| |
---|---|
City | Perry, Georgia |
Channels | |
Branding |
|
Programming | |
Affiliations |
|
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
Founded | September 20, 1991 [1] |
First air date | March 1, 1995 |
Former channel number(s) |
|
Call sign meaning | Perry, Georgia (after the radio station) |
Technical information [2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 54728 |
ERP | 82.2 kW |
HAAT | 190 m (623 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 32°45′4.3″N83°33′26.7″W / 32.751194°N 83.557417°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
WPGA-TV (channel 58) is a television station licensed to Perry, Georgia, United States, serving as the MeTV affiliate for the Macon area. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Peachtree Sports Network outlet WPGA-LD (channel 50). The two stations share offices at the corner of Second and Cherry streets in downtown Macon, with master control and most internal operations based at Gray flagship WANF in Atlanta; WPGA-TV's transmitter is located on GA 87/US 23/US 129 ALT (Golden Isles Highway), along the Twiggs–Bibb county line.
The station first signed on the air on March 1, 1995, as the Macon market's original Fox affiliate. [3] It was locally owned by Register Communications. Prior to the station's sign-on, Macon residents could only receive Fox network programing via Foxnet (the network's now-defunct national cable feed) or via Fox stations piped in from the nearby Atlanta market (network-owned WATL from the network's launch in October 1986 until December 1994, and then WAGA-TV from December 1994 until WPGA's sign-on). In addition, when Fox assumed the broadcast rights to the National Football Conference television package from CBS in 1994, ABC affiliate WGXA (channel 24) carried Fox's NFL telecasts on Sunday afternoons until December 1994.
On September 10, 1995, GOCOM Media announced that it had signed an agreement with Fox to move its affiliation to WGXA, effectively ending WPGA's tenure with the network at the end of that year (after only ten months as a Fox station). [4] Shortly afterward, Register Communications signed an affiliation agreement to make WPGA the Macon market's new ABC affiliate. The affiliation swap took place on January 1, 1996, ending WGXA's fourteen-year tenure with ABC.
WPGA started a newscast in January 2001, but it was dropped in January 2002. [5] In July 2007, WPGA-TV changed its on-air branding from "ABC 58" to "ABC Macon".[ citation needed ] In July 2007, Register Communications contracted with Independent News Network (INN) for news production which lasted until the original owner of INN filed bankruptcy in January 2009. [5]
On October 29, 2009, Register Communications announced that WPGA-TV would terminate its affiliation contract with the network and become an independent station. Owner Lowell Register cited concerns that ABC's programming did not meet the station's family-oriented focus, [6] and also objected to the network's decision to begin requiring its affiliates to pay an annual fee of $500,000 to carry its programming. [7]
Upon becoming an independent station on January 1, 2010, WPGA began cherry-picking select programs from the Retro Television Network (sharing the affiliation with sister station WPGA-LP) in addition to shows from This TV and retained the station's existing syndicated programming. [8]
The station's disaffiliation from ABC resulted in a dispute with Cox Communications over its channel 6 slot, as Cox intended to drop WPGA in favor of WGXA-DT2, a move that Register contended the provider does not have the right to make. [9] On December 22, 2009, WPGA was granted a temporary restraining order requiring Cox to continue to carry the station on channels 6 and 706; [10] however, the court later dismissed WPGA's case on April 30, 2010. Register filed an appeal; in light of this, a judge ordered Cox to leave WPGA on its existing channel slots until an appeals court heard the case. [11] In addition, Register also filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the status of WPGA's channel placement on Cox. [11] Satellite provider DirecTV would drop WPGA itself on January 1, though the station remains available on Dish Network, as well as cable providers that the station maintains must carry agreements with (Register considers Cox to have such an agreement, even though the cable provider claims it instead has a retransmission consent agreement). [10] On June 23, 2011, the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the ruling that would enable Cox to drop WPGA from its lineup, effective July 28. On that date, WGXA-DT2 would begin to be carried on both channel 6 and its existing channel 15 position; with the subchannel being carried exclusively on channel 6 starting August 28 (channel 15 would then be used for bandwidth for the system's high-definition channels). [12]
On July 12, 2011, Register filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, seeking an injunction to prevent Cox from not only dropping WPGA, but from giving the channel 6 slot to WGXA-DT2. However, Cox announced that it would go forward with the channel shuffle despite the complaint, as the previous court case authorized them to make the changes. [13] In addition, the FCC ruled on December 5, 2011, that WPGA's contract with Cox rendered it a station that elected retransmission consent. [14]
Register Communications was delinquent on about $7.5 million in loans, property taxes and federal payroll taxes. Thus, a Bibb County court appointed Green Bull Georgia Partners—a single-purpose entity set up by Candlewood Partners—as receiver for Register in April 2015.
