WPSJ-CD

WPSJ-CD
Hammonton, New Jersey – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Studio: Berlin, NJ
United States
City Hammonton, New Jersey
Channels Digital: 38 (UHF)
Virtual: 8 (PSIP)
Subchannels 8.1: Sonlife Broadcasting Network
8.2: SBN SD
8.3: GOD TV
8.4: Hope Channel
Owner Prime Time Partners, LLC[1][2]
(WPSJ-CD Station, LLC[3])
First air date June 14, 1986 (1986-06-14)
Call letters' meaning Philadelphia and South Jersey
Former callsigns WPSJ-LP (2007)
WPSJ-LD (2007-2012)
Former channel number(s) Analog:
8 (VHF)
24 (UHF)
Digital: 51 (UHF)
Former affiliations Aliento Vision
Amazing Discoveries TV
AMG TV
Cornerstone Television
Golden Eagle Broadcasting
LLBN
America One
MundoFox/MundoMax
Transmitter power 6 kW
Height 275 m (902 ft)
AMSL: 301.1 m (988 ft)
Class CD (Digital Class A)
Facility ID 167543
Transmitter coordinates 39°43′40.6″N 74°50′39.4″W / 39.727944°N 74.844278°W / 39.727944; -74.844278 (WPSJ-CD) WPSJ-CDCoordinates: 39°43′40.6″N 74°50′39.4″W / 39.727944°N 74.844278°W / 39.727944; -74.844278 (WPSJ-CD) WPSJ-CD, Waterford Works, NJ
51 dBu Service Contour
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS

WPSJ-CD channel 8 is an independent commercial digital Class A television station serving the Southern New Jersey area, broadcasting on digital channel 38 UHF. It is owned by Prime Time Partners, LLC of Doral, Florida since December 19, 2012, with a transmitter located in Waterford Township, New Jersey. The channel is not commonly carried by satellite or cable TV systems, but can be received over the air with a standard ATSC tuner.

History

WPSJ signed on the air June 14, 1986 as a FCC Class A television station in the Philadelphia market #4 with 24-hour operation serving the Delaware Valley with local programs. Originally licensed to Berlin, NJ, WPSJ's studio is located in Winslow Township.[4]

At the station's height in 2005, it took in $400,000 in ad revenue and a percentage of sales on the Shop At Home Network, which it aired in the overnight time slots.

Then, in 2006, income dropped to more than half after the FCC moved WPSJ from VHF Channel 8 to the less powerful signal of UHF Channel 24. This move reduced its potential viewership from 3.5 million to just 150,000. With the business suddenly losing money, Engle (Engle Broadcasting of Cedar Brook, New Jersey) considered shutting it down. Some Channel 24 branded material can still be seen on the channel to this day, such as with the station ID. [5]

But as they held on, convinced of the potential of digital TV, the bet paid off in 2007 when the FCC granted WPSJ the right to move back to Channel 8 with a digital signal, part of a government push to convert the broadcast systems to digital. Engle made an investment of $150,000 to convert to digital transmission, and the station's potential audience is now almost six million viewers.[6]

MundoFox

WPSJ-CD 8 Hammonton – Philadelphia logo (8.1 WPSJ-HD screen capture 8 January 2013)
former logo as MundoMax from 2015 to 2016

On July 31, 2012, the station upgraded the main 8.1 channel to 720p in preparation for the soft launch of the Spanish language network MundoFox the next day. Before the launch, it and Boston sister station WFXZ-CD used the same feed (including WFXZ's morning 'bulletin board') during testing of the MundoFox feed, and thus, both stations were featured in the same station identification card. The America One programming formerly featured on 8.1 moved to 8.4, and the 8.5 subchannel with AMG TV programming, along with an audio channel on 8.6 featuring NOAA Weather Radio's KIH28 were discontinued to facilitate high definition programming on 8.1. Eventually, 8.4 came back to the air with programming from the Hope Channel, along with 8.1's programming being simulcast throughout the market via Fox's WTXF, where WPSJ-CD1 is simulcast on WTXF-DT3.

PSIP Channel 8.6 logo card, 2011.

