WPGA-TV

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WPGA-TV
Perry/Macon, Georgia
Branding Macon TV, WPGA
Channels Digital: 32 (UHF)
Virtual: 58 (PSIP)
Subchannels 58.1 Ind.
58.2 Me-TV
58.3 Bounce TV
Affiliations Independent
Me-TV (DT2)
Bounce TV (DT3)
Owner Register Communications
(Radio Perry, Inc.)
First air date March 1, 1995
Call letters' meaning Perry, GeorgiA
(after the radio station)
Former channel number(s) 58 (UHF analog, 1995-2009)
Former affiliations Fox (1995)
ABC (1996-2009)
Transmitter power 1000 kW
Height 246 m
Facility ID 54728
Transmitter coordinates 32°45′4.3″N 83°33′26.7″W / 32.751194°N 83.557417°W / 32.751194; -83.557417
Website www.macon.tv

WPGA-TV is an Independent, Me-TV, and Bounce TV affiliated television station serving Macon, Georgia and the central Georgia region. It broadcasts digitally on UHF channel 32. The transmitter for WPGA is located in Macon.

Macon-TV is locally owned by Register Communications, owners of longtime area radio stations WPGA AM ("News Talk AM-980") and WPGA-FM (Country-formatted "100.9 We Play Everything Country"). The radio stations were originally based in, and are still licensed to, Perry (which is also the city of license for WPGA-TV). All of Register Communications' broadcast properties are based in studios on Forsyth Street in downtown Macon.

History

WPGA started in March 1995 as the Macon area's first Fox affiliate. Before WPGA-TV began, the Macon area could only receive Fox network programing via the Foxnet cable serves or via Atlanta's Fox affiliates, first WATL, and later WAGA. When Fox began airing NFL games in 1994, ABC affiliate WGXA aired them until WPGA arrived.

WPGA's Fox affiliation lasted only through the remainder of 1995; on January 1, 1996, WGXA and WPGA swapped affiliations, with WGXA taking the Fox affiliation, and WPGA becoming an ABC affiliate.

"ABC Macon" logo, used from July 2007 to November 2009; it is the basis of the current logo. For a time after this logo was dropped, the station's website used a modified version of this logo with the ABC logo omitted.

On January 1, 2010, WPGA-TV discontinued its ABC affiliation and became an independent. Owner Lowell Register cited concerns that ABC's network programming does not meet the family oriented focus the station has.[1] He also objected to ABC's recent decision to charge its affiliates half a million dollars to carry its programming.[2] Former ABC affiliate WGXA took the affiliation on digital subchannel WGXA-DT2, in addition to Fox.[3] WPGA also added some programming 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.[4] In preparation for the switch, WPGA began phasing out references to ABC from its branding in November 2009, and now brands simply as "Macon TV".

Some of the station's syndicated programming currently includes Better, the Wendy Williams Show, Steven and Chris, According to Jim, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Real Housewives, court shows on weekday afternoons, Cash Cab, Law & Order SVU, TMZ, The Office and Reno 911!.

On April 7, 2010, WPGA launched This TV on digital subchannel 58.2. In early Spring 2011, WPGA began airing some programs from Me-TV on 58.1; the station would later carry Me-TV full-time on subchannel 58.2. On September 26, 2011, WPGA puts the newly launched Bounce TV network on digital subchannel 58.3[5]

Digital television

On February 17, 2009, WPGA-TV turned-off its analog transmitter on channel 58 at approximately 12 p.m. and currently broadcasts its digital signal on channel 32[6] using PSIP to display its virtual channel as 58.

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
58.1 720p 16:9 WPGA-DT Main WPGA-TV programming
58.2 480i 4:3 MEtv MeTV
58.3 480i 4:3 Bounce Bounce TV

Newscasts

WPGA has made some attempts to offer news programs. First, there were short morning and evening News Briefs featuring video narrated by former WCWB (later WMGT-TV), WMAZ-TV, and WGXA news anchor Ron Wildman. Later, the station began to offer a full newscast in June 2001,[7] anchored by former WMAZ anchor Tina Hicks. These newscasts aired weeknights at 6:30 and 11 p.m., pushing ABC World News Tonight to 7 p.m. However, due to inadequate sales/promotional strategies, personnel and leadership, 58 News was unsuccessful, and was dropped in 2002. Afterwards, WPGA offered a daily sports news program called the 58 Sports Show;despite praise from middle Georgia sports fans, this programming followed the trend of being dropped as well.

