WABG-TV
Encyclopedia
WABG-TV is the ABC
-affiliated television station
for the Delta
area of Northwestern Mississippi
that is licensed to Greenwood
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter northeast of Inverness
. The station can also be seen on Suddenlink
channel 4 and in high definition on digital channel 701. Owned by Commonwealth Communications, WABG shares separate administrative and studio buildings on Washington Avenue in Greenville
with low-powered sister station NBC
affiliate WNBD-LD
. Syndicated
programming on this station includes: Oprah
, Dr. Phil
, Entertainment Tonight
, and Judge Judy
.
affiliate on a second digital subchannel. Known on-air as Delta Fox 10 and using the fictional "EABG" calls, it is also offered on Suddenlink channel 10 (hence the branding). Syndicated programming on WABG-DT2 includes: Family Guy
, The Office, Two and a Half Men
, and Everybody Hates Chris
.
WABG's first broadcast was on October 20, 1959 on VHF channel 6. Originally a CBS
affiliate, but switched to ABC a few months later after WJTV
in Jackson
complained this station was encroaching on its service area. This is because WABG's signal reaches the far western fringes of the Jackson market
. The network swap made WABG the first primary ABC affiliate in Mississippi. Until then, the only areas of the state to receive a sole ABC affiliate were the northwest (from Memphis
' WHBQ-TV
) and the Gulf Coast
(from WVUE
in New Orleans). In 1979, WABG added the -TV suffix to its call sign.
Until WXVT
in Greenville began operations in 1980, WJTV served as the default CBS affiliate for the southern counties in the Delta area while WREG in Memphis brought programming from that network to the northern counties. NBC
can currently be accessed through WMC-TV
in Memphis or Jackson's WLBT
. There are even a few areas on the edges of the DMA that can receive those stations over-the-air. However, all viewers can obtain the two on cable.
On September 13, 2006 WABG launched a Fox affiliate, "Delta Fox 10," on a new second digital subchannel. Previously, the national Foxnet
service provided Fox programming to cable subscribers in the Delta area (which was one of the last markets to be offered the service). The cable-only service originally planned to close down on September 1, 2006 but was delayed until September 12 to allow WABG time to set up the new affiliate.
On September 5, 2007, WABG announced that it was being sold from Bahakel Communications
to Commonwealth Communications pending Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) approval. The sale was finalized on October 29. On July 13, 2010, Commonwealth announced plans to launch new low-powered station, WNBD-LD, as the area's first locally-based NBC affiliate. WABG's owner also has a construction permit
for W17DI-D channel 17 that will be licensed to Cleveland
and broadcast from the same transmitter in Inverness. Future plans for this station are unknown.
Meteorologists
Sports
Reporters
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
-affiliated television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for the Delta
Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
area of Northwestern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
that is licensed to Greenwood
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
. It broadcasts a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter northeast of Inverness
Inverness, Mississippi
Inverness is a town in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,153 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Inverness is located at ....
. The station can also be seen on Suddenlink
Suddenlink Communications
Suddenlink Communications, formerly Cebridge Connections, is a top-10 cable broadband services provider in the United States with approximately 1.4 million subscribers. Suddenlink operates in 18 states in primarily medium-sized communities. With its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, MO,...
channel 4 and in high definition on digital channel 701. Owned by Commonwealth Communications, WABG shares separate administrative and studio buildings on Washington Avenue in Greenville
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
with low-powered sister station NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WNBD-LD
WNBD-LD
WNBD-LD is the low-powered NBC-affiliated television station for the Delta region of Mississippi licensed to Grenada. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter northeast of Inverness...
. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on this station includes: Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
, Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, and Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
.
Digital programming
It operates the area's FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate on a second digital subchannel. Known on-air as Delta Fox 10 and using the fictional "EABG" calls, it is also offered on Suddenlink channel 10 (hence the branding). Syndicated programming on WABG-DT2 includes: Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, The Office, Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, and Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
.
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 32.1 | main WABG programming/ABC HD |
| 32.2 | WABG-DT2 "Delta Fox 10" |
History
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate, but switched to ABC a few months later after WJTV
WJTV
WJTV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Jackson, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Raymond. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 13 and in high definition on digital channel 433. Owned by Media General, WJTV has...
in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
complained this station was encroaching on its service area. This is because WABG's signal reaches the far western fringes of the Jackson market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
. The network swap made WABG the first primary ABC affiliate in Mississippi. Until then, the only areas of the state to receive a sole ABC affiliate were the northwest (from Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
' WHBQ-TV
WHBQ-TV
WHBQ-TV, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Its studios and transmitter are located in Memphis.-Under RKO General:...
