WPGA-TV
Encyclopedia
WPGA-TV is an Independent, Me-TV and Bounce TV
affiliated television station serving Macon, Georgia
and the Middle Georgia region. It broadcasts digitally on UHF channel 32. The transmitter for WPGA is located in Macon.
Macon-TV is locally owned by Register Communications, owners of longtime area radio stations WPGA AM ("News Talk
AM-980") and WPGA-FM
(Hot Adult Contemporary
-formatted "Mix 100.9"). The radio stations were originally based in, and are still licensed to, Perry
(which is also the city of license for WPGA-TV). All of Register Communications' broadcast properties are based in studios on Forsyth Street in downtown Macon.
affiliate. Before WPGA-TV began, the Macon area could only receive Fox network programing via a local cable station or via Atlanta's Fox affiliates, first WATL, and later WAGA
. When Fox began airing NFL
games in the early 1990s, the football game broadcasts were seen on ABC affiliate WGXA
until WPGA arrived.
WPGA's Fox affiliation lasted only through the remainder of 1995; on January 1, 1996, WGXA and WPGA swapped affiliations, with WGXA taking the Fox affiliation, and WPGA becoming an ABC affiliate.
On January 1, 2010, WPGA-TV discontinued its ABC affiliation and became an independent. Owner Lowell Register cited concerns that ABC's network programming wasn't "family-friendly." He also objected to ABC's recent decision to charge its affiliates half a million dollars to carry its programming. Former ABC affiliate WGXA took the affiliation on digital subchannel WGXA-DT2
, in addition to Fox. WPGA also added some programming from the Retro Television Network
, sharing the affiliation with sister station WPGA-LP
, in addition to shows from This TV
and retained the station's existing syndicated programming. In preparation for the switch, WPGA began phasing out references to ABC from its branding in November 2009, and now brands simply as "Macon TV".
Some of the station's syndicated programming currently includes Better
, the Wendy Williams Show, Steven and Chris
, According to Jim
, Who Wants to be a Millionaire
, Real Housewives
, court shows on weekday afternoons, Cash Cab
, Law & Order SVU, TMZ
, The Office and Reno 911!
.
On April 7, 2010, WPGA launched This TV on digital subchannel
58.2. In early Spring 2011, WPGA began airing some programs from Me-TV on 58.1; the station would later carry Me-TV fulltime on subchannel 58.2. On September 26, 2011, WPGA puts the newly launched Bounce TV
network on digital subchannel 58.3
58.
), WMAZ-TV
, and WGXA news anchor Ron Wildman. Later, the station began to offer a full newscast in June 2001, anchored by former WMAZ anchor Tina Hicks. These newscasts aired weeknights at 6:30 and 11 p.m., pushing ABC World News Tonight to 7 p.m. However, due to inadequate sales/promotional strategies, personnel and leadership, 58 News was unsuccessful, and was dropped in 2002. Afterwards, WPGA offered a daily sports news program called the 58 Sports Show;despite praise from middle Georgia sports fans, this programming followed the trend of being dropped as well.
In April 2006, WPGA-TV and WPGA-FM began airing (as a simulcast
) the community-affairs program Good Morning Middle Georgia. It was hosted by WPGA-FM program director and morning host Stephen B. The guest list was wide-ranging, spotlighting many important figures throughout middle Georgia and surrounding areas. Statewide and nationally-known guests had also appeared on Good Morning Middle Georgia. The program ended in late August 2008, when WPGA-TV and WPGA-FM entered into a partnership with The Telegraph
for a new morning news/talk program, Kenny B and Charles E, Your Mix in the Morning. As a result, on September 2, 2008, channel 58 began airing a live simulcast of the 6 a.m. hour of the program, which is aired on WPGA-FM from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. on weekdays; upon the discontinuation of WPGA-TV's ABC affiliation, the remainder of the program was added as a replacement for Good Morning America
. The Telegraph's website, Macon.com, hosts its podcast.
On July 23, 2007, WPGA began airing a new newscast titled ABC Macon News, produced by the Independent News Network
in Davenport, Iowa
; this broadcast aired Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. (though the latter broadcast was subsequently dropped for economic reasons). Also around the same time this newscast launched, WPGA-TV changed its on-air branding from "ABC 58" to "ABC Macon".
