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WBPA-LD
Translator of WQED
Channels
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerVenture Technologies Group, LLC
OperatorWQED Multimedia
History
FoundedJanuary 14, 1988
First air date
September 28, 1989; 36 years ago (1989-09-28)
Former call signs
  • W29AH (1989–June 1995)
  • WTWB-LP (June-December 1995)
  • WBPA-LP (December 1995–2020)
Former channel numbers
Analog: 29 (UHF, 1989–2004), 30 (UHF, 2005–2019)
Call sign meaning
"WB Pennsylvania" (from stint as WB affiliate)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID10185
ClassLD
ERP3 kW
HAAT169.3 m (555 ft)
Transmitter coordinates40°26′46.2″N 79°57′50.2″W / 40.446167°N 79.963944°W / 40.446167; -79.963944
Links
Public license information
LMS
Websitewww.wqed.org

WBPA-LD (channel 12) is a low-power television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, owned by Venture Technologies Group. Since 2025, it has operated as a translator of PBS member station WQED (channel 13).

History

[edit]

On January 14, 1988, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a construction permit to Channel 29 Associates of Calabasas, California—owned by Venture founder Lawrence Rogow—for a new low-power TV station on channel 29 at Pittsburgh, W29AH. The station began test broadcasts on September 28, 1989, airing programming from the Video Jukebox Network.[2]

After five years of running music videos, channel 29 found a new calling in January 1995, when The WB launched. W29AH was intended to serve as one half of a simulcast with Johnstown's WTWB-TV channel 19, filling the largest missing market gap for the new network.[3] W29AH became WTWB-LP on June 1, 1995, and WBPA-LP on December 15. Channels 19 and 29 became the new UPN affiliate in 1998 when that network's former outlet, WPTT channel 22, switched to The WB (with WTWB-TV becoming WNPA); they briefly were independents due to lawsuits surrounding that station's change.[4][5]

Venture sold channel 19 to the Paramount Stations Group late in 1998, making it a network owned-and-operated station and splitting it from WBPA-LP.[6] For several months, the two continued simulcasting.[7] In the early 2000s, WBPA-LP moved to channel 30.

In 2012, Venture sought to build digital facilities for WBPA-LP on channel 6, utilizing hybrid analog-digital technology to turn it into a "Franken-FM" station with audio on 87.7 MHz. The FCC denied this proposal on technical grounds with the standard that the company proposed for WBPA and a station in Lubbock, Texas.[8]

WBPA-LP was displaced during the repack by Class A station WPTG-CD and applied to move to channel 12 and convert to digital. The station went silent to allow WPTG-CD to move in 2019, but delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability of transmitter installers, and a contracted electrician's foot operation set the reconstruction of WBPA back enough that Venture had to apply for a waiver to avoid automatic license cancellation.[9] The facility was completed in late October, when a license to cover was filed.[10]

On October 23, 2025, it was announced that PBS member station WQED (channel 13) would start simulcasting its programming on WBPA-LD.[11] Both WQED and WBPA-LD share the same transmitting tower. The same digital channels that are available on WQED's main frequency are also carried on WBPA-LD.

Subchannels

[edit]
Subchannels of WQED[12] and WBPA-LD[13]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
13.1 1080i 16:9 WQED-HD PBS
13.2 480i CREATE Create
13.3 WORLD World[14]
13.4 SHOW Showcase
13.5 KIDS PBS Kids

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBPA-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Weiskind, Ron (December 7, 1989). "Johnson agrees to seven-year WPXI contract". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 22. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  3. ^ Weiskind, Ron (January 19, 1995). "Local stations air new network". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C-3. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  4. ^ Vancheri, Barbara (August 29, 1997). "TV station revamping programming, call letters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A-11. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  5. ^ "'Voyager' warps to new local UPN affiliate". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 17, 1998. p. C-9. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  6. ^ "Paramount Stations has purchased UPN's Pittsburgh affiliate, WNPA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 10, 1998. p. F-8. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  7. ^ "Risqué 'Happy Hour' debuts tonight on USA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 3, 1999. p. D-9. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  8. ^ "Pittsburgh 'Franken-FM' Request Denied". August 8, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "Request for Silent Authority of an Analog LPTV Station Application (LMS 121649)". September 14, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "License To Cover for LPTV Station Application (LMS 125159)". October 28, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  11. ^ "WQED Strengthens Its TV Signal". WQED Multimedia. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WQED". RabbitEars. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  13. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WBPA". RabbitEars. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  14. ^ Hazimanolis, George (December 2, 2014). "NEW DIGITAL TELEVISION CHANNEL TO DEBUT ON WQED JANUARY 1" (Press release). WQED Multimedia.
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