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WGSA (TV)
Encyclopedia
WGSA is The CW affiliate serving the Savannah, Georgia
market.
, signed on the air as WUBI in 1992. It was an independent station
at first, joining The WB in 1996 as WB 34, and later becoming a UPN affiliate in early 1997 as "UPN 13", using the station's cable channel for branding. WGSA is owned by Southern TV Corporation and is the only locally owned full power television station in Savannah. WGSA recently launched an HD feed of their station - over-the-air channel 35 and on digital cable in Savannah on Comcast's digital tier (on channel 435). http://www.wgcw.tv. WGSA also programs an affiliate of the outdoor network, Untamed Sports TV
and an affiliate of NBC
's Spanish
Network, Telemundo
on its digital channels as well as CW Plus affiliate WGCW formerly WB 15, a former WB 100+ cable only channel.
WGSA is located on the western fringe of the Savannah market, too far away to provide most of the market with a good signal. As a result, it is seen in Savannah itself on WGSA-CA channel 50, a low-powered repeater. Savannah's cable provider, Comcast
, places WGSA in its channel lineup as cable channel 13.
WGSA-CA was originally W34BO, assigned in mid-November 1992 on channel 34 but the frequency proved problematic. It became WUBI-LP on channel 38 (The WB) in late April 1996 but there were still problems. It became WGSA-LP on channel 50 in mid-September 1998. The upgrade to class A (-CA) came in August 2001.
It operates three other low-powered repeaters to cover its large coverage area: W25CQ in Statesboro
, W41CR in Hinesville
and W32BJ Beaufort, South Carolina
. The station relies mainly on cable and satellite for its viewership.
In January 2006 it was announced that the WB and UPN would end operations in September 2006 to form The CW
, a combination of the best programs from UPN and the WB. It was announced on April 23 that WGSA TV and WGSA-CA will affiliate with The CW. In response to this announcement, Comcast removed WB15, A cable only station not affiliated with WGSA, from its station lineup. WB15 served Savannah as part of the WB100+ network
. Its successor, The CW Plus
, is affiliated with WGCW, a low power station co-owned with WGSA on channel 38, and available to Comcast Savannah customers only as part of their digital lineup on channel 240. WGCW is also available in HD in Savannah via digital television
signals on channels 35.2 and 35.3. Other than The CW programming aired in primetime, WGCW features a different daily schedule than WGSA.
WGSA TV 34 now has a modified construction permit
for digital television
on 35, which makes it high-power and puts the station's transmitter
site just west of Savannah. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT576266.html This would trigger additional must-carry requirements. WGSA-CA might then continue analog television
transmission even after the U.S. Congress and FCC force full-power analog stations off-air. Because WGSA-CA is licensed separately and not as a broadcast translator, it could also become an independent digital at a later date.
On Friday, September 28, 2007, Savannah Morning News
reported that, after years of being the only local station Comcast rebroadcast from an over-the-air signal, WGSA has had a fiber-optic cable placed into their master control connecting directly to the cable company, giving the station a much clearer signal. The newspaper article also reported that WGSA plans to add a digital transmitter in the next 30 days.
WGSA ended its analog transmission on February 17, 2009. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 35. Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display its virtual channel
as 34.
Previous WGSA logo
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
market.
Digital programming
The station's digital signal on UHF 35 is multiplexed.| Channel | Call Sign | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 34.1 | WGSA-HD | Main WGSA programming / The CW |
| 34.2 | WGSA-CW | CW Plus |
| 34.3 | WGSA-SD | Universal Sports |
| 34.4 | WGSA-4 | Telemundo |
History
The station, whose city of license is Baxley, GeorgiaBaxley, Georgia
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,150 people, 1,567 households, and 1,048 families residing in the city. The population density was 580.7 people per square mile . There were 1,866 housing units at an average density of 261.1 per square mile...
