WBPA-TV
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas United States | |
|---|---|
| Channels | Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual: 8 |
| Branding | WBPA-TV |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English Tejano |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Texas Public Media (University of Beaumont) |
| Sister stations | Radio: WBPA-FM |
| History | |
| First air date | May 31, 1963 |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: Channel 8 (1963-2009) |
| Former affiliations | NET (1963–1970) |
| Call sign meaning | Beaumont-Port Arthur Public Television |
| Technical information | |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 39614705 |
| ERP | 93.6 kW |
| HAAT | 566.93 m (1,857.39 ft) |
| Links | |
| Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | Official Website |
WBPA-TV (channel 8) is a PBS member television station in Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas, United States. It is owned by Texas Public Media, which also owns neighboring PBS stations WVAT and KUHT.
The broadcast signals of the stations cover almost all of its part of Texas, as well as parts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Elmbank, Ontario, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Wales, Washington, Gemini, and Tennessee.
The network's headquarters and production facilities are located with 105th Zenith Street within Port Arthur, Texas, United States.
History[edit]
Launch[edit]
On 31 May 1963, WBPA-TV began public broadcasting. It was not without problems, as during its launch hours, and after the inaugural broadcast, WBPA-TV faced an immediate crisis. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was concerned about the use of teachers—some of whom were union-certified performers—on non-commercial television, and how they would be compensated should their work be distributed nationally.
AFTRA called a strike on the morning of WBPA's debut. Engineers and technicians who were members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) refused to cross the AFTRA picket line, leaving the station's management and other non-union employees to produce the three-hour inaugural broadcast. Immediately afterwards, channel 8 went off the air again, as the strike continued for nearly two weeks. The striking workers returned WBPA-TV to the air after ten days and 28 August, the labor dispute was settled. However, the station's financial resources were drained, requiring an infusion of cash from both Taylorfilms and the Ford Foundation to help keep the station running.
NET originally wanted to merge its operations with WBPA-TV, which would have given the station a direct line of funding as well as make channel 8 NET's secondary flagship station (after WNDT). Both Taylorfilms and the Ford Foundation, which supported both groups, stopped the proposed mergers on at least two different occasions in 1962 and 1965.
Events that began in 1967 led Taylorfilms to change its stance and push for a WNDT-NET-WBPA merger. The newly formed Corporation for Public Broadcasting (created by an act of the United States Congress) initially supported NET's network role, while providing government funding for programming. But that move was followed two years later by the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service as the CPB's own distribution system—which was a direct threat to NET's territory. It has been intimated that the CPB's creation was an attempt to curb NET's production of controversial documentaries and replace it with a less controversial, government-friendly broadcaster, less hostile in particular to the Johnson, and later the Nixon administrations (NET ignored the demand and continued with the production of the critically acclaimed documentaries). This led both Taylorfilms and the CPB to threaten NET with funding withdrawal in early 1970, unless it merged its operations with either WBPA or WNDT. Not long after, the Ford Foundation finally approved the merger of merger of WNDT and NET, which took effect on 29 June 1970, after some public convincing from Taylorfilms. NET ceased network operations some months later, with PBS taking over operations during 5 October 1970.
Film Library[edit]
WBPA-TV has almost 700 reels of film in its archives (some more than 50 years old), along with 5,839 videocassettes—some dating back more than 30 years. However, the archive material is in various states of deterioration, with some film already suffering from vinegar syndrome.
Programming[edit]
As a PBS member station, much of WBPA's programming consists of educational and entertainment programming distributed by PBS to its member stations, which include NOVA, the PBS News, PBS Rocks, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Frontline, Masterpiece, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Nature and Sesame Street. While there is cross-promotion between WBPA-TV and NPR radio stations, the radio properties conduct pledge drives independent of those conducted by channel 13. WBPA has long contributed original programming for distribution to the nationwide PBS system and individual member stations, including documentaries such as Picasso, the latter of which earned the station an Emmy Award nomination. The station also produced the PBS documentary series Saipan-America War.
Community[edit]
WBPA-TV maintains several digital resources available for use by local schools and organizations serving children and families across Texas and its surrounding areas.
Ready for Life is a multimedia initiative that provides resources for parents, teachers and caregivers to prepare school-age children to live healthy and socially enriched lives, offering training modules on temperament, attachment and socialization, early literacy and nutrition and fitness; a 60-minute documentary; books; and Spanish-language materials. It was an co-production between WBPA and KERA-TV.
Staff[edit]
- Directors: Abby Shanahan, Alan Littler, Alex Neekilappappy, Anthony Bianco, Beverly Omere, Chloe Alassaf, Cody Taylor, Collin Rosales, Corrado Santacroce, Diana Agostino, Donald Iheonu, Edward Liao, Elijah Odjokoh, Evan Ledda, Fitsum Gebrekirstos, Fiona Yohanns, George Tewa, Gwen Sarwary, Hailey Cordner, Henry Welde, James Rzeznik, Jay Costea, Jhaleya Black, Johnny A. Serber, Junjie Xiong, Kezya Seko, Laurice Viscarra, Leon Polhill, Lucas Lubahn, Mark Cardiff, Melissa Dinha, Michael Prithwi, Michelle Agostino, Mischa Mallari, Nicholas Banerji, Noah Deblasis, Oreo Nahid, Peter Grosdanof, Phillip Semanic, Praveen Srisegar, Roger Falvin, Ryan Tyumi, Sameer Nadeem, Shaheem Hutchinson, Shayle Valentine, Sofia Drusian, Stephen Trudge, Thomas Faween, Tyme Peanut, Valerie Parnell, William Ruiaz, Yannick Newell, Youth Tāmati, Zebra Jones
