WGBX-TV

Channel 44 had originally been allotted to Boston as a commercial television channel. Two companies, Integrated Communications Systems and United Artists Broadcasting, applied for the channel in 1963. They were soon joined by the WGBH Educational Foundation, which proposed a non-commercial educational station. All three applications were designated for comparative hearing in February 1964,{{Cite news|page=42|date=February 12, 1964|work=Variety|title=Antitrust Actions Will Be Factor in Weighing UA's Bid for Stations|id={{ProQuest|962663933}} }} but in July, the FCC reserved channel 44 for educational use in Boston and transferred channel 25 from Barnstable to serve as a new commercial channel.{{Cite news|title=UHF assignments changed in 10 markets|work=Broadcasting|page=52|date=July 13, 1964|id={{ProQuest|1014482402}} }} The two commercial applicants then switched their proposals to channel 25, leaving WGBH alone in its channel 44 application and allowing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to award the construction permit in October.{{cite news|page=9|title=Boston's channel 44 awarded to educators|work=Broadcasting|date=October 26, 1964|id={{ProQuest|1014492715}} }}

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare awarded a $725,000 grant for the construction of WGBX-TV in January 1966; the station was projected to provide specialized educational programming.{{Cite news|work=Broadcasting|date=January 10, 1966|title=U.S. gives funds for 2d Boston ETV|pages=42, 47|id={{ProQuest|1014489055}} }} WGBX-TV began broadcasting on September 25, 1967,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72660572/|page=2|via=Newspapers.com|work=The Boston Globe|date=September 15, 1967|title=I notice on TV...|access-date=March 4, 2021}} two weeks after the station aired its first test pattern.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-new-tv-station-starts-p/127043616/|date=September 12, 1967|page=38|title=New TV Station Starts Pattern|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}}

In addition to replays and additional PBS programs as well as college telecourses, WGBX has offered a wide range of innovative programs and services in its history. The very first program broadcast by the station was a teacher in-service program designed to help first-grade instructors teach drama.{{Cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/bestview-town-channel-44-debut-monday/emreayridhpxjxuyzogujusrwwiuyhpz_wma-gateway013_1687651055604|page=17|date=September 25, 1967|first=Anthony|last=La Camera|work=Record American|title=BesTView In Town: Channel 44 Debut Monday}} On The Most Dangerous Game, telecast in 1967, viewers could call a telephone number to control the movement of a fictional country, Transania, in a hypothetical foreign policy crisis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item-viewers-to-take-part-in-c/126988076/|date=October 14, 1967|page=A-2|title=Viewers To Take Part In Channel 44 Game|newspaper=The Daily Item|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}} A monthly series on the intersection of law enforcement and critical justice was distributed to other educational stations.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-tv-in-review/126988174/|date=December 12, 1967|page=13|first=David|last=Haskell|agency=United Press International|title=TV In Review|newspaper=Transcript-Telegram|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}} In 1968, WGBX-TV and WBZ-TV broadcast Read Your Way Up: A TV Read-In, an adult literacy program.{{Cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/education-screen-tv-teach-rading-skill/fzrlrjaxtmjsnptltsavqfaeepbgbtjg_wma-gateway010_1687651251182|page=51|work=Boston Herald|title=Education On Screen: TV to Teach Reading Skill|date=July 7, 1968}} In November 1970, the station debuted a public-access show, Catch 44.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-ch-44-offers-chance-to/72660695/|date=November 10, 1970|page=22|title=Ch. 44 offers chance to air your views|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}} The program attracted widespread national and international interest; other public stations copied the format, as did the BBC, which launched Open Door in 1973.{{Cite news|page=38|date=March 21, 1973|work=Variety|title=Public Access TV Spreading|id={{ProQuest|963180648}} }} In 1973, as part of an initiative by the WGBH Educational Foundation, it and nine other public stations in northeastern cities began airing an open-captioned version of the ABC Evening News.{{Cite news|id={{ProQuest|1014676429}}|title=Harry and Howard for the hearing-impaired: PTV stations set to start carrying captioned 'ABC Evening News'|work=Broadcasting|page=28|date=December 3, 1973}}

WGBX began airing live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1984, making it the first state legislative chamber to have full, unedited proceedings televised.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-house-tv-contract-nearl/127026728/|date=November 13, 1983|first=James|last=Simon|agency=Associated Press|page=37|title=House TV contract nearly ready|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}} The Massachusetts State Senate joined the House on WGBX in 1994.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-mass-senate-to-go-vide/127028206/|date=January 20, 1994|page=27|agency=Associated Press|title=Mass. Senate to go video, at last|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}} Legislative coverage on channel 44 continued through 2006; the contracts with each chamber were not renewed for 2007.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/athol-daily-news-beacon-hill-roll-call/127052753/|date=February 3, 2007|pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/athol-daily-news-beacon-hill/127052794/ 15]|first=Bob|last=Katzen|title=Beacon Hill Roll Call|newspaper=Athol Daily News|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 25, 2023}}

Beginning in 1986 and continuing through at least 1988, with special FCC permission, it was the only station in the United States authorized to broadcast pulse-code modulation (PCM) digital audio on its video signal; the audio programs, primarily simulcasts of WGBH-FM aired overnight but also including specially recorded concerts, could then be decoded from the video tape by residents with the appropriate decoder equipment.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-ive-heard-there-is-onl/126155666/|date=October 5, 1987|page=26|title=I've heard there is only one station in the United States...|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}}{{Cite news|title='Digital audio' enhances radio sound and silence|page=21|first=Alan|last=Bunce|date=September 16, 1986|work=The Christian Science Monitor}}{{Cite magazine|first=Steven|last=Dupler|title=UHF Tested For Digital Audio Signal: Experiment At Boston TV Station|magazine=Billboard|pages=69–70|date=August 30, 1986|id={{ProQuest|1286448744}} }}

