WPKD-TV
Independent television station serving the Pittsburgh area, licensed to Jeannette, Pennsylvania, and branded KDKA+.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WPKD-TV is an independent television station licensed to Jeannette, Pennsylvania, and serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on digital channel 19 and is operated by CBS News and Stations alongside KDKA-TV, the CBS owned-and-operated station in Pittsburgh. Since 2023, it has used the on-air identity KDKA+, positioning the service as a programming extension of KDKA-TV rather than as a conventional stand-alone local-news outlet. The station began broadcasting on October 15, 1953, as WARD-TV on UHF channel 56 from Johnstown. It initially carried CBS programming with a secondary ABC affiliation and was associated with WARD radio. The station moved to channel 19 in the early 1970s, adopted the WJNL-TV call sign, and later became an independent outlet. Its early history was shaped by difficult terrain, limited UHF reception, modest technical facilities, and intense competition from stronger VHF stations. These problems made the station heavily dependent on cable distribution and prevented it from becoming a major force in the Johnstown market. After changes in ownership and call signs, the station became WFAT-TV in 1983 and later WPTJ. A transmitter relocation and power increase improved its over-the-air reach toward Pittsburgh, but the station remained commercially weak. The arrival of WWCP-TV in 1986 further eroded its programming position, and the owner entered bankruptcy proceedings. WPTJ ultimately went silent in May 1990 after employees were not paid and the remaining operating staff resigned. The facility returned to the air in 1996 as WTWB-TV under Venture Technologies Group. Venture sought to move the license from the Johnstown market to Jeannette so the station could obtain stronger cable carriage in Pittsburgh. The station briefly operated in connection with a low-power Pittsburgh outlet and was intended to carry The WB, but a competing affiliation arrangement changed those plans. It therefore launched its Pittsburgh-market service as an independent before affiliating with UPN in 1997 under the WNPA call sign. Viacom's purchase of WNPA in 1998 brought the station into the corporate family that later merged with CBS. Its technical and commercial operations were consolidated with KDKA-TV in Downtown Pittsburgh, creating the organizational structure that continues today. In 2006, following the replacement of UPN and The WB by The CW, the station became WPCW and adopted the identity Pittsburgh's CW. Its digital transmitter was built in Pittsburgh's Perry North neighborhood, improving city coverage while changing the pattern of service available to some viewers east of Westmoreland County. CBS ended the station's CW affiliation in 2023 after Nexstar acquired majority control of The CW. WPCW became independent on September 1, 2023, changed its call sign to WPKD-TV, and adopted the KDKA+ brand. Its programming includes locally relevant sports, team-related programming connected with the Pittsburgh Steelers, selected Pittsburgh Penguins preseason games, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC matches, selected Cleveland Cavaliers games, high-school football, college sports, and syndicated programming. The station remains a Pittsburgh-area broadcast asset of CBS News and Stations, with its identity and schedule closely linked to KDKA-TV.
History
WPKD-TV signed on in 1953 as WARD-TV, a UHF station serving Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was affiliated with CBS and carried some ABC programming, but its initial technical facilities were weak by the standards of a network affiliate. The station's UHF signal struggled across Western Pennsylvania's mountainous terrain, making cable carriage particularly important. In the early 1970s, ownership under Jonel Construction led to the WJNL-TV call sign and a move to channel 19. The station dropped ABC and later ended its CBS affiliation in 1978, becoming independent. A subsequent sale to WFAT Incorporated produced the WFAT-TV identity, a longer broadcast day, a higher-power transmitter, and improved coverage toward Pittsburgh. These upgrades did not solve the station's programming and financial problems. Its equipment and local production operation were dated, while syndicated programming and stronger competitors reduced its appeal. The station changed to WPTJ in 1988. Competition from newly launched WWCP-TV, repeated transmitter failures, and weak finances culminated in bankruptcy. The owner's Chapter 11 case was converted to Chapter 7 in 1990. WPTJ continued operating briefly, but the station went dark in May after its unpaid staff departed and its facilities were repossessed. Venture Technologies Group acquired the silent license at a bankruptcy auction and returned channel 19 to the air in 1996 as WTWB-TV. Venture attempted to use the station to secure a full-power Pittsburgh-market affiliation with The WB, while also operating a low-power Pittsburgh outlet. Because the station was originally licensed to Johnstown, Venture pursued a city-of-license change to Jeannette, enabling stronger cable-carriage rights in the Pittsburgh market. The station ultimately became WNPA and affiliated with UPN in 1997. Viacom purchased WNPA in 1998. After Viacom and CBS combined their broadcasting interests, WNPA became a sister station to KDKA-TV. Its operations were progressively consolidated with KDKA-TV at the Gateway Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. In 2006, the station became WPCW and joined The CW. The station's digital transmission facilities were later moved to Pittsburgh's Perry North area, substantially improving over-the-air service in Pittsburgh while reducing the reach of the former analog transmission site for some eastern viewers. WPCW remained part of CBS's portfolio until CBS withdrew from The CW in 2023 following Nexstar's majority acquisition of the network. The station changed its call sign to WPKD-TV on September 1, 2023, and began using the KDKA+ identity. As an independent station, it supplements KDKA-TV with regional sports and entertainment programming, including selected Pittsburgh sports events, Riverhounds matches, high-school football, college sports, and selected Cleveland Cavaliers broadcasts.
