WCLF explained

Callsign:WCLF
City:Clearwater, Florida
Branding:CTN West Central Florida
Digital:21 (UHF)
Virtual:22
Owner:Christian Television Network
Licensee:Christian Television Corporation, Inc.
Location:Clearwater–Tampa–St. Petersburg, Florida
Country:United States
Callsign Meaning:"Where Christ's Love Flows" or "Clearwater, Florida"
Former Channel Numbers:Analog: 22 (UHF, 1979–2009)
Erp:1,000 kW
Haat:4090NaN0
Facility Id:11125
Coordinates:27.8194°N -82.2608°W
Licensing Authority:FCC

WCLF (channel 22) is a religious television station licensed to Clearwater, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay area. It serves as the flagship station of the nationwide Christian Television Network (CTN), which has owned-and-operated and affiliated stations throughout the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. WCLF's studios are co-located with CTN's headquarters on 142nd Avenue in nearby Largo (with a Clearwater mailing address), and its transmitter is located near Riverview.

History

In August 1977, Bob D'Andrea, a local electric contractor and born again Christian, applied for a construction permit to build a television station on Tampa's then-unused channel 28.[1] The station would operate on a non-profit basis and telecast Christian programming.[2] However, a month later, a second group, Family Television Corporation, also applied for the channel—the application that would eventually result in WFTS-TV five years later.[3] With increased interest in channel 28, D'Andrea's reformed group, the Christian Television Corporation, amended its application for channel 22 at Clearwater and was granted a construction permit in February 1979.[4] In the meantime, the station began programming prime time hours on WKID-TV in Fort Lauderdale;[5] after the permit award, interim offices were set up at D'Andrea's electrical company in Largo.[6] Construction also began on the transmitter facility, a site shared with WTSP-TV.[7]

WCLF began broadcasting on October 24, 1979, from temporary quarters while studios on land donated by local Christian college Florida Beacon College were being completed. In addition to presenting programs from other Christian ministries and broadcasters nationally, such as The PTL Club and The 700 Club, WCLF announced local programs such as Horizons 22, a feature program, and Joy Junction, a children's show.[8] Horizons 22 was originally co-hosted by Bob Wells and his wife Barbara; Bob also served as program director, relocating from Cleveland after stints as weatherman and comedy personality for WJW-TV and general manager of radio station WSUM there.[9] Construction of the Beacon College studios continued into 1980,[10] and issues with fire codes led to lawsuits by the city of Largo and Pinellas County.[11] One of the station's board members, John Wesley Fletcher, resigned in 1981 after being disfellowshipped by the Assemblies of God; he later played a role in the PTL financial scandal.[12] [13]

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Channel! scope = "col"
Res.AspectShort nameProgramming
22.1 WCLF TV CTN
22.2 CTNi CTNi (Spanish)
22.3 CTN CTN national feed
22.4 Lifesty LifeStyle Family TV

Analog-to-digital conversion

WCLF shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 22, on February 17, 2009, to conclude the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television.[14] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 21, using virtual channel 22.[15]

Notes and References

  1. News: Authorization sought for 2 new TV channels. August 6, 1977. 5B. Charles. Benbow. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065415/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115427893/authorization-sought-for-2-new-tv/. live.
  2. News: Local Experiment Produces Fast-Paced Children's Show. July 16, 1977. 1-D. Ben. Brown. The Tampa Tribune. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065415/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67913438/local-experiment-produces-fast-paced/. live.
  3. News: Second Christian group seeks Channel 28. September 14, 1977. 9B. John. Hall. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. December 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221229075122/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67913542/second-christian-group-seeks-channel-28/. live.
  4. News: Christian corporation receives approval for television station. February 9, 1979. 16. The Tampa Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. December 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221230044621/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115428194/christian-corporation-receives-approval/. live.
  5. News: Christian TV to begin programing. July 29, 1978. 10-D. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. December 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221230044616/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115428235/christian-tv-to-begin-programing/. live.
  6. News: Executive works on a modern way to present a timeless message. February 25, 1979. Citrus-Hernando 11. Sharon. Kirby. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065416/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115428365/executive-works-on-a-modern-way-to/. live.
  7. News: Clearwater Christian TV station to begin broadcasting this fall. July 21, 1979. Pasco 6. Linda. Perry. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065416/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115428428/clearwater-christian-tv-station-to/. live.
  8. News: Nation's newest Christian TV station begins operations. October 27, 1979. Crossroads 1, 4, 5. Jeanne. Pugh. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065437/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42957088/nations-newest-christian-tv-station/. live.
  9. News: 9-C. Hoolihan is heading to Dixie. The Plain Dealer. May 24, 1979. December 30, 2022. December 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221230080214/https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2:122AFBBA107AC9E4@GB3NEWS-1303F869886B5909@2444018-1303A3CF8B69F423@44-1303A3CF8B69F423?clipid=nkehezrqqieahavtrmzxwjhhsjebmubs_wma-gateway004_1672373285455. live.
  10. News: Miss America feels title represents call to ministry. February 2, 1980. 5B. Jeanne. Pugh. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065416/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115429193/miss-america-feels-title-represents/. live.
  11. News: Channel 22 passes fire inspection but violates county building code. June 25, 1983. Largo-Seminole 3. David. Dahl. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065917/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115429649/channel-22-passes-fire-inspection-but/. live.
  12. News: Evangelical infighting leaves people asking, 'What is Christian love?'. March 28, 1987. 2E. Jeanne. Pugh. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110065917/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115429751/evangelical-infighting-leaves-people/. live.
  13. News: Bakker scandal didn't hurt telethon. April 11, 1987. 7-Polk. Bill. Halldin. The Tampa Tribune. Newspapers.com. December 30, 2022. December 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221230044619/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115427833/bakker-scandal-didnt-hurt-telethon/. live.
  14. Web site: May 23, 2006 . DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf . August 29, 2013 . August 29, 2021 . Federal Communications Commission.
  15. News: Mullins . Richard . If You Miss The TV Signal, Think Inside The Box . January 30, 2020 . . February 18, 2009 . https://archive.today/20130203140748/http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/18/sp-if-you-miss-the-signal-think-inside-the-box/news-money/#selection-1645.1-1645.47 . February 3, 2013 . dead.

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