In 1987, weekend programming on WGBX was expanded to add 18 additional hours, primarily replays of programs aired by WGBH, as part of celebrations for the 20th anniversary of channel 44.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-ch-44-expands-weekend/127026942/|date=September 26, 1987|page=22|first=Robert A.|last=McLean|title=Ch. 44 expands weekend schedule|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 24, 2023}} However, the station's reputation as "the other Channel 2" continued. In January 1995, WGBH relaunched WGBX under the brand GBH44, to bring it closer to the main station.{{cite news|page=30|first=Daniel M.|last=Kimmel|title=Ch. 44 steps out of the shadows of sister station Ch. 2|work=Boston Herald|date=April 7, 1997}} It increased emphasis on independent and offbeat programming, including the use of themed nights, to counterprogram WGBH-TV, though it would continue to air shows bumped off of the channel 2 schedule, and it would continue to broadcast the main WGBH lineup during the station's annual auction.{{Cite news|page=39|title=Inside Boston TV: Other Channel 2 now is a true alternative|work=Boston Herald|date=October 31, 1994}}{{Cite news|page=C7|work=Worcester Telegram & Gazette|date=December 28, 1994|first=Daniel M.|last=Kimmel|title=Many TV changes set for new year}} By 1997, WGBX-TV was the 26th-most-watched public television station in prime time, demonstrating that the changes had given channel 44 an identity and increased recognition.{{r|BosH970407}}

File:WGBX44.png secondary logo.]]

In 1999, the tower used by WGBX-TV in Needham, owned by WBZ-TV, was overhauled to support digital broadcasting for its tenants, including WBZ, WGBH and WGBX, and WCVB-TV.{{Cite news|first=Glen|last=Dickson|page=54|title=WBZ-TV readies tower for DTV|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=September 14, 1998|id={{ProQuest|225350580}} }}{{Cite news|title=Boston: Awaiting rebuild, WBZ-TV will use temporary digital facilities|first=Andrew|last=Bowser|page=28|work=Broadcasting & Cable|id={{ProQuest|225343912}} }} However, WGBX-TV did not begin digital broadcasts on its own channel until January 1, 2003.{{cite periodical |title=WGBX-TV |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2006/2006-BC-YB.pdf#page=102 |periodical=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook |year=2006 |page=B-50 |via=World Radio History}}

WGBX-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 44, on April 23, 2009.{{Cite news|title=The Ticker|work=Boston Herald|date=April 23, 2009}} The WGBH Educational Foundation had previously warned that defective equipment might force the station to close prior to the June transition date.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-not-all-stations-wait-t/127027341/|date=February 17, 2009|page=B5|first=Hiawatha|last=Bray|title=Not all stations wait to go digital: Despite US's delay, some switch today|newspaper=The Boston Globe|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 25, 2023}} The station's digital signal continued to be broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 43, using virtual channel 44.{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2006 |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |access-date=August 29, 2021 |publisher=Federal Communications Commission}}

On January 16, 2017, WGBX switched its fourth subchannel from a locally programmed loop of children's programming to the relaunched national PBS Kids channel.{{cite news|last1=Peery|first1=Lexi|title=WGBH to launch a 24-hour channel devoted to kids|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2017/01/12/wgbh-launch-hour-channel-devoted-kids/LuAJPyDaCyqTkUiWCk5SDO/story.html|access-date=January 28, 2017|work=The Boston Globe|date=January 13, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202044844/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2017/01/12/wgbh-launch-hour-channel-devoted-kids/LuAJPyDaCyqTkUiWCk5SDO/story.html|url-status=live}}

On January 18, 2018, WGBX began a channel share with Nashua, New Hampshire–licensed WYCN-CD (channel 15, now WBTS-CD), which was acquired by the NBC Owned Television Stations subsidiary of NBCUniversal. Though WBTS-CD is a Class A low-power station, it is broadcast by a full-power station, providing the station a full-market signal. WYCN-CD had been a "zombie station"—a license without a transmitter—after selling its spectrum in the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction.{{Cite news|url=https://rbr.com/nbc-boston-scores-a-channel-sharing-agreement/|title=NBC Boston Scores A Channel-Sharing Agreement|date=October 30, 2017|access-date=June 23, 2023|first=Adam|last=Jacobson|work=Radio + Television Business Report|archive-date=January 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129110039/https://rbr.com/nbc-boston-scores-a-channel-sharing-agreement/|url-status=live}} Moving WYCN-CD to the WGBX multiplex gave NBC10 Boston full-market coverage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/nbc10-boston-announces-new-over-the-air-channel/109944/|date=January 19, 2018|title=NBC10 Boston Announces New Over-the-Air Channel|website=NBC Boston|access-date=June 25, 2023|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926151346/https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/nbc10-boston-announces-new-over-the-air-channel/109944/|url-status=live}}

• Channel 32 digital TV stations in the United States
• Channel 44 virtual TV stations in the United States
• List of television stations in Massachusetts
• List of United States stations available in Canada

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.wgbh.org/|WGBH website}}

{{Boston TV}}

{{Providence TV}}

{{PBS New England}}

{{PBSTV}}

{{WGBH}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wgbx-Tv}}

Category:1967 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:Legislature broadcasters in the United States

Category:PBS member stations

Category:Television channels and stations established in 1967

GBX-TV

Category:WGBH Educational Foundation