WMBQ-CD
A New York City Class A television station associated with The WNET Group and historically operated under several commercial and multilingual programming formats.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WMBQ-CD is a Class A television station licensed to New York City. Its history began with a construction permit for UHF channel 22 in Cranford, New Jersey, issued to Craig Fox in 1993 under the call sign W22BM. The station began broadcasting in 1997 and later became WLBX-LP. During its early years, it carried programming from The Box music-video network and subsequently MTV2 after The Box was acquired by Viacom. It also temporarily carried news footage from CNN and TechTV following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The station adopted the WMBQ identity in 2004, initially as WMBQ-CA. During the mid-2000s, license holder Renard Communications Corp. moved the station's facilities toward Manhattan. The move resulted in a change of channel from 22 to 46 and a change in city of license from Cranford to New York City. Renard announced a proposed sale to Equity Media Holdings in 2007 for $8 million, but the transaction was not completed. Equity later entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. WMBQ-CA went off the air in January 2008, reportedly in connection with the relocation of its transmitter facilities. Renard sold the station in 2011 to Prime Time Partners LLC, whose principals included Jose Rodríguez and Marisol Messir. The station completed its digital transition in 2012 and adopted the call sign WMBQ-CD. Its programming during this period was commercially oriented and included full-time infomercials, Canal SOI programming, and the local Spanish-language morning program Al Día. In late 2012, Biz Television was added, giving WMBQ a financial-programming format and making it a distinctive outlet in the New York television market. WMBQ's ownership and technical structure changed substantially after the Federal Communications Commission incentive auction. The station relinquished its spectrum for $28,313,224 and elected to continue through a post-auction channel-sharing arrangement. In 2017, it entered into an agreement to share facilities with WNET, the New York PBS member station, while Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the WMBQ license to WNET. The donation was completed in December 2017. WMBQ was taken off the air shortly afterward while the shared transmission arrangement was prepared. The station returned in November 2018 as an affiliate of MHz Worldview. After MHz Networks announced that MHz Worldview would cease terrestrial operations in 2020 in favor of digital distribution, WNET replaced that programming with First Nations Experience. WMBQ shares transmitter facilities with WLIW at One World Trade Center. Although the station retains a low-power Class A license, its channel-sharing arrangement uses WLIW's full-power spectrum, allowing reception throughout the New York City television market. The station is identified in reference material as currently dark, so its present broadcasting status is treated as uncertain rather than definitively active or defunct.
History
WMBQ-CD traces its origins to a construction permit granted on February 11, 1993, for UHF channel 22 in Cranford, New Jersey. The permit was issued to Craig Fox under the call sign W22BM. The station began broadcasting in March 1997 and changed its call sign to WLBX-LP in April 1998. In its first programming phase, it carried The Box, a music-video network. After Viacom acquired The Box in 2001, WLBX-LP became one of the former Box outlets to carry MTV2. On September 11, 2001, the station carried footage from CNN and TechTV. The station changed its call sign to WMBQ-CA in 2004. Renard Communications Corp., controlled by Craig Fox, subsequently pursued a move of the station's studio and transmitter facilities to Manhattan. The technical and licensing changes displaced the station from channel 22 to channel 46 and changed its city of license from Cranford to New York City. In August 2007, Renard announced an agreement to sell three stations, including WMBQ-CA, to Equity Media Holdings for $8 million. The proposed deal had a closing deadline in 2008, but it was not completed. Equity later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. WMBQ-CA went dark on January 3, 2008, reportedly because of work associated with a move to a new transmitter site. In mid-2011, Renard sold WMBQ to Prime Time Partners LLC for $5,250,000. The principal figures identified with Prime Time Partners were Jose Rodríguez and Marisol Messir. The station completed its digital transition in 2012 and changed its call sign to WMBQ-CD on April 23 of that year. Its schedule initially relied heavily on long-form infomercials. Canal SOI was later added after the Spanish-language network left a digital subchannel of WNJU. Canal SOI programming ended in 2013, after which infomercials returned as the dominant schedule. The station also carried the local morning program Al Día. In late December 2013, WMBQ added Biz Television. The service gave the station a financial and business-programming identity and was described as the first financial-programming outlet in the New York City market since WBIS carried similar programming between 1996 and 1998. A Spanish-language religious service, EEE, was added to a subchannel in 2014, but it was noted for low audio levels and was replaced by infomercials in January 2015. The FCC incentive auction brought the station another major change. WMBQ sold its spectrum for $28,313,224 and elected to remain on the air through channel sharing. On September 29, 2017, it entered a sharing agreement with WNET. At the same time, Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the WMBQ license to The WNET Group. The donation closed on December 22, 2017. WMBQ left the air the following day while WNET prepared a shared transmission arrangement at One World Trade Center. WMBQ returned in November 2018 as an affiliate of MHz Worldview. When MHz Networks announced that MHz Worldview would cease broadcast operations by March 1, 2020, with the service moving toward digital streaming, WNET replaced the station's programming with First Nations Experience. WMBQ's current technical arrangement involves sharing transmitter facilities with WLIW at One World Trade Center. Although WMBQ legally retains a low-power Class A authorization, it transmits through WLIW's full-power spectrum under the sharing agreement, providing coverage across the New York City television market. Reference material identifies WMBQ as currently dark; therefore, its current operational status cannot be stated with certainty.
- 2020
Programming changes to First Nations Experience
[1]WNET changed the station's programming after MHz Worldview announced the end of its broadcast operations.
- 2018
Returns with MHz Worldview
[1]WMBQ returned to the air as an MHz Worldview affiliate.