Radio Perry Inc. (debtor in possession) agreed to sell the station to Marquee Broadcasting in October 2019. [15]
Marquee Broadcasting announced on February 15, 2023, that it would trade WPGA-TV and WPGA-LD to Gray Television in exchange for Gray's KNIN-TV serving the Boise, Idaho, market. The station swap would complete a key objective for Gray by giving it a full-service station in every market in Georgia, the company's home state (although Gray does not own stations in the Chattanooga or Jacksonville markets which each include some Georgia counties). [16] The swap was consummated on May 1, 2023. [17]
WPGA first started a newscast in April 2001; it was dropped in January 2002. [5] In July 2007, Register Communications contracted with Independent News Network (INN) for news production. Originally, INN produced 30 minute newscasts at 7 and 11 p.m. For economic reasons, the 11 p.m. newscast was later canceled. In August 2008, WPGA and The Telegraph started a production partnership for a morning show, Kenny B and Charles E: Your Mix in the Morning, on WPGA-FM 100.9 (6 to 9 a.m.) and on channel 58 (6 to 7 a.m.). The original owner of INN filed bankruptcy in January 2009, leading to the cancellation of the 7 p.m. newscast. [5]
In 2022, NewsNet was producing newscasts for both WGTA and WPGA with the newscast titled Georgia's News at Nine. The production ended in 2023.[ when? ]
On April 1, 2024, Gray Television relaunched newscasts for WPGA-TV produced by Atlanta sister station WANF; a few weeks prior to that, WPGA-TV began simulcasting Atlanta News First at 10 from WPCH-TV.
The station's signal is multiplexed:
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
58.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WPGA | MeTV |
58.2 | 480i | H&I | Heroes & Icons | |
58.3 | Ion | Ion Television | ||
58.4 | Start | Start TV | ||
58.5 | MeTV Toons | MeTV Toons | ||
58.6 | CourtTV | Court TV | ||
58.7 | Catchy | Catchy Comedy | ||
58.8 | Movies | Movies! |
In April 2010, WPGA began carrying This TV on its second digital subchannel. In early spring 2011, the station began airing select MeTV programs on its primary channel; the station would later begin carrying the complete MeTV schedule on digital channel 58.2.[ citation needed ] In August 2011, the station had agreed to add select programs from KIN TV, an African-American subchannel network distributed by MGM Television, to its primary subchannel (the network never launched). On September 26, 2011, WPGA became a charter affiliate of Bounce TV, carrying the network on digital subchannel 58.3. [18] On July 2, 2015, This TV replaced Bounce TV on sub-channel 58.3, which was previously on WPGA-LP channel 50; Bounce TV was then taken up by WMGT-TV on digital channel 41.3.
Since the 2014–15 television season, WPGA-TV has been gradually adding MeTV programming to the main channel in place of syndicated programming as contracts with its syndicators expired. [19] By April 1, 2020, WPGA-TV became a full time MeTV affiliate and added Ion Television on 58.4, Grit on 58.5, and Court TV on 58.6 to its subchannel lineup. On April 17, the station added Start TV, Decades and Movies! to its lineup.
WPGA's broadcasts became digital-only, effective February 24, 2009. [20] [21]
KLTV is a television station licensed to Tyler, Texas, United States, serving East Texas as an affiliate of ABC and Telemundo. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios on West Ferguson Street in downtown Tyler, and its transmitter is located in rural northern Smith County.
WOWT is a television station in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Gray Television. The station's studios are located at the Kiewit Plaza on Farnam Street near downtown Omaha, and its transmitter is located on a "tower farm" near North 72nd Street and Crown Point Avenue in north-central Omaha.
WTOV-TV is a television station licensed to Steubenville, Ohio, United States, serving the Wheeling, West Virginia–Steubenville, Ohio market as an affiliate of NBC and Fox. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Burr Avenue in Mingo Junction, Ohio.
