WLGA
Encyclopedia
WLGA was a television station in Opelika, Alabama
. The channel broadcast in digital on UHF
channel 47. Its studios were located in Opelika, with its transmitter located in Cusseta, Georgia
. The station served the Columbus, Georgia
market in western Georgia and eastern Alabama.
. It was initially owned by Warden Broadcasting, but was acquired by the Christian Television Network
(CTN) in 1984. The FNN programs were dropped by 1987, but the station did retain much of its other secular programming, in addition to CTN's programming.
RCH Broadcasting bought WSWS in 1995, and affiliated the station with the upstart UPN
network. It also aired programs from The WB
and, later, Pax TV (now Ion Television) on a secondary basis during the mid-to-late 1990s. Pappas Telecasting bought the station outright in 1996 and upgraded programming somewhat.
The station changed its call letters to WLGA on June 27, 2005. The "WSWS" calls were moved to sister station WSWS-CA, the ABC
affiliate in North Platte, Nebraska
; they remained there until June 12, 2009, when it became KHGI-CA to reflect its parent station, KHGI-TV
.
In September 2006, WLGA joined The CW
as an affiliate when UPN merged with The WB. On April 2, 2009, it was announced that The CW would discontinue its relationship with WLGA, instead choosing to broadcast on a digital subchannel of NBC
affiliate WLTZ
, effective April 27. Although no reason was given, it was likely related to Pappas filing for bankruptcy a year earlier. WLGA became an independent station once again, and completely overhauled its schedule (most of the station's programming outside of network hours during its CW affiliation was provided by The CW Plus
, which also moved to the WLTZ subchannel).
As an independent station, WLGA apparently played most of its programming from tapes, as at the beginning of most programs had extra bits, virtually identical to those generally shown from a VCR when a tape is played, being transmitted.
In early June 2010, WLGA announced that it would cease operations at 11:59 p.m. on June 4.
As of November 2011, WLGA's license is still active, with a construction permit to broadcast on channel 30 and an application to broadcast on channel 47.
Opelika, Alabama
Opelika is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. According to 2010 Census, the population of Opelika was 26,477...
. The channel broadcast in digital on UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel 47. Its studios were located in Opelika, with its transmitter located in Cusseta, Georgia
Cusseta, Georgia
Cusseta-Chattahoochee County is unified city-county in Georgia, United States. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 Census..-History:...
. The station served the Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
market in western Georgia and eastern Alabama.
History
The station signed on for the first time on May 16, 1982 as WSWS-TV, the Columbus area's first independent station. At the outset, WSWS carried cartoons, religious shows, low budget movies, and programming from the Financial News NetworkFinancial News Network
The Financial News Network was a television network that operated throughout the United States during the 1980s.-Founding:Financial News Network was founded in 1981 by two men: Rodney Buchser, who had been general manager of KWHY, Channel 22 in Los Angeles and Glenn Taylor. The concept originated...
. It was initially owned by Warden Broadcasting, but was acquired by the Christian Television Network
Christian Television Network
Christian Television Network is a non-profit broadcast television network of small owned-and-operated stations that broadcasts religious programming. It is based in Largo, Florida , and the flagship station is WCLF channel 22, which signed on the air in the Tampa Bay Florida region in 1979...
(CTN) in 1984. The FNN programs were dropped by 1987, but the station did retain much of its other secular programming, in addition to CTN's programming.
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
network. It also aired programs from The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
and, later, Pax TV (now Ion Television) on a secondary basis during the mid-to-late 1990s. Pappas Telecasting bought the station outright in 1996 and upgraded programming somewhat.
The station changed its call letters to WLGA on June 27, 2005. The "WSWS" calls were moved to sister station WSWS-CA, the ABC
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...
affiliate in North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the southwestern part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River...
; they remained there until June 12, 2009, when it became KHGI-CA to reflect its parent station, KHGI-TV
KHGI-TV
KHGI-TV, channel 13, is the ABC-affiliated television station for most of central and western Nebraska. The station is licensed to the town of Kearney....
.
In September 2006, WLGA joined The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
as an affiliate when UPN merged with The WB. On April 2, 2009, it was announced that The CW would discontinue its relationship with WLGA, instead choosing to broadcast on a digital subchannel of 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 WLTZ
WLTZ
WLTZ is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Chattahoochee Valley of West-Central Georgia and East-Central Alabama. Licensed to Columbus, Georgia, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from its studios on NBC 38 Drive in the Vista Terrance section of South...
, effective April 27. Although no reason was given, it was likely related to Pappas filing for bankruptcy a year earlier. WLGA became an independent station once again, and completely overhauled its schedule (most of the station's programming outside of network hours during its CW affiliation was provided by The CW Plus
The CW Plus
The CW Plus is a group of primarily digital sub-channels, analog, and non-broadcast cable television outlets for the CW Television Network, for markets below the top 99 television media markets in the United States....
, which also moved to the WLTZ subchannel).
As an independent station, WLGA apparently played most of its programming from tapes, as at the beginning of most programs had extra bits, virtually identical to those generally shown from a VCR when a tape is played, being transmitted.
In early June 2010, WLGA announced that it would cease operations at 11:59 p.m. on June 4.
As of November 2011, WLGA's license is still active, with a construction permit to broadcast on channel 30 and an application to broadcast on channel 47.