WWMT
Encyclopedia
WWMT is the CBS
-affiliated television station
for West Michigan licensed to Kalamazoo
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on VHF channel 8 (virtual channel
3.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Chief Noonday Road/M-179
, northwest of Yankee Springs Township
, along the Barry
and Allegan
County line. The station can also be seen on Charter
and Comcast
channel 3. There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 233 and Charter digital channel 782.
Owned by Freedom Communications
, WWMT has studios on West Maple Street in Kalamazoo. Syndicated
programming on the station includes Wheel of Fortune
, Jeopardy!
, Live with Regis and Kelly
, and Dr. Phil
among others. It is sister to ABC
affiliate WLAJ
serving the nearby Lansing
and Jackson
areas. Although that station maintains separate facilities on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Lansing, master control and some internal operations of itself and a CW second digital subchannel
are based out of WWMT's studios.
digital subchannel. This can also be seen on Charter channel 7 (hence the on-air branding The CW 7) and Comcast channel 17. Syndicated programming on WWMT-DT2 includes The New Adventures of Old Christine
, Roseanne
, The Cosby Show
, and Judge Jeanine Pirro
along with others. Although most CW Plus
affiliates are located on digital subchannels of another station, it is not part of the national service.
as WKZO-TV (calls standing for KalamaZoO). It was West Michigan's second television station to launch after WLAV-TV (now WOOD-TV
) and owned by broadcasting pioneer John Fetzer
along with WKZO AM 590 established in 1931. It was a primary CBS station from the very beginning, but initially had secondary affiliations with NBC
and ABC
. From the start, WKZO-TV had reception problems due to the presence of WTMJ-TV
across Lake Michigan
in Milwaukee, also on analog VHF channel 3. In 1953, WTMJ moved to channel 4. This, in turn, forced WBBM-TV
in Chicago
to move from channel 4 to channel 2 as a condition of its purchase by CBS. Until WSBT-TV
signed on in 1952, WKZO-TV served as the default CBS affiliate for South Bend, Indiana
as well.
In 1956, the WKZO stations moved to an old car dealership on West Maple Avenue in Kalamazoo. Channel 3 is still based there today. In 1960, Fetzer built a new 1,100 foot (335 m) transmitter near the northern edge of Gun Lake
. The new tower added Grand Rapids
to its city-grade coverage and turned West Michigan into a single television market. WKZO then shared ABC with WOOD-TV until WZZM signed-on in 1962.
Fetzer also owned the Detroit Tigers
baseball team from 1956 to 1983. During this time, channel 3 frequently pre-empted prime time CBS broadcasting for Tigers baseball games, including preseason exhibitions
. In 1985, Fetzer retired and sold-off his vast broadcasting empire. The Fetzer television stations were initially sold to Gillett Holdings
. However, due to Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) ownership limits in effect at the time, WKZO-TV and sister station KOLN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska
were spun-off to Busse Broadcasting. On December 5, 1985; Busse changed the call letters to the current WWMT (standing for We're West Michigan Television). In 1995, the Granite Broadcasting Corporation
acquired the station. Current owner Freedom Communications purchased WWMT in 1998 from Granite along with sister station WLAJ in Lansing.
WWMT is the second longest-tenured CBS affiliate in Michigan (behind only WLNS-TV
in Lansing, which signed on a few months earlier). Although not a CBS owned-and-operated station
, this station has used elements of the CBS Mandate since the mid-1990s. For example, its logos have used the CBS logo and blue and gold as its colors since the mid-1990s, and since 2006, WWMT has branded itself as "CBS 3". In 2005, a company-wide consolidation of operations at Freedom's stations resulted in the move of WLAJ's master control and most internal operations to WWMT's facilities. Left behind was a skeleton crew of six people out of what began with eighty staffers in Lansing.
