WDEM-CD
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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Ownership | |
Owner |
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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) | Analog: 17 (UHF, 1988–2009) Digital: 17 (UHF, 2009–2019) |
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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 |
Links | |
Public license information |
History
W17AI 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.
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
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17.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WDEM-CD | Main WDEM-CD programming / Vision Latina |
17.2 | 480i | Oxygen | ||
17.3 | LX | |||
17.4 | 720p | Defy TV | ||
17.5 | ||||
17.6 | 480i | Novelisima | ||
17.7 | NTD America |
References
- "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.