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Wikipedia

WMDT

January 01, 1970

WMDT (channel 47) is a television station in Salisbury, Maryland, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. It is the flagship television property of locally based Marquee Broadcasting, and has common ownership with low-power MeTV affiliate WGDV-LD (channel 32). The two stations share studios on West Main Street (mailing address is Downtown Plaza) in Salisbury; WMDT's transmitter is located in Wicomico County northeast of Mardela Springs.

WMDT
Channels
Branding
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerMarquee Broadcasting, Inc.
WGDV-LD
History
First air date
April 11, 1980 (44 years ago) (1980-04-11)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 47 (UHF, 1980–2008)
  • Digital: 53 (UHF, 2000–2008), 47 (UHF, 2008–2020)
NBC (secondary, 1980–1992)
Call sign meaning
Maryland / Delaware Television[a]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID16455
ERP246 kW
HAAT307 m (1,007 ft)
Transmitter coordinates38°30′6.4″N 75°44′7.4″W / 38.501778°N 75.735389°W / 38.501778; -75.735389
Links
Public license information
  • Public file
  • LMS
Websitewww.wmdt.com

WMDT was the second commercial station to serve the Delmarva Peninsula, signing on in April 1980. It struggled financially and was placed in court-appointed receivership less than 18 months after beginning broadcasting. From 1982 to 2013, it was owned by the Brechner family. Marquee Broadcasting acquired WMDT in 2013 as its first TV station property. In local news ratings, WMDT has long been a distant second-place station to WBOC-TV.

History edit

Construction and early struggles edit

In early 1978, the MDV Television Company petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to insert a second commercial television channel at Salisbury, then served only by primary CBS affiliate WBOC-TV (channel 16) and a Maryland Public Television repeater. In its application, MDV claimed that Delmarva was inadequately served by the Philadelphia and Baltimore stations and that WBOC-TV's local news coverage was also inadequate.[3] The commission assigned the channel in July 1978, allowing potential owners to apply for a construction permit to build and operate the station.[4]

Even though MDV Television received the permit in May, it spent part of the year fighting with local authorities in Wicomico County over the construction of a transmitting tower; some nearby landowners feared its construction would affect their property values.[5][6] Wicomico County approved construction of the tower in June.[7] The station announced it had obtained ABC affiliation in July; this was in part because among its stockholders were William Sheehan and Walter Pfister, former president and director of special news events, respectively, at ABC.[8] WMDT set up in studio facilities that once housed a Rite Aid drug store and restaurant on Salisbury's Downtown Plaza.[9][10] Shortly before launch, it picked up a secondary affiliation with NBC.[1]

WMDT began broadcasting on April 11, 1980, but it was another two months before the station aired local news programming.[11] The station struggled in its early years from technical issues, low ratings against WBOC-TV (the only station on Delmarva for 26 years[11]), and consistent rumors of financial trouble. In March 1981, MDV announced an infusion of new cash into the business.[12] President J. Paul Audet, who had previously been involved in the startup of TV stations in New Mexico and South Carolina,[8] noted that the station was three months late in getting on air, leaving it undercapitalized. In June, a receiver was appointed on a petition from the First National Bank of Maryland, which it owed $3 million plus interest.[11]

Brechner ownership edit

In 1982, a court approved the sale of WMDT to Mid-Florida Television, which owned a partial stake in WFTV in Orlando, Florida.[13][14] The sale received an objection from the station's law firm, which claimed it was owed money,[15] but it was finalized in July.[16] Joseph Brechner, the president of the company, died in 1990,[17] followed by his wife Marion in 2011.[18]

WMDT launched a bureau in Dover, Delaware, as well as translator W27AJ there, in 1987.[19] The next year, the station debuted Newswatch 27, a newscast specifically for Dover and Kent County, produced from a studio in the city and only aired on the translator; the long-term goal was to have television ratings agencies assign Kent County into the Salisbury media market, thereby making it larger and increasing revenues.[20] The Dover translator remained with WMDT, later under the call sign WEVD-LD, until later owner Marquee Broadcasting swapped it for three low-power stations owned by Lowcountry 34 Media in 2020.[21]

