WBYD-CA
Encyclopedia
WBYD-CA is a Class A
low-powered television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. It is owned by Benjamin Perez with its transmitter and antenna located on the WQED
tower in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, along with its sister stations WIIC-LP
and WPTG-LP. However, the station is licensed to Johnstown, Pennsylvania
. It is famous for televising a live auction for two years from 2001 to late 2002. It is an over-the-air station that is not carried on any local cable TV system or DBS
provider.
affiliate for the life of the short-lived network. However, after the demise of Network One, the station became an affiliate of America's Collectibles Network, and in 2001, changed its call letters to WONT, and started broadcasting live programming originated from its studios then located at the Eastland Mall
in North Versailles, Pennsylvania
.
), John Hulmes, a local entertainer, and Cheryl McCall, a local florist. In the next few months, both Sly Jock and John Hulmes left, causing Cheryl McCall to become the permanent host of WANTV.
In mid-2001, WANTV was renamed Live Auction Television, and its hours reduced the show back to three days a week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) from 7 pm until 1 am. Also, WONT ended its affiliation with ACN, and became an affiliate of the Shop at Home Network
.
The station had a very small staff at the time, causing people to have to perform multiple job functions during the live shows. The owner of the station, Benjamin Perez would serve as the manager of the auctions, and Joe Krinock, the technical director at the station, would serve as the camera operator and the announcer. This caused the show to have a very low budget look, as only one camera was used during the shows. Also, in a revolutionary move, the announcer or the manager of the auction would interrupt and talk to the host on-air to ask questions that viewers called in with, since the station did not have an IFB system.
However, the show was not profitable. In a move to boost revenue, in 2002, the show was again renamed as Auction Live, and started being shown on its sister stations, WIIC-LP
and WPTG-LP, creating a three station simulcast. Also in 2002, the station changed its callsign to "WBYD" and became a Class A LPTV station.
In August 2002, Live Auction Television went on hiatus due to declining sales of merchandise on the show. It would return two months later, but by the end of 2002 the show was off the air completely.
WBYD would then shift gears and start showing limited locally-originated programming, including a local talk show created by the Pittsburgh-based band American Metal.
In 2005, the owner of the Eastland Mall, Benderson Development, announced the mall was going to be demolished, and cancelled the leases of all the remaining tenants, including WBYD. The station was moved to a trailer that is located next to the broadcast tower of WQED-TV.
Today, the station simulcasts Jewelry TV.
Class A television service
The class A television service is a system for regulating some low-power television stations in the United States. Class A stations are denoted by the broadcast callsign suffix "-CA" or "-CD" , although very many analog -CA stations have a digital companion channel that was assigned the -LD...
low-powered television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. It is owned by Benjamin Perez with its transmitter and antenna located on the WQED
WQED (TV)
WQED is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established April 1, 1954, it was the first community-sponsored television station in the United States as well as the fifth public TV station...
tower in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, along with its sister stations WIIC-LP
WIIC-LP
WIIC-LP is a low-power television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, broadcasting locally on channel 29 from facilities in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. WIIC-LP is a former affiliate of MTV2. Like most over-the-air MTV2 affiliates, it was an affiliate of The Box until that network's...
and WPTG-LP. However, the station is licensed to Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
. It is famous for televising a live auction for two years from 2001 to late 2002. It is an over-the-air station that is not carried on any local cable TV system or DBS
DBS
-Automobiles:*Aston Martin DBS, 1967–72 automobile model*Aston Martin DBS V12, 2008- automobile model, officially also called the Aston Martin DBS-Technology:*Database system*Discbox Slider, a carton board disc case...
provider.
History
W35AZ signed on in the early 1990s. It had been a Network OneNetwork One
Network One was a small "independent" network, consisting of mostly low-powered television stations, scattered across the Continental United States, similar to Urban America Television, America One, or the better-known Ion...
affiliate for the life of the short-lived network. However, after the demise of Network One, the station became an affiliate of America's Collectibles Network, and in 2001, changed its call letters to WONT, and started broadcasting live programming originated from its studios then located at the Eastland Mall
Eastland Mall (North Versailles, Pennsylvania)
Eastland Mall was a two-level, enclosed shopping mall located at 833 East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Blvd in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, situated on of land at the peak of a hill overlooking the Monongahela River. The mall was home to such stores as Gimbels, Sears, J.C. Penney, F.W. Woolworth...
in North Versailles, Pennsylvania
North Versailles, Pennsylvania
North Versailles is a first class township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,229 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Programming
WANTV was a live auction of salvage merchandise that ran from 7 pm until midnight each day. Originally, the show had multiple hosts, but in the first two months of the show being on the air, eventually had a rotating cast of three hosts: Sly Jock (formerly a DJ on WAMO-FMWAMO-FM
WAOB-FM, formerly WAMO-FM, is a radio station serving the Pittsburgh area. It is currently owned by St. Joseph Missions, a Catholic-based organization based in Pittsburgh. WAOB-FM is licensed to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, broadcasts at 106.7 MHz...
), John Hulmes, a local entertainer, and Cheryl McCall, a local florist. In the next few months, both Sly Jock and John Hulmes left, causing Cheryl McCall to become the permanent host of WANTV.
In mid-2001, WANTV was renamed Live Auction Television, and its hours reduced the show back to three days a week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) from 7 pm until 1 am. Also, WONT ended its affiliation with ACN, and became an affiliate of the Shop at Home Network
Shop at Home Network
The Shop at Home Network was a television network in the United States Before its acquisition by Jewelry Television in 2006, The E. W. Scripps Company owned and operated the network from 2002 until 2006, when the network temporarily ceased operations on June 21...
.
The station had a very small staff at the time, causing people to have to perform multiple job functions during the live shows. The owner of the station, Benjamin Perez would serve as the manager of the auctions, and Joe Krinock, the technical director at the station, would serve as the camera operator and the announcer. This caused the show to have a very low budget look, as only one camera was used during the shows. Also, in a revolutionary move, the announcer or the manager of the auction would interrupt and talk to the host on-air to ask questions that viewers called in with, since the station did not have an IFB system.
However, the show was not profitable. In a move to boost revenue, in 2002, the show was again renamed as Auction Live, and started being shown on its sister stations, WIIC-LP
WIIC-LP
WIIC-LP is a low-power television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, broadcasting locally on channel 29 from facilities in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. WIIC-LP is a former affiliate of MTV2. Like most over-the-air MTV2 affiliates, it was an affiliate of The Box until that network's...
and WPTG-LP, creating a three station simulcast. Also in 2002, the station changed its callsign to "WBYD" and became a Class A LPTV station.
In August 2002, Live Auction Television went on hiatus due to declining sales of merchandise on the show. It would return two months later, but by the end of 2002 the show was off the air completely.
WBYD would then shift gears and start showing limited locally-originated programming, including a local talk show created by the Pittsburgh-based band American Metal.
In 2005, the owner of the Eastland Mall, Benderson Development, announced the mall was going to be demolished, and cancelled the leases of all the remaining tenants, including WBYD. The station was moved to a trailer that is located next to the broadcast tower of WQED-TV.
Today, the station simulcasts Jewelry TV.