On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN
announced the two networks would end broadcasting and merge. The new combined service would be called The CW. The letters would represent the first initial of corporate parents "C"BS (parent of UPN) and the "W"arner Bros.
unit of Time Warner
. On February 22, News Corporation
announced it would start up another new network called MyNetworkTV
. This new service, which would be a sister network to Fox, would be operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television. MyNetworkTV was created in order to give UPN and WB stations, not mentioned as becoming CW affiliates, another option besides becoming independent. It was also created to compete against The CW. On April 4, WWMT announced it would be launching a CW affiliate on a new second digital subchannel
.
It was reported Class A
UPN affiliate WXSP-CA
was in talks to join The CW, but due to that station's heavy reliance upon prime-time professional sports (this gets the highest ratings on WXSP) and The CW's concerns over preemptive programming, the two sides could not come to an agreement. As a result, West Michigan is one of the largest television markets where The CW was not available by off-air analog broadcasts and is one of the few stations the new network was awarded previously not affiliated with either The WB or UPN. WXSP joined MyNetworkTV on September 5 when the network launched and WWMT did the same with The CW when it began on September 18. From that date through early-December, WWMT-DT2 was known as "West Michigan's CW". It has since been known as "The CW 7". On June 12, 2009
, WWMT moved to VHF channel 8 when the analog to digital conversion was completed. This had previously served as WOOD-TV's analog signal.
Freedom announced on November 2, 2011 that it would bow out of television and sell its stations, including WWMT, to Sinclair Broadcast Group
. As a result, WWMT and WLAJ would join Fox
affiliate WSMH
in Flint
as two of the three Sinclair-owned television properties in the state of Michigan.
during sweeps periods.
Since its city of license
is Kalamazoo, the station has traditionally had a focus in the southern areas of the market (Kalamazoo and Battle Creek). To assist in story gathering efforts in these areas, it operates a bureau in Downtown Battle Creek on Michigan Avenue West. On two occasions, WWMT's existence has resulted in another station based in the city (WOTV) being unable to establish a local news presence.
Due to the limited viewer base when only considering Battle Creek, WOTV had no luck whatsoever competing against WOOD-TV and WWMT. Even with Kalamazoo (the market's second largest city) factored in, there was simply not enough viewership in the southern parts of the market for WOTV to make any headway in the ratings. As a result, that station's original news department was shut down in 1990 and another attempt (launched in 1992) proved unsuccessful. WOTV currently simulcasts some of WOOD-TV's local newscasts but most coverage provided is of Grand Rapids and vicinity.
Veteran news anchor Tom VanHowe began filling-in for Jeff McAtee on July 28, 2008. McAtee was on active duty serving as a commander
with the United States Navy Reserve
. Marketing Director Mark Bishop told the Grand Rapids Press
that "McAtee will be active in the Navy Reserve for a year or two." In November 2008, VanHowe extended his contract to continue on WWMT until at least June 2009. He continued to co-anchor newscasts on weeknights at 5, 5:30, and 6. Weekday morning news anchor Jeff Varner
(participant in Survivor: The Australian Outback
) moved to the weeknight broadcasts alongside Judy Markee.
On September 18, 2008, WWMT added a nightly prime time newscast at 10 on its CW-affiliated second digital subchannel. This established a third option of local news in the time slot competing with Fox affiliate WXMI
and MyNetworkTV affiliate WXSP (show produced by WOOD-TV). Known as NewsChannel 3 Live at 10 on The CW 7, this currently airs for thirty minutes featuring a separate title opening, "CW 7" labeled mics, and a "NewsChannel 3 on CW 7" bug
in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Weekday mornings from 6 until 9, WWMT-DT2 also offers the nationally syndicated show known as The Daily Buzz
.
On April 17, 2009, WXMI became the first station in the area to upgrade local news to full high definition. Six months later, WOOD-TV added 16:9
enhanced definition widescreen
newscasts (WZZM would do the same sometime in late-2009). Although not truly high definition, broadcasts matched the aspect ratio
of HD television screens. WWMT remained the last major station in Western Michigan with pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition news until April 16, 2011 when it became the second outlet in the market to upgrade local shows to full high definition
(updated graphics were introduced along with the change). Local news on WZZM currently remain in enhanced definition as WOOD-TV/WOTV became the third and fourth station to switch to HD on October 22, 2011. Newscasts on WWMT-DT2
are still seen in 4:3 standard definition because the subchannel does not air in HD.
