WWDP
Encyclopedia
WWDP is a television station
in the United States
, serving the Boston, Massachusetts market. The station broadcasts on digital VHF channel 10. It is licensed to Norwell, Massachusetts
, airs home shopping
programs from ShopNBC
, and is owned by ValueVision Media
.
broadcasting at only 6,000 watts—the minimum amount for a full-power station. All of the equipment—two tape decks, a mixer
, a primitive character generator
, a satellite receiver and an Emergency Broadcast System
unit—was located in an old video store bathroom.
. Its 952,000-watt ERP gave it fairly decent coverage of the southern fringe of Greater Boston
, and it had also managed to get on cable
throughout the metropolitan area. However, the antenna
was somewhat heavier than normal, and the owners feared that the tower couldn't handle the weight of ice buildup. It was thus forced to go off the air while a new site was found.
In January 1989, WHRC returned to the air from a transmitter in Foxborough
, with considerably reduced power (501,000 watts). Unfortunately, the site was not wired for three-phase power, as is usually the case with television transmitters. WHRC was forced to make do with diesel power
, which was totally inadequate for a television transmitter. Two of the transmitter's three diesel generators had failed by the spring of 1989, leaving WHRC unable to broadcast in color for half the time. The station had never been on good financial ground, and the technical problems only made things worse.
By June, the owner had stopped paying syndicators, the diesel fuel supplier and other creditors, and the employees' paychecks were bouncing. Finally, in September, the diesel fuel supplier refused to deliver any more fuel. As a result, the lone remaining generator used up its last bit of fuel at 1:13 pm on September 19, 1989. At the time, many of the employees had not been paid for eight weeks.
In 1999, WBPX gave up its callsign and Pax affiliation to Paxson's newest acquisition, then-independent station
WABU
. Paxson sold the station to DP Media (named for Devon Paxson, son of Bud Paxson
), which changed the call sign to WWDP (for DP Media) and returned to inTV. After just one year with that format, ZGS Communications
began operating WWDP under a local marketing agreement
, running it as a full-powered repeater of Telemundo
affiliate WTMU-LP
.
On July 1, 2002, WWDP dropped the WTMU simulcast, switching to the America's Collectibles Network
home shopping network. However, a few months later, WNEU
was purchased by NBC
to convert it to a full-power satellite of WTMU. As a result, ValueVision Media
bought WWDP in 2003 and picked up ShopNBC (which had previously been seen on WNEU), which remains on the station to this day.
In December 2008, WWDP silenced its digital signal, which was being broadcast over channel 52, in order to replace that antenna with a new one for channel 10, which was to be its post-transition home. However, WWDP was unable to start broadcasting on channel 10 until after the transition in June 2009, since that is also the home of Providence, Rhode Island
-based WJAR-TV's analog channel.
The ShopNBC schedule on WWDP is interrupted by the 3 hours a week of E/I
programming the station, as a full-power broadcaster, is required to air.
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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, serving the Boston, Massachusetts market. The station broadcasts on digital VHF channel 10. It is licensed to Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is currently 10,506 at the 2010 Census.Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of the settlement of Satuit , which encompasses present day Scituate and Norwell. It was officially created, in 1849 and soon became...
, airs home shopping
Home shopping
Home shopping commonly refers to the electronic retailing/home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as HSN, QVC, eBay, ShopNBC, Buy.com, and Amazon.com, as well as traditional mail order and brick and mortar retailers as Hammacher...
programs from ShopNBC
ShopNBC
ShopNBC is an American broadcast and cable home shopping network, owned and operated by ValueVision Media, which is in turn 30% owned by GE Equity and NBC Universal...
, and is owned by ValueVision Media
ValueVision Media
ValueVision Media is a direct-to-consumer retailer with a television home shopping and Internet business. The company's television network is called ShopNBC and is available in millions of homes in the United States. The company also broadcasts the ShopNBC network directly on the Internet at , and...
.
19861988: WRYT
WWDP first signed on in late 1986 as WRYT, an independent station. It operated from a tiny 300-foot (91 m) tower in Hanover, MassachusettsHanover, Massachusetts
Hanover is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,164 at the 2000 census.-History:The area of Hanover was first settled by English settlers in 1649 when William Barstow, a farmer, built a bridge along the North River at what is now Washington Street...
broadcasting at only 6,000 watts—the minimum amount for a full-power station. All of the equipment—two tape decks, a mixer
Mixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
, a primitive character generator
Character generator
A character generator, often abbreviated as CG, is a device or software that produces static or animated text for keying into a video stream. Modern character generators are computer-based, and can generate graphics as well as text...
, a satellite receiver and an Emergency Broadcast System
Emergency Broadcast System
The Emergency Broadcast System was an emergency warning system in the United States, used from 1963 to 1997, when it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System.-Purpose:...
unit—was located in an old video store bathroom.
