# WBNA

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WBNA
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WBNA.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBNA
> Source revision: 1351131913
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Television station in Louisville, Kentucky

Not to be confused with [WNAB](/source/WNAB) or [WNBA](/source/WNBA).

WBNA Louisville, Kentucky United States Channels Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual: 21 Branding WBNA 21 Programming Affiliations 21.1: Independent for others, see § Subchannels Ownership Owner Evangel World Prayer Center (Word Broadcasting Network, Inc.) Sister stations W25GD-D History First air date April 2, 1986 (1986-04-02) Former channel number Analog: 21 (UHF, 1986–2009) Former affiliations Religious Ind. (1986–1995) The WB (1995–1999) Pax/i/Ion (1999–2017) Call sign meaning Word Broadcasting Network Association Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 73692 ERP 27 kW 95 kW (CP) HAAT 200 m (656 ft) Transmitter coordinates 38°1′59″N 85°45′17″W / 38.03306°N 85.75472°W / 38.03306; -85.75472 Links Public license information Public file LMS Website www.wbna21.com

**WBNA** (channel 21) is an [independent television station](/source/Independent_television_station) in [Louisville, Kentucky](/source/Louisville%2C_Kentucky), United States, owned by local [charismatic](/source/Charismatic_movement) [megachurch](/source/Megachurch) Evangel World Prayer Center. The station's offices are located on Fern Valley Road (just north of [State Route 1747](/source/Kentucky_Route_1747)) in [Okolona](/source/Okolona%2C_Kentucky), and its transmitter is located off Oakcrest Drive in [Shepherdsville](/source/Shepherdsville). As such, WBNA is the only full-power television station in the Louisville market whose transmitter facilities are not based at the [Kentuckiana](/source/Kentuckiana) tower farm in [Floyds Knobs, Indiana](/source/Floyds_Knobs%2C_Indiana).

## History

The station's [construction permit](/source/Construction_permit) was granted by the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) (FCC) in 1978. Bob Rodgers, the station's president and the management of the station, associated with a 6,000-member Evangel Tabernacle congregation, intended for the station to go on the air on [Christmas Day](/source/Christmas_Day) 1985, but technical problems with the transmission antenna prevented that from happening. After seven years of construction and technical errors, WBNA finally signed on the air on April 2, 1986, as the second full-power independent station in the Louisville market. Rodgers gave credit to Louisville engineer [Clarance Henson](/source/Clarance_Henson_(radio_entrepreneur)) for helping guide the church through the whole process of finally getting switched on.[2][a] WBNA's sign-on marked the first signal on [analog](/source/Analog_television) channel 21 in Louisville since the demise of [WKLO-TV](/source/WKLO-TV), which operated as a dual [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company)/[DuMont](/source/DuMont_Television_Network) affiliate from October 1953 through April 1954.

WBNA originally offered mostly local and national [religious programming](/source/Religious_programming).[2]: 282 Broadcasting this programming format did not come without risks as Christian-oriented television became a depressed market due to recent scandals involving televangelists. Thus, by 1988, the station developed a schedule that is more typical of a general entertainment independent station, which included family-oriented programs, [movies](/source/Feature_film), and some programming from shopping networks. However, televised local church services remained on the schedule.[2]: 283

When [WDRB](/source/WDRB) (channel 41) joined [Fox](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) eleven months later in May 1987, WBNA became the only independent in Louisville until WFTE (channel 58, now [WBKI](/source/WBKI_(TV))) signed on in March 1994; when that station joined [UPN](/source/UPN) in 1995, WBNA once again became Louisville's sole independent station.

