WWHB-CD
WWHB-CD is a low-power Class A television station licensed to Stuart, Florida, serving the West Palm Beach market through digital multicast programming and NextGen TV transmission.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WWHB-CD is a low-power Class A television station licensed to Stuart, Florida, and serving the wider West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast television market. The station began broadcasting on January 11, 1991, as W16AR, an independent station on UHF channel 16. It was established by retired businessman August Gabriel with an initial investment reported at $200,000 and a staff of three employees. After several technical and ownership changes, the station became WWHB-CA in January 2003 and later adopted the digital-era WWHB-CD call sign. The station’s early identity was closely tied to local programming for Florida’s Treasure Coast. It briefly produced Good Morning Treasure Coast, a local morning program, from October 1996 through February 1997, and also carried a short-lived 7 p.m. Treasure Coast News program in 1997. These efforts reflected the station’s role as a small independent outlet rather than a conventional national-network affiliate. Businessman Bill Brothers acquired the station in 2001. Under his ownership, the facilities were rebuilt and the station was repositioned as the first local Spanish-language television service in the West Palm Beach market. The operation worked alongside sister station WTCN, seeking to serve the area’s growing Hispanic population. The station also changed channels during this period, moving to UHF channel 15 in 2001, then channel 14 in 2002, before moving to channel 48 and adopting the WWHB-CA call sign in 2003. A translator on channel 53 helped extend its reach toward West Palm Beach. Viacom acquired WWHB and WTCN from Brothers in 2005 for a reported $7.7 million. Viacom returned the studios to the West Palm Beach area and upgraded the station’s signal. In 2007, CBS agreed to sell a group of smaller-market stations, including WWHB, to Cerberus Capital Management. Cerberus placed the stations in Four Points Media Group, which assumed operational control through local marketing arrangements. The transaction closed in January 2008, and WWHB was subsequently operated from Four Points’ hub in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its purchase of Four Points in 2011 and completed the transaction on January 3, 2012. WWHB consequently became part of Sinclair’s South Florida station group, which also includes WPEC, WTVX, and WTCN-CD. The stations share facilities on Fairfield Drive in Mangonia Park, while WWHB’s transmitter is located southwest of Hobe Sound, Florida. WWHB-CD also serves a technical role in the market. It operates as the West Palm Beach area’s ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV, transmitter and hosts its primary signal together with signals from four major-network stations. In return, WWHB’s own subchannels are distributed through four full-power stations. The station’s programming affiliations have changed over time. It carried Spanish-language Azteca América programming before that network ceased operations on January 1, 2023; following the shutdown, the station moved to TBD programming, with a related TBD feed also appearing on WTCN-CD. Reference material identifies the station with Roar digital multicast programming, although the precise current lineup should be verified against the station’s latest regulatory and broadcast listings.
History
WWHB-CD originated as W16AR, an independent television station that began broadcasting from Stuart, Florida, on January 11, 1991. August Gabriel, a retired businessman, founded the station with a reported $200,000 and three employees. Its first operation was on UHF channel 16, and its initial identity was that of a small independent outlet serving the Treasure Coast. The station’s early history included several call-sign and channel changes. In 1995, it became WTCN-LP. From October 1996 to February 1997, it produced Good Morning Treasure Coast, a local morning show hosted by Tom Teter. A local 7 p.m. news program, Treasure Coast News, was also briefly presented by Ed Birchfield between February and July 1997. These programs were short-lived, but they demonstrated the station’s attempts to develop locally relevant content. In 2001, the station moved to UHF channel 15, converted to Class A status, and adopted the WTCN-CA call sign. It moved again to channel 14 in 2002 and added a channel 53 translator to improve coverage toward West Palm Beach. Bill Brothers, a Martin County businessman who purchased the station in 2001, led a broader redevelopment of the operation. Together with sister station WTCN, the rebuilt facilities supported what was described as the first local Hispanic-language television service for the West Palm Beach market. This repositioning connected the station to the region’s expanding Hispanic population and gave it a more distinctive service proposition. On January 15, 2003, the station moved to UHF channel 48 and changed its call sign to WWHB-CA. Its transmitter operated from an area near the western boundary of Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, southwest of Jupiter Island. In 2005, Viacom acquired WWHB and WTCN from Brothers for a reported $7.7 million. Viacom moved the studios back to the West Palm Beach area and made improvements to the station’s signal. A further ownership transition began in 2007, when CBS agreed to sell seven smaller-market stations to Cerberus Capital Management for $185 million. Cerberus created Four Points Media Group to hold the stations and began operating them through local marketing agreements in June 2007. The transaction closed on January 10, 2008. WWHB continued to use its existing website address, although the site redirected users to a WTVX section, and operational control was centered at Four Points’ hub station, KUTV, in Salt Lake City. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced an agreement to acquire Four Points from Cerberus in September 2011. Following regulatory approval, Sinclair began managing the stations under local marketing agreements, and the acquisition was completed on January 3, 2012. WWHB became part of Sinclair’s West Palm Beach cluster alongside CBS affiliate WPEC, CW affiliate WTVX, and independent WTCN-CD. The stations share studios on Fairfield Drive in Mangonia Park, while WWHB’s transmitter is southwest of Hobe Sound. The station later adopted the WWHB-CD call sign as part of the transition to digital broadcasting. It became an important technical component of the local market’s ATSC 3.0 deployment, carrying its own main subchannel and the signals of four major-network stations. In a reciprocal arrangement, WWHB’s subchannels are carried by four full-power stations in the market. This gives the station a role beyond its traditional low-power coverage area. WWHB carried programming from Azteca América as a Spanish-language affiliate. When Azteca América ceased operations on January 1, 2023, WWHB switched to TBD programming, sharing the affiliation with a digital subchannel of WTCN-CD. Reference material also associates the station with the Roar digital multicast network. Because multicast affiliations can change and the available material does not establish a single definitive current lineup, the latest programming schedule should be checked separately.
