WPMI-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WPMI-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = NBC 15
analog = 15 (UHF)
digital = 47 (UHF)(pre-transition; will move back to 15 on February 17, 2009.
other_chs =
affiliations = NBC
NBC Weather Plus (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = March 12, 1982
location = Mobile, Alabama/Pensacola, Florida
callsign_meaning = Pensacola
Mobile
Independent
former_callsigns = WPMI (1982-2004)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Newport Television, LLC
licensee =
sister_stations = WJTC
former_affiliations = independent (1982-1986)
Fox (1986-1996)
effective_radiated_power = 5000 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 563 m (analog)
558 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 11906
coordinates = coord|30|36|41|N|87|36|26.4|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.nbc15online.com/ www.nbc15online.com]

WPMI is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Alabama and much of the Emerald Coast of Florida. Licensed to Mobile, the station broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 15 and a digital signal on UHF channel 47. WPMI's transmitter is located near Robertsdale. The station is owned by Newport Television, LLC as part of a duopoly with independent station WJTC. Its studios are located on Azalea Road near Interstate 65 in west Mobile. WPMI is known on air as "NBC 15".

WPMI airs NBC Weather Plus on its DT2 digital subchannel. It is also offered on Comcast digital cable channel 194, Cox Communications cable channel 716, and via live streaming video on the WPMI website. The channel is known on-air as "NBC 15 Weather Plus".

History

WPMI began operation on March 12, 1982 as Alabama's first independent station. It was owned by Hess Broadcasting and ran a general entertainment format consisting of cartoons, westerns, classic sitcoms, old movies, drama shows, and religious programming.

In 1985, WPMI was sold to Michigan Energy Resources; the sale did not affect programming practices, however. By that time WPMI was getting stronger programming, such as more recent cartoons and more recent network sitcom reruns. In 1987, WPMI became a charter FOX affiliate.

In January 1989, MER sold WPMI to Clear Channel Communications, better known to the public for its extensive radio interests (well over 1000 radio stations). At the time, however, Clear Channel owned only a dozen radio stations. WPMI became Clear Channel's first entry into the television business. Clear Channel bought several more television stations later in 1989, in other similarly sized markets.

In the early 1990s, Clear Channel purchased all the assets of rival WJTC Channel 44, except for its broadcast license. Then, the company began buying time on WJTC, running shows that it could not fit onto WPMI's schedule. This deal became known as a Local Marketing Agreement, which became a common practice at that time.

In 1995, Fox formed SF Broadcasting with Savoy and bought three NBC affiliates and an ABC affiliate; one of the NBC stations was local rival WALA. So, on January 1, 1996, the FOX and NBC networks switched stations in the market: WALA became a Fox affiliate, and WPMI became an NBC affiliate. WALA carried Fox Kids programming as well in the 1:00pm-4:00pm slot.

After this, the syndicated cartoons and most of the off-network sitcoms would move to LMA partner WJTC, which also had become a UPN affiliate in January 1995. WPMI began to place more first-run syndicated programs in its off-network and non-newscast slots. It also added early morning, midday, evening, and late newscasts; the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts sandwich NBC News, which airs at 5:30 p.m.

On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Providence Equity Partners.cite press release|title=Clear Channel Agrees to Sell Television Station Group to Providence Equity Partners|publisher=Clear Channel Communications|url=http://www.clearchannel.com/Corporate/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=1943|date=2007-04-20|accessdate=2007-04-20] On March 15, 2008 WPMI as well as all of the other Clear Channel Television properties were sold to Newport Television LLC, the company that Providence Equity created to run the newly acquired television stations.

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

In 2009, WPMI-TV will remain on channel 15 when the analog to digital conversion is complete.http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf]

References

External links

* [http://www.nbc15online.com/ NBC15's official website]
*TVQ|WPMI
*BIA|WPMI|TV|TV
*TitanTV|WPMI