WHMB-TV
Encyclopedia
WHMB-TV is a predominantly Christian
television station serving the Indianapolis
, Indiana
market on digital channel 16. They also run some secular general entertainment a few hours daily (except on Sundays). The station is owned by LeSEA
Broadcasting, also known as World Harvest Broadcasting.
The organization was founded by Assembly of God Minister Lester Sumrall
(1913–1996). His sons are active with the ministry. LeSEA also owns stations in South Bend, Honolulu, Tulsa, New Orleans, Denver, and Colorado Springs as well as a few Christian radio
stations.
baseball; Dr. Hansen was so proud of this, he broadcast its installation live. The success was short-lived—a few days later, WURD closed down. Shortly afterward, Sumrall acquired the station, rebranding it WHMB-TV.
The present-day WHMB signed on in 1972, operating from early afternoon to midnight, and running mostly religious shows. In 1974, the station began signing on late in the morning after adding a couple runs a day of The 700 Club
. By then the station offered children's programs and some westerns from about 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. The station was on the air 18 hours a day in 1975, after adding PTL Club a couple times per day. By 1977, the station was on the air 24 hours a day running Christian programs until 7 a.m. They ran cartoons from 7-9 a.m., Christian programs until 2 p.m., classic sitcoms until 3 p.m., cartoons until 5 p.m., more sitcoms and sometimes westerns until 7 p.m., and Christian shows thereafter. On Saturdays, they ran child and family-friendly programming until 6 p.m., and religious programming after that. On Sunday, they ran Christian programs the entire day.
They also featured a local children's program titled Captain Hook, in which the host and his pirates used music and object lessons to teach children about Jesus Christ. Refer to link below to read more about "Captain Hook". This show disappeared when the episodes were returned to the now-deceased actor who played the title role. The station twice a day ran a daily weekday locally produced teaching program with Lester Sumrall as host. They also ran a music and variety locally produced Christian program hosted by the Sumrall family three times a day. They ran the 90 minute edition of The 700 Club live at 10 a.m. along with repeating twice a day the hour edition. They also ran the two hour PTL Club (until it was trimmed to an hour in 1982) once a day and repeated the hour editions two other times a day. Other Christian shows included Jimmy Swaggart
, Richard Roberts
, among others.
Secular shows included Bozo
, The Little Rascals
, My Three Sons
, Dennis the Menace (the sitcom), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
, The Lone Ranger
, and other shows. From about 1976 to 1984, they ran some cartoons as well including Tom and Jerry
(until 1981), Bullwinkle
, Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
, Underdog, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
, Jonny Quest
, The Flintstones
(1981–1984), Bugs Bunny
(until 1982), among others.
By 1984, they were running Christian programming the entire day except for the 3-6 p.m. weekday period and Saturdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Today, they run secular shows from about 2-7 p.m. weekdays. The secular shows included the sitcoms mentioned above, westerns, public domain movies. By the 1990s the sitcoms became slightly more recent. They included The Brady Bunch
, Happy Days
, Family Ties
, The Odd Couple
, and others.
In 1997, WHMB picked up the TV rights to the Indiana high school football and girls' and boys' basketball championships. The station chose not to renew those rights in 2004, but continues to air high school games on Friday nights. They also currently air a handful of games every year of the Indianapolis Indians
triple-A baseball club, including some away games, (in which case they pick up the home team's broadcast feed).
They run many locally-produced religious shows, along with shows like The 700 Club
, Benny Hinn
, Kenneth Copeland
, and others.
For period in the mid-'90s, WHMB would broadcast the 6 p.m. edition of WISH's news at 7 p.m.
The station's channel is multiplexed:
Digital channels>
Channel
Programming
40.1
Main WHMB programming
40.2
World Harvest Television
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
television station serving the Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
market on digital channel 16. They also run some secular general entertainment a few hours daily (except on Sundays). The station is owned by LeSEA
LeSEA
LeSEA Broadcasting , also known as World Harvest Television, is an American Christian television network with over 40 affiliate stations in a number of U.S...
Broadcasting, also known as World Harvest Broadcasting.
The organization was founded by Assembly of God Minister Lester Sumrall
Lester Sumrall
Lester Frank Sumrall was an ordained American minister who formed the LeSEA broadcast network.-Biography:...
(1913–1996). His sons are active with the ministry. LeSEA also owns stations in South Bend, Honolulu, Tulsa, New Orleans, Denver, and Colorado Springs as well as a few Christian radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
stations.
