WBGT-CD


WBGT-CD is a low-power, Class A television station in Rochester, New York, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. Owned by Vision Communications, the station has studios on Buffalo Road in the town of Gates, and its transmitter is located on Pinnacle Hill. It can also be seen on Charter Spectrum channel 18.

History

WBGT-CD began operations as WBGT-LP on February 2, 1998. For its first ten months on-air, it was an independent station under the Big TV branding, before it became an UPN affiliate in November of that year. Despite the affiliation, the station used the branding throughout most of the years of the network, only ditching it after 2003. The Victor translator was added in 1999, and in 2001, Time Warner Cable added WBGT-LP to its lineup. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, WBGT also carried a part-time affiliation with America One, broadcasting that network's film and children's programming during the daytime and overnight slot, in addition to a simulcast of Bloomberg Television during the morning hours. Select programming from Urban America Television was also aired by the station.
On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced that the networks would end broadcasting and merge to form The CW, which signed with cable-only WB affiliate WRWB. Several weeks later, MyNetworkTV was announced by Fox as an alternative for UPN or WB affiliates not chosen by The CW. WBGT-LP quickly signed an affiliation deal with MyNetworkTV, and joined the network at its launch on September 5, 2006. Around this time, the suffix was changed from "-LP" to "-CA".
The station has never been added to DirecTV or Dish Network; it has no must-carry rights as a low-power operation. Eventually, when it signed on its digital facilities, the station's calls were changed to WBGT-CD.

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:
ChannelRes.AspectShort nameProgramming
46.1720p16:9WBGTMyNetworkTV
46.2480i4:3RetroRetro TV
46.4480i16:9DABLDabl
46.5480i16:9CatchyCatchy Comedy
46.6480i16:9ToonsMeTV Toons
46.7480i16:9MoviesMovies!

Former translator

WBGT-CD was formerly also seen over-the-air on analog repeater W26BZ in Victor, which is no longer licensed. This broadcast from a transmitter south of Perinton's Egypt hamlet along the Monroe–Ontario county line. This translator was replaced with another, WGCE-CD, some time before 2018; WGCE was spun off to HC2 Holdings in August 2018.