WNDT-CD
A New York City Class A television station owned by The WNET Group and currently reported as dark.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WNDT-CD is a Class A television station serving the New York City market. The station is owned by The WNET Group, the nonprofit public-media organization also associated with PBS member stations WNET in Newark, New Jersey, and WLIW in Garden City, New York, as well as Class A station WMBQ-CD. Although its license is classified as low-power Class A, WNDT-CD operates through a channel-sharing arrangement using transmitter facilities associated with WNET at One World Trade Center. This arrangement gives the station access to the broad New York television market while preserving its separate license identity. The station began broadcasting in 1973 as W73AP, a translator operated by WPIX, Inc. Its initial purpose was technical rather than brand-led: television reception in parts of New York City had been affected by the construction of the World Trade Center, and UHF translators helped relay signals to areas where reception from traditional transmitter sites was difficult. After the upper UHF channels were reassigned for mobile-phone use in the early 1980s, the translator moved to channel 17 and became W17AC. It continued relaying WPIX until WPIX's expanded coverage made the backup translator less necessary. WPIX sold the facility in 1992, and the station went off the air temporarily. The facility subsequently passed through several owners, call signs, and programming formats. As W17BM, it carried The Box music-video service and later combined KBS Korean programming with music videos under the KTV identity. In 1997 it became WEBR-LP and was programmed by K Licensee, later K Media, as a Korean-language outlet associated with KBS and NY Radio Korea. Its schedule included Korean entertainment, news, public-affairs material, community information, children's programs, and foreign news services. In 2001, after receiving Class A status, it became WEBR-CA. During this period it also carried Spanish-language home-shopping programming, Korean shopping services, Christian programming, and other syndicated material. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the station temporarily carried CNN coverage as a backup news outlet after the destruction of the World Trade Center's North Tower transmitter facilities. In 2005 and the following years, the station increasingly carried religious and multicultural programming, including material associated with the Global Christian Network, CBN, and other ministries. In 2009 it became WEBR-CD as the facility completed its transition to digital broadcasting. OTA Broadcasting acquired the station in 2012, after which the schedule included infomercials and programming from the Universal Affiliates Network. The station later moved its digital operation to channel 49 before participating in the Federal Communications Commission's incentive auction. The auction led to the station's current relationship with The WNET Group. WEBR-CD relinquished its spectrum, entered a channel-sharing arrangement with WNET, and was donated by OTA Broadcasting to WNET. The donation was completed in December 2017, and the station temporarily left the air while the shared transmission arrangement was prepared. Its call sign changed first to WNCT-CD and shortly afterward to WNDT-CD. It returned in November 2018 as a noncommercial affiliate of MHz Worldview, carrying multilingual programming together with selected WNET and NJ PBS news and public-affairs programs, including NJTV News and MetroFocus. After MHz Worldview announced that it would cease linear broadcast operations in 2020 and move toward streaming, WNET replaced that schedule with First Nations Experience programming. The station is currently described as dark, although its Class A license and affiliation with The WNET Group remain part of its broadcasting history.
History
WNDT-CD originated in 1973 as W73AP, a WPIX translator created to improve reception in New York City areas affected by the construction of the World Trade Center. When channels 70 through 83 were removed from television use in the early 1980s and reassigned for the AMPS mobile-phone system, the facility moved to channel 17 and became W17AC. It continued relaying WPIX until the expansion of WPIX's coverage reduced the need for a separate translator. The station was sold in 1992, became W17BM, and briefly carried The Box music-video programming before adopting the KTV identity and Korean-language content. In 1997 the facility became WEBR-LP. K Licensee, later renamed K Media, programmed it primarily with KBS and other Korean services, including Korean news, community information, children's content, and NY Radio Korea audio programming. In 2001 the station obtained Class A status and adopted the WEBR-CA suffix. Its schedule varied over the following years, incorporating Spanish-language home shopping, Korean shopping, Christian programming, syndicated religious material, and other multilingual services. The station temporarily carried CNN news coverage after the September 11 attacks, when the destruction of the World Trade Center's North Tower affected the main transmission infrastructure. The facility became WEBR-CD in 2009 as it converted to digital broadcasting. Its operation was subject to technical limits designed to avoid interference with public-safety communications on nearby channel 16 frequencies. OTA Broadcasting acquired the station in 2012. Under that ownership, the station carried a mixture of infomercials, Universal Affiliates Network programming, movies, local material, and religious content. It also changed digital channel assignments during this period. WEBR-CD later participated in the FCC incentive auction, relinquishing its spectrum while retaining a path to broadcast through channel sharing. In 2017 OTA Broadcasting donated the license to WNET, and the station entered a sharing agreement with WNET. The facility went off the air while the shared transmitter arrangement at One World Trade Center was prepared. The call sign changed to WNCT-CD and then WNDT-CD in March 2018. WNDT-CD returned to the air in November 2018 as a noncommercial MHz Worldview affiliate. Its schedule combined international and multicultural content with selected programs from WNET and NJ PBS, including news and public-affairs offerings. When MHz Worldview ended its linear broadcast service in 2020, WNET replaced the affiliation with First Nations Experience. The station is currently reported as dark.
