WGMU-CA
Encyclopedia
WGMU-CA is a Class A
television station
that is licensed to Burlington
. It broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter in Charlotte
. The station can also be seen on Burlington Telecom
digital channel 14, Charter
channel 18, and Comcast
channel 80. Locally owned by CEC Media Group, it is a full-time satellite of RTV
affiliate WNMN in Saranac Lake, New York
. The channel has studios on Pine Haven Shores Road in Shelburne
.
in a secondary nature and WBVT picked up UPN from WWBI-LP
. During a period in 2003, the station aired America One
programing during the day while showing a "UPN 39" logo in the top-right corner of the screen. The station aired UPN programming during prime time but would not air the network's kid shows. In 2004, WBVT's previous owners (NYN, LLC) were experiencing financial problems which led them to give control of the station to Equity Media Holdings (then known as Equity Broadcasting). The company would buy the station outright in February 2005.
During times of financial trouble and the transition to Equity ownership, there were plenty of technical problems on the channel. There was a point where it would be off-air for days at a time. During this dark period, some area cable systems (including Adelphia in Burlington) temporarily replaced WBVT with Boston's WSBK-TV
. In 2005 once the station was in Equity's hands and back in shape, it changed its call letters again to the current WGMU-CA. This was done in order to distinguish itself as a UPN station and no longer a WB affiliate. In Fall 2006, UPN ceased broadcasting and merged with The WB into a new network called The CW
. Only one UPN/WB affiliate in each market
could join The CW, and WGMU was rejected in favor of WFFF. Instead, it joined MyNetworkTV another new network created by News Corporation
for former UPN/WB stations that could not affiliate with The CW. The new affiliation took effect on September 5 and WGMU changed its branding to "My 39".
Before MyNetworkTV affiliation, WGMU did not have a website of its own. The station formerly had a website as WBVT. When it was bought by Equity and changed to WGMU, it got a website at gmupn.com that later disappeared. With the network switch, Equity created a new site for the station located at mytv-burlington.com which is no longer active. On December 8, 2008, Equity Media Holdings filed for bankruptcy. As a result, WGMU was temporarily taken off-the-air. On April 16, 2009, Equity held an auction of all its television stations where WGMU and its repeaters were bought by Convergence Media Group, which was also buying nearby station WCWF (which it recalled WNMN). The sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in July 2009.
After this, WGMU returned to the air as a satellite of WNMN, which is a Retro Television Network affiliate. As a separate station, WGMU had studios on Pine Haven Shores Road in Shelburne which are still being used. On cable, the station was seen in Burlington on Comcast
channel 7 and in Plattsburgh on Charter
channel 18. It was not seen on Vidéotron
systems in Montreal, Quebec. The nearest WGMU outlying translator to Montreal, W52CD channel 52 in St. Albans
, barely reached the city. Syndicated programming on the station included: Montel
, Jerry Springer
, Frasier
, and Still Standing
. It did not air any news or sports programs.
Prior to December 2010, WGMU has experienced long term black outs (i.e. dead air; static/snow), lasting several weeks or months, and so has only been broadcasting sporadically. There has been no signal since, with the station now silent.
Class A television service
The class A television service is a system for regulating some low-power television stations in the United States. Class A stations are denoted by the broadcast callsign suffix "-CA" or "-CD" , although very many analog -CA stations have a digital companion channel that was assigned the -LD...
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...
that is licensed to Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. It broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter in Charlotte
Charlotte, Vermont
Charlotte is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Sofia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.The population was 3,569 at the 2000 census....
. The station can also be seen on Burlington Telecom
Burlington Telecom
Burlington Telecom is a municipal telecommunications company providing residents of Burlington, Vermont with television, telephone and internet services. The company runs its communications offerings on a city-wide fiber-optic network.-History:...
digital channel 14, Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
channel 18, and 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 80. Locally owned by CEC Media Group, it is a full-time satellite of RTV
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...
affiliate WNMN in Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake is a village located in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406. The village is named after Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes, which are nearby....
