WPHL-TV Channel 17, Philadelphia PA
Sign-Off recorded 20 June 1986

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Channel 17, "The Great Entertainer", was one of three indie UHF stations that operated in Philadelphia in the 1960s, 70s and 80s (the other two were WKBS-TV 48 and WTAF-TV 29). This sign-off is merely a station ID graphic with a voice-over announcement. The SSB is one of two versions of the "Homecoming" SSB produced by the United States Navy, which depicts a young Navy man returning home to his family.

Channel 17 in Philly began back in June 1960 as WPCA-TV, the PCA stood for "People's Church of the Air". It was the first U.S. TV station wholly devoted to religious programming. It's founder was evangelist and broadcaster Percy Crawford, who died four months after WPCA-TV commenced operations. His Channel 17 joined him in death two years later, due to financial problems. In September 1965, local investors ressurrected Channel 17 and rechristened it WPHL-TV, the third UHF indie after WTAF-TV and WKBS-TV, which had taken to the air earlier in 1965. WPHL-TV remained an indie up until 1995 when it joined The WB Network, and became one of The WB's strongest affiliates. In 2006 The WB became The CW and switched its programming over to CBS-owned WPSG Channel 57. As a result, WPHL-TV affiliated with the new MyNetwork TV, which continues to the present.

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RELATED VIDEO: WPHL-TV Channel 17 Sign-On recorded circa 1986

Page updated Sunday, 28 August 2016

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