WPTA-DT3

WPTA-DT3
Fort Wayne, Indiana
United States
Branding MyTV Fort Wayne
Channels Digital: WPTA 24.3 (UHF)
Virtual: 21.3 (PSIP)
Affiliations MyNetworkTV (2006–2011, 2013–present)
Owner Quincy Media
(WPTA License, LLC)
First air date 2005 (2005)
Call letters' meaning see WPTA
Sister station(s) WPTA, WPTA-DT2
Former callsigns WISE-DT2
Former channel number(s) 33.2
Former affiliations NBC Weather Plus (2005–2006)
Fox (2011–2013)
Transmitter power 335 kW
Height 224.4 m
Facility ID 73905
Transmitter coordinates 41°6′7.7″N 85°11′3.7″W / 41.102139°N 85.184361°W / 41.102139; -85.184361
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.wpta21.com/link/776859/my-tv

WPTA-DT3, virtual channel 21.3 (UHF digital channel 24.3), is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. It operates as a third digital subchannel of ABC affiliate WPTA (channel 21), which is owned by Quincy Media. Its parent station's studios and transmitter are located on Butler Road in Northwestern Fort Wayne.

History

Previous logo used from 2011 until March 1, 2013.

Originally established in 2005, WISE-DT2 was part of NBC Weather Plus and known on-air as "Indiana's NewsCenter Weather Plus". The 24-hour weather channel provided local and national weather forecasts. On January 24, 2006, the Warner Bros. unit of Time Warner and CBS Corporation announced that the two companies would shut down The WB and UPN and combine the networks' respective programming to create a new "fifth" network called The CW.[1][2] On February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced the launch of a new "sixth" network called MyNetworkTV, which would be operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television. MyNetworkTV was created to compete against another The CW as well as to give UPN and WB stations that were not mentioned as becoming CW affiliates another option besides converting to independent stations.[3][4]

CBS affiliate WANE-TV (channel 15) offered UPN on its second digital subchannel, while The WB was affiliated with cable-only "WBFW" (with programming provided through The WB 100+, and promotional and advertising services provided by WPTA, channel 21). On September 5, 2006, WISE-TV moved NBC Weather Plus programming to its third digital subchannel in order for WISE-DT2 to become the area's MyNetworkTV affiliate. The move – along with "WBFW" affiliating with The CW (with the channel being carried on WPTA's second digital subchannel) on September 18 – resulted in the deactivation of WANE's second digital subchannel, which remained dark until it affiliated with TheCoolTV in 2010.

In June 2011, it was announced that WISE-DT2 would join Fox beginning August 1, 2011 taking the affiliation from then-current outlet WFFT-TV (owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group). The switch was the result of a dispute over retransmission consent fees between Nexstar and Fox. Upon the switch, the station shifted MyNetworkTV to secondary status on WISE-DT2 and began airing the two-hour weeknight programming block from 10:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. The first Fox program to air on WISE-DT2 was Hell's Kitchen. With the addition of high definition capabilities to this station, WISE-DT3 (which featured 24-hour national NBC Plus [successor to NBC Weather Plus] and local "The VIPIR Channel" weather programming) moved to WPTA's third digital subchannel (currently home to "Indiana's NewsCenter Now"). It is unknown if the two services will be merged in anyway or one will be dropped. Negotiations are under way to provide an HD feed of WISE-DT2 on area cable providers. The station was upgraded to a 720p high definition signal on June 27.[5][6][7]

On July 25, 2011, Nexstar Broadcasting filed an antitrust lawsuit against Granite Broadcasting, claiming that the latter company tried to monopolize advertising sales through its shared services agreement with WPTA (owned by Malara Broadcast Group) and the five network affiliations that were shared between WPTA and WISE at the time (WPTA already carried ABC and CW programming, while in addition to the Fox and MyNetworkTV programming on its second digital subchannel, NBC is carried on WISE-TV's primary channel). Nexstar sought a judgment that would force either WPTA or WISE-TV to give up at least one of the three Big Four affiliations it had.[8] This lawsuit was settled on February 5, 2013, resulting in a reversal of the 2011 switch as Fox agreed to bring that network's local affiliation back to WFFT; Fox programming moved to WFFT from WISE-DT2 on March 1, with MyNetworkTV once again becoming the subchannel's sole network affiliation.[9] The last Fox program to air on WISE-DT2 was American Idol on February 28.

