WGGS-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WGGS-TV
city = Greenville, South Carolina
station_
station_slogan = Something clean in the air
station_branding = WGGS-TV 16
analog = 16 (UHF)
digital = 35 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = independent
network =
founded =
airdate = October 29, 1972
location = Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson, South Carolina/Asheville, North Carolina
callsign_meaning = We're
Greenville's
Gospel
Station
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Carolina Christian Broadcasting, Inc.
licensee = Dove Broadcasting, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 2240 kW (analog)
150 kW (digital)
HAAT = 349 m (analog)
337 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 9064
coordinates = coord|34|56|27.5|N|82|24|41.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wggs16.com/ www.wggs16.com]

WGGS-TV is a Christian independent television station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina. It serves the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville television market. It broadcasts on UHF channel 16, and is owned by Carolina Christian Broadcasting (also known as Dove Broadcasting). A General Entertainment format consisting of classic TV shows and lifestyle programming is found on DT2 and a Gospel music format is found on DT3. WSQY-TV

The station's schedule almost entirely consists of Christian programming. It airs many shows hosted by television evangelists, such as Jim Bakker, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, James Robinson and Jerry Falwell as well as shows such as "The 700 Club", "In Touch" and some locally produced programming such as "Niteline" (a local Christian talk/variety show). Tammy Faye Messner, the ex-wife of former PTL and Heritage USA founder Jim Bakker, announced plans for a cooking show called "You Can Make It!" which began airing in May 2006. (Messner died of cancer in July 2007, but the show is still in production with a different host.) The few secular shows on the station include wildlife sporting programs, public domain shows and health/fitness shows. The station also airs some children's Christian programming as well as a few shows from the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

History

The station began operation in 1972, under the ownership of Carolina Christian Broadcasting. Initially it split its weekday schedule, airing secular general entertainment programming for half a day and Christian programming the other half. It aired more secular programming on Saturdays, and only Christian programs on Sundays. The general entertainment programs shown on the station included "Little Rascals", "Bugs Bunny", "Popeye", "Lone Ranger", "Cisco Kid", "Ozzie & Harriett", "Brady Bunch", "Dennis The Menace", "Donna Reed", "Leave It To Beaver", "Father Knows Best" and "Rawhide", among many others over the years.

When ABC launched "Nightline" in 1980, WGGS came under fire for allegedly using a copyright name, despite having used the name "Niteline" for its local program long before "Nightline" debuted on ABC.Other local productions on the station at the time include an exercise show called "Beverly Exercise"; a talk show hosted by Peggy Denny and a children's show called "Drick's Follies" (1980s-90s), featuring public domain cartoons from the 1930s to the 50s.

In the early 1980s, Carolina Christian Broadcasting signed on two more stations: WCCT, now WACH/Channel 57 in Columbia and WGSE/Channel 43 in Myrtle Beach. WACH produced its own version of "Niteline" once a week, and aired WGGS's version the rest of the week. WACH and WGSE aired far more cartoons, barter talk and game shows, and a few sitcoms, with Christian programming comprising only about a third of their schedules. (Both WACH and WGSE are now Fox affiliates; WGSE is now WFXB.)

With Channel 21 (WHNS) signing on and Channel 40 (WAXA, now WMYA-TV) becoming a general independent station, WGGS began to phase out secular shows from its lineup in 1982; by 1986 the station was almost entirely a Christian station. WGGS did add a few more secular cartoons and barter sitcoms in the 3-6 p.m. time slot in the early 1990s, but by 1999 it was back to airing a nearly entirely Christian schedule. The station also turned down affiliation deals with Pax TV in 1998.

WGGS began 24/7 broadcasting in late 1999, having previously signed off late Sunday night/early Monday morning, and a few years before they signed off nightly.

ee also

* WATC "(sister station in Atlanta, Georgia)"

External links

* [http://www.dovebroadcasting.com/ WGGS-TV 16's Website]
*TVQ|WGGS
*BIA|WGGS|TV|TV