After WLAJ's Lansing-based news operation was shut down on September 25, 2009, WWMT began producing a taped five minute news and weather brief weeknights at 11 on that station. Known as ABC 3 News Update, regional and state coverage is presented in the show since WLAJ does not maintain any news personnel at its studios. There are also recorded local weather cut-ins seen on that station weekday mornings during Good Morning America
. Other on-air personnel from this station can fill-in on WLAJ as needed. These productions (upgraded to high definition on April 16) can be seen on its website in addition to on-air.
In June of 2011, a new primary anchor team was announced. Andy Dominianni (who had previously served as the station's morning anchor in the late 1990's) and Kate Tillotson now anchor the 5,6 and 11 p.m. news on Newschannel 3 with Keith Thompson (weather) and Ed Kengerski (sports). Dominianni also anchors "Newschannel 3 Live at 10 on the CW7" weeknights.
Severe Weather Center 3 Meteorologists
Sports
Reporters
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
-affiliated 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...
for West Michigan licensed to Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. It broadcasts 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...
digital signal on VHF channel 8 (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....
3.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Chief Noonday Road/M-179
M-179 (Michigan highway)
M-179 is a state trunkline highway in the western potion of the US state of Michigan. It runs from US Highway 131 at exit 61 outside of Bradley to M-43 just west of Hastings in the Lower Peninsula. The highway crosses through forest land and provides access to state recreational areas...
, northwest of Yankee Springs Township
Yankee Springs Township, Michigan
Yankee Springs Township is a civil township of Barry County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,219 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, along the Barry
Barry County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-37* M-43* M-50* M-66* M-78* M-79* M-89* M-179-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 56,755 people, 21,035 households, and 15,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of...
and Allegan
Allegan County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...
County line. The station can also be seen 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...
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 3. There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 233 and Charter digital channel 782.
Owned by Freedom Communications
Freedom Communications
Freedom Communications, Inc. is a media conglomerate in the United States. It owns approximately 100 daily and weekly newspapers in the US, with a combined daily circulation of nearly one million subscribers, and also operates over seventy local news websites...
, WWMT has studios on West Maple Street in Kalamazoo. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on the station includes Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
, Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
, Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, and Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
among others. It is sister to 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 WLAJ
WLAJ
WLAJ is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Michigan that is licensed to Lansing. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter northeast of Tompkins Township on the Jackson and Ingham County line. Owned by Freedom Communications, the station has...
serving the nearby Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
areas. Although that station maintains separate facilities on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Lansing, master control and some internal operations of itself and a CW second 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...
are based out of WWMT's studios.
Digital programming
The station operates West Michigan's CW affiliate on a secondWWMT-DT2
WWMT-DT2 is the CW-affiliated television station for West Michigan. It is a second digital subchannel of CBS affiliate WWMT, owned by Freedom Communications...
digital subchannel. This can also be seen on Charter channel 7 (hence the on-air branding The CW 7) and Comcast channel 17. Syndicated programming on WWMT-DT2 includes The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus which ran for five seasons on CBS from March 13, 2006, to May 12, 2010...
, Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
, The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, and Judge Jeanine Pirro
Judge Jeanine Pirro
Judge Jeanine Pirro is an American reality series that debuted on The CW on September 22, 2008...
along with others. Although most 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....
affiliates are located on digital subchannels of another station, it is not part of the national service.
| Channels | Video | Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... |
16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... |
Main WWMT programming / CBS |
| 3.2 | 480i 480i 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC... |
4:3 | WWMT-DT2 "The CW 7" |
History
The station signed-on June 1, 19501950 in television
The year 1950 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1950.-Events:*February 12 – European Broadcasting Union inaugurated....
as WKZO-TV (calls standing for KalamaZoO). It was West Michigan's second television station to launch after WLAV-TV (now WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Middleville near the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Charter channel...
