WHFT-TV
{{Short description|Television station in Miami}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WHFT-TV
| city = Miami, Florida
| logo =
| branding =
| digital = 28 (UHF)
| virtual = 45
| subchannels =
| translators =
| affiliations = {{TBN DTV/text|45}}
| owner = Trinity Broadcasting Network
| licensee = Trinity Broadcasting of Florida, Inc.
| location = Miami–Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|March 17, 1975}}{{r|begins}}
| last_airdate =
| callsign_meaning = World Harvest Florida Television (after the broadcast ministry of the previous owner)
| sister_stations =
| former_callsigns = WFCB-TV (1975–1976)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|Analog: 45 (UHF, 1975–2009)|Digital: 46 (UHF, 2003–2019)}}
| former_affiliations = Independent (1975–1980)
| erp = 701 kW
| haat = {{convert|308|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 67971
| coordinates = {{coord|25|59|35.3|N|80|10|26|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority = FCC
| website = {{URL|https://www.tbn.org/}}
}}
WHFT-TV (channel 45) is a religious television station in Miami, Florida, United States, owned and operated by the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). The station's studios and transmitter are located at the Lakeside Park (formerly Lake Trinity Estates) complex on Pembroke Road in Pembroke Park (with a Hollywood mailing address).[https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&biw=1366&bih=575&q=3300+pembroke+rd+hollywood+fl&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=3300+Pembroke+Rd,+Hollywood,+FL+33021&gl=us&ei=YQutTaiBAaLm0QGBruDMCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA Verified by Google Maps: 3300 Pembroke Road, Hollywood, FL 33021.][http://www.tbn.org/about-us/florida Florida - About Us]. Tbn.org. Retrieved on November 11, 2010.
History
The station first signed on the air on March 17, 1975, as WFCB-TV; it originally operated as a religious independent station that was owned by Florida Christian Television.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472115/|date=March 20, 1975|title=WFCB Begins Operation on Channel 45|work=The Miami Herald|page=12-C|accessdate=June 12, 2021}} The sign-on took place more than five years after the original construction permit was issued on August 29, 1969.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86315 |title= History Cards for WHFT-TV|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) The station aired programming for five hours a day, running a few local church services, Bible instruction programs, children's Christian programming, and programs from nationally known television evangelists.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42956733/|title=Channel 45 Is Alive!|page=8B|work=Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel|first=Jim|last=Davis|date=April 5, 1975|accessdate=June 12, 2021}} Florida Christian Television's owners were unable to keep the station solvent, so they put the station up for sale in early 1976, with a request to sell it to a Christian ministry.
The Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association (later known as LeSEA Broadcasting) acquired the station in July 1976, after Florida Christian Television opted to sell for lack of capital.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472241/channel-45-expands-broadcast-time-after/|title=Channel 45 Expands Broadcast Time After Purchase By Indiana Evangelist|accessdate=June 12, 2021|date=July 3, 1976|page=4B|work=Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel|first=Jim|last=Davis}} The station's call letters were changed to WHFT-TV (standing for "World Harvest Florida Television"), and the station switched from viewer- to advertiser-supported.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77798016/|accessdate=June 12, 2021|date=July 27, 1976|title=Will Viewers Support Religious TV?|page=8-D|first=Jack|last=Anderson|work=The Miami Herald}} Initially, the station's schedule expanded to nine hours a day with the addition of more Christian programming, much of it added by LeSEA, along with televangelist programs such as The 700 Club; a further expansion soon after added additional secular family entertainment shows.{{r|expands|will}}
In 1980, a month after Sumrall declared that the station was not for sale, it was announced that WHFT would be purchased by the Trinity Broadcasting Network.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472495/religious-network-buying-tv-45-inspira/|work=The Miami Herald|page=2-B|date=January 25, 1980|title=Religious Network Buying TV 45: 'Inspirational' Station To Add Local Shows|accessdate=June 12, 2021}} While TBN promised to increase programming from local religious ministries, the station dropped all of its secular programs as part of the sale.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472550/california-firm-buys-channel-45/|title=California Firm Buys Channel 45|first=Craig|last=Matsuda|page=2BR|date=July 16, 1980|work=The Miami Herald|accessdate=June 12, 2021}} Productions from the studios included the national Monday-night broadcast of Praise the Lord and a significant portion of TBN's Spanish-language output.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472989/tbn-to-woo-with-virtual-life-of-jesus-ex/|first=Diana|last=Moskovitz|work=Miami Herald|page=4B|date=May 3, 2005|title=TBN to woo with virtual life-of-Jesus experience}}
The Pembroke Park mobile home park—mostly home to seasonal French Canadian residents—where WHFT's tower and former studios are located—was purchased by TBN in 1983 to reduce conflicts with neighbors and was known as Trinity Towers.{{cite news|pages=1BR, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472869/broadcasts-encompass-many-denominations/ 3BR]|title=New technology, old-time religion: Channel 45 exists to fill needs|first=Carolyn|last=Mittermaier|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79472894/new-technology-old-time-religion-chann/|date=April 11, 1988|work=The Miami Herald|accessdate=June 12, 2021}} The complex was renamed Lakeside Park Estates in 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79473139/notice/|accessdate=June 12, 2021|date=December 20, 2017|title=Notice|work=Sun Sentinel|page=2H}} The tower has been climbed on several occasions—including twice by the same man, ten years apart.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79473100/|accessdate=June 12, 2021|work=Sun Sentinel|first1=Shannon|last1=O'Boye|first2=Thomas|last2=Monnay|page=3B|title=Man scales TV tower to protest state ballot|date=February 24, 2001}}
Subchannels
{{TBN-DTV|45}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WHFT#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WHFT|website=RabbitEars.info|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 46, using virtual channel 45.{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=March 24, 2012}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.tbn.org/}}
{{Miami TV}}
{{WPB TV}}
{{TBN|state=collapsed}}
{{Florida Religious Stations}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whft-Tv}}
Category:1975 establishments in Florida
Category:Family Broadcasting Corporation
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1975