, signed on the air as WUBI in 1992. It was an independent station
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
at first, joining The WB in 1996 as WB 34, and later becoming a UPN affiliate in early 1997 as "UPN 13", using the station's cable channel for branding. WGSA is owned by Southern TV Corporation and is the only locally owned full power television station in Savannah. WGSA recently launched an HD feed of their station - over-the-air channel 35 and on digital cable in Savannah on Comcast's digital tier (on channel 435). http://www.wgcw.tv. WGSA also programs an affiliate of the outdoor network, Untamed Sports TV
Untamed Sports TV
Untamed Sports TV is a digital subchannel which provides niche outdoor and lifestyle programming to several stations in the United States. This channel was launched in 2008 by OlympuSAT who also distributes the Funimation Channel.-Programs:...
and an affiliate 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...
's Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Network, Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
on its digital channels as well as CW Plus affiliate WGCW formerly WB 15, a former WB 100+ cable only channel.
WGSA is located on the western fringe of the Savannah market, too far away to provide most of the market with a good signal. As a result, it is seen in Savannah itself on WGSA-CA channel 50, a low-powered repeater. Savannah's cable provider, 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...
, places WGSA in its channel lineup as cable channel 13.
WGSA-CA was originally W34BO, assigned in mid-November 1992 on channel 34 but the frequency proved problematic. It became WUBI-LP on channel 38 (The WB) in late April 1996 but there were still problems. It became WGSA-LP on channel 50 in mid-September 1998. The upgrade to class A (-CA) came in August 2001.
It operates three other low-powered repeaters to cover its large coverage area: W25CQ in Statesboro
Statesboro, Georgia
Statesboro is a city in southeast Georgia, United States, and is the county seat and most populous city of Bulloch County. Statesboro has a population of 28,422 and the Statesboro, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 70,217...
, W41CR in Hinesville
Hinesville, Georgia
Hinesville is a city in Liberty County, Georgia, United States. The population was 30,392 at the 2000 census. Hinesville is also known to have been the home of three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Lyman Hall, George Walton and Button Gwinnett. The city is the county seat of Liberty...
and W32BJ Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
. The station relies mainly on cable and satellite for its viewership.
In January 2006 it was announced that the WB and UPN would end operations in September 2006 to form 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...
, a combination of the best programs from UPN and the WB. It was announced on April 23 that WGSA TV and WGSA-CA will affiliate with The CW. In response to this announcement, Comcast removed WB15, A cable only station not affiliated with WGSA, from its station lineup. WB15 served Savannah as part of the WB100+ network
The WB 100+ Station Group
The WB 100+ Station Group was a group of primarily non-broadcast local cable television outlets for The WB Television Network, for markets below the top 100 television media markets in the United States. Dayparts with no WB programming were programmed by the network...
. Its successor, 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....
, is affiliated with WGCW, a low power station co-owned with WGSA on channel 38, and available to Comcast Savannah customers only as part of their digital lineup on channel 240. WGCW is also available in HD in Savannah via digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
signals on channels 35.2 and 35.3. Other than The CW programming aired in primetime, WGCW features a different daily schedule than WGSA.
WGSA TV 34 now has a modified 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 digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
on 35, which makes it high-power and puts the station's transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
site just west of Savannah. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT576266.html This would trigger additional must-carry requirements. WGSA-CA might then continue analog television
Analog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
transmission even after the U.S. Congress and FCC force full-power analog stations off-air. Because WGSA-CA is licensed separately and not as a broadcast translator, it could also become an independent digital at a later date.
On Friday, September 28, 2007, Savannah Morning News
Savannah Morning News
The Savannah Morning News is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Morris Communications, Inc. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry"...
reported that, after years of being the only local station Comcast rebroadcast from an over-the-air signal, WGSA has had a fiber-optic cable placed into their master control connecting directly to the cable company, giving the station a much clearer signal. The newspaper article also reported that WGSA plans to add a digital transmitter in the next 30 days.
WGSA ended its analog transmission on February 17, 2009. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 35. 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 34.
Previous WGSA logo