Branding .1: WGBY 57
.2: WGBY World
.3: WGBY Kids
.4: WGBY Create Channels Digital: 22 (UHF)
Virtual: 57 (PSIP) Subchannels .1: 1080i WGBYDT1
.2: 480i WGBYDT2
.3: 480i WGBYDT3
.4: 480i WGBYDT4 Affiliations .1: PBS
.2: World
.3: PBS Kids
.4: Create Owner WGBH Educational Foundation First air date September 26, 1971; 45 years ago (1971-09-26) | ||
WGBY-TV, virtual channel 57 (UHF digital channel 22), is a PBS member television station located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The station is owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation, based in Boston, Massachusetts, but has its own independent web presence and local programming separate from that of WGBH-TV. Its transmitter is located on the peak of Mount Tom in Holyoke with the area's other commercial stations, and provides programming to much of western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut, with studios based in the Irene Mennen Hunter Public Media Center located at 44 Hampden Street alongside I-91 in downtown Springfield (dedicated for the heiress to the Mennen personal care fortune and former WGBY board member). WGBY can also be received in Windham County, Vermont on Comcast on channel 2.
Overview
The station was first signed on the air on September 26, 1971. The station's digital programming channels include WGBY Kids, Create and World, which are similar to the WGBH channels of the same names seen in Boston on WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV, but have some changes made to include locally produced WGBY programs. In October 2006, WGBY became the first television station in New England to produce all of its local programming content in high definition.
Unlike its Boston counterpart, WGBY does not operate an affiliated radio station; the area is instead served by WFCR (88.5) in Amherst, and Connecticut Public Radio satellite station WAIC (91.9). Some Spanish language programming is also broadcast for Springfield's Hispanic & Latino community.
On August 4, 2008, WGBY filed a request with the FCC to discontinue regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 57, on November 5, 2008 – some three months prior to the original mandated analog shut-off date. The petition cited the need to replace the current analog antenna with the post transition digital 22 antenna. WGBY also filed for an STA to operate at 50% analog power prior to the early shut down date due to equipment failure Although it had an assigned digital channel that it would move to post-transition that differed from its original digital channel, WGBY continued to broadcast its digital signal on its pre-transition allocation (UHF channel 58). On April 27, 2009, the station's digital signal later moved to UHF channel 22, using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 57, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69 that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition.
On January 5, 2013, WGBY held its first kick off event and major fundraiser, the The WGBY Masterpiece Ball in Celebration of Downton Abbey.
On January 16, 2017, the station launched the PBS Kids Channel network on its third subchannel.