- 2017
Spectrum sold and license donated to WNET
[1]WMBQ sold its spectrum through the FCC incentive auction and entered a channel-sharing and license-donation arrangement involving WNET.
- 2012
Digital transition completed
[1]The station completed its digital transition and adopted the WMBQ-CD call sign.
- 2011
Prime Time Partners acquires WMBQ
[1]Renard sold the station to Prime Time Partners LLC.
- 2008
Station goes dark during transmitter relocation
[1]WMBQ-CA left the air in January, reportedly in connection with a move to a new transmitter site.
- 2004
WMBQ identity introduced
[1]The station adopted the WMBQ-CA call sign.
- 1998
Call sign becomes WLBX-LP
[1]The station changed its call sign from W22BM to WLBX-LP.
- 1997
Station begins broadcasting
[1]The station signed on in March under the W22BM identity.
- 1993
Construction permit granted
[1]A construction permit for UHF channel 22 in Cranford, New Jersey, was granted to Craig Fox under the call sign W22BM.
Products and positioning
A local New York City broadcast outlet that has moved between music-video, infomercial, Spanish-language, financial, international, and public-media programming formats.
television broadcasting · 1997
WMBQ-CD broadcast service
The station's primary offering is over-the-air television programming for the New York City market. Across its history, WMBQ has carried music videos, infomercials, Spanish-language programming, financial content, international programming, and public-media-oriented services. Its post-auction service operates through a channel-sharing arrangement associated with WLIW and One World Trade Center.
financial television programming · 2012
Biz Television
Biz Television supplied business and financial programming during WMBQ's late-2012 schedule. Its addition shifted the station away from an infomercial-heavy format and gave it a specialized financial-programming identity within the New York television market.
local television program
Al Día
Al Día was a local morning program carried during a period when WMBQ's schedule otherwise consisted largely of infomercials. The program represented the station's limited local-content offering during that phase.
international television programming · 2018
MHz Worldview affiliation
WMBQ returned to the air in 2018 with MHz Worldview programming. The affiliation connected the New York station to an international and multicultural television service before MHz Worldview ended its broadcast operations and shifted toward streaming.
public television programming · 2020
First Nations Experience
First Nations Experience replaced MHz Worldview programming on WMBQ after the announced discontinuation of MHz Worldview's terrestrial service. The programming was supplied through WNET's public-media ownership structure.
Brand decisions
2020
Programming transition from MHz Worldview to First Nations ExperienceStrategyBackground
MHz Networks announced that MHz Worldview would end its broadcast operations and emphasize digital streaming.
Action taken
WNET replaced MHz Worldview programming on WMBQ with First Nations Experience.
Aftermath
The change preserved a programming role for the station under WNET ownership, although reference material later identifies WMBQ as dark.
2017
Spectrum relinquishment and channel sharingStrategyBackground
The FCC incentive auction created an opportunity for the station to monetize its spectrum while retaining a broadcast presence through channel sharing.
Action taken
WMBQ sold its spectrum, elected post-auction channel sharing, and entered an agreement associated with WNET.
Aftermath
The station's license was donated to WNET, and WMBQ later operated through shared facilities at One World Trade Center.
FCC incentive-auction proceeds. $28,313,224 (2017)
2012
Digital transition and WMBQ-CD designationGeneration changeBackground
The station completed its transition from analog low-power broadcasting to digital Class A operation.
Action taken
It changed its call sign from WMBQ-CA to WMBQ-CD and expanded digital programming.
Aftermath
The schedule moved through infomercials, Canal SOI, local programming, and later Biz Television.
2007
Proposed sale to Equity Media HoldingsM&ABackground
Renard Communications sought to sell WMBQ and two related stations to Equity Media Holdings for $8 million.
Action taken
The parties announced the proposed transaction, subject to a closing deadline in 2008.
Aftermath
The sale was not completed, and Equity later entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
proposed transaction value. $8,000,000 proposed sale (2007)
Recent events
- 2020
WNET replaces MHz Worldview programming with First Nations Experience[1]
Other
After MHz Networks announced the planned end of MHz Worldview's broadcast operations, WNET changed WMBQ's programming to First Nations Experience.
- 2018
WMBQ returns as an MHz Worldview affiliate[1]
Product launch
The station returned to broadcasting in November 2018 through an affiliation with MHz Worldview.
- 2017
WMBQ sells spectrum through FCC incentive auction[1]
Regulation
WMBQ relinquished its broadcast spectrum in the FCC incentive auction for $28,313,224 and elected to continue through a channel-sharing arrangement.
- 2017
WNET receives donated WMBQ license and begins channel-sharing preparation[1]
M&A
Prime Time Partners agreed to donate the WMBQ license to The WNET Group. The donation was completed in December, after which the station temporarily left the air while its shared transmission facilities were prepared.
- 2012
WMBQ changes call sign to WMBQ-CD after digital transition[1]
Product generation
Following its digital transition, the station adopted the WMBQ-CD call sign and expanded its use of digital broadcast programming.
- 2012
WMBQ adds Biz Television programming[1]
Product launch
Biz Television was added to WMBQ's schedule after earlier infomercial and Canal SOI programming, giving the station a financial-programming orientation in the New York market.
- 2007
Renard announces proposed sale of WMBQ and related stations to Equity Media Holdings[1]
M&A
Renard Communications announced a proposed $8 million sale of three stations, including WMBQ, to Equity Media Holdings. The transaction was not completed by the stated deadline, and Equity subsequently entered bankruptcy proceedings.
Sources1 sources
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