WHDT
{{short description|Television station in Stuart, Florida}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WHDT
| city = Stuart, Florida
| logo = WHDT logo 2022.webp
| logo_size = 200px
| branding = South Florida's 9
| digital = 34 (UHF)
| virtual = 9
| affiliations = {{ubl|9.1: Independent|5.11: NBC|for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}}}
| owner = E. W. Scripps Company{{r|whdttoscripps}}{{r|whdtsalecloses}}
| licensee = Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC
| location = Stuart–West Palm Beach, Florida
| country = United States
| founded = May 25, 2000
| airdate = {{start date and age|2001|6|1|p=y|br=yes}}
| callsign_meaning = High Definition Television
| sister_stations = WPTV-TV, WFLX
| former_channel_numbers = Digital: 59 (UHF, 2001–2009), 42 (UHF, 2009–2019)
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|Deutsche Welle (2001–2010)|RTV (2010–2011)|WxN (2011−2012)|TACH-TV (2012–2016)|SonLife (2015)|Independent (2016–2019)|Gun TV (2016−2017)|Escape (2019)|Court TV (2019–2021)}}
| erp = 943.1 kW
| haat = {{convert|440|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 83929
| coordinates = {{coord|26|34|30.7|N|80|14|31.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = FCC
| website = {{URL|https://www.wptv.com/about-us/whdt|WHDT page on WPTV website}}
}}
WHDT (channel 9) is an independent television station licensed to Stuart, Florida, United States, serving the West Palm Beach area. It is owned by the E.{{nbsp}}W. Scripps Company alongside NBC affiliate WPTV-TV (channel 5); Scripps also provides certain services to Fox affiliate WFLX (channel 29) under a shared services agreement (SSA) with Gray Media. The stations share studios on South Australian Avenue in downtown West Palm Beach (mailing address says Banyan Boulevard, also known as 1st Street); WHDT's transmitter is located near Wellington west of US 441/SR 7.
While the present facility dates to 2002, WHDT dates to 1997, originally as a low-power station. It was founded by Günter Marksteiner and was early to convert to high-definition program origination and broadcasting, including being the first digital-only television station authorized for must-carry. Early programming consisted of a mix of Deutsche Welle output and classic reruns before cycling through a mix of programming services. Scripps bought WHDT from Marksteiner in 2018; the station features Florida Panthers hockey telecasts and some syndicated programs.
History
=Early years=
While today a full-service station with a full-market signal, WHDT has its roots in a group of low-power stations founded by Günter Marksteiner. It began broadcasting as a low-power station on channel 55 in late 1997. Half of its broadcast day was devoted to European news programs, such as from Deutsche Welle, and the rest to classic reruns, though it was also the local affiliate of the Florida Marlins and Miami Heat television networks.{{Cite news|work=South Florida Business Journal| id={{ProQuest|229243554}}|first=Rich|last=Hubard|date=October 22, 1999|title=DW and HDTV may put WPB on the m-a-p|page=14A}} The WB offered an affiliation to WHDT-LP in 1999, when it dropped Superstation WGN as a national affiliate and left a gap needing filling in the West Palm Beach market, but Marksteiner believed that the network's young audience did not fit his older existing viewer base.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-no-buffy-no-daws/159839183/|date=April 14, 1999|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-channel-55-undecided/159839162/ 5D]|first=Kevin D.|last=Thompson|title=No 'Buffy'? No 'Dawson's'? A network shuffle may mean most of the area's cable viewers will lose WB this fall|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}} By 1999, MIG Group, Marksteiner's broadcasting company, owned low-power stations in West Palm Beach, Miami, Naples, and Stuart, Florida, as well as in Boston and in New Hampshire. The Florida stations originated programming from studios on the 12th floor of the Centurion Tower in West Palm Beach.{{r|SFBJ991022}}
Marksteiner was an early adopter of high-definition programming. On January 1, 2000, WHDT was slated to begin broadcasting in high-definition, at a time when no West Palm Beach station was broadcasting a digital signal; Marksteiner envisioned the stations serving as the core of a pay-per-view high definition movie service for home theater users.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-small-station-gets-j/159839349/|date=October 22, 1999|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-owner-sees-hdtv-futu/159839575/ 2D]|first=Stephanie|last=Smith|title=Small station gets jump on HDTV|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}} But the station was off the air by October 2000 in continued preparation for its digital broadcasting activities. This triggered a critical legislative battle. WHDT lobbied for must-carry access to West Palm Beach–market cable systems, a first for a digital-only station.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-s-florida-a-digital/159839604/|date=August 23, 2000|pages=5B, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-paxson-stands-pat-on/159839665/ 10B]|first=Stephanie|last=Smith|title=S. Florida a digital TV battleground|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}} In the meantime, despite building out high-definition production studios, the station continued to broadcast an analog signal in the West Palm Beach area.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel-its-the-defi/159839749/|date=May 14, 2000|pages=1F, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel-pictures-fuz/159839774/ 10F]|first=Joseph|last=Mann|title=It's the definition of high risk: HDTV: West Palm Beach station is banking on viability of expensive|newspaper=South Florida Sun Sentinel|location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}} In January 2001, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that the station could provide primary over-the-air service using only a digital signal.{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/News_Releases/2001/nrcb0102.html|title=FCC Grants "Must Carry" Status to Digital-Only TV Station|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=January 19, 2001}} Later, WHDT fought satellite provider Dish Network, which balked at the station's demand to be carried in high-definition at a time when other local channels were provided by satellite carriers in analog.{{Cite news|first=Ted|last=Hearn|page=22|title=FCC punts on enforcing DBS HD mandate|work=Multichannel News|date=January 27, 2003|id={{ProQuest|219886674}} }}