Sale to Prime Time Partners, LLC

On December 19, 2012 Engle Broadcasting of Cedar Brook, New Jersey sold WPSJ-CD to WPSJ-CD Station, LLC of Doral, Florida,[7][8] whose ownership is PTP Broadcasting Holding, LLC owned by Prime Time Partners, LLC both of Doral, Florida.[1] Effective January 12, 2012 was an Asset Purchase Agreement[9] and August 1, 2012 a Time Brokerage Agreement.[10]

Move from UHF 51 to UHF 38

On January 13, 2012 WPHA-CD owner D.T.V. LLC and WPSJ-LD owner Engle Broadcasting submitted Joint Request for Approval of Settlement Agreement where WPHA-CD would move from UHF 38 to UHF 24 and WPSJ-LD would move from UHF 51 to UHF 38, which FCC granted on June 26, 2012.[11][12] On May 29, 2012 FCC granted Construction Permit February 6, 2012 and March 17, 2013 amendment for WPSJ-CD displacement to UHF 38 at ERP 6 kW.[13][14] [15][16] On or before June 16, 2013 WPSJ-CD started tranmitting on UHF channel 38. On June 17, 2013 FCC accepted for filing WPSJ-CD UHF 38 application for Digital Class A Television station license.[17][18]

WPSJ affiliation switch

On December 1, 2016, WPSJ-CD would disaffiliate from MundoMax, and will move Sonlife Broadcasting Network to the station's main channel.

Digital channels

Channel Video Aspect Language PSIP Short Name Programming
8.1 720p 16:9 English WPSJ-HD Sonlife Broadcasting Network HD[19]
8.2 480i 4:3 SonLife Sonlife Broadcasting Network SD[19]
8.3 GOD TV God TV[20]
8.4 Hope Hope Channel[21]
Table data as of December 12, 2014

References

  1. 1 2 "FCC BALDTA-20120827ADP - Table of Ownership of Proposed Assignee with Organization Chart". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. 27 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "FCC Ownership Report Search Results - Facility ID 167543". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "FCC Assignment of License/Transfer of Control - Facility ID 167543". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20090312042429/http://www.wpsjtv.com/about.htm
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9dJmIZxwco
  6. ↑ http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100501/business-for-sale-a-new-jersey-tv-station.html
  7. ↑ "FCC Application Search Details - BALDTA-20120827ADP Assignment of License". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted 29 August 2012; Granted 5 November 2012; Consummation 19 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "FCC 314 - APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE - BALDTA-20120827ADP". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared 27 August 2012; Accepted 29 August 2012; Granted 5 November 2012; Consummation 19 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "FCC BALDTA-20120827ADP - Asset Purchase Agreement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Agreement 12 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "FCC BALDTA-20120827ADP - Time Brokerage Agreement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared July 2012; commencement 1 August 2012; through 31 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "FCC Imported Letter - Joint Request for Approval of Settlement Agreement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Received-FCC Jan 13 2012.
  12. ↑ "FCC Imported Letter - FCC Ruling". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Granted June 26, 2012.
  13. ↑ "FCC Application Search Details - BDISDTL-20120123AAB Displacement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted 23 January 2012; amendment 6 February 2012; granted 29 May 2012; expiration 1 September 2015.
  14. ↑ "FCC 346 - APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION - BDISDTL-20120123AAB". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted 23 January 2012; amendment 6 February 2012, granted 29 May 2012; expiration 1 September 2015.
  15. ↑ "FCC Application Search Details - BMPDTA-20130314ACQ MINOR MODIFICATION TO A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted: 03/15/2013; Amended: 03/27/2013; Granted 06/06/2013; Expiration 09/01/2015.
  16. ↑ "FCC 301-CA - APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A CLASS A TELEVISION BROADCAST STATION - BMPDTA-20130314ACQ". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted: 03/15/2013; Amended: 03/27/2013; Granted 06/06/2013; Expiration 09/01/2015.
  17. ↑ "FCC Application Search Details - BLDTA-20130613ABN LICENSE TO COVER". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared: 06/13/2013; Accepted: 06/17/2013.
  18. ↑ "FCC 302-CA - APPLICATION FOR CLASS A TELEVISION BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE - BLDTA-20130613ABN". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared: 06/13/2013; Accepted: 06/17/2013.
  19. 1 2 "Sonlife Broadcasting Network website". SonlifeTV.com. Sonlife Broadcasting Network. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "GOD TV website". God.tv. GOD TV. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Hope Channel website". HopeTV.org. Hope Channel. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
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