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WPSJ-CD
CityHammonton, New Jersey
Channels
Programming
Subchannels(see below)
Ownership
Owner
WZPA-LD, W25FG-D, WDUM-LD
History
FoundedJune 14, 1985
First air date
June 14, 1986; 37 years ago (1986-06-14)
Former call signs
  • W08CC (1985–1996)
  • WPSJ-LP (1996–2007)
  • WPSJ-LD (2007–2012)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog:
  • 8 (VHF, 1986–2006)
  • 24 (UHF, 2006–2007)
  • Digital:
  • 51 (UHF, 2006–2012)
  • 38 (UHF, 2012–2019)
Call sign meaning
"Philadelphia and South Jersey"
Technical information[4]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID167543
ClassCD
ERP6 kW
HAAT275 m (902 ft)
Transmitter coordinates39°43′40.6″N 74°50′39.4″W / 39.727944°N 74.844278°W / 39.727944; -74.844278 (WPSJ-CD)
Links
Public license information

WPSJ-CD, (channel 8) is a low-power Class A television station affiliated with the Visión Latina Spanish-language television network serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, that is licensed to Hammonton, New Jersey. The station is owned by HC2 Holdings, with a transmitter located in Waterford Township, New Jersey.

Founded as W08CC in 1986 by Paul Engle, the station is one of the oldest low-power TV stations in New Jersey. For 25 years, it provided a mix of local interest and syndicated programs. After being sold in 2012, it has primarily carried Spanish-language programming services, including MundoFox/MundoMax and Azteca América.

History[edit]

Engle ownership[edit]

WPSJ signed on the air June 14, 1986,[5] as W08CC (sometimes rendered "WOCC-TV"), the first low-power TV station in New Jersey.[6] W08CC was built by Paul Engle, who owned South Jersey Television, Inc., alongside his wife Sandra. Engle won the station by buying out eight competing applicants; the original format included local talk shows and sports programming.[6] The station continued to offer such local programming through the 1990s, even as local cable systems shut it out of their lineups.[7] However, in 1992, it was added to the primary cable system in Vineland; at that time, it debuted a simulcast of the morning show of local radio station WBSS and a show on Vineland issues.[8]

At the station's height in 2005, it took in $400,000 in ad revenue and a percentage of sales on the Shop At Home Network, which it aired in overnight time slots. Then, in 2006, income dropped to more than half after the FCC moved WPSJ from channel 8 to a weaker channel 24. This move reduced its potential viewership from 3.5 million to just 150,000. Engle considered shuttering the station, but he opted to persist. The bet paid off in 2007 when the FCC granted WPSJ the right to use virtual channel 8 and build a digital signal. Engle made an investment of $150,000 to convert to digital transmission, and the station's potential audience grew to almost six million viewers.[9]

Sale to Prime Time Partners, LLC[edit]

On December 19, 2012, Engle Broadcasting of Cedar Brook, New Jersey sold WPSJ-CD to WPSJ-CD Station, LLC, a subsidiary of Doral, Florida-based Prime Time Partners.[10][11] Earlier that year, an asset purchase agreement had been signed,[12] as had a time brokerage agreement effective August 1.[13] Two weeks later, the station changed programming to the new MundoFox Spanish-language network; Prime Time also owned stations in Boston and Tampa that converted to the service.[14]

Meanwhile, in June 2013, WPSJ relocated from channel 51 to channel 38 as part of a 2012 settlement with WPHA-CD, which moved from channel 38 to 24.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

MundoFox, which had changed its name to MundoMax after Fox withdrew from the venture, closed on December 1, 2016. By then, WPSJ-CD was airing a series of other national digital multicast television networks on its subchannels.

HC2 ownership[edit]

Former logo of WPSJ-CD

Prime Time Partners sold WPSJ-CD for $1.7 million to HC2 Holdings in 2018.[23] The station was an affiliate of HC2-owned Azteca América until that service closed on December 31, 2022.

Subchannels[edit]

Subchannels of WPSJ-CD[24]
Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming
8.1 720p 16:9 WPSJ-CD Visión Latina
8.2 480i 4:3 LATV
8.3 ULFN
8.4 720p 16:9 Law & Crime
8.5 480i 4:3 Magnificent Movies Network

References[edit]

  1. ^ "FCC Assignment of License/Transfer of Control – Facility ID 167543". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "FCC BALDTA-20120827ADP – Table of Ownership of Proposed Assignee with Organization Chart". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. 27 August 2012.
  3. ^ "FCC Ownership Report Search Results – Facility ID 167543". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WPSJ-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  5. ^ "WPSJ-Tv". www.wpsjtv.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b Stilwell, Eileen (January 18, 1986). "First of two new TV stations set to begin broadcasting". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. 1A, 8A. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Darrow, Chuck (August 12, 1991). "VHF station 'can't get on cable'". Courier-Post. p. 6A. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "New Signal". The Daily Journal. Vineland, New Jersey. October 31, 1992. p. B3. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Dahl, Darren (May 2010). "Business for Sale: A New Jersey TV Station". Inc.
  10. ^ "FCC Application Search Details – BALDTA-20120827ADP Assignment of License". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted 29 August 2012; Granted 5 November 2012; Consummation 19 December 2012.
  11. ^ "FCC 314 – APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE – BALDTA-20120827ADP". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared 27 August 2012; Accepted 29 August 2012; Granted 5 November 2012; Consummation 19 December 2012.
  12. ^ "FCC BALDTA-20120827ADP – Asset Purchase Agreement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Agreement 12 January 2012.
  13. ^ "FCC BALDTA-20120827ADP – Time Brokerage Agreement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared July 2012; commencement 1 August 2012; through 31 July 2017.
  14. ^ "New Spanish-Language Broadcast Network MundoFOX to launch August 13th on Prime Time Partners Television Stations in Boston, Philadelphia and Tampa". Prime Time Partners (Press release). August 9, 2012 – via PRNewsWire.
  15. ^ "FCC Imported Letter – Joint Request for Approval of Settlement Agreement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Received-FCC Jan 13 2012.
  16. ^ "FCC Imported Letter – FCC Ruling". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Granted June 26, 2012.
  17. ^ "FCC Application Search Details – BDISDTL-20120123AAB Displacement". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted 23 January 2012; amendment 6 February 2012; granted 29 May 2012; expiration 1 September 2015.
  18. ^ "FCC 346 – APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION – BDISDTL-20120123AAB". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted 23 January 2012; amendment 6 February 2012, granted 29 May 2012; expiration 1 September 2015.
  19. ^ "FCC Application Search Details – BMPDTA-20130314ACQ MINOR MODIFICATION TO A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted: 03/15/2013; Amended: 03/27/2013; Granted 06/06/2013; Expiration 09/01/2015.
  20. ^ "FCC 301-CA – APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A CLASS A TELEVISION BROADCAST STATION – BMPDTA-20130314ACQ". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Accepted: 03/15/2013; Amended: 03/27/2013; Granted 06/06/2013; Expiration 09/01/2015.
  21. ^ "FCC Application Search Details – BLDTA-20130613ABN LICENSE TO COVER". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared: 06/13/2013; Accepted: 06/17/2013.
  22. ^ "FCC 302-CA – APPLICATION FOR CLASS A TELEVISION BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE – BLDTA-20130613ABN". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Prepared: 06/13/2013; Accepted: 06/17/2013.
  23. ^ "Station Trading Roundup: 5 Sales, $22.4M". TVNewsCheck. February 20, 2018.
  24. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WPSJ-CD". RabbitEars.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPSJ-CD