) and owned by broadcasting pioneer John Fetzer
John Fetzer
John Earl Fetzer was a radio and television executive who was best known as the owner of the Detroit Tigers from 1961 through the early 1980s.- Biography :...
along with WKZO AM 590 established in 1931. It was a primary CBS station from the very beginning, but initially had secondary affiliations with 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...
and 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...
. From the start, WKZO-TV had reception problems due to the presence of WTMJ-TV
WTMJ-TV
WTMJ-TV, digital channel 28 ; branded as "Today's TMJ4", is the NBC-affiliated television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the flagship station of the Journal Broadcast Group. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin and parts of northeastern Illinois, including Racine, Kenosha,...
across Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
in Milwaukee, also on analog VHF channel 3. In 1953, WTMJ moved to channel 4. This, in turn, forced WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to move from channel 4 to channel 2 as a condition of its purchase by CBS. Until WSBT-TV
WSBT-TV
WSBT-TV, channel 22 is a television station in South Bend, Indiana. WSBT is the flagship television station of Schurz Communications, and is an affiliate of the CBS television network. It's studios are located in Mishawaka. Its transmitter is located in South Bend.-Early broadcasting:WSBT-TV first...
signed on in 1952, WKZO-TV served as the default CBS affiliate for South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
as well.
In 1956, the WKZO stations moved to an old car dealership on West Maple Avenue in Kalamazoo. Channel 3 is still based there today. In 1960, Fetzer built a new 1,100 foot (335 m) transmitter near the northern edge of Gun Lake
Gun Lake (Michigan)
Gun Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Michigan, located mostly in Barry County with the southwestern tip extending into Allegan County. Along most of the lake are numerous summer homes, cottages, and permanent residences. The Yankee Springs Recreation Area is based on northeastern portions of the...
. The new tower added Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
to its city-grade coverage and turned West Michigan into a single television market. WKZO then shared ABC with WOOD-TV until WZZM signed-on in 1962.
Fetzer also owned the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
baseball team from 1956 to 1983. During this time, channel 3 frequently pre-empted prime time CBS broadcasting for Tigers baseball games, including preseason exhibitions
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
. In 1985, Fetzer retired and sold-off his vast broadcasting empire. The Fetzer television stations were initially sold to Gillett Holdings
George N. Gillett Jr.
-Biography:George Gillett graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1956. He attended Amherst College and is a graduate of Dominican College in Racine, Wisconsin....
. However, due to 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) ownership limits in effect at the time, WKZO-TV and sister station KOLN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
were spun-off to Busse Broadcasting. On December 5, 1985; Busse changed the call letters to the current WWMT (standing for We're West Michigan Television). In 1995, the Granite Broadcasting Corporation
Granite Broadcasting Corporation
Granite Broadcasting Corporation, founded by W. Don Cornwell and Stuart Beck in 1988 , is a broadcasting holding company which owns or operates 14 television stations in the United States, largely centered in the midwest with a cluster in New York state...
acquired the station. Current owner Freedom Communications purchased WWMT in 1998 from Granite along with sister station WLAJ in Lansing.
WWMT is the second longest-tenured CBS affiliate in Michigan (behind only WLNS-TV
WLNS-TV
WLNS-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Michigan licensed to Lansing. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter on Van Atta Road in Meridian. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 6 and Broadstripe channel 13...
in Lansing, which signed on a few months earlier). Although not a CBS owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
, this station has used elements of the CBS Mandate since the mid-1990s. For example, its logos have used the CBS logo and blue and gold as its colors since the mid-1990s, and since 2006, WWMT has branded itself as "CBS 3". In 2005, a company-wide consolidation of operations at Freedom's stations resulted in the move of WLAJ's master control and most internal operations to WWMT's facilities. Left behind was a skeleton crew of six people out of what began with eighty staffers in Lansing.
On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN
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...
announced the two networks would end broadcasting and merge. The new combined service would be called The CW. The letters would represent the first initial of corporate parents "C"BS (parent of UPN) and the "W"arner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
unit of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. On February 22, 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...
announced it would start up another new network called MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
. This new service, which would be a sister network to Fox, would be operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television. MyNetworkTV was created in order to give UPN and WB stations, not mentioned as becoming CW affiliates, another option besides becoming independent. It was also created to compete against The CW. On April 4, WWMT announced it would be launching a CW affiliate on a new second 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...
