WDRB
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Louisville, Kentucky United States |
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| Branding | WDRB (general) WDRB News (newscasts) |
| Channels |
Digital: 49 (UHF) Virtual: 41 () |
| Affiliations |
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| Owner |
Block Communications (Independence Television Company) |
| First air date | February 28, 1971 |
| Call letters' meaning | DeRBy |
| Sister station(s) | WMYO, WBKI-TV |
| Former callsigns | WDRB-TV (1971–1997) |
| Former channel number(s) |
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| Former affiliations | Independent (1971–1987) |
| Transmitter power | 1,000 kW |
| Height | 304.8 metres (1,000 ft) |
| Facility ID | 28476 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 38°21′0″N 85°50′57″W / 38.35000°N 85.84917°W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
| Website | www.wdrb.com |
WDRB, virtual channel 41 (UHF digital channel 49), is a Fox-affiliated television station located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by Block Communications, as part of a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYO (channel 58); Block also operates Campbellsville-licensed CW affiliate WBKI-TV (channel 34) under a local marketing agreement with owner LM Communications, LLC. WDRB and WMYO share studio facilities located on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard (near Route 150) in downtown Louisville; WDRB maintains a transmitter located in rural northeastern Floyd County, Indiana (northeast of Floyds Knobs). On cable, WDRB is available on Spectrum channel 9 and in high definition on digital channel 910.
TV Channel 41 was first issued a Louisville construction permit in 1953, when Rounsaville Radio, licensee of WLOU-AM, licensed it as WQXL-TV, intending for it to be the USA's first African-American oriented TV outlet. Several successor permittees failed to launch Channel 41 until Independence TV of Louisville succeeded. WDRB-TV first signed on the air on February 28, 1971, becoming the first independent station in the Louisville market. The station's original studios were located on East Main Street in Louisville. Initially, the station signed on at 3:00 p.m. each day; its programming included low-budget afternoon children's programming and occasional news updates provided by anchor Wilson Hatcher, and most notably, the shock-theater program Fright Night and afternoon children's host "Presto the Magic Clown." Fright Night showcased low-budget horror movies (similar to the Shroud film showcast on then-fellow independent WFFT-TV in Fort Wayne, Indiana); the program was hosted by local theater actor Charlie Kissinger and was unique in that it ran during Saturday prime time, directly competing against high-rated network programs. Presto the Magic Clown was a daily mix of cartoons, magic tricks, viewer participation and birthday greetings, all hosted by Bill "Presto" Dopp and his puppet sidekicks, J. Fred Frog and Hunny Bunny.
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