In a report in The Telegraph, it was announced that Independent News Network filed for Chapter 7
bankruptcy
on December 31, 2008, and ended all news productions, including those for WPGA, by January 9, 2009. Most of INN's accounts were sold to another media company, LMG, Inc., part of Fusion Communications, also of Davenport, Iowa. In the transfer, INN terminated 12 of its staff of 40, and kept its client stations, except for WPGA-TV. The station has since reached a new deal with INN, and the company began producing weeknight newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. upon WPGA's disaffiliation from ABC.
In a report in the May 28, 2010 edition of The Telegraph, it was announced that The Telegraph’s daily talk show, hosted Kenny Burgamy, Charles Richardson, and Liz Fabian, would be replaced on July 5 on WPGA-TV and -FM with a new Mix In The Morning show, hosted by Rick Knight, Brad Majors, Gail Daniels, Thom Mead and Stephen B.
over its channel 6 slot (as well as a high definition
feed on channel 706), as Cox intended to drop WPGA in favor of WGXA-DT2, which Register contends the company does not have the right to do. On December 22, WPGA was granted a temporary restraining order requiring Cox to continue to carry the station on channels 6 and 706; however, the court later dismissed WPGA's case on April 30, 2010. Register, however, will file an appeal; in light of this, the judge ordered Cox to leave WPGA at channels 6 and 706 until an appeals court hears the case. In addition, DirecTV
dropped WPGA on January 1, though the station remains available on Dish Network
, as well as cable systems that have must carry agreements with the station (Register considers Cox to have such an agreement, even though Cox claims it instead has a retransmission consent
agreement).
On June 23, 2011, it was announced that the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the ruling that would enable Cox to drop WPGA from its line-up, effective July 28. On that date, WGXA-DT2 will simulcast on its new slot on channel 6, as well as its current channel 15 position; on August 28, it will be seen on channel 6 only, with channel 15 replaced with another channel.
On July 12, 2011 Register filed a complaint Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, seeking an injunction to prevent Cox from not only dropping WPGA, but from giving channel 6 to WGXA-DT2. However, Cox announced that their plan will continue anyway, despite the complaint, as the previous court case authorised them to make the changes.
Bounce TV
Bounce TV is a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks in...
affiliated television station serving Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
and the Middle Georgia region. It broadcasts digitally on UHF channel 32. The transmitter for WPGA is located in Macon.
Macon-TV is locally owned by Register Communications, owners of longtime area radio stations WPGA AM ("News Talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
AM-980") and WPGA-FM
WPGA-FM
WPGA-FM is a radio station serving the middle Georgia area with a hot adult contemporary format, focusing on the late 1970s through today. Licensed to Perry, Georgia, USA, the station serves the Macon, Georgia area, broadcasting on FM frequency 100.9 MHz and is owned by Register Communications...
(Hot Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
-formatted "Mix 100.9"). The radio stations were originally based in, and are still licensed to, Perry
Perry, Georgia
Perry is a city in Houston county in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Warner Robins, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,600 at the 2000 census. This town is the county seat of Houston County...
(which is also the city of license for WPGA-TV). All of Register Communications' broadcast properties are based in studios on Forsyth Street in downtown Macon.
History
WPGA started in March 1995 as the Macon area's first FoxFox 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...
affiliate. Before WPGA-TV began, the Macon area could only receive Fox network programing via a local cable station or via Atlanta's Fox affiliates, first WATL, and later WAGA
WAGA (TV)
WAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
. When Fox began airing NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
games in the early 1990s, the football game broadcasts were seen on ABC affiliate WGXA
WGXA
WGXA is the Fox affiliated television station for Central Georgia that is licensed to Macon. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a transmitter on GA 87/U.S. 23/U.S. 129 Alternate along the Twiggs and Bibb County line. The station can also be seen on Cox channel 2...
until WPGA arrived.
WPGA's Fox affiliation lasted only through the remainder of 1995; on January 1, 1996, WGXA and WPGA swapped affiliations, with WGXA taking the Fox affiliation, and WPGA becoming an ABC affiliate.