The full-power WHDT made a quiet debut in the few households equipped to receive digital television signals on May 2, 2002.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/indian-river-press-journal-new-stuart-tv/159839839/|date=June 20, 2002|page=C7|first=Bob|last=Betcher|title=New Stuart TV station is on air|newspaper=Indian River Press Journal|location=Vero Beach, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}} Its signal reached an area from Port St. Lucie to Hobe Sound.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-pierce-tribune-satellite-tv-company/159840463/|date=June 22, 2002|page=D8|first=Bob|last=Betcher|title=Satellite TV company gets signals crossed|newspaper=Fort Pierce Tribune|location=Fort Pierce, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}} By 2005, it was airing two local programs: the short film series Screening Room and South Florida Fishing Report.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-stuart-news-wheel-of-fortune-to-vi/159839946/|date=October 16, 2005|page=TV Time 5|first=Bob|last=Betcher|title='Wheel of Fortune' to visit Fort Lauderdale in December|newspaper=The Stuart News|location=Stuart, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 27, 2024}}
WHDT cycled through program services, including the Retro Television Network, WeatherNation TV,{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/10/27/55027/whdt-drops-rtv-for-weather-nation|title=WHDT Drops RTV For WeatherNation|website=TVNewsCheck|date=October 27, 2011}} and The Auto Channel.{{cite web|url=http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2012/06/15/039705-auto-channel-launches-tach-tv-broadcast-television-network.html|title=The Auto Channel Launches TACH-TV Broadcast Television Network|website=The Auto Channel|date=June 15, 2012}}
=Scripps ownership=
On December 3, 2018, it was announced that WHDT would be sold to the E. W. Scripps Company for $25 million.{{cite web|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101796800&formid=314&fac_num=83929|title=Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License|work=Consolidated Database System|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=December 3, 2018|access-date=December 6, 2018}} The sale was completed on April 4, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1802964&Service=DT&Form_id=905&Facility_id=83929|title=Consummation Notice|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=April 5, 2019|access-date=April 8, 2019}}
WHDT's primary channel switched on July 7, 2021, from the Court TV diginet to a new program service from Scripps known as Florida 24, consisting of statewide news and information from the Scripps stations across the state; some syndicated programs; and rebroadcasts of selected WPTV newscasts.{{cite web|url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/3afa1d6e-58f0-03ff-9d9d-cc9e09147d1c/69c4e177-c46c-4c93-9bbd-99140aeabc66.pdf|title=LIST OF COMMUNITY PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF AREA SERVED BY STATION WHDT (SCRIPPS BROADCASTING Holdings LLC) STUART, FLORIDA (July 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021)|date=September 30, 2021|website=Public Inspection File|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} In 2024, WHDT became part of the Florida Panthers television network after Scripps Sports obtained telecast rights to the NHL team.{{Cite web|title=Florida Panthers, Scripps Sports partner on multi-year agreement to air National Hockey League team's games|url=https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/florida-panthers-scripps-sports-partner-on-multi-year-agreement-to-air-national-hockey-league-team-s-game|access-date=July 3, 2024 |website=NHL.com}}
Technical information
=Subchannels=
The station's signal is multiplexed:
| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WHDT{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WHDT#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WHDT|website=RabbitEars.info|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} ! scope = "col" | Channel ! scope = "col" | Res. ! scope = "col" | Aspect ! scope = "col" | Short name ! scope = "col" | Programming | ||
| scope = "row" | 9.1
| 720p || rowspan=6|16:9 || WHDT || Independent | ||
|---|---|---|
| scope = "row" | 9.2 | ||
| scope = "row" | 9.3
| Scripps || Grit | ||
| scope = "row" | 9.4
| HSN || HSN | ||
| scope = "row" | 9.5
| QVC || QVC | ||
| style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"
! scope = "row" | 5.11 | 1080i | WPTV | NBC (WPTV-TV) |
{{legend|#E6FFF7|Simulcast of subchannels of another station}}
As part of the digital television transition, UHF channels 52-69 were removed from the broadcast spectrum. Consequently, WHDT moved its digital signal from channel 59 to channel 42 after WXEL-TV shut off its analog signal on channel 42 on June 12, 2009. Because WXEL-TV continued to use its former analog channel number 42 as a virtual channel, WHDT was assigned 9 as its new virtual channel. WHDT moved to RF channel 34 in the repacked UHF TV band following conclusion of the spectrum incentive auction in early 2017.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.wptv.com/about-us/whdt|WHDT page on WPTV website}}
{{WPB TV}}
{{Miami TV}}
{{Ft. Myers TV}}
{{North American DTV}}
{{Other Florida Stations}}
{{Scripps Sports}}
{{EWS CORP}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whdt}}
Category:2001 establishments in Florida
Category:E. W. Scripps Company television stations
Category:Grit (TV network) affiliates
Category:Independent television stations in the United States
Category:Television channels and stations established in 2001