| Callsign: | WBON-LD |
| Digital: | 9 (VHF) |
| Virtual: | 9 |
| Branding: | WBON-TV |
| Owner: | Wallingford Broadcasting Co., Inc. |
| Country: | United States |
| Location: | Richmond, Kentucky |
| Callsign Meaning: | Wallingford Broadcasting On (TV) |
| Former Channel Numbers: | Analog: 9 (VHF, 1993–2010) |
| Erp: | 3 kW |
| Haat: | 143.90NaN0 |
| Facility Id: | 2231 |
| Class: | LD |
| Coordinates: | 37.66°N -84.1499°W |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
WBON-LD (channel 9) is a low-power independent television station licensed to Richmond, Kentucky, United States, serving the Lexington area. The station is owned by Wallingford Broadcasting, Inc. WBON-LD's studio facility is located on Big Hill Avenue in Richmond, and its transmitter is located near Waco, Kentucky, on a tower shared with co-owned FM radio stations WCYO and WLFX.
Originally licensed in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, in 1991 as W09BZ, the station began life on November 29, 1993,[1] [2] as an America One affiliate, but also providing programming from the Trinity Broadcasting Network on a secondary basis. For its first 20+ years on the air, the station was owned by Andrea and Joey Kesler, the latter of which was a former weatherman and sportscaster at Hazard–based NBC WKYH-TV (channel 57, now CBS affiliate and WKYT-TV semi-satellite WYMT-TV) in the 1980s.[3]
The station's callsign was changed to WOBZ-LP in 2000. The station then became affiliated with Urban America Television in 2001, and stayed with that network until that network closed in 2006.[4] It switched to the Retro Television Network as its affiliated network, but also launched a second subchannel to carry Frost Great Outdoors network programming. The station's third subchannel aired programming from Luken Communications–owned Tuff TV beginning in the early 2010s, along with Jewelry Television programming during the overnight hours. Upon the station's conversion to digital in 2010, the station replaced the "-LP" suffix in its callsign with "-LD" to become WOBZ-LD.
On January 29, 2008, the tower used by WOBZ-LP and radio station WJJA-LP collapsed during a storm. The station continued to be seen on London cable and over the internet. Station management hoped to build a new tower by April of that year, which they did.
In 2016, the station's main digital subchannel became an affiliate of Buzzr, featuring FremantleMedia's classic game show library. In 2018, the station was sold to its current owner, Wallingford Broadcasting.[5]
Under new ownership, the station applied with the FCC to relocate its studio and transmission facilities to Richmond in early 2019. It was granted a construction permit in February 2019 to relocate as well as to upgrade its signal power to 3,000 watts. On July 11 of the same year, the station's callsign changed to the current WBON-LD. The move was completed in April 2020, and the station now operates under full license to cover from Richmond as WBON-LD.
Even after the relocation and renaming, the WOBZ YouTube channel, which was launched in March 2012, can still be accessed in the present day.[6]
WBON-LD currently provides local programming, including KHSAA-sanctioned high school football and basketball games, a daily local newscast called Live at Five among other locally produced and seasonal programming, and some syndicated programming, some of which is compliant with the FCC's children's television programming requirements.
In the 2000s as WOBZ-LP/LD, the station was the southeastern Kentucky home to Ohio Valley Wrestling originating from WBKI-TV in Louisville.
The station's signal is multiplexed:
| 9.1 | WBON TV | Independent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | BUZZR | Buzzr | ||
| 9.3 | Hrtland | Heartland | ||
| 9.4 | RETRO | Retro TV |