studios, meeting [[Pat Robertson]] and [[Jim Bakker]]. Concluding that Pittsburgh needed a similar station, Bixler applied for the channel 22 license in the 1970s, but lost to Commercial Radio Institute, a forerunner of [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] in 1975, who would launch that station as [[secularity|secular]] independent [[WPNT|WPTT-TV]] in 1978. Bixler then applied for a license on channel 40, and was granted a [[construction permit]] for that channel in 1976.
In the 1960s, Rev. Russ Bixler was visiting the [[Virginia Beach]] area and came across [[independent station]] [[WYAH-TV]], which was running an all-Christian format. Bixler came to visit the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] studios, meeting [[Pat Robertson]] and [[Jim Bakker]]. Concluding that Pittsburgh needed a similar station, Bixler applied for the channel 22 license in the 1970s, but lost to Commercial Radio Institute, a forerunner of [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] in 1975, who would launch that station as [[secular]] independent [[WPNT|WPTT-TV]] in 1978. Bixler then applied for a license on channel 40, and was granted a [[construction permit]] for that channel in 1976.


After several hurdles, Bixler was able to get the needed equipment and was able to sell a few hours a day of programming time to Christian organizations. WPCB-TV finally began operations on [[Easter Sunday|April 15]], 1979. The station was initially on the air for 15 hours a day, and within a year expanded to a 24-hour schedule. Programming consisted of several runs a day of the two-hour edition of the ''[[PTL Club]]'', the 90-minute edition of ''[[The 700 Club]]'', several other shows produced by CBN for the [[History of Freeform (TV channel)#CBN Satellite Service/Cable Network|CBN Cable]] channel, a few children's educational and religious shows, [[televangelism|televangelists]] like [[Jimmy Swaggart]], [[Rex Humbard]], [[Oral Roberts]] and [[Jerry Falwell]], and some local church programs. The station also produced a local variety talk and music show, ''Getting Together''. WPCB-TV's programming remains entirely Christian-oriented to this day. From before their sign on, when a person phones the station, the receptionists answer "Jesus Loves You TV 40".
After several hurdles, Bixler was able to get the needed equipment and was able to sell a few hours a day of programming time to Christian organizations. WPCB-TV finally began operations on [[Easter Sunday|April 15]], 1979. The station was initially on the air for 15 hours a day, and within a year expanded to a 24-hour schedule. Programming consisted of several runs a day of the two-hour edition of the ''[[PTL Club]]'', the 90-minute edition of ''[[The 700 Club]]'', several other shows produced by CBN for the [[History of Freeform (TV channel)#CBN Satellite Service/Cable Network|CBN Cable]] channel, a few children's educational and religious shows, [[televangelists]] like [[Jimmy Swaggart]], [[Rex Humbard]], [[Oral Roberts]] and [[Jerry Falwell]], and some local church programs. The station also produced a local variety talk and music show, ''Getting Together''. WPCB-TV's programming remains entirely Christian-oriented to this day. From before their sign on, when a person phones the station, the receptionists answer "Jesus Loves You TV 40".


Over the decades, owing to holding a license to operate a commercial television station, WPCB-TV has received countless offers from commercial broadcasters wanting to convert the station into a conventional independent station, but has flatly refused them each time. However, in 1998, Cornerstone attempted to buy the license for non-commercial station WQEX (channel 16), which would have required a sale of the channel 40 license. Paxson Communications made an offer to buy channel 40; if the deal went through, it would have been relaunched as a Pax TV [[owned-and-operated station]] under the call letters WKPX-TV.<ref name=ppg-wkpxtv>{{cite news|last=Owen|first=Rob|title=Pax TV wants to be on the air in Pittsburgh, not up in the air|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/TV/19990715paxtv1.asp|access-date=February 2, 2012|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=July 15, 1999}}</ref> However, at that time the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) did not deem WPCB-TV's religious programming as educational, and Cornerstone's application was withdrawn in 2000; channel 40 was then taken off the market.<ref>http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20000120wqed1.asp {{Bare URL inline|date=December 2021}}</ref> In 2002, the FCC reversed its position (WQEX was converted into a commercial license later that year; in 2011, it was sold to Paxson's successor, [[Ion Media|Ion Media Networks]], and now carries programming from Pax TV's successor [[Ion Television]] as [[WINP-TV]]).
Over the decades, owing to holding a license to operate a commercial television station, WPCB-TV has received countless offers from commercial broadcasters wanting to convert the station into a conventional independent station, but has flatly refused them each time. However, in 1998, Cornerstone attempted to buy the license for non-commercial station WQEX (channel 16), which would have required a sale of the channel 40 license. Paxson Communications made an offer to buy channel 40; if the deal went through, it would have been relaunched as a Pax TV [[owned-and-operated station]] under the call letters WKPX-TV.<ref name=ppg-wkpxtv>{{cite news|last=Owen|first=Rob|title=Pax TV wants to be on the air in Pittsburgh, not up in the air|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/TV/19990715paxtv1.asp|access-date=February 2, 2012|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=July 15, 1999}}</ref> However, at that time the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) did not deem WPCB-TV's religious programming as educational, and Cornerstone's application was withdrawn in 2000; channel 40 was then taken off the market.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20000120wqed1.asp| title = WQEX deal falls apart}}</ref> In 2002, the FCC reversed its position (WQEX was converted into a commercial license later that year; in 2011, it was sold to Paxson's successor, [[Ion Media Networks]], and now carries programming from Pax TV's successor [[Ion Television]] as [[WINP-TV]]).