History
Channel 40 originally existed for a few months in 1971 as WURD, owned by local minister Dr. Wendell Hansen. One of the earliest religious TV stations to sign on, it was run cheaply, on the air only in evenings and featuring a modest selection of local and syndicated religious programs. Its most crowning achievement was the installation of a microwave receiver, so they could carry live telecasts of Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
baseball; Dr. Hansen was so proud of this, he broadcast its installation live. The success was short-lived—a few days later, WURD closed down. Shortly afterward, Sumrall acquired the station, rebranding it WHMB-TV.
The present-day WHMB signed on in 1972, operating from early afternoon to midnight, and running mostly religious shows. In 1974, the station began signing on late in the morning after adding a couple runs a day of The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
. By then the station offered children's programs and some westerns from about 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. The station was on the air 18 hours a day in 1975, after adding PTL Club a couple times per day. By 1977, the station was on the air 24 hours a day running Christian programs until 7 a.m. They ran cartoons from 7-9 a.m., Christian programs until 2 p.m., classic sitcoms until 3 p.m., cartoons until 5 p.m., more sitcoms and sometimes westerns until 7 p.m., and Christian shows thereafter. On Saturdays, they ran child and family-friendly programming until 6 p.m., and religious programming after that. On Sunday, they ran Christian programs the entire day.
They also featured a local children's program titled Captain Hook, in which the host and his pirates used music and object lessons to teach children about Jesus Christ. Refer to link below to read more about "Captain Hook". This show disappeared when the episodes were returned to the now-deceased actor who played the title role. The station twice a day ran a daily weekday locally produced teaching program with Lester Sumrall as host. They also ran a music and variety locally produced Christian program hosted by the Sumrall family three times a day. They ran the 90 minute edition of The 700 Club live at 10 a.m. along with repeating twice a day the hour edition. They also ran the two hour PTL Club (until it was trimmed to an hour in 1982) once a day and repeated the hour editions two other times a day. Other Christian shows included Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
, Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts may refer to:* Richard Roberts , British engineer* Richard W. Roberts, American judge*Richard Roberts , Anglican Archdeacon of St Asaph...
, among others.
Secular shows included Bozo
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.Originally created by Alan W...
, The Little Rascals
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
, My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
, Dennis the Menace (the sitcom), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
, The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger (TV Series)
The Lone Ranger is an American western television series starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. The live-action series initially featured Gerald Mohr as the episode narrator...
, and other shows. From about 1976 to 1984, they ran some cartoons as well including Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
(until 1981), Bullwinkle
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959 to June 28, 1964 on the ABC and NBC television networks...
, Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales is a popular, semi-educational animated cartoon TV series that originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1966. It was produced by Total Television, the same company that produced the earlier King Leonardo and the later Underdog, and primarily sponsored by General Mills...
, Underdog, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a half-hour live-action/animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions on NBC primetime in 1968, based on the famous Mark Twain characters.-Plot:...
, Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest is a media franchise that revolves around a boy named Jonny Quest who accompanies his father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964-65 television series and has come to include two subsequent television series, two television films, and a video game.-1964–1965...
, The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
(1981–1984), Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
(until 1982), among others.
By 1984, they were running Christian programming the entire day except for the 3-6 p.m. weekday period and Saturdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Today, they run secular shows from about 2-7 p.m. weekdays. The secular shows included the sitcoms mentioned above, westerns, public domain movies. By the 1990s the sitcoms became slightly more recent. They included The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
, Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
, Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
, The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
, and others.
In 1997, WHMB picked up the TV rights to the Indiana high school football and girls' and boys' basketball championships. The station chose not to renew those rights in 2004, but continues to air high school games on Friday nights. They also currently air a handful of games every year of the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
triple-A baseball club, including some away games, (in which case they pick up the home team's broadcast feed).
They run many locally-produced religious shows, along with shows like The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
, Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
, Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland is an American author, public speaker, and televangelist. He is the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, which preaches a “prosperity gospel”: "Prosperity gospel assures followers that the more they give including in the form of tithes to the church, the more they will receive...
, and others.
For period in the mid-'90s, WHMB would broadcast the 6 p.m. edition of WISH's news at 7 p.m.
Digital TV
On January 16, 2009, WHMB-TV channel 40's analog signal ended. Subsequently, digital channel 16 was the only way to receive the station's programming. An application exists in the FCC database to relocate WHMB-TV to digital channel 20, but no action on that request has yet occurred.The station's channel is multiplexed:
LeSEA
LeSEA Broadcasting , also known as World Harvest Television, is an American Christian television network with over 40 affiliate stations in a number of U.S...