) and the Gulf Coast
Mississippi Gulf Coast
The Mississippi Gulf Coast refers to the three Mississippi counties which lie on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.The region was severely damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and again by Hurricane Katrina in 2005....
(from WVUE
WVUE
WVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
in New Orleans). In 1979, WABG added the -TV suffix to its call sign.
Until WXVT
WXVT
WXVT is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Delta area of Northwestern Mississippi that is licensed to Greenville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 15 from a transmitter northeast of Shaw. Owned by Saga Communications, the station has studios on East Reed Road...
in Greenville began operations in 1980, WJTV served as the default CBS affiliate for the southern counties in the Delta area while WREG in Memphis brought programming from that network to the northern counties. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
can currently be accessed through WMC-TV
WMC-TV
WMC-TV is the NBC affiliate television station for the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. The station serves roughly the western third of Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, northeastern Arkansas and the southeastern corner of Missouri over the air on satellite and on various cable systems. Its...
in Memphis or Jackson's WLBT
WLBT
WLBT, virtual channel 3 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Jackson, Mississippi, and it is owned by Raycom Media. WLBT transmits its signal from an antenna, 624 meters in height, located near Raymond.-History:...
. There are even a few areas on the edges of the DMA that can receive those stations over-the-air. However, all viewers can obtain the two on cable.
On September 13, 2006 WABG launched a Fox affiliate, "Delta Fox 10," on a new second digital subchannel. Previously, the national Foxnet
Foxnet
Foxnet was a cable network that was available to markets in the United States without an affiliate of the Fox Network. It was usually available in very small television markets....
service provided Fox programming to cable subscribers in the Delta area (which was one of the last markets to be offered the service). The cable-only service originally planned to close down on September 1, 2006 but was delayed until September 12 to allow WABG time to set up the new affiliate.
On September 5, 2007, WABG announced that it was being sold from Bahakel Communications
Bahakel Communications
Bahakel Communications is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based communications company that owns radio and television stations in the United States...
to Commonwealth Communications pending Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) approval. The sale was finalized on October 29. On July 13, 2010, Commonwealth announced plans to launch new low-powered station, WNBD-LD, as the area's first locally-based NBC affiliate. WABG's owner also has a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
for W17DI-D channel 17 that will be licensed to Cleveland
Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,334 as of the 2010 census.Cleveland has a fairly large commercial economy, with numerous restaurants, stores, and services along U.S. Highway 61...
and broadcast from the same transmitter in Inverness. Future plans for this station are unknown.
Newscasts
WABG has always had local newscasts and remains the number one ranked station in the Delta region even after WXVT signed-on. WABG-DT2 "Delta Fox 10" does not currently offer any local news produced by the main station. The launch of WNBD will include additional newscasts including the expansion of the weekday morning show to a full two hours with simulcasted on the two channels. Currently weeknights at 10, there is a local news update on WNBD.Newscast titles
- WABG-TV News (1959-1963)
- The Delta Report (1963-1965)
- TV-6 News (1965-1970)
- Newscope 6 (1970-1974)
- Action NewsAction NewsAction News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
(1974-1979) - Channel 6 NewsCenter (1979-1983)
- Channel 6 News (1983-1986)
- NewsCenter 6 (1986-1994)
- NewsWatch 6 (1994-1997)
- 6 Eyewitness NewsEyewitness NewsEyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
(1997-2000) - WABG-TV 6 News (2000-2004)
- ABC 6 News (2004-present)
Station slogans
- "The Delta's News Source" (1999-2002)
- "The #1 Station in the Delta" (2002-2008)
- "The Delta's #1 News Station" (2008-present)
News team
Anchors- Rachel Elvis - weekday mornings
- Tanya Carter - Main Anchor
Meteorologists
- Christopher Mathis - weeknights
- Michael Haynes - weekday mornings
- Courtney Cooper - weekends
Sports
- Mike Sands - weeknights
- Stacie Erfle - weekends
Reporters
- Lakiya Scott
- Monika Searcy
- David Lush