WGTU

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WGTU / WGTQ
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = ABC 29&8
Northern Michigan's CW (on WGTU-DT2)
analog =
WGTU: 29 (UHF)
WGTQ: 8 (VHF)
digital =
WGTU: 31 (UHF)
29 (in 2009)
WGTQ: 9 (VHF)
8 (in 2009)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC
The CW (on WGTU-DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = WGTU: August 23, 1971
WGTQ: 1976
location = WGTU: Traverse City / Cadillac, Michigan
WGTQ: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
callsign_meaning = WGTU: Grand
Traverse UHF
WGTQ: Grand
Traverse Quality
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Tucker Broadcasting
(SSA with Barrington Broadcasting)
licensee =
sister_stations = WPBN-TV
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = WGTU:
1303 kW (analog)
64.8 kW (digital)
WGTQ:
316 kW (analog)
24 kW (digital)
HAAT = WGTU: 393 m (both)
WGTQ: 288 m (both)
class =
facility_id = WGTU: 59280
WGTQ: 59279
coordinates = WGTU:
coord|44|44|53.3|N|85|4|8.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
WGTQ:
coord|46|3|8.2|N|84|6|38.8|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WGTQ
homepage = [http://www.wgtu.com/ wgtu.com]

WGTU is the ABC-affiliated television station for the northern Lower and eastern Upper Peninsulas of Michigan. Licensed to Traverse City, the station broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 29 and a digital signal on UHF channel 31. WGTU's transmitter is located northeast of Kalkaska. Like other network affiliates serving this vast rural area, the station operates a full-time satellite, WGTQ. Licensed to Sault Ste. Marie, this station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 8 and a digital signal on VHF channel 9. WGTQ's transmitter is located approximately 30 miles SSE of Sault Ste. Marie near Goetzville in rural Chippewa County.

Overview

Together the two stations, which are known on-air as "ABC 29&8", serve 23 counties in the northern Lower Peninsula, three counties in the eastern Upper Peninsula, and portions of Northern Ontario including Sault Ste. Marie's Canadian sister city Sault Ste. Marie. ABC 29&8 has studios located on East Front Street in Traverse City. They are owned by Tucker Broadcasting but operated through a shared services agreement (SSA) by Barrington Broadcasting (the owner of NBC affiliate WPBN-TV and its full time satellite, WTOM-TV). WGTU operates the area's CW on its second digital subchannel. Known on-air as "Northern Michigan's CW 61", it is also offered on Charter cable channel 61. Although WGTQ is a full time satellite of WGTU, it does not offer The CW on its digital signal. ABC 29&8 airs 24 hours a day during the week. It airs a test pattern for a short period overnight on the weekends. Syndicated programming on the station includes: "Entertainment Tonight", "The Insider", "According to Jim", and "Ellen".

History

WGTU began broadcasting on January 23, 1971. Before that, ABC programming in Northern Michigan was split between CBS affiliate WWTV (soap operas / game shows) and NBC affiliate WPBN (weekend sporting events). In 1976, the station added WGTQ in Sault Ste. Marie to bring the full ABC schedule to the eastern Upper Peninsula. WGTQ has not been available on cable in Canada since the early-2000s. In Sudbury, the Persona cable system pulled WGTQ in favor of WXYZ-TV from Detroit. In Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or, Quebec, Cablevision replaced WGTU with Boston's WCVB-TV. In the Canadian Sault, local cable provider Shaw Communications opted instead for Flint's ABC affiliate WJRT-TV though it was later replaced by WXYZ.

From the start, ABC 29&8 has been locally owned-and-operated most recently by Tom Scanlon (who also owned Marquette's ABC affiliate WBUP) until the 2003 sale to Max Media. The addition of mandatory digital equipment, mediocre syndicated programming, a wavering ABC primetime line-up, and poor management have contributed to ABC 29&8 continuing to be a station that has long been one of ABC's lowest rated affiliates. It has long been notorious for its low budget and poor on-air quality which may be why it is no longer seen on cable in Canada.

In early-November of 2006, ABC 29&8 upgraded their digital signals to begin offering ABC programs in high definition.The station's high definition signal can also be seen on Charter digital cable channel 788. On September 19, 2007, an application was filed to the FCC by Max Media to sell WGTU and WBVC to Tucker Broadcasting for $10 million dollars. After FCC approval, Tucker Broadcasting entered into a joint sales agreement (JSA) with Barrington Broadcasting (owner of WPBN). This resulted in WPBN beginning to operating WGTU and WBVC. According to the FCC filing, WPBN sells advertising time and provides news and other programming for WGTU. The FCC approved the sale in April of 2008. After WPBN renovates their studios this summer, the operations of WGTU and WBVC will move to that location.

Programming

ABC 29&8 clear the entire ABC schedule. However, through 2008, they did pre-empt whatever ABC is showing the Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl (usually sporting events such as NBA basketball) to show a six-hour pledge-a-thon from The 700 Club. The pre-emptions have created controversy and people have written to local newspaper "Traverse City Record-Eagle" questioning ABC 29&8's ability to serve the Northern Michigan audience as an ABC affiliate. The station has aired the show since at least the 1980s but the station's then-parent, Max Media, is partially owned by Pat Robertson's son Tim Robertson. He helped his father legally (albeit barely) make The Family Channel a for-profit company. Most Max Media stations air The 700 Club making some wonder if it is an umbrella company to increase Robertson's affiliation base. Following ABC 29&8's sale to Tucker, The 700 Club moved to local Fox affiliate WFQX-TV in September 2008.

News operation

ABC 29&8 had news departments when each station signed on but they were unable to compete with those of WWTV ("9&10 News") and WPBN ("7&4 News"). Since 1984, there have been virtually no local newscasts. However, there is a weeknight 10 minute news update at 11 o'clock known as "ABC 29&8 News Break". Lori Puckett who is also the Production, Promotion, and Community Affairs Manager for the station anchors the news break. This update includes local news, weather, and sports. At the end of the update, the station credits Tucker Broadcasting. With "7&4 News" and ABC 29&8 now being operated together, there is the possibility of ABC 29&8 airing full newscasts that are produced by "7&4 News". In the local segments of the 2008 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, Lori Puckett appeared on TV 7&4.

External links

* [http://www.wgtu.com/ WGTU / WGTQ "ABC 29&8"]
* [http://www.tv7-4.com WPBN-TV / WTOM-TV "TV 7&4"]
*TVQ|WGTU
*TVQ|WGTQ