WATN-TV

Last updated

WATN-TV
WATN-TV (2021).svg
Channels
BrandingABC 24 Memphis; ABC 24 News Right Now
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WLMT
History
First air date
September 10, 1978
(45 years ago) (1978-09-10)
Former call signs
WPTY-TV (1978–2013)
Former channel number(s)
Analog: 24 (UHF, 1978–2009)
Call sign meaning
ABC for Tennessee
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 11907
ERP
HAAT 340 m (1,115 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 35°16′33″N89°46′38″W / 35.27583°N 89.77722°W / 35.27583; -89.77722
Links
Public license information
Website www.localmemphis.com

WATN-TV (channel 24) is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside dual CW/MyNetworkTV affiliate WLMT (channel 30). The two stations share studios at the Shelby Oaks Corporate Park on Shelby Oaks Drive in the northeast section of Memphis; WATN-TV's transmitter is located in the Brunswick section of unincorporated northeast Shelby County.

Contents

Channel 24 in Memphis began broadcasting in September 1978 as WPTY-TV, the first independent station in the Memphis area. It was originally owned by Petry Television, an advertising sales representative for TV stations. Under the station's third owner, Chase Broadcasting, WPTY cemented its status as the leading independent over channel 30 by securing the rights to Memphis State University basketball and the Fox affiliation, which had both been on its competitor. Clear Channel Television purchased WPTY-TV in 1992 and then began programming WLMT in 1993.

In 1995, Fox acquired WHBQ-TV (channel 13), then the ABC affiliate. As a result, WPTY-TV became the ABC affiliate in Memphis and started a local news department, though it has met with little ratings success. Clear Channel spun off its television stations to Newport Television in 2007; when Newport liquidated, channels 24 and 30 were purchased by Nexstar Broadcasting. Nexstar initiated a comprehensive overhaul of the station, moving it to its present studios and changing the call sign to WATN-TV. When Nexstar merged with Tribune Media in 2019, the company kept the higher-rated WREG-TV and spun off WATN–WLMT to Tegna.

History

The first proposal for a channel 24 television station in Memphis was made by Connecticut-based Gamma Television Corporation in 1965. [2] Gamma president Al Hartigan promised a station focused on local events and news coverage. [3] Two other applicants also sought channel 24 at this time: John McLendon and a consortium of Victor Muscat and Cliff Ford. [4] The Muscat–Ford group was granted a construction permit by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in April 1968, having merged with McLendon's group and paid Gamma in exchange for its withdrawal. [5] Muscat never built the station: he ultimately pled guilty in a legal case involving giving false and misleading information to the FCC, and when the FCC asked him to build the station after the trial concluded, he was unable to sell the permit in a timely manner and surrendered it to the commission. [6]

As an independent station

Petry Television, a national advertising sales firm and representative to television stations nationally, applied through subsidiary Delta Television in 1977 for a construction permit to build channel 24. John Serrao, the operations director for Petry, noted that Memphis was the largest market lacking an independent station or a station on the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. [7] The FCC granted the construction permit in December, [8] and by June, construction was under way on studios at 2225 Union Avenue in Memphis. [9]

WPTY-TV began broadcasting on September 10, 1978. [10] In the weeks leading up to its launch, local dealers reported a surge of interest in UHF antennas to receive the new station. [11] The schedule focused on counterprogramming the city's three network affiliates with alternative offerings. [12] It also filled a void in sports coverage: syndicated Southeastern Conference basketball, which appeared on the station's schedule in its first year, had gone unaired in Memphis the year before. [13] In addition, the station offered the live discussion program Memphis Forum. [14]

WPTY was the only independent station in Memphis until April 18, 1983, when TVX Broadcast Group launched WMKW-TV on channel 30. [15] With two independents in town, the stations engaged in competition among themselves, [16] though WPTY led WMKW in the ratings. [17] A year later, Petry sold the station to Robert H. Precht, a former producer of The Ed Sullivan Show , for $13 million; Precht also owned television stations in western Montana. [18] Less than two years later, Precht sold WPTY-TV to Chase Broadcasting, owner of WTIC-TV in Hartford, Connecticut; the original sale price of $12.5 million was discounted to $11.2 million because of the state of some of channel 24's equipment. [19] [20]

