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WJTV is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on virtual and VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Raymond. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, WJTV has studios on TV Road in southwest Jackson.

On cable, the station can be seen on Comcast Xfinity channel 13, Cable One channel 8 and Vicksburg Video channel 12 with an HD feed on Xfinity digital channel 433, Cable One digital channel 460 and Vicksburg Video digital channel 255.

WHLT (channel 22) in Hattiesburg operates as a semi-satellite of WJTV extending the CBS signal into the Pine Belt region of Mississippi. WHLT's master control, as well as some internal operations, are housed at WJTV's studios. WHLT clears all network programming as provided by its parent, simulcasts most of WJTV's newscasts and airs most of its syndicated programming (though in some cases at different times). There are also some programs that only air on WHLT while some are only seen on WJTV. WHLT also airs separate station identifications and commercials.

History

WJTV signed-on January 20, 1953 as Mississippi's first television station. In September of that year, Meridian, Mississippi ABC affiliate WTOK-TV began broadcasting on VHF channel 11. Airing an analog signal on UHF channel 25, it was founded by The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson's morning newspaper. A few weeks later, the afternoon Jackson Daily News started WSLI on channel 12. WJTV was a primary NBC affiliate, with a secondary affiliation with the DuMont Television Network; WSLI was a CBS affiliate.

The Hederman family, owners of The Clarion-Ledger, bought the Daily News in 1954. Since the FCC did not allow one person to own two stations in the same market at the time, WJTV and WSLI merged in 1955. The merged station retained WJTV's license and call sign, but moved to the more-desirable channel 12 and became a CBS affiliate. This move was similar to the merger between KPTV and KLOR in Portland, Oregon which occurred two years later. The new channel 12 also shared ABC programming with WLBT until 1970 when WAPT started operations on channel 16. WJTV was also affiliated with NBC and broadcast The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for a number of years. (Carson had attended Millsaps College in Jackson.)

From 1977 until 1983, WJTV was owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company (the same company which owned KNAZ-TV in Flagstaff, Arizona but unrelated to the Capitol Broadcasting Company of Raleigh, North Carolina). In 1983, it was sold to the News-Press & Gazette Company. Four years later, the station launched a semi-satellite for the Hattiesburg/Laurel area, WHLT. In 1993, NPG sold several of its stations, including WJTV and WHLT, to the first incarnation of New Vision Television. In turn, New Vision sold its entire stations group to Ellis Communications in 1995. Ellis was folded into Raycom Media the following year after it was bought out by a media group led by the Retirement Systems of Alabama (who bought AFLAC's broadcasting group a few months earlier).

In 1997, Raycom bought out Federal Broadcasting, owner of WHLT's rival station, WDAM-TV. Due to the presence of WHLT, this acquisition put Raycom in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) duopoly rules in the Hattiesburg/Laurel market. As a result, Raycom opted to keep the higher-rated WDAM and trade WJTV and WHLT (along with WSAV-TV in Savannah, Georgia that also had to be divested by Raycom due to its ownership of that station's rival WTOC-TV) to Media General in exchange for WTVR-TV in Richmond, Virginia (which had to be divested by Media General due to FCC same-market cross-ownership restrictions).

The trade left Raycom without a station in the Jackson market until 2006 when it acquired WLBT as part of its purchase of The Liberty Corporation. Its original digital transmitter was located at its studios on TV Road.

After an aborted merger plan with Meredith Corporation, Media General announced on January 27, 2016 that it was being acquired by Nexstar Broadcasting Group with the new company named "Nexstar Media Group". Because WNTZ-TV (owned by Nexstar) is considered part of the Alexandria DMA by the FCC (despite being licensed to Natchez, located in the Jackson market), Nexstar was not forced to sell either WNTZ or WJTV to comply with the ownership rules. The sale was completed on January 17, 2017.

WJTV-DT2

WJTV-DT2, branded as "Mississippi's CW", is the CW-affiliated second digital subchannel of WJTV, broadcasting in high definition on virtual and VHF digital channel 12.2. All programming on WJTV-DT2 is received through The CW's programming feed for smaller media markets, The CW Plus, which provides a set schedule of syndicated programming acquired by The CW during time periods without network programs; however, Nexstar handles local advertising and promotional services for the subchannel. On cable, the station is available on Xfinity digital channel 212 in standard definition and channel 435 in high definition.

On October 1, 2013, WJTV returned programming from The CW to the Jackson market after a five-month absence due to former affiliate WRBJ-TV (channel 34)'s sale to the religious Trinity Broadcasting Network. WJTV placed the network on their second digital subchannel, replacing a still of the station's weather radar.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

WJTV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 12, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 52, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era VHF channel 12.

Programming

Syndicated programming on WJTV includes Family Feud, Dr. Phil, and The Rachael Ray Show among others.

Among the syndicated shows which have aired in the past are: The Andy Griffith Show, Beanie and Cecil, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, The Burns and Allen Show, The Cosby Show, Dolly!, Eight Is Enough, The Gordon Elliott Show, Fashions in Sewing, The First Family, The Funny Company, Hee Haw, Hour Magazine, The Huckleberry Hound Show, I Believe in Miracles, Judge Judy, The Magilla Gorilla Show, Mama's Family]], Mr. Box Office, Oprah, P. M. Magazine (with sections produced locally), The People's Court, Tarzan, Billy Walker's Country Carnival, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Martha White Flour Show with Lester Flatt and Ernest Scruggs, The Wilburn Brothers Show, The Montel Williams Show, and The Yogi Bear Show.

News operation

WHLT simulcasts its parent's weekday morning show and, beginning in December 2013, airs a full 30-minute 10 p.m. newscast produced within the WJTV studio that features stories submitted by WHLT reporters. The 10 p.m. newscast is anchored by WJTV personalities Melanie Christopher, Byron Brown, and chief meteorologist Ken South, and is specially produced for the Hattiesburg market.

The Hattiesburg station will sometimes share video footage with its parent when providing relevant, regional coverage of Mississippi. In this role, WHLT essentially acts as a bureau for WJTV. At some point in spring 2012, WJTV upgraded local news production to 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen.

References

1. http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?stnNum=11589&channel=13&aid=tvschedule
2. http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?stnNum=11512&channel=10&aid=tvschedule
3. "Nexstar-Media General: It's A Done Deal". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
4. "Nexstar Clinches Deal to Acquire Media General". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
5. Reverse Auction Opening Prices - Federal Communications Commission
6. WNTZ-TV - Licensing and Management System - Federal Communications Commission
7. Nexstar Broadcasting Group Completes Acquisition of Media General Creating Nexstar Media Group, The Nation’s Second Largest Television Broadcaster Nexstar Media Group, 17 January, 2017. Retrieved 17 January, 2017.
8. RabbitEars TV Query for WJTV
9. List of Digital Full-Power Stations

External links

• Official website
• WJTV-DT2 The CW
• Template:TVQ

• Nexstar Media Group
• Television channels and stations established in 1953
• Television stations in Mississippi
• Media in Jackson, Mississippi
• CBS network affiliates
• Ion Television subchannel-only affiliates
• Laff affiliates
• New Orleans Saints broadcasters
• 1953 establishments in Mississippi