Russ Bixler died in 2000, and Ron Hembree, who hosted a program on WPCB-TV, took over as the station's president. Hembree died in June 2010.
Russ Bixler died in 2000, and Ron Hembree, who hosted a program on WPCB-TV, took over as the station's president. Hembree died in June 2010.


==Technical information==
==Digital television==


===Digital channels===
===Subchannels===
The station's digital signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
⚫
|+Subchannels of WPCB-TV<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WPCB#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WPCB|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=November 6, 2024}}</ref>
⚫
|-
! [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! [[Display resolution|Video]]
! [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! Short name
! [[Program and System Information Protocol#What PSIP does|PSIP Short Name]]
! Programming
⚫
! Programming<ref>[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WPCB#station RabbitEars TV Query for WPCB]</ref>
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.1
| 40.1 || [[1080i]] || rowspan=5|[[16:9]] || WPCB || [[Cornerstone Television|Cornerstone]]
| [[1080i]] || rowspan=4|[[16:9]] || WPCB || [[Cornerstone Television|Cornerstone]]
|-
|-
| 40.2 || rowspan=2|[[720p]] || CourtTV || [[Court TV]]
! scope = "row" | 40.2
| rowspan=2|[[720p]] || CourtTV || [[Court TV]]
|-
|-
| 40.3 || Bounce || [[Bounce TV]]
! scope = "row" | 40.3
| The365 || [[The365]]
|-
|-
| 40.4 || rowspan=3|[[480i]] || Quest || [[Quest (American TV network)|Quest]]
! scope = "row" | 40.4
| rowspan=5|[[480i]] || Quest || [[Quest (American TV network)|Quest]]
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.5
| 40.5 || getTV || [[GetTV]]
| rowspan=2|[[4:3]] || GetTV || [[Get (TV network)|Get]]
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.6
⚫
| 40.6 || [[4:3]] || PFFC || Pittsburgh's Faith & Family Channel
| DEFY || [[Defy (TV network)|Defy]]
⚫
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.7
| 16:9 || OUTLAW || [[Outlaw (TV network)|Outlaw]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.8
⚫
| 4:3 || PFFC || Pittsburgh's Faith & Family Channel
|}
|}


===Analog-to-digital conversion===
===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WPCB-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] channel 40, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 50.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=2012-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=2013-08-29 }}</ref><ref name="FCC Form 387-WPCB">[http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101231572&formid=387&fac_num=39746 CDBS Print<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Through the use of [[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]], digital television receivers display the station's [[virtual channel]] as its former UHF analog channel 40.
WPCB-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 40, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 50,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FCC Form 387-WPCB">[http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101231572&formid=387&fac_num=39746 CDBS Print<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 40.


