WSBS-TV
Encyclopedia
WSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station
in Key West, Florida
, broadcasting to the lower (western) 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 high definition on it since September 29, 2010. Both stations use virtual channel
22.1, as the main station was originally on analog channel 22.
WSBS is owned by Spanish Broadcasting System
; Mega TV is SBS's only television network, as the company deals primarily in radio. While channel 22 itself first went on the air in June 1993, Mega TV was launched on March 1, 2006. Its original slate of programming includes productions aimed to young Hispanic
viewers. Mega TV seems to be following the same pattern traced by rivals larger WSCV
and WLTV
nearly 25 years ago: creating its own television personalities.
Prior to 2005, WSBS (then known as WDLP-TV) was, under the ownership of Sonia Broadcasting, co-owned with another Key West station, WGEN-TV
.
, digital television receivers display WSBS-TV's virtual channel
as "22". It is one of the only stations in the country to use the VHF low band
for digital operations, which are especially rare on channels 2 to 4 (54-72MHz). It chose to keep this channel in the first round of the digital channel election
.
Analog WSBS-CA 50, having "Miami, etc." as its city of license
, made a flash cut to digital in early 2010, and therefore had its broadcast callsign changed to WSBS-CD. This station has a class-A broadcast license
, meaning that although it is low-power, it has protection from RF interference as full-power stations do. Like the main station, it uses virtual channel 22.1, as it is likely just an RF passthrough with no demodulation
. It is located in the Andover
section of Miami Gardens, immediately south of the massive tower that holds several stations, and has a irectional antenna that aims mostly southeast and southwest, covering far northeastern Miami-Dade down to Miami, and far southeastern Broward up to just south of Fort Lauderdale.
for rival WGEN-TV
).
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 to the lower (western) 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...
on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV
Mega TV (United States)
Mega TV is an American broadcasting television network based in Miami, Florida, owned by Spanish Broadcasting System . The network's flagship is WSBS-TV, a television station licensed to Key West, Florida, with studios in Miami.- History :...
flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
since October 17, 2007 and in high definition on it since September 29, 2010. Both stations 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....
22.1, as the main station was originally on analog channel 22.
WSBS is owned by Spanish Broadcasting System
Spanish Broadcasting System
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through its media products.SBS owns the internet portal LaMusica.com...
; Mega TV is SBS's only television network, as the company deals primarily in radio. While channel 22 itself first went on the air in June 1993, Mega TV was launched on March 1, 2006. Its original slate of programming includes productions aimed to young Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
viewers. Mega TV seems to be following the same pattern traced by rivals larger WSCV
WSCV
WSCV Telemundo 51 is the Telemundo O&O that serves the Miami - Fort Lauderdale area and licensed to Fort Lauderdale. The transmitter is located in Miramar. The station also serves as the de facto Telemundo affiliate for the West Palm Beach market. The station is owned by NBCUniversal along with NBC...
and WLTV
WLTV
WLTV-DT is a Univision owned and operated station serving Spanish-speaking viewers in South Florida. The station is located in Doral, where Univision's production facilities are also located. The transmitter is located in Miami Gardens...
nearly 25 years ago: creating its own television personalities.
Prior to 2005, WSBS (then known as WDLP-TV) was, under the ownership of Sonia Broadcasting, co-owned with another Key West station, WGEN-TV
WGEN-TV
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...
.
Transition to DTV
On February 17, 2009, WSBS-TV left channel 22 and continued digital broadcasts on VHF channel 3 to complete its analog to digital conversion. However, through the use of PSIPProgram and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display WSBS-TV's 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....
as "22". It is one of the only stations in the country to use the VHF low band
Band I
Band I is the name of a radio frequency range within the very high frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum.Band I ranges from 47 to 88 MHz, and it is primarily used for radio and television broadcasting....
for digital operations, which are especially rare on channels 2 to 4 (54-72MHz). It chose to keep this channel in the first round of the digital channel election
Digital channel election
A digital channel election was the process by which television stations in the United States chose which physical radio-frequency TV channel they would permanently use after the analog shutdown in 2009. The process was managed and mandated by the Federal Communications Commission for all...
.
Analog WSBS-CA 50, having "Miami, etc." as its city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
, made a flash cut to digital in early 2010, and therefore had its broadcast callsign changed to WSBS-CD. This station has a class-A broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
, meaning that although it is low-power, it has protection from RF interference as full-power stations do. Like the main station, it uses virtual channel 22.1, as it is likely just an RF passthrough with no demodulation
Demodulation
Demodulation is the act of extracting the original information-bearing signal from a modulated carrier wave.A demodulator is an electronic circuit that is used to recover the information content from the modulated carrier wave.These terms are traditionally used in connection with radio receivers,...
. It is located in the Andover
Andover, Florida
Andover was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,489 at the 2000 census.In 2003 this CDP was incorporated into the city of Miami Gardens, and now serves as one of its neighborhoods.-Geography:...
section of Miami Gardens, immediately south of the massive tower that holds several stations, and has a irectional antenna that aims mostly southeast and southwest, covering far northeastern Miami-Dade down to Miami, and far southeastern Broward up to just south of Fort Lauderdale.
Callsign changes
WSBS-TV has had numerous name changes over the years. This has caused much confusion, both among viewers and writers. In many places, the station is still referred to as WEYS TeleNoticias, and WDLP Licensing, Inc. remained the licensee for several months after the call change to WSBS-TV. Some of these names have been reused by low-power repeater stations, themselves often subject to similar callsign shuffles (for instance, the WDLP callsign is currently used by a repeaterRepeater
A repeater is an electronic device that receives asignal and retransmits it at a higher level and/or higher power, or onto the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer distances.-Description:...
for rival WGEN-TV
WGEN-TV
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...
).
- WYDH (October 2, 1989 - October 10, 1989)
- WEYS (October 11, 1989 - April 3, 2003)
- WGEN-TV (April 4, 2003 - November 23, 2003)
- WDLP-TV (November 24, 2003 - June 30, 2004)
- WSBS-TV (July 1, 2004 - September 27, 2004)
- WDLP-TV (September 28, 2004 - February 28, 2006)
- WSBS-TV (since March 1, 2006)