WGEN-TV

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WGEN-TV
WGEN-TV/GenTV
Key West, Florida
Branding GenTV
Channels Digital: 8 (VHF)
Translators (see article)
Affiliations none
Owner Mapale, LLC
(operated by Caracol TV)
First air date May 26, 1996
Call letters' meaning GenTV
Former callsigns WWFD (1996-2000)
WWTU (2000-2002)
WVIB (2002-2004)
Former channel number(s) Analog:
8 (1996-2009)
Digital: 12
Former affiliations CBS TeleNoticias
Telemundo Internacional
Network One
Transmitter power 7 kW (digital)
Height 55.9 m (183 ft) m (digital)
Facility ID 27387
Transmitter coordinates 24°33′18″N 81°48′5″W / 24.555°N 81.80139°W / 24.555; -81.80139
Website www.wgentv.com

WGEN-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting locally on VHF channel 8 as a Spanish-language independent station under the GenTV branding. It is the full-power primary station of a network of low-power stations throughout the Miami, Florida market, including the Florida Keys.

Since December 2005,[1] WGEN has been controlled by Colombian broadcaster Caracol TV, which holds a 25% stake in the station's ownership, the maximum allowed by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations regarding foreign ownership of broadcasting stations. Caracol is GenTV's primary program supplier; programming on WGEN includes Colombian and Brazilian telenovelas, a news program produced in Colombia, and a local version of Desafío 20.06, a reality show similar to Survivor. The current incarnation of the station launched on September 18, 2006.[2]

Prior to December 2005, WGEN was, under Sonia Broadcasting (which still holds an interest in the station[1]), co-owned with another Key West station, WDLP-TV channel 22 (now WSBS-TV).

Contents

[edit] Programming

As of April 2008, GenTV's programming includes:

  • Ultima Palabra
  • Noticias GenTV
  • Nadie es Eterno en el Mundo
  • También Caerás
  • La Saga, Negocio de Familia
  • Club 10
  • El Factor Brown
  • Oppenheimer Presenta
  • Sabrosa Pasión
  • Suave Veneno
  • Terra Speranza
  • Reflexiones de Jesucristo hombre
  • TV Marti News

GenTV's programming is also well known for:

  • Desafío 20.06
  • ¿Quién Manda a Quién? (a remake of Who's The Boss produced by Caracol TV and SPE)
  • La Boca Loca De Paul hosted by Paul Bouche
  • La Ex

[edit] Call sign changes

WGEN-TV has had several call sign changes over the years. This has caused some confusion, both among viewers and writers (though likely not as much as its former sister station, WSBS-TV).

  • WWFD (May 26, 1996 – February 7, 2000)
  • WWTU (February 8, 2000 – February 7, 2002)
  • WVIB (February 8, 2002 – June 30, 2004)
  • WGEN-TV (July 1, 2004 – Present)

[edit] Repeaters

Several broadcast translators repeat the station. From north to south, these are:

Florida Keys:

  • W21CL 21 Marathon (northeastern Grassy Key)
  • W63AL 63 Marathon (southwestern Vaca Key)
    • permit modified in June 2010 to cut to digital on 35 by October 2010
  • W08ED-D 8 Marathon (southwestern Vaca Key)
    • permit extended again in July 2010 to construct by January 2011
  • W12DI-D 12 Key West

W21CL was established before 1979 as W65AP, until forced to move out of the 700MHz band by the DTV transition in the United States. W64AN was also established before 1979, as was W63AL, which was briefly W23BG from late 1990 to early 1991. WDLP-CA began in 1992 as W21BD, which was deleted in June 1994 after its permit expired, and restored the following December. In April 2003 it was upgraded and became WGEN-CA, then WDLP-CA the following month.

W49CL and WGEN-LP in Miami are both now listed as having parent station WSBS-TV in Key West, indicating that they may be leased to that station. Both are still owned by WGEN-TV owner Mapale, which does not show them on the GenTV website's map of stations. Their successors ("digital companion channels" in FCC terms) are W24DE-D and WGEN-LD respectively, and are both rebroadcasting WGEN-TV. (Unlike full-power stations, they are separate facilities, and as LPTV stations they are not required to simulcast the analog video on digital.)

W38AA in Marathon and W39AC in Key West are listed as having WSBS-TV as their primary station, though in the past they had retransmitted WFOR-TV from Miami. Their respective digital companion channels W08ED-D (under construction) and W12DI-D are shown as having WGEN-TV as the primary station, and 12.1 is shown on WGEN's map as an additional channel for Key West (though only analog 21 is shown for Marathon). Because Key West and even Marathon are well within the broadcast range of both WSBS and WGEN, it is unclear why this would be necessary (or in Key West, useful at all), given the total flatness of the terrain and water and the complete lack of other obstructions like tall buildings. The only advantage for WSBS is to continue to be seen on analog TV.

All translator stations are owned by Mapale (meaning roughly "map it") as they have always been.