On January 1, 2010, WPGA-TV discontinued its ABC affiliation and became an independent. Owner Lowell Register cited concerns that ABC's network programming wasn't "family-friendly." He also objected to ABC's recent decision to charge its affiliates half a million dollars to carry its programming. Former ABC affiliate WGXA took the affiliation on digital subchannel WGXA-DT2
WGXA-DT2
WGXA-DT2 is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Georgia. The station is a second digital subchannel of Fox affiliate WGXA that is owned by Frontier Radio Management. Over-the-air, it broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 16.2 from a transmitter on GA 87/U.S. 23/U.S. 129 Alternate...
, in addition to Fox. WPGA also added some programming from 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...
, sharing the affiliation with sister station WPGA-LP
WPGA-LP
WPGA-LP, channel 50, is an LPTV station located in Macon, Georgia. It is an affiliate of the This TV network. Its transmitter is located southeast of the city with its antenna on the same broadcast tower with WMAZ-TV, at the county line and just west of Interstate 16...
, in addition to shows from This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
and retained the station's existing syndicated programming. In preparation for the switch, WPGA began phasing out references to ABC from its branding in November 2009, and now brands simply as "Macon TV".
Some of the station's syndicated programming currently includes Better
Better (TV series)
Better is a syndicated lifestyle television show. It airs weekdays on 80 stations across the United States. The program is produced and distributed by Meredith Corporation which was first founded as a publishing company back in 1902. Better gets its name from Meredith's flagship publication, Better...
, the Wendy Williams Show, Steven and Chris
Steven and Chris
Steven and Chris is a Canadian television talk show, which debuted on CBC Television on January 14, 2008. The show is hosted by Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman, formerly of the home renovation show Designer Guys, who host celebrity guests and talk about topics ranging from entertainment, cooking,...
, According to Jim
According to Jim
According to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children. It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001 to June 2, 2009.-Synopsis:Jim is an abrasive but lovable suburban father...
, Who Wants to be a Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
, Real Housewives
Real Housewives
The Real Housewives... is a reality series which airs in the United States on the cable network Bravo, and various other broadcasters internationally...
, court shows on weekday afternoons, Cash Cab
Cash Cab (U.S. game show)
Cash Cab is an American game show that began airing on the Discovery Channel on December 5, 2005. The program is hosted by stand-up comedian Ben Bailey. While Bailey's show takes place in New York City, some episodes of Season 6 take place in Las Vegas...
, Law & Order SVU, TMZ
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...
, The Office and Reno 911!
Reno 911!
Reno 911! is an American comedy television series on Comedy Central that ran from 2003 to 2009. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically COPS, with comic actors playing the police officers. Most of the material is improvised, using a broad outline, and...
.
On April 7, 2010, WPGA launched This TV on digital subchannel
Digital 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...
58.2. In early Spring 2011, WPGA began airing some programs from Me-TV on 58.1; the station would later carry Me-TV fulltime on subchannel 58.2. On September 26, 2011, WPGA puts the newly launched Bounce TV
Bounce TV
Bounce TV is a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks in...
network on digital subchannel 58.3
Digital television
On February 17, 2009, WPGA-TV terminated its analog signal on channel 58 at approximately 12 p.m. and currently broadcasts its digital signal on channel 32 using PSIP to be displayed digital television as virtual channelVirtual 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....
58.
Newscasts
WPGA has made some attempts to offer news programs. First, there were short morning and evening News Briefs featuring video narrated by former WCWB (later WMGT-TVWMGT-TV
WMGT-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Georgia that is licensed to Macon. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter on GA 87/U.S. 23/U.S. 129 Alternate along the Bibb and Twiggs County line. The station is the flagship of owner Morris...
), WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV, channel 13, is the CBS affiliate television station in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Gannett.-History:The station signed on for the first time on September 27, 1953, owned by Southeastern Broadcasting Company along with WMAZ radio...
, and WGXA news anchor Ron Wildman. Later, the station began to offer a full newscast in June 2001, anchored by former WMAZ anchor Tina Hicks. These newscasts aired weeknights at 6:30 and 11 p.m., pushing ABC World News Tonight to 7 p.m. However, due to inadequate sales/promotional strategies, personnel and leadership, 58 News was unsuccessful, and was dropped in 2002. Afterwards, WPGA offered a daily sports news program called the 58 Sports Show;despite praise from middle Georgia sports fans, this programming followed the trend of being dropped as well.
