WGEN-TV
Encyclopedia
WGEN-TV is a Spanish-language television station
in Key West, Florida
, broadcasting locally on VHF
channel 8 as a Spanish-language independent station under the GenTV branding. It is the full-power primary station of a network of low-power stations throughout the Miami, Florida
market
, including the Florida Keys
.
Since December 2005, WGEN has been controlled by Colombia
n broadcaster Caracol TV
, which holds a 25% stake in the station's ownership, the maximum allowed by Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) regulations regarding foreign ownership of broadcasting stations. Caracol is GenTV's primary program supplier; programming on WGEN includes Colombian and Brazil
ian telenovelas, a news program produced in Colombia, and a local version of Desafío 20.06, a reality show similar to Survivor
. The current incarnation of the station launched on September 18, 2006.
Prior to December 2005, WGEN was, under Sonia Broadcasting (which still holds an interest in the station), co-owned with another Key West station, WDLP-TV channel 22 (now WSBS-TV
).
GenTV's programming is also well known for:
).
Florida Keys:
W21CL was established before 1979 as W65AP, until forced to move out of the 700MHz band by the DTV transition in the United States
. W64AN was also established before 1979, as was W63AL, which was briefly W23BG from late 1990 to early 1991. WDLP-CA began in 1992 as W21BD, which was deleted in June 1994 after its permit expired, and restored the following December. In April 2003 it was upgraded and became WGEN-CA, then WDLP-CA the following month.
W49CL and WGEN-LP in Miami are both now listed as having parent station WSBS-TV
in Key West, indicating that they may be lease
d to that station. Both are still owned by WGEN-TV owner Mapale, which does not show them on the GenTV website's map
of stations. Their successors ("digital companion channels" in FCC terms) are W24DE-D and WGEN-LD respectively, and are both rebroadcasting WGEN-TV. (Unlike full-power stations, they are separate facilities
, and as LPTV stations they are not required to simulcast
the analog video on digital.)
W38AA in Marathon and W39AC in Key West are listed as having WSBS-TV as their primary station, though in the past they had retransmitted WFOR-TV
from Miami. Their respective digital companion channels W08ED-D (under construction) and W12DI-D are shown as having WGEN-TV as the primary station, and 12.1 is shown on WGEN's map as an additional channel for Key West (though only analog 21 is shown for Marathon). Because Key West and even Marathon are well within the broadcast range of both WSBS and WGEN, it is unclear why this would be necessary (or in Key West, useful at all), given the total flatness of the terrain
and water and the complete lack of other obstructions like tall building
s. The only advantage for WSBS is to continue to be seen on analog TV.
All translator stations are owned by Mapale (meaning roughly "map
it") as they have always been.
Digital stations (ending in -D, -LD, or -CD) may use virtual channel
8.1 as the main station does, or may use their physical (RF
) TV channels numbers as their virtual channel. The -CA or -CD suffixes indicate class A protection from other stations.
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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...
in Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, broadcasting locally on VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
channel 8 as a Spanish-language independent station under the GenTV branding. It is the full-power primary station of a network of low-power stations throughout the Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
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...
, including the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
.
Since December 2005, WGEN has been controlled by Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n broadcaster Caracol TV
Caracol TV
Caracol Televisión is a Colombian private national television network, owned by Julio Mario Santo Domingo.- History :Caracol Televisión started in 1954 when Organización de Radiodifusora Caracol offered to afford national television costs, then state-run, through commercial spots...
, which holds a 25% stake in the station's ownership, the maximum allowed by 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) regulations regarding foreign ownership of broadcasting stations. Caracol is GenTV's primary program supplier; programming on WGEN includes Colombian and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian telenovelas, a news program produced in Colombia, and a local version of Desafío 20.06, a reality show similar to Survivor
Survivor (TV series)
Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...
. The current incarnation of the station launched on September 18, 2006.
Prior to December 2005, WGEN was, under Sonia Broadcasting (which still holds an interest in the station), co-owned with another Key West station, WDLP-TV channel 22 (now WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting to the lower Florida Keys on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV since October 17, 2007 and...
).
Programming
As of April 2008, GenTV's programming includes:- Ultima Palabra
- Noticias GenTV
- Nadie es Eterno en el Mundo
- También Caerás
- La Saga, Negocio de FamiliaLa Saga, Negocio de FamiliaLa Saga is a popular Colombian "telenovela" aired in 2004 By Caracol TV and currently airing on GenTV in South Florida. The show follows the history of the Manrique family, which was prominent in the underworld of Bogotá, Colombia, through five generations...
