View source for WPBI-LD

{{Short description|TV station in Lafayette, Indiana}}
{{for|the radio station that used the callsign WPBI from 2011 to 2015|WFLV}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WPBI-LD
| city =
| logo = [[File:WPBI FOX 16 Lafayette.png|150px]]
----
[[File:WPBI NBC 16 Lafayette.png|150px]]
----
[[File:WPBY ABC 35 Lafayette.png|150px]]
| branding = {{ubl|Fox 16 Lafayette|NBC 16 Lafayette (LD2)|ABC 35 Lafayette (LD3)|''Star City News''}}
| digital = 17 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
| virtual = 16
| subchannels =
| translators =
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''16.1:''' [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]|'''16.2:''' [[NBC]]|'''[[WPBY-LD|16.3]]:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]}}
| location = [[Lafayette, Indiana]]
| country = United States
| owner = Coastal Television Broadcasting Company [[Limited liability company|LLC]]
| licensee = CTI License LLC
| founded = {{Start date and age|2011|2|22}}
| airdate = {{Start date and age|2016|10|25|p=y}}
| callsign_meaning = [[Purdue Boilermakers]], Indiana
| sister_stations = [[WPBY-LD]]
| former_callsigns = W16DB-D (2011–2016)
| former_affiliations =
| former_channel_numbers = '''Digital:''' 16 (UHF, 2016–2019)
| erp = 15 [[Kilowatt|kW]]
| haat = {{convert|54.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 194193
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|40|24|8.13|N|86|50|59.03|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| website = {{url|starcitytv.com}}
}}
'''WPBI-LD''' (channel 16) is a [[Low-power broadcasting|low-power television station]] in [[Lafayette, Indiana]], United States, affiliated with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] and [[NBC]]. It is owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company [[Limited liability company|LLC]] alongside [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[WPBY-LD]] (channel 35). Both stations share studios on South 18th Street in Lafayette,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProFacLookup.php?tabSearchType=Lice&sLicensee=STAR%20CITY%20BROADCASTING,%20LLC|title=FCCInfo Facility Search Results}}</ref> while WPBI-LD's transmitter is located on McCarty Lane on the city's east side; the signal is oriented to the northwest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=2003926 |title=RabbitEars.Info |publisher=RabbitEars.Info |date=August 26, 2011 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
==History==
The station's [[construction permit]] was issued by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) on February 22, 2011, under the [[call signs in North America|call sign]] of W16DB-D. The station's call sign was changed back and forth between WPBH-LD and WPBI-LD in August and October 2016 until October 18, 2016, when WPBI was settled upon.<ref name=rei/> WPBI-LD started airing on October 25, 2016. The station signed on from the start as the Lafayette area's Fox affiliate, with NBC being launched on the second subchannel; the station was owned by Waypoint Media, a company operated by Mike Reed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilkins |first1=Ron |title=Fox, NBC stations broadcasting in town |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/news/local/lafayette/2016/10/26/new-tv-station-arrives-lafayette/92789574/ |accessdate=October 29, 2016 |work=Journal & Courier |date=October 26, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Prior to the launch of WPBI-LD its owner, Lafayette TV LLC purchased four Lafayette market radio stations from Artistic Media Partners Inc.<ref>{{cite news|last=McGowan |first=Dan |url=http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/33498179/lafayette-radio-tv-landscapes-shaking-up |title=Lafayette Radio, TV Landscapes Shaking Up |publisher=Inside INdiana Business |date=October 27, 2016 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
WPBI-LD's two subchannels are the first Fox and NBC affiliates ever based in the Lafayette [[Media market|market]]; before the station signed on, Indianapolis television stations [[WXIN]] and [[WTHR]] served as the default Fox and NBC affiliates for Lafayette via cable and satellite. Cable television providers [[Xfinity|Comcast Xfinity]] and Metronet began carrying WPBI in November 2016.<ref name="jconline.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.jconline.com/story/money/business/2016/11/18/wpbi-offer-local-news-service/94071414/ |title=WPBI will offer local news service |publisher=Jconline.com |date=November 18, 2016 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref> Despite discontinuing carriage of Indianapolis-based Fox and NBC affiliates, satellite television provider [[DirecTV]] has said it plans to carry WPBI-LD and WPBI-LD2 but has not announced its timetable for doing so.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jconline.com/story/money/business/2017/02/14/directv-issues-continue-subscribers/97900200/ |title=DirecTV issues continue for subscribers |publisher=Jconline.com |date=February 14, 2017 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
From 1953 until WPBI's 2016 launch, [[WLFI-TV]] had been the only "[[Big Three television networks|Big Three]]" ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[CBS]] and NBC—or, including Fox, "big four") network television broadcaster in the Lafayette market.
