WGBC
Encyclopedia
WGBC is the Fox
-affiliated television station
for Meridian, Mississippi
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 31 from a transmitter at studios on Crestview Drive south of downtown. The station can also be seen on Comcast
channel 7 and in high definition on digital channel 432. Owned by Waypoint Media, the station is sister to CBS
affiliate WMDN
and the two share studios. Syndicated
programming on WGBC includes: TMZ on TV
, Judge Mathis
, Everybody Hates Chris
, and Maury
.
. Known on-air as Fox 30, this can also be seen on Comcast channel 10 and in high definition on digital channel 434. Syndicated programming on WGBC-DT1 includes: How I Met Your Mother
, America's Funniest Home Videos
, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
, and The People's Court
. Although the main signal from NBC is on WGBC's second digital subchannel, it still offers network programming in high definition.
). The station had hoped to pick up the CBS affiliation for the area due to its radio sister's long affiliation with CBS Radio
. However, the network ended up affiliating with WTOK-TV
on the more powerful VHF channel 11. This resulted in WCOC going dark after only a few months on-the-air. The analog channel 30 allotment remained dark until WLBT
in Jackson
bought the dormant license. It returned the station to the air on June 2, 1982 as WLBM-TV, a low-powered semi-satellite. Previously, NBC programming had been available to Eastern Mississippi
viewers on WTOK part-time from 1953 until 1972 or on WHTV (now WMDN) from 1972 to 1980.
WLBM's studios caught fire in 1990 knocking the station off-the-air and leaving much of Eastern Mississippi without an over-the-air NBC affiliate. Comcast provided network programming from Hattiesburg
's WDAM for subscribers. NBC returned to the market
when Global Communications brought the station back on-the-air as WGBC in September 1991. Thus, Meridian became one of the last markets in the nation with a local full-time NBC affiliate. It entered into a local marketing agreement
(LMA) with CBS affiliate WMDN. In January 2008, local businessman Michael Reed bought both WGBC and WMDN, making them full sisters. Reed had to get a "failed station" waiver to buy WGBC because the Meridian market has only four full-power stations--not enough to legally permit a duopoly under normal circumstances.
In late-2008, WGBC picked up the Fox affiliation for Meridian on its first digital subcarrier with the Retro Television Network
(RTV) airing during the day. This change resulted in NBC moving to a new second digital subchannel but remained on the analog signal. Fox had previously aired on WTOK-DT2
while RTV was new to the market. On January 5, 2009, "Fox Meridian" premiered on WGBC-DT1. This unusual arrangement resulted in NBC HD being moved to a new second digital subchannel. It is a similar case to CBS affiliate WAGM-TV
in Presque Isle, Maine
which also moved its original affiliation to a new second digital subchannel so that its main signal could join Fox.
WGBC shut down analog transmissions on June 12, 2009. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 31. Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display its virtual channel
as 30. At some point during the fall 2010 television season, WGBC-DT1 dropped RTV in favor of syndicated programming that other Fox affiliates have. It also became known on-air as "Fox 30" named after the former NBC branding.
Fox 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...
-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 Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. 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 31 from a transmitter at studios on Crestview Drive south of downtown. 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...
channel 7 and in high definition on digital channel 432. Owned by Waypoint Media, the station is sister to 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 WMDN
WMDN
WMDN is the CBS-affiliated television station for Meridian, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter at its studios on Crestview Circle south of downtown. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 5 and in high definition on digital...
and the two share studios. 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 WGBC includes: TMZ on TV
TMZ on TV
TMZ on TV, or simply TMZ and TMZTV, is an American syndicated entertainment and gossip news television show that premiered on September 10, 2007. The program is generally aired on Fox, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates, though a majority of the stations that carry the series are Fox affiliates...
, Judge Mathis
Judge Mathis
Judge Mathis is a syndicated television legal reality show produced originally by Black Pearl Productions. In 2008, it entered its tenth season produced by AND Syndicated Productions and Telepictures. It is taped at NBC Tower in Chicago, but includes cases and litigants from other U.S....
, 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...
, and Maury
Maury (TV series)
Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
.
Digital programming
WGBC operates the area's Fox affiliate on its first digital subchannelDigital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
. Known on-air as Fox 30, this can also be seen on Comcast channel 10 and in high definition on digital channel 434. Syndicated programming on WGBC-DT1 includes: How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
, 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....
, and The People's Court
The People's Court
The People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration....
. Although the main signal from NBC is on WGBC's second digital subchannel, it still offers network programming in high definition.
| Channels | Video | Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30.1 | 720p 720p 720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan... |
16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... |
Main WGBC-DT1 programming / FOX |
| 30.2 | 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... |
Main WGBC-DT2 programming / NBC |
History
The station first began broadcasting as WCOC-TV in 1953. It was owned by the Crystal Oil Company along with WCOC radio (910 AM now WALTWALT
WALT is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Meridian, Mississippi, USA, the station is owned by New South Communications and features programing from the Talk Radio Network....
). The station had hoped to pick up the CBS affiliation for the area due to its radio sister's long affiliation with CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. However, the network ended up affiliating with WTOK-TV
WTOK-TV
WTOK-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Meridian, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter south of the city along MS 145 . The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 6 and in high definition on digital channel 431. Owned by...
on the more powerful VHF channel 11. This resulted in WCOC going dark after only a few months on-the-air. The analog channel 30 allotment remained dark until 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:...
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...
bought the dormant license. It returned the station to the air on June 2, 1982 as WLBM-TV, a low-powered semi-satellite. Previously, NBC programming had been available to Eastern 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...
viewers on WTOK part-time from 1953 until 1972 or on WHTV (now WMDN) from 1972 to 1980.
WLBM's studios caught fire in 1990 knocking the station off-the-air and leaving much of Eastern Mississippi without an over-the-air NBC affiliate. Comcast provided network programming from Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
's WDAM for subscribers. NBC returned to 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...
when Global Communications brought the station back on-the-air as WGBC in September 1991. Thus, Meridian became one of the last markets in the nation with a local full-time NBC affiliate. It entered into a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
(LMA) with CBS affiliate WMDN. In January 2008, local businessman Michael Reed bought both WGBC and WMDN, making them full sisters. Reed had to get a "failed station" waiver to buy WGBC because the Meridian market has only four full-power stations--not enough to legally permit a duopoly under normal circumstances.
In late-2008, WGBC picked up the Fox affiliation for Meridian on its first digital subcarrier with the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
(RTV) airing during the day. This change resulted in NBC moving to a new second digital subchannel but remained on the analog signal. Fox had previously aired on WTOK-DT2
WTOK-DT2
WTOK-DT2 is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Meridian, Mississippi. The station is a second digital subchannel of ABC affiliate WTOK-TV owned by Gray Television. Over-the-air, it broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on VHF channel 11.2 from a transmitter south of...
while RTV was new to the market. On January 5, 2009, "Fox Meridian" premiered on WGBC-DT1. This unusual arrangement resulted in NBC HD being moved to a new second digital subchannel. It is a similar case to CBS affiliate WAGM-TV
WAGM-TV
WAGM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northern Maine, United States and Western New Brunswick, Canada. Licensed to Presque Isle, Maine, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on the northern section of Mars Hill Mountain among the wind...
in Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
which also moved its original affiliation to a new second digital subchannel so that its main signal could join Fox.
WGBC shut down analog transmissions on June 12, 2009. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 31. 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 30. At some point during the fall 2010 television season, WGBC-DT1 dropped RTV in favor of syndicated programming that other Fox affiliates have. It also became known on-air as "Fox 30" named after the former NBC branding.