WATM-TV
kW[2] | |
HAAT | 326 m (1,070 ft) |
---|---|
Transmitter coordinates | 40°34′6″N 78°26′37″W / 40.56833°N 78.44361°W |
Translator(s) | WWCP-TV 8.2 Johnstown |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
WATM-TV (channel 23) is a
WATM-TV and WWCP-TV share studios on Lulay Street in the borough of
Since WATM-TV's signal is barely viewable in Johnstown, it is simulcast in high definition on WWCP-TV's second digital subchannel (8.2) from a transmitter along US 30/Lincoln Highway, in Ligonier Township, near the Somerset County line.
History
As WOPC
This station originally signed-on November 28, 1974, as WOPC, an ABC affiliate broadcasting in analog on UHF channel 38 at a power of 21,400 watts visual and 4,270 watts aural. It was owned by John Powley, who also owned WHGM-FM (now WQWY). Powley also served as station manager.
At the time, Altoona–State College and Johnstown were separate
Already struggling for viewership, WOPC moved to the stronger channel 23 in 1981 in an attempt to improve its signal. It was seriously undermined in 1982 when Johnstown and Altoona–State College were collapsed into a single market. The station's signal was all but unviewable in the western portion of the enlarged market. As a result, it wilted away with less than one percent of the market share a year later. For the next five years, the ABC affiliation in this vast market was split between three stations in neighboring markets: WHTM reaching Altoona, WNEP serving State College, and Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV covering Johnstown.[3]
As WWPC-TV
In 1986, the owners of the market's newest station, WWCP-TV (channel 8), faced a problem. It had originally been slated to be a Pittsburgh station, but its owners petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to move the license to Johnstown. In their petition, WWCP's owners cited lower programming costs in the Johnstown–Altoona–State College market. They also cited possible interference with WJW in Cleveland.
The FCC granted the request on condition that WWCP build its transmitter in a location that would allow Pittsburgh to get a Grade B signal from the station. However, this meant channel 8 would be virtually unviewable in the eastern portion of the area. WWCP's owners solved this problem by buying the former WOPC-TV license from Powley on February 28, 1986, at a price of $1.03 million. Following aggressive over-the-air signal testing over the summer with WWCP, along with a power increase of 186,000 watts visual and 18,600 watts aural, the former WOPC became WWPC-TV, a satellite of WWCP, on October 13, 1986.
As WATM-TV
At the time, WHTM and WTAE both preempted moderate amounts of ABC programming and it soon became obvious that Johnstown–Altoona–State College needed its own affiliate. As a result, WWPC split from WWCP and became an ABC affiliate on August 27, 1988, under new calls, WATM-TV. The station was later sold to Palm Television in order to comply with FCC ownership regulations regarding network affiliates. However, WATM is still managed by WWCP under a local marketing agreement as Peak Media, channel 8's former owner, feared that if allowed to operate separately both stations would be put in jeopardy of going dark.
Digital conversion
The digital conversion significantly improved WATM's coverage in the market. Previously, it had been plagued for most of its history by its weak 708,000 watt analog signal. The station's signal was marginal at best even in Altoona, five miles (8 km) from the transmitter. It only provided Grade B coverage of Johnstown and State College, and most viewers in this vast market could only watch it on cable. However, with the station's digital transmitter licensed for a full one million watts (the equivalent to five million watts for an analog UHF transmitter) WATM gained a coverage area comparable to the other major stations in the market. Additionally, the station was picked up on WWCP's digital subcarrier, and carries an HD simulcast of WWCP on one of its subchannels.
In November 2010, it was announced that Horseshoe Curve Communications would acquire Peak Media's assets including WWCP and its fourteen-year-old agreement to operate WATM. In February 2011, WATM added a third subchannel to their lineup in the form of a standard definition feed of This TV. On July 22, 2013, Horseshoe Curve Communications agreed to sell WWCP to Cunningham Broadcasting for $12 million. The LMA for WATM was to be included in the deal. Sinclair Broadcast Group, who already owns NBC affiliate WJAC-TV, was to assume operations of both WATM and WWCP through shared services and joint sales agreements.[4] However, on February 20, 2014, Horseshoe Curve informed the FCC that the sale of WWCP had fallen through;[5] two years later, on January 8, 2016, Cunningham agreed to program WWCP under a time brokerage agreement.[6] On February 11, 2015, WATM added a fourth subchannel to their lineup in the form of a standard definition feed of Antenna TV.
On January 5, 2021, Horseshoe Curve agreed again to sell WWCP-TV and the LMA with WATM-TV to Cunningham, this time for $2.85 million. The transaction was approved by the FCC on March 4[7] and completed on April 1.[8]
Newscasts
On January 6, 1992, WATM and WWCP established their own separate news departments in an attempt to cover their respective areas. WATM aired local news every night at 11 p.m. from its headquarters in State College. Meanwhile, WWCP offered a nightly prime time newscast at 10 p.m. (sixty minutes on weeknights; half-hour on weekends) from its studios in Johnstown. Despite a valid attempt to gain enough market share, these broadcasts barely registered as a blip in the
Due in part to continual ratings struggles and low viewership, WATM's separate news department was shut down in December 2002 and merged with WWCP. On November 28, 2007,
At the end of 2016, WATM began airing WJAC-produced newscasts under the WATM News Centre branding (the
On November 15, 2021, WATM-TV began airing Sinclair's The National Desk in place of the WJAC-produced early morning and late night newscasts, making them the first "Big Three" Sinclair station to air the program. This led to the elimination of WATM's morning news anchor and the WATM/WWCP meteorologist, along with the station not filling the open anchor position in State College. WWCP-TV airs The National Desk during WATM-TV's network commitments with ABC for Good Morning America.[citation needed]
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
23.1 | 720p | 16:9 |
ABC | ABC |
23.2 | FOX | Fox (WWCP-TV) | ||
23.3 | 480i | Cozi | Cozi TV | |
23.4 | ThisTV | Merit Street Media
|
On June 15, 2021, Cozi TV was added on the station's third digital subchannel. This TV was moved to the fourth subchannel, with Antenna TV programming being removed.[11]
Analog-to-digital conversion
WATM-TV shut down its analog signal, over
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WATM-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ TV Query Results. WATM fcc.gov
- ^ "Altoona Mirror Newspaper Archives, Aug 31, 1985, p. 32". August 31, 1985.
- ^ Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License , Federal Communications Commission, August 12, 2013
- ^ "Re: Request for Dismissal of Assignment Application" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ "Time Brokerage Agreement" (PDF). FCC Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. January 8, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ "Assignments". FCC Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. January 8, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ "Notification of Consummation". FCC Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Local news tribune-democrat.com [dead link]
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WATM". rabbitears.info.
- ^ "Programming".
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ "CDBS Print".