The station became a charter affiliate of [The WB](/source/The_WB) when the network launched on January 11, 1995. However, Evangel felt chagrin at The WB's decision to pick up several programs that it believed offended the sensibilities of channel 21's mostly [fundamentalist](/source/Christian_fundamentalism) and [Pentecostal](/source/Pentecostal) viewership, such as nighttime [soap](/source/Soap_opera) *[Savannah](/source/Savannah_(TV_series))*, supernatural [dramas](/source/Drama_(film_and_television)) *[Charmed](/source/Charmed)* and *[Buffy the Vampire Slayer](/source/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer)* and [sitcom](/source/Sitcom) *[Unhappily Ever After](/source/Unhappily_Ever_After)*. WBNA opted to preempt these programs and fill these timeslots with syndicated or religious programming. These shows were seen in the Louisville market via [WGN-TV](/source/WGN-TV)'s [national feed](/source/NewsNation) during this time period. The WB soon regretted aligning with a conservative religious station, and began making plans to move its programming elsewhere. In 1998, [Campbellsville](/source/Campbellsville)-based WGRB (channel 34, later the original [WBKI-TV](/source/WBKI-TV_(1983%E2%80%932017))), which had been serving as the WB affiliate for the southern portion of the Louisville market for just over a year, became the market's primary WB affiliate. At the same time, it announced plans to build a new transmitter tower (which was activated in 2000) that would not only improve its coverage within Louisville itself and some adjacent areas, but give it at least grade B signal coverage in most of Kentucky. WBNA became an affiliate of the family-oriented network Pax TV—later i: Independent Television and now [Ion Television](/source/Ion_Television)—in September 1999.

WBNA was one of the few stations that carried programming from Ion Television as an affiliate of the network, instead of being an [owned-and-operated station](/source/Owned-and-operated_station). It was the largest Ion Television station by market size that is not owned by network parent [Ion Media Networks](/source/Ion_Media_Networks). In addition, the station is licensed to Louisville proper rather than an outer-ring suburb, as is the usual case with Ion stations. Due to Evangel's commitment to the network, WBNA was free to carry additional networks on its digital signal's bandwidth (as described below) rather than being beholden to carrying all of the five networks (Ion, [Qubo](/source/Qubo), [Ion Life](/source/Ion_Life), [infomercial](/source/Infomercial) service Ion Shop, [QVC](/source/QVC) and the [Home Shopping Network](/source/Home_Shopping_Network)) that were carried on Ion-owned stations.

WBNA did not carry the full Ion schedule, and had not cleared additional broadcast hours that have been added by the network since 2008 (the network currently airs general entertainment programming daily from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. in the [Eastern Time Zone](/source/Eastern_Time_Zone); however, religious and secular programs preempted much of the network's daytime schedule on WBNA). During the early evening hours, the station also aired a rebroadcast of [Lexington](/source/Lexington%2C_Kentucky) NBC affiliate [WLEX-TV](/source/WLEX-TV)'s 6 p.m. newscast and other local programs (also in lieu of Ion's entertainment programming in the 7 p.m. hour). The station also split the network's Qubo block (which counts towards FCC [E/I](/source/E%2FI) requirements) over two days; one half-hour of the block aired on Friday mornings in its recommended timeslot, while two additional 90-minute blocks aired respectively on Saturday mornings and afternoons on a [tape delay](/source/Broadcast_delay).

From 2013 to 2017, WBNA's main channel was relayed on translator station WBNM-LD (now W25GD-D).

In February 2017, WBNA dropped its affiliation with Ion to once again become an independent station. Ion programming began airing on a digital subchannel of [Block Communications](/source/Block_Communications)-owned Fox affiliate WDRB on March 1.

