WNYI

WNYI is a full-service religious television station licensed to Ithaca, New York, and associated with the Daystar Television Network. Its service area is generally described through the Elmira, Binghamton, and Syracuse television markets, although the station's terrestrial signal historically had limited reach beyond the Ithaca area. The station transmits from a site on Quarry Road in Moravia, New York, and shares its channel and tower facilities with co-owned low-power translator WDSS-LD. The station originated with a construction permit issued in December 1999 to Ithaca 52 Inc. The permit was valid for three years, and initial program tests were carried out in late 2002 to satisfy a Federal Communications Commission deadline. The first test transmission consisted of color bars at 26 kilowatts from a tower site near Ithaca College. The station subsequently changed hands, first being sold to Caroline Pawley in June 2003 and then to Equity Broadcasting in 2004. Under Equity, WNYI operated as an affiliate of Univision. Programming was delivered remotely by satellite from Equity's centralized automated hub in Little Rock, Arkansas. During this period, WNYI was notable as the only full-service television station in upstate New York carrying Spanish-language programming. The station also sought must-carry access on the Syracuse cable system in 2005. That effort reflected the gap between its nominal market designation and its limited over-the-air coverage: although Ithaca was associated with the Syracuse market, WNYI's signal did not reliably reach Syracuse or many communities outside Ithaca. The station made several applications for higher licensed power, but the referenced account does not record a final FCC decision on those requests. WNYI's Equity-era operation was affected by the parent company's financial difficulties. Equity Broadcasting filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2008. The bankruptcy created uncertainty about financing and court approval for the station's digital facilities, placing both the digital transition and the continued preservation of the license at risk. Because WNYI was a full-service station using an analog channel that was scheduled for reallocation, it could not simply continue analog broadcasting indefinitely after the national digital transition deadline. Daystar acquired WNYI at an auction on April 16, 2009, subject to bankruptcy-court approval. Following the transaction, programming shifted from Univision's national service to Daystar's religious network schedule. The Univision feed was returned to the local cable system, limiting disruption for cable viewers while changing the station's over-the-air identity. On June 12, 2009, the FCC granted a license to cover to Word of God Fellowship for WNYI. The station then had to build digital facilities on an in-core channel to preserve its authorization. WNYI began digital broadcasts on UHF channel 20 during the weekend of May 22–23 in the year following the transition, while retaining virtual channel 52. WNYI is therefore best understood as a local broadcast outlet within the Daystar network rather than as an independent national media brand.

WNYI was created to serve the Ithaca, New York area as a full-service television station. The original construction permit was issued in December 1999 to Ithaca 52 Inc. for a three-year period. In late 2002, the station conducted its first program tests, transmitting 26 kilowatts of color bars from a tower location near Ithaca College in order to meet a Federal Communications Commission construction and operating deadline. Ownership changed soon afterward. Caroline Pawley acquired the station in June 2003, and Equity Broadcasting purchased it in 2004. During the Equity period, WNYI became a Univision affiliate whose programming was supplied by satellite from Equity's automated central hub in Little Rock, Arkansas. This arrangement made the station an important Spanish-language outlet in upstate New York; the referenced station history identifies it as the only full-service television station in the region providing Spanish-language programming at that time. WNYI's regulatory and distribution position was complicated by the relationship between its license and its actual signal coverage. Although Ithaca was nominally part of the Syracuse television market, the station's terrestrial signal was generally inadequate for Syracuse and other communities outside Ithaca. WNYI applied for must-carry access on Time Warner Cable's Syracuse system in May 2005 and also sought permission for increased licensed power. The cited history does not state that the power applications were ultimately approved. The station faced a significant technical and financial challenge during the transition from analog to digital television. Equity Broadcasting's parent corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on December 8, 2008. In filings referenced by the station history, the company warned that WNYI required post-petition financing and bankruptcy-court approval before digital facilities could be built. Without those facilities, the station risked having to cease operation and potentially forfeiting its license. The national transition deadline was extended to June 12, 2009, but WNYI could not remain indefinitely on its analog UHF channel because that spectrum was scheduled for non-broadcast use. Daystar bought WNYI at an auction on April 16, 2009, pending approval by the bankruptcy court. The new owner changed the station's schedule to programming from the Daystar Television Network. The Univision national feed was restored to the local cable system, which reduced the immediate effect on cable viewers. On June 12, 2009, the FCC granted Word of God Fellowship a license to cover WNYI's digital operation. The license required the owner to construct digital facilities on an in-core frequency and return the station to the air within the applicable deadline. WNYI began digital broadcasting on UHF channel 20 during the weekend of May 22–23 in the year following the transition, while using virtual channel 52. In its current identity, WNYI functions as a local Daystar religious television outlet. Its transmitter is located on Quarry Road in Moravia, New York. The station shares channel and tower infrastructure with WDSS-LD, a co-owned low-power translator that had previously operated on UHF channel 38 from a transmitter in Onondaga. WNYI's history combines local station development, Spanish-language commercial-network affiliation, bankruptcy-era ownership change, and conversion to a religious digital broadcast service.

