WTTO: Difference between revisions

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'''WTTO''' is a television station serving the [[Birmingham]]/[[Anniston]]/[[Tuscaloosa]] market as a WB affiliate. It broadcasts its analog signal on UHF channel 21 and its digital signal on UHF channel 28. It is licensed in [[Homewood]].
'''WTTO''' is a [[Birmingham]]-based television station affiliated with the WB Network. It was founded as an independent station in [[1982]] by  is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group of Hunt Valley, Maryland, which also owns UPN affiliate [[WABM]]. The station, which is licensed in [[Homewood]], broadcasts on UHF channel 21 (DTV on channel 28) from the [[WTTO Tower]] on [[Red Mountain]]. The stations headquarters are located at 651 [[Beacon Parkway West]].


'''WDBB''' is a satellite of WTTO, and is licensed to [[Bessemer]], but primarily serves the Tuscaloosa area. It broadcasts its analog signal on UHF channel 17 and its digital signal on UHF channel 18.
WTTO was founded in [[1982]] by [[Chapman Broadcasting]] with the call letters standing for "Television Twenty-One". It was, after Mobile's WPMI, Alabama's second independent television station. The station prospered with popular syndicated programming such as movies and older sitcoms like the Andy Griffith Show. In 1991 WTTO became Birmingham's Fox affiliate, with neighboring [[WDBB]] (Tuscaloosa) and [[WNAL]] (Gadsden) becoming satellites. In 1996 the stations owner moved the FOX affiliation to [[WBRC]], leaving WTTO as an independent again. A year later, WTTO and WDBB became sister affiliates of "The WB Network". On September 18, [[2006]] the WB will be relaunched as "The CW Network" with programming merged from the former WB and UPN networks.
 
Both stations are owned by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], which also owns sister station [[WABM]], the local UPN affiliate.


==History==
==History==
WTTO began originally on April 21, [[1982]] as Alabama's second independent station, signing on a few months after WPMI-TV in Mobile. It was a typical UHF independent that aired numerous cartoons, movies, and sitcoms. The first program it broadcast was a rerun of the 1970s action show, ''Buck Rogers in the 21st Century''. The station was owned by [[Chapman Broadcasting]]. [[Arlington Broadcasting]] bought WTTO in [[1983]]. It was sold to [[HR Broadcasting]] in [[1987]].  It turned down the Fox affiliation when that network started up. The station did very well even without Fox, and in fact was one of the top independent stations in the countrry. HR Broadcasting sold WTTO to [[Abry]] in [[1989]].
WTTO began originally on April 21, [[1982]]. The first program it broadcast was a rerun of the 1970s action show, ''Buck Rogers in the 21st Century''. Arlington Broadcasting bought WTTO in [[1983]] and sold it to HR Broadcasting in [[1987]]. The station was successful as an independent and declined to debut Fox network when it launched in 1986.
 
Meanwhile, WDBB had its start on October 1, [[1984]] as an independent station licensed to Tuscaloosa, also serving Birmingham. In [[1986]], the station began broadcasting from a tower near Bessemer in an attempt to become the Birmingham area's second independent station, simulcasting with co-owned [[WNAL]] (channel 44, now [[WPXH]]) in [[Gadsden]]. At the same time, WDBB/WNAL became a Fox affiliate. However, neither station covered Birmingham with a signal and couldn't get on all of the local cable systems.  In January of [[1991]], Fox moved its affiliation to WTTO after all efforts to get better cable coverage for WDBB/WNAL failed.  Soon after, WDBB and WNAL began simulcasting WTTO for all but two hours of the broadcast day. By 1993 WNAL and WDBB became full-time satellites of WTTO, which nonetheless only called itself'' "FOX21"''. Within a few years, WTTO was one of the strongest Fox affiliates in the country.
 
In [[1994]] Abry began a local marketing agreement with WABM, which joined UPN in 1995, a few months after Abry merged with Sinclair.  Meanwhile, that same year, New World bought [[WBRC]] from Citicasters. At the same time, it bought [[WVTM-TV]] from Argyle. This posed a serious problem for New World. It not only owned two stations in the same market, but now owned more stations than the [[FCC]] allowed. A few months later, however, New World and Fox reached a deal in which New World would switch all its stations to Fox affiliates.  This gave New World a chance to solve its Birmingham ownership problem by selling WBRC directly to Fox. 
 
ABC wanted to affiliate with WTTO, but at the time Sinclair did not budget for local newscasts on its stations. Also, Sinclair was only interested in ABC's prime time shows, sports, and ABC News, not a full affiliation. ABC found this offer unattractive, and WTTO and WDBB continued as Fox stations until WBRC's affiliation deal with ABC ran out in September [[1996]]. The two stations then became independents, though WTTO held onto Fox Kids after WBRC didn't pick it up. In the meantime, WNAL was sold to Fant Broadcasting and became the CBS affiliate for Gadsden and northeast Alabama.


In February [[1997]], WTTO and WDBB affiliated with the WB network.
Fox's efforts to find a Birmingham-area outlet enjoyed only marginal success with their combination of Tuscaloosa's WDBB, which relocated its tower closer to Birmingham & Gadsden's WNAL. WTTO, which was sold to Boston-based ABRY Broadcasting Partners in [[1989]], joined with FOX in [[1991]] and the other two stations became satellites of the combined station, known as '''FOX 21''', one of the country's strongest Fox affiliates.


