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| Memphis, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Branding | CW 30 (general) CW 30 News My TV Memphis (on DT2) |
| Slogan | TV Now |
| Channels | Digital: 31 (UHF) Virtual: 30 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 30.1 The CW 30.2 MyNetworkTV & Me-TV |
| Network | The CW |
| Owner | Nexstar Broadcasting Group (Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.) |
| First air date | April 18, 1983 |
| Call letters' meaning | We Love Memphis, Tennessee |
| Sister station(s) | WPTY-TV, WJKT |
| Former callsigns | WMKW-TV (1983–1989) WUMT (1989–1990) |
| Former channel number(s) | 30 (UHF analog, 1983–2009) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1983–1987 & 1990–1995) Fox (1987–1990) PTEN (1993–1995) UPN (1995–2006) The WB (secondary, 2003–2006) DT2: The Variety Channel (2007–2009) RTV (2009–2011) |
| Transmitter power | 871 kW |
| Height | 340 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 68518 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 35°16′33″N 89°46′38″W / 35.27583°N 89.77722°W |
WLMT is the CW-affiliated television station for Western Tennessee that is licensed to Memphis. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 31 (or virtual channel 30.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in unincorporated Brunswick. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 9 and AT&T U-verse digital channel 30. There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 1009 and AT&T U-verse digital channel 1030. Owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, WLMT is sister to ABC affiliate WPTY-TV and Fox outlet WJKT.
All three television stations currently share studios on Union Avenue Extension along Poplar Avenue/U.S. 72/TN 57 in Memphis. On June 1, 2013, all three stations will relocate to a new facility at Shelby Oaks Corporate Park in the northeast section of Memphis.[1] Syndicated programming on WLMT includes Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, Everybody Hates Chris and The Simpsons among others. The station serves as the de-facto, over-the-air CW affiliate for Jackson (technically only downtown and including areas south and west of the city) since that area has cable-only outlet "WBJK". There is currently no website for WLMT.
Contents |
Digital television [edit]
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WLMT-DT | Main WLMT programming / The CW |
| 30.2 | 480i | 4:3 | RETRO | Me-TV / MyNetworkTV |
History [edit]
It signed-on as WMKW-TV on April 18, 1983 and aired an analog signal on UHF channel 30. The station was the market's second Independent outlet. The "KW" in its calls sign referred to Kemmons Wilson, founder of Holiday Inn, which was then based in Memphis. This station was founded by the TVX Broadcast Group, which at that time, owned several medium market UHF Independent stations. WMKW aired a general entertainment format featuring afternoon cartoons, sitcoms, old movies, drama shows and some sports. Right from the start, it began a rivalry with Independent outlet WPTY for viewership and ratings. In April 1987 along with the rest of the TVX stations, WMKW became the market's first affiliate of Fox and became known on-air as "Fox 30". It was at this point that WMTU (now WJKT) in Jackson became a semi-satellite of this station.
Also in 1987, WMKW was put on the market by TVX to finance the company's purchasing of other television stations in the United States. It was bought in 1988 by MT Communications and the call letters were changed to WUMT on October 1, 1989. Fox pulled its affiliation in the spring of 1990 and gave it to WPTY making WUMT an Independent once again. The call sign became WLMT on April 2 of that year. WMTU also continued to simulcast WLMT except in prime time where WMTU remained with Fox until 1995. MT Communications sold the station to Max Media in 1992. WLMT then established a local marketing agreement (LMA) with WPTY (then owned by Clear Channel Communications) and the two stations pooled resources and programming.
This outlet became a charter UPN affiliate at the network's launch on January 16, 1995, while WMTU took on the network as a secondary affiliation until later that year when Fox was taken off that station. In 2001, WLMT was bought outright by Clear Channel making WPTY and WLMT full sisters. In 2003, programming from The WB moved from WPTY (where it was a secondary affiliation and shown during late nights slots) to WLMT where it also aired out of pattern.
On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Time Warner announced they would shut down both UPN and The WB that fall. In place of these two networks, a new "fifth" network, jointly owned by both companies, would launch, with a lineup of the most popular programming of both networks. The network was given the name "The CW Television Network" ("CW" representing the first initials of CBS and Warner).[2] On February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced it would start up another new broadcast network called MyNetworkTV. This new service, which would be sister to Fox, would be operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television. MyNetworkTV was created in order to give UPN and WB stations, not mentioned as becoming CW affiliates, another option besides becoming Independent. It was also created to compete against The CW.
WJKT declined to affiliate with The CW or MyNetworkTV choosing instead to become a separate station and re-affiliated with Fox on August 21. The area's Ion Television owned-and-operated station, WPXX-TV, began broadcasting MyNetworkTV on September 5. Meanwhile, WLMT began airing The CW on September 18 and became known on-air as "CW 30". On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a media group controlled by Providence Equity Partners. On March 26, 2007, it began offering Newport's Variety Television Network on a new second digital subchannel. After that service shut down in January 2009, it switched to the Retro Television Network (RTV).
