| Callsign | WBPA-LD |
|---|---|
| Above | Translator of WQED |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Digital | 12 (VHF) |
| Virtual | 13 |
| Affiliations |
|
| Owner | Venture Technologies Group, LLC |
| Operator | WQED Multimedia |
| Founded | January 14, 1988 |
| Airdate | September 28, 1989 |
| Callsign meaning | "WB Pennsylvania" (from stint as WB affiliate) |
| Former callsigns |
|
| Former channel numbers | Analog: 29 (UHF, 1989–2004), 30 (UHF, 2005–2019) |
| Former affiliations |
|
| Erp | 3 kW |
| Haat | 169.3 m (555 ft) |
| Facility id | 10185 |
| Class | LD |
| Coordinates | 40°26′46.2″N 79°57′50.2″W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Website | www.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
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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3][4]
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.[5] For several months, the two continued simulcasting.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8] The facility was completed in late October, when a license to cover was filed.[9]
On October 23, 2025, it was announced that PBS member station WQED (channel 13) would start simulcasting its programming on WBPA-LD.[10] 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.
References
- ^ Weiskind, Ron (December 7, 1989). "Johnson agrees to seven-year WPXI contract". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 22. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ Weiskind, Ron (January 19, 1995). "Local stations air new network". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C-3. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ Vancheri, Barbara (August 29, 1997). "TV station revamping programming, call letters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A-11. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "'Voyager' warps to new local UPN affiliate". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 17, 1998. p. C-9. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Paramount Stations has purchased UPN's Pittsburgh affiliate, WNPA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 10, 1998. p. F-8. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Risqué 'Happy Hour' debuts tonight on USA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 3, 1999. p. D-9. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Pittsburgh 'Franken-FM' Request Denied". August 8, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Request for Silent Authority of an Analog LPTV Station Application (LMS 121649)". September 14, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "License To Cover for LPTV Station Application (LMS 125159)". October 28, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "WQED Strengthens Its TV Signal". WQED Multimedia. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.