KGNS-TV is a television station in Laredo, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC and ABC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power dual CBS/CW+ affiliate KYLX-LD and Telemundo affiliate KXNU-LD. The three stations share studios on Loop 20 in Laredo; KGNS-TV's transmitter is located northwest of the city.
KAYU-TV is a television station in Spokane, Washington, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Imagicomm Communications, the station has studios on South Regal Street in Spokane, and its transmitter is on Krell Hill southeast of the city.
WAGM-TV is a television station in Presque Isle, Maine, United States, affiliated with CBS, Fox, and The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Fort Kent–licensed low-power NBC affiliate WWPI-LD. The two stations share studios on Brewer Road in Presque Isle; WAGM-TV's transmitter is located on the northern section of Mars Hill Mountain among the wind turbines.
WVUE-DT is a television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains primary studios on Norman C. Francis Parkway in the city's Gert Town section, with a secondary studio within the Benson Tower in downtown New Orleans; its transmitter is located on Magistrate Street in Chalmette, Louisiana.
KOTA-TV is a television station in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside MeTV affiliate KHME and low-power Fox affiliate KEVN-LD. The stations share studios on Skyline Drive in Rapid City, where KOTA-TV's transmitter is also located.
WMAZ-TV is a television station in Macon, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on Gray Highway on the northeast side of Macon; its transmitter is located on GA 87/US 23/129 ALT along the Twiggs–Bibb county line.
WGXA is a television station in Macon, Georgia, United States, affiliated with Fox and ABC. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in downtown Macon, and its transmitter is located on GA 87/US 23/US 129 ALT, along the Twiggs–Bibb county line.
WMGT-TV is a television station in Macon, Georgia, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship television property of Savannah-based Morris Multimedia. WMGT-TV's studios are located on Poplar Street in downtown Macon, and its transmitter is located on GA 87/US 23/US 129 ALT along the Bibb–Twiggs county line.
WTXL-TV is a television station in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on Commerce Boulevard in Midway, Florida, and its transmitter is located near unincorporated Fincher, along the Georgia state line.
WSST-TV is a television station licensed to Cordele, Georgia, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Marquee Broadcasting alongside Valdosta-licensed CBS affiliate WSWG. WSST-TV's studios are located on 7th Street and 11th Avenue in downtown Cordele, and its transmitter is located in rural southwestern Crisp County.
WIBW-TV is a television station in Topeka, Kansas, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios on Commerce Place in west-southwestern Topeka, and its transmitter is located on Windy Hill Road in Maple Hill.
WCJB-TV is a television station in Gainesville, Florida, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios on Northwest 43rd Street in Gainesville, and its transmitter is located near Micanopy, Florida.
WHSV-TV is a television station in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside two low-power stations: Class A dual Fox/CBS affiliate WSVF-CD and dual NBC/CW+ affiliate WSVW-LD. The three stations share studios on North Main Street in downtown Harrisonburg, and operate a newsroom in Fishersville, serving Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County. WHSV-TV's transmitter is located at Elliott Knob west of Staunton.
KVHP is a television station in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with Fox and ABC. It is owned by American Spirit Media, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Gray Television, owner of dual NBC/CW+ affiliate KPLC, for the provision of certain services. The two stations share studios on Division Street in downtown Lake Charles; KVHP's transmitter is located in rural northwestern Calcasieu Parish five miles (8 km) northwest of Edgerly.
News HUB is a production company based in Little Rock, Arkansas, which syndicates "localized" news programs for broadcast television stations in the United States, that have budgets limiting their ability to produce their own local newscasts.
WSVF-CD is a low-power, Class A television station in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States, affiliated with Fox and CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside ABC affiliate WHSV-TV and low-powered dual NBC/CW+ affiliate WSVW-LD. The three stations share studios on North Main Street/US 11 in downtown Harrisonburg, and operate a newsroom in Fishersville, serving Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County. WSVF-CD's transmitter is located atop Massanutten Mountain. There is no separate website for WSVF-CD; instead, it is integrated with that of sister station WHSV-TV.
WPGA-LD is a low-power television station in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Perry-licensed MeTV affiliate WPGA-TV. The two stations share offices at the corner of Second and Cherry streets in downtown Macon, with master control and most internal operations based at Gray flagship WANF in Atlanta; WPGA-LD's transmitter is located on GA 87/US 23/US 129 ALT, along the Twiggs–Bibb county line.