WWHB-CA
Encyclopedia
WWHB-CA is an Azteca América
affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida
, but actually licensed to Stuart
. Owned by the Four Points Media Group
and operated under a local service agreement
(LSA) by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group
, WWHB is sister station to CW
and RTN affiliate WTVX
and MyNetworkTV
affiliate WTCN-CA
. It broadcasts on UHF channel 48 as a class-A (a form of low-power broadcasting
) television station
. This is Four Points's first and, so far, only, Spanish-language station.
Due to its low-power status, WWHB does not currently broadcast a digital signal of its own. However, there is a digital signal of WWHB which is offered on WTVX's second digital subchannel.
in October, 1988. The original owner was Palm Beach Broadcasting, led by William B. O'Donnell. WAQ had hoped to become an ABC
affiliate when WPEC
dropped ABC
for CBS
at the end of 1988, but instead the affiliation went to WPBF
According to the Sun-Sentinel
, WAQ's initial programming consisted of "morning cartoons (Beverly Hills Teens
); old, public domain (and often silent
) movies (Bachelor in Paradise, The Pickwick Papers
); vintage TV series (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
); sports (Notre Dame football, Florida Marlins
baseball); and music (Hit Video USA, which ran from 1 to 6 a.m.)." The station also later carried Howard Stern
's original syndicated
television program, and taped-delayed races from the Palm Beach Kennel Club.
The station struggled to pay its bills and after declaring bankruptcy
in 1991, the license
was transferred from the O'Donnell family's company, Palm Beach Broadcasting, to Main Street TV of Carle Place, New York
. In 1996, Adelphia Cable removed WAQ from its channel lineup because of "continuing problems with the picture quality," and once again the station filed for bankruptcy. By this point the station was airing home shopping programming, old black and white movies, a local bowling show, and the Cliff Dunn Show, which was simulcast
on a local radio station WPBR
. The loss of cable caused station revenue to drop from $303,315 in 1995 to only $24,995 in 1996. Station advertising rates dropped from $95 for a 30 second spot to as low as $5.
After losing nearly $7 million in 1996, the station changed call letters
to WINQ-LP and its studios were moved to the suburb of Lake Park
. The station was sold to William B. Turner in 1999 for $875,000 including $175,000 in debt. Martin County
businessman Bill Brothers purchased the station in 2002 and moved the licence to Stuart
.. In 2005, Viacom
bought WWHB and sister station WTCN
Channel 43 from Brothers for $7.7 million. Viacom moved the studios back to West Palm Beach and improved the station's signal..
On February 7, 2007, CBS agreed to sell seven of its smaller-market stations to Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
, for $185 million. Cerberus then formed a new holding company for the stations, Four Points Media Group
, who took over the operation of the stations through local marketing agreement
s in late-June 2007.http://keyetv.com/info/local_story_062222649.html The deal closed on January 10, 2008. Although the URL for the WWHB website has not changed since the sale to Four Points, it now redirects to a separate section of WTVX's website. As of February 25, 2008, the station is now being operated out of Four Points' hub station KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
On September 8, 2011, Sinclair Broadcast Group
announced its intent to purchase Four Points from Cerberus Capital Management for $200 million; Sinclair will begin managing the stations, including WWHB-CA, under local marketing agreements following antitrust approval, until the close of the sale, which is expected in early 2012. The future status of WWHB's network affiliation is unknown since Sinclair does not currently air any Spanish-language networks on any of its stations.
Azteca América
Azteca América is a broadcast television network marketed toward Spanish-speaking families residing in the United States. As a rapidly-growing Spanish language network, Azteca América now reaches 89% of the Hispanic households in the U.S., operating in sixty-two markets nationwide. Wholly owned by...
affiliate 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...
, but actually licensed to Stuart
Stuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
. Owned by the Four Points Media Group
Four Points Media Group
Four Points Media Group LLC is a television station holding company founded by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management in 2007 with its purchase of seven television stations previously owned by CBS Television Stations, a subsidiary of CBS Corporation.Four Points Media Group took over...
and operated under a local service agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
(LSA) by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., is an entity of broadcast television stations headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company consists of 50 television stations across the U.S., ranging from market sizes 9 to 201 . 43 of the stations are broadcasting at full power, with the other 4 broadcasting at...
, WWHB is sister station to CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
and RTN affiliate WTVX
WTVX
WTVX is the CW-affiliated television station for West Palm Beach, Florida that is licensed to Fort Pierce. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter southwest of Palm City and I-95 in Martin County...
and MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate WTCN-CA
WTCN-CA
WTCN-CA is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for West Palm Beach, Florida. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter south of Port Saint Lucie and I-95 in Martin County...
. It broadcasts on UHF channel 48 as a class-A (a form of low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
) television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
. This is Four Points's first and, so far, only, Spanish-language station.