.
It was reported Class A
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...
UPN affiliate WXSP-CA
WXSP-CA
WXSP-CD is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan, licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 15 from a transmitter in Walker along Interstate 96. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 15 and Comcast...
was in talks to join The CW, but due to that station's heavy reliance upon prime-time professional sports (this gets the highest ratings on WXSP) and The CW's concerns over preemptive programming, the two sides could not come to an agreement. As a result, West Michigan is one of the largest television markets where The CW was not available by off-air analog broadcasts and is one of the few stations the new network was awarded previously not affiliated with either The WB or UPN. WXSP joined MyNetworkTV on September 5 when the network launched and WWMT did the same with The CW when it began on September 18. From that date through early-December, WWMT-DT2 was known as "West Michigan's CW". It has since been known as "The CW 7". On June 12, 2009
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
, WWMT moved to VHF channel 8 when the analog to digital conversion was completed. This had previously served as WOOD-TV's analog signal.
Freedom announced on November 2, 2011 that it would bow out of television and sell its stations, including WWMT, to Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
. As a result, WWMT and WLAJ would join Fox
Fox 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 WSMH
WSMH
WSMH is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market that is licensed to Flint. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a 245 kilowatt, high transmitter on Aman Rd near St. Charles, Michigan...
in Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
as two of the three Sinclair-owned television properties in the state of Michigan.
News operation
Originally, WKZO was Western Michigan's highest rated television station. In the late-1970s, WZZM took over the lead temporarily but was itself dethroned by WOOD-TV in the mid-1980s. For the most part since then, that station has maintained the number one spot. For a time in the mid-1990s even though most of WWMT's fellow CBS affiliates were in third place or worse, this station was very competitive with WZZM and WOOD-TV often resulting in close Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
during sweeps periods.
Since its city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
is Kalamazoo, the station has traditionally had a focus in the southern areas of the market (Kalamazoo and Battle Creek). To assist in story gathering efforts in these areas, it operates a bureau in Downtown Battle Creek on Michigan Avenue West. On two occasions, WWMT's existence has resulted in another station based in the city (WOTV) being unable to establish a local news presence.
Due to the limited viewer base when only considering Battle Creek, WOTV had no luck whatsoever competing against WOOD-TV and WWMT. Even with Kalamazoo (the market's second largest city) factored in, there was simply not enough viewership in the southern parts of the market for WOTV to make any headway in the ratings. As a result, that station's original news department was shut down in 1990 and another attempt (launched in 1992) proved unsuccessful. WOTV currently simulcasts some of WOOD-TV's local newscasts but most coverage provided is of Grand Rapids and vicinity.
Veteran news anchor Tom VanHowe began filling-in for Jeff McAtee on July 28, 2008. McAtee was on active duty serving as a commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
with the United States Navy Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
. Marketing Director Mark Bishop told the Grand Rapids Press
Grand Rapids Press
The Grand Rapids Press is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest of the eight Booth newspapers. It is sold for $.75 daily and $2.00 on Sunday.AccuWeather provides weather content to the Grand Rapids Press....
that "McAtee will be active in the Navy Reserve for a year or two." In November 2008, VanHowe extended his contract to continue on WWMT until at least June 2009. He continued to co-anchor newscasts on weeknights at 5, 5:30, and 6. Weekday morning news anchor Jeff Varner
Jeff Varner
Jeff Varner is a news anchor and reporter, a former entertainment reporter, and a former contestant on the CBS reality television series, Survivor: The Australian Outback-Early life and education:...
(participant in Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...
) moved to the weeknight broadcasts alongside Judy Markee.
