WCWW-LD
WCWW-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 25, is a low-powered CW-affiliated television station licensed to South Bend, Indiana, United States. Owned by Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting, it is sister to two other low-powered stations: ABC affiliate WBND-LD (channel 57) and MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYS-LD (channel 69). The three stations share studios on Generations Drive (near the Indiana Toll Road) in northeastern South Bend; WCWW-LD's transmitter is located just off the St. Joseph Valley Parkway on the city's south side.
 | |
| South Bend, Indiana United States | |
|---|---|
| Channels | Digital: 25 (UHF) Virtual: 25 (PSIP) |
| Branding | The CW 25 Michiana (general) ABC 57 News on CW 25 (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Dare to Defy |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | 25.1: The CW (2006–present) 25.2: Start TV (O&O) 25.3: This TV 25.4: ABC (simulcast of WBND-LD) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Weigel Broadcasting (WCWW-TV Limited Partnership) |
| WBND-LD, WMYS-LD | |
| History | |
First air date | August 31, 1990 |
Former call signs | W25BM (1990–1995) WYGN-LP (1995–2002) WRDY-LP (2002) WMWB-LP (2002–2006) WCWW-LP (2006–2012) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 25 (UHF, 1990–2012) Digital: 27 (UHF, 2007–2012) |
| 3ABN (1990 – March 2002) ABC (via WBND-LP, March–October 2002) The WB (October 2002–2006) | |
Call sign meaning | W CW Network Weigel |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 24617 |
| ERP | 14.9 kW 15 kW (CP) |
| HAAT | 344.2 m (1,129 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 41°36′55″N 86°11′7″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | www |
Due to its low-powered status, its broadcasting radius only covers the immediate South Bend area. Therefore, WCWW-LD must rely on cable and satellite carriage to reach the entire market.
On cable, the station can be seen in standard definition on Comcast Xfinity channel 5 and AT&T U-verse channel 25 and in high definition on Xfinity digital channel 192 and U-verse channel 1025.
History
The station was founded on August 31, 1990 as W25BM, operating as an affiliate of the Three Angels Broadcasting Network; it later changed its callsign to WYGN-LP in October 1995. On March 14, 2002, the station was transferred to its current owner, Weigel Broadcasting, who had been previously broadcasting general entertainment programming on what is now WYGN-LD; it also dropped 3ABN which went to WYGN-LD, changed its callsign to WRDY-LP, and began simulcasting ABC programming from sister station WBND-LP; that fall, the station dropped the WBND-LP simulcast and affiliated with The WB, which moved to WRDY-LP from the original WMWB-LP (now WMYS-LD), and it adopted the WMWB-LP callsign previously held by channel 69 to reflect its new affiliation with the network.[1]
On March 1, 2006, Weigel officials announced that WMWB would affiliate with The CW, a network formed out of the struggling WB and UPN networks in partnership with the two networks' owners Time Warner and CBS Corporation, when it premiered in September; channel 25 changed its call letters to WCWW-LP upon the network's launch on September 18, 2006. The WCWW calls had belonged to sister station WMYS, which took an affiliation with CW competitor MyNetworkTV (which launched two weeks earlier); the two stations both have borne the WRDY and WYGN calls.
In early August 2008, Weigel Broadcasting agreed to sell all three of its South Bend stations, including WCWW, to Schurz Communications, the longtime owner of the local CBS affiliate WSBT-TV (channel 22), for undisclosed terms.[2] However, in the absence of action by the Federal Communications Commission, the deal was called off in August 2009.[3]
With Weigel flagship WCIU-TV's assumption of the CW affiliation in Chicago on September 1, 2019,[4][5][6][7] Weigel now owns both of the network's affiliates on the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[8][9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WCWW-HD | Main WCWW-LD programming / The CW[8] |
| 25.2 | 480i | START | Start TV[8][10] | |
| 25.3 | 4:3 | THIS | This TV[8][11] | |
| 25.4 | 720p | 16:9 | WBND-HD | Simulcast of WBND-LD / ABC |
In 2010, WCWW-LD launched a second digital subchannel on 25.2 as an affiliate of This TV.
In 2018, WCWW-LD's digital subchannel 25.2 replaced This TV with Start TV.[10] This TV moved to a newly launched third subchannel.[11]
In February 2019, WCWW-LD added a high-definition simulcast of sister station WBND-LD on digital subchannel 25.4.
Analog-to-digital conversion
On September 14, 2007, WCWW and its sister stations began broadcasting low-power digital signals. WCWW-LD broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 25 kW on channel 25. On December 28, 2010, WCWW-LP turned off its analog signal on channel 25 because of equipment failure.[12] On April 16, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission granted WCWW-LP a construction permit to move its digital frequency from channel 27 to its former analog allotment, UHF channel 25.[13]
Programming
Syndicated programming seen on WCWW-LD includes The Steve Wilkos Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Maury Povich Show, and The Jerry Springer Show.
Newscasts
On March 19, 2012, WCWW-LD debuted a nightly half-hour prime time newscast at 10 p.m. that is produced by WBND-LD (entitled ABC 57 News at 10 on CW 25). WBND also produces two hours of morning news on WCWW from 7–9 a.m. weekday mornings.[14]
References
- "WCWW-LP TV Channel 25 South Bend, IN". www.michiguide.com.
WB programming moves from channel 69 along with call sign WMWB-LP. WRDY-LP sign moves to channel 69.
- WSBT Purchases Three Low-Power Stations, Broadcasting & Cable, August 4, 2008.
- Malone, Michael; John Eggerton (August 24, 2009). "WSBT South Bend Deal Fizzles Absent FCC Action". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
- "Weigel's WCIU Chicago Adds CW Affiliation". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. April 18, 2019.
- Robert Feder (April 18, 2019). "Weigel Broadcasting's WCIU to become CW Network affiliate". RobertFeder.com.
- Michael P. Hill (May 4, 2019). "Chicago CW affiliation moving again – triggering a series of changes". NewscastStudio.
- "Weigel’s WCIU Takes Over Chicago CW Affiliation in September", Broadcasting & Cable, April 19, 2019, Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ABC 57: Where to watch
- RabbitEars TV Query for WCWW-LD
- "Stations for Network - Start TV". RabbitEars.Info. RabbitEars.
- "Stations for Network - This TV". RabbitEars.Info. RabbitEars.
- "Notification of Suspension of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 2002.
- "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 2011.
- ABC57 News brings you the late local news on the CW25 at 10 p.m., WBND-LP, March 13, 2012.
External links
- WCWW-LD "The CW 25 Michiana"
- WCWW in the FCC's TV station database