WMDT launched "WBD", a cable-only affiliate of The WB as part of The WB 100+ Station Group, in May 2000.[22] This service affiliated with The CW in 2006, when The WB and UPN merged,[23] and was broadcast as a subchannel of WMDT by 2008.[24] Upon the launch of The CW, it began carrying a midday and 10 p.m. newscast.[23]

Marquee Broadcasting ownership edit

Brechner Management Company announced the sale of WMDT to Marquee Broadcasting on August 8, 2013.[25][26] It was the first broadcast property for the company, owned by Brookeville residents Patricia and Brian Lane, who had sought to buy a TV station for five years.[27]

Notable former on-air staff edit

Technical information edit

Subchannels edit

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WMDT[32]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
47.1 720p 16:9 WMDT-HD ABC
47.2 CW The CW Plus
47.3 480i MeTV MeTV
47.4 Ion Ion Television

Analog-to-digital conversion edit

WMDT discontinued regular programming on its analog signal on September 22, 2008.[24] This enabled work to conclude on relocating WMDT's digital signal from its pre-transition channel 53 to channel 47.[24][33] WMDT relocated its signal from channel 47 to channel 29 on March 13, 2020, as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction.[34]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ The owners had hoped to name the station WMDV, with a V for Virginia, but that call sign was already in use.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Leonard, Tom (March 30, 1980). "WMDT-TV: New Salisbury Station Will Soon Be On The Air". The Sunday Times. p. D1. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WMDT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ Dalecki, Kenneth (April 5, 1978). "New TV Outlet Proposed Here". The Daily Times. p. 11. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Dalecki, Kenneth B. (July 15, 1978). "FCC Clears Way For New TV Station". The Daily Times. p. 6. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Tower Snag Is Delaying Things: New TV Station Gets FCC Approval". The Daily Times. May 8, 1979. p. 2. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Tolbert, Glenn (April 13, 1979). "TV Group Seeks New Hearing". The Daily Times. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Television Tower". The Daily Times. July 3, 1979. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Carter, Bill (July 18, 1979). "New Shore TV station gets ABC affiliation". The Baltimore Sun. p. B6. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Messick, Kent (December 23, 1979). "Shore Will Soon Have 2 Television Stations". The Sunday Times. p. D1. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Restaurant Is To Be Closed". The Daily Times. January 10, 1980. p. 10. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c Corddry, Mary (June 12, 1981). "Injunction deals latest of many blows to Shore TV station". The Baltimore Sun. p. C3. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Channel 47 Battling Financial Problems". The Daily Times. March 8, 1981. p. C13. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Robinson, Bill (February 2, 1982). "Court OKs Sale Of Channel 47 Station". The Daily Times. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Groer, Anne (July 2, 1981). "Channel 9 ownership approved after 24 years". Sentinel Star. p. 2-C. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Bedard, Paul (June 20, 1982). "Judge Denies TV-47 Suit Seeking $17,000". The Daily Times. p. A2. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Salisbury TV unit sold". The Evening Sun. July 9, 1982. p. C7. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Jean, Charlie (February 27, 1990). "Brechner, founder of Channel 9, dies". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. B-1, B-4. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Marion Brechner". The Daily Times. January 9, 2011. p. B2. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Station expands". The Morning News. July 16, 1987. p. D2. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Mullinax, Gary (July 11, 1988). "Dover gets its own TV newscast: Station looks northward from Salisbury, Md., for new business". The Morning News. p. B1, B6. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Miller, Mark K. (April 3, 2020). "Marquee, Low Country Media to Swap LPTVs".
  22. ^ "WB on the air". The Daily Times. May 9, 2000. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ a b "WMDT to add noon, 10 p.m. newscasts". The Daily Times. September 1, 2006. p. 35. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b c McLain, Kathleen (September 22, 2008). "WMDT digital switch is on, starting today". The Daily Times. p. A5. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Marquee Broadcasting To Acquire WMDT-TV". WMDT 47 News. August 8, 2013. from the original on August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  26. ^ Malone, Michael (August 8, 2013). "WMDT in Salisbury, Md. Sells for $9 Million". Broadcasting & Cable. from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  27. ^ "WMDT station sold for $9 million". The Daily Times. August 8, 2013. ProQuest 1418711576.
  28. ^ "Bernstein is CBS-bound as reporter". Asbury Park Press. June 19, 1998. p. C5. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Cain, Brooke (August 2, 2020). "Fishel's leap of faith' leads him away from his North Carolina home". The News and Observer. pp. 1A, 4A, 5A. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Stanglin, Doug (May 23, 2014). "Pills possible factor in Fox News anchor's arrest". The Daily Times. USA Today. from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  31. ^ Roache, George (July 14, 1995). "A forecast for success: Salisbury's Mike Seidel turns childhood hobby into a career with The Weather Channel". The Daily Times. pp. 11, 12. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "TV Query for WMDT". RabbitEars. from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  33. ^ (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table" (CSV). Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • WMDT-DT2 "Delmarva CW 3"