## Sports programming

WBNA broadcasts [college basketball](/source/College_basketball) games involving the [Western Kentucky](/source/Western_Kentucky_Hilltoppers) [Hilltoppers](/source/Western_Kentucky_Hilltoppers_basketball) and [Lady Toppers](/source/Western_Kentucky_Lady_Toppers_basketball), originating from the [Bowling Green](/source/Bowling_Green%2C_Kentucky)–based [Hilltopper Sports Network](/source/Hilltopper_Sports_Network)'s television division. On March 9, 2017, it was announced that WBNA would become the primary broadcaster of [Louisville City FC](/source/Louisville_City_FC)'s matches in the [2017 USL season](/source/2017_USL_season).[4]

The station serves as the [flagship station](/source/Flagship_(broadcasting)) for [Ohio Valley Wrestling](/source/Ohio_Valley_Wrestling) (OVW), which [brokers](/source/Brokered_programming) its time and produces the broadcasts originating on WBNA.[5][6]

## Technical information

### Subchannels

The station's signal is [multiplexed](/source/Multiplex_(TV)):

Subchannels of WBNA[7] Channel Res. Short name Programming 21.1 720p WBNA-DT Main WBNA programming 21.2 480i StartTV Start TV 21.3 MovieSp MovieSphere Gold 21.4 BIG4 Local programming 21.5 CBN New CBN News 21.6 H&I Heroes & Icons 21.7 TOONS MeTV Toons 21.8 AVoice Real America's Voice 21.9 Estrell Shop LC 21.10 Buzzer Buzzr 21.12 WJIE simulcast of WJIE-FM

Daystar programming was previously carried on WBNA during overnight and some daytime timeslots, in place of Ion's paid programming and programs such as the weekend *Knife Show* home shopping block. Some of Ion's late night programming (past 11 p.m.) was carried on the [Retro Television Network](/source/Retro_Television_Network) subchannel, while the main WBNA channel carried overnight religious programming.

[Qubo](/source/Qubo) was available on the fifth subchannel of WBNA. This made it one of the few stations not owned by Ion Media to carry the network.

In late July 2009, WBNA replaced the Ion-provided feed of [The Worship Network](/source/The_Worship_Network) on digital subchannel 21.4 with the Retro Television Network.[8] In October 2009, WBNA launched "The Light" on a sixth digital subchannel; the locally programmed service aired a mix of local church services and other worship programming, originally intermixed within the Daystar schedule, especially during time periods in which Daystar programming aired over the station's main channel.

Several changes occurred in late April 2011 in order to accommodate technical upgrades to transmit the station's main channel in 720p high definition: WBNA dropped Daystar and Ion Life, as well as their respective subchannel slots on 21.5 and 21.6; it also began carrying GOD TV programming over "The Light" and integrating the service onto digital channel 21.3. GOD TV and "The Light" programming now airs on WBNA's main channel during timeslots where Daystar programming previously aired, while in some early afternoon periods, the main channel carried RTV programming, which was eventually replaced with the rebroadcast of WAVE's midday newscast and [Debmar-Mercury](/source/Debmar-Mercury)–distributed syndicated programs.

### Analog-to-digital conversion

WBNA ended regular programming on its analog signal, over [UHF](/source/UHF) channel 21, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts](/source/Digital_television_transition_in_the_United_States) under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 8, using [virtual channel](/source/Virtual_channel) 21. Channel 8, however, has been problematic for many digital TV stations. WBNA's lower power signal and shorter antenna tower in [Bullitt County, Kentucky](/source/Bullitt_County%2C_Kentucky) (shorter due to its relative position to the approaches to the two NNE-SSW runways at [Louisville International Airport](/source/Louisville_International_Airport)), delivers a much weaker city signal than the other full-power DTVs (and many [low-power](/source/Low-power_broadcasting#Television) and [Class A](/source/Class_A_television_service) stations), which transmit from the 900-foot (274 m) bluffs of [Floyds Knobs, Indiana](/source/Floyds_Knobs%2C_Indiana).[9][10] WBNA is only one of two Louisville television stations that broadcasts its post-transition digital signal on the VHF band, along with [WHAS-TV](/source/WHAS-TV) (channel 11).

As part of the [SAFER Act](/source/SAFER_Act),[11] WBNA kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of [public service announcements](/source/Public_service_announcement) from the [National Association of Broadcasters](/source/National_Association_of_Broadcasters).