- 2023
Post-Azteca programming change
[1]After Azteca América ended operations, WWHB moved to TBD programming.
- 2012
Sinclair acquisition
[1]Sinclair completed its acquisition of Four Points Media Group and added WWHB to its West Palm Beach cluster.
- 2008
Four Points operational control
[1]Four Points Media Group assumed control after Cerberus acquired the stations from CBS.
- 2005
Viacom acquisition
[1]Viacom bought WWHB and WTCN from Bill Brothers and upgraded the operation’s facilities and signal.
- 2003
Adopts WWHB-CA identity
[1]The station moved to channel 48 and changed its call sign to WWHB-CA.
- 2002
Move to channel 14
[1]The station moved to UHF channel 14 and added a translator intended to improve West Palm Beach coverage.
- 2001
Class A conversion and channel move
[1]The station moved to channel 15, converted to Class A status, and became WTCN-CA.
- 1995
Call sign changes to WTCN-LP
[1]The station adopted the WTCN-LP call sign during its early low-power operation.
- 1991
Launch as W16AR
[1]The station began broadcasting from Stuart, Florida, as an independent UHF outlet on channel 16.
Products and positioning
A small-market, low-power television station serving Florida’s Treasure Coast and West Palm Beach area, with a historic emphasis on Hispanic-language programming and a current role as a multicast and ATSC 3.0 transmission platform.
Television broadcasting · 1991
WWHB-CD broadcast signal
The station’s primary over-the-air service is licensed to Stuart and targets viewers in the West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast region. Its coverage and distribution have changed through multiple channel moves, translator use, facility improvements, and digital broadcasting transitions.
Digital television infrastructure
ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV service
WWHB-CD functions as the West Palm Beach market’s ATSC 3.0 transmitter. It hosts its own principal signal as well as signals from four major-network stations, while its subchannels are distributed through full-power stations in the market.
Digital multicast television
Multicast programming
The station has carried network and multicast programming, including Spanish-language Azteca América content before that network shut down and TBD programming afterward. Reference material also identifies an association with Roar programming, but the current lineup requires verification.
Marketing campaigns
- 2001Local Hispanic-language television service
West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, Florida
Under Bill Brothers, WWHB and sister station WTCN rebuilt their facilities and positioned the operation to serve the region’s growing Hispanic population with local Spanish-language television.
Outcome. The repositioning established a distinctive Hispanic-focused identity before later network-affiliation changes.
- 1996Good Morning Treasure Coast
Treasure Coast, Florida
WWHB briefly developed a locally produced morning show hosted by Tom Teter as part of its effort to provide community-oriented programming.
Outcome. The program ended in February 1997.
Brand decisions
2023
Switch from Azteca América to TBDStrategyBackground
Azteca América ceased operations on January 1, 2023, requiring affiliates to adopt replacement programming.
Action taken
WWHB switched to TBD programming and shared the affiliation with WTCN-CD’s third digital subchannel.
Aftermath
The change ended WWHB’s documented Azteca América affiliation; later multicast branding should be verified against current schedules.
2012
Integration into Sinclair’s station groupM&ABackground
Sinclair agreed to acquire Four Points Media Group from Cerberus Capital Management.
Action taken
The acquisition closed on January 3, 2012, placing WWHB within Sinclair’s West Palm Beach cluster.
Aftermath
WWHB continued operating alongside WPEC, WTVX, and WTCN-CD and shared the group’s Mangonia Park facilities.
2005
Sale to ViacomM&ABackground
Bill Brothers sold WWHB and sister station WTCN after the stations had been rebuilt and repositioned.
Action taken
Viacom acquired both stations, moved the studios back to West Palm Beach, and improved the signal.
Aftermath
WWHB became part of Viacom’s station interests before later passing into the Four Points and Sinclair groups.
Reported purchase price. 7700000 (2005)
2001
Repositioning toward Hispanic-language local serviceStrategyBackground
After Bill Brothers acquired the station, the operation sought to serve the West Palm Beach area’s growing Hispanic population.
Action taken
Facilities were rebuilt and WWHB was developed as a local Hispanic-language television service in cooperation with WTCN.
Aftermath
The station gained a differentiated market position, although subsequent ownership and affiliation changes altered its programming identity.
Sources1 sources
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