WRBU
Encyclopedia
WRBU is the MyNetworkTV
television affiliate for the St. Louis, Missouri
area. The station is licensed to East St. Louis, Illinois
, and is the flagship station of Roberts Broadcasting
. It is the only major St. Louis station that is licensed on the Illinois side of the market, though its studios are located in St. Louis.
WRBU's digital signal on UHF 47 is multiplexed:>
Channel
Video
Aspect
Programming
46.1
720p
16:9
Main WRBU programming / MyNetworkTV
46.2
480i
4:3
Me-TV
WRBU added subchannel 46.2 with programming from the Weigel Broadcasting-owned network Me-TV in 2011.
24 hours per day.
WHSL added UPN prime time programming in the Fall of 2002. On April 1, 2003 (3 months after the station adopted the WRBU call sign
), the station became a full UPN affiliate and added sitcoms, syndicated talk shows and reality shows to fill out the schedule. Until this switch, St. Louis had been the largest television market without a full UPN affiliate. Prior to channel 46 aligning with UPN, the network had been seen on KPLR-TV
after primetime and even earlier on ABC
station KDNL-TV
also after hours. KPLR previously shared UPN with conservative religious station KNLC-TV, but KNLC turned down most UPN shows that it found offensive.
When CBS Corporation
and Time Warner
announced in January 2006 that the UPN and WB
networks would merge to become The CW
, the same announcement stated that Tribune-owned KPLR-TV
would be St. Louis' affiliate for the new network. Channel 46 announced they would take the affiliation for the new MyNetworkTV
network, which launched in September of the same year.
WRBU's transmitter is located in Jefferson County, Missouri (near Antonia, Missouri) at 38 23 18 North, 90 29 16 West. Antenna Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT) is 345 meters/1132 feet; the antenna structure itself is 250 meters/800 feet above ground level. East St. Louis is the official city-of-license. WRBU's digital signal on Channel 47 has an effective radiated power (ERP) of only 109 kilowatts (kW), making reception problematic over much of the metropolitan area. The station serves as a backup NBC
affiliate whenever KSDK
pre-empts national programming.
Until March 2010, Roberts Broadcasting did not wholly own WRBU. Although Roberts Broadcasting held the license since 2002, it merely leased the station facility from Univision Communications
' TeleFutura
subsidiary (this arrangement existed because neither Univision nor TeleFutura had any over-the-air presence at all in St. Louis due to the area's very small Hispanic population). Roberts acquired the station's facility outright from Univision that month.
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
television affiliate for the St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
area. The station is licensed to East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...
, and is the flagship station of Roberts Broadcasting
Roberts Broadcasting
Roberts Broadcasting Company is a media company based in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a subsidiary of the parent company, the Roberts Companies, one of the largest African American owned conglomerates and is co-owned by brothers Steven and Michael Roberts. The company owns four network affiliates,...
. It is the only major St. Louis station that is licensed on the Illinois side of the market, though its studios are located in St. Louis.
Digital television
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
WRBU added subchannel 46.2 with programming from the Weigel Broadcasting-owned network Me-TV in 2011.
Analog-to-digital conversion
WRBU shut down its analog signal on January 21, 2009.History
The station debuted on September 11, 1989 as WHSL-TV. It showed the Home Shopping NetworkHome Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
24 hours per day.
WHSL added UPN prime time programming in the Fall of 2002. On April 1, 2003 (3 months after the station adopted the WRBU call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
), the station became a full UPN affiliate and added sitcoms, syndicated talk shows and reality shows to fill out the schedule. Until this switch, St. Louis had been the largest television market without a full UPN affiliate. Prior to channel 46 aligning with UPN, the network had been seen on KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KPLR is owned by the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. The station's studios are located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, in Northwest St. Louis County KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station...
after primetime and even earlier on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
station KDNL-TV
KDNL-TV
KDNL-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for St. Louis, Missouri. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 31 from a transmitter in Shrewsbury. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 12 and in high definition on digital channel 780. Owned by the Sinclair...
also after hours. KPLR previously shared UPN with conservative religious station KNLC-TV, but KNLC turned down most UPN shows that it found offensive.
When CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
and Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
announced in January 2006 that the UPN and WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
networks would merge to become The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
, the same announcement stated that Tribune-owned KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KPLR is owned by the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. The station's studios are located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, in Northwest St. Louis County KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station...
would be St. Louis' affiliate for the new network. Channel 46 announced they would take the affiliation for the new MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
network, which launched in September of the same year.
WRBU's transmitter is located in Jefferson County, Missouri (near Antonia, Missouri) at 38 23 18 North, 90 29 16 West. Antenna Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT) is 345 meters/1132 feet; the antenna structure itself is 250 meters/800 feet above ground level. East St. Louis is the official city-of-license. WRBU's digital signal on Channel 47 has an effective radiated power (ERP) of only 109 kilowatts (kW), making reception problematic over much of the metropolitan area. The station serves as a backup 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 whenever KSDK
KSDK
KSDK, Channel 5, is the NBC-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KSDK is owned and operated by Gannett Company, and the station's transmitter is located in Marlborough, Missouri. The station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 35, using its former analog channel assignment...
pre-empts national programming.
Until March 2010, Roberts Broadcasting did not wholly own WRBU. Although Roberts Broadcasting held the license since 2002, it merely leased the station facility from Univision Communications
Univision Communications
Univision Communications is an American Spanish language media company in the United States. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Prior to 2007, the headquarters were in Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA.- History :...
' TeleFutura
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
subsidiary (this arrangement existed because neither Univision nor TeleFutura had any over-the-air presence at all in St. Louis due to the area's very small Hispanic population). Roberts acquired the station's facility outright from Univision that month.