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Henson remained associated with the station through the 1990s.[3]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-73692_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WBNA"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=73692). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-towersoverky_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-towersoverky_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-towersoverky_2-2) Nash, Francis M. (1995). [*Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State*](https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Towers-Over-Kentucky-Nash-1995.pdf) (PDF). HOST Communications. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781879688933](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781879688933) – via World Radio History.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Kentucky - Louisville"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1991-TV-Factbook/Television-Factbook-1991-IO-OH.pdf#page=52) (PDF). *www.worldradiohistory.com*. p. 52.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Louisville City FC signs TV deal with WBNA, WDRB, WYMO *(sic)* to air all of its games this season - Louisville - Louisville Business First"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170311152612/http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2017/03/09/louisville-city-fc-signs-television-broadcast-deal.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2017/03/09/louisville-city-fc-signs-television-broadcast-deal.html) on March 11, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["OVW Wrestling"](https://ovwrestling.com/). *OVW Wrestling*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Watch OVW"](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0564/4982/7011/t/4/assets/tv-networks_video-stinger_graphic_rev-1634743548604.jpg?v=1634743550).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rei_8-0)** ["Digital TV Market Listing for WBNA"](https://rabbitears.info//market.php?request=station_search&callsign=73692#station). *RabbitEars*. Retrieved June 24, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Jake's DTV Blog: UPDATED - The Derby City Chronicle: RTV coming to WBNA"](https://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/derby-city-chronicle-rtv-coming-to-wbna.html). Jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com. July 28, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](https://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf) (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCCForm387_11-0)** ["CDBS Account Login"](https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101273836&formid=387&fac_num=73692).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC_Nightlight_12-0)** ["UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program"](https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-291375A1.pdf) (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2012.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.wbna21.com/)

v t e Broadcast television in the Louisville metropolitan area and Kentuckiana region Full power WAVE 3 NBC WHAS-TV 11 ABC WKPC-TV 15 PBS/KET WBNA 21 Independent WLKY 32 CBS WDRB 41 Fox WBKI 58 .1 The CW .3 Independent/MyNetworkTV WKMJ-TV 68 PBS/KET2 Low-power WMYO-CD 24 Laff WDYL-LD 28 Daystar WBNM-LD 50 Independent Outlying areas WLCU-CD 4 Religious Independent, Campbellsville, KY WRLW-CD 17 Salem, IN WKZT-TV 23 PBS/KET, Elizabethtown, KY WKUT-LD 25 Elizabethtown, KY Defunct WBXV-LP 13 Louisville, KY WKLO-TV 21 Louisville, KY WBKI-TV 34 The CW, Campbellsville, KY WWJS-CD 45 Clarksville, IN W39CJ 39 Elizabethtown, KY W65CX 65 Elizabethtown, KY See also Bowling Green TV Cincinnati TV Evansville TV Lexington TV Nashville TV Paducah-Cape TV Terre Haute TV

