WDHN
Encyclopedia
WDHN is the ABC
-affiliated television station
for Southeastern Alabama
's Wiregrass Region
. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group
and licensed to Dothan
, it broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter at its studios on AL 52
in Webb
. The station can also be seen on Comcast
, Knology
, and Time Warner
channel 8. A high definition feed is available on Comcast digital channel 431 and Knology digital channel 502. Syndicated
programming on WDHN includes: Entertainment Tonight
, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
, Dr. Phil
, and The Insider
.
WDHN-TV launched August 7, 1970 as the area's second television station and aired an analog signal on UHF channel 18. Original ownership consisted of a group of investors headed by Dothan businessman Betts Slingluff, Jr. Although conventional wisdom suggested that it should have signed-on as an NBC
affiliate, much of the market
receives a fairly strong signal from WSFA-TV in Montgomery
. Further, at the time of the station's start, the only nearby ABC programs were on WJHG in Panama City, Florida
on a part-time basis. WDHN thus opted to join ABC.
In 1979, Slingluff's group sold WDHN to Hi Ho Television, which also owned WVGA
in Valdosta, Georgia
. In 1986, Hi Ho sold WDHN and WVGA to Morris Multimedia
. It dropped the -TV suffix in 1998. In 2003, Nexstar purchased WDHN along with KARK-TV
in Little Rock, Arkansas
from Morris.
The station still broadcasts from its original tower, a tiny (by modern television standards) 500 foot (152 m) structure behind its studios. Its analog signal only operated at 1.07 million watt
s, one of the weakest signals in the country for a full-powered network affiliate. As a result, WDHN's coverage area was only half that of CBS
affiliate WTVY, whose signal covers parts of three states.
Although the current digital signal is licensed for a full million watts (equivalent to five million watts for an analog transmitter), its digital coverage area is roughly the same as its analog coverage area because it also operates from the short tower. The signal has little reach outside the greater Dothan area. WDHN remained on its pre-transition channel number (21) after turning-off its analog signal. However, through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display its virtual channel
as 18.
, WDHN has long been a very distant second in the market to long-dominant WTVY. WDHN's news department is quite small compared to other big three network stations, even considering that it is in the 172nd market. Unlike most ABC affiliates, it does not air a midday show during the week or weekend newscasts. There is an hour and a half weekday morning show starting at 5:30.
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 Southeastern Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
's Wiregrass Region
Wiregrass Region
The Wiregrass Region or Wiregrass Country is an area of the Southern United States encompassing parts of southern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle...
. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., is an entity of broadcast television stations headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company consists of 50 television stations across the U.S., ranging from market sizes 9 to 201 . 43 of the stations are broadcasting at full power, with the other 4 broadcasting at...
and licensed to Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, 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 21 from a transmitter at its studios on AL 52
Alabama State Route 52
State Route 52 is an long route in the southeastern part of the state. The western terminus of the route is at a junction with U.S. Highway 331 at Opp. The eastern terminus of the route is at the Georgia state line east of Columbia...
in Webb
Webb, Alabama
Webb is a town in Houston County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 1,298.-Geography:Webb is located at .According to the U.S...
. The station can also be seen on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, Knology
Knology
Knology Inc. is a cable company that formed in 1994 by ITC Holding Company, Inc, a telecommunications holding company in West Point, Georgia that also founded Internet service provider Mindspring. In late 1994, shortly after Knology's inception, two employees made a $600,000 investment to make...
, and Time Warner
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
channel 8. A high definition feed is available on Comcast digital channel 431 and Knology digital channel 502. 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 WDHN includes: 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...
, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
Swift Justice With Nancy Grace
Swift Justice with Jackie Glass is a syndicated court program hosted by Judge Jackie Glass....
, 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...
, and The Insider
The Insider (TV series)
The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
.
History
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, much of the 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...
receives a fairly strong signal from WSFA-TV in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. Further, at the time of the station's start, the only nearby ABC programs were on WJHG in Panama City, Florida
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
on a part-time basis. WDHN thus opted to join ABC.
In 1979, Slingluff's group sold WDHN to Hi Ho Television, which also owned WVGA
WSWG
WSWG is the CBS-affiliated television station for Southwestern Georgia, licensed to Valdosta. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter northeast of Adel in Cook County. The station can also be seen on Mediacom channel 6 and in high definition on digital...
in Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
. In 1986, Hi Ho sold WDHN and WVGA to Morris Multimedia
Morris Multimedia
Morris Multimedia, Inc. is a media company based in Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1970 by Charles H. Morris. Morris Multimedia, among the largest privately held media companies in the United States, is the parent company of Morris Newspaper Corporation and Morris Network.- Newspapers :The Morris...
. It dropped the -TV suffix in 1998. In 2003, Nexstar purchased WDHN along with KARK-TV
KARK-TV
KARK, virtual channel 4, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Arkansas that is licensed to Little Rock. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KARZ-TV and the two share studios on West Capitol Avenue in Downtown Little Rock one block...
in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
from Morris.
The station still broadcasts from its original tower, a tiny (by modern television standards) 500 foot (152 m) structure behind its studios. Its analog signal only operated at 1.07 million watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s, one of the weakest signals in the country for a full-powered network affiliate. As a result, WDHN's coverage area was only half that of CBS
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 WTVY, whose signal covers parts of three states.
Although the current digital signal is licensed for a full million watts (equivalent to five million watts for an analog transmitter), its digital coverage area is roughly the same as its analog coverage area because it also operates from the short tower. The signal has little reach outside the greater Dothan area. WDHN remained on its pre-transition channel number (21) after turning-off its analog signal. However, through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display its virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
as 18.
Newscasts
According to Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, WDHN has long been a very distant second in the market to long-dominant WTVY. WDHN's news department is quite small compared to other big three network stations, even considering that it is in the 172nd market. Unlike most ABC affiliates, it does not air a midday show during the week or weekend newscasts. There is an hour and a half weekday morning show starting at 5:30.
Newscast titles
- NewsWatch 18
- News 18 (early 1990s-2006)
- WDHN News 18 (2006-2009)
- WDHN News (2009-current)
News team
- Ken Curtis - Director of News Operations occasionally seen on-air and Beyond the Headlines host
- Kevin Presley - Assistant News Director and weeknight news anchor
- Amanda Hall - weeknight news anchor
- Bud Ford - weeknight weather anchor
- Josh Rultenberg - Promotions and Sports Director seen weeknights at 6 and 10
- Jamiese Price - news reporter
- Megan Hunter - news reporter
- Mike Gamble - Beyond the Headlines host
- Charlie Platt - Top of the Morning host