- Club 10
- El Factor Brown
- Oppenheimer Presenta
- Sabrosa Pasión
- Suave Veneno
- Terra Speranza
- Reflexiones de Jesucristo hombre
- TV Marti News
GenTV's programming is also well known for:
- Desafío 20.06
- ¿Quién Manda a Quién? (a remake of Who's The Boss produced by Caracol TV and SPESony Pictures EntertainmentSony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
) - La Boca Loca De Paul hosted by Paul BouchePaul BouchePaul Bouche is a television producer & entertainer. Paul is the host, creator and producer of a variety of television and radio programs. Paul has worked as a TV and Radio Host and Comedian in the United States and Latin America, performing as a Stand Up Comedian and on air television and radio...
- La Ex
Call sign changes
WGEN-TV has had several call sign changes over the years. This has caused some confusion, both among viewers and writers (though likely not as much as its former sister station, WSBS-TVWSBS-TV
WSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting to the lower Florida Keys on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV since October 17, 2007 and...
).
- WWFD (May 26, 1996 – February 7, 2000)
- WWTU (February 8, 2000 – February 7, 2002)
- WVIB (February 8, 2002 – June 30, 2004)
- WGEN-TV (July 1, 2004 – Present)
Repeaters
Several broadcast translators repeat the station. From north to south, these are:- WDLP-CA 21 Miami, Pompano BeachPompano Beach, FloridaPompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
(Carver Ranches tower)- permitConstruction permitA 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...
to flash-cutFlash-cutA 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...
to digital as WDLP-CD 21 Miami
- permit
- W24DE-D 24 Miami (Carver Ranches tower 25°59′9"N 80°11′37"W)
- WGEN-LD 45 Miami (downtownDowntown MiamiDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
) - W64AN-D 64 Rock HarborRock Harbor, FloridaRock Harbor is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located in the upper Florida Keys on Key Largo on US 1 northeast of Thompson and southwest of Newport and the CDP of Key Largo.-Geography:...
or HomesteadHomestead, FloridaHomestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
- moving to Carver Ranches tower as W17xx-D 17 Miami
Florida Keys:
- W21CL 21 MarathonMarathon, FloridaMarathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
(northeastern Grassy KeyGrassy KeyGrassy Key, Florida is an island in the middle Florida Keys.It is located on U.S. 1 , at approximately mile markers 57—60, below the Conch Keys. It has an area of 3.65 km², with a population of 974 as of the census 2000....
)- co-located with unrelated W42DM, W29CW, and permit for W18DU-D
- W63AL 63 MarathonMarathon, FloridaMarathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
(southwestern Vaca Key)- permit modified in June 2010 to cut to digital on 35 by October 2010
- W08ED-D 8 Marathon (southwestern Vaca Key)
- permit extended again in July 2010 to construct by January 2011
- W12DI-D 12 Key West
W21CL was established before 1979 as W65AP, until forced to move out of the 700MHz band by the DTV transition in the United States
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...
. W64AN was also established before 1979, as was W63AL, which was briefly W23BG from late 1990 to early 1991. WDLP-CA began in 1992 as W21BD, which was deleted in June 1994 after its permit expired, and restored the following December. In April 2003 it was upgraded and became WGEN-CA, then WDLP-CA the following month.
W49CL and WGEN-LP in Miami are both now listed as having parent station WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting to the lower Florida Keys on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV since October 17, 2007 and...
in Key West, indicating that they may be lease
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
d to that station. Both are still owned by WGEN-TV owner Mapale, which does not show them on the GenTV website's map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
of stations. Their successors ("digital companion channels" in FCC terms) are W24DE-D and WGEN-LD respectively, and are both rebroadcasting WGEN-TV. (Unlike full-power stations, they are separate facilities
Facility ID
The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international broadcast station in its Common Database System . Licensees are required to provide the relevant station's FIN when filing reports and...
, and as LPTV stations they are not required to simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
the analog video on digital.)
W38AA in Marathon and W39AC in Key West are listed as having WSBS-TV as their primary station, though in the past they had retransmitted WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
from Miami. Their respective digital companion channels W08ED-D (under construction) and W12DI-D are shown as having WGEN-TV as the primary station, and 12.1 is shown on WGEN's map as an additional channel for Key West (though only analog 21 is shown for Marathon). Because Key West and even Marathon are well within the broadcast range of both WSBS and WGEN, it is unclear why this would be necessary (or in Key West, useful at all), given the total flatness of the terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
and water and the complete lack of other obstructions like tall building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s. The only advantage for WSBS is to continue to be seen on analog TV.
All translator stations are owned by Mapale (meaning roughly "map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
it") as they have always been.
Digital stations (ending in -D, -LD, or -CD) may use 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....
8.1 as the main station does, or may use their physical (RF
RF
-Science and technology:* Radiative forcing, a measure of the change in balance of the energy absorbed and emitted by the Earth's atmosphere* "Rate of flow", as in Volumetric flow rate* Radio frequency...
) TV channels numbers as their virtual channel. The -CA or -CD suffixes indicate class A protection from other stations.
External links
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