Years ago before the blog format, PBRTV had the Call Sign Cavalcade which listed as many former callsigns as people could remember. That was before most of the information was made available online and we had to rack our brains. Then the FCC made the records public, but the information went only as far back as 1980 when computer records began to be kept. Now, the FCC is in the process of making the index cards prior to 1980 available on the station records… even for deleted stations. The information, while still not entirely available, is about as accurate as it will get or as anyone is willing to research. Frequency changes are also noted. The Hyperlinks will take you to the history cards associated with that station’s license dating back to its start.
2 – Current: 2/9/1953 – KDKA-TV Pittsburgh
Former:
1/11/1949 – WDTV (Channel 3)
1953 – Re-assigned to channel 2
Digital Allocation:
10/5/2004 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 25
DTV Translators:
7/1/2009 – Channel 40 Johnstown
7/1/2009 – Channel 31 Morgantown, WV
4 – Current: 6/26/1966 – WTAE-TV Pittsburgh
Former:
9/28/1945 (CP) – Channel 6 (Transmitter would have been located at Grandview Avenue and Shiloh Street on Mt. Washington – which became the site for the original KQV-FM at 98.1. Now the site for 90.5.)
11/12/1947 (CP Mod) – Channel 8
12/5/1952 (CP Mod) – Channel 4 (This CP was to be licenced to McKeesport and transmit from the WEDO tower site in North Versailles Township).
1957-58 – Channel 4 was reassigned from McKeesport to Pittsburgh; the transmitter location was changed from North Versailles to Buena Vista; and studio location was changed from McKeesport to 400 Ardmore Blvd.
9/14/1958 (Testing) – WTAE
6/16/1959 (Licensed) – WTAE
Digital Allocation:
1/28/2005 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 51
8/24/2018 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 27
DTV Translators:
1/14/2010 – Channel 22
11 – Current: 4/20/1981 – WPXI-TV Pittsburgh
Former:
8/29/1957 (Testing) – WIIC
1/15/1959 (Licensed) – WIIC
9/29/1965 – WIIC-TV
Digital Allocation:
7/8/2005 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 48
1/29/2018 – DTV CP: Channel 23
DTV Translators:
5/14/2010 – Channel 34 Uniontown
1/30/2013 – Channel 33 New Castle
13 – Current: 4/5/1954 – WQED Pittsburgh
Digital Allocation:
8/11/2006 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 38
11/3/2010 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 13
6/30/2017 – DTV CP: Channel 2
5/11/2018 – DTV CP MOD: Channel 4
16 – Current: 6/2/2011 – WINP-TV Pittsburgh
Former:
8/31/1953 – WENS – Suspended 8/31/1957
6/1/1959 – WQEX – Suspended 11/1/1961 – 1/18/1963
5/2/2011 – WINP
Digital Allocation:
1/10/2005 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 26
4/4/2011 – DTV License to Cover: Channel 38
8/3/2017 – DTV CP: Channel 16
19 – Current:9/1/2023 – WPKD Jeannette
Former:
10/15/1953 – WARD-TV Johnstown (Channel 56)
11/19/1971 – Channel 19
11/23/1971 – WJNL-TV
3/1/1983 – WFAT-TV
8/6/1988 – WPTJ
1/1/1995 – WTWB-TV Jeannette
9/2/1997 – WNPA
4/3/2006 – WPCW
Digital Allocation:
8/3/2010 – License to Cover: Channel 11
DTV Translators:
8/2/2012 – Channel 27 Johnstown
6/18/2018 – CP Channel 30 Johnstown
22 – Current: 5/19/2015 – WPNT Pittsburgh
Former:
9/12/1978 – WPTT-TV
1/13/1998 – WCWB
4/17/2006 – WPMY
Digital Allocation:
7/11/2006 – License to Cover: Channel 42
7/17/2017 – CP: Channel 21
40 – Current: 9/12/1978 – WPCB-TV Greensburg
Former:
5/1/1973 – CP Granted for WPFO on Channel 22
10/30/1974 – Commercial Radio Institute swaps CP with Western Pennsylvania Christian Broadcasting for their Channel 22 CP.
6/4/1975 – WPCB
Digital Allocation:
9/10/2003 – License to Cover: Channel 50
7/24/2017 – CP: Channel 28
53 – Current: 9/8/1978 – WPGH-TV Pittsburgh
Former:
3/21/1953 – WKJF-TV (Suspended 7/2/1954)
3/13/1961 – WAND-TV
11/30/1965 – WECO-TV
12/7/1968 – WPGH (Silent 8/16/1971 – 8/1/1975)
Digital Allocation:
2/4/2005 – License to Cover: Channel 43
7/17/2017 – CP: Channel 20
