WBKO-DT3

WBKO-DT3 is the third digital subchannel of WBKO, the Gray Media-owned television station serving Bowling Green and south-central Kentucky. The service operates on virtual channel 13.3 and is associated with The CW Plus, the network's distribution and programming service for smaller television markets. It extends CW programming to the Bowling Green designated market area through WBKO's broadcast infrastructure and local television operation. The channel originated in September 2006, when the former WB cable service serving Bowling Green was converted into a digital subchannel of WBKO and affiliated with The CW. Before the transition, WBKO had helped provide the local cable-only WB 100+ Station Group service, known locally as WBWG and later WB12. That service began in 1998 through an arrangement involving Benedek Broadcasting, WBKO, and local cable operators. When The WB and UPN were replaced by The CW in 2006, the Bowling Green service became part of the new network's CW Plus structure and moved onto WBKO's third digital stream. WBKO-DT3 is not a separately incorporated station with its own independent transmitter, newsroom, or corporate ownership. It uses WBKO's facilities, technical operations, sales organization, and market presence. WBKO's main signal originates from a transmitter site along Kentucky Route 185 in northern Warren County, while the stations' studios are located on Russellville Road near the junction with Interstate 165 on Bowling Green's west side. Through WBKO's broader signal and cable carriage relationships, the subchannel can reach viewers beyond Bowling Green proper, although carriage and availability vary by provider and location. The service's principal offering is a mix of national CW programming, syndicated entertainment, promotional material, and any locally scheduled content supplied by the parent station. Its value proposition is network entertainment delivered through a local broadcast outlet in a smaller market where a full-power, separately branded CW station might not be economically practical. WBKO-DT3 also benefits from WBKO's established reputation as the market's long-standing commercial television news provider, even though the subchannel itself is primarily a network and entertainment service rather than a standalone local-news operation. The channel forms part of WBKO's three-network structure: WBKO's primary channel carries ABC programming, another digital subchannel carries Fox programming, and WBKO-DT3 carries The CW Plus. This arrangement gives Gray Media a broader portfolio of network services in the Bowling Green market while using one station's spectrum and operational platform. The channel's present status, detailed program schedule, and precise distribution footprint may change with network affiliation agreements and local carriage arrangements.

WBKO-DT3 developed from the Bowling Green area's earlier WB cable service. In 1998, WBKO and local cable providers introduced a local feed of the WB 100+ Station Group, a system designed to deliver WB programming to smaller markets without a conventional over-the-air WB affiliate. The service was known locally as WBWG and later as WB12. WBKO supplied sales and promotional support, while cable systems distributed the programming to viewers in the Bowling Green area. The arrangement also displaced Nashville station WKRN-TV on some local cable systems. The national television landscape changed in 2006 when The WB and UPN were replaced by The CW. Rather than continue solely as a cable service, the Bowling Green outlet was placed on WBKO's digital broadcast infrastructure. In September 2006, the service became WBKO's third digital subchannel and adopted the CW affiliation through The CW Plus. This gave The CW a local broadcast presence in the market while allowing WBKO to use its existing studios, transmitter, engineering, sales, and administrative resources. WBKO itself traces its history to WLTV, which began broadcasting in 1962 and joined ABC in 1967. The station adopted the WBKO call sign in 1971 after a major reconstruction of its transmission facilities. It was acquired by Benedek Broadcasting in 1983 and moved into its current Russellville Road studio facility in 1985. Benedek entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002, after which most of its stations, including WBKO, were acquired by Gray Communications Systems, now Gray Media. WBKO's later digital expansion added a Fox service and the CW service that became WBKO-DT3. The subchannel relies on WBKO's broadcast and market infrastructure rather than operating as an independent station. WBKO's transmitter is located along Kentucky Route 185 in northern Warren County, and the station's signal serves Bowling Green and a wider portion of south-central Kentucky. Cable and other distribution arrangements have historically extended WBKO programming into communities outside the formal Bowling Green market, but the availability of a particular digital subchannel depends on local provider decisions and technical carriage. WBKO-DT3's role is therefore best understood as a network-affiliate brand within a local television multiplex. Its programming identity is supplied primarily by The CW Plus, while its local identity, technical delivery, and commercial support come from WBKO. The channel provides national entertainment programming to the Bowling Green market without the separate corporate and facility structure normally associated with a standalone full-power television station.

• 2009

  WBKO completes digital facility transition

  [1]WBKOen.wikipedia.org

  WBKO completed technical work associated with its final digital transmission facilities, supporting its multiplexed digital services.

• 2006

  WBKO-DT3 begins CW Plus service

  [1]WBKOen.wikipedia.org

  The former WB cable service was converted into WBKO's third digital subchannel and affiliated with The CW through CW Plus.

• 1998

  Bowling Green WB service launches

  [1]WBKOen.wikipedia.org

  WBKO and local cable providers introduced a local WB 100+ Station Group feed, later known as WB12, for the Bowling Green area.

A local digital multicast outlet combining The CW Plus network lineup with WBKO's established broadcast platform in a smaller U.S. television market.

• Television network affiliation · 2006

  CW Plus programming service

  The core offering of WBKO-DT3 is The CW Plus, a package intended for smaller television markets. It combines CW network programming with additional scheduling and distribution support so that a local affiliate can offer a consistent entertainment lineup without maintaining a fully independent network operation. WBKO-DT3 delivers the service through WBKO's digital broadcast multiplex and local market infrastructure. Programming availability, scheduling, and any local substitutions are controlled by applicable network and station agreements.

• Broadcast television channel · 2006

  WBKO-DT3 local digital channel

  WBKO-DT3 is the virtual-channel identity used for WBKO's third digital stream. It provides over-the-air access to CW Plus programming in the Bowling Green market and may also be carried by local multichannel providers. The channel does not operate as a separately licensed full-power station in the same manner as WBKO's primary service; it is a subchannel using WBKO's transmitter and operational platform.

• 2006

  Convert the local WB service into a digital CW subchannelStrategy

  Background

  The replacement of The WB by The CW created a need for a new local distribution arrangement in Bowling Green, where programming had previously been supplied through a WB 100+ cable service.

  Action taken

  WBKO placed the Bowling Green CW Plus service on its third digital subchannel, creating WBKO-DT3 and using the station's existing broadcast and commercial infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement gave The CW a local digital-broadcast presence and expanded WBKO's network portfolio without requiring a separate full-power station.

  Source

1. 1WBKOen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WBKO official websitewbko.com