Fox affiliation

In 1989, as part of a process of divesting its smaller-market stations, TVX Broadcast Group sold WMKW-TV to MT Communications, which renamed it WLMT. [21] [22] In the span of a year, channel 30 would lose its two main programming attractions to channel 24. First to go was Memphis State University basketball; WPTY-TV presented a proposal to the university that paid three times as much money per game. [23]

The next year, the Fox affiliation came up for renewal, and WPTY-TV intensively lobbied the Fox network; it had stronger ratings than channel 30, drawing a 7.4 percent share of total-day ratings to WLMT's 4.1. [24] On WLMT, some Fox shows had less than half the audience they did in other cities. [25] Fox chose to move its affiliation to channel 24 effective July 1, 1990. [26] Memphis was one of four markets, all in the South, where Fox moved its affiliation during 1990; of the other three, two (Little Rock, Arkansas, and Nashville) involved ex-TVX stations, with the Nashville station losing its Fox affiliation also owned by MT. [27]

Chase Broadcasting announced in 1991 it would sell some or all of its properties in order to invest in new business ventures in Eastern Europe after the end of the Cold War, particularly successful cable television systems in Poland. [28] Three months later, Chase announced the sale of WPTY-TV to Clear Channel Television for $21 million, with WPTY-TV becoming Clear Channel's sixth Fox affiliate and its largest-market station when the new owners took over on April 1. [29] [30] Clear Channel fended off a bid by WLMT for Tigers basketball when the rights came up for renewal in 1992; [31] the next year, it assumed most of channel 30's operations under a local marketing agreement (LMA), allowing the once-rivals to pool resources and programming. [32]

Affiliation switch to ABC

In May 1994, Fox announced a 12-station affiliation switch agreement with New World Communications in major markets; Fox was actively looking for upgrades from UHF stations like WPTY-TV to stations in the very high frequency (VHF) band. Memphis was not involved in the New World switches, but a rumor circulated and was quickly quashed that the Memphis NBC affiliate, WMC-TV, was seeking to move to Fox; its owner, Ellis Communications, owned four Fox stations, even though Clear Channel had become the second-largest group owner of Fox affiliates. [33] However, in August, Fox made its move by purchasing local ABC affiliate WHBQ-TV (channel 13) from Communications Corporation of America, which had just taken over ownership. [34]

Movement around the switch was initially slow because Fox needed to wait for FCC approval to purchase WHBQ-TV; the FCC at the time was considering petitions from NBC about whether Fox was a foreign-owned entity not allowed to own broadcast stations. [35] As part of a series of attempts to prevent News Corporation, the parent company of Fox, from acquiring additional stations, NBC had filed a request to the FCC to reject a pending trade of Denver's KDVR for Fox-owned KDAF in Dallas, as well as the network's purchase of WFXT in Boston, on the grounds that the company was in violation of foreign ownership rules (which prohibit a foreign-owned company from maintaining more than a 25 percent interest in a U.S. television station). The Memphis deal had still not been filed with the FCC by January 1995, four months after being announced. [36] Foreign ownership had been a sensitive issue for Fox even prior to the New World deal. In 1993, its attempt to acquire WGBS-TV in Philadelphia was derailed after an objection was filed on ownership grounds. [37] [38] In the wake of the objection, the FCC opened a foreign ownership review into Murdoch's existing station holdings; had it ruled negatively, a forced ownership change or license loss could have meant the end of the network. [39]

On June 12, 1995, the FCC notified WHBQ-TV that the commission had approved its sale to Fox, [40] which was officially announced the next month. [41] [42] By then, channel 13 had already notified ABC that it would disaffiliate from the network on December 1, and WPTY-TV was named as the new ABC affiliate. [40]

