WPDS-LD


WPDS-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 14, is a low-power educational-access television station owned and operated by the school board of Pinellas County, Florida, broadcasting educational programming for schoolchildren, plus board meetings and classic films.
In addition to UHF channel 14, WPDS can be seen in Pinellas County on cable channel 14 on WOW! systems, and digital channel 614 on Spectrum.

History

The station had its start in the early 1980s as a cable-only channel. In 1990, it opened a low-powered UHF channel on channel 14, to reach viewers without cable service. Initially W14AW, it changed its call letters to WPDS-LP in 1996. The station transitioned to digital in late 2009 as WPDS-LD', using the same transmitter location and wattage.
While the station is owned by Pinellas County Schools, the station's call letters are named after "Pinellas District Schools", which is the name used on public school buses in Pinellas County. All public school buses in Florida are named similarly.
The station's studios and transmitters are located at the School Board headquarters in downtown Largo.

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
ChannelNameProgramming
14.1WPDS-LD1main WPDS-LD programming
14.2WPDS-LD2PCS Arts Channel
'
14.3WPDS-LD3KTC 148 - The Knology Teen Channel
'
14.4WPDS-LD4PCS News & Teacher Training

Call sign history

The WPDS call letters were originally used in the Tampa Bay area in the early-1980s by easy-listening radio station WPDS-FM, "Paradise 93". It was later used in Indianapolis from 1984 to 1985 as the first call letters of present-day Fox affiliate, WXIN.