WMBB
kW | |
| HAAT | 434 m (1,424 ft) |
|---|---|
| Transmitter coordinates | 30°21′8″N 85°23′28″W / 30.35222°N 85.39111°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
WMBB (channel 13) is a television station in Panama City, Florida, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios on Harrison Avenue/US 231 in downtown Panama City, and its transmitter is located in unincorporated Youngstown along the Bay–Calhoun county line.
History
Channel 13 first began broadcast operations on October 4, 1973, as WDTB. The station was started by Panhandle Broadcasting Corporation (run by attorney Denver T. Brannen, from where the original call letters were derived from), financed by local businessman/car dealer Tommy Thomas, and attorneys Julian Bennett and Dick Arnold. When it first took to the air, the station was originally an NBC affiliate. The station was a relatively late start for a VHF frequency; most of the allocations on that band elsewhere in the U.S. had been taken by that point. On April 18, 1977, WDTB was sold to Octagon Broadcasting, an Atlanta-based outfit. Upon the change, Octagon changed the station's call sign to the current WMBB (which stands for "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches").[2]
Originally, the station was positioned to be the NBC affiliate for
On January 4, 1982, WMBB became an ABC affiliate, swapping affiliations with crosstown rival
Unexpectedly at 2:03 p.m.
In 1993, WMBB became one of several ABC affiliates across the country that refused clearance to the ABC show NYPD Blue. Instead, it aired syndicated programming during the timeslot. Then-general manager Hugh Roche kept the show off the station until 1997 when the parental rating system was adopted by the networks. By the time WMBB finally allowed the program to air, it was the last station in the country to lift its ban on the show.
In March 2000, this station became one of 13 in a package acquired by
On March 14, 2008, it was announced that Media General would sell the station (and then-sister
On November 20, 2013, Hoak announced the sale of most of its stations, including WMBB, to
The station was knocked off the air on October 10, 2018, by Hurricane Michael.[8]
News operation
WMBB made history during
On July 21, 2011, WMBB announced on their Facebook page that they would add another newscast starting September 12, News 13 Midday, that runs from 11 a.m. until noon each weekday. This is actually a return to doing a news program during the midday time slot since the station used to produce a midday program until the late-1990s.
In February 2016, Tom Lewis returned to WMBB to become their news director. He was the primary anchor from the late 1980s until 2001, and left for rival station WJHG to become their primary anchor until 2014. He also served as their news director from 2005 to 2010.
On June 1, 2020, WMBB began producing an hour-long 9 p.m. weeknight newscast for Fox affiliate WPGX.
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.1 | 720p | 16:9 |
WMBB-DT | ABC |
| 13.2 | 480i | CW Plus | The CW Plus[10] | |
| 13.3 | Laff | Laff | ||
| 13.4 | Escape | Ion Mystery |
Analog-to-digital conversion
WMBB shut down its analog signal, over
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WMBB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ FCC History Cards for WMBB. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Malone, Michael (March 14, 2008). "Media General Sells Two More Stations". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ Malone, Michael (July 16, 2008). "Hoak Closes Purchase of WMBB, KALB/NALB - 7/16/2008 10:59:00 AM - Broadcasting & Cable". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ "Gray Buying Hoak, Prime Stations For $342.5M". TVNewsCheck. November 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ Jessell, Harry A. (December 19, 2013). "Gray Sell Grand Junction Duop To Nexstar". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013.
- ^ "Nexstar Completes Purchase Of Gray Stations". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Hurricane Michael live updates: Deadly Category 4 storm pummels Florida, moves north". Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WMBB". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ Calhoun, S. Brady (December 18, 2023). "WMBB to launch CW Panama City January 1". MyPanhandle.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
- ^ "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.
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