WPKD-TV
| Company type | Television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | October 15, 1953 |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh , United States |
Area served | Pittsburgh region |
| Owner | CBS News and Stations |
| Parent | Paramount Global |
WPKD-TV (channel 19), operating under the brand KDKA+, is an independent television station licensed in Jeannette, Pennsylvania and serving the Pittsburgh region. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations division alongside KDKA-TV (channel 2), the area's CBS owned-and-operated station. Both stations share facilities at the Gateway Center located in Downtown Pittsburgh. The transmitter for WPKD-TV is situated in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, adjacent to that of KDKA-TV.
WARD-TV Era (1953–1970)
The station began operations on October 15, 1953, as WARD-TV, broadcasting on analog UHF channel 56 with studios positioned on Franklin Street in downtown Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Its transmission power was set at 91,000 watts for video and 45,500 watts for audio. Central Broadcasting, through its Rivoli Realty subsidiary, co-owned the station along with WARD radio (1490 AM, currently WNTJ, and 92.1 FM, now WJHT). Initially, the station functioned as Johnstown's CBS affiliate while also maintaining a secondary affiliation with ABC. During the late 1950s, it briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.
Transition to WJNL-TV (1971–1982)
In 1972, Jonel Construction Company purchased Cover Broadcasting, which owned WARD-AM-TV. On August 13 of that year, both stations were rebranded as WJNL-AM-TV. The television station shifted to a more powerful UHF channel 19 and increased its transmitter output to 215,000 watts visual and 21,500 watts aural—still relatively low compared to other UHF stations. Studio operations moved from Franklin Street to Benshoff Hill near the transmitter site; following a flood that destroyed the Franklin Street studios in 1977, the radio stations also relocated there.
Despite the channel change and power enhancement, WJNL-TV faced challenges with weak signal strength caused by Western Pennsylvania’s mountainous landscape. This limited its over-the-air reach and made cable carriage essential. Competing signals from WFBG-TV (later known as WTAJ-TV) and KDKA-TV were stronger within Johnstown. Consequently, WJNL-TV remained a secondary presence in a market dominated by WJAC-TV (channel 6), surviving largely due to its successful FM adult contemporary radio counterpart.
In 1978, WJNL-TV ended its CBS affiliation to operate independently. This shift required acquiring approximately an additional 19 hours of programming daily, which contributed to further declines in viewership.
WFAT and WPTJ Period (1983–1991)
On February 1, 1983, WFAT Incorporated, led by Leon Crosby—previously owner of San Francisco’s KEMO-TV—purchased channel 19. The station was renamed WFAT-TV on March 14 and extended its broadcast hours. The transmitter was relocated from Cover Hill to Pea Vine Hill atop Laurel Hill Mountain in Westmoreland County, significantly increasing power to 1.6 million watts visual and 166,000 watts aural. This upgrade expanded coverage into Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs and allowed for city-grade reception throughout Johnstown for the first time. However, reception remained limited in Altoona due to terrain; WFAT supplemented coverage there with a VHF translator (W12BR). Despite stronger signal capabilities, competition from established Pittsburgh independent stations on cable restricted audience growth.
Programming at WFAT remained limited in scope. Upon relaunching, broadcast hours increased from eight to thirteen daily but relied on outdated production methods such as decades-old art cards rather than modern CGI technology. Crosby’s approach of featuring local shows with emerging talent failed against more affordable syndicated programming designed for targeted markets. The remaining local content consisted mainly of low-budget talk shows with minimal production values. During this time frame, David Smith and Lee Mack served as booth announcers.
Decline and Bankruptcy (1986–1990)
WFAT's downturn began in 1986 following the debut of WWCP-TV (channel 8), Johnstown’s second independent station, which secured much of WFAT’s stronger programming owing to its superior VHF broadcast capabilities. The station underwent a rebranding to WPTJ in 1988 and moved its operations to Allen Bill Drive within the Johnstown Industrial Park; however, these changes did not translate into improved ratings. Persistent transmitter malfunctions led to prolonged periods off the air.
In 1988, Crosby initiated a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and by January 1990, the court mandated a shift to Chapter 7 liquidation. Although WPTJ continued broadcasting for nearly five months after this change, on May 1, all employees except assistant general manager Ron Patcher resigned following four weeks without pay. Patcher managed station functions for an additional five days before stepping down on May 6 due to excessive responsibilities, resulting in WPTJ ceasing broadcasts. Subsequently, the studio was reclaimed by creditors, and transmitter equipment was reportedly stored at an offsite location during efforts to secure prospective buyers.