On September 18, 2008, WWMT added a nightly prime time newscast at 10 on its CW-affiliated second digital subchannel. This established a third option of local news in the time slot competing with Fox affiliate WXMI
WXMI
WXMI channel 17 is a Fox-affiliated television station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owned by the Tribune Company. WXMI's studio and office facility is located in Grand Rapids and its transmitter is based southwest of Middleville, Michigan...
and MyNetworkTV affiliate WXSP (show produced by WOOD-TV). Known as NewsChannel 3 Live at 10 on The CW 7, this currently airs for thirty minutes featuring a separate title opening, "CW 7" labeled mics, and a "NewsChannel 3 on CW 7" bug
Digital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Weekday mornings from 6 until 9, WWMT-DT2 also offers the nationally syndicated show known as The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz is a nationally syndicated breakfast television news and infotainment program. The show is produced by Fisher Communications and is owned and distributed by ACME Communications; it is broadcast every weekday morning from studios at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida...
.
On April 17, 2009, WXMI became the first station in the area to upgrade local news to full high definition. Six months later, WOOD-TV added 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
enhanced definition widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
newscasts (WZZM would do the same sometime in late-2009). Although not truly high definition, broadcasts matched the aspect ratio
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
of HD television screens. WWMT remained the last major station in Western Michigan with pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition news until April 16, 2011 when it became the second outlet in the market to upgrade local shows to full 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...
(updated graphics were introduced along with the change). Local news on WZZM currently remain in enhanced definition as WOOD-TV/WOTV became the third and fourth station to switch to HD on October 22, 2011. Newscasts on WWMT-DT2
WWMT-DT2
WWMT-DT2 is the CW-affiliated television station for West Michigan. It is a second digital subchannel of CBS affiliate WWMT, owned by Freedom Communications...
are still seen in 4:3 standard definition because the subchannel does not air in HD.
After WLAJ's Lansing-based news operation was shut down on September 25, 2009, WWMT began producing a taped five minute news and weather brief weeknights at 11 on that station. Known as ABC 3 News Update, regional and state coverage is presented in the show since WLAJ does not maintain any news personnel at its studios. There are also recorded local weather cut-ins seen on that station weekday mornings during 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...
. Other on-air personnel from this station can fill-in on WLAJ as needed. These productions (upgraded to high definition on April 16) can be seen on its website in addition to on-air.
In June of 2011, a new primary anchor team was announced. Andy Dominianni (who had previously served as the station's morning anchor in the late 1990's) and Kate Tillotson now anchor the 5,6 and 11 p.m. news on Newschannel 3 with Keith Thompson (weather) and Ed Kengerski (sports). Dominianni also anchors "Newschannel 3 Live at 10 on the CW7" weeknights.
Newscast titles
- The Winston Newsreel (1950-1957)
- WKZO-TV 3 News (1957-1962)
- Channel 3 News (1962-1972)
- NewsWatch 3 (1972-1975)
- NewsAcTiVe 3 (1975-1985)
- NewsSource 3 (1985-1988)
- News 3 (1988-2007)
- NewsChannel 3 (2007-present)
Station slogans
- "Kalamazoo, Direct to You" (1962-1970)
- "We're the Ones to See" (1970-1975)
- "TV Active 3" (1975-1985)
- "The Talk of the Town" (1985-1987)
- "Channel 3 and You" (1987-1994)
- "Where News Comes First" (1994-2006)
- "Live, Local, Breaking News" (2007-present)
News team
Anchors- Josh Roe - weekday mornings and noon
- Marcie Kobriger - weekday mornings and noon
- Kate Tillotson - weeknights
- Andy Dominianni - weeknights
- Aaron Baskerville - weekends
Severe Weather Center 3 Meteorologists
- Keith Thompson (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights - Jeff Porter (NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
and CBMCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
Seals of Approval) - weekday mornings and noon - Chris Gervat (NWA Seal of Approval) - weekends
Sports
- Ed Kengerski - DirectorSports DirectorA sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
seen weeknights at 6, 10 and 11 - Andy Pepper - weekends and sports reporter
Reporters
- Tom VanHowe - "Tom's Corner" segment producer
- David Bailey
- Ryan Duffy
- Michael Chesney
- Jessica Wheeler
- Jennifer Dowling
- Jared Werksma
- Carolyn Wyllie
- Jessica Harthorn