In July 2021, Waypoint announced that it would sell nine of its television stations, including WPBY-LD and WPBI-LD, to [[Cumming, Georgia]]–based Coastal Television for $36.9 million. The sale was completed on January 4, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobson |first=Adam |date=January 4, 2022 |title=Coastal Completes Its Waypoint Radio/TV Purchase {{!}} Radio & Television Business Report |url=https://rbr.com/kalil-coastal-waypoint-bill-christian/ |access-date=July 18, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Programming==
===Sports programming===
WPBI-LD carries select [[Purdue Boilermakers football]] games via ''[[Fox College Football]]'', and since 2023 via ''Big Ten Saturday Night'' on NBC. Some non-conference Purdue games may also air on ABC.
WPBI-LD has [[blackout (broadcasting)#Indianapolis 500|blacked out]] live broadcasts of the [[Indianapolis 500]] to continue to enforce analog-era restrictions when Indianapolis stations served Lafayette to encourage attendance; the race otherwise airs on [[broadcast delay|tape delay]] with the Indianapolis affiliate (from 2016, over its second NBC channel with [[WTHR]]; and from 2025, on its Fox channel with [[WXIN]]).
===News operation===
After beginning local weather coverage on January 1, 2017,<ref name="jconline.com"/> WPBI aired its inaugural ''Star City News'' broadcast on May 29, 2017.<ref name="wpbyabc">{{cite news|url=http://www.jconline.com/story/money/business/2017/05/30/wpbi-begins-news-broadcast-launches-abc-affiliate/102307748/ |title=WPBI begins news broadcast, launches ABC affiliate |publisher=Jconline.com |date=May 30, 2017 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref> As of 2017, WPBI broadcast 7½ hours of local newscasts each week, all on weekdays. The newscasts aired at 6:00 and 11:00&nbsp;p.m. on NBC 16 and at 10:00&nbsp;p.m. on Fox 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.twcc.com/listings/wpbild2-wpbi-ld2?offset=5 |title=Spectrum.net |publisher=Tv.twcc.com |date= |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.twcc.com/listings/wpbild-wpbi-ld?offset=4 |title=Spectrum.net |publisher=Tv.twcc.com |date= |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref> The 6 p.m. newscast was exclusive to WPBI-LD2, while the 11 p.m. newscast also simulcast on WPBY-LD.<ref name="wpbyabc"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://starcitybroadcasting.com/home/star-city-news/ |title=Star City News |publisher=Star City Broadcasting |date=May 9, 2019 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
Chris Morisse Vizza, a 10-year veteran of WLFI-TV, became WPBI's first news director. Sarah Blakely became the station's inaugural news anchor, broadcasting from a [[News Hub|Media Gateway]]-owned studio in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], airing segments from Lafayette-based Vizza.<ref name="purdueexponent.org">{{cite news|url=http://www.purdueexponent.org/city_state/article_0a7a5809-59f9-5354-b7e6-91a90086f371.html |title=WPBI bursts onto local TV news scene &#124; City & State |publisher=purdueexponent.org |date=June 1, 2017 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/SarahBlakelyNews/photos/a.819509348126294.1073741829.790189274391635/1337911226286101/ |title=Sarah Blakely - LONG POST!! Hello!! It's been a little... |publisher=Facebook |date=May 26, 2017 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref> Blakely also anchored similar newscasts on sister station [[KJNB-LD]] in [[Jonesboro, Arkansas]].<ref>[https://neareport.com/2017/07/17/new-jonesboro-tv-news-launches-tonight/ New Jonesboro TV news launched Monday night]</ref> Waypoint Media purchased Media Gateway's centralized news operation in June 2019 and renamed it to [[News Hub]]; News Hub was purchased by Coastal Television in July 2021.
Radio tie-ins of the newscasts are planned for [[WSHY]], [[WBPE (FM)|WBPE]], [[WYCM]], and [[WAZY-FM]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jconline.com/story/money/business/2016/12/28/wpbi-weather-coming-soon-newscast-follow/95917788/ |title=WPBI-TV plans weather, news broadcasts |publisher=Jconline.com |date=December 28, 2016 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
==Subchannels==
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WPBI-LD<ref name=rei>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WPBI-LD#station |title=Digital TV Market Listing for WPBI-LD |publisher=RabbitEars.Info |date= |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
! [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! Short name
! Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 16.1
| [[720p]] || rowspan="3"|[[16:9]] || WPBI || [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 16.2
| [[1080i]] || WPBI-2 || [[NBC]]
|- style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"
! scope = "row" | [[WPBY-LD|16.3]]
| 720p || WPBI-3 || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] ([[WPBY-LD]])
|}
{{legend|#E6FFF7|Simulcast of subchannels of another station}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Lafayette IN TV}}
{{Fox Indiana}}
{{NBC Indiana}}
{{Coastal TV Broadcasting}}
[[Category:Low-power television stations in Indiana|PBI]]
[[Category:Fox Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:Coastal Television]]
[[Category:NBC affiliates]]
[[Category:Television stations in Lafayette, Indiana|PBI-LD]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 2016]]
[[Category:2016 establishments in Indiana]]