Revival as WTWB-TV (1994–1997)
Simultaneously, Venture Technologies Group from Pittsburgh launched low-power station W29AH (channel 29) in 1989, initially airing the Video Jukebox Network, later known as The Box. In 1994, Venture obtained affiliation with The WB network—then unrepresented in Pittsburgh’s primary market—and purchased the inactive WPTJ at a bankruptcy auction for less than $1 million. Channel 29 was rebranded as WTWB-LP (later WBPA-LP), while channel 19 adopted the WTWB-TV call sign; plans were developed to simulcast programming across both channels.
On July 27, 1996, Venture reactivated channel 19 as WTWB-TV using a new transmitter located on Laurel Mountain near Jennerstown. Despite this, cable providers were not obligated to carry the station since its license designated Johnstown, which lies outside Pittsburgh’s designated media market. Arguing that the Johnstown–Altoona area could not economically support five stations, Venture successfully petitioned to change WTWB-TV’s city of license to Jeannette, a suburb of Pittsburgh. This adjustment granted must-carry status and enhanced access within the market.
Operating as WNPA (1997–2006)
By the time WTWB-TV received approval for relocation to Jeannette, Sinclair Broadcast Group had negotiated a group affiliation agreement with The WB network that included several stations such as WPTT (channel 22), which became WCWB (now WPNT). As Pittsburgh cable systems added channel 19, it launched the fall television season as an independent station under new call letters WNPA. The UPN affiliation transitioned to channel 19 in January.
In November 1998, Viacom's Paramount Stations Group purchased the station for $39 million—an impressive return compared to Venture’s initial investment in 1994. After completing the acquisition in February 1999, Paramount shut down WNPA’s Monroeville facilities; technical operations were centralized at WPSG in Philadelphia while sales and marketing functions remained in Downtown Pittsburgh. Venture continued managing WNPA until March and discontinued simulcasting with WBPA-LP, which it retained ownership of. Following Viacom’s merger with CBS in 2000, channel 19 became a sister station to KDKA-TV. Later that September, CBS consolidated WNPA’s operations into studios at One Gateway Center alongside KDKA-TV and KDKA radio. In September 2004, WNPA transitioned its branding from "UPN 19" to "UPN Pittsburgh" due to differing cable channel assignments across providers.
As WPCW (2006–2023)
On January 24, 2006, Time Warner and CBS Corporation revealed plans to merge The WB and UPN into a new network named The CW, combining programming from both channels alongside fresh content. In response, the station adopted the call letters WPCW on April 3 and introduced the "Pittsburgh's CW" brand in August. The network officially debuted on September 18, 2006.
WPCW’s analog transmitter was situated southeast of Jeannette, delivering strong city-grade signals to Johnstown but offering limited coverage in Pittsburgh’s northern and western sectors. Due to interference issues, Venture secured an FCC waiver permitting the transmitter to operate beyond the standard 15-mile radius from its city of license. The digital transmitter was subsequently installed on elevated terrain in Pittsburgh’s Perry North area. On June 12, 2009, coinciding with the nationwide digital switchover, WPCW discontinued analog broadcasts and commenced digital transmissions from Pittsburgh.
Relocating the transmitter enhanced city-grade reception throughout Pittsburgh and extended coverage westward, although it diminished signal strength east of Westmoreland County. Nevertheless, most viewers continued receiving the station via direct fiber feeds through Comcast and Verizon FiOS. To maintain service in Johnstown, WPCW added a translator and incorporated Johnstown into its station identification. It ranks among three former CBS affiliates currently owned by CBS and affiliated with The CW, alongside WTVX (West Palm Beach) and KSTW (Seattle); WTVX was eventually sold to Cerberus Capital Management’s Four Points Media Group, now part of Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Thanks to expanded cable distribution, WPCW functioned as the primary CW affiliate for the Johnstown–Altoona–State College region until September 16, 2019, when WJAC-TV launched a dedicated CW Plus subchannel.
On December 4, 2019, CBS Corporation merged again with Viacom to form ViacomCBS (now known as Paramount Global).
