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m Task 30 - update Template:Infobox television station following a redesign (+genfixes) |
Wcquidditch (talk | contribs) Changing short description from "CBS/CW affiliate in Hattiesburg, Mississippi" to "TV station in Hattiesburg, Mississippi" |
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{{
{{more citations needed|date=January 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| name =
| callsign = WHLT
| above = [[
| city = Hattiesburg, Mississippi
| logo =
| logo_size = 125px
| image_size = 125px
| branding = WHLT 22
| analog =
| digital = 22 ([[
| virtual = 22
| translators =
| subchannels =
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''22.1:''' [[CBS]]|'''22.2:''' [[The CW Plus]]|''
| founded =
| airdate = {{start date and age|1987|
| location = [[
| country = United States
| callsign_meaning =
| former_callsigns = WLHT (CP, 1981–1987)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:'''
| owner = [[Nexstar Media Group]]
| licensee = Nexstar
| sister_stations = WJTV, [[WIAT]], [[WKRG-TV]]
| former_affiliations =
| erp =
| haat = {{convert|243|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| class =
| facility_id = 48668
| coordinates =
| licensing_authority = [[
| website = {{ubl|{{URL|https://www.wjtv.com/pine-belt-news/}}
}}
'''WHLT'''
Although identifying as a separate station in its own right, WHLT is considered a [[
==History==
In the early 1980s, there was a need for a CBS affiliate in the Pine Belt region, as the four closest CBS affiliates to Hattiesburg, WJTV, [[WWL-TV]] in [[New Orleans]], [[WMDN-TV|WHTV]] in [[Meridian, Mississippi]], and [[WKRG]] in [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], all had signals that failed to provide at least a Grade B signal to the city proper.<ref>{{cite news|title=Distance Blamed for Bad Picture|newspaper=Hattiesburg American|date=February 24, 1985|page=3B}}</ref> The FCC had an allocation for channel 18 in Laurel and channel 22 in Hattiesburg, with WHTV's owner, [[Frank K. Spain]] via his company Central Television, sought the license for Hattiesburg's channel 22 slot, and Capital Television, owner of WJTV, sought Laurel's channel 18. In 1982, the FCC awarded the license to Capital Television, as the CBS agreed to an affiliation for the new channel. Delays occurred as Central Television appealed the FCC's licensing decision, and WJTV was sold to [[News-Press & Gazette Company]] one year later. By 1985, NPG agreed to purchase Spain's license for Hattiesburg's channel 22 with Spain taking a consulting fee by agreeing to help sign on the station, as NPG had, at that time, never built constructed a new TV station.<ref>{{cite news|title=Award of area TV license appealed|newspaper=Hattiesburg American|date=August 13, 1982|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=CBS transmitter may come soon|newspaper=Hattiesburg American|date=November 3, 1985|page=1A, 12A}}</ref>
WHLT signed began programming on January 12, 1987, bringing CBS programming to the Pine Belt for the first time, as well as giving News Press & Gazette the opportunity to take advantage of local advertising and news opportunities in the Pine Belt region.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hattiesburg Airwaves Welcome WHLT|newspaper=Hattiesburg American|date=January 21, 1987|page=1B}}</ref> It also allowed the Jackson-based station's signal coverage area to be expanded in Southeastern Mississippi. Prior to its sign on, Hattiesburg's cable provider, UA-Columbia Cablevision, carried WJTV on its lineup, but due to marginal picture quality, the cable company switched to WKRG on September 5, 1986, after that station added a new relay, right as plans for WHLT were finalized.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adding WKRG makes CBS worth viewing Again|newspaper=Hattiesburg American|page=8D|date=September 14, 1986}}</ref> In 1993, News-Press & Gazette sold several of its outlets (including WHLT and WJTV) to the first incarnation of [[New Vision Television]].
In turn, the company sold its entire station group to Ellis Communications in 1995. Ellis was subsequently merged into [[Raycom Media]] in 1996 after it was bought out by a media group led by the [[Retirement Systems of Alabama]] (who bought [[Aflac|AFLAC]]'s broadcasting group a few months earlier). In 1997, Media General acquired WHLT and WJTV (as well as [[Savannah, Georgia]]'s [[WSAV-TV]]) from Raycom in a swap for [[Richmond, Virginia]]'s [[WTVR-TV]].▼
▲In turn, the company sold its entire station group to Ellis Communications in 1995. Ellis was subsequently merged into [[Raycom Media]] in 1996 after it was bought out by a media group led by the [[Retirement Systems of Alabama]] (who bought [[
The trade was made in part due to Raycom's acquisition of rival [[WDAM-TV]] in [[Laurel, Mississippi|Laurel]] and [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) rules of the time did not permit [[Duopoly (broadcasting)|duopolies]]. On April 16, 2009, WHLT "[[flash-cut]]" its signal after discontinuing analog broadcasts and began [[Digital television transition in the United States|digital-only]] transmission. It originally applied to flash-cut earlier on February 17 but the FCC denied the station's request.
