WBUP

WBUP, virtual and VHF digital channel 10, is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Ishpeming, Michigan, United States, serving the Central and Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The station is owned by the Marks Radio Group, as part of a duopoly with Calumet-licensed CW+ affiliate WBKP (channel 5). The two stations share studios on Ash Street in Ishpeming Township; WBUP's transmitter is located south of Ely Township in unincorporated Marquette County. On cable, the station is available on Charter Spectrum channel 10.

WBUP
Ishpeming, Michigan
United States
ChannelsDigital: 10 (VHF)
Virtual: 10 (PSIP)
BrandingABC 10 (general)
ABC 10 News NOW (newscasts)
CW 5 (DT2)
SloganThe Upper Peninsula's ABC 10
Programming
Affiliations10.1: ABC
10.2: CW+
Ownership
OwnerMarks Radio Group
(Lake Superior Community Broadcasting Corporation)
Sister stationsWBKP, WBKB-TV
History
FoundedMarch 6, 2000
First air dateJanuary 2, 2003 (2003-01-02)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
10 (VHF, 2003–2009)
Call sign meaningBeautiful Upper Peninsula
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID59281
ClassDT
ERP9 kW
HAAT235 m (771 ft)
Transmitter coordinates46°29′26.1″N 87°53′36.5″W
Translator(s)WBKP-DT 5.2 (VHF) Calumet
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websiteabc10up.com

Since WBUP cannot be seen over-the-air in the Keweenaw Peninsula, it is simulcast in high definition on WBKP's second digital subchannel (virtual and VHF channel 5.2) from a transmitter on Tolonen Hill near Painesdale of Adams Township.

History
Former shared WBUP/WBKP logo.

In August 1997, the area's original ABC affiliate WBKP launched repeater station W28BX on channel 28 in Marquette to cover the city proper. Since this low-powered over-the-air signal was very weak, it could only be picked up in Marquette and Negaunee. On January 2, 2003, WBKP replaced the low-powered repeater with full-time satellite WBUP. This aired a full-powered analog signal on VHF channel 10 and, at this point, WBUP and WBKP took the on-air branding "ABC 5&10".

In January 2004, the Scanlan family (who also owned WGTU/WGTQ in the Northern Lower Peninsula) sold WBUP/WBKP and WBKB-TV in Alpena 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 national service) while WBUP remained with ABC.

On February 11, 2013 at about 8:35 p.m., WBUP became a victim of broadcast signal intrusion when an unidentified hacker had hijacked the Emergency Alert System network to transmit a false Emergency Alert System message. This was broadcast during an episode of The Bachelor which simply stated that "dead bodies are rising from their graves and they are attacking the living. Do not attempt to approach these bodies, as they are considered dangerous."[1] It was revealed that a default password for the networks was being used. The attack also happened during primetime programming locally on WNMU-TV, KENW in Portales, New Mexico, and KRTV in Great Falls, Montana. The hacker was arrested several days later and sentenced to six months probation.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[2]
10.1720p16:9WBUPABCMain WBUP programming / ABC
10.2480i4:3WBUP-CWSimulcast of WBKP / CW+

Analog-to-digital conversion

WBUP shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 10, on June 12, 2009, and "flash-cut" its digital signal into operation on VHF channel 10.[3] 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. It then began offering a standard definition simulcast of WBKP on a new second digital subchannel in order to expand that station's broadcasting radius.

Programming

Syndicated programming on WBUP includes Modern Family and Entertainment Tonight among others.

News operation

For its entire existence, WLUC-TV (channel 6) has held the number one spot in local Nielsen ratings by a wide margin. The NBC affiliate has always had a much larger news department than WBUP which has only been offering local newscasts since 2004. An earlier attempt seen on WBKP from July 1997 until March 2002 was abandoned due to low ratings and budget cuts. WBUP currently broadcasts local news weekday mornings at 6:30 in addition to weeknights at 5:30, 6, 10 (on WBKP) and 11. However, unlike most ABC affiliates, it does not offer newscasts in several day parts (such as a full weekday morning show, weeknights at 5 and weekends).

For most of its history, CBS affiliate WJMN-TV (channel 3), which largely serves as a semi-satellite of WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin, only provided brief Upper Peninsula-specific news and weather cut-ins that were taped in advance. WJMN finally began airing full, live newscasts (seen weeknights at 6 and 11) with a Marquette focus on April 21, 2014. Despite these other attempts bringing competition to the market, WLUC continues its dominance with consistent viewership.

WBUP's current news operation was established in 2004 shortly after Stephan Marks acquired WBUP/WBKP. The shows were originally known as UGN News (with "UGN" meaning "Upper Great <Lakes> Network") and had a simulcasting arrangement with WBKB. Likewise, the programs featured regionalized 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 WBUP/WBKP. After becoming a separate station and the primary producer of newscasts, WBUP re-branded its newscasts to ABC 10 News NOW.

In December 2007, it began producing the area's first primetime newscast on WBKP. Known as CW 5 News NOW, this thirty-minute program is seen weeknights at 10. On September 8, 2009, rival WLUC added a half-hour local newscast seen at the same time to its Fox-affiliated second digital subchannel. In September 2012, WBUP began airing its first-ever weekday morning newscast, known as ABC 10 News NOW This Morning, seen at 6:30. To cover the Keweenaw Peninsula, the station also operates an advertising sales office and news bureau on East Montezuma Avenue in Houghton (building shared with WOLV-FM 97.7, WHKB-FM 102.3, and WCCY-AM 1400). Since there is no weather department, all weather segments originate from WBKB's studios in Alpena and are taped in advance.

gollark: +>markov
gollark: "a code"
gollark: The training worked I guess.
gollark: Um.
gollark: +>markov

References
  1. "Emergency broadcast system hacked". WLUC-TV. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  2. RabbitEars TV Query for WBUP
  3. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
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