Independence as WPKD-TV (2023–present)
Following Nexstar Media Group’s acquisition of majority control over The CW on October 3, 2022, CBS obtained the option to terminate affiliations with WPCW and seven other CW stations. On May 5, 2023, CBS declared it would exercise this right, with WPCW discontinuing The CW programming by August and converting into an independent station. On July 18, CBS News and Stations filed a request to change the call sign from WPCW to WPKD-TV effective September 1. Subsequently, on August 24, the station announced an on-air rebranding as "KDKA+," extending the established KDKA-TV identity.
Sports programming
WPKD-TV carries selected preseason contests of the Pittsburgh Penguins when scheduling conflicts arise with Pittsburgh Pirates games on SportsNet Pittsburgh, the Penguins’ primary broadcast partner. Since 2023, the station has aired matches featuring Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC from the USL Championship. Beginning in 2024, it started broadcasting select Cleveland Cavaliers games along with associated pregame and postgame shows.
The station also provides coverage of local high school football, including playoff games and championships within the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League, presented under the Steel City High School Football Showcase banner. Additionally, it airs college football from Division III's Presidents' Athletic Conference as well as syndicated football and basketball content from both the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Together with KDKA-TV, WPKD-TV serves as an official broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Steelers, airing several team-focused programs such as Steelers Saturday Night (9–10 p.m.) and Steelers TV (11–11:30 p.m.) on Saturdays during the NFL season. The postgame show Extra Point, hosted by Bob Pompeani and Chris Hoke, airs following Steelers games depending on CBS’ doubleheader schedule. Additionally, The Nightly Sports Call, anchored by Bob Pompeani on weeknights and Rich Walsh on weekends, broadcasts nightly from 10:35 to 11 p.m. after KDKA-TV’s prime time newscast, with special editions airing during the season after The Extra Point.
Newscasts
During its tenure as WJNL-TV in Johnstown, the station produced a local weekday newscast from 1971 through 1974, alongside various public affairs programs aimed at rivaling WJAC-TV, despite operating with facilities that did not meet standard network affiliate quality.
After rebranding as WNPA, the station introduced twice-nightly weather updates starting December 20, 1999, featuring Jim Madaus, the chief meteorologist from Viacom-owned WKBD in Detroit, who also contributed similar segments to other Viacom outlets. On August 6, 2001, WNPA debuted a 10 p.m. newscast produced by KDKA-TV, positioning itself against Fox affiliate WPGH-TV’s 10 p.m. news produced by WPXI.
On September 12, 2005, WNPA expanded its weekday morning news lineup by adding a two-hour extension of KDKA-TV's morning show from 7 to 9 a.m. This was later reduced to one hour due to insufficient viewership but was restored to two hours in 2019. Following an upgrade to its set and weather center, KDKA began broadcasting local newscasts in high definition on June 16, 2009, which included programming for WPCW.
WPCW further enhanced its news offerings on September 20, 2021, by adding a 12:30 p.m. rebroadcast of KDKA's noon newscast. On January 8, 2024, WPKD-TV launched an 8 p.m. newscast titled Primetime News on KDKA+. This program concluded in July 2025 and was replaced by a replay of the 6 p.m. newscast.
Subchannels
Transmitting from Pittsburgh’s Perry North neighborhood, WPKD-TV operates multiple digital subchannels as follows:
| Channel | Resolution | Aspect Ratio | Identifier | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WPKD-DT | Primary WPKD-TV programming |
| 19.2 | 480i | 16:9 | H&I | Heroes & Icons |
| 19.3 | 480i | 16:9 | GRIT | Grit |
| 19.4 | 480i | 16:9 | Movies! | Movies! |
| 19.5 | 480i | 16:9 | HSN | HSN |
| 19.6 | 480i | 16:9 | Nosey | Nosey |
Analog-to-digital conversion
In compliance with the federal mandate for digital transition on June 12, 2009, WPKD-TV (then WPCW) discontinued analog transmissions on UHF channel 19. The station shifted its digital broadcast from UHF channel 49 to VHF channel 11—the former analog frequency of WPXI. Despite this change, digital receivers continue to display WPKD-TV as virtual channel 19. The switch resolved prior interference complications with Cleveland’s WOIO (which operates on VHF channel 10). Additionally, in July 2009, the station filed an application for a digital repeater transmitter on channel 27 serving Johnstown.
Translator
- WPKD-TV (DRT) located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Previously, WBPA-LP served as a low-power translator in Pittsburgh to supplement WPKD’s main signal within the city when reception was limited.