WBON-LD

Television station in Kentucky, United States
37°39′35.9″N 84°8′59.7″W / 37.659972°N 84.149917°W / 37.659972; -84.149917Links
Public license information
LMSWebsitewbontv.com

WBON-LD (channel 9) is a low-power independent television station licensed to Richmond, Kentucky, United States, serving the Lexington area. The station is owned by Wallingford Broadcasting, Inc. WBON-LD's studio facility is located on Big Hill Avenue in Richmond, and its transmitter is located near Waco, Kentucky, on a tower shared with co-owned FM radio stations WCYO and WLFX.

History

Originally licensed in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, in 1991 as W09BZ, the station began life on November 29, 1993,[1][4] as an America One affiliate, but also providing programming from the Trinity Broadcasting Network on a secondary basis. For its first 20+ years on the air, the station was owned by Andrea and Joey Kesler, the latter of which was a former weatherman and sportscaster at Hazard–based NBC WKYH-TV (channel 57, now CBS affiliate and WKYT-TV semi-satellite WYMT-TV) in the 1980s.[5]

The station's callsign was changed to WOBZ-LP in 2000. The station then became affiliated with Urban America Television in 2001, and stayed with that network until that network closed in 2006.[6] It switched to the Retro Television Network as its affiliated network, but also launched a second subchannel to carry Frost Great Outdoors network programming. The station's third subchannel aired programming from Luken Communications–owned Tuff TV beginning in the early 2010s, along with Jewelry Television programming during the overnight hours. Upon the station's conversion to digital in 2010, the station replaced the "-LP" suffix in its callsign with "-LD" to become WOBZ-LD.

Tower collapse

On January 29, 2008, the tower used by WOBZ-LP and radio station WJJA-LP collapsed during a storm. The station continued to be seen on London cable and over the internet. Station management hoped to build a new tower by April of that year, which they did.

New affiliation and ownership

In 2016, the station's main digital subchannel became an affiliate of Buzzr, featuring FremantleMedia's classic game show library. In 2018, the station was sold to its current owner, Wallingford Broadcasting.[7]

Relocation to Richmond

Under new ownership, the station applied with the FCC to relocate its studio and transmission facilities to Richmond in early 2019. It was granted a construction permit in February 2019 to relocate as well as to upgrade its signal power to 3,000 watts. On July 11 of the same year, the station's callsign changed to the current WBON-LD. The move was completed in April 2020, and the station now operates under full license to cover from Richmond as WBON-LD.

Even after the relocation and renaming, the WOBZ YouTube channel, which was launched in March 2012, can still be accessed in the present day.[8]

Locally-based programming

WBON-LD currently provides local programming, including KHSAA-sanctioned high school football and basketball games, a daily local newscast called Live at Five among other locally produced and seasonal programming, and some syndicated programming, some of which is compliant with the FCC's children's television programming requirements.

In the 2000s as WOBZ-LP/LD, the station was the southeastern Kentucky home to Ohio Valley Wrestling originating from WBKI-TV in Louisville.

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WBON-LD[9]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
9.1 720p 16:9 WBON TV Independent
9.2 480i BUZZR Buzzr
9.3 Hrtland Heartland
9.4 RETRO Retro TV

References

  1. ^ a b "Index". WOBZ-TV 9. Archived from the original on October 10, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  2. ^ "Local Stations in Kentucky". America One. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBON-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ Makres, Dakota (September 27, 2020). "Former Hazard TV anchor dies at age 63, son remembers legacy". WYMT.com. Gray Television. Retrieved June 4, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "WOBZ Channel 9". Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  6. ^ "Programming Schedule". WOBZ-TV 9. Archived from the original on October 9, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  7. ^ House, Denis (December 28, 2018). "After 25 years, Kesler sells WOBZ". London Sentinel-Echo. London, Kentucky. Retrieved May 25, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "WOBZTV9". YouTube. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  9. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WBON". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved May 25, 2024.

External links

  • Official website
  • v
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This region includes the following cities: Lexington
Richmond
Frankfort
Hazard
Somerset
Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television
Full power
Low power
Cable
Outlying areas
Eastern Kentucky
Hazard
WKHA (35.1 PBS/KET, 35.2 KET2, 35.3 KET KY, 35.4 PBS Kids)
WYMT-TV (57.1 CBS, 57.2 H&I, 57.3 Outlaw)
Morehead
WKMR (38.1 PBS/KET, 38.2 KET2, 38.3 KET KY, 38.4 PBS Kids)
Southern Kentucky
London/Corbin
WVTN-LD (48.1 Rel. Ind.)
Somerset
WKSO-TV (29.1 PBS/KET, 29.2 KET2, 29.3 KET KY, 29.4 PBS Kids)
Defunct
Broadcast
W10BM 10 (AMGTV/WHT, Morehead)
W12AY 12 (PBS/KET via WKSO-TV, Barbourville)
W20AS 20 (FamilyNet, Corbin)
WBKI-TV (34.1 CW, 34.2 Movies!, Campbellsville)
WBLU-LP 62 (UPN/WB/Ind./MNTV/RTV)
WLKT-TV 62 (Ind., 1988–1989)
Cable
Kentucky broadcast television areas
Bowling Green
Charleston/Huntington, WV
Cincinnati, OH
Evansville, IN
Knoxville, TN
Lexington
Louisville
Paducah (Western Kentucky/Southern Illinois/Southeast Missouri)
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Other television stations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Louisville/Kentuckiana market stations
Lexington/E. KY market stations
Bowling Green market stations
Other adjacent urban areas
See also
ABC
CBS
CW
Fox
Ion
MyNetworkTV
NBC
PBS
Other stations in Kentucky