==References==
==References==
Line 82: Line 93:
==External links==
==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.ctvn.org/}}
*{{Official website|https://www.ctvn.org/}}
*{{BIA|WPCB|TV|TV}}


{{Pittsburgh TV}}
{{Pittsburgh TV}}
{{Other Pennsylvania Stations}}
{{Other Pennsylvania Stations}}
{{West Virginia TV}}
{{Maryland TV}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Wpcb-Tv}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wpcb-Tv}}
[[Category:Television stations in Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Religious television stations in the United States]]
⚫
[[Category:Court TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Bounce TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Bounce TV affiliates]]
⚫
[[Category:Court TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Get (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Quest (American TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Quest (American TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:GetTV affiliates]]
[[Category:Religious television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1979]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1979]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Television stations in Pittsburgh]]

Latest revision as of 13:12, 6 November 2024

WPCB-TV
CityGreensburg, Pennsylvania
Channels
BrandingCornerstone Network
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerCornerstone Television, Inc.
History
First air date
April 15, 1979 (45 years ago) (1979-04-15)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 40 (UHF, 1979–2009)
  • Digital: 50 (UHF, 2003–2019)
Call sign meaning
Western Pennsylvania Christian Broadcasting (original name of company)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID13924
ERP530 kW
HAAT278 m (912 ft)
Transmitter coordinates40°23′34″N 79°46′53″W / 40.39278°N 79.78139°W / 40.39278; -79.78139
Translator(s)WKBS-TV 47 (6 VHF) Altoona
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.ctvn.org

WPCB-TV (channel 40) is a television station licensed to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, United States, serving the Pittsburgh area as the flagship of the religious network Cornerstone Television. Cornerstone originates most of its programs from this station. WPCB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located on Signal Hill Drive in Wall, Pennsylvania.

WKBS-TV (channel 47) in Altoona operates as a full-time satellite of WPCB.

History

[edit]

In the 1960s, Rev. Russ Bixler was visiting the Virginia Beach area and came across independent station WYAH-TV, which was running an all-Christian format. Bixler came to visit the Christian Broadcasting Network studios, meeting Pat Robertson and Jim Bakker. Concluding that Pittsburgh needed a similar station, Bixler applied for the channel 22 license in the 1970s, but lost to Commercial Radio Institute, a forerunner of Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1975, who would launch that station as secular independent WPTT-TV in 1978. Bixler then applied for a license on channel 40, and was granted a construction permit for that channel in 1976.

After several hurdles, Bixler was able to get the needed equipment and was able to sell a few hours a day of programming time to Christian organizations. WPCB-TV finally began operations on April 15, 1979. The station was initially on the air for 15 hours a day, and within a year expanded to a 24-hour schedule. Programming consisted of several runs a day of the two-hour edition of the PTL Club, the 90-minute edition of The 700 Club, several other shows produced by CBN for the CBN Cable channel, a few children's educational and religious shows, televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart, Rex Humbard, Oral Roberts and Jerry Falwell, and some local church programs. The station also produced a local variety talk and music show, Getting Together. WPCB-TV's programming remains entirely Christian-oriented to this day. From before their sign on, when a person phones the station, the receptionists answer "Jesus Loves You TV 40".

Over the decades, owing to holding a license to operate a commercial television station, WPCB-TV has received countless offers from commercial broadcasters wanting to convert the station into a conventional independent station, but has flatly refused them each time. However, in 1998, Cornerstone attempted to buy the license for non-commercial station WQEX (channel 16), which would have required a sale of the channel 40 license. Paxson Communications made an offer to buy channel 40; if the deal went through, it would have been relaunched as a Pax TV owned-and-operated station under the call letters WKPX-TV.[2] However, at that time the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did not deem WPCB-TV's religious programming as educational, and Cornerstone's application was withdrawn in 2000; channel 40 was then taken off the market.[3] In 2002, the FCC reversed its position (WQEX was converted into a commercial license later that year; in 2011, it was sold to Paxson's successor, Ion Media Networks, and now carries programming from Pax TV's successor Ion Television as WINP-TV).

Russ Bixler died in 2000, and Ron Hembree, who hosted a program on WPCB-TV, took over as the station's president. Hembree died in June 2010.

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WPCB-TV[4]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
40.1 1080i 16:9 WPCB Cornerstone
40.2 720p CourtTV Court TV
40.3 The365 The365
40.4 480i Quest Quest
40.5 4:3 GetTV Get
40.6 DEFY Defy
40.7 16:9 OUTLAW Outlaw
40.8 4:3 PFFC Pittsburgh's Faith & Family Channel

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

WPCB-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 40, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 50,[5][6] using virtual channel 40.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WPCB-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Owen, Rob (July 15, 1999). "Pax TV wants to be on the air in Pittsburgh, not up in the air". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  3. ^ "WQEX deal falls apart".
  4. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WPCB". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  5. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  6. ^ CDBS Print
[edit]
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