To prepare for launching a news operation, Clear Channel purchased a building at 2701 Union Avenue Extended to be renovated to house WPTY–WLMT; this also allowed channel 30 to move in with channel 24. [43] The affiliation switch and launch of local news programming took place December 1, 1995. [44]

In 1999, WPTY-TV took on a secondary affiliation with The WB, airing its prime time programs in late night slots. The WB had no full-time affiliate in Memphis; a local cable channel, "TV Memphis", aired its programming until the WPTY-TV affiliation. [45] WB programs moved to WLMT in 2003. [46]

WPTY-TV and WLMT began digital broadcasting on May 1, 2002. [47] WPTY-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over channel 24, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television; it continued to broadcast on channel 25, using virtual channel 24. [48]

Both stations were included in the sale of Clear Channel's television station portfolio to Newport Television, controlled by Providence Equity Partners, for $1.2 billion on April 20, 2007 (equivalent to $1.69 billion in 2022). The sale was made so Clear Channel could refocus around its radio, outdoor advertising and live event units. [49] [50] The sale received FCC approval on December 1, 2007; after settlement of a lawsuit filed by Clear Channel owners Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital against Providence to force the deal's completion, consummation took place on March 14, 2008. [51] [52]

WATN-TV: Nexstar and Tegna ownership

As part of a liquidation of Newport Television's assets, Nexstar Broadcasting Group purchased WPTY-TV and WLMT in a 12-station deal worth $285.5 million (equivalent to $364 million in 2022) on July 19, 2012. [53] Nearly immediately, Nexstar announced that it would move the stations from their aging five-story building in midtown Memphis into a former MCI call center on the city's northeast side. [54] The relocation, in addition to providing more up-to-date facilities for the stations, was done because the impending replacement of the adjacent Poplar Viaduct would create vibrations and noise making the building unsuitable for television production. [55] As part of a major rebrand, WPTY-TV became WATN-TV after moving into the new studios. [56]

In 2019, Nexstar acquired Tribune Media, owner of Memphis CBS affiliate WREG-TV. [57] Nexstar opted to retain WREG-TV (as well as WJKT in Jackson, which had been associated with WATN–WLMT) and sold WATN-TV and WLMT to Tegna Inc. [58] Tegna reintroduced the ABC 24 brand to the station on September 27, 2021, with a new logo. [59]

News operation

WPTY-TV had no plans for a newscast as late as July 1994, even though other Fox affiliates were starting local newscasts. [60] To plot the station's expansion into news, Clear Channel hired Los Angeles market veteran and consultant Jeff Wald. [61] While several of the station's assignment desk and production staff members were hired from other local stations, the news talent largely came from elsewhere, ranging from Kennewick, Washington, to Duluth, Minnesota. [62] One exception was Brian Teigland, a weatherman cut by WREG-TV in a dispute over disability benefits. [63]

News Watch 24 newscasts debuted on December 1, 1995, the same day the station switched to ABC. The newsroom initially offered local news at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. on channel 24, as well as a 9 p.m. newscast known as News Watch 30 on WLMT. [64] [44] The 9 p.m. newscast, anchored by two Black men (Robb Harleston and Ken Houston), was intended to feature increased coverage of the city's minority communities. [65]

The station's news operation went on the air before it was ready. Equipment broke down or didn't work at all. A passel of reporters and anchors new to the city could not convince viewers they knew the city. Tension on the air was visible and continues to be visible at times.