The station picked up WWE Smackdown from MyNetworkTV after WPXX ended its affiliation with the network (by then a programming service) in September 2009 and aired the show Saturday nights at 7. Initially, WLMT did not carry any other shows from MyNetworkTV and the agreement to carry WWE Smackdown ended with the broadcast's October 2010 move to the cable network Syfy. At some point that month, the station did pick up the network on its second digital subchannel. WLMT therefore joined the handful of stations that clear the full CW and MyNetworkTV lineups on separate subchannels (and, as of July 2011, is the only station in the country that carries The CW as a primary affiliation and MyNetworkTV as a digital multicast channel). It has been announced that RTV will be replaced with Me-TV on November 14, 2011. WLMT-DT2 can also be seen on Comcast digital channel 911. Newport announced on July 19, 2012, that it would sell 12 of its stations, including WLMT and WPTY, to Nexstar Broadcasting Group.[3] The sale was finalized on December 3.
News operation [edit]
WPTY established its first ever news department in 1995 in order to take on the area's other television stations. Included in the launch was a nightly prime time broadcast on WLMT known as NewsWatch 30 at 9. This production competed with WHBQ featuring an energetic, youthful and almost "grunge" look. Several years later, WPTY re-branded its newscasts (with the show on WLMT becoming UPN 30 News at 9) and began modifying its style to reach a broader audience.
In 2002, WPTY re-branded to Eyewitness News with newscasts on WLMT taking on that name as well. The stations' style was modified once again to have a harder-edged, more aggressive and often "confrontational" approach by its anchors and reporters to cover stories and investigations. The change resulted in most of the original news anchors and reporters leaving or being laid-off with a complete overhaul in the station's image and presentation. The WLMT 9 p.m. broadcasts which began as a half hour newscast expanded to a full hour, with 45 minutes dedicated to news and the last 15 airing as a sports highlight show. In 2006, when WPTY launched a morning newscast, an extra hour was added to WLMT at 7 a.m.
In 2009, with continued low ratings and under control by Newport Television, new management was brought in to the station leading to several firings and lay-offs in the on-air staff. Gradually, WPTY and WLMT dropped most of its confrontational and aggressive style in its local news production. In November 2010 after eight years of operating under the Eyewitness News name, WPTY re-branded yet again with news on WLMT becoming known as CW 30 News. On April 29, 2012, WPTY upgraded its news operation to begin broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen standard definition, including its broadcasts on WLMT. Newscasts on both stations remain far behind WREG, WMC and WHBQ in the ratings.
In May 2013, Nexstar announced that WPTY, including sister stations WLMT and WJKT, would move into a new broadcasting facility located in Northeast Memphis at Shelby Oaks Corporate Park. The 27,000 square foot facility will be outfitted with a new newsroom, news set, and full high definition news production resources. The new building is expected to be fully staffed and operational on June 1, 2013.[4] At that time, WPTY (and WLMT) will become the last station in the Memphis market (behind WMC, WHBQ, and WREG) to broadcast newscasts and other local programming in high definition.
Fox affiliate WJKT in Jackson simulcasts the nightly WLMT 9 o'clock broadcast and sports highlight show. During weather forecast segments, the station features live NOAA National Weather Service Doppler weather radar data from the Local Forecast Office on Farm Road in Memphis (official postal address is Walnut Grove Road).
Newscast titles [edit]
- NewsWatch 30 (1995–1997)
- UPN 30 News (1997–2002)
- UPN 30 Eyewitness News (2002–2006)
- CW 30 Eyewitness News (2006–2010)
- ABC 24 News on CW 30 (2010–2012)
- CW 30 News (2012-present)
News team[5] [edit]
Anchors
- Jeff Beimfohr - weekend evenings; also weeknight reporter
- Rodney Dunigan - weekdays mornings at 7 a.m.
- Cameron Harper - weeknights at 9 p.m.
- Joyce Peterson - weeknights at 9 p.m.
Weather team
- TBD - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 9 p.m.
- Lauren Raymer (NWA Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings at 7 a.m.
- TBD - meteorologist; weekend evenings
Sports team
- TBD - sports anchor; weeknights at 9:45 p.m.
- Kathy Morris - sports anchor; weekend evenings, also sports reporter
Reporters
- Eli Ross - general assignment reporter
- Jeni DiPrizio - Investigative reporter
- Joy Lambert - general assignment reporter
- Jackie Orozco - general assignment reporter
- Marcus Holliday - general assignment reporter
- Randy Wimbley - general assignment reporter
- Mike Matthews - general assignment reporter
- Yvette Whiteside - general assignment reporter
- Shelley Orman - general assignment reporter
Former on-air staff [edit]
- Dayna Devon - weeknight anchor/reporter (1997–1999)
- Mark Walden - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6, 9 on WLMT, and 10 p.m (1999-2013, deceased)[6]
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.abc24.com/media/lib/10/4/b/6/4b63ab4e-6a4d-47fa-be4b-dda4c75d0fb7/NXST_Memphis_New_Facility_FINAL_5_3_13.pdf
- ^ CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment Form New 5th Broadcast Network, CBS / Time Warner joint press release, January 24, 2006
- ^ "Newport Sells 22 Station For $1 Billion". TVNewsCheck. July 19, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
- ^ http://www.abc24.com/media/lib/10/4/b/6/4b63ab4e-6a4d-47fa-be4b-dda4c75d0fb7/NXST_Memphis_New_Facility_FINAL_5_3_13.pdf
- ^ Meet the Team
- ^ ABC 24 Mourns Death of Chief Meteorologist Mark Walden
External links [edit]
- ABC24.com - Official WPTY/WLMT-TV Website
- MeTVMemphis.com - Official Me-TV Memphis Website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WLMT
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