W50DZ-D
| Trenton, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WZBN TV-25 (general) WZBN News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | New Jersey's Capital News Station |
| Channels | Digital: 50 (UHF) Virtual: 25 (PSIP) |
| Translators | W49CW-D 49 Trenton |
| Affiliations | America One |
| Owner | WZBN TV, Inc. (sale to NRJ TV, LLC pending) |
| First air date | 1993 |
| Call letters' meaning | Zanoni Broadcasting Network (official W50DZ-D call sign sequentially assigned by the FCC) |
| Former callsigns | W25AW (1993–2011) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 25 (UHF, 1993–2011) |
| Former affiliations | Conus, CNN |
| Transmitter power | 5.55 kW |
| Class | Class A |
| Facility ID | 74464 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°04′24.00″N 75°11′28.00″W / 40.07333°N 75.19111°W |
| Website | www.wzbntv25.com |
W50DZ-D, virtual channel 25, known on-air as WZBN-TV, is a low-power television station serving Mercer County, New Jersey, portions of Hunterdon, Burlington, Middlesex, and Somerset Counties in New Jersey. The station broadcasts news as well as local events and specials specifically for residents in the greater Mercer County area. The station affiliates with America One, which provides a variety of programming during the days and weekends. It is the only independent television station to exclusively serve the residents of central New Jersey; however, its transmitter is located in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia (Trenton is part of the Philadelphia television market).
W50DZ-D is owned by the Zanoni family. The station is a Class-A operation, even though the station's official calls are still translator-style calls.
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[edit] History
The station first broadcast in 1993 on analog channel 25, and was originally assigned the call sign W25AW. The station's tower was located in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. The station became W50DZ-D in 2011 after converting to digital broadcasting on channel 50; however, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel 25.
The station has received several awards from the Community Broadcasters Association for local service and programming.
With the creation of a statewide and regional cable news service owned by the cable companies, cable outlets threatened to pull WZBN off their systems in the late 1990s. Protests by viewers ensured the station remained on cable.[citation needed] WZBN has since expanded its reach with additional broadcasts on three competing cable systems (Verizon Fios, Cablevision, Comcast) in the area.
In 2012, the Zanonis announced that they would sell W50DZ-D to NRJ TV, LLC (a company unrelated to European broadcaster NRJ Radio), which already owns WTVE in Reading, Pennsylvania (which, like Trenton, is part of the Philadelphia television market).[1]
[edit] Personalities
[edit] Current
- Erin Ade
- Tony Cornish Jr.
- Mark Fontes
[edit] Contributors
[edit] Former
[edit] References
- ^ "NRJ adds to portfolio with Trenton NJ LPTV". Television Business Report. March 2, 2012. http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv_deals/nrj-adds-to-portfolio-with-trenton-nj-lptv.html. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
[edit] External links
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This article about a television station in New Jersey is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Mercer County, New Jersey
- Television stations in New Jersey
- America One network affiliates
- Channel 50 low-power TV stations in the United States
- Channel 50 digital TV stations in the United States
- Channel 25 virtual TV stations in the United States
- Digital low-power stations
- Northeastern United States television station stubs