On February 11, 2014, it was announced that Quincy Newspapers would acquire WPTA from Malara Broadcast Group as part of its purchase of several other Granite stations, while SagamoreHill Broadcasting would acquire WISE-TV from Granite.[10] The deal was eventually re-worked to have the existing SSA wound down within nine months of the purchase's completion: at this time, WISE's NBC and MyNetworkTV affiliations were to move to subchannels of WPTA, and WPTA's The CW affiliation would be transferred to WISE-TV—which would be operated independently of Quincy without entering into any operational agreements. The switchover occurred on August 1, 2016.[11][12][13]

Newscasts

On July 24, 2006, WISE-TV began to produce a primetime newscast at 10 p.m. for the subchannel. Known on-air as Indiana's NewsCenter Prime News, the 30-minute weeknight program pre-empted regular NBC Weather Plus programming normally seen in the timeslot. It began to be simulcast on WPTA-DT2 when that subchannel launched as a CW affiliate that September. As a MyNetworkTV outlet, WISE-DT2 began to air repeats of its parent station's weekday morning newscast at 7, WPTA's midday newscast (at 1 p.m.), and the weeknight 6 o'clock broadcast at 6:30. Although WISE-TV and WPTA became the only stations in Fort Wayne to upgrade their local newscasts to 16:9 widescreen enhanced definition on May 18, 2009, all newscasts seen on WISE-DT2 remained in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition.

After WISE-DT2 joined Fox, Indiana's NewsCenter Prime News was upgraded to widescreen SD. WPTA-DT2's simulcast of that program as well as the repeats of local newscasts from WISE and WPTA on WISE-DT2's schedule were dropped at some point in the fall of 2011. Corresponding with WISE-TV and WPTA further upgrading to full HD newscasts, the primetime newscast on the subchannel was relaunched as MyFox Fort Wayne News at 10 on October 14, 2012 and began originating from a new secondary set. The program also introduced an updated graphics package and news music package that is separate from the on-air presentation of the main WISE-TV channel's local news programs. The broadcast continued to air only weeknights for a half-hour. On February 5, 2013 following the announcement that Fox programming would move back to WFFT on March 1, the 10 p.m. newscast was cancelled. On March 4, 2013, WISE-TV began newscasts at 4, 6 and 11 p.m. that effectively revived the format used on the WISE-DT2 newscast.

References

  1. ↑ 'Gilmore Girls' meet 'Smackdown'; CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September, CNNMoney.com, January 24, 2006.
  2. ↑ UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network, The New York Times, January 24, 2006.
  3. ↑ "News Corp. to launch new mini-network for UPN stations". USA Today. February 22, 2006. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ News Corp. Unveils MyNetworkTV, Broadcasting & Cable, February 22, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Fox Moves Afills In Springfield, Ft. Wayne". TVNewsCheck. June 20, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  6. ↑ Fox, Nexstar Cut Ties in Springfield, Mo. and Ft. Wayne, Broadcasting & Cable, June 20, 2011.
  7. ↑ Fox Programming Moving to Indiana's NewsCenter: August 1st, Indiana's NewsCenter, July 29, 2011.
  8. ↑ Nexstar Files Antitrust Suit Against Granite, TVNewsCheck, July 25, 2011.
  9. ↑ Malone, Michael (February 6, 2013). "Nexstar's WFFT Fort Wayne Back in Fox Fold". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Quincy Buying Stations From Granite, Malara". TVNewsCheck. February 11, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  11. ↑ "What you need to know about NBC33's channel change". WISE-TV. July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Amended Description of Agreements, Description of Transaction, and Request for Temporary Waiver". Quincy Newspapers, Inc. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Sale brings changes to local TV dial". The Journal Gazette. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

External links

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