Tom Walter,TV critic, The Commercial Appeal [66]

The debut of News Watch 24 was particularly rough, owing to the simultaneous move to a new building and a lack of time to rehearse the newscasts. [67] Sound issues plagued the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts; the opening to the 10 p.m. news played out three times in a row. On the 9 p.m. show, sports anchor Greg Gaston called the University of Memphis "Memphis University". [68] Such errors continued to be noticeable on WPTY's newscasts for months. [66] Less than two weeks after starting, the anchor lineup for the weeknight newscasts was changed, with original lead anchor Wendell Stacy demoted to weekends and replaced with Bill Lunn and Teigland moved to weeknight weather. [67] [69] Ratings were low, with the newscasts at 5 and 10 p.m. attracting just three percent of the available audience in the May 1996 sweeps. [70] The original news director was fired less than a year after the first newscast aired. [71]

Measured ratings improved substantially, to about 8 percent of the viewing audience, once Nielsen Media Research introduced meters for ratings purposes in 1997; [72] the station's 10 p.m. news ratings were even stronger among younger viewers. [73] However, the station's most successful newscast was its 9 p.m. news for WLMT, which held its own against WHBQ-TV's newscast at that hour and drew more viewers than WPTY at 10. [74]

The news product was overhauled in 2003 under the brand Eyewitness News and with new news talent; four existing anchors were replaced with the duo of Cameron Harper and Dee Griffin, who were cited as "high-energy", and a new weather radar system was installed. [75] [76] In September 2006, WPTY began airing a local morning newscast, coinciding with a visit by Good Morning America to Beale Street. [77] Ratings continued to sit firmly in fourth place during this period. [78] [79]

Under Nexstar, in 2013, the station rebranded as "Local 24" coinciding with the call sign change to WATN-TV and relocation to the Shelby Oaks studio. WATN began broadcasting newscasts in high definition upon the move, using a surplus news set that Nexstar shipped from KLRT-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas; [54] WATN also replaced the syndicated Live! with Kelly and Michael at 9 a.m. with a local lifestyle program, Local Memphis Live. [80]

Notable former on-air staff

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WATN-TV [82]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
24.1 720p 16:9 WATN-HDMain WATN-TV programming / ABC
24.2 480i Laff Laff
24.3Cozi Cozi TV
24.4Quest Quest
24.5Crime True Crime Network
24.6TheNest The Nest
24.7Comet Comet
24.8Charge Charge!

See also

Related Research Articles

KDVR is a television station in Denver, Colorado, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is simulcast full-time over satellite station KFCT in Fort Collins. Nexstar Media Group owns KDVR and KFCT alongside CW station KWGN-TV. Studios and offices are located on East Speer Boulevard in Denver's Speer neighborhood. KDVR's transmitter is located atop Lookout Mountain, near Golden, while KFCT's transmitter lies atop Horsetooth Mountain just outside Fort Collins, covering Northern Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFXK-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Longview, Texas

KFXK-TV is a television station licensed to Longview, Texas, United States, serving East Texas as an affiliate of the Fox network. It is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Nexstar Media Group owner of Jacksonville-licensed NBC affiliate KETK-TV and Tyler-licensed low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate KTPN-LD, for the provision of certain services. The stations share studios on Richmond Road in Tyler; KFXK-TV's transmitter is located near FM 125 in rural northwestern Rusk County. It is rebroadcast by KFXL-LD in Lufkin, from a transmitter northwest of the city on SH 103 near Loop 287.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMC-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee

WMC-TV is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTME-LD. The two stations share studios on Union Avenue in midtown Memphis; WMC-TV's transmitter is located in northeast Memphis, near the suburb of Bartlett, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHBQ-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee

WHBQ-TV is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with the Fox network and owned by Imagicomm Communications. The station's studios are located on South Highland Street in East Memphis, and its transmitter is located on Raleigh-LaGrange Road on the city's northeast side.

WREG-TV is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are located on Channel 3 Drive near the Mississippi River on the west side of Memphis, and its transmitter is located near Bartlett, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLMT</span> CW affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee

WLMT is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with The CW and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside ABC affiliate WATN-TV. The two stations share studios at the Shelby Oaks Corporate Park on Shelby Oaks Drive in northeast Memphis; WLMT's transmitter is located in the Brunswick section of unincorporated northeast Shelby County.