v t e Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Includes stations in out-of-state TV markets, but reaching a portion of Kentucky ABC WATE-TV WBKO WBGS-LD .2 WCHS-TV WCPO-TV WEHT WJHL-TV .2 WHAS-TV WKRN-TV WSIL-TV WTVQ-DT Kentucky portal CBS KFVS-TV WEVV-TV WJHL-TV WKRC-TV WKYT-TV WLKY WNKY .2 WOWK-TV WTVF WVLT-TV WYMT-TV Fox KBSI WBKO .2 WCHS-TV .2 WDKY-TV WDRB WEMT WEVV-TV .21 WEEV-LD1 WTNZ WXIX-TV WZTV NBC WAVE WBIR-TV WCYB-TV WFIE WLEX-TV WLWT WNKY WPSD-TV WSAZ-TV WSMV-TV The CW KFVS-TV .2 WBKI WBKO .3 WBXX-TV WCYB-TV .2 WKRC-TV .2 WKYT-TV .2 WQCW WTVW WZTV 17.2 Ion Television WDRB .3 WLFG .3 WLPX-TV WNKY-LD WNPX-TV WPXK-TV WSIL-TV .5 WTVW .4 WUPX-TV WXIX-TV .4 Independent WBKI .31 WBNA WBON-LD WDKA1 WSTR-TV1 WTVQ-DT .21 WUXP-TV1 WVLT-TV .21 PBS KET WCVN-TV WKAS WKGB-TV WKHA WKLE WKMA-TV WKMR WKMU WKOH WKON WKPC-TV WKPD WKPI-TV WKSO-TV WKZT-TV KET2 WKMJ-TV WKU PBS WKYU-TV WCET WNIN WNPT WSIU-TV WPTO WVPB-TV Religious Daystar WTSF Independent WAGV WPBM-CD TBN WPGD-TV Spanish Estrella TV WDNZ-LD .3 Telemundo WBGS-CD WBQC-LD WQWQ-LD Other Cozi TV WLJC-TV Educational Ind. WLCU-CD MeTV WJFB WSAZ-TV .21 Roar WNAB TCN WDNZ-LD ATSC 3.0 WBKI WCVN-TV WKMJ-TV WNAB WSAZ-TV WUXP-TV 1 Also has secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. See also Illinois TV Indiana TV Missouri TV Ohio TV Tennessee TV Virginia TV West Virginia TV

v t e Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state of Indiana Includes stations in out-of-state TV markets, but reaching a portion of Indiana ABC WAWV-TV WBND-LD WCPO-TV WEHT WHAS-TV WKEF WLS-TV WPBY-CD WPBI-CD .3 WPTA WRTV Indiana portal CBS WANE-TV WBBM-TV WEVV-TV WHIO-TV WKRC-TV WLFI-TV WLKY WSBT-TV WTHI-TV WTTV WTTK Fox WDRB WEVV-TV .21 WEEV-LD1 WFFT-TV WFLD WKEF .2 WPBI-CD WSBT-TV .2 WTHI-TV .21 WXIN WXIX-TV NBC WAVE WDTN WFIE WLWT WMAQ-TV WNDU-TV WPBI-CD .2 WPTA .2 WTHR WTWO The CW WBDT WBKI WCWW-LD WGN-TV WISE-TV WKRC-TV .2 WLFI-TV .2 WISH-TV WTWO .2 WTVW Ion Television WANE-TV .3 WCPX-TV WDRB .3 WHME-TV .2 WIPX-TV WKOI-TV WLFI-TV .3 WTHI-TV .4 WTVW .4 WXIX-TV .4 Independent WBNA WBKI .31 WCIU-TV WJYS WMEU-CD WNDY-TV1 WPTA .31 WPWR-TV1 WSTR-TV1 PBS WCET WCVN-TV WFWA WFYI WIPB WKMJ-TV WKOH WKPC-TV WNIN WNIT WPTD WPTO WTIU WTTW WVUT WYIN Religious Daystar WDTI TCT WINM WEIJ-LD Independent WSOT-LD Spanish Telemundo WBQC-LD WDNI-CD WMYS-LD WSNS-TV WYYW-CD Univision WGBO-DT WHMB-TV WHME-TV UniMás WXFT-DT Other Heroes & Icons WMYS-LD1 MeTV WALV-CD WPBY-CD .21 WWME-CD The Nest WKEF .31 Roar WSJV WCLJ-TV WIIH-CD WJSJ-CD WREP-LD ATSC 3.0 WBBM-TV WBKI WCVN-TV WFYI-LD WKMJ-TV WRGT-TV WSJV WSTR-TV WTTK 1 Also has secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. See also Illinois TV Kentucky TV Michigan TV Ohio TV

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WBNA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBNA) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBNA?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.