WMDV-LD
WMDV-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 23, is a low-powered independent television station licensed to Danville, Virginia and also serving Pittsylvania, Halifax and Henry Counties. The station is owned by the Star News Corporation, as part of a duopoly with independent station WGSR-LD. The station is also seen on Chatmoss Cable and Comcast systems throughout the region.
| Danville, Virginia United States | |
|---|---|
| City | Danville, Virginia |
| Channels | Digital: 23 (UHF) Virtual: 44 (PSIP) |
| Slogan | Danville's Own |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | Independent (2010–present) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Star News Corporation |
| WGSR-LD | |
| History | |
First air date | May 26, 2010 |
Former call signs | W18BG, W63CR, WMDV–LP |
Former channel number(s) | 18 (UHF) 63 (UHF) |
| TCT (via WLXI-TV, 1993–2009) TBN (1999–2007) Dark (2009–2010) | |
Call sign meaning | Wonderful Martinsville Danville, Virginia |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67782 |
| Class | TX |
| ERP | 15 kW (digital) |
| HAAT | 180 m (digital) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 36°44′28.5″N 79°23′4.1″W |
| Translator(s) | WMVD-LD 44.1: WGSR-LD 47.2 |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | wmdv44.com Watch Live |
Under former owners Tri-State Christian Television (TCT), the station aired the schedule of full-power Christian station WLXI-TV from Greensboro, North Carolina. Star News re-launched the station as an independent station serving the cities of Martinsville and Danville.
History
The station first broadcast in 1993. The majority of the programming for the station was provided by the Trinity Broadcasting Network through WLXI. This arrangement ended in April 2007 when TCT replaced TBN programming with its own programming for all of its stations.
In November 2008, TCT decided to divest itself of its Danville translator. In June 2009, TCT passed ownership of W18BG to Star News, which temporarily took the station dark. In early May 2010, the FCC issued the construction permit to build the station on RF Channel 45, with a PSIP number of 44 since Winston-Salem, North Carolina station WXLV-TV uses 45 as its PSIP.
The station's callsign was changed to WMDV-LP on October 9, 2009. WMDV-LP returned to the air on the afternoon of May 26, 2010, after about 50 and a half weeks of being dark.
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.1 | 480i | 4:3 | WMDV-LD | Main WMDV-LD programming |
| 44.2 | Danville's Own | WMDV Danville Channel | ||
2017 Auction and Repack
In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission authorized the auction of TV channels 38 and above, and the subsequent relocation of all TV stations operating on those channels to new locations below channel 37. On September 1, 2018, WMDV-LD ceased broadcadcasting on channel 45 and commenced operation on RF channel 23. The station retains its PSIP references to virtual channels 44.1 and 44.2.
References
External links
- WMDV in the FCC's TV station database
- Query TV Fool's coverage map for WMDV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WMDV-LD