19881989: WHRC
On February 4, 1988 the station changed its calls to WHRC. Two months later, it began broadcasting from a considerably better broadcast facility in BrocktonBrockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
. Its 952,000-watt ERP gave it fairly decent coverage of the southern fringe of Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
, and it had also managed to get on cable
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
throughout the metropolitan area. However, the antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
was somewhat heavier than normal, and the owners feared that the tower couldn't handle the weight of ice buildup. It was thus forced to go off the air while a new site was found.
In January 1989, WHRC returned to the air from a transmitter in Foxborough
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
, with considerably reduced power (501,000 watts). Unfortunately, the site was not wired for three-phase power, as is usually the case with television transmitters. WHRC was forced to make do with diesel power
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
, which was totally inadequate for a television transmitter. Two of the transmitter's three diesel generators had failed by the spring of 1989, leaving WHRC unable to broadcast in color for half the time. The station had never been on good financial ground, and the technical problems only made things worse.
By June, the owner had stopped paying syndicators, the diesel fuel supplier and other creditors, and the employees' paychecks were bouncing. Finally, in September, the diesel fuel supplier refused to deliver any more fuel. As a result, the lone remaining generator used up its last bit of fuel at 1:13 pm on September 19, 1989. At the time, many of the employees had not been paid for eight weeks.
1996present
Paxson Communications bought the WHRC license in December 1996, and returned channel 46 to the air with the informercial format from their inTV network that was already in place on the company's other stations. On January 13, 1998, the station became WBPX, in anticipation of the impending launch of the Pax TV network. It also added a (short-lived) local newscast. It continued to air infomercials until August 31 of that year, when Pax launched, with channel 46 as a charter affiliate.In 1999, WBPX gave up its callsign and Pax affiliation to Paxson's newest acquisition, then-independent station
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
WABU
WBPX
WBPX-TV, digital channel 32, is the Ion Television station owned by ION Media Networks , serving the Boston market. The station primarily broadcasts infomercials before 6 p.m. daily, along with a daily Catholic Mass and other religious programming, with Ion network programming beginning at 6 p.m....
. Paxson sold the station to DP Media (named for Devon Paxson, son of Bud Paxson
Bud Paxson
Lowell W. "Bud" Paxson is an American media executive.A native of Florida, Paxson began his career at a little 500 watt radio station in upstate New York, and later as the owner of a small AM radio station, WWQT 1470 AM, in Clearwater, Florida. There, in 1977, an advertiser had plenty of product...
), which changed the call sign to WWDP (for DP Media) and returned to inTV. After just one year with that format, ZGS Communications
ZGS Communications
ZGS Communications, also referred to as the ZGS Group or ZGS Broadcasting, is a television and radio station operator in the United States, based in Arlington, Virginia. The company operates 18 stations: 15 television stations , and 3 radio stations...
began operating WWDP under a local marketing agreement
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...
, running it as a full-powered repeater of Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
affiliate WTMU-LP
WTMU-LP
WTMU-LP is a low-power television station serving the Boston market. It is owned by ZGS Communications, and serves as the Telemundo affiliate for Boston and immediate suburbs. WTMU's programming is also available in southern New Hampshire and Boston's northern suburbs via a full-power satellite...
.
On July 1, 2002, WWDP dropped the WTMU simulcast, switching to the America's Collectibles Network
Jewelry Television
Jewelry Television is an American television network, similar to the Home Shopping Network. It was formerly called "America's Collectibles Network" . The privately-held company was founded in 1993 and broadcasts high definition programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to over 80 million unique...
home shopping network. However, a few months later, WNEU
WNEU
WNEU is the Telemundo affiliate serving the Boston market, licensed to Merrimack, New Hampshire. The station is owned by NBCUniversal, but is controlled by ZGS Communications as a full-power relay of WTMU-LP, primarily serving Boston's northern suburbs and southern New Hampshire.WNEU-DT is one of...
was purchased by 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...
to convert it to a full-power satellite of WTMU. As a result, ValueVision Media
ValueVision Media
ValueVision Media is a direct-to-consumer retailer with a television home shopping and Internet business. The company's television network is called ShopNBC and is available in millions of homes in the United States. The company also broadcasts the ShopNBC network directly on the Internet at , and...
bought WWDP in 2003 and picked up ShopNBC (which had previously been seen on WNEU), which remains on the station to this day.
In December 2008, WWDP silenced its digital signal, which was being broadcast over channel 52, in order to replace that antenna with a new one for channel 10, which was to be its post-transition home. However, WWDP was unable to start broadcasting on channel 10 until after the transition in June 2009, since that is also the home of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
-based WJAR-TV's analog channel.
The ShopNBC schedule on WWDP is interrupted by the 3 hours a week of E/I
E/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
programming the station, as a full-power broadcaster, is required to air.