• 2010

  Digital broadcasting begins on channel 20

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  WNYI commenced digital broadcasts on UHF channel 20 during the weekend of May 22–23, retaining virtual channel 52.

• 2009

  Daystar acquisition

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  Daystar bought WNYI at an April 16 auction, subject to bankruptcy-court approval, and subsequently replaced Univision programming with Daystar programming.

• 2009

  Digital license coverage granted

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC granted a license to cover to Word of God Fellowship for WNYI's digital operation on June 12, 2009.

• 2008

  Parent-company bankruptcy

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  Equity Broadcasting's parent corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, threatening financing for WNYI's digital facilities.

• 2005

  Must-carry application for Syracuse cable distribution

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  WNYI applied for must-carry access on Time Warner Cable's Syracuse system while seeking broader distribution beyond its limited terrestrial coverage.

• 2004

  Equity Broadcasting acquisition

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  Equity Broadcasting purchased WNYI, which subsequently operated as a remotely fed Univision affiliate.

• 2003

  Station sold to Caroline Pawley

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  Caroline Pawley acquired WNYI in June 2003.

• 2002

  First program tests

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  WNYI conducted its first program tests in late 2002 with a 26-kilowatt color-bar transmission from a tower site near Ithaca College.

• 1999

  Original construction permit issued

  [1]WNYIen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC issued the original construction permit to Ithaca 52 Inc. in December 1999.

Religious television station and local Daystar network outlet serving viewers in and around the Ithaca area and neighboring upstate New York television markets.

• Religious television programming · 2009

  Daystar network programming

  WNYI's principal programming offering is the religious schedule supplied by the Daystar Television Network. The change to Daystar programming followed the station's acquisition during Equity Broadcasting's bankruptcy proceedings and replaced its previous Univision affiliation. The service positions WNYI as a local terrestrial distribution outlet for Daystar rather than as a station centered on locally produced entertainment or news.

• Broadcast transmission · 2010

  Digital over-the-air television service

  WNYI provides digital television transmission from its upstate New York facility. Its digital signal operates on UHF channel 20 while using virtual channel 52. The digital operation was built to preserve the station's authorization after the analog television transition and to replace use of its former analog UHF channel.

• 2009

  Daystar purchases WNYI through a bankruptcy auctionM&A

  Background

  WNYI's owner, Equity Broadcasting, was operating under Chapter 11 protection and faced uncertainty over financing the station's required digital facilities.

  Action taken

  Daystar acquired WNYI at an auction on April 16, 2009, subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

  Aftermath

  WNYI adopted Daystar network programming, while the Univision national feed was returned to the local cable system.

  Source

• 2009

  Station changes from Univision to DaystarStrategy

  Background

  The ownership change shifted the station from Equity Broadcasting's Spanish-language Univision affiliation to the religious programming model of its new owner.

  Action taken

  WNYI replaced the Univision schedule with programming from the Daystar Television Network.

  Aftermath

  WNYI became a local religious television outlet, while cable viewers retained access to Univision through the restored national feed.

  Source

• 2009

  Transition from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  The station's analog channel was scheduled for reallocation, and the bankruptcy of its former parent raised doubts about whether the required digital facilities could be financed and constructed.

  Action taken

  Word of God Fellowship obtained FCC license coverage for the digital operation, which began broadcasting on UHF channel 20 while retaining virtual channel 52.

  Aftermath

  The digital facility allowed WNYI to continue operating as a licensed broadcast station after the analog transition.

  Source

1. 1WNYIen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Daystar Television Networkdaystar.com