WBAE (The CW Plus)
 | |
| Alpena, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Alpena CW |
| Slogan | TV to Talk About |
| Affiliations |
The CW (via The CW Plus) |
| Owner | operated by Charter |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Call letters' meaning |
The WB AlpEna (refers to previous affiliation) |
| Former affiliations |
The WB (1998–2006, via The WB 100+) |
"WBAE" is the CW-affiliated television station for Alpena, Michigan. The call letters are fictional as it is a cable-only station. It broadcasts exclusively on cable as part of The CW Plus which is a special CW feed that broadcasts on cable and/or over-the-air on a digital signal. The station is operated by Charter and can be seen on the system on channel 21. The channel is based out of the company's offices on M-32 in the city.
Before becoming a CW affiliate, the station was a WB affiliate via The WB 100+ and was branded as "Alpena's WB 21". The WB 100+ was a similar cable-only operation as the current CW Plus service. On September 18, 2006, WBAE switched to The CW after UPN and The WB closed down and merged. On The CW's local station website, it lists Alpena as having a CW affiliate and directs viewers to check local television listings.