WMNT-CA

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WMNT-CA
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = My 58 (for its cable television position)
analog = 48 (UHF), cable 58
digital =
affiliations = MyNetworkTV
America One
founded = March 23, 1987
location = Toledo, Ohio
callsign_meaning = W
My
Network
TV (or Toledo)
former_callsigns = W48AP (1987-1996)
WNGT-LP (1996-2006)
owner = Cornerstone Church
licensee = Matrix Broadcast Media, Inc.
former_affiliations = Independent / FamilyNet 1989-1990
STAR Television Network 1990

Channel America (1991-1992)
The Box (1992-1995)
UPN (1995-2006)
effective_radiated_power = 11 kW
HAAT = 131 m
coordinates = coord|41|39|13.0|N|83|31|49.0|W|type:landmark
class = Class A
homepage = [http://www.wmnttv.com/ www.wmnttv.com]

WMNT-CA channel 48 is a Low-power broadcasting TV station in Toledo, Ohio, and carries MyNetworkTV for that market. The station is a Class-A operation. While the station broadcasts on channel 48, it is seen on Toledo's Buckeye CableSystem on channel 58, hence its moniker "My 58".

WMNT is owned by the Cornerstone Church, through its broadcasting arm, Matrix Broadcast Media. Its studios are located at a shopping center in Maumee, adjacent to the Cornerstone Church at the corner of Reynolds Road and Dussel Drive.

History

The station was licensed as W48AP on March 23, 1987, with broadcasts commencing in March 1989 from studios and transmitters located at 716 North Westwood Avenue, in west Toledo. Initially, "HomeTown TV 48" carried a wide variety of locally-produced programming including a trivia quiz game show ("Trivia in Toledo" or "TnT", hosted by Jerry Millen); a current affairs and political program ("High Level Views" hosted by Chuck Schmitt); "Neighbor Talk", an interview-driven talk show hosted by general manager Bob Moore, and featuring local guests talking about topics ranging from political issues to hobbies; a nightly auction program featuring products from local merchants and hosted by Douglas Goff; broadcasts of entertainment acts from local fairs and festivals; a weekly autos and boats for sale program called "Wheels, Keels, and Deals" and a spin-off called "Homes for Sale" featuring local real property; a children's series called "Abracadabra" featuring games, activities, and ventriloquism; a variety show hosted by long-time actor and singer Johnny Ginger; local high school football and basketball games (several each week); as well as other specials and series. Programming during non-prime hours was initially provided by FamilyNet (now seen in Toledo on WLMB TV40), which featured classic movies and religious programs.

Despite the fact that TV48 was widely recognized as a pioneer of community-oriented LPTV, W48AP suffered initially in its bid for cable TV carriage as the local cablesystems did not generally grant LPTV stations space on their networks. This effectively relegated their signal to being viewed on "second TVs" and in the minority of households that did not subscribe to cable--which meant that getting advertising support was difficult. Exaccerbating the difficulties posed by lack of cable carriage, the local newspaper (The Toledo Blade, whose owners, Block Communications, also own the local cable system) refused to publish TV listings for TV48. TV48 bought small ads in the Sunday TV listings booklet, but was not able to list their programming alongside the other stations in the main listing section. This marginalization of TV48 led to not being able to survive the expense of producing dozens of hours of local programming each week, and by 1991 TV48 had dropped the "HomeTown TV48" moniker and resorted to full-time satellite-fed programming from the short-lived STAR Television Network (featuring classic TV shows from the 1940s through 1970s as well as reruns of old game shows), and then Channel America.

As a last-ditch effort to keep the TV48 signal on the air and producing a revenue stream, in 1992 TV48 began airing pay-per-view music videos from The Box full-time (with audio simulcast from local CHR radio station WTWR-FM during periods with no videos), which lasted until 1995. Station co-founder Robert S. "Bob" Moore managed the station from its beginning until 1995. W48AP was then sold to Marty and Linda Miller, who affiliated the station with the then-new UPN network in 1995, and changed its call letters to WNGT-LP(New Generation Television) in 1996. After UPN ceased operations in September 2006, WNGT became a MyNetworkTV affiliate, and changed its call letters to WMNT-CA on September 15, 2006.

Problems

Over the years, WMNT had experienced many technical broadcast problems, with outdated equipment and signal loss when switching VTR machines. The station also has satellite pixelation often, along with Windows menus popping up on-screen from automation. The main automation consistently showed "NO SIGNAL" during prime-time programming from UPN and all hours afterward, showing that nobody was watching. The problems were never fixed, since nobody answered phones, in the downtown studios.

And while the station was under control of the Millers, the station's studio at the National City Bank Building in downtown Toledo was often left unlocked and unattended; as a result, Ralph DeNune III, who was appointed by the Lucas County Common Pleas Court to oversee the station when it was put under receivership in February 2005, appointed the Cornerstone Church to operate the station, citing that, under the Millers, anyone could simply walk in and broadcast anything they want, with the licensee (DeNune) getting all the blame. ( [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS10/70326003] )

Also, through September 2006, the station used the former 'silver shapes' UPN logo on-air, with UPN's 'slanted circle' logo (the last before UPN's closure) appearing only on the station's website.

On May 26, 2007, the Toledo "Blade" reported that the FCC approved the transfer of WMNT to the Cornerstone Church. This ruling officially reassigns the license from DeNune to Cornerstone. The Millers had 30 days to appeal, though apparently, chose not to do so. [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/NEWS08/705260405]

WNGT-LP is is still in the 2008 news, due to attempts for the Millers continuing to get control issues with Matrix (Cornerston Church). The Millers lost 2 hearings. [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080607/NEWS02/806070370]

Questions are also surrounding the legality of WMNT-CA's license. Reason being, 3 hours of locally produced programming are required per FCC's Consumer Advisory on "LPTV" and "Class A" stations and DTV transitions of them. [http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/DTVandLPTV.html] (See the 3rd Paragraph) WMNT-CA's program grid [http://www.wmnttv.com/schedule1.html] does not reflect these required programs. Viewers of WMNT say they do not see local shows either.Fact|date=September 2008 For any Class A station, these are required.

ee also

* WNWT 1520 "(WMNT's radio sister station)"
* WNKL 96.9 "(K-Love)" [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=78441]

External links

* [http://www.wmnttv.com/ WMNT's Official Website]
* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/tv/wmnt.html Michiguide's WMNT entry]
* [http://www.toledofreepress.com/pdf/092105_Community.pdf Toledo Free Press: Battle for UPN-48 heats up (Sept. 21, 2005)]
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/NEWS10/70325002&SearchID=73276149481197 Toledo Blade: Low-power station produces a high-stakes drama (Mar. 25, 2007)]
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS10/70326003&SearchID=73276149242371 Toledo Blade: Legal entanglements hamper WNGT-TV's future (Mar. 26, 2007)]
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/NEWS08/705260405 Toledo Blade: FCC approves Ch. 48 transfer to Cornerstone (May 26, 2007)]
* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080607/NEWS02/806070370 Toledo Blade: Ex owner of CH.48 loses 2 rulings (June 7, 2008)]

*TVQ|WMNT