January 01, 1970
wmdt, channel, television, station, salisbury, maryland, united, states, affiliated, with, plus, flagship, television, property, locally, based, marquee, broadcasting, common, ownership, with, power, metv, affiliate, wgdv, channel, stations, share, studios, we. WMDT channel 47 is a television station in Salisbury Maryland United States affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus It is the flagship television property of locally based Marquee Broadcasting and has common ownership with low power MeTV affiliate WGDV LD channel 32 The two stations share studios on West Main Street mailing address is Downtown Plaza in Salisbury WMDT s transmitter is located in Wicomico County northeast of Mardela Springs WMDTSalisbury MarylandUnited StatesChannelsDigital 29 UHF Virtual 47Branding47 ABCDelmarva CW 3 on DT2 ProgrammingAffiliations47 1 ABC47 2 CW for others see SubchannelsOwnershipOwnerMarquee Broadcasting Inc Sister stationsWGDV LDHistoryFirst air dateApril 11 1980 44 years ago 1980 04 11 Former channel number s Analog 47 UHF 1980 2008 Digital 53 UHF 2000 2008 47 UHF 2008 2020 Former affiliationsNBC secondary 1980 1992 Call sign meaningMaryland Delaware Television a Technical information 2 Licensing authorityFCCFacility ID16455ERP246 kWHAAT307 m 1 007 ft Transmitter coordinates38 30 6 4 N 75 44 7 4 W 38 501778 N 75 735389 W 38 501778 75 735389LinksPublic license informationPublic fileLMSWebsitewww wbr wmdt wbr com WMDT was the second commercial station to serve the Delmarva Peninsula signing on in April 1980 It struggled financially and was placed in court appointed receivership less than 18 months after beginning broadcasting From 1982 to 2013 it was owned by the Brechner family Marquee Broadcasting acquired WMDT in 2013 as its first TV station property In local news ratings WMDT has long been a distant second place station to WBOC TV Contents 1 History 1 1 Construction and early struggles 1 2 Brechner ownership 1 3 Marquee Broadcasting ownership 1 4 Notable former on air staff 2 Technical information 2 1 Subchannels 2 2 Analog to digital conversion 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksHistory editConstruction and early struggles edit In early 1978 the MDV Television Company petitioned the Federal Communications Commission FCC to insert a second commercial television channel at Salisbury then served only by primary CBS affiliate WBOC TV channel 16 and a Maryland Public Television repeater In its application MDV claimed that Delmarva was inadequately served by the Philadelphia and Baltimore stations and that WBOC TV s local news coverage was also inadequate 3 The commission assigned the channel in July 1978 allowing potential owners to apply for a construction permit to build and operate the station 4 Even though MDV Television received the permit in May it spent part of the year fighting with local authorities in Wicomico County over the construction of a transmitting tower some nearby landowners feared its construction would affect their property values 5 6 Wicomico County approved construction of the tower in June 7 The station announced it had obtained ABC affiliation in July this was in part because among its stockholders were William Sheehan and Walter Pfister former president and director of special news events respectively at ABC 8 WMDT set up in studio facilities that once housed a Rite Aid drug store and restaurant on Salisbury s Downtown Plaza 9 10 Shortly before launch it picked up a secondary affiliation with NBC 1 WMDT began broadcasting on April 11 1980 but it was another two months before the station aired local news programming 11 The station struggled in its early years from technical issues low ratings against WBOC TV the only station on Delmarva for 26 years 11 and consistent rumors of financial trouble In March 1981 MDV announced an infusion of new cash into the business 12 President J Paul Audet who had previously been involved in the startup of TV stations in New Mexico and South Carolina 8 noted that the station was three months late in getting on air leaving it undercapitalized In June a receiver was appointed on a petition from the First National Bank of Maryland which