Digital stations (ending in -D, -LD, or -CD) may use virtual channel 8.1 as the main station does, or may use their physical (RF) TV channels numbers as their virtual channel. The -CA or -CD suffixes indicate class A protection from other stations.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hoag, Christina (2005-12-20). "Caracol Buys Stake in WGEN-TV" (Republished). The Miami Herald (Backchannelmedia). Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20061004080738/http://www.backchannelmedia.com/newsletter/story/3076229219/Caracol_Buys_Stake_in_WGENTV_C.html. Retrieved 2006-10-09. 
  2. ^ Hoag, Christina (2006-08-25). "Caracol revamps South Florida station". The Miami Herald. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/15355774.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-09. 

[edit] External links

Television in South Florida and the Keys
English stations
WPBT (2.1 PBS, 2.2 Create) • WFOR (4.1 CBS) • WTVJ (6.1 NBC, 6.2 Weather) • WSVN (7.1 Fox) • WHDT (9.1 WeatherNation) • WPLG (10.1 ABC) • WLRN (17.1 PBS, 17.2 Learn/MHz) • WBFS (33.1 MNTV) • WPXM (35.1 ion, 35.2 qubo, 35.3 ion Life) • WSFL (39.1 The CW, 39.3 Ant., 39.4 this) • WHFT (45.1 TBN, 45.2 Church, 45.3 JCTV, 45.5 Smile) • WBEC (63.1 ind./educ.)
Spanish stations
WPBT (2.3 V-me) • WEYS-LP 6 (Alma.) • WSVN (7.2 Estrella TV) • WGEN-LD (8.1 GenTV) • WPLG (10.2 LATV) • WSBS-CD (22.1 Mega) • WLTV (23.1 Uni.) • WIMP-CD (25.1 Elementos, 25.2~.4 unknown) • WVFW-LD (34.1~.4 unknown) • WPMF-LP 38 (Azteca) • WSFL (39.2 Azteca) • WJAN-CA 41 (ind.) • W43CB-D (43.1 relg.) • WHFT (45.4 Enlace) • WFUN-LD (48.1 CV) • WSCV (51.1 Telemundo) • WGEN-LP 55 (Mega TV) • WAMI (69.1 TeleFutura)
Ethnic stations
Key West stations
WGEN (8.1 ind.) • WEYW-LP 19 (RTV) • WSBS (22.1 Mega) • WCAY-CA (36.1 tourist) • W39AC 39 (Mega) • WMDF-LP 41 (silent) • WKWT-LP 42 (silent)
Adjacent locals
Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television

West Palm Beach: WPTV (5.1 NBC, 5.2 Weather) • WPEC (12.1 CBS, 12.2 Mi Pueblo) • WFLX (29.1 Fox) • WXEL (42.1 PBS, 42.2 Create, 42.3 V-me, 42.4 FL Channel)
Local cable channels
Spanish-language television stations in the State of Florida

Miami - Fort Lauderdale: WPBT 2.3 (V-me, Miami) - WEYS-LP 6 (ALMA, Miami) - WSVN 7.2 (Estrella TV, Miami) - WGEN 8 (Spanish Independent, Key West) - WPLG 10.2 (LATV, Miami) - WSBS 22 (Spanish Independent, Key West) - WLTV 23 (Univision, Miami) - WPMF 38 (Azteca America, Miami) - WJAN-CA 41 (Spanish Independent / CNN Español, Miami) - WFUN-LP 48 (Caribevision, Miami) - WSCV 51 (Telemundo, Fort Lauderdale) - WAMI 69 (TeleFutura, Hollywood)
Tampa - St. Petersburg: WEDU 3.2 (V-me, Tampa) - WXAX-LP 26 (Azteca América, Tampa) - WTAM-LP 30 (Multimedios/La Familia Network, Tampa) - WMOR 32.3 (Estrella TV, Lakeland) - WRMD-CD 49 (Telemundo, Tampa) - WFTT 50 (TeleFutura, Tampa) - WVEA 62 (Univision/LATV, Venice)
Orlando - Daytona Beach - Melbourne: WKMG 6.2 (LATV, Orlando) - WKCF 18.3 (Estrella TV, Clermont) - W21AU 21 (Azteca América, Orlando) - WMFE 24.1-3 (V-me, Orlando) - WVEN 26 (Univision, Daytona Beach) - WTMO-CD 31 (Telemundo, Orlando) - WZXZ-CA 36 (Caribevision, Orlando) - WOTF 43 (TeleFutura, Melbourne)
West Palm Beach - Fort Pierce: WWHB-CA 48 (Azteca América, Stuart) - WBWP-LP 57 (Mega TV, West Palm Beach)
Fort Myers - Naples: WUVF-LP 2/WLZE-LP 51 (Univision, Naples / Ft. Myers) - WTPH-LP 14 (Azteca América, Ft. Myers) - WWDT-CD 43 (Telemundo, Naples)
Pensacola: WSRE 23.4 (V-me, Pensacola)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WGEN-TV&oldid=450119774"
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