WBKP

WBKP

Calumet/Marquette, Michigan
Branding	CW 5 (general) CW 5 News NOW ABC 10 (on DT2)
Slogan	TV to Talk About
Channels	Digital: 5 (VHF) & WBUP-DT 10.2 (VHF)
Subchannels	5.1 The CW 5.2 ABC
Owner	Marks Radio Group (Lake Superior Community Broadcasting Corporation)
First air date	October 30, 1996
Call letters' meaning	Beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula
Sister station(s)	WBUP, WBKB-TV
Former channel number(s)	5 (VHF analog, 1996-2009) 28 W28BX [UHF analog] Marquette (1997-2003)
Former affiliations	ABC (1996-2007)
Transmitter power	6.4 kW 9 kW (WBUP-DT2)
Height	301 m 230 m (WBUP-DT2)
Facility ID	76001 59281 (WBUP-DT2)
Transmitter coordinates	47°2′11″N 88°41′43″W 46°29′26.0″N 87°53′36.0″W (WBUP-DT2)

WBKP is the CW-affiliated television station for Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula licensed to Calumet. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter on Tolonen Hill in Atlantic Mine. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 2. Owned by the Marks Radio Group, WBKP is sister to ABC affiliate WBUP and the two share studios on Ash Street in Ishpeming. Although the station is technically a full-powered outlet, it receives all programming through The CW Plus which is a special CW feed broadcasting on cable and/or over-the-air on a digital signal. WBKP can also be seen on WBUP's second digital subchannel (VHF channel 10.2) from a transmitter in Humboldt Township.

History

Former shared logo.

WBKP (standing for Beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula) signed-on October 30, 1996 from facilities in the historic Calumet and Hecla Bath House. Monday Night Football was the first ABC program shown. Before it launched, the Central Upper Peninsula could see the network from affiliations of WLUC-TV in Marquette. This was originally seen through a secondary nature from that station's launch in 1956 until 1992 at which point ABC began to be carried as a primary affiliation.

WLUC eventually dropped ABC completely in 1995. WBKP was locally-owned by the Scanlan family as sister to Traverse City ABC affiliate WGTU (and full-time satellite WGTQ in Sault Ste. Marie) as well as CBS affiliate WBKB-TV in Alpena. At its sign-on, WBKP was the first station in the market to broadcast in stereo and remain on-the-air 24 hours a day.

In August 1997, repeater station W28BX on channel 28 in Marquette was launched to cover Marquette proper. Since this low-powered over-the-air signal was very weak, it could only be picked up in that city and Negaunee. In 2001, the station moved its studios to the Marquette Mall. However, four employees remained based at the Calumet facilities which began operating as a bureau. In Spring 2003, WBKP replaced the low-powered repeater with full-time satellite WBUP in Ishpeming. This aired a full-powered analog signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter southeast of Republic in Marquette County. At this point, WBKP and WBUP took the on-air branding "ABC 5&10". Eventually, WBUP's transmitter was moved to the tower of PBS affiliate WNMU in Ely Township and then to its current location in Humboldt Township.

In January 2004, the Scanlan family sold WBKP/WBUP and WBKB to Lake Superior Community Broadcasting which is a company owned by Stephan Marks of Maryland. In July 2007, the two stations split with WBKP becoming a CW affiliate as part of The CW Plus while WBUP remained with ABC. Since it was granted an original construction permit after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997, this station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station.

Instead around June 12, 2009 (which was the end of the digital television conversion period for full-service stations), WBKP turned-off its analog signal and turned on its digital signal though a "flash-cut". It then began offering a standard definition simulcast of WBUP on a new second digital subchannel in order to expand its reach. WBKP's over-the-air signal can be received across Lake Superior in Thunder Bay, Ontario and the surrounding areas in Canada.

Newscasts

In July 1997, the station established its first news department and began offering local newscasts weeknights at 6 and 11. After moving to the Marquette Mall, a new set and graphics package were introduced along with an updated logo. In March 2002, WBKP dropped news due to low ratings and budget cuts. This was also due in part to the continual dominance of WLUC which a much larger news department unlike WBKP. The station maintains a smaller local news operation compared with most other big three stations. Shortly after Stephan Marks acquired WBKP/WBUP, a second attempt at airing newscasts was launched. This time, shows known as UGN News (with "UGN" meaning "Upper Great <Lakes> News <Network>") were simulcasted on WBKB in Alpena. The broadcasts featured regional news and weather coverage from the entire Upper and Northern Lower Peninsulas. In 2006, UGN News was re-focused to the Upper Peninsula and only originated from WBKP/WBUP.

At some point after becoming a separate station and taking over primary news production, WBUP re-branded its newscasts to ABC 10 News NOW. Currently, WBKP offers the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz on weekdays from 6 until 9 like all CW Plus stations in the Eastern Time Zone. In December 2007, WBUP began producing the market's first prime time newscast at 10 on WBKP. Known as CW 5 News NOW, this can be seen on weeknights for thirty minutes. As of September 8, 2009, the broadcast competes with another one airing at the same time on Fox affiliate WLUC-DT2. Although WBUP does not have a meteorologist on its staff, the station subscribes to AccuWeather allowing the news anchor to give a brief forecast. It also shares resources with The Mining Journal in Marquette.

News team

Anchors

• Jerry Taylor - weeknight sports anchor and sports reporter
• Jen Kotaniemi - weeknight news anchor and reporter
• Brandi Williams - The Daily Buzz host
• Andy Campbell - The Daily Buzz host
• Mitch English - The Daily Buzz host
• Kia Malone - The Daily Buzz host

Reporters

• Eli Gardiner - sports photographer and "The Scene With Sensitive E" segment producer
• Stacy Johnson - "Money Talks News" segment producer
• Melissa Beauchamp - photographer
• Spinach Bentley - The Daily Buzz
• Bill Stivers - photographer
• Tim Eagan - photographer
• Mike Hoey - Senior
• Dan Gualdoni

External links

• WBKP "CW 5"
• The CW Plus
• The CW
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WBKP