WPGA-TV

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WPGA-TV

Perry / Macon, Georgia
Branding	58 WPGA, ABC58
Slogan	"We Are Family"
Channels	58 (UHF) analog, 32 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	Register Communications
Founded	September 23, 1995
Call letters meaning	Perry, GeorgiA (after the radio station)
Former affiliations	Fox (1995)
Website	www.58abc.com/

WPGA-TV is the ABC television affiliate station serving Macon, Georgia and the Middle Georgia region. It broadcasts on UHF Channel 58, making it one of the highest channel assignments for ABC affiliates in the country. That distinction was formerly held by WBLG (now WTVQ) in Lexington, Kentucky which, until 1980 broadcast on channel 62. The transmitter for WPGA is located in Macon.

[edit] History

WPGA signed on in March of 1995 as the Macon area's first Fox affiliate. The affiliation lasted only that year; on New Year's Day 1996, WGXA & WPGA swapped affiliations, with WGXA taking the Fox affiliation, and WPGA becoming an ABC affiliate.

WPGA-TV is locally owned by Register Communications, owners of longtime area radio stations WPGA-AM (Radio Disney) and WPGA-FM "Mix 100.9" (formerly Magic 101, an R&B station). The radio stations were originally based in Perry, Georgia. All of Register Communications broadcast properties are based in studios on Forsyth Street in Downtown Macon.

Before WPGA-TV signed on in 1995, the Macon area could only receive FOX network programing via a local cable station or via Atlanta's FOX affiliates, first WATL 36, and later WAGA 5. When FOX began airing NFL games in the early 1990's, the Football game broadcasts were seen on ABC affiliate WGXA until WPGA signed on.

WPGA does not have local newscasts; however, there were a few attempts to offer news programs. First, there were short morning and evening "News Briefs" featuring video narrated by former WCWB (later WMGT-TV) and WGXA news anchor Ron Wildman. Then the station offered a full newscast from 2001 to 2002 anchored by former WMAZ-TV anchor Tina Hicks. These newscasts aired weeknights at 6:30 and 11:00 pm, pushing ABC World News Tonight to 7:00pm. However "58News" was unsuccessful. After cancelling the newscasts WPGA offered a daily sports news program. That, too, was short lived.

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Macon market (Nielsen DMA #120)
WMAZ 13 (CBS) - WGXA 24 (FOX) - WMUM 29 (PBS/GPB) - WDMA-CA 31 (Daystar) - WMGT 41 (NBC) - WSST 55 (Ind) - WPGA 58 (ABC) - WGNM 64 (CTN)
Local cable-only television stations WBMN (The CW/The CW Plus)

ABC Network Affiliates in the state of Georgia
WSB 2 (Atlanta) - WJBF 6 (Augusta) - WTVM 9 (Columbus) - WJCL 22 (Savannah) - WPGA 58 (Perry / Macon)
See also: CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS, and Other stations in Georgia