WBSF
Encyclopedia
WBSF is the CW-affiliated television station
for the Flint/Tri-Cities
market that is licensed to Bay City
. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting
, the station is sister to NBC
affiliate WEYI-TV
and the two share studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township
along the Genesee
and Saginaw
County line. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter located on Becker Road in Robin Glen-Indiantown
, in Buena Vista Township
, east of Saginaw
; the station can also be seen on WEYI's second digital subchannel (virtual channel
25.2) from its Vienna Township transmitter. Syndicated
programming on WBSF includes: Family Guy
, Frasier
, and My Name Is Earl
' Mid-Michigan home from its inception until 2006. After that, fellow WB affiliate WMYD
and NBC affiliate WDIV-TV
in Detroit became the flagship stations. Until WBSF was formed, Mid-Michigan viewers watched Pistons games through another Detroit station, UPN
affiliate WKBD
. Prior to WBSF's opening in 2004, WB programming was seen on WEYI in the early-2000s mainly in the overnight periods. Before WEYI's involvement began, Mid-Michigan had no WB service other than from Chicago
's WGN America on cable when this aired WB programming nationwide until 1999. Like WMYD, WBSF was the last television station in its market
to air cartoons on weekday afternoons. Since December 30, 2005 what was then Kids' WB
has been shown only on Saturday mornings replaced by the Daytime WB
block on weekdays.
At some point in 2006, it was added to WEYI's new second digital subchannel. With the merger of The WB and UPN to become The CW, WBSF became the area's network affiliate in the fall of 2006. Because of this, a chance existed that WKBD (which along with WBKP
are the only other over-the-air CW affiliates in Michigan
) would be dropped from this market's cable systems as both WBSF and WKBD would be CW affiliates. However, in the case of Midland
, two CBS
affiliates do coexist on the same cable system. This occurred on Charter
's Tri-Cities
systems which replaced WKBD with MyNetworkTV
affiliatwe WNEM-DT2
that became the new home of Pistons basketball that year. As a result of the network change, WBSF rebranded from "Mid-Michigan's WB" to "CW 46 Mid-Michigan". However, its call letters were not changed as the "B" in the calls also stands for Bay City which is the station's city of license. "S" and "F" stand for Saginaw and Flint, respectively. WBSF signed-on its analog channel on September 13, 2006 although it continues to be seen on WEYI-DT2.
WBSF has served as an alternate NBC affiliate. The station aired a WWE Saturday Night Main Event on tape delay
in 2005 due to WEYI's Pistons coverage. In 2006, the channel aired an episode of Friday Night Lights
(also on tape delay) due to WEYI's broadcast of the second Michigan gubernatorial debate. The station may air any preempted NBC program should the preemption occur on WEYI for a local special, breaking news story, or any other emergency.
WBSF once aired a weeknight newscast known as The 7 O'Clock News on CW 46 which was produced by WEYI. This production was canceled in April 2008.
Because it was granted an original construction permit
after the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) finalized the digital television
allotment plan on April 21, 1997, WBSF did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. Instead, after the DTV transition
on June 12, 2009, it was required to turn off its analog signal
and turn on its digital signal
(an action called a "flash-cut
").
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for the Flint/Tri-Cities
Flint/Tri-Cities
The Flint/Tri-Cities Region or Saginaw Valley is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region is composed of the area surrounding Flint, Michigan, the Tri Cities, the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River . Flint's population is 102,434; it is the seventh largest city in Michigan...
market that is licensed to Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting
Barrington Broadcasting
Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC , headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois is an entity wholly focused on broadcast television. The company's assets mainly consist of television stations in middle and small sized markets...
, the station is sister to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WEYI-TV
WEYI-TV
WEYI-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market that is licensed to Saginaw. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 30 from a 193 kilowatt, high transmitter at its studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township along the Genesee and...
and the two share studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township
Vienna Township, Genesee County, Michigan
Vienna Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,108 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* The city of Clio is within the township, but is administratively autonomous...
along the Genesee
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
and Saginaw
Saginaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 210,039 people, 80,430 households, and 55,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile . There were 85,505 housing units at an average density of 106 per square mile...
County line. It broadcasts a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter located on Becker Road in Robin Glen-Indiantown
Robin Glen-Indiantown, Michigan
Robin Glen-Indiantown is a census-designated place in Buena Vista Charter Township, Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP is used for statistical purposes and has no legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 1,158 at the 2000 census.The CDP includes the...
, in Buena Vista Township
Buena Vista Charter Township, Michigan
Buena Vista Charter Township is a charter township of Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 10,318...