In April 2006, WPGA-TV and WPGA-FM began airing (as a simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
) the community-affairs program Good Morning Middle Georgia. It was hosted by WPGA-FM program director and morning host Stephen B. The guest list was wide-ranging, spotlighting many important figures throughout middle Georgia and surrounding areas. Statewide and nationally-known guests had also appeared on Good Morning Middle Georgia. The program ended in late August 2008, when WPGA-TV and WPGA-FM entered into a partnership with The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Macon)
The Telegraph, frequently referred to as the Macon Telegraph, is a McClatchy newspaper in Macon, Georgia, United States, and is the primary print news organ in Middle Georgia...
for a new morning news/talk program, Kenny B and Charles E, Your Mix in the Morning. As a result, on September 2, 2008, channel 58 began airing a live simulcast of the 6 a.m. hour of the program, which is aired on WPGA-FM from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. on weekdays; upon the discontinuation of WPGA-TV's ABC affiliation, the remainder of the program was added as a replacement for Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. The Telegraph's website, Macon.com, hosts its podcast.
On July 23, 2007, WPGA began airing a new newscast titled ABC Macon News, produced by the Independent News Network
Independent News Network
For the consortium of non-profit investigative news organizations, see .The Independent News Network, also known as INN, is a television news service based in Davenport, Iowa. It syndicates "localized" news programs for television stations across the country with little budget for news...
in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
; this broadcast aired Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. (though the latter broadcast was subsequently dropped for economic reasons). Also around the same time this newscast launched, WPGA-TV changed its on-air branding from "ABC 58" to "ABC Macon".
In a report in The Telegraph, it was announced that Independent News Network filed for Chapter 7
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
on December 31, 2008, and ended all news productions, including those for WPGA, by January 9, 2009. Most of INN's accounts were sold to another media company, LMG, Inc., part of Fusion Communications, also of Davenport, Iowa. In the transfer, INN terminated 12 of its staff of 40, and kept its client stations, except for WPGA-TV. The station has since reached a new deal with INN, and the company began producing weeknight newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. upon WPGA's disaffiliation from ABC.
In a report in the May 28, 2010 edition of The Telegraph, it was announced that The Telegraph’s daily talk show, hosted Kenny Burgamy, Charles Richardson, and Liz Fabian, would be replaced on July 5 on WPGA-TV and -FM with a new Mix In The Morning show, hosted by Rick Knight, Brad Majors, Gail Daniels, Thom Mead and Stephen B.
Current on-air staff
Mix In The Morning- Rick Knight - co-host
- Brad Majors - co-host
- Gail Daniels - news anchor/commentator
- Stephen B - weather and traffic reporter, commentator and producer
- Professor Thom Mead - commentator & trivia host
- Greg Grantham (G-man) Voice Of show
Cox cable dispute
The station's disaffiliation from ABC resulted in a dispute with Cox CommunicationsCox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
over its channel 6 slot (as well as 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...
feed on channel 706), as Cox intended to drop WPGA in favor of WGXA-DT2, which Register contends the company does not have the right to do. On December 22, WPGA was granted a temporary restraining order requiring Cox to continue to carry the station on channels 6 and 706; however, the court later dismissed WPGA's case on April 30, 2010. Register, however, will file an appeal; in light of this, the judge ordered Cox to leave WPGA at channels 6 and 706 until an appeals court hears the case. In addition, 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. ...
dropped WPGA on January 1, though the station remains available on 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...
, as well as cable systems that have must carry agreements with the station (Register considers Cox to have such an agreement, even though Cox claims it instead has a retransmission consent
Retransmission consent
Retransmission consent is an option granted to US television stations as part of the law that granted such stations the option to elect must-carry rights. Under retransmission consent, a full-power US television station may elect to negotiate with a cable system operator for carriage of its...
agreement).
On June 23, 2011, it was announced that the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the ruling that would enable Cox to drop WPGA from its line-up, effective July 28. On that date, WGXA-DT2 will simulcast on its new slot on channel 6, as well as its current channel 15 position; on August 28, it will be seen on channel 6 only, with channel 15 replaced with another channel.
On July 12, 2011 Register filed a complaint Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, seeking an injunction to prevent Cox from not only dropping WPGA, but from giving channel 6 to WGXA-DT2. However, Cox announced that their plan will continue anyway, despite the complaint, as the previous court case authorised them to make the changes.