WDEM-CD (channel 17) is a low-power, Class A television station in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The station is owned by Innovate Corp. and mostly broadcasts subchannels featuring infomercials and diginets.
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| Programming | |
| Affiliations | see § Subchannels |
| Ownership | |
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| History | |
| Founded | January 8, 1986 |
First air date | August 31, 1987 |
Former call signs |
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Former channel number(s) |
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| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 54414 |
| Class | CD |
| ERP | 15 kW |
| HAAT | 219.6 m (720 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°58′14″N 83°1′16″W / 39.97056°N 83.02111°W |
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Public license information | |
History
editW17AI began broadcasting in 1987. It was owned by Regional Broadcasting Corporation, owned by Gary and Susan Clarke; beginning in 1988, it primarily served to rebroadcast WWAT-TV in Chillicothe. At the time, WWAT-TV had been removed from all three of the cable systems in the Columbus area.[2][3] This was a change from Clarke's original plan for programming W17AI after he purchased the permit from the LaMarca Group of New York City the year before; he had originally intended on programming oriented to the large campus audience at Ohio State University.[4][5] The Clarkes sold the station in August 1989 to WWAT-TV owner Wendell A. Triplett.[6] In 1991, W17AI split from WWAT-TV to broadcast the Home Shopping Network.[7] The call sign was changed to WDEM-LP in 1998.
In early 2009, the station—still owned by Triplett—changed its programming from home shopping to an arts and culture format known as "Lifeline Columbus" under the leadership of David Chesnet.[8] The station had previously become a Class A station in December 2008, changing call signs from WDEM-CA to WDEM-CD.[9] The station also converted to digital in 2009 and added a subchannel airing Telemundo in 2010. Subchannels aired in the 2010s included Universal Sports and Justice Network (now True Crime Network). Minority Brands, owned by Richard Schilg, acquired WDEM-CD from Triplett for $75,000 in 2014.[10]
On April 3, 2019, HC2 Holdings closed on its acquisition of WDEM from Minority Brands, Inc., for $866,000.[11] The station then moved from channel 17 to channel 24 as part of the repack, with Telemundo replaced by HC2-owned Azteca América.
Subchannels
editThe station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17.1 | 480i | 4:3 | WDEM-CD | Infomercials |
| 17.2 | 16:9 | Oxygen | ||
| 17.3 | NBC American Crimes | |||
| 17.4 | The365 | |||
| 17.5 | Defy | |||
| 17.6 | Outlaw | |||
| 17.7 | NTD America | |||
| 17.8 | 4:3 | ShopHQ |
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WDEM-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Channel 17 has plans for live TV: Station to start with programs from Channel 53". The Columbus Dispatch. August 26, 1988. p. 11F.
- ^ Lilly, Stephen (August 29, 1988). "WWAT Buys Share of Channel 17". Columbus Business First. p. 7. ProQuest 232371732.
- ^ Jones, David (April 21, 1987). "Low-power TV goes strong". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8B.
- ^ Jones, David (September 3, 1985). "CBS looks at invasion by Latin neighbors". The Columbus Dispatch. p. D9.
- ^ "At the FCC" (PDF). LPTV Report. October 1989. p. 45.
- ^ "Broadcast bits". The Columbus Dispatch. November 13, 1991. p. 9E.
- ^ Feran, Tim (March 9, 2009). "Tiny station seeks niche as beacon of culture". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 1D.
- ^ "Report No. 513 Media Bureau Call Sign Actions December 17, 2008". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Richard Schilg Acquires WDEM Columbus". Broadcasting & Cable. July 30, 2014.
- ^ Jacobson, Adam (April 3, 2019). "HC2 Closes On Columbus Class A". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ "RabbitEars listing for WDEM-CD". RabbitEars.info.