, east of Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
; the station can also be seen on WEYI's second digital subchannel (virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
25.2) from its Vienna Township transmitter. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on WBSF includes: Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, and My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
Digital programming
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46.1 | 720p | 16:9 | Main WBSF programming / The CW |
| 46.2 | WEYI-TV "NBC 25" |
History
In 2004, Barrington Broadcasting launched WB affiliate WBSF which was offered exclusively on cable. The station was the Detroit PistonsDetroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
' Mid-Michigan home from its inception until 2006. After that, fellow WB affiliate WMYD
WMYD
WMYD is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southeast Michigan licensed to Detroit. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park along the Oakland and Wayne County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
and NBC affiliate WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations and is the flagship station and home base of the group with the offices of the group located alongside WDIV's studios; the "Local" branding now...
in Detroit became the flagship stations. Until WBSF was formed, Mid-Michigan viewers watched Pistons games through another Detroit station, UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
affiliate WKBD
WKBD
WKBD-TV, virtual channel 50 , is an owned and operated station of the CW Television Network, based in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned and operated by the CBS Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with sister station WWJ-TV . Its studios and transmitters are located at 11 mile and...
. Prior to WBSF's opening in 2004, WB programming was seen on WEYI in the early-2000s mainly in the overnight periods. Before WEYI's involvement began, Mid-Michigan had no WB service other than from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's WGN America on cable when this aired WB programming nationwide until 1999. Like WMYD, WBSF was the last television station in its market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
to air cartoons on weekday afternoons. Since December 30, 2005 what was then Kids' WB
Kids' WB
Kids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
has been shown only on Saturday mornings replaced by the Daytime WB
The CW Daytime
The CW Daytime is an afternoon programming block broadcast by The CW Television Network. It was formerly known as Daytime WB, which aired on the defunct The WB Television Network.-History:...
block on weekdays.
At some point in 2006, it was added to WEYI's new second digital subchannel. With the merger of The WB and UPN to become The CW, WBSF became the area's network affiliate in the fall of 2006. Because of this, a chance existed that WKBD (which along with WBKP
WBKP
WBKP is the CW-affiliated television station for Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula licensed to Calumet. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter on Tolonen Hill in Atlantic Mine. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 2...
are the only other over-the-air CW affiliates in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) would be dropped from this market's cable systems as both WBSF and WKBD would be CW affiliates. However, in the case of Midland
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, two CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliates do coexist on the same cable system. This occurred on Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
's Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities (Michigan)
The name Tri-Cities refers to two regions in the U.S. state of Michigan. Both are located in the Lower Peninsula.-The Greater Tri-Cities Region:The larger and more well known Tri-Cities is the region surrounding the cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland...
systems which replaced WKBD with MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliatwe WNEM-DT2
WNEM-DT2
WNEM-DT2 is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market in Michigan. It is a second digital subchannel of CBS affiliate WNEM-TV that is owned by the Meredith Corporation. Over-the-air, the station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 22.2 from a transmitter...
that became the new home of Pistons basketball that year. As a result of the network change, WBSF rebranded from "Mid-Michigan's WB" to "CW 46 Mid-Michigan". However, its call letters were not changed as the "B" in the calls also stands for Bay City which is the station's city of license. "S" and "F" stand for Saginaw and Flint, respectively. WBSF signed-on its analog channel on September 13, 2006 although it continues to be seen on WEYI-DT2.
WBSF has served as an alternate NBC affiliate. The station aired a WWE Saturday Night Main Event on tape delay
Broadcast delay
In radio and television, broadcast delay refers to the practice of intentionally delaying broadcast of live material. A short delay is often used to prevent profanity, bloopers, violence, or other undesirable material from making it to air, including more mundane problems such as technical...
in 2005 due to WEYI's Pistons coverage. In 2006, the channel aired an episode of Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
(also on tape delay) due to WEYI's broadcast of the second Michigan gubernatorial debate. The station may air any preempted NBC program should the preemption occur on WEYI for a local special, breaking news story, or any other emergency.
WBSF once aired a weeknight newscast known as The 7 O'Clock News on CW 46 which was produced by WEYI. This production was canceled in April 2008.
Because it was granted an original construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
after the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) finalized the digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
allotment plan on April 21, 1997, WBSF did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. Instead, after the DTV transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
on June 12, 2009, it was required to turn off its analog signal
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
and turn on its digital signal
Digital signal
A digital signal is a physical signal that is a representation of a sequence of discrete values , for example of an arbitrary bit stream, or of a digitized analog signal...
(an action called a "flash-cut
Flash-cut
A flash-cut, also called flash-cutover, is an immediate change in a complex system, with no phase-in period.Some telephone area codes were split immediately, rather than being phased in with a permissive dialing period. An example is telephone area code 213, which was split into 213 and 714 all at...
").