. The channel has studios on Pine Haven Shores Road in Shelburne
Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Repeaters
WGMU operates the largest network of repeaters of any Burlington / Plattsburgh station. These transmitters rebroadcast WNMN just like WGMU itself.| Call letters | Channel | Licensed to | Transmitter location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W17CI | 17 | Claremont, New Hampshire Claremont, New Hampshire There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had... |
Mount Ascutney Mount Ascutney Mount Ascutney, is a 3144 foot monadnock located in southern Vermont. It is not the highest peak in Windsor County, Vermont, however, that honor falling to Gillespie Peak to the west. Particularly noteworthy about Ascutney are its granite outcrops, one of which, near its peak, serves as a... |
*part of Southern New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... sub-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... *shares tower with WNNE WNNE WNNE is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Connecticut River Valley area of eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire that is licensed to Hartford, Vermont. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 25 from a transmitter on Mount Ascutney in Windsor County, Vermont... and WVTA Vermont Public Television Vermont Public Television is a state network of Non-commercial educational Public television stations throughout the state of Vermont, affiliated with Public Broadcasting Services . It has been operational since October 16, 1967... |
| W19BR | 19 | Monkton Monkton, Vermont Monkton is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,759 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monkton is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 square miles , of which 36.0 square miles is land and... |
Charlotte Charlotte, Vermont Charlotte is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Sofia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.The population was 3,569 at the 2000 census.... |
shares tower with WGMU |
| WBVT-CA | 30 | Burlington | Jericho Jericho (town), Vermont Jericho is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,015 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.5 square miles , of which 35.4 square miles is land and 0.1 square mile is... |
has an application to broadcast from former W52CD transmitter southeast of St. Albans St. Albans (town), Vermont St. Albans is a town in Franklin County, Vermont. The population was 6,392 at the 2010 census. The town completely surrounds the city of St. Albans, which was separated from the town and incorporated in 1902. References to "St. Albans" prior to this date generally refer to the town center, which... along I-89 Interstate 89 Interstate 89 is an interstate highway in the New England region of the United States travelling between Bow, New Hampshire and Highgate Springs, Vermont. As with all odd-numbered primary interstates, I-89 is signed as a north–south highway... |
Defunct repeaters
| Call letters | Channel | Licensed to | Transmitter location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W36CP | 36 | Newport Newport (city), Vermont Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area.... |
west of Lyndonville Lyndonville, Vermont Lyndonville is a village in the town of Lyndon, in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. Lyndonville's population was 1,227 at the 2000 census.-History:... along I-91 Interstate 91 Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England... |
cancelled from FCC database |
| W49BI | 49 | Ellenburg, New York Ellenburg, New York Ellenburg is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,743 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Ellen, the daughter of the principal proprietor.... |
west of town near Clinton Clinton County, New York Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:... and Franklin Franklin County, New York Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin... county line |
cancelled from FCC database |
| W52CD | 52 | St. Albans | southeast of town along I-89 | cancelled from FCC database |
| W54CV | 54 | Burlington | East Barre | cancelled from FCC Database |
| W61CE | 61 | Rutland | Grandpa Knob in East Hubbardton | cancelled from FCC database |
History
WGMU originally signed-on in 1994 as W39AS but identified themselves on-air as "WWIN". On January 11, 1995, the station joined The WB. In 1998, W39AS changed its call letters to WBVT-LP. In May 1999, WB programming began airing on Fox affiliate WFFF-TVWFFF-TV
WFFF-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Vermont's Champlain Valley and Upstate New York's North Country. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter on Vermont's highest peak, Mount Mansfield...
in a secondary nature and WBVT picked up UPN from WWBI-LP
WWBI-LP
WWBI-LP was a low-power television station in Plattsburgh, New York. The station was owned and operated by SMC Communications.The station was licensed as Class A, even though the calls list it as an "-LP"; this was the case with many other stations licensed prior to 1999, when the FCC began to...
. During a period in 2003, the station aired America One
America One
America One is an over-the-air television network in the United States. The network serves over 170 LPTV, Class A, Full Power, Cable and Satellite affiliate stations...
programing during the day while showing a "UPN 39" logo in the top-right corner of the screen. The station aired UPN programming during prime time but would not air the network's kid shows. In 2004, WBVT's previous owners (NYN, LLC) were experiencing financial problems which led them to give control of the station to Equity Media Holdings (then known as Equity Broadcasting). The company would buy the station outright in February 2005.
During times of financial trouble and the transition to Equity ownership, there were plenty of technical problems on the channel. There was a point where it would be off-air for days at a time. During this dark period, some area cable systems (including Adelphia in Burlington) temporarily replaced WBVT with Boston's WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV is a MyNetworkTV television station for eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that is licensed to Boston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter along the Needham and Wellesley town line southwest of the MA 9 and I-95 / MA 128...
. In 2005 once the station was in Equity's hands and back in shape, it changed its call letters again to the current WGMU-CA. This was done in order to distinguish itself as a UPN station and no longer a WB affiliate. In Fall 2006, UPN ceased broadcasting and merged with The WB into a new network called 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...
. Only one UPN/WB affiliate in each 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...
could join The CW, and WGMU was rejected in favor of WFFF. Instead, it joined MyNetworkTV another new network created by News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
for former UPN/WB stations that could not affiliate with The CW. The new affiliation took effect on September 5 and WGMU changed its branding to "My 39".
Before MyNetworkTV affiliation, WGMU did not have a website of its own. The station formerly had a website as WBVT. When it was bought by Equity and changed to WGMU, it got a website at gmupn.com that later disappeared. With the network switch, Equity created a new site for the station located at mytv-burlington.com which is no longer active. On December 8, 2008, Equity Media Holdings filed for bankruptcy. As a result, WGMU was temporarily taken off-the-air. On April 16, 2009, Equity held an auction of all its television stations where WGMU and its repeaters were bought by Convergence Media Group, which was also buying nearby station WCWF (which it recalled WNMN). The sale was approved by the 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) in July 2009.
After this, WGMU returned to the air as a satellite of WNMN, which is a Retro Television Network affiliate. As a separate station, WGMU had studios on Pine Haven Shores Road in Shelburne which are still being used. On cable, the station was seen in Burlington 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 Plattsburgh on Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
channel 18. It was not seen on Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
systems in Montreal, Quebec. The nearest WGMU outlying translator to Montreal, W52CD channel 52 in St. Albans
St. Albans (town), Vermont
St. Albans is a town in Franklin County, Vermont. The population was 6,392 at the 2010 census. The town completely surrounds the city of St. Albans, which was separated from the town and incorporated in 1902. References to "St. Albans" prior to this date generally refer to the town center, which...
, barely reached the city. Syndicated programming on the station included: Montel
The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
, Jerry Springer
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, and Still Standing
Still Standing (TV series)
Still Standing is an American sitcom television series. It debuted on CBS on September 30, 2002, and ended March 8, 2006. Lifetime obtained the United States syndication rights to the show in February 2005 and aired it until 2009...
. It did not air any news or sports programs.
Prior to December 2010, WGMU has experienced long term black outs (i.e. dead air; static/snow), lasting several weeks or months, and so has only been broadcasting sporadically. There has been no signal since, with the station now silent.