WKBD
Categories: Television stations in Detroit | UPN network affiliates | Viacom television stations
| WKBD | |
|---|---|
| Image:Wkbd upn50 detroit.jpg | |
| Detroit, Michigan | |
| Branding | UPN Detroit |
| Slogan | U Got It |
| Analog channel | 50 (UHF) |
| Digital channel | 14 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | UPN |
| Owner | CBS Corporation |
| Founded | January 10, 1965 |
| Call letters meaning | W Kaiser Broadcasting Detroit |
| Former affiliations | Independent FOX |
| Website | www.upndetroit.com |
WKBD, "UPN Detroit" is Detroit's UPN affiliate broadcasting on analog channel 50. The station is owned and operated by CBS Corporation along with CBS sister station WWJ-TV. Its studios and transmitters are located in Southfield, Michigan.
Contents |
History
WKBD first went on the air on January 10, 1965, under the ownership of Kaiser Broadcasting. It started as an all-sports station, predating ESPN by almost 14 years. It eventually became a typical UHF independent station running cartoons, sitcoms and old movies. However, sports remained a central part of WKBD's schedule, and it was the over-the-air home of the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons for many years.
Field Communications, which owned WFLD-TV in Chicago, bought an interest in Kaiser in 1973. The station was later purchased by Field Communications in 1978.
Over the years, WKBD was the leading independent in Detroit, running a typical schedule of cartoons, off network sitcoms and old movies. It was carried on cable systems throughout Michigan. At one point in the early 1980s, WKBD was the only independent station running a full time schedule of entertainment.
In 1982, Field put all its stations up for sale. However, Field had a difficult time selling WKBD for the amount of money it wanted. As a result Field was forced to hold on to WKBD, which at the time was one of the top rated independents. In late 1983, Cox Communications offered to buy the station. On January 30, 1984, Cox acquired the station. Later that year the logo was changed, yet the programming remained the same as before.
The station remained as the leading independent station in the Detroit market until 1986, when it became a charter affiliate of the Fox network. The station was later sold to Paramount in June 1993.
Even though WKBD was one of Fox's strongest affiliates, it lost the Fox affiliation to WJBK-TV, Detroit's longtime CBS affiliate, on December 11, 1994. WJBK's owner, New World Communications, had made a deal with Fox to switch nearly all of its stations to Fox. WKBD briefly went independent again until January 1995, when it became Detroit's UPN station. Its programming from its days as a Fox affiliate was unchanged except for prime time programming. Eventually, the older sitcoms were replaced with more first run syndicated talk/reality shows. Fox Kids stayed on WKBD until 1998, when it moved to WADL. WKBD continued to maintain a morning cartoon block that became the UPN Kids Disney Block.
In 2000, Paramount's parent Viacom acquired CBS, a move that united channel 50 with WWJ-TV (which CBS acquired in 1995). After the merger, WWJ-TV moved from its facilities in downtown Detroit to WKBD's Southfield studios.
UPN ended cartoons in the fall of 2003. Today, WKBD has a format of first run syndicated talk/court/reality shows, off network sitcoms, UPN first run programming, and drama shows.
Newscast
WKBD once produced a single newscast, at 10 PM. In December 2002, due to low ratings, the newscast was cancelled after nearly 15 years on the air. Afterwards, the station's 10 pm newscast was produced by WXYZ, Detroit's ABC affiliate. The station hired some of the former WKBD staff, but many were left to find jobs. As of 2005, the station is no longer broadcasting news.
Tara Wall, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, is a former reporter for WKBD.
Sportscasts
On occasion (and regularly during preseason games), WKBD produces broadcasts of Detroit Lions football games, as well as Detroit Pistons basketball games. Both are simulcasted to other stations across Michigan, on a select list of affiliate stations.
In a similar fashion, Detroit Red Wings hockey games and Detroit Tigers baseball games were also produced by WKBD, however as of 2005, Fox Sports Net Detroit seems to hold the broadcast rights to most of both team's games.
References
External links
| Broadcast television in the Detroit and Windsor, Ontario market | ||
|---|---|---|
|
WJBK 2 (Fox) - WDIV 4 (NBC) - WXYZ 7 (ABC) - CBET 9 (CBC) - WDWO 18 (TCT) - WDWB 20 (The WB) - CIII 22 (Global) - WUDT 23 (UNI) - WLPC 26 (Cornerstone Television) - W27CJ 27 (TCT) - WPXD 31 (i) - CICO 32 (TVO) - W33BY 33 (Ind) - WADL 38 (Ind) - W48AV 48 (i) - WKBD 50 (UPN) - CBEFT 54 (SRC) - WTVS 56 (PBS) - CHWI 60 (A-Channel) - WWJ 62 (CBS) - W66BV 66 (TBN) | ||
| See also Broadcast television in the Toledo, Ohio market | ||
| Viacom Inc. |
|
Corporate Directors: George Abrams | David Andelman | Joseph Califano, Jr. | William Cohen | Philippe Dauman | Alan Greenberg | Charles Phillips | Shari Redstone | Sumner Redstone | Frederic Salerno | William Schwartz | Robert D. Walter |
|
Misc. Assets: Infinity Broadcasting | Neopets | Paramount Parks | Paramount Pictures | Simon & Schuster | Viacom Outdoor |
|
Annual Revenue: $22.5 billion USD (Image:Red down.png15% FY 2004) | Employees: 38,350 | Stock Symbol: NYSE: VIAB | Website: www.viacom.com |