[[Image:Whlt 2008.png|200px|thumb|left|WHLT's logo from 2011 to 2019]]
As part of a long-term affiliation renewal with [[The CW]], Media General announced on December 23, 2014, that WHLT would add the network to their digital subchannel.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141223005313/en/CW-Media-General-Announce-Long-Term-Affiliation-Agreements|title = The CW and Media General Announce Long-Term Affiliation Agreements|date = December 23, 2014}}</ref> This displaced The CW's previous home on WHPM-LD2. [[Xfinity|Comcast]] offers WHLT-DT2 in high definition on channel 1024 for Hattiesburg viewers. By spring 2017, the over-the-air feed for WHLT-DT2 was upgraded into [[720p]] to allow for [[16:9]] high definition viewing for non-cable or satellite subscribers.<ref>[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_station&facility_id=48668 RabbitEars TV Query for WHLT]</ref>
On January 27, 2016, [[
==
In February 1987, the station launched its fledgling two-
The station's digital signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:▼
WHLT (in 1998) relaunched a full news department with shows known as ''22 Daily News'', had the same branding and slogan ("It's About Time") as the product at sister station [[WIAT]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]]. Despite attaining decent ratings and winning numerous awards, it was unable to attract local advertising through consistent viewership. As a result, its newscasts were canceled after just two years.▼
As a semi-satellite of WJTV, WHLT simulcasts its parent outlet's weekday morning show.▼
==Subchannels==
{| class="wikitable"
! Channel
! [[
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
!
▲! Programming<ref>[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WHLT#station RabbitEars TV Query for WHLT]</ref>
|-
! scope = "row" | 22.1
|-
! scope = "row" | 22.2
|-
! scope = "row" | 22.3
| rowspan= |-
! scope = "row" | 22.4
| 16:9 || ESCAPE | [[
|}
▲==Programming==
▲In February 1987, the station launched its fledgling two-man news operation, covering a major local news story, a deadly [[tornado]] in neighboring [[Jones County, Mississippi|Jones County]]. That small beginning led to personnel growth and the production of half-hour newscasts airing weekdays at 6 and 10 p.m. This evolution grew out of the station's early practice of gathering local news stories and feeding them to sister station WJTV daily (via the back haul of a terrestrial microwave link) for inclusion in one block of WJTV's 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.
▲WHLT (in 1998) relaunched a full news department with shows known as ''22 Daily News'', had the same branding and slogan ("It's About Time") as the product at sister station [[WIAT]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]]. Despite attaining decent ratings and winning numerous awards, it was unable to attract local advertising through consistent viewership. As a result, its newscasts were canceled after just two years.
▲As a semi-satellite of WJTV, WHLT simulcasts its parent outlet's weekday morning show.
▲On October 2013, WHLT began offering a thirty-minute local newscast which airs weeknights at 10 p.m. This program features full local news coverage of the Hattiesburg–Laurel market, anchored by Melanie Christopher, Byron Brown, and chief meteorologist Ken South. Content for the local newscast is collected by three local Hattiesburg journalists on the WHLT 22 team and is supplemented by news content from WJTV. During the second block, there is a local [[weather forecasting|weather segment]] (branded as "Storm Team 22") focusing on the Pine Belt viewing area.
==References==
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==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.wjtv.com/pine-belt-news/}}
*[https://www.wjtv.com/ WJTV website]
{{Hattiesburg/Laurel TV}}
{{TV Stations Mississippi}}
{{NXST TV}}
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}
[[Category:1987 establishments in Mississippi]]▼
[[Category:Ion Mystery affiliates]]
[[Category:Ion Television affiliates]]
[[Category:Nexstar Media Group]]▼
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1987]]
[[Category:Television stations in Hattiesburg, Mississippi|HLT]]
▲[[Category:CBS network affiliates]]
▲[[Category:Ion Television subchannel-only affiliates]]
▲[[Category:Nexstar Media Group]]
▲[[Category:1987 establishments in Mississippi]]
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