- 2023
Relaunches as WPKD-TV and KDKA+
[1]CBS ends the CW affiliation and turns the station into an independent outlet branded KDKA+.
- 2009
Digital transmitter moves to Pittsburgh
[1]The station ends analog transmission from the Laurel Mountain area and begins digital transmission from Pittsburgh's Perry North neighborhood.
- 2006
Joins The CW as WPCW
[1]The station changes call signs and begins carrying The CW after the closure of UPN and The WB.
- 1998
Viacom agrees to acquire the station
[1]The station enters Viacom's broadcast portfolio and later becomes connected with CBS through the companies' corporate combination.
- 1996
Returns as WTWB-TV
[1]Venture Technologies Group reactivates the full-power facility after acquiring it through bankruptcy proceedings.
- 1990
Broadcast operations cease
[1]WPTJ goes off the air during the owner's Chapter 7 liquidation.
- 1983
Becomes WFAT-TV
[1]WFAT Incorporated acquires the station, changes its call sign, and relocates its transmitter to improve coverage toward Pittsburgh.
- 1972
Moves to channel 19 as WJNL-TV
[1]The station adopts new call letters, moves to the stronger channel 19 allocation, and later operates as an independent.
- 1953
Station signs on as WARD-TV
[1]The station begins broadcasting from Johnstown on UHF channel 56 with CBS as its primary affiliation.
Products and positioning
A Pittsburgh-market independent station and KDKA-TV brand extension, emphasizing local sports, regional community programming, and complementary entertainment content.
Independent television service · 2023
KDKA+
The station's current on-air identity, introduced in 2023 after the end of its CW affiliation. KDKA+ functions as a complementary service to KDKA-TV, using the broader CBS-owned station operation to present regional sports, local-interest programming, syndicated content, and selected programming that does not fit the schedule of the primary CBS outlet.
Television programming
Sports programming
WPKD-TV carries selected Pittsburgh-area sports and related coverage. Its schedule has included Pittsburgh Penguins preseason games when conflicts affect the team's usual outlet, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC matches, selected Cleveland Cavaliers games, high-school football, college football and basketball, and Pittsburgh Steelers-related shows.
Local sports programming
Steel City High School Football Showcase
A branded presentation of Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League high-school football, including selected regular-season, playoff, and championship coverage. The programming gives the station a regional community role and extends its KDKA+ sports positioning beyond professional teams.
Brand decisions
2023
CBS converts WPCW into an independent KDKA+ outletStrategyBackground
Nexstar's acquisition of majority control of The CW allowed CBS to withdraw its affiliations from stations it owned, including WPCW.
Action taken
CBS ended CW programming, changed the call sign to WPKD-TV, and introduced the KDKA+ brand as a KDKA-TV extension.
Aftermath
The station remains active as an independent outlet focused on complementary sports, local-interest, and syndicated programming.
2009
Digital transmission relocationOtherBackground
The former analog transmitter's location provided stronger service in some eastern areas but weaker practical reception in parts of Pittsburgh.
Action taken
WPCW shifted digital transmission to Pittsburgh's Perry North section during the national analog-to-digital transition.
Aftermath
The move improved city-grade Pittsburgh coverage, while cable, fiber distribution, and a Johnstown translator helped preserve access for viewers outside the core coverage area.
2006
Station transitions from UPN to The CWStrategyBackground
UPN and The WB announced plans to cease operations and be replaced by The CW.
Action taken
The station adopted the WPCW call sign and launched as Pittsburgh's CW.
Aftermath
WPCW carried The CW for approximately seventeen years before CBS converted it to an independent station.
Sources2 sources
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