WPBI-LD

{{Short description|Television station in Lafayette, Indiana}}

{{for|the radio station that used the callsign WPBI from 2011 to 2015|WFLV}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox television station

| callsign = WPBI-LD

| city =

| logo = 150px

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150px

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| branding = {{ubl|Fox 16 Lafayette|NBC 16 Lafayette (LD2)|ABC 35 Lafayette (LD3)|Star City News}}

| digital = 17 (UHF)

| virtual = 16

| subchannels =

| translators =

| affiliations = {{ubl|16.1: Fox|16.2: NBC|16.3: ABC}}

| location = Lafayette, Indiana

| country = United States

| owner = Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC

| licensee = CTI License LLC

| founded = {{Start date and age|2011|2|22}}

| airdate = {{Start date and age|2016|10|25|p=y}}

| callsign_meaning = Purdue Boilermakers, Indiana

| sister_stations = WPBY-LD

| former_callsigns = W16DB-D (2011–2016)

| former_affiliations =

| former_channel_numbers = Digital: 16 (UHF, 2016–2019)

| erp = 15 kW

| haat = {{convert|54.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| facility_id = 194193

| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|40|24|8.13|N|86|50|59.03|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}

| licensing_authority = FCC

| website = {{url|starcitytv.com}}

}}

WPBI-LD (channel 16) is a low-power television station in Lafayette, Indiana, United States, affiliated with Fox and NBC. It is owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC alongside ABC affiliate WPBY-LD (channel 35). Both stations share studios on South 18th Street in Lafayette,{{Cite web|url=http://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProFacLookup.php?tabSearchType=Lice&sLicensee=STAR%20CITY%20BROADCASTING,%20LLC|title=FCCInfo Facility Search Results}} while WPBI-LD's transmitter is located on McCarty Lane on the city's east side; the signal is oriented to the northwest.{{cite web|url=http://rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=2003926 |title=RabbitEars.Info |publisher=RabbitEars.Info |date=August 26, 2011 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}

==History==

The station's construction permit was issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on February 22, 2011, under the call sign of W16DB-D. The station's call sign was changed back and forth between WPBH-LD and WPBI-LD in August and October 2016 until October 18, 2016, when WPBI was settled upon. WPBI-LD started airing on October 25, 2016. The station signed on from the start as the Lafayette area's Fox affiliate, with NBC being launched on the second subchannel; the station was owned by Waypoint Media, a company operated by Mike Reed.{{cite news |last1=Wilkins |first1=Ron |title=Fox, NBC stations broadcasting in town |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/news/local/lafayette/2016/10/26/new-tv-station-arrives-lafayette/92789574/ |accessdate=October 29, 2016 |work=Journal & Courier |date=October 26, 2016 |language=en}} Prior to the launch of WPBI-LD its owner, Lafayette TV LLC purchased four Lafayette market radio stations from Artistic Media Partners Inc.{{cite news|last=McGowan |first=Dan |url=http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/33498179/lafayette-radio-tv-landscapes-shaking-up |title=Lafayette Radio, TV Landscapes Shaking Up |publisher=Inside INdiana Business |date=October 27, 2016 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}

WPBI-LD's two subchannels are the first Fox and NBC affiliates ever based in the Lafayette market; before the station signed on, Indianapolis television stations WXIN and WTHR served as the default Fox and NBC affiliates for Lafayette via cable and satellite. Cable television providers Comcast Xfinity and Metronet began carrying WPBI in November 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.jconline.com/story/money/business/2016/11/18/wpbi-offer-local-news-service/94071414/ |title=WPBI will offer local news service |publisher=Jconline.com |date=November 18, 2016 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}} Despite discontinuing carriage of Indianapolis-based Fox and NBC affiliates, satellite television provider DirecTV has said it plans to carry WPBI-LD and WPBI-LD2 but has not announced its timetable for doing so.{{cite news|url=http://www.jconline.com/story/money/business/2017/02/14/directv-issues-continue-subscribers/97900200/ |title=DirecTV issues continue for subscribers |publisher=Jconline.com |date=February 14, 2017 |accessdate=August 14, 2019}}

From 1953 until WPBI's 2016 launch, WLFI-TV had been the only "Big Three" (ABC, CBS and NBC—or, including Fox, "big four") network television broadcaster in the Lafayette market.

In July 2021, Waypoint announced that it would sell nine of its television stations, including WPBY-LD and WPBI-LD, to Cumming, Georgia–based Coastal Television for $36.9 million. The sale was completed on January 4, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Jacobson |first=Adam |date=January 4, 2022 |title=Coastal Completes Its Waypoint Radio/TV Purchase {{!}} Radio & Television Business Report |url=https://rbr.com/kalil-coastal-waypoint-bill-christian/ |access-date=July 18, 2023 |language=en-US}}