In the late 1990's WTTO evolved gradually away from movies, classic sitcoms, and cartoons to more talk/reality shows, court shows, as well as recent sitcoms (which they ran all along). WTTO dropped Fox Kids programming in the Fall of [[2000]] and WBRC did not pick it up, as Fox had stopped requiring its stations to carry it. The main reason for this change was because the stations were having a tougher time making a profit running such programming. This was due to new FCC regulations in terms of the amount of ads allowed during children's programming as well as the content of such advertising. This made advertisers for children rely more on cable and caused syndicators to move their programming to cable.
In [[1994]] ABRY began a local marketing agreement with [[WABM]], which joined UPN in 1995. The following year brought the [[Big Switch]] in Birmingham's television line-up, which left WTTO as an independent as [[WBRC]] came under the ownership of the Fox Broadcasting Corporation.


Still WTTO continued cartoons in the afternoons as they ran Kids WB programming until that ended nationwide in January of [[2006]]. Kids WB still runs on Saturday Mornings. In September [[2003]], WTTO finally began to produce its own local newscast, titled ''"WB21 News at 9:00"''. However, in October [[2005]], the market's [[CBS]]-affiliate, [[WIAT]], began producing the newscasts for WTTO.
ABC had tried to affiliate with WTTO, but Sinclair was only interested in the prime-time line-up and sports franchise, and did not plan to launch a local newscast. on its stations. In February [[1997]], WTTO and WDBB affiliated with the WB network, while WNAL became Gadsden's CBS affiliate. The station evolved from mostly old movies, sitcoms and cartoons to a talk-show/reality format supplemented by the WB's afternoon and prime-time shows.


The WB will shut down in September 2006, along with UPN, to form "The CW", a network featuring programming from both networks. Sinclair announced on May 2, [[2006]] that WTTO would become the CW affiliate. As a CW affiliate, the station will be branded as "CW21".
In September [[2003]], WTTO finally began to produce its own local newscast, titled ''"WB21 News at 9:00"''.  However, in October [[2005]], CBS-affiliate [[WIAT]], began producing the newscasts for WTTO. The WB will merge with UPN in September 2006 to form "The CW", a network featuring programming from both networks. WTTO will become Birmingham's CW affiliate, to be known as '''CW 21'''


==See also==
==See also==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
*[http://www.wtto21.com/ WTTO website]
* [http://www.wtto21.com/ WTTO] website
* [http://www.birminghamrewound.com/radio-tv.htm Radio & TV] at [[Birmingham Rewound]].


[[Category:Television stations]]
[[Category:Television stations]]

Revision as of 22:48, 28 August 2006

WTTO is a Birmingham-based television station affiliated with the WB Network. It was founded as an independent station in 1982 by is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group of Hunt Valley, Maryland, which also owns UPN affiliate WABM. The station, which is licensed in Homewood, broadcasts on UHF channel 21 (DTV on channel 28) from the WTTO Tower on Red Mountain. The stations headquarters are located at 651 Beacon Parkway West.

WTTO was founded in 1982 by Chapman Broadcasting with the call letters standing for "Television Twenty-One". It was, after Mobile's WPMI, Alabama's second independent television station. The station prospered with popular syndicated programming such as movies and older sitcoms like the Andy Griffith Show. In 1991 WTTO became Birmingham's Fox affiliate, with neighboring WDBB (Tuscaloosa) and WNAL (Gadsden) becoming satellites. In 1996 the stations owner moved the FOX affiliation to WBRC, leaving WTTO as an independent again. A year later, WTTO and WDBB became sister affiliates of "The WB Network". On September 18, 2006 the WB will be relaunched as "The CW Network" with programming merged from the former WB and UPN networks.

History

WTTO began originally on April 21, 1982. The first program it broadcast was a rerun of the 1970s action show, Buck Rogers in the 21st Century. Arlington Broadcasting bought WTTO in 1983 and sold it to HR Broadcasting in 1987. The station was successful as an independent and declined to debut Fox network when it launched in 1986.

Fox's efforts to find a Birmingham-area outlet enjoyed only marginal success with their combination of Tuscaloosa's WDBB, which relocated its tower closer to Birmingham & Gadsden's WNAL. WTTO, which was sold to Boston-based ABRY Broadcasting Partners in 1989, joined with FOX in 1991 and the other two stations became satellites of the combined station, known as FOX 21, one of the country's strongest Fox affiliates.

In 1994 ABRY began a local marketing agreement with WABM, which joined UPN in 1995. The following year brought the Big Switch in Birmingham's television line-up, which left WTTO as an independent as WBRC came under the ownership of the Fox Broadcasting Corporation.

ABC had tried to affiliate with WTTO, but Sinclair was only interested in the prime-time line-up and sports franchise, and did not plan to launch a local newscast. on its stations. In February 1997, WTTO and WDBB affiliated with the WB network, while WNAL became Gadsden's CBS affiliate. The station evolved from mostly old movies, sitcoms and cartoons to a talk-show/reality format supplemented by the WB's afternoon and prime-time shows.

In September 2003, WTTO finally began to produce its own local newscast, titled "WB21 News at 9:00". However, in October 2005, CBS-affiliate WIAT, began producing the newscasts for WTTO. The WB will merge with UPN in September 2006 to form "The CW", a network featuring programming from both networks. WTTO will become Birmingham's CW affiliate, to be known as CW 21

See also

External links

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