WTBY-TV
Encyclopedia
WTBY-TV is the TBN
owned and operated station in Poughkeepsie, New York
. It broadcasts on UHF
channel 27, with a digital
signal. However, through PSIP, digital sets display WTBY's channel as its old analog number, UHF channel 54.
While Poughkeepsie is part of the New York City
television market, it is only viewable in the northern fringes of the area. It is not available on DirecTV
or Dish Network
's New York City local feeds; only the national version is available. Most of the station's viewership is in the Albany
market; until 2010, WTBY operated two translators in that market (W52DF channel 52 to reach Albany and the Capital District
, and W47CM on channel 47 to reach Glens Falls
and the Adirondacks
); both stations ceased broadcasting due to declining support, which has been attributed to the digital transition, with W52DF shutting down March 13 and W47CM shutting down one month later.
The station signed on April 6, 1980 as WFTI-TV. At the time Channel 54 was the most powerful 5 million watt UHF TV station in the New York City DMA
. The station was initially licensed and owned by Family Television, Inc. (Family TV), a New York corporation founded by Keith Houser in 1979. The Family/Christian station was headquartered in the Poughkeepsie Plaza Mall on Route 9. Family TV was innovative in creating TV programming suitable for the whole family such as re-run of The Lone Ranger
and The Cisco Kid
. Family TV originated coverage of West Point Academy sports (except the Army-Navy college football
game). Family TV also produced "Valley Magazine" a nightly 30 minute program with interviews of local celebrities such as James Cagney
, Mrs. Smith, of Merrill, Lynch, Fenner & Smith. Family TV sold the station to Trinity Broadcasting in July, 1983. Trinity moved its studios to Fishkill, New York
and adopted its current programming and callsign.
This station elected to keep RF
channel 27 permanently for digital operation during the first round of digital channel election
s in February 2005. Its analog signal was shut off on October 1, 2008, approximately a month and a half earlier than its scheduled cut off date. This caused it to be dropped from at least one cable TV system (Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey) due to difficulty in receiving the signal at the cable headend. Service Electric replaced it with the national TBN service.
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
owned and operated station in Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
. It broadcasts on UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel 27, with a digital
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
signal. However, through PSIP, digital sets display WTBY's channel as its old analog number, UHF channel 54.
While Poughkeepsie is part of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
television market, it is only viewable in the northern fringes of the area. It is not available 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. ...
or Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
's New York City local feeds; only the national version is available. Most of the station's viewership is in the Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
market; until 2010, WTBY operated two translators in that market (W52DF channel 52 to reach Albany and the Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
, and W47CM on channel 47 to reach Glens Falls
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
and the Adirondacks
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
); both stations ceased broadcasting due to declining support, which has been attributed to the digital transition, with W52DF shutting down March 13 and W47CM shutting down one month later.
The station signed on April 6, 1980 as WFTI-TV. At the time Channel 54 was the most powerful 5 million watt UHF TV station in the New York City DMA
DMA
DMA can refer to:* DMA , a defunct dance music magazine* Dallas Museum of Art, an art museum in Texas, USA* Danish Music Awards, an award show held in Denmark since 1989...
. The station was initially licensed and owned by Family Television, Inc. (Family TV), a New York corporation founded by Keith Houser in 1979. The Family/Christian station was headquartered in the Poughkeepsie Plaza Mall on Route 9. Family TV was innovative in creating TV programming suitable for the whole family such as re-run of The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
and The Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid refers to a character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in the collection Heart of the West...
. Family TV originated coverage of West Point Academy sports (except the Army-Navy college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game). Family TV also produced "Valley Magazine" a nightly 30 minute program with interviews of local celebrities such as James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
, Mrs. Smith, of Merrill, Lynch, Fenner & Smith. Family TV sold the station to Trinity Broadcasting in July, 1983. Trinity moved its studios to Fishkill, New York
Fishkill, New York
Fishkill is an upscale village within the much larger town, Town of Fishkill, one of the fastest growing towns in the region, in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The village population was 1,735 at the 2000 census...
and adopted its current programming and callsign.
This station elected to keep RF
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
channel 27 permanently for digital operation during the first round of 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...
s in February 2005. Its analog signal was shut off on October 1, 2008, approximately a month and a half earlier than its scheduled cut off date. This caused it to be dropped from at least one cable TV system (Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey) due to difficulty in receiving the signal at the cable headend. Service Electric replaced it with the national TBN service.