"ABC 58" logo, used until July 2007.

In April 2006, WPGA-TV and WPGA-FM began airing (as a simulcast) the community-affairs program Good Morning Middle Georgia. It was hosted by WPGA-FM program director and morning host Stephen B. The guest list was wide-ranging, spotlighting many important figures throughout middle Georgia and surrounding areas. Statewide and nationally-known guests had also appeared on Good Morning Middle Georgia. The program ended in late August 2008, when WPGA-TV and WPGA-FM entered into a partnership with The Telegraph for a new morning news/talk program, Kenny B and Charles E, Your Mix in the Morning. As a result, on September 2, 2008, channel 58 began airing a live simulcast of the 6 a.m. hour of the program, which is aired on WPGA-FM from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. on weekdays; upon the discontinuation of WPGA-TV's ABC affiliation, the remainder of the program was added as a replacement for Good Morning America.[4] The Telegraph's website, Macon.com, hosts its podcast.

Logo for ABC Macon News

On July 23, 2007, WPGA began airing a new newscast titled ABC Macon News, produced by the Independent News Network in Davenport, Iowa; this broadcast aired Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. (though the latter broadcast was subsequently dropped for economic reasons[7]). Also around the same time this newscast launched, WPGA-TV changed its on-air branding from "ABC 58" to "ABC Macon".

In a report in The Telegraph, it was announced that Independent News Network filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on December 31, 2008, and ended all news productions, including those for WPGA, by January 9, 2009.[7] Most of INN's accounts were sold to another media company, LMG, Inc., part of Fusion Communications, also of Davenport, Iowa. In the transfer, INN terminated 12 of its staff of 40, and kept its client stations, except for WPGA-TV. The station has since reached a new deal with INN, and the company began producing weeknight newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. upon WPGA's disaffiliation from ABC.[8]

In a report in the May 28, 2010 edition of The Telegraph, it was announced that The Telegraph’s daily talk show, hosted Kenny Burgamy, Charles Richardson, and Liz Fabian, would be replaced on July 5 on WPGA-TV and -FM with a new Mix In The Morning show, hosted by Rick Knight, Brad Majors, Gail Daniels, Thom Mead and Stephen B.[citation needed]

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

  • 58 News (2001–2002)
  • ABC Macon News (2007–2009)

Station slogans

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Current on-air staff

Mix In The Morning

  • Rick Knight - co-host
  • Gary Thigpen - co-host
  • Gail Daniels - commentator/news anchor
  • "Professor" Thom Mead - commentator/and trivia host
  • Skot Kendrick - commentator/producer

Cox cable dispute

The station's disaffiliation from ABC resulted in a dispute with Cox Communications over its channel 6 slot (as well as a high definition feed on channel 706, later moved to channel 1006), as Cox intended to drop WPGA in favor of WGXA-DT2, which Register contends the company does not have the right to do.[8] On December 22, WPGA was granted a temporary restraining order requiring Cox to continue to carry the station on channels 6 and 706;[9] however, the court later dismissed WPGA's case on April 30, 2010. Register, however, will file an appeal; in light of this, the judge ordered Cox to leave WPGA at channels 6 and 706 until an appeals court hears the case.[10] In addition, DirecTV dropped WPGA on January 1, though the station remains available on Dish Network, as well as cable systems that have must carry agreements with the station (Register considers Cox to have such an agreement, even though Cox claims it instead has a retransmission consent agreement).[9]

On June 23, 2011, it was announced that the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the ruling that would enable Cox to drop WPGA from its line-up, effective July 28. On that date, WGXA-DT2 will simulcast on its new slot on channel 6, as well as its current channel 15 position; on August 28, it will be seen on channel 6 only, with channel 15 to be used for bandwidth for the system's high-definition channels.[11]

On July 12, 2011 Register filed a complaint Tuesday 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 channel 6 to WGXA-DT2. However, Cox announced that their plan will continue anyway, despite the complaint, as the previous court case authorized them to make the changes.[12] In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled on December 5, 2011 that WPGA's contract with Cox rendered it a station that elected retransmission consent.[13]

References

External links

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