WMBF-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WMBF-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Live. Local.
Late Breaking.
station_branding = WMBF News
analog =
Time Warner cable 10
digital = 32 (UHF) &
Time Warner cable 805
cable = 10
subchannels =
affiliations = NBC
NBC WX+ (on DT2)
airdate = August 7, 2008
location = Myrtle Beach / Florence, South Carolina
callsign_meaning = Myrtle Beach / Florence
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Raycom Media
licensee = WMBF License Subsidiary, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 530 kW
HAAT = 183 m
class =
facility_id = 83969
coordinates = coord|33|43|50|N|79|4|32|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wmbftv.com/ wmbftv.com]

WMBF-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Myrtle Beach and Florence, South Carolina. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32. While there is no over-the-air analog signal of the station it can be seen on Time Warner cable channel 10 with a high definition signal on Time Warner digital cable channel 805. Its transmitter is located in Bucksville. Owned by Raycom Media, the station has studios on Frontage Road East in Myrtle Beach. Syndicated programming on WMBF includes: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", "Deal or No Deal", "Access Hollywood", and "The Doctors".

Digital television

The station's digital signal is multiplexed.

History

Raycom started construction on the station in late-2007. They had inhereted the license for channel 32 when Raycom merged with the Liberty Corporation who owned the neighboring market's WIS TV. WMBF-TV signed on testing in late-July of 2008 with a station ID slide. [http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14419961#post14419961] On August 7 at 11:59 P.M, the station signed on and NBC recognized the launch of it the following day on "The Today Show", "NBC Nightly News", and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". The sign-on of WMBF occurred in time for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics which NBC has the broadcast rights to show in the United States. On that date, the Myrtle Beach / Florence market received its own NBC affiliate for the first time ever. WECT (in Wilmington, North Carolina) and WIS-TV (in Columbia), which have served as de facto affiliates in the Myrtle Beach / Florence market, were dropped from cable systems due to FCC rules. Both WECT and WIS are also owned by Raycom Media. WMBF signed on without an analog signal. There are already several television stations in the United States that air only in digital including: KPXJ in Shreveport, Louisiana, WMFD-TV in Mansfield, Ohio, and KVMD in southern California. The WMBF broadcast is slightly directional in order to protect the digital signal of WRLK-TV (also on channel 32) in Columbia and the analog signal of WJPM-TV (on channel 33) in Florence.

Availability and replacement

The city of Florence is just outside the fringe area for over-the-air reception of WMBF but the station is still available on cable. According to their website, WMBF now holds the channel 10 position on South Carolina Time Warner cable systems where WIS was located. WMBF's terrestrial digital signal does not reach the northern and western parts of the market such as Lumberton, North Carolina. That area cannot receive WMBF's signal but can receive WECT's digital signal from only 10-15 miles away in Delco. It reaches Lumberton but not all of Robeson County. WMBF is also seen on Metrocast (formerly Northland Cable) in Bennettsville, South Carolina. It is not known whether WECT and / or WIS have been dropped from that system. In Georgetown County, South Carolina, WMBF is carried in most of the southern Grand Strand. The Surfside Beach area has lost WECT and WIS but WCBD-TV (the NBC affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina) remains on the cable lineup due to the fact that Georgetown County is part of the Charleston television DMA. Cable systems in the southern end of the Grand Strand in DeBordieu Beach does not carry WMBF but it can be received by antenna there. http://www.twcsc.com/AllHosted/ProgrammingInfo/ChannelLineups.asp] http://www.timewarnercable.com/Carolinas/programming/channelChangeUpdate.html] http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=8793146&nav=menu675_6]

Newscasts

WMBF offers NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel. It is also seen on Time Warner digital cable on channel 806 (in Myrtle Beach and Florence) and channel 219 (in Lumberton). The station is the first in the market to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition. CBS affiliate WBTW airs its local news in 16:9 standard definition widescreen. It is not the same as true high definition, however. WMBF is the only station in the market to offer local news during the week at 4 and 4:30. Unlike most NBC affiliates, the station does not air news at Noon during the week. The station uses the "NBC - Flagship" theme from The NBC Collection by Frank Gari and Gari Communications, Inc. WMBF shares regional news content with other Raycom Media stations in the Carolinas and throughout the Southeast.

Anchors
*Jason Barr - weekday mornings
*Paula Caruso - weekday mornings
*Kerri O'Hara - weeknights at 4 and 4:30
**reporter
*Matthew Nordin - weeknights at 4 and 4:30
**reporter
*Michael Maely - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
*Danner Evans - weeknights at 6 and 11
*Chandi Lowry - weekends
**video journalist

"WMBF Storm Team"
*Rob Hatchell - Chief seen on Weeknights
*Katy Morgan - weekday mornings
*Jamie Arnold - weekends

Sports
*TBD - weeknights at 6 and 11
*Justin Felder - weekends
**sports reporter

Reporters
*Rebecca Ryan
*Kenny Hitt
*Drew Hansen
*Nikki Gaskins
*Brandon Herring
*Greg Argos
*Lindsay Housaman
*A.J. Ross
*Laura Thomas
*Seth Bowman

References

External links

* [http://www.wmbfnews.com/ WMBF-TV/DT]
* [http://www.nbc.com NBC]
*TVQ|WMBF-TV