WPBI-LD
| Lafayette, Indiana United States | |
|---|---|
| Branding |
Fox 16 NBC 16 (DT2) |
| Channels |
Digital: 16 (UHF) Virtual: 16 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels |
16.1 Fox 16.2 NBC |
| Affiliations | Fox |
| Owner |
Waypoint Media (Lafayette TV, LLC) |
| Founded | February 22, 2011 |
| First air date | October 25, 2016 [1] |
| Call letters' meaning | W-Purdue Boilermakers, Indiana |
| Former callsigns | W16DB-D (2011–2016) |
| Transmitter power | 15 kW |
| Height | 178 feet (54 m) |
| Facility ID | 194193 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°24′8″N 86°50′59″W / 40.40222°N 86.84972°W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
WPBI-LD is a digital low-powered television station that is licensed to and serving Lafayette, Indiana. The station is a Fox affiliate owned by Waypoint Media. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 16, and it originates from a directional transmitter on the east side of Lafayette on McCarty Lane. The signal is oriented to the northwest.[2]
Digital channels
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP short name | Programming [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WPBI-LD | Main WPBI-LD programming / Fox |
| 16.2 | 1080i | WPBI-LD2 / NBC |
History
The station’s construction permit was issued by the FCC on February 22, 2011, under the callsign of W16DB-D. The station’s callsign was changed to the current WPBI-LD in August 2016.[4] The station signed on in late October as the Lafayette area’s Fox affiliate, with NBC being launched on the WPBI-LD2 subchannel. Prior to the launch of WPBI-LD, Waypoint Media also purchased Lafayette-area radio stations WSHY, WBPE, WYCM, and WAZY-FM.[5]
WPBI-LD and WPBI-LD2 are the first Fox and NBC affiliates ever based in the market. Prior to its launch, the default Fox and NBC affiliates for Lafayette were WXIN and WTHR, respectively, both of which are based in nearby Indianapolis. Cable television providers Comcast Xfinity and Metronet began carrying WPBI in November 2016,[6] and satellite television provider Dish Network is carrying WPBI's NBC subchannel.[7]
The station intends to begin local weather coverage on January 1, 2017, and local news coverage on an as-yet-undermined date.[8]
WPBI's launch in 2016 ended WLFI-TV's reign as the only "Big Three" (ABC, CBS and NBC—or, including Fox, "big four") network television broadcaster in the Lafayette market, an exclusivity which dated to 1953. ABC is now the only major commercial television network without an over-the-air broadcast originating in Lafayette, but affiliate WRTV remains available locally to homeowners via a large antenna or a cable or satellite subscription.
References
- ↑ McGowan, Dane (October 27, 2016). "Lafayette Radio, TV Landscapes Shaking Up". Inside Indiana Business. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ↑ http://rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=2003926
- ↑ http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WPBI-LD#station
- ↑ Digital TV Market Listing for WPBI-LD
- ↑ "Fox, NBC stations broadcasting in town". Journal & Courier. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ↑ "WPBI will offer local news service". Journal & Courier. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- ↑ https://www.dish.com/local-channels/. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- ↑ "WPBI will offer local news service". Journal & Courier. Retrieved November 18, 2016.