WBGT-CD is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Rochester, New York. It broadcasts a low-powered standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 46 (or virtual channel 46 via PSIP) from a transmitter in the city's Northwest Quadrant. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 18 (hence the "My 18" on-air branding). Owned by Vision Communications, WBGT-CD has studios on Buffalo Road (NY 33) in the town of Gates (with a Rochester address). Syndicated programming on the station includes Roseanne, Family Feud, The Wendy Williams Show and The Cosby Show.
WBGT-CD was formerly also seen over-the-air on analog repeater W26BZ channel 26 in Victor, which is no longer licensed. This broadcast from a transmitter south of Perinton's Egypt hamlet along the Monroe and Ontario County line. This translator was replaced with another, WGCE-CD, some time before 2018; WGCE was spun off to HC2 Holdings in August 2018.
History[edit | edit source]
WBGT-CD began operations as WBGT-LP on February 2, 1998. For its first ten months on-air, it was an independent station before it became an UPN affiliate in November of that year. The Victor translator was added in 1999, and in 2001, Time Warner Cable added WBGT-LP to its lineup. On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced that the networks would end broadcasting and merge to form The CW, which signed with cable-only WB affiliate WRWB (the forerunner of WHAM-DT2). Several weeks later, MyNetworkTV was announced by Fox as an alternative for UPN or WB affiliates not chosen by the CW. WBGT-LP quickly signed an affiliation deal with MyNetworkTV, and joined the network at its launch on September 5, 2006. Around this time, the suffix was changed from -LP to -CA.
The station has never been added to DirecTV; the station has no must-carry powers as a low-power operation. Eventually, when it signed on its digital facilities, the station's calls were changed to WBGT-CD.
| TV stations in New York |
|---|
| WWOR, Secaucus/New York City WVNC-LD2, Watertown/Norwood |
| TV stations in the Greater Rochester, New York area |
|---|
| WGCE-CD 6 (Heartland) WROC 8 (CBS) WHEC 10 (NBC) WHAM 13 (ABC) WXXI 21 (PBS) WUHF 31 (Fox) WBGT-CD 46 (MNTV) |
