WMGT-TV

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WMGT-TV
Image:Wmgt.png
Macon, Georgia
Branding Today's MGT
Slogan Clear, Accurate, To The Point
Channels Analog: 41 (UHF)

Digital: 40 (UHF)
Affiliations NBC
Owner Morris Multimedia, Inc.
(Morris Network, Inc.)
First air date September 30, 1968
Call letters’ meaning Middle
Georgia
Television
Former callsigns WCWB-TV (1968-1983)
WMGT (1983-2003)
Transmitter Power 1050 kW (analog)
110 kW (digital)
Height 241 m (analog)
189 m (digital)
Facility ID 43847
Transmitter Coordinates 32°45′11.2″N, 83°33′47.3″W
Website www.todaysmgt.com/

WMGT-TV is Macon, Georgia's NBC affiliate. It's currently owned by Morris Multimedia as part of its Morris Network division, as it has been since 1978. Its transmitter is located in Macon.

Contents

[edit] History

WMGT-TV began broadcasting on September 30, 1968 as WCWB-TV, the first commercial station started in Middle Georgia since WMAZ-TV started in 1953; it has always been an NBC affiliate. Unlike many NBC affiliates in two-station markets, WCWB did not assume a secondary ABC affiliation; the market didn't get a full ABC affiliate until 1982 (in WGXA).

Its studios were located at the transmitter location 15 miles east of Macon, on what locals term the "Cochran Short Route" (US-129). The station renamed itself WMGT in 1983, to reflect the Middle Georgia area it serves. One final change to the station's legal callsign took place in 2003, when the -TV suffix was added.

During its first 24 years on the air, channel 41's newscasts were never competitive with WMAZ, in part because many households didn't even have UHF-capable sets. It fell even further behind when WGXA signed on in 1982 and immediately surged to second place due to a more modern on-air look. In 1992, WMGT shut down its news department. For the next 12 years, WMGT aired no local newscasts at all.

In 2000, the station moved into a two-story renovated warehouse in downtown Macon, adding to the revitalization of the historic area and signifying future growth for the station. In September 2004, WMGT relaunched its news department.

On April 3, 2006, the station retired its "41" logo and "41 NBC" branding in favor of a new logo and branding, Today's MGT.

[edit] Current Personalities

[edit] News

  • Gabe Dalusky, General Assignment Reporter
  • Antwan Harris, General Assignment Reporter
  • Brandon Long, 5:30 p.m. Anchor/Reporter, Managing Editor
  • Ke'Sha Lopez, 6:00 a.m. Anchor/Reporter
  • Brooke Martin, 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter
  • Coreen Savitski, General Assignment Reporter
  • Aundrea Cline-Thomas, General Assignment Reporter

[edit] Weather

  • Lauren Casey, Morning Meteorologist
  • Brian Fowler, Chief Meteorologist
  • Chrissy Keeley, Fill-In Meteorologist

[edit] Personalities

  • Jackie Cooper, Movie Critic

[edit] Past Personalities

  • Seth Bauguess, General Assignment Reporter (2004-2006,now at WKEF/WRGT Dayton
  • Ryan Chambers, Fill-In Meteorologist/Sport Reporter
  • Mark Christian, General Assignment Reporter (2006-2007,now at KERO Bakersfield, CA)
  • Ashley DeBeltrand Fuori, Morning Meteorologist (2004-2005)
  • Walt Gray, Anchor/Reporter (During the WCWB era, now at KCRA/KQCASacramento)
  • Russ Geller, Weathercaster (During the WCWB era, now News Director at WCBI)
  • Stephanie Golden, Morning Anchor/Reporter (2004-2005)
  • Jennifer Gordon, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2006)
  • Gaynor Hall, Morning Anchor/Reporter (2004-2006)
  • Heather Graf, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2007)
  • Ashanti Hathaway, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2006)
  • Susan Jackson, 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (2004-2006)
  • Derek Kinkade, Morning Meteorologist (2005-2006, now at WTVM/WXTX Columbus, GA)
  • Stephanie Leydon, Anchor/Reporter (During the pre-1992 era, last seen at WLVI Boston)
  • Monica Lorriane, Morning Anchor/Reporter (2006-2007)
  • Jerry Mathewson, Chief Meteorologist (2004-2007)
  • Gavin Moberg, Sport Reporter 2007
  • Kaitlyn Pratt, General Assignment Reporter (2004-2005, now at WSAV Savannah)
  • Chris Smith, Morning Meteorologist (2005, now at WGCL Atlanta)
  • Melissa Sogegian, General Assignment Reporter (2004-2006, now at Bay News 9 Tampa Bay)
  • Callie Starnes, General Assignment Reporter (2007-2008)
  • Neysa Wilkins-Trout, Anchor (____-1992), now at WJHG-TV News Channel 7 in Panama City)
  • Dave Carter
  • Karen Acar
  • John Hosenberg
  • Keysha Morgan
  • Liz Jarvis-Fabian (later worked as an anchor/reporter at WGXA and WMAZ and now anchors a morning webcast and writes for The Macon Telegraph)
  • Dodie Cantrell (now General Manager of WMAZ)
  • Jim Lee (former news director and later a Macon City Councilman) died in 2004
  • Dave Culbreath

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Broadcast television in the Macon market  (Nielsen DMA #121)

WMAZ 13 (CBS) - WGXA 24 (FOX) - WMUM 29 (PBS/GPB) - WDMA-CA 31 (Daystar) - WMGT 41 (NBC) - W50DA 50 (TBN) - WSST 55 (Ind) - WPGA 58 (ABC) 
Local digital-only stations
WGNM 45 (CTN)

Local cable-only television stations
WBMN (The CW/The CW Plus)
v • d • e
NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Georgia
See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, PBS, and Other stations in Georgia