- 2020
Programming changes after MHz Worldview shutdown
[1]WNET replaces MHz Worldview with First Nations Experience after the former network ends linear broadcasting.
- 2018
WNDT-CD identity introduced
[1]After briefly using WNCT-CD, the station adopts WNDT-CD and returns as a noncommercial MHz Worldview affiliate.
- 2017
License donated to WNET
[1]OTA Broadcasting donates the license to WNET as part of a post-auction channel-sharing plan.
- 2009
Digital conversion completed
[1]The station flash-cuts to digital broadcasting and adopts the WEBR-CD call sign.
- 2001
Class A status adopted
[1]The station becomes WEBR-CA, reflecting its new Class A authorization.
- 1997
Korean-language programming becomes the core format
[1]The facility adopts the WEBR-LP call sign and is programmed primarily with KBS and related Korean services.
- 1992
WPIX sells the translator
[1]The station is sold to Trimtab Productions and subsequently leaves the air for a period.
- 1982
Translator moves from channel 73 to channel 17
[1]The facility is displaced after channels 70 through 83 are reassigned for mobile-phone use and becomes W17AC.
- 1973
Station signs on as W73AP
[1]WPIX, Inc. launches a UHF translator to improve reception in parts of New York City.
Products and positioning
A New York-area noncommercial and multicultural television outlet within The WNET Group, with a history spanning translator service, Korean-language broadcasting, religious programming, syndicated entertainment, and public-media network affiliation.
Broadcast television · 2009
Digital television broadcasting
WNDT-CD is a licensed Class A digital television station serving the New York City market. Its post-auction operation uses channel-sharing infrastructure associated with WNET at One World Trade Center rather than maintaining a fully independent transmission facility.
Television programming · 1997
Multilingual and multicultural programming
Across different ownership periods, the station carried Korean-language KBS and NY Radio Korea content, religious programming, foreign news, syndicated entertainment, community information, and multicultural network services. Its later public-media role included MHz Worldview and First Nations Experience programming.
News and public affairs · 2018
Public-affairs programming
WNDT-CD has carried selected programming from WNET and NJ PBS, including NJ PBS news and the public-affairs program MetroFocus, complementing its broader noncommercial and multicultural orientation.
Brand decisions
2018
Return as a noncommercial network affiliateStrategyBackground
Following the license donation and channel-sharing transition, WNET prepared a new programming identity for the station.
Action taken
WNDT-CD returned as a MHz Worldview affiliate, carrying multicultural programming and selected WNET and NJ PBS content.
Aftermath
After MHz Worldview ended linear broadcasting, the schedule was changed to First Nations Experience programming; the station is now reported as dark.
2017
Spectrum relinquishment and channel sharingStrategyBackground
The station participated in the FCC incentive auction and chose a post-auction channel-sharing structure.
Action taken
The station sold its spectrum, entered a sharing agreement with WNET, and transferred its license to WNET through a donation from OTA Broadcasting.
Aftermath
The station left the air temporarily and later returned under the WNDT-CD call sign using shared transmission facilities.
FCC incentive-auction proceeds. $72,817,599 (2017)
2012
Sale to OTA BroadcastingM&ABackground
K Licensee agreed to sell WEBR-CD after the station had operated with Korean, religious, and syndicated programming.
Action taken
OTA Broadcasting acquired the station; the transfer was approved in April and closed in June 2012.
Aftermath
The station continued with a varied schedule that later included infomercials and Universal Affiliates Network programming.
Reported transaction value. $6.6 million (2012)
Sources2 sources
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