Due to its low-power status, WWHB does not currently broadcast a digital signal of its own. However, there is a digital signal of WWHB which is offered on WTVX's second digital subchannel.
History
WWHB began as W19AQ (known on-air as WAQ), a station that began broadcasting as channel 19 in West Palm BeachWest 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...
in October, 1988. The original owner was Palm Beach Broadcasting, led by William B. O'Donnell. WAQ had hoped to become an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate when WPEC
WPEC
WPEC is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Gold and Treasure Coasts of South Florida. Licensed to West Palm Beach, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Lake Worth along U.S. 441/SR 7. The station is the flagship of Freedom Communications...
dropped ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
at the end of 1988, but instead the affiliation went to WPBF
WPBF
WPBF is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Gold and Treasure Coasts of South Florida. Licensed to Tequesta, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a transmitter in Palm City southwest of I-95. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios on RCA...
According to the Sun-Sentinel
Sun-Sentinel
The Sun Sentinel, owned by the Tribune Company, is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and all of Broward County, but circulates throughout all of South Florida.-Overview:...
, WAQ's initial programming consisted of "morning cartoons (Beverly Hills Teens
Beverly Hills Teens
Beverly Hills Teens is an animated children's television program which debuted in 1987, animated by DiC Entertainment. The namesake teenagers have exaggerated wealth, and face stereotypical teenage concerns. They represent a variety of European backgrounds. There are sixty-five episodes all in one...
); old, public domain (and often silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
) movies (Bachelor in Paradise, The Pickwick Papers
The Pickwick Papers
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club is the first novel by Charles Dickens. After the publication, the widow of the illustrator Robert Seymour claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's; however, in his preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens strenuously denied any...
); vintage TV series (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
); sports (Notre Dame football, Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
baseball); and music (Hit Video USA, which ran from 1 to 6 a.m.)." The station also later carried Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's original syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
television program, and taped-delayed races from the Palm Beach Kennel Club.
The station struggled to pay its bills and after declaring bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1991, the license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
was transferred from the O'Donnell family's company, Palm Beach Broadcasting, to Main Street TV of Carle Place, New York
Carle Place, New York
Carle Place is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. As of 2010 the CDP population was 4,981...
. In 1996, Adelphia Cable removed WAQ from its channel lineup because of "continuing problems with the picture quality," and once again the station filed for bankruptcy. By this point the station was airing home shopping programming, old black and white movies, a local bowling show, and the Cliff Dunn Show, which was simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on a local radio station WPBR
WPBR
WPBR is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Lantana, Florida, USA, the station serves the West Palm Beach area. The station is currently owned by Omni-Lingual Broadcasting Corp....
. The loss of cable caused station revenue to drop from $303,315 in 1995 to only $24,995 in 1996. Station advertising rates dropped from $95 for a 30 second spot to as low as $5.
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
to WINQ-LP and its studios were moved to the suburb of Lake Park
Lake Park, Florida
Lake Park is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,721 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,080.-Geography:Lake Park is located at ....
. The station was sold to William B. Turner in 1999 for $875,000 including $175,000 in debt. Martin County
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
businessman Bill Brothers purchased the station in 2002 and moved the licence to Stuart
Stuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
.. In 2005, Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
bought WWHB and sister station WTCN
WTCN-CA
WTCN-CA is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for West Palm Beach, Florida. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter south of Port Saint Lucie and I-95 in Martin County...
Channel 43 from Brothers for $7.7 million. Viacom moved the studios back to West Palm Beach and improved the station's signal..
On February 7, 2007, CBS agreed to sell seven of its smaller-market stations to Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
Cerberus Capital Management
Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is one of the largest private equity investment firms in the United States. The firm is based in New York City, and run by -year-old financier Steve Feinberg. Former U.S...
, for $185 million. Cerberus then formed a new holding company for the stations, Four Points Media Group
Four Points Media Group
Four Points Media Group LLC is a television station holding company founded by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management in 2007 with its purchase of seven television stations previously owned by CBS Television Stations, a subsidiary of CBS Corporation.Four Points Media Group took over...
, who took over the operation of the stations through local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
s in late-June 2007.http://keyetv.com/info/local_story_062222649.html The deal closed on January 10, 2008. Although the URL for the WWHB website has not changed since the sale to Four Points, it now redirects to a separate section of WTVX's website. As of February 25, 2008, the station is now being operated out of Four Points' hub station KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
On September 8, 2011, Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
announced its intent to purchase Four Points from Cerberus Capital Management for $200 million; Sinclair will begin managing the stations, including WWHB-CA, under local marketing agreements following antitrust approval, until the close of the sale, which is expected in early 2012. The future status of WWHB's network affiliation is unknown since Sinclair does not currently air any Spanish-language networks on any of its stations.