WNWT-LD

WNWT-LD, virtual channel 37 (VHF digital channel 3), is a NewsNet-affiliated television station licensed to New York, New York, United States. Owned by PMCM TV LLC, it is a sister station to Middletown Township, New Jersey-licensed MeTV affiliate WJLP (channel 33). The two stations share studios in Freehold Township, New Jersey, and transmitter facilities at 4 Times Square in midtown Manhattan. Despite WNWT-LD legally holding a low-power license, it transmits using WJLP's full-power spectrum. This ensures complete reception across the New York City television market.

WNWT-LD
New York, New York
United States
ChannelsDigital: 3 (VHF)
(shared with WJLP)
Virtual: 37 (PSIP)
BrandingNew Jersey News Network
Programming
SubchannelsSee § Digital channels
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerPMCM TV
(Press Communications, LLC)
TV: WJLP
Radio: WBBO, WBHX, WHTG, WKMK / WTHJ, WWZY
History
FoundedDecember 8, 1989 (1989-12-08)[2]
First air date
May 1, 1998 (1998-05-01)
Former call signs
W38CL (until 2004)
W03BM (2004)
WBQM-LP (2004–2012)
WBQM-LD (2012–2019)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
38 (UHF, 1998–2004)
3 (VHF, 2004–2009)
Digital:
50 (UHF, 2009–2019)
Virtual:
3 (PSIP, 2009–2011, 2013)
51 (PSIP, 2013–July 2019)
6 (VHF, late July 2019)
18 (PSIP, late July–August 1, 2019)
The Box (1998–2001)
MTV2 (2001–2006)
Cornerstone Television (2006–2012)
Spanish Independent (2012–2013, 2014–2019)
CNN en Español (2013–2014)
Local weather (2019; now on DT2)
Call sign meaning
W News Weather Talk
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID22797
ClassLD
ERP6.96 kW
9 kW (CP)[3]
HAAT340.2 m (1,116 ft)
476 m (1,562 ft) (CP)[3]
Transmitter coordinates40°45′22.4″N 73°59′10.5″W
40°42′46.8″N 74°0′47.3″W (CP)[3]
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.newjerseynewsnetwork.com

From January 2012 to November 2013, WNWT (as WBQM) used virtual channel 3.1. The station formerly broadcast on VHF channel 3 and was previously owned by Renard Communications Corp. As of November 2013, they now use virtual channel 51. WBQM can't use its real channel of 50 as its virtual channel because of nearby New Jersey PBS station WNJN which broadcasts on Channel 51 and uses its old analog channel 50 as its virtual channel. In late July 2019, it was moved twice first on channel 6 and later on channel 18. On August 1, it was moved to its current channel 37.

History

As W38CL, W03BM, and WBQM-LP

Founded in 1989 as the second over the air television station in Brooklyn, the station didn't go on the air until 1998. Originally on channel 38 as a construction permit, it was later moved to channel 3 due to a reassignment of channel 38 to WPXU-LP in Amityville, New York. Throughout the 1990s the station ran The Box, and later MTV2 through transfer of ownership from Viacom. At that point in early 2006, it switched to Cornerstone Television. On August 17, 2007, Renard Communications (which owned almost all of New York State's The Box affiliates) announced that would sell WBQM-LP, along with, at that time, sister station WMBQ-CA to Equity Media Holdings for $8 million.[4] However, the transaction had a closing deadline set for June 1, 2008, and either party could cancel the sale if it were not completed by then. The sale was not consummated.[5] As of December 8, 2008, Equity Media Holdings was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

As WBQM-LD

In February 2012, Renard reached another deal to sell WBQM-LD, this time to Buenavision TV Network NY, LLC (WMBQ was sold separately several months earlier).[6]

As of February 2013, WBQM-LD affiliated with CNN en Español and transmitted CNN en Español's signal on virtual channel 3.1 and 3.4, while the local Buenavision signal was on 3.2. As of November 2013 its virtual channel changed from channel 3 to channel 51, although its real channel frequency on channel 50 didn't change. CNN en Español was removed in 2014 to join WRNN-TV thus returning to a Spanish independent station.

As WNWT-LD

On December 9, 2018, BuenaVision agreed to sell WBQM-LD to PMCM TV for over $300,000. The deal, which was completed on February 19, 2019, made WBQM-LD a sister station to WJLP. On April 18, the station changed its callsign to WNWT-LD, and then on May 1, it became a primary NewsNet affiliate. In late July 2019, WNWT moved from channel 51 to channel 6 and later to channel 18 which is currently airing weather reports simulcasting WJLP 33.10 before switching back to NewsNet a week later. At the same time WNWT-WX has moved to its second sub channel.

On August 1, the station switched to virtual channel 37, a rare assignment in broadcasting in North America, likely to prevent adjacent-market confusion with Hartford, Connecticut Univision affiliate WUVN, which has long held channel 18 (the channel 6 assignment was likewise also temporary due to a probable objection from ABC O&O WPVI-TV in Philadelphia). The physical channel 37 is reserved by most broadcasting authorities for the purposes of radio astronomy and medical telemetry, though a PSIP assignment of WNWT-LD's VHF physical channel otherwise causes no interference for those purposes.

Digital television

Digital channels

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
37.1480i16:9NJ NewsMain WNWT-LD programming / NewsNet
37.2 WNWT-WX Local weather

References

  1. "Digital TV Market Listing for WJLP". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  2. "Call Sign History". fcc.gov. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  3. "Amendment to a Modification of a Licensed Facility for DTV Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. May 25, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-05-26. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  4. Equity Media Announces Acquisition of Three New York City Television Stations Archived 2009-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Equity ends newscasts; N.Y. station buy teeters Archived 2009-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "New York low power TV finds a buyer". Television Business Report. February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012. Archived 2012-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
  • WNWT in the FCC's TV station database
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