Branding My 8 | Sister station(s) WICZ | |
Channels Analog: 10 (VHF)
Digital: WICZ-DT 8.2 (VHF)
Virtual: 40.2 (PSIP) Affiliations MyNetworkTV (2006–present) Owner Northwest Broadcasting
(Stainless Broadcasting, L.P.) Call letters' meaning We're Binghamton's UPN
(refers to former affiliation) | ||
WBPN-LP is the low-powered, MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Eastern Twin Tiers of Southern Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Licensed to Morris, New York, it airs an analog signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter on Ingraham Hill in the town of Binghamton. Owned by Northwest Broadcasting, WBPN is sister to Fox outlet WICZ-TV and the two stations share studios on Vestal Parkway East/NY 434 in Vestal. Syndicated programming on this television station includes 30 Rock, The Office, Family Guy, and Friends among others.
Due to its analog signal transmitting at an extremely low-power, the broadcast radius only includes the immediate areas south of the Susquehanna River North Branch and does not even reach most of the city of Binghamton. WBPN is more widely available on the second digital subchannel of WICZ. This can be seen in 720p high definition on VHF channel 8.2 (or virtual channel 40.2 via PSIP) from the same transmitter tower. WBPN is also offered on Time Warner Cable channel 8 (hence the on-air branding My 8) and in HD on digital channel 1215.
History
The station, as translator W10CO, was purchased by Northwest Broadcasting in 2000. At this point, the call sign became WBPN-LP after it upgraded to low-powered status. The channel assumed the market's UPN affiliation from WICZ which had been previously aired the network in a secondary manner since the late-1990s.
On September 16, 2013, it was announced Mission Broadcasting would acquire WBPN and WICZ from Northwest Broadcasting. Upon the deal's completion, the stations' operations would have been taken over by Nexstar Broadcasting Group making them sister stations to WIVT and WBGH-CD. Northwest withdrew the license assignment application on March 18, 2015 following the deal's cancellation. Prior to an upgrade to WICZ's transmitter, the digital simulcast of WBPN on WICZ-DT2 was only seen in 480i standard definition.
The station has a construction permit to air a low-powered digital signal of its own on UHF channel 23 under the call sign WBPN-LD. It is unknown when this signal will officially sign-on, however. WICZ-DT2 currently serves as WBPN's digital signal since, as a low-powered analog outlet, it does not operate one of its own.