TV Technical Profile: WTVM

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Channel:

11

Programming:

9.1 - ABC

9.2 - Bounce TV
9.3 - Infomercials
9.4 - Grit
9.5 - Quest
9.6 - The 365
9.7 - Oxygen True Crime

Transmitter Location:

[map] [street view] Near the intersection of GA-26 and US-280.

Power (ERP):

30.99 kW E

Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT):

1,818 feet

Antenna:

Omnidirectional

Other Information:

36 dBu protected contour map, from the FCC.

[FCC]
[FCCdata]
[RabbitEars.info]

[Wikipedia]

[Facebook]

[Studio] Street View imagery of the Wynnton Road studios in Columbus.

// WCTA-LD Columbus, GA

Owned by Gray Television

History:

WTVM signed on in the 50's as a UHF station on channel 28. The station was owned by Martin Theaters (hence the calls, TeleVision Martin). It moved to channel 9 in a swap with WTVY in Dothan, which went from channel 9 to 4. The station had dual network affiliation until the market got a third commercial outlet (channel 38). When WTVM abandoned channel 28, that slot was reassigned for non-commercial use and is now home to the area's Georgia Public TV outlet.  WTVM originally was going to move their digital assignment from UHF back to VHF channel 9, but as of March 2009 it appears they are opting instead for RF channel 11.

 

This station elected to keep analog broadcasts on until the new June 12^th deadline.  In June 2009 the station moved from an allotment at RF channel 47 to VHF channel 11.

 

In May 2011, WTVM's parent company Raycom announced that the station would be picking up the new Bounce TV network that targets a black American audience, when it launches in the fall.  It's unclear if this will replace the AccuWeather subchannel or supplement it.  The channel debuted 26 September 2011 on 9.2, replacing the AccuWeather feed.  In the summer of 2014 the station added Grit TV, a male-oriented subchannel network.

Raycom merged with Gray Television in the summer of 2018, and ownership of this channel moved to Gray Television.

The station added both Circle and Quest to digital subchannels in early 2020.

In January 2022 it was reported by RabbitEars that low power translator W32FV-D was on air in Columbus on RF channel 32, relaying WTVM and broadcasting the same virtual channel 9.  In October 2022 the call sign of the translator changted to WCTA-LD, possibly in anticipation of a change to Telemundo affiliation.

At the end of 2023 the Circle channel shut down.  In its place the station has run a slate of infomercials.  As of the Spring of 2024, the lineup now includes The 365 on the —.6 subchannel, and Oxygen True Crime on the —.7 subchannel.