WMFD-TV
Encyclopedia
WMFD-TV is a television station broadcasting from Mansfield, Ohio
and serving the North Central Ohio area. The station was licensed on June 1, 1992 and began broadcasting on analog channel 68.
The station is owned by Mid-State Television, Inc. headed by Gunther Meisse, who also owns television station WOHZ-CA
channel 41, and radio stations WVNO-FM
106.1 and WRGM
(AM) 1440.
WMFD's 68.2 digital subchannel carries a simulcast of WOHZ-CA.
.
On June 16, 2008, WMFD-TV permanently shut down analog channel 68, eight months before the planned analog-to-digital switchover in the United States
, to upgrade its digital facilities to a final, improved state. http://www.wmfd.com/dtv.asp
WMFD-TV continues to broadcast as a digital-only station on channel 12, though WMFD-DT continues (via PSIP) to identify to its viewers as channel 68.1. WMFD airs only standard definition programming, and its signal continues to be offered to analog cable viewers in the Mansfield area.
It also is a part of the Cleveland
DirecTV
and Dish Network
local standard definition channel lineups, in North Central Ohio and beyond.
Channel 68 was previously the home of WCEO-TV licensed January 10, 1986, which became WCOM on July 24, 1987. This station attempted to enter the Columbus market using a transmitter with a very tall tower (the tallest ever erected in Ohio) south of Mansfield in Butler
, but it never achieved cable carriage and went dark in 1989. It returned to the air with its current channel and call letters on June 1, 1992, focusing on the North Central Ohio area.
WMFD were the call letters of present day WECT-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina
from the station's start in 1954 until 1958.
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....
and serving the North Central Ohio area. The station was licensed on June 1, 1992 and began broadcasting on analog channel 68.
The station is owned by Mid-State Television, Inc. headed by Gunther Meisse, who also owns television station WOHZ-CA
WOHZ-CA
WOHZ-CA is a Class-A television station located in Mansfield, Ohio. WOHZ-CA offers local weather information, local advertising and an audio simulcast of co-owned WVNO-FM 106.1, along with various local sports events, public affairs and educational/informational programs.The station is owned by...
channel 41, and radio stations WVNO-FM
WVNO-FM
WVNO-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Mansfield, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Mid-Ohio area. The station is currently owned by Johnny Appleseed Broadcasting Company and features programing from ABC Radio , Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood One....
106.1 and WRGM
WRGM
WRGM is a radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format. Licensed to Ontario, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Mid-Ohio area. The station is currently owned by Gsm Media Corporation and features programing from ESPN Radio, Motor Racing Network and Westwood One.WRGM's programming is simulcast...
(AM) 1440.
WMFD's 68.2 digital subchannel carries a simulcast of WOHZ-CA.
Digital television
In 1998, WMFD-TV began digital transmission on channel 12, claiming to be the first independent digital TV station in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
On June 16, 2008, WMFD-TV permanently shut down analog channel 68, eight months before the planned analog-to-digital switchover in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to upgrade its digital facilities to a final, improved state. http://www.wmfd.com/dtv.asp
WMFD-TV continues to broadcast as a digital-only station on channel 12, though WMFD-DT continues (via PSIP) to identify to its viewers as channel 68.1. WMFD airs only standard definition programming, and its signal continues to be offered to analog cable viewers in the Mansfield area.
It also is a part of the Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
local standard definition channel lineups, in North Central Ohio and beyond.
Programming and history
As the only television station serving the North Central Ohio area, the station concentrates on local programming with hour long early evening and 10 p.m. newscasts. It fills out its schedule with syndicated programming and infomercials. As WMFD is a part of the Cleveland DirecTV and Dish Network local channels lineup, it can be seen by satellite TV customers throughout Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.Channel 68 was previously the home of WCEO-TV licensed January 10, 1986, which became WCOM on July 24, 1987. This station attempted to enter the Columbus market using a transmitter with a very tall tower (the tallest ever erected in Ohio) south of Mansfield in Butler
Butler, Ohio
Butler is a village in Richland County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 921 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, but it never achieved cable carriage and went dark in 1989. It returned to the air with its current channel and call letters on June 1, 1992, focusing on the North Central Ohio area.
WMFD were the call letters of present day WECT-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
from the station's start in 1954 until 1958.