WKBS-TV

WKBS-TV is a religious television station licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania, and serving the Johnstown–Altoona television market. The station is owned by Cornerstone Television, a Christian broadcaster whose flagship station is WPCB-TV, licensed to Greensburg, Pennsylvania. WKBS-TV functions primarily as a coverage-extension facility for Cornerstone's programming in west-central Pennsylvania, where WPCB-TV's over-the-air signal may be marginal or unavailable. The station does not operate as an independently programmed local outlet. Instead, it broadcasts a full-time simulcast of WPCB-TV's schedule. Viewers generally encounter WKBS-TV-specific references only during the hourly station identifications required by the Federal Communications Commission. The station's transmitter is located in Logan Township, while the station does not maintain a separate physical studio or other substantial operational presence in Altoona. WPCB-TV's studios are located in Wall, Pennsylvania. WKBS-TV's history is connected to the earlier WKBS-TV that operated on channel 48 in Philadelphia and ceased broadcasting in 1983. In that year, Cornerstone Television received a construction permit for a new station on channel 47 in Altoona and acquired the former Philadelphia station's transmitter equipment. Cornerstone placed the Altoona-area facility on the air on November 2, 1985, reusing the WKBS-TV call sign. The station originally transmitted an analog UHF signal on channel 47. As part of the nationwide United States transition to digital television, it ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009. Its digital operation used UHF channel 46 while retaining virtual channel 47 for viewer identification. The digital station's facilities and channel configuration distinguish it technically from WPCB-TV even though the two outlets share programming. WKBS-TV remains best understood as a regional religious broadcast brand rather than a standalone content producer. Its principal offering is Cornerstone Television's Christian programming delivered to viewers in areas not reliably reached by the parent station. The station's value lies in geographic coverage, terrestrial accessibility, and continuity of the Cornerstone network's schedule rather than in local news, original entertainment, or independent commercial programming.

WKBS-TV was established as a Cornerstone Television facility intended to serve the Johnstown–Altoona market. In 1983, Cornerstone received a construction permit for an Altoona station on UHF channel 47. The organization also acquired the transmitter used by the former Philadelphia WKBS-TV, which had gone off the air that year. The reuse of the call sign linked the new station to the equipment's previous operation while creating a separate licensed facility in central Pennsylvania. After construction and preparation of the transmission site, the Altoona-area WKBS-TV began broadcasting on November 2, 1985. Its transmitter was located in Logan Township. The station's role was to extend Cornerstone Television's religious programming into portions of west-central Pennsylvania that could not reliably receive the signal of WPCB-TV, Cornerstone's flagship station licensed to Greensburg. WKBS-TV developed as a satellite rather than as a conventional independently operated local station. Its schedule became a straight simulcast of WPCB-TV, with station-specific on-air references largely limited to the hourly identifications required by the FCC. Unlike WPCB-TV, WKBS-TV did not maintain studios or a broader physical operation in Altoona. The station's principal operational distinction was its transmitter and associated coverage area. Although the contours of the two stations overlap substantially, WKBS-TV can improve reception in locations where WPCB-TV's signal is marginal or absent. The station also underwent the technical change required by the United States transition from analog to digital television. On June 12, 2009, WKBS-TV shut down its analog transmission on UHF channel 47. Its digital signal remained on pre-transition UHF channel 46 and used virtual channel 47, allowing viewers to continue identifying the station by its familiar channel number. The digital operation retained the station's role as a terrestrial outlet for Cornerstone programming. In its current configuration, WKBS-TV is a regional religious broadcast outlet and full-time satellite of WPCB-TV. It does not principally compete through local news, locally produced entertainment, or a separate programming identity. Its brand function is to provide access to Cornerstone Television's Christian schedule across the Altoona and surrounding west-central Pennsylvania service area. The station has also differed from its parent in technical respects, including its lack of high-definition transmission and its separate subchannel lineup.

• 2009

  Analog transmission ends

  [1]WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WKBS-TV ended analog broadcasting on UHF channel 47 during the nationwide United States digital television transition and continued digitally on channel 46 with virtual channel 47.

• 1985

  WKBS-TV launches on November 2

  [1]WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The new channel 47 station began broadcasting and reused the WKBS-TV call sign.

• 1983

  Construction permit granted for channel 47

  [1]WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Cornerstone Television received authorization to develop an Altoona, Pennsylvania, station on UHF channel 47 for the Johnstown–Altoona market.

• 1983

  Former Philadelphia transmitter acquired

  [1]WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Cornerstone acquired the transmitter formerly used by Philadelphia's WKBS-TV after that station ceased broadcasting and later used the equipment for the Altoona facility.

A coverage-extension religious television station that distributes Cornerstone Television programming to the Altoona and west-central Pennsylvania market.

• Religious television programming

  Cornerstone Television simulcast

  WKBS-TV's principal offering is a continuous simulcast of programming from WPCB-TV, Cornerstone Television's flagship station. The schedule consists of the parent network's Christian and religious television content rather than a separately commissioned local lineup. WKBS-TV extends that schedule over the air to viewers in the Altoona and west-central Pennsylvania service area.

• Broadcast transmission · 2009

  Digital terrestrial broadcast service

  The station provides digital terrestrial television from its Logan Township transmitter. Following the 2009 analog shutdown, the digital signal used physical UHF channel 46 while preserving virtual channel 47. Its transmission facilities give Cornerstone Television a separate over-the-air reach from the WPCB-TV signal.

• 2009

  Conversion from analog to digital broadcastingOther

  Background

  United States federal requirements set June 12, 2009, as the transition date for full-power television stations to end analog broadcasting.

  Action taken

  WKBS-TV shut down its analog channel 47 signal and continued digitally on physical channel 46 using virtual channel 47.

  Aftermath

  The station continued its Cornerstone Television simulcast through digital terrestrial transmission.

  Source

• 1985

  Launch as a Cornerstone coverage-extension stationStrategy

  Background

  Cornerstone Television sought to serve the Johnstown–Altoona market and reach areas where its flagship station's signal was weak or unavailable.

  Action taken

  The organization placed WKBS-TV on channel 47 and used it as a regional outlet for Cornerstone programming.

  Aftermath

  WKBS-TV developed as a satellite of WPCB-TV rather than an independently programmed local station.

  Source

• 2009

  WKBS-TV completes the United States digital television transition[1]WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Regulation

  The station ended its analog UHF channel 47 operation on the federally designated transition date and continued digitally on channel 46 while retaining virtual channel 47.

• 1985

  WKBS-TV begins broadcasting on channel 47[1]WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Cornerstone Television placed its Altoona-area channel 47 facility on the air and reused the WKBS-TV call sign previously associated with the former Philadelphia station.

1. 1WKBS-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cornerstone Televisionctvn.org