WBKP
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WBKP (channel 5) is a
Since WBKP cannot be seen over the air in
History
WBKP (standing for "Beautiful
and switched to that network in March 1992.More specifically, ABC was originally seen on WLUC through a secondary nature from its sign-on in 1956 until 1992 at which point ABC began to be carried as a primary affiliation. WLUC dropped its ABC affiliation in 1995 which ushered in WBKP as the next ABC outlet. Originally, WBKP was locally owned by the Scanlan family as sister to
In August 1997, in order to cover Marquette proper, it launched a
In January 2004, the Scanlan family sold WBKP/WBUP and WBKB to Lake Superior Community Broadcasting, a company owned by Stephen Marks of Maryland. In July 2007, the two stations split in order to establish separate brandings, with WBKP becoming a CW affiliate (as part of The CW Plus) while WBUP remained with ABC. However, both WBKP and WBUP continued to carry the two networks over their digital signals.
In September 2023, it was announced that The Marks Group would sell its Michigan broadcasting properties—WBKP, WBUP, WBKB-TV, and radio stations in Houghton and Iron River—to Morgan Murphy Media for $13.375 million.[1] The sale was completed on December 4.[3]
News operation
In July 1997, WBKP established its first news department in an attempt to offer an alternative to longtime dominant WLUC. The
Seeking to fill a void in a market supposedly capable of supporting two television newsrooms, WBKP initially offered local news weeknights at 6 and 11. After moving from Calumet to Marquette in September 2001, the station introduced a new set, a new graphics package, and an updated logo. However, in March 2002, WBKP shut down its news operation due to low ratings and budget cuts. This move was also due in part to the continual dominance of WLUC which has always operated a much larger news department and maintained consistent viewership.
Shortly after acquired WBKP/WBUP, a second attempt at airing newscasts was launched. This time, shows known as UGN News (with "UGN" meaning "Upper Great <Lakes> Network") were simulcasted with WBKB in Alpena. Likewise, the programs featured regionalized news and weather coverage from the entire Upper and Northern Lower Peninsulas. In 2006, UGN News was re-focused to the Upper Peninsula and only originated from WBKP/WBUP.
After becoming a separate station and the primary producer of newscasts, WBUP re-branded its newscasts to ABC 10 News NOW. In December 2007, the ABC affiliate began producing the market's first prime time newscast on WBKP. Known as CW 5 News NOW, this thirty-minute program is seen weeknights at 10. On September 8, 2009, rival WLUC added a half-hour local newscast seen at the same time to its Fox-affiliated second digital subchannel. Since there is no weather department, all weather segments originate from WBKB's studios in Alpena and are taped in advance. In order to cover the Keweenaw Peninsula, WBUP also operates an advertising sales office and news bureau on East Montezuma Avenue in Houghton (building shared with WOLV-FM 97.7, WHKB-FM 102.3, and WCCY-AM 1400). Like all CW Plus stations, WBKP aired the nationally syndicated weekday morning show, The Daily Buzz, until its cancellation on April 17, 2015.
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
5.1 | 480i | 4:3 |
WBKP-CW | The CW Plus (Simulcast into 720p HD over WBUP-DT2) |
5.2 | 720p | 16:9 |
WBKPABC | ABC (WBUP) |
Analog-to-digital conversion
WBKP shut down its analog signal, over
References
- ^ a b Venta, Lance (September 14, 2023). "Morgan Murphy Media Acquires Northern Michigan TV/Radio Combo". RadioInsight. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBKP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Done Deal: Morgan Murphy Media Completes Purchase Of Marks Media Group Stations". Insideradio.com. December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WBKP
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.