it owed 3 million plus interest 11 Brechner ownership edit In 1982 a court approved the sale of WMDT to Mid Florida Television which owned a partial stake in WFTV in Orlando Florida 13 14 The sale received an objection from the station s law firm which claimed it was owed money 15 but it was finalized in July 16 Joseph Brechner the president of the company died in 1990 17 followed by his wife Marion in 2011 18 WMDT launched a bureau in Dover Delaware as well as translator W27AJ there in 1987 19 The next year the station debuted Newswatch 27 a newscast specifically for Dover and Kent County produced from a studio in the city and only aired on the translator the long term goal was to have television ratings agencies assign Kent County into the Salisbury media market thereby making it larger and increasing revenues 20 The Dover translator remained with WMDT later under the call sign WEVD LD until later owner Marquee Broadcasting swapped it for three low power stations owned by Lowcountry 34 Media in 2020 21 WMDT launched WBD a cable only affiliate of The WB as part of The WB 100 Station Group in May 2000 22 This service affiliated with The CW in 2006 when The WB and UPN merged 23 and was broadcast as a subchannel of WMDT by 2008 24 Upon the launch of The CW it began carrying a midday and 10 p m newscast 23 Marquee Broadcasting ownership edit Brechner Management Company announced the sale of WMDT to Marquee Broadcasting on August 8 2013 25 26 It was the first broadcast property for the company owned by Brookeville residents Patricia and Brian Lane who had sought to buy a TV station for five years 27 Notable former on air staff edit Bonnie Bernstein later with ESPN and CBS Sports 28 Greg Fishel later with WRAL TV 29 Gregg Jarrett now with Fox News Channel 30 Mike Seidel now with The Weather Channel 31 Technical information editSubchannels edit The station s signal is multiplexed Subchannels of WMDT 32 Channel Res Aspect Short name Programming 47 1 720p 16 9 WMDT HD ABC 47 2 CW The CW Plus 47 3 480i MeTV MeTV 47 4 Ion Ion Television Analog to digital conversion edit WMDT discontinued regular programming on its analog signal on September 22 2008 24 This enabled work to conclude on relocating WMDT s digital signal from its pre transition channel 53 to channel 47 24 33 WMDT relocated its signal from channel 47 to channel 29 on March 13 2020 as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction 34 See also editChannel 29 digital TV stations in the United States Channel 47 virtual TV stations in the United StatesNotes edit The owners had hoped to name the station WMDV with a V for Virginia but that call sign was already in use 1 References edit a b Leonard Tom March 30 1980 WMDT TV New Salisbury Station Will Soon Be On The Air The Sunday Times p D1 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Facility Technical Data for WMDT Licensing and Management System Federal Communications Commission Dalecki Kenneth April 5 1978 New TV Outlet Proposed Here The Daily Times p 11 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Dalecki Kenneth B July 15 1978 FCC Clears Way For New TV Station The Daily Times p 6 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Tower Snag Is Delaying Things New TV Station Gets FCC Approval The Daily Times May 8 1979 p 2 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Tolbert Glenn April 13 1979 TV Group Seeks New Hearing The Daily Times p 3 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Television Tower The Daily Times July 3 1979 p 3 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com a b Carter Bill July 18 1979 New Shore TV station gets ABC affiliation The Baltimore Sun p B6 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Messick Kent December 23 1979 Shore Will Soon Have 2 Television Stations The Sunday Times p D1 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Restaurant Is To Be Closed The Daily Times January 10 1980 p 10 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com a b c Corddry Mary June 12 1981 Injunction deals latest of many blows to Shore TV station The Baltimore Sun p C3 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Channel 47 Battling Financial Problