WDJT-TV

Last updated

WDJT-TV
WDJT-TV 2014 Logo.png
Channels
BrandingCBS 58
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WBME-CD, WMLW-TV, WYTU-LD
History
First air date
November 10, 1988
(35 years ago) (1988-11-10)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 58 (UHF, 1988–2009)
  • Digital: 46 (UHF, until 2019)
Independent (1988–1994)
Call sign meaning
Original permit holders Debra Jackson and John Torres [1]
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 71427
ERP 1,000 kW
HAAT 351 m (1,152 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 43°6′42″N87°55′50″W / 43.11167°N 87.93056°W / 43.11167; -87.93056
Links
Public license information
Website www.cbs58.com

WDJT-TV (channel 58) is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Weigel Broadcasting alongside three other stations in southeastern Wisconsin: independent station WMLW-TV (channel 49), MeTV station WBME-CD (channel 41), and Telemundo affiliate WYTU-LD (channel 63). The stations share studios in the Renaissance Center office complex on South 60th Street in West Allis; WDJT-TV's transmitter is located in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park.

Contents

Channel 58 went on the air in November 1988 as a lower-tier independent station subsisting on classic reruns and movies, as well as programs not aired by Milwaukee's network affiliates. The construction permit had originally been awarded to a company owned by two minority stockholders, whose initials are preserved in the station's call letters. However, the terminal illness of one of the partners created funding problems only solved when the surviving partner sold controlling interest to Weigel, who eventually became sole owner. WDJT-TV gradually increased its profile in the market over the course of the early 1990s, notably by carrying gavel-to-gavel coverage of the murder trial of Jeffrey Dahmer.

In 1994, Milwaukee's then-CBS affiliate, WITI, announced it would switch to Fox. This decision led to an especially lengthy search by CBS for a new affiliate in Milwaukee. The other Milwaukee independents and WDJT-TV alike initially rebuffed the network's overtures, leaving CBS scrambling for a new affiliate with only weeks before WITI was due to join Fox. Channel 58 finally committed to becoming a CBS affiliate just six days before doing so on December 11, 1994. Over the next two years, WDJT-TV started a local news operation—which has since expanded to provide news programming for two additional Weigel stations in the market and throughout the day—and built a new transmitter tower to provide a full-market signal, which it had previously lacked. The station has since helped Weigel launch new national digital multicast networks.

History

Launch and early struggles

In 1983, Harry C. Powell Jr., a Florida man, successfully petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add a new allocation for ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 58 in Milwaukee. Powell stated that he intended to apply for a license with the help of a Knoxville, Tennessee, consulting firm if the commission approved. [3] With channel 58 now allocated to Milwaukee, the commission took applications for the station, ending with a 13-party field which included Powell, five applicants residing in Knoxville, and several groups consisting of local investors. One of these groups included then-state senator Gary George. [4] This field thinned quickly to six applicants and then to two in October. [1] In March 1985, the FCC rejected another applicant and issued a decision in favor of TV 58 Limited, a minority-owned firm headed by Debra M. Jackson and Milwaukee media veteran John Torres, who had worked for multiple radio stations and local Spanish-language newspaper La Guardia. [5] Debra Jackson originally suggested naming the station WJMT—Torres's initials—but the designation was not available, thus the selection of WDJT-TV, combining both their initials. [1]

TV 58 Limited faced financial trouble from the start when it agreed to pay out settlements to other applicants, including George, in exchange for them withdrawing their applications. [6] A new burden surfaced when Jackson was diagnosed with a terminal illness—dying in January 1987—and the lenders that had originally committed interim financing backed out of their deals. [1] In February 1986, one of the applicants with which TV 58 Limited had settled forced the company into involuntary bankruptcy. [1] The Carley Capital Group of Madison negotiated to provide funding to keep the business afloat, [7] but it withdrew by early August, and a new company entered the picture: Weigel Broadcasting, the Chicago-based owner of WCIU-TV in that city. [8] Torres agreed to sell controlling interest in the station to Weigel, while the call letters were retained. [9]

WDJT-TV signed on from studios and transmitter in the Marc Plaza Hotel downtown. Hilton Milwaukee City Center.jpg
WDJT-TV signed on from studios and transmitter in the Marc Plaza Hotel downtown.

Weigel, in association with Torres, spent the next two years trying to put WDJT-TV on the air. Weigel proposed construction of facilities in various suburbs, including Glendale, [10] where it was rebuffed twice in two years, [11] and Germantown, where the village rejected Weigel's plans. Objections to the proposed 1,000-foot (300 m) tower called it unsightly. [12] To get the station on the air, Weigel instead decided to locate at a downtown site with a lengthy history of television in the city: the Marc Plaza Hotel. The antenna on the original mast atop the building—first used as a transmitting site by early UHF station WCAN-TV in 1953 [13] and at the time utilized by low-power outlet W08BY—was replaced in October in preparation for the station's launch. [9]

After a $2.3 million expenditure, [14] WDJT-TV began broadcasting on November 10, 1988. Known as "Classic 58", it presented a mix of older sitcoms and movies with a family orientation, a programming philosophy favored by Torres. [15] The next year, Weigel also launched W46AR, a low-power station carrying Univision, giving it three signals in the area along with a preexisting WCIU translator, W65BT, and WDJT-TV. [16] The station also resurrected The Bowling Game, a bowling program that had previously enjoyed an 11-year run on established Milwaukee independent WVTV (channel 18) and continued on channel 58 until 1993. [16] [17]

At the station's launch, Torres served as the vice president of operations; [9] he later sued Weigel for forcing him out of the company by having him sell to an affiliated company, a case that resulted in an out-of-court settlement. [18] [19] A Delaware court ruled in favor of Torres in a case involving undervaluation of his stock in the partnership in 1993. [20]

The station's programming of syndicated shows and movies was bolstered by a variety of network programs preempted by the networks' Milwaukee affiliates; in late 1990, WDJT-TV was airing America Tonight from CBS, Loving and Match Game from ABC, and four shows from NBC. [21] In 1992, WDJT-TV put itself on the map by teaming up with WITI, then the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee, to air nonstop coverage during the trial of Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer from Milwaukee, thus making it available to non-cable homes in the Milwaukee area and allowing WITI to air its normal programming. [22] The trial coverage was credited by station management with making people aware that there was even a station on channel 58 in the first place; at times during the weeks-long trial, 15 to 20 percent of Milwaukee TV homes were tuned to WDJT-TV, and it also was added to at least one cable system as a result at a time when must-carry rules were not in effect. [23] Local programming efforts included the first locally produced children's TV program in Milwaukee in decades: SeaToons with Captain Al Gee, which presented segments between cartoons weekday mornings but lasted only eight weeks. [24] [20]

With its limited presence, WDJT-TV was barely mentioned in the same breath as its more established competitors, independent WVTV and Fox affiliate WCGV-TV (channel 24). For example, a 1992 feature in The Milwaukee Journal on independent television programming in Milwaukee (at the time, WCGV, like other early Fox affiliates, was still considered an independent) consigned channel 58 to one lone mention. [25] Its signal was only a fraction of those of channels 18 and 24; the Marc Plaza transmitter effectively limited channel 58's coverage area to Milwaukee itself and its inner-ring suburbs. [26] On cable systems, it was on high channel positions, including channel 29 in Milwaukee and channel 48 on Warner Cable systems in suburban areas. [27]

CBS courtship

On May 23, 1994, Fox announced an agreement with New World Communications in which most of New World's stations would become affiliates of that network. Among those due to switch affiliations was Milwaukee's WITI. [28] The deal, which triggered a years-long realignment process in cities nationwide, left CBS needing a new affiliate in the Milwaukee market. It approached NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV and ABC affiliate WISN-TV (which had previously carried CBS from 1961 to 1977), but each renewed their existing contracts. [29] This left three commercial independent or soon-to-be-independent stations operating in Milwaukee as potential CBS affiliates: WVTV, WCGV-TV (about to lose Fox), and WDJT-TV. [30]

The year before, Gaylord Broadcasting, owner of WVTV, had signed a local marketing agreement to allow WCGV-TV, then owned by ABRY Communications, to handle its programming functions. [31] WCGV-TV moved into WVTV's building, from which it had produced a 9 p.m. local newscast until 1993. [30] The week the New World deal was announced, however, Sinclair Broadcast Group of Baltimore closed on its previously agreed purchase of WCGV-TV. [26] [32] Though this would normally have made WCGV-TV a frontrunner to be the CBS affiliate, [29] Sinclair owned no major network affiliates at the time but three Fox affiliates and two independents. [32] CBS had an hourlong conversation with Sinclair representatives in early June, but Sinclair president David D. Smith repeatedly stated his lack of interest in aligning his station with the network; [29] this stance was reaffirmed in early October. [33]

Sinclair's lack of interest in the available CBS affiliation left one other viable partner—WDJT-TV—but CBS first made a longshot attempt to purchase another local station. It offered to buy Christian television station WVCY-TV, owned by Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth, for $10 million to convert it into its new Milwaukee affiliate. However, VCY turned the offer down. Founder and chairman Vic Eliason said that even without CBS's offer being "unreasonably low", a sale to a mainstream network would have been a hypocritical "act of consummate irresponsibility". [34] [35]

By the end of September, talks with WDJT-TV had also broken down. On September 30, Weigel announced it would no longer pursue a CBS affiliation, saying it could not wait any further to firm up the station's future direction. Weigel president Howard Shapiro noted that the station had already entered into preliminary conversations about picking up Milwaukee Brewers baseball games and planned to implement promotional and program purchasing strategies for its existing independent lineup. [36] It was also starting the process of fixing its comparatively weak transmitting facility by conducting a site search; it had asked to share space on WISN-TV's tower and was rebuffed. [37] However, ownership and management did not completely rule out the possibility of CBS affiliating with WDJT-TV; Shapiro noted that "nothing is irretrievable". [36] Even as the station inquired about affiliating with The WB, general manager Bill Le Monds stated on October 7, "You never turn off anything." [38] The station also stepped in to carry The Late Show with David Letterman , which WITI had not aired live since its debut and which WCGV-TV had been airing. [39]

By the start of November, Milwaukee was the only market affected by the New World-Fox deal that had not secured a replacement CBS affiliate. Even though CBS had been forced to buy a second-tier station in Detroit and nearly had to do so in Atlanta to replace a New World-owned station, the network was at least assured of having affiliates in those cities once the outgoing affiliates switched to Fox. Tony Malara, head of affiliate relations for CBS, noted that time was becoming of the essence with WITI due to switch to Fox on December 11. Of Milwaukee, he said, "It certainly isn't a market where we have a plethora of choices. But the fact of the matter is that it's not necessarily the quantity, but who's available to do what and what kind of agreement, what kind of relationship can you establish?" [40] With just two weeks to go before WITI was due to switch to Fox, the possibility increased that there might not be any CBS affiliate at all in Milwaukee. [41] CBS was prepared to have Milwaukee cable systems pipe in nearby CBS-owned stations, WBBM-TV in Chicago and WFRV-TV in Green Bay, as a stopgap. [42]

On November 28, Howard Shapiro met for the first time with Malara in New York City. [43] On December 6, Shapiro and Malara jointly announced that WDJT-TV would join CBS on December 11—five days later. Weigel persuaded CBS to agree to a 10-year affiliation agreement, believing it needed time to build out channel 58 to a level commensurate with a major-network affiliate. [43] The deal came as a relief even at WITI, where officials were waiting for a replacement CBS affiliate to be announced to help guide viewers to relocated programs through both a station helpline and print advertising. [44] The deal also saw more CBS programs being aired in Milwaukee, as WDJT-TV agreed to clear the entire CBS schedule in pattern; [43] for instance, WITI had not aired CBS This Morning for months and preempted Face the Nation . [27] Some 30 percent of the station's syndicated program inventory was displaced by CBS network programming, with some shows moving to W65BT (now WBME-CD channel 41) and others to overnight time slots. [45] As many expected with any move of CBS off VHF in Milwaukee, the network's ratings did fall precipitously. In January 1995, the CBS Evening News drew a 1.4 rating and 3 percent share of the audience, a far cry from the 9.9 rating and 17 share in January 1994 on WITI. [46]

Rebuilding for the CBS age

Even [seven months after the switch], it's disorienting. It's like the sun rising in the West ... CBS being at the wrong end of the dial is still a little jarring.

Joanne Weintraub,television critic, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , to Ed Bark of The Dallas Morning News on the effect of CBS moving to channel 58 [47]

While WDJT-TV signed with CBS in time to ensure the continued over-the-air availability of CBS programming in Milwaukee, much work was needed to upgrade the station to a level befitting its new status. Its transmitter was nowhere near adequate enough to reach the entire market, and its studios did not approach the scope of a full-service network affiliate that projected to hire 60 additional people. [48] In late December 1994, the station wrote to Milwaukee County officials suggesting three county parks as locations for a new 1,200-foot (370 m) transmission tower. [49] WISN objected, claiming that the close proximity of WDJT-TV's proposed mast to its own facility would cause engineering and safety issues. [50] A judge issued a preliminary injunction that upheld WISN's arguments, claiming a second tower would violate channel 12's land use agreement with Milwaukee County. [51] Several nearby residents also objected, concerned about environmental impacts to the park. [52] Despite these objections, the FCC dismissed WISN's petition to deny and approved the tower site in May 1996, finding that WISN was unable to prove there would be new interference and that the concerns of neighbors did not justify a denial. [53]

Weigel's Milwaukee studio center in West Allis Weigel Broadcasting Milwaukee Studios.jpg
Weigel's Milwaukee studio center in West Allis

While the station had hoped to begin broadcasting full-length newscasts by the end of 1995, the station was behind on setting up the city's fourth news department because it wanted to confirm a tower site before it selected a location for new studios. [54] While WDJT-TV initially maintained its downtown offices for sales and administrative personnel, [55] local news debuted on March 18, 1996, [56] from facilities in the former Allis-Chalmers complex in West Allis belonging to television production company The Enterprise, Ltd. [57] [58] The total investment in the news operation came to $10 million. [55]

Additionally, the new transmitter facility was activated in November 1996, giving channel 58 a coverage area comparable to the other major Milwaukee stations. The dispute with WISN-TV continued, forcing the station to install a $500,000 steel bridge over nearby Lincoln Creek just to access the tower because WISN-TV would not permit WDJT-TV's engineers to cross its land. [59] A further technical improvement making the station more accessible came in 1998, when most local cable systems moved WDJT from higher positions to the lower channel 5. [60]

Despite improvements in the technical facility, news, syndicated programming, and positioning, WDJT-TV has continued to trail its competitors in local ratings since becoming an affiliate. [61] In 2001, for instance, it struggled to retain viewers for its newscasts after CBS network programs, and its 6 p.m. local newscast finished seventh or even eighth in the market. [62] The station did have success with some new syndicated programs, notably the 2005 acquisition of game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune as a lead-in to prime time programming, which in turn boosted ratings for the CBS prime time lineup. [63]

In July 2010, a flash flooding event caused damage to the Lincoln Park transmitter facility, leaving the station unable to normally broadcast for three days. While local cable systems received a direct feed from the studios and were unaffected, WTMJ-TV broadcast the station as a subchannel, [64] reciprocating after a 2009 lightning strike disabled WTMJ-TV's transmitter and Weigel offered the station the use of a WBME subchannel temporarily. [65]

Subchannels and multicast experiments

In the late 2000s, Weigel began adding digital subchannels to WDJT-TV, a preview of what would later become one of its most important businesses. Aside from a simulcast of WMLW-CA, then only broadcast in analog, the first unique subchannel offering on that station was MeTV, which debuted in March 2008. [66] Soon after, Weigel purchased WJJA-TV, then a small station primarily airing home shopping programming, and relaunched it as WBME-TV, moving MeTV there. [67] When that transition was completed, the subchannel was freed up, and WDJT-TV was then among the first carriers of This TV, a new diginet launched from the start as a national service by Weigel and MGM on November 1, 2008. [68] [69]

Two subchannel ventures involving WDJT-TV have been local, not national, services. In 2009, Weigel brokered subchannel 58.4 to Shorewest Realtors of Brookfield, Wisconsin, which since 2005 had been producing a local cable channel showing real estate listings. [70] [71] Shorewest TV ceased broadcasting over the air in 2013 as the real estate agency concentrated on its website, including a new streaming channel. [72] The subchannel was then used to launch TouchVision, a loop of news and weather information produced under a separate company led by former radio and Tribune Company executive Lee Abrams. [73] This continued until 2015, when Weigel instead opted to use the subchannel to launch its new national service Decades. [74]

Programming

Newscasts

As of August 2023, WDJT-TV currently broadcasts 30 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with five hours each weekday and 2+1⁄2 hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). After offering a five-minute newsbreak at 10 p.m. as a stopgap, [54] WDJT-TV debuted weeknight early and late evening newscasts from its new West Allis facilities on March 18, 1996. [56] The original news team consisted largely of younger on-air personalities, including a reporter on the local entertainment beat, while the total news staff numbered 35. [75] [58] The intention was to match a shift in CBS's network programming at the time toward young audiences. However, when CBS shifted toward older viewers, WDJT-TV found itself needing to retool the news operation; as part of the changes, in 1997, the station also added weekend newscasts. [55] A morning newscast was added in 2001, but the station was still not considered a contender in the Milwaukee market. [62] More recent news expansions include a noon newscast in 2011, [76] an expansion of the morning news to a 4:30 a.m. start in 2013, [77] [78] the introduction of 4 p.m. news in 2015, [79] and additional newscasts on weekend mornings in 2021. [80]

The WDJT newsroom provides news aired on three of Weigel's local stations. In 1997, when W46AR (now WYTU-LD) moved to the new Lincoln Park tower, WDJT began offering Spanish-language local news updates given by a bilingual reporter, Saúl Garza. [81] A regular nightly newscast in Spanish debuted in 2007. [82] Since 2008, the station has produced a 9 p.m. newscast for WMLW, which began as a trial during the 2007 World Series (when Fox affiliate WITI was committed to baseball coverage) [83] [84] and became an hour-long program in 2016. [85] In 2020, a 7 a.m. morning news extension also debuted on WMLW. [86] WDJT-TV also produced the newscast aired by WBND-LD, Weigel's ABC affiliate in South Bend, Indiana, [87] until Weigel established its own newsroom there in April 2011. [88]

In 2007, one of the station's newsgathering vehicles, parked on ice during a story on ice safety at Big Muskego Lake in Muskego, fell through the ice and sank, a loss worth as much as $250,000. [89]

Sports programming

In 2024, WDJT parent company Weigel Broadcasting announced an agreement to broadcast ten Milwaukee Bucks games during the 2023–24 NBA season; the station already had an agreement to provide news and weather updates for fans in attendance at Fiserv Forum as the team's official weather forecaster. All 10 games will air on sister network WMLW-TV, though the February 23 game will be simulcast on WDJT-TV and the March 4 game will be aired in Spanish by sister network WYTU-LD. [90]

Notable current on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed with standard-definition versions of the main feeds of WBME-CD, WMLW-TV, and WYTU-LD, as well as Weigel's Start TV diginet, which are only broadcast at low power on their originating stations.

Subchannels of WDJT-TV [93]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
58.1 1080i 16:9 WDJT-HD CBS
58.2 480i MeTV-SD MeTV (WBME-CD)
58.3 WMLW SD WMLW-TV (Independent)
58.4 WYTU SD Telemundo (WYTU-LD)
58.5 StartTV Start TV (WYTU-LD 63.2)
  Simulcast of subchannels of another station

Analog-to-digital conversion

WDJT-TV shut down its analog signal on channel 58, at 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcasts on its pre-transition channel 46, using virtual channel 58. [94] For the rest of 2009, WYTU-LP served as an analog simulcast of WDJT-TV's main subchannel. [95] [96]

Related Research Articles

WVCY-TV is a religious independent television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, owned by locally based VCY America, Inc. The station's studios are located on West Vliet Street in Milwaukee. Through a channel sharing agreement with Fox owned-and-operated station WITI, WVCY-TV transmits using WITI's spectrum from an antenna on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTMJ-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Milwaukee

WTMJ-TV is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Kenosha-licensed Ion Television station WPXE-TV. WTMJ-TV's studios are located on Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, and its transmitter is located approximately four miles (6.4 km) north of downtown Milwaukee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WITI (TV)</span> Fox TV station in Milwaukee

WITI is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, serving as the market's Fox network outlet. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, WITI maintains studios on North Green Bay Road in Brown Deer, and its transmitter is located on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WISN-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Milwaukee

WISN-TV is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on the west end of the Marquette University campus, and its transmitter is located at Lincoln Park in the northeastern part of Milwaukee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVTV</span> CW affiliate in Milwaukee

WVTV is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with The CW and owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on Calumet Road in the Park Place office park near the I-41/US 45 interchange on Milwaukee's northwest side; its transmitter is located on North Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee's Estabrook Park neighborhood as part of the Milwaukee PBS tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCGV-TV</span> TV station in Milwaukee (1980–2018)

WCGV-TV was a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, which operated from 1980 to 2018. In its latter years, it was owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV; it had common ownership with CW affiliate WVTV. WCGV-TV's operations were last housed at WVTV's studio facilities on Milwaukee's northwest side; the station's transmitter was located on the Milwaukee PBS tower on North Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee's Estabrook Park neighborhood.

Mark Belling is an American conservative talk radio host for 1130 WISN in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is also a local newspaper columnist, former television host, and was a guest host for Rush Limbaugh. A native of Wisconsin's Fox Valley, Belling is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WITI TV Tower</span> Communications tower in Wisconsin, US

The WITI TV Tower is a lattice communications tower located in Shorewood, Wisconsin, which transmits the signal of several television and radio stations in the Milwaukee area, including its namesake, Fox owned-and-operated station WITI, along with cellular and wireless communications. The structure is owned by WITI's parent company, Fox Television Stations. The 1,081 feet (329 m) tower built in 1962 was for many years the tallest free-standing tower in the United States until the Stratosphere Tower was built in 1996. It remains the tallest lattice tower in the country and the tallest 3-side lattice tower in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBME-CD</span> MeTV station in Milwaukee

WBME-CD is a low-power, Class A television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, airing programming from the classic television network MeTV. It is owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting alongside CBS affiliate WDJT-TV, independent station WMLW-TV and low-power Telemundo affiliate WYTU-LD. The stations share studios in the Renaissance Center office complex on South 60th Street in West Allis; WBME-CD's transmitter is located in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYTU-LD</span> Telemundo affiliate in Milwaukee

WYTU-LD is a low-power television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language network Telemundo. Owned by Weigel Broadcasting, it is sister to CBS affiliate WDJT-TV, Class A MeTV owned-and-operated station WBME-CD and Racine-licensed independent station WMLW-TV. The stations share studios in the Renaissance Center office complex on South 60th Street in West Allis ; WYTU-LD's transmitter is located in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WISN (AM)</span> Radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

WISN is a commercial AM radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts a news/talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on Howard Avenue in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMLW-TV</span> Independent TV station in Racine, Wisconsin

WMLW-TV is an independent television station licensed to Racine, Wisconsin, United States, serving the Milwaukee area. It is owned by Weigel Broadcasting alongside CBS affiliate WDJT-TV and two low-power stations: Telemundo affiliate WYTU-LD and Class A MeTV owned-and-operated station WBME-CD. The stations share studios in the Renaissance Center office complex on South 60th Street in West Allis; WMLW-TV's transmitter is located in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBND-LD</span> ABC affiliate in South Bend, Indiana

WBND-LD is a low-power television station in South Bend, Indiana, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Weigel Broadcasting, and is sister to CW affiliate WCWW-LD and MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYS-LD. The three stations share studios on Generations Drive in northeastern South Bend; WBND-LD's transmitter is located just off the St. Joseph Valley Parkway on the city's south side.

Weigel Broadcasting Co. is an American television broadcasting company based in Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV, at 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood. It currently owns 25 television stations, seven digital over-the-air television networks, and one radio station.

MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television programs from the 1930s through the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This TV</span> American digital television network

This TV is an American free-to-air television network owned by Allen Media Broadcast Networks, LLC, part of the Allen Media Group division of Entertainment Studios. Originally formed in 2008 as a joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weigel Broadcasting, the network carries various unscripted series from Entertainment Studios' library. The network previously had a large programming emphasis on films, primarily sourced from the library of former owner MGM, but all films were dropped from the schedule in 2024. Classic television series and children's programming had also aired on the network previously.

Movies! is an American free-to-air television network, owned by Popcorn Entertainment, LLC, a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Corporation. The network's programming emphasizes feature films but also Modern E/I programming on Sunday mornings produced/distributed by Storrs Media/Telco Productions. The network's programming and advertising operations are based in Weigel Broadcasting's headquarters on North Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois.

TouchVision was an American digital broadcast and internet Video on demand television network that was owned by Think Televisual. The service provided rolling news coverage that was distributed to television, mobile and tablet platforms. TouchVision's operations were based out of the headquarters of Weigel Broadcasting in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroes & Icons</span> American digital multicast television network

Heroes & Icons (H&I) is an American digital multicast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Usually carried on the digital subchannels of its affiliated television station in most markets, the network airs classic television series from the 1950s through the 2000s, with a focus on action/adventure, westerns, crime dramas, sci-fi, and superhero programming.

Start TV is an American free-to-air television network owned as a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the CBS News and Stations subsidiary of Paramount Global. Predominantly carried on the digital subchannels of its affiliated television station in most markets, it primarily airs classic television drama series from the 1980s through the 2010s, with a focus on women-led dramas, police and legal procedurals. The network originates from Weigel Broadcasting's headquarters on North Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Golembiewski 2008, p. 456.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WDJT-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "Business Around Wisconsin". Milwaukee Sentinel. October 1, 1983. p. 2:7. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  4. ↑ "13 apply to FCC for TV channel license". Milwaukee Sentinel. January 11, 1984. p. 1:5. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Minority firm gets OK for TV station". Milwaukee Sentinel. March 7, 1985. p. 1:13. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Disclosure issue raised for state Ethics Board". Stevens Point Journal. Associated Press. July 21, 1986. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Carleys looking into TV 58 deal". Wisconsin State Journal. June 24, 1986. p. 2:6. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "TV 58 problems". Wisconsin State Journal. August 5, 1986. p. 3:4. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 Golembiewski 2008, p. 457.
  10. ↑ "TV tower construction is endorsed in Glendale". Milwaukee Sentinel. April 14, 1987. p. 1:8. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Glendale rejects tower ordinance". Milwaukee Sentinel. April 12, 1988. p. 1:6. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  12. ↑ Darling, Ken (March 15, 1988). "Glendale council gets plan on new TV tower". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1:4. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Tower for TV on Hotel Roof: WCAN Tells Plans". The Milwaukee Journal . July 16, 1953. p. L-5. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Letter (4 FCC Rcd 15)". FCC Record. 4 (16). Federal Communications Commission: 6200–6201. August 9, 1989. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ Golembiewski 2008, p. 457–458.
  16. 1 2 Dudek, Duane (October 30, 1989). "New low-power TV station serving Hispanic community". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3:2. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  17. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (February 7, 1995). "Show not spared: WTMJ cancels bowling program after 40 years". The Milwaukee Journal. p. News 1.
  18. ↑ Zahn, Michael (August 25, 1991). "Channel 58 co-founder settles civil suit". Milwaukee Journal. p. Entertain 19.
  19. ↑ Golembiewski 2008, p. 458.
  20. 1 2 Golembiewski 2008, p. 460.
  21. ↑ "TV scurries after Bembenek". Milwaukee Journal. October 19, 1990. p. Entertain 9.
  22. ↑ Zahn, Michael (January 18, 1992). "Channels 6, 58 team up on coverage". Milwaukee Journal. p. News 5.
  23. ↑ Weintraub, Joanne (February 21, 1992). "Discovering the other end of the TV dial". Milwaukee Journal. p. News 5.
  24. ↑ Dudek, Duane (June 30, 1993). "WDJT is out to launch a new children's show". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 5C.
  25. ↑ Drew, Mike (April 2, 1992). "Independents are making waves". Milwaukee Journal. p. Entertain 4.
  26. 1 2 Drew, Mike (May 24, 1994). "Channel changing: Fox trades up for power, demographics". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1A.
  27. 1 2 Drew, Mike (December 7, 1994). "Now comes last-minute rush as Channel 58 readies for CBS". Milwaukee Journal. p. News 1.
  28. ↑ "Channel 6 leaving CBS to join Fox". Milwaukee Sentinel. May 23, 1994. p. A1.
  29. 1 2 3 Dudek, Duane (August 10, 1994). "NBC, WTMJ-TV reach 7-year agreement". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 7A.
  30. 1 2 Drew, Mike (June 2, 1994). "We'll have a CBS channel somewhere". Milwaukee Journal. p. D13.
  31. ↑ Freese, Mildred (August 20, 1993). "Pittsburgh firm may purchase Channel 18". Milwaukee Journal. p. Business 5.
  32. 1 2 Dudek, Duane (May 26, 1994). "Station situation under study, new owner of WCGV-TV says". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3D.
  33. ↑ Dudek, Duane (October 11, 1994). "Channels 18, 24 next to snub CBS". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. News 5.
  34. ↑ Flint, Joe (October 3, 1994). "Nay for Eye on affil buy". Variety . p. 168. ProQuest   1401389916.
  35. ↑ Kirchen, Rich (October 1, 1994). "In CBS' search for a mate, Channel 24 still plays hard to get". Milwaukee Business Journal. Gale   A16335176.
  36. 1 2 Dudek, Duane (October 1, 1994). "Channel 58 says CBS is too late: Owners no longer wooing network". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. News 4.
  37. ↑ "CBS still looking for a home". Milwaukee Journal. October 4, 1994. p. Features 1.
  38. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (October 7, 1994). "New Paramount net signs 2 more in state". Milwaukee Journal. p. Features 1.
  39. ↑ Dudek, Duane (October 8, 1994). "Letterman show finds home on 58". Milwaukee Sentinel.
  40. ↑ Dudek, Duane (November 1, 1994). "CBS executive speaks out on Milwaukee search". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. Features 4.
  41. ↑ Dudek, Duane (November 22, 1994). "Brewers to spend winter preparing for own broadcasts on Channel 18". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. Features 4.
  42. ↑ Battaglio, Stephen (December 2, 1994). "CBS ensures Milwaukee feed". The Hollywood Reporter. pp. 3, 50. ProQuest   2362015453.
  43. 1 2 3 Kirchen, Rich (December 10, 1994). "Down-to-the-wire deal kept Milwaukee on CBS' map". Milwaukee Business Journal. p. 2. Gale   A16541130 ProQuest   222390177.
  44. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (December 6, 1994). "CBS gets home on Channel 58: Affiliation to start Sunday when Channel 6 goes". Milwaukee Journal. p. News 1.
  45. ↑ Dudek, Duane (December 12, 1994). "Network shuffle buffaloes TV audience". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. News 7.
  46. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (February 3, 1995). "CBS' Dan and Connie are the big losers in Milwaukee's ratings game". The Milwaukee Journal. p. Features 1.
  47. ↑ Bark, Ed (June 25, 1995). "Shift may be easier for D-FW viewers". The Dallas Morning News. p. 14M.
  48. ↑ Dretzka, Gary (December 7, 1994). "CBS turns to UHF in Milwaukee: Chicago firm's station to get network's shows as Fox prompts shuffle". Chicago Tribune. p. 3:3. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  49. ↑ Schuldt, Gretchen (December 28, 1994). "3 parks eyes as site for Channel 58 tower". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. News 5.
  50. ↑ "WISN is suing to stop WDJT antenna project: Station claims that plan of new CBS affiliate would cause problems". Milwaukee Journal. February 15, 1995. p. News 3.
  51. ↑ Zahn, Michael R. (March 2, 1995). "Channel 12 can block WDJT tower". Milwaukee Journal. p. News 6.
  52. ↑ Marcus, Lindsey (July 22, 1995). "Park neighbors oppose new TV tower: Meeting set today to discuss Channel 58 transmitter proposal". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . p. News 7.
  53. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (May 20, 1996). "Channel 58 is helped by FCC ruling". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. News 6.
  54. 1 2 Cuprisin, Tim (December 4, 1995). "Location Problems: Channel 58 news launch hits a snag: Jan. 1 deadline won't be met, station general manager says". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. Cue and Health 3.
  55. 1 2 3 Kirchen, Rich (March 21, 1997). "WDJT news strives to be a 'welcome home' for local TV viewers". The Business Journal. Gale   A19394145.
  56. 1 2 Cuprisin, Tim (June 21, 1997). "Father of 58's news moves on". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 8. ProQuest   260568124.
  57. ↑ Aschoff, Lee (June 9, 1996). "TV SHOW IS BASED HERE: Housing news hits the airwaves". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. Real Estate 1.
  58. 1 2 Kirchen, Rich (March 9, 1996). "Channel 58 targets youth with nouveau newscast". Milwaukee Business Journal. Gale   A18248383.
  59. ↑ Kirchen, Rich (July 25, 1999). "A grim fairy tale: The tempest in the TV tower". Milwaukee Business Journal. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  60. ↑ Larson, Megan (May 25, 1998). "Improvements galore, but loyalty is real test". Mediaweek.
  61. ↑ Kirchen, Rich (September 3, 2020). "New GM Brown building up Milwaukee's CBS station". Milwaukee Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  62. 1 2 Kirchen, Rich (April 27, 2001). "Channel 58 wishes for more welcome homes". Milwaukee Business Journal. Gale   A75508605.
  63. ↑ Kirchen, Rich (September 25, 2005). "Fortunes shifting in local TV". The Business Journal of Milwaukee . Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  64. ↑ Dudek, Duane (July 25, 2010). "Storms show local TV, radio can work for viewers, listeners". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  65. ↑ Malone, Michael (June 22, 2009). "Weigel Gives WTMJ a Hand". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  66. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim. "Channel 58's new 'sub-channel' a sign of the coming digital revolution". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  67. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (April 21, 2008). "Shopping channel gets new owner, MeTV format of nostalgic shows". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 25, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  68. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (July 28, 2008). "Rebooting may help when mystery bugs bedevil Time Warner channels". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 5, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
  69. ↑ Malone, Michael (October 27, 2008). "Weigel, MGM Hope 'This' Thing's a Hit". Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  70. ↑ Kirchen, Rich (September 29, 2005). "Shorewest starts its own cable channel". Milwaukee Business Journal . Archived from the original on January 21, 2023.
  71. ↑ "Shorewest Realtors". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
  72. ↑ Hagey, Paul (June 4, 2013). "Shorewest launches Internet TV channel". Inman News. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  73. ↑ Theilman, Sam (July 8, 2013). "Abrams, Saslow Prepare to Launch News Network This Month". AdWeek . Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  74. ↑ Foran, Chris (January 13, 2015). "TV flashback: Weigel to add new nostalgia channel in Milwaukee". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  75. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (January 25, 1996). "Gearing up for March debut: Channel 58 news to have an entertainment spin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. Cue 3.
  76. ↑ Dudek, Duane (July 25, 2011). "Weigel introduces new TV newscast". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Archived from the original on September 11, 2011.
  77. ↑ "Milwaukee's WDJT Expands Morning Newscast". TVSpy. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013.
  78. ↑ "WDJT Starting Morning Newscast Earlier". TVNewsCheck. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013.
  79. ↑ Foran, Chris (March 21, 2015). "WDJT-TV adds newscasts at 4 p.m. weekdays, Sunday mornings". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  80. ↑ Foran, Chris (August 17, 2021). "Milwaukee CBS affiliate WDJT-TV (Channel 58) is adding weekend morning newscasts". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  81. ↑ Pabst, Georgia (October 25, 1997). "Spanish TV station boosts power, news staff: More frequent reports will flow to wider area". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. B News 8.
  82. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim (June 5, 2007). "Inside TV & Radio: Telemundo goes local with Milwaukee addition to nightly newscast". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. B News 6.
  83. ↑ Cuprisin, Tim. "Channel 58 to fill 9 p.m. news gap; Cuban's season over on 'Dancing'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  84. ↑ "Milwaukee CBS affiliate adds 9 p.m. newscast". Milwaukee Business Journal. December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  85. ↑ Foran, Chris (January 13, 2016). "WDJT expands 9 p.m. newscast on WMLW to a full hour". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  86. ↑ Foran, Chris (January 23, 2020). "Milwaukee CBS affiliate WDJT-TV (Channel 58) is adding more news on weekend evenings". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  87. ↑ Blasko, Erin (December 11, 2010). "WBND-TV banking on area". The South Bend Tribune. p. B1, B2. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  88. ↑ Fosmoe, Margaret (August 1, 2011). "New local TV news station plans to grow". The South Bend Tribune. p. B1. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  89. ↑ Seibel, Jacqueline (January 30, 2007). "Loss of TV van estimated at $250,000". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007.
  90. ↑ "WMLW The M to air 10 premium Milwaukee Bucks games". WMLW. January 28, 2024.
  91. ↑ Feder, Robert (April 19, 2000). "Channel 5 newscasts soon to pop up on Pax". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 51.
  92. ↑ Feder, Robert (August 28, 2001). "Channel 5 leads shifts in TV weather patterns". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 47.
  93. ↑ "RabbitEars TV Query for WDJT". Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  94. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  95. ↑ "Channels 58, 41 to keep analog broadcasts". Milwaukee Business Journal . June 5, 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009.
  96. ↑ "CBS 58 simulcast for over the air Channel 63 to end". Racine Journal Times . December 30, 2009. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.