WBPN-LP
| Company type | Low-power television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Fate | License surrendered to FCC; programming continued on WICZ-TV's subchannel |
| Headquarters | Vestal, New York , United States |
| Owner | Cox Media Group (final owner) |
WBPN-LP (channel 10) was a low-power television station located in Binghamton, New York, broadcasting from 1996 until 2021. In its final years, it was owned by Cox Media Group and functioned as a MyNetworkTV affiliate, operating alongside Fox affiliate WICZ-TV (channel 40) under common ownership. The station's facilities were housed within WICZ-TV's studios on Vestal Parkway East (NY 434) in Vestal, New York, while its transmitter was situated on Ingraham Hill Road in Binghamton.
WBPN-LP never transitioned to a digital broadcast and maintained a very low-power analog transmission, restricting its coverage primarily to regions south of the Susquehanna River North Branch, thereby excluding much of the city of Binghamton. To extend its reach across the entire market, WBPN-LP's programming was simulcast on WICZ-TV's secondary digital subchannel (40.2), which became the main over-the-air outlet. This simulcast initially aired in 480i standard definition with a letterboxed 4:3 aspect ratio but was eventually upgraded to 720p high definition after enhancements were made to WICZ-TV's multiplex.
Prior to the FCC-mandated shutdown of analog LPTV stations on July 13, Cox Media Group voluntarily surrendered WBPN-LP's broadcast license to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on June 15, 2021. The station's programming continues under WICZ-TV’s license branded as "My 8," reflecting its position on local cable systems.
History
The station began as translator W10CO and was acquired by Northwest Broadcasting in 2000, at which point it was upgraded to low-power status and rebranded as WBPN-LP. It assumed the market’s UPN affiliation from WICZ, which had previously carried UPN programming as a secondary network since the late 1990s.
On September 16, 2013, Mission Broadcasting announced intentions to purchase WBPN and WICZ from Northwest Broadcasting. Operational control was planned to be handled by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, aligning these stations with sister outlets such as WIVT and WBGH-CD. However, Northwest Broadcasting withdrew the license transfer application on March 18, 2015, after the transaction fell through.
Although WBPN filed for a low-power digital license on UHF channel 28 under the call sign WBPN-LD, this digital signal never commenced broadcasting. Instead, WICZ-DT2 served as WBPN-LP’s digital platform. Ultimately, Cox Media Group surrendered WBPN-LP’s license to the FCC on June 15, 2021, just prior to the federally mandated analog LPTV cessation.
References
- Articles with short description
- 1996 establishments in New York (state)
- 2021 disestablishments in New York (state)
- Cox Media Group
- Defunct television stations in New York (state)
- MyNetworkTV affiliates
- Television channels and stations disestablished in 2021
- Television channels and stations established in 1996
- Television stations in Binghamton, New York