WKNO is a PBS member television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The station is owned by the Mid-South Public Communications Foundation, a non-profit organization governed by a board of trustees composed of volunteers, and is operated alongside NPR member WKNO-FM (91.1). The two stations share studios on Cherry Farms Road with the TV station's transmitter on Raleigh LaGrange Road, both in the Cordova section of unincorporated Shelby County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLJB</span> Fox affiliate in Davenport, Iowa

KLJB is a television station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Quad Cities area. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of Rock Island, Illinois–licensed CBS affiliate WHBF-TV and Burlington, Iowa–licensed CW owned-and-operated station KGCW, for the provision of certain services. The three stations share studios in the Telco Building on 18th Street in downtown Rock Island; KLJB's transmitter is located near Orion, Illinois.

WGNT is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Norfolk-licensed CBS affiliate WTKR. Both stations share studios on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk, while WGNT's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTAL-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Texarkana, Texas

KTAL-TV is a television station licensed to Texarkana, Texas, United States, serving the Shreveport, Louisiana, area as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate KSHV-TV ; Nexstar also provides certain services to Fox affiliate KMSS-TV under a shared services agreement (SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The three stations share studios on North Market Street and Deer Park Road in northeast Shreveport; KTAL-TV maintains a secondary studio on Summerhill Road in Texarkana, Texas, and transmitter facilities northwest of Vivian, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCIT</span> Fox affiliate in Amarillo, Texas

KCIT is a television station in Amarillo, Texas, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of NBC affiliate KAMR-TV and low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate KCPN-LD, for the provision of certain services. The three stations share studios on Southeast 11th Avenue and South Fillmore Street in downtown Amarillo; KCIT's transmitter is located on Dumas Drive and Reclamation Plant Road in rural unincorporated Potter County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEMT</span> Fox affiliate in Greeneville, Tennessee

WEMT is a television station licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Tri-Cities area. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Bristol, Virginia–licensed dual NBC/CW affiliate WCYB-TV, for the provision of certain services. However, Sinclair effectively owns WEMT; the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The two stations share studios on Lee Street on the Virginia side of Bristol ; WEMT's transmitter is located at Rye Patch Knob on Holston Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest.

WZDX is a television station in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on North Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, and its transmitter is located on Monte Sano Mountain.

WDKY-TV is a television station licensed to Danville, Kentucky, United States, serving the Lexington area as an affiliate of the Fox network. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group and maintains studios on Euclid Avenue in Lexington's Chevy Chase neighborhood and a transmitter southeast of the city off Interstate 75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFXR</span> Fox affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia

WFXR is a television station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Lynchburg-licensed CW station WWCW. The two stations share studios at the Valleypointe office park on Valleypoint Parkway in northeastern Roanoke County; WFXR's transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in southwestern Roanoke County. WWCW broadcasts WFXR's Fox programming from its transmitter on Thaxton Mountain in Bedford County as one of its subchannels and vice versa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLOV-TV</span> CW+ affiliate in West Point, Mississippi

WLOV-TV is a television station licensed to West Point, Mississippi, United States, serving as the CW+ affiliate for the Columbus–Tupelo market. It is owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Morris Multimedia, owner of Columbus-licensed CBS/Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate WCBI-TV, for the provision of certain services. The two stations share studios on 5th Street South in Downtown Columbus; WLOV-TV's transmitter is located in Woodland, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVEO-TV</span> NBC/CBS affiliate in Brownsville, Texas

KVEO-TV is a television station licensed to Brownsville, Texas, United States, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley as an affiliate of NBC and CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Harlingen-licensed KGBT-TV, which airs Antenna TV and MyNetworkTV. The two stations share studios on West Expressway in Harlingen; KVEO-TV's transmitter is located in Santa Maria, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJKT</span> Fox affiliate in Jackson, Tennessee

WJKT is a television station in Jackson, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with the Fox network and owned by Nexstar Media Group. Its advertising sales office is located on Oil Well Road in Jackson, and its transmitter is located in Alamo, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment</span> Television station affiliation switches

Between 1994 and 1996, a wide-ranging realignment of television network affiliations took place in the United States as the result of a multimillion-dollar deal between the Fox Broadcasting Company and New World Communications, announced on May 23, 1994. Unprecedented in the broadcast industry, the deal resulted in twelve stations owned by, or in the process of being purchased by New World, switching network affiliations to Fox over the course of a two-year period when existing contracts expired. These stations were long-standing affiliates of the traditional "Big Three" television networks—CBS, NBC, and ABC—in some of the country's largest markets, with the majority having been aligned with CBS individually for over 40 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KJNB-LD</span> Fox/CBS affiliate in Jonesboro, Arkansas

KJNB-LD is a low-power television station in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States, affiliated with Fox and CBS. Owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC, the station maintains a small office in the Regions Bank Building in Jonesboro, and its transmitter is located on Highway 91/Southern Avenue in unincorporated Lawrence County, southeast of Walnut Ridge.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WATN-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Nolan Ahrens, Louise (July 20, 1965). "City May Get A New T-V Station". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 17. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Mitchell, Henry (July 21, 1965). "Dixie Dialing: Fifth TV Station For City Will Stress Local Events". The Commercial Appeal. p. 26. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Public Notice". The Commercial Appeal. August 4, 1967. p. 16. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Lindsay, Powell (April 27, 1968). "Way Cleared For 2nd UHF Memphis TV". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 6. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "UHF License Is Returned". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. July 4, 1974. p. 37. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Kellett, Robert (March 4, 1977). "Dixie Dialing: Wrestling Coming To Grips With Station Change". The Commercial Appeal. p. 27. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Provost, Richard (December 9, 1977). "FCC Approves TV Station". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 14. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Burk, Bill E. (June 16, 1978). "Independent Station Plans Big Splash". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "City's Fourth TV Station Starts Telecasting Today". The Commercial Appeal. September 10, 1978. p. 1B. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Knott, John (August 30, 1978). "Dixie Dialing: New Aerials Going Up To Receive Channel 24". The Commercial Appeal. p. 38. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Knott, John (July 16, 1978). "Dixie Dialing: Channel 24 turns on the speed, hopes to turn on viewers". The Commercial Appeal. p. TV-1. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Brennan, Jack (July 27, 1978). "Prime Time: Channel 24 Keeps Sports in Mind". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 22. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Williams, Larry (September 6, 1978). "Channel 24 Forum Promises A Lively Premiere". The Commercial Appeal. p. 41. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Knott, John (April 19, 1983). "New Guide To Hit City In Fall". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B5. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Walter, Tom (July 20, 1984). "New chief arms WMKW for TV war". The Commercial Appeal. p. C7. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Walter, Tom (November 16, 1985). "WMKW goes all out to show its mettle: Campaign to be costly". The Commercial Appeal. p. C11. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Meltzer, Marc (February 25, 1984). "WPTY price put at $13 million". The Commercial Appeal. p. B4. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Walter, Tom; Wade, Paula (January 29, 1986). "Connecticut firm buys Channel 24: Deal subject to FCC approval". The Commercial Appeal. p. B6. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Flaum, David (July 2, 1986). "WPTY-TV sold for $11 million". The Commercial Appeal. p. B12. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Walter, Tom (March 2, 1989). "WMKW sold for $7 million: Nashville man buys Channel 30". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B5. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Walter, Tom (October 4, 1989). "Juke Box available for a fee". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. C2. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "It's official: WPTY gets Tigers deal". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. June 20, 1989. p. D5. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Walter, Tom (May 15, 1990). "Channels 30 and 24 compete for Fox". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. C2. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Salomon, Alan (June 4, 1990). "Memphis independent nabs Fox affiliation". Electronic Media. p. 35.
  26. ↑ Walter, Tom (May 30, 1990). "Fox to flip channel to WPTY-TV's 24". The Commercial Appeal. p. C4. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Salomon, Alan (January 7, 1991). "Stations find new life after Fox affiliation". Electronic Media . pp. 1, 134.
  28. ↑ Williams, Stephen M.; Endrst, James (October 1, 1991). "Chase firm seeks partner or buyer in media holdings". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. D1, D5. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Chase Enterprises to sell TV station in Memphis". Hartford Courant. January 30, 1992. p. D2. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ Walter, Tom (April 2, 1992). "New owners expect WPTY to grow". The Commercial Appeal. p. A6. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ Stukenborg, Phil (June 18, 1992). "WPTY gets rights to Tiger basketball: 5-year deal tops $1.8 million". The Commercial Appeal. pp. D1, D5 . Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ Walter, Tom (August 20, 1993). "Communications: WPTY takes over 2 stations". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B4. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ Walter, Tom (June 30, 1994). "WMC-TV to keep NBC affiliation; WKNO-TV reruns 'Civil War' Part 1". The Commercial Appeal. p. A6. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ Walter, Tom (August 18, 1994). "Fox to buy WHBQ from new owner and unplug ABC". The Commercial Appeal. pp. A1, A15 . Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ Walter, Tom (January 28, 1995). "WHBQ awaits Fox takeover". The Commercial Appeal. p. A13. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ Flint, Joe (January 15, 1995). "NBC Asks FCC To Nix Fox Bid For KDVR". Variety . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  37. ↑ Wharton, Dennis (November 22, 2014). "NAACP decries Fox's TV station ownership". Variety . Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  38. ↑ Flint, Joe (March 1, 1994). "Delay foils Fox bid for WGBS". Variety . Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  39. ↑ "FCC studies Murdoch's backing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. June 3, 1994. p. E9. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  40. 1 2 Walter, Tom (June 14, 1995). "Fox to take WHBQ in 2 weeks". The Commercial Appeal. pp. B4, B8 . Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ Miles, Laureen (July 10, 1995). "FCC approves 3 Fox deals". Mediaweek. Gale   A17226532.
  42. ↑ "2 TV Stations Bought by Fox". The New York Times . Associated Press. July 10, 1995. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  43. ↑ Walter, Tom (September 16, 1995). "WPTY is moving, taking WLMT into its new building". The Commercial Appeal. p. C8. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  44. 1 2 Walter, Tom (November 30, 1995). "WHBQ-WPTY switch set to confuse Memphis TV". The Commercial Appeal. p. A14. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ Walter, Tom (December 24, 1999). "WB's maneuvers make kid shows disappear from local schedule". The Commercial Appeal. p. F2. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  46. ↑ Walter, Tom (September 11, 2003). "The WB shows moving to Channel 30". The Commercial Appeal. p. E3. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  47. ↑ Walter, Tom (May 2, 2002). "Deep-sea filming proves wonders haven't ceased". The Commercial Appeal. pp. E1, E3 . Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  48. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Providence Buys Clear Channel TV for $1.2B". TVNewsCheck. April 20, 2007. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  50. ↑ "Clear Channel Agrees to Sell Television Station Group to Providence Equity Partners" (Press release). Clear Channel Communications. April 20, 2007. Archived from the original on April 25, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  51. ↑ Dunbar, John (December 2, 2007). "FCC OKs Clear Channel TV sale with changes". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017– via ABC News.
  52. ↑ Davies, Megan (March 14, 2008). "Clear Channel says completes TV sale for $1.1 bln". Reuters. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Newport Sells 22 Stations For $1 Billion". TVNewsCheck. July 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  54. 1 2 "Nexstar Readies Major Memphis Overhaul". TVNewsCheck. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  55. ↑ Bailey, Thomas Jr. (May 7, 2013). "Sensing bad vibes: Union viaduct construction chases TV stations to 'burbs". The Commercial Appeal. p. 8B, 7B. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  56. ↑ Dowd, James (May 31, 2013). "ABC affiliate WPTY rebranded WATN: Broadcaster relaunching Saturday". The Commercial Appeal. p. 2C. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  57. ↑ Miller, Mark K. (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Buying Tribune Media For $6.4 Billion". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  58. ↑ Ahmed, Nabila; Sakoui, Anousha (March 20, 2019). "Nexstar to Sell Stations to Tegna, Scripps for $1.32 Billion". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg, L.P. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  59. ↑ "Local Memphis and Local 24 becoming ABC24 on September 27". localmemphis.com. September 17, 2021. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  60. ↑ Walter, Tom (July 14, 1994). "Noncombative Murdoch tells critics: Fox on move". The Commercial Appeal. p. A11. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  61. ↑ Walter, Tom (June 15, 1995). "Fox buy triggers local news blitz". The Commercial Appeal. pp. C1, C2 . Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  62. ↑ Walter, Tom (October 25, 1995). "WPTY-TV picks talent mix to launch news broadcasts". The Commercial Appeal. p. A10. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  63. ↑ Walter, Tom (November 16, 1995). "Weatherman, cut by WREG, joins WPTY's new cast". The Commercial Appeal. pp. C1, C2 . Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  64. ↑ "Stations' switch to 'make' news". The Commercial Appeal. September 30, 1995. p. C1, C2. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  65. ↑ Butler, Tim (June 12, 1996). "WLMT-TV Channel 30 turns camera on minorities". Tri-State Defender . p. 1B. ProQuest   367839693.
  66. 1 2 Walter, Tom (April 13, 1996). "Channel 24 has nowhere to go but up in news lists". The Commercial Appeal. p. C4. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  67. 1 2 Walter, Tom (December 9, 1995). "Fox-ABC switch generates calls for Rush, soaps". The Commercial Appeal. p. A12. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  68. ↑ "News debuts for stations offered rocky contrasts". The Commercial Appeal. December 4, 1995. p. C2. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  69. ↑ Walter, Tom (December 14, 1995). "It's musical chairs at WPTY while trying to 'find right mix'". The Commercial Appeal. p. D7. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  70. ↑ Walter, Tom (June 13, 1996). "Channel 5 leads in local TV news race". The Commercial Appeal. p. A8. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  71. ↑ Walter, Tom (May 16, 1998). "Alan fired as news director at WPTY-TV". The Commercial Appeal. p. C2. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  72. ↑ Walter, Tom (May 27, 1997). "WMC-TV news holds lead but competition edges in". The Commercial Appeal. p. C4. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  73. ↑ Walter, Tom (June 19, 1997). "Demographics good for viewers, even if they don't care". The Commercial Appeal. p. C1. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  74. ↑ Walter, Tom (December 8, 1997). "Channel 3 makes inroads in race against 10 p.m. news leader 5". The Commercial Appeal. p. C3. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  75. ↑ Phillips, Bianca (January 29, 2003). "New Look for the News: WPTY and WLMT hope changes will boost ratings". Memphis Flyer . p. 6. ProQuest   365355895.
  76. ↑ Walter, Tom (December 5, 2002). "WPTY, WLMT getting new news anchors". The Commercial Appeal. p. E4. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  77. ↑ Ashby, Andy (September 8, 2006). "'Good Morning America' coming to Memphis". Memphis Business Journal.
  78. ↑ Walter, Tom (March 8, 2005). "WREG gains but trails WMC late newscast". The Commercial Appeal. p. M5. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  79. ↑ Lollar, Michael (December 1, 2007). "WREG news back on top at 10 p.m." The Commercial Appeal. p. M5. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  80. ↑ "Playing up local while trying to catch up". Broadcasting & Cable . November 18, 2013. p. 20. ProQuest   1460173826.
  81. ↑ Walter, Tom (February 26, 2004). "Rights museum gives answers to 'Jeopardy!' panel". The Commercial Appeal. p. E3. Retrieved May 7, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  82. ↑ "TV Query for WATN". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
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.