W07CB-LP
Encyclopedia
WWJT-LP, channel 7, is a low power independent television station serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The station is owned by Philadelphia Television Network Inc.
In 1992, W07CB, not affiliated with a major network, aired reruns and old B-movies. Former affiliations included Channel America
and FamilyNet
. General Manager
and part-owner Ron Joseph
telecast reruns of his 1970s-era disco
dance shows. The station achieved some degree of success under Joseph's stewardship. However, a dispute between the four owners of the station resulted in the decreased influence of Joseph over station affairs.
By June 1994, the station's parent company Morton Broadcasting named George Brusstar, operator of small but profitable cable television
operations in the Philadelphia suburbs, as its Director of Programming. All of the station's programming was abruptly scrapped along with the station's then-slogan ("T-V Heaven, Channel 7"). The station's new logo became "The Bell", modelled after Philadelphia's Liberty Bell
according to Brusstar. Replacing the old disco shows, classic western
s, and vintage sitcoms was a new format of 24-hour "two-way talk" programming featuring live TV hosts sitting at a desk with telephones. Viewers could call in live and sound off on the issues of the day with the hosts. Brusstar hired former Philadelphia radio performer Dennis Marcucci and Modesto, California
television personality Al Mario to host shows on the new lineup. In addition, Brusstar himself was a featured host, and was joined by then-17-year-old Port Richmond
resident Mike Phillips
.
A contractual dispute in late 1994 resulted in Brusstar's sudden departure, and all local programming ceased. Brusstar was replaced by Mario who hired local college students, activists, and radio personalities
in an attempt to cement a stable evening line-up. Programs included music ("Dr. Soul's Radio on TV"), comedy ("A Sermon from the Reverend Spoonicci"), and current events commentaries from Mario, homelessness
activist Leona Smith, and libertarian
Sean McBride. From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., programming consisted of live TV psychic
s from a low-power New York City
station brought in via satellite
. By June 1995, infighting between owners forced W07CB off the air.
tape loop of his recent wedding
played continuously. Joseph attempted to take the station back entirely via a loophole
in the partnership agreement (partner Moxley was imprisoned for the assault of a family member). Joseph later operated a low-power TV channel in Wildwood
-Cape May, New Jersey
, W05AX.
In 1996, with few advertisers left, Morton Broadcasting was dissolved and the Federal Communications Commission
license for Channel 7 was sold to Shooting Star Productions. Executive Producer Jerry Leazer created a 24/7 music video
programming format concentrating on the music roots of The Sounds Of Philadelphia. The format was an immediate success and Morton Broadcasting spent over a year trying to break the contract between Morton Broadcasting and Shooting Star Productions so they could sell the station for a higher price now that Leazer had dramatically increased the station's value. Shooting Star Productions, which had been represented by Reed Smith Shaw and Mc Clay in Philadelphia and Richard Glanton, ultimately sold their interest to Richard Glanton to avoid any further litigation. By the end of the 1990s, Channel 7 reduced its power , and programmed modern rap music videos. It could only be seen 1.5 miles (1 km) from its Philadelphia transmitter, as opposed to a 14-mile radius just a few years before. The station currently transmits a strongly-directional pattern, aiming most of its signal to the south-southwest portions of Philadelphia with lower power in other directions. This is to protect WABC-TV
in New York
, also on Channel 7, about 70 miles (112 km) away.
The W07CB call letters were changed to WPTV-LP in November 2001; (not related to full power WPTV
in West Palm Beach, Florida
). A month later, the call letters were changed again to WWJT-LP.
WWJT was relaunched on October 15, 2006 as African Community Television. The station now airs a mix of news, movies, infomercial
s and music video
s, as well as various African shows.
Starting on or about November 18, 2011 WWJT began broadcasting a digital signal on virtual channel 7 showing just the call letters and its three sub channels displaying a color test pattern. All 4 channels are currently in 480i SD digital format.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The station is owned by Philadelphia Television Network Inc.
Introduction
Channel 7 first appeared in 1991 as W07CB, the first Philadelphia-licensed VHF television station since May 1948.In 1992, W07CB, not affiliated with a major network, aired reruns and old B-movies. Former affiliations included Channel America
Channel America
Channel America was the first United States terrestrial broadcast television network to be intentionally assembled out of LPTV, or low-power television licensees. The network was founded by David Post in 1987 and launched in 1988...
and FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
. General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
and part-owner Ron Joseph
Ron Joseph
Ron Joseph is an American television producer known for his dance shows. On his shows, he is usually referred to as RJ.- Early life :...
telecast reruns of his 1970s-era disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
dance shows. The station achieved some degree of success under Joseph's stewardship. However, a dispute between the four owners of the station resulted in the decreased influence of Joseph over station affairs.
Changes
Within a year, the station underwent a series of management changes. Dr. Walter Moxley IV, an Infectious Diseases specialist with no previous broadcasting experience, was named the new general manager. His son Michael Moxley http://www.michaelmoxley.com was brought in to host local programming and acquire new revenue streams. Viewership and revenue picked up, but the station's transmitter was vandalized causing the station to go off the air for several weeks. As a result of being off the air, advertisement revenue dried up, and Michael Moxley departed W07CB to attend Penn State.By June 1994, the station's parent company Morton Broadcasting named George Brusstar, operator of small but profitable cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
operations in the Philadelphia suburbs, as its Director of Programming. All of the station's programming was abruptly scrapped along with the station's then-slogan ("T-V Heaven, Channel 7"). The station's new logo became "The Bell", modelled after Philadelphia's Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
according to Brusstar. Replacing the old disco shows, classic western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
s, and vintage sitcoms was a new format of 24-hour "two-way talk" programming featuring live TV hosts sitting at a desk with telephones. Viewers could call in live and sound off on the issues of the day with the hosts. Brusstar hired former Philadelphia radio performer Dennis Marcucci and Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
television personality Al Mario to host shows on the new lineup. In addition, Brusstar himself was a featured host, and was joined by then-17-year-old Port Richmond
Port Richmond
Port Richmond can refer to:*Port Richmond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States*Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York, New York, United States*Port of Richmond, California, Richmond, California, United States...
resident Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips may refer to:* Mike Phillips * Mike Phillips * Mike Phillips * Mike Phillips , Montana State Representative...
.
A contractual dispute in late 1994 resulted in Brusstar's sudden departure, and all local programming ceased. Brusstar was replaced by Mario who hired local college students, activists, and radio personalities
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
in an attempt to cement a stable evening line-up. Programs included music ("Dr. Soul's Radio on TV"), comedy ("A Sermon from the Reverend Spoonicci"), and current events commentaries from Mario, homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
activist Leona Smith, and libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
Sean McBride. From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., programming consisted of live TV psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
s from a low-power New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
station brought in via satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
. By June 1995, infighting between owners forced W07CB off the air.
Return to the air, decline, and the return of Channel 7
When Channel 7 next appeared, it was clear Ron Joseph was back in control; for weeks on end, a two hour VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape loop of his recent wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
played continuously. Joseph attempted to take the station back entirely via a loophole
Loophole
A loophole is a weakness that allows a system to be circumvented.Loophole may also refer to:*Arrowslit, a slit in a castle wall*Loophole , a short science fiction story by Arthur C...
in the partnership agreement (partner Moxley was imprisoned for the assault of a family member). Joseph later operated a low-power TV channel in Wildwood
Wildwood
Wildwood is woodland which has developed naturally; particularly where it and a suitable climate have developed together.Wildwood may also refer to:-Place names:Municipalities*Wildwood, Alberta, Canada*Wildwood, Florida, USA*Wildwood, Georgia, USA...
-Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
, W05AX.
In 1996, with few advertisers left, Morton Broadcasting was dissolved and the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
license for Channel 7 was sold to Shooting Star Productions. Executive Producer Jerry Leazer created a 24/7 music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
programming format concentrating on the music roots of The Sounds Of Philadelphia. The format was an immediate success and Morton Broadcasting spent over a year trying to break the contract between Morton Broadcasting and Shooting Star Productions so they could sell the station for a higher price now that Leazer had dramatically increased the station's value. Shooting Star Productions, which had been represented by Reed Smith Shaw and Mc Clay in Philadelphia and Richard Glanton, ultimately sold their interest to Richard Glanton to avoid any further litigation. By the end of the 1990s, Channel 7 reduced its power , and programmed modern rap music videos. It could only be seen 1.5 miles (1 km) from its Philadelphia transmitter, as opposed to a 14-mile radius just a few years before. The station currently transmits a strongly-directional pattern, aiming most of its signal to the south-southwest portions of Philadelphia with lower power in other directions. This is to protect WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, also on Channel 7, about 70 miles (112 km) away.
The W07CB call letters were changed to WPTV-LP in November 2001; (not related to full power WPTV
WPTV
WPTV-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Florida's Gold and Treasure Coasts. Licensed to West Palm Beach, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Lake Worth along U.S. 441/SR 7. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 3...
in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
). A month later, the call letters were changed again to WWJT-LP.
WWJT was relaunched on October 15, 2006 as African Community Television. The station now airs a mix of news, movies, infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, as well as various African shows.
Starting on or about November 18, 2011 WWJT began broadcasting a digital signal on virtual channel 7 showing just the call letters and its three sub channels displaying a color test pattern. All 4 channels are currently in 480i SD digital format.