WHMB-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WHMB-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = WHMB 40 is Life Affirming
station_branding = WHMB TV 40
analog = 40 (UHF)
digital = 16 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = LeSEA
network =
founded =
airdate = 1972
location = Indianapolis, Indiana
callsign_meaning = World
Harvest
M
B
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = LeSEA Broadcasting Corporation
licensee = LeSEA Broadcasting of Indianapolis, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 2090 kW (analog)
163 kW (digital)
HAAT = 301.8 m (analog)
302 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 37102
coordinates = coord|39|53|39.6|N|86|12|21.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.whmbtv.com/ www.whmbtv.com]

WHMB-TV is a Christian and general entertainment television station serving the Indianapolis, Indiana Market on channel 40. The station is owned by LeSEA Broadcasting, also known as World Harvest Broadcasting. The organization was founded by Assembly Of God Minister Lester Sumrall (1913-1996). His sons are active with the ministry. LeSEA also owns stations in South Bend, Honolulu, Tulsa, New Orleans, Denver, and Colorado Springs as well as a few Christian radio stations.

History

Channel 40 originally existed for a few months in 1971 as WURD, owned by local minister Dr. Wendell Hansen. One of the earliest religious TV stations to sign on, it was run cheaply, on the air only in evenings and featuring a modest selection of local and syndicated religious programs. Its most crowning achievement was the installation of a microwave receiver, so they could carry live telecasts of Chicago White Sox baseball; Dr. Hansen was so proud of this, he broadcast its installation live. The success was short-lived -- a few days later, WURD closed down. Shortly afterward, Sumrall acquired the station, rebranding it WHMB-TV. [http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board.php?Post=573452&Board=tv-classic]

The present-day WHMB signed on in 1972, running mostly religious shows. By 1978, they ran cartoons from 7-9 a.m., religious programs until Noon, sitcoms until 3 p.m., cartoons until 5 p.m., more sitcoms until 7 p.m., and religious shows thereafter. On Saturdays, they ran child- and family-friendly programming until 6 p.m., and religious programming after that. On Sunday, they ran religion the entire day. They also featured one bizarre local kiddie show program titled "Captain Hook", in which the "Peter Pan" villain and his pirates taught Christianity to children. This show disappeared when the episodes were returned to the now-deceased actor who played the title role.

By 1984, they were running Christian programming the entire day except for the 3-6 p.m. weekday period and Saturdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m.. Today, they run secular shows from about 2-7 p.m. weekdays. The secular shows include sitcoms, westerns, public domain movies, and talk shows.

In 1997, WHMB picked up the TV rights to the Indiana high school football and girls' and boys' basketball championships. The station chose not to renew those rights in 2004, but continues to air high school games on Friday nights. They also currently air a handful of games every year of the Indianapolis Indians triple-A baseball club, including some away games, (in which case they pick up the home team's broadcast feed).

They run many locally-produced religious shows, along with shows like The 700 Club, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and others.

ee also

*LeSEA
*WHME-TV

External links

* [http://www.whmbtv.com/ WHMB website]
*TVQ|WHMB-TV
*BIA|WHMB|TV|TV
*

References