WBND-LP

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WBND-LP/LD
station_
station_slogan = South Bend's ABC Station
station_branding = ABC 57
analog = 57 (UHF)
digital = 49 (UHF)
affiliations = ABC
founded = 1990
location = South Bend, Indiana
callsign_meaning = South Bend
former_callsigns = W58BT (1990-1995)
owner = Weigel Broadcasting
"(sale pending to Schurz Communications)"
licensee = WBND-TV Limited Partnership
former_affiliations = Primary:
Fox (1990-1995)
Secondary:
UPN (late 1990s-2003)
homepage = [http://www.abc57.com/ ABC57.com]

WBND-LP, is an ABC affiliate based in South Bend, Indiana. The Weigel Broadcasting outlet operates at channel 57 with an ERP of 58.2Kw.

History

WBND originally signed on the air as W58BT, channel 58, in 1990. During its first five years, the station aired regular Fox programming until 1995, when it picked up the ABC affiliation from WSJV, who dropped the network for W58BT's Fox affiliation. They also changed their call letters to WBND that same year. During the 1990s, the station picked up a secondary affiliation with UPN. In 2002 they switched channels to 57 due to WSJV occupying the channel 58 frequency for its DTV signal, and in 2003 they lost their secondary UPN affiliation to WSBT's "UPN Michiana" (now SBT2) digital subchannel.

In January 2008 the station began running an 11 minute long, 11pm newscast nightly. The newscast is produced and anchored by staff at WDJT-TV in Milwaukee. Like WDJT, ABC-57's newscast puts emphasis on providing an early weather forecast. WBND is the third Weigel station to carry a newscast produced by WDJT, the others being their sister stations WMLW-CA and WYTU-LP. Local video is shot by photographers in South Bend and then transmitted to WDJT via satellite.

In early August 2008, Weigel Broadcasting agreed to sell all three of its South Bend stations, including WBND, to Schurz Communications, the longtime owner of the local CBS affiliate WSBT-TV, for undisclosed terms. [http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6584274.html WSBT Purchases Three Low-Power Stations] , "Broadcasting & Cable", August 4 2008] If this sale is approved by the Federal Communications Commission, WBND's current newscast could be replaced by simulcasts of WSBT-TV's newscasts since the station's operations would move into WSBT's new facility in Mishawaka (slated to open in September 2008).

Digital TV

WBND received a construction permit (CP) from the FCC on March 21, 2007 for a [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=168647 companion digital channel] ; and on September 14, 2007, began broadcasting the digital/HDTV feed on UHF frequency 49, mapped via PSIP to channel 57-1. The station had been providing an HD feed to local cable operators for over a year.

External links

*TVQ|WBND-LP

References