WPBT is the callsign of a television station in Miami, Florida, serving the South Florida region. The station was organised in November 1953 and first went on the air on August 12, 1955, the first educational station in Florida to sign on. At the time it signed on, all time was volunteered and all equipment was donated, and not a penny came from these taxes. The station is a member of PBS.

During the 1960s and 1970s, WPBT shared time with another educational station WTHS, which was owned by the Dade County School Board.

Over the years, WPBT has produced various programming that has proven popular to audiences throughout America:

• In 1976, Star Gazer (formerly Star Hustler) interstitial segments debuted. This 5-minute program, which features key constellations and stars to look for each week, was first seen only on Florida PBS stations. The show went national in 1985 and was aired in foreign markets by 1989. Star Gazer is generally seen on many PBS stations before sign-off. However, due to more PBS stations broadcasting 24/7 and no time to fit the five minute program, WPBT began to offer a one minute capsule version of Star Gazer.

• From 1977 to 1979, the station produced 39 episodes of ¿Qué Pasa, USA?, a bilingual comedy series that is still shown on some PBS stations to this day. Some of its stars went on to star in popular telenovelas in Latin America.

• In 1979, WPBT premiered the Nightly Business Report, a daily stock market and business program, which is now distributed nationally, recently, via PBS itself.

• In January 1982, WPBT presented what was probably the first international game show, Top Of The World, which was produced in association with Thames Television in London and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney. Hosted by Eamonn Andrews in London, this was a straight quiz game involving contestants competing via satellite in Miami, London and Sydney. The victor at the end of the championship won a 1924 Rolls-Royce.

See also

• Nightly Business Report
• ¿Qué Pasa, USA?

External links

• WPBT Homepage

Television stations in Florida | PBS member stations | Channel 2 TV stations in the United States