WBIF
|
Marianna/Panama City, Florida United States |
|
|---|---|
| City | Panama City, Florida |
| Channels |
Digital: 51 (UHF) Virtual: 51 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 51.1 Daystar |
| Affiliations | Daystar (O&O; 2009–present) |
| Owner |
Daystar Television Network (Word of God Fellowship, Inc.) |
| First air date | 2001 |
| Former channel number(s) |
Analog: 51 (UHF, 2001–2009) |
| Former affiliations |
Pax TV (2001–2004) UPN (2004–2006) RTN (2006–2009) This TV (January–June 2009) |
| Transmitter power | 50 kW |
| Height | 254 m |
| Facility ID | 81594 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 30°30′42″N 85°29′17″W / 30.51167°N 85.48806°W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
WBIF is a television station licensed to Marianna, Florida, serving the Panama City, Florida market on channel 51. The station is owned by the Daystar Television Network.
Founded in 2001, the station was originally owned by Equity Media Holdings. It started as an affiliate of Pax TV until it joined UPN in 2004, before this, UPN programming was originally seen on WPCT from 1995 to 2001. Then, between 2001 and 2004, UPN programming was seen in Panama City via off-market stations, including WBFS-TV in Miami.
On January 24, 2006, TimeWarner and CBS announced that The WB and UPN would merge to form a new network, The CW. As WJHG-TV took an affiliation with both The CW and MyNetworkTV, WBIF became an owned-and-operated station of the Retro Television Network. In addition to its main programming, WBIF also showed Tampa Bay Rays baseball from the Rays Television Network; the team left WBIF after moving all games to Fox Sports Florida.
On January 4, 2009, a contract conflict between Equity and Luken Communications, LLC (who had acquired RTN in June 2008) interrupted the programming on many RTN affiliates. As a result, Luken moved RTN operations to its headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and dropped all Equity-owned affiliates, including WBIF, immediately, though Luken vows to find a new affiliate for RTN in the area. On Monday, January 5, 2009, after a day of airing a red slide alerting viewers to the disruption of the RTN service, WBIF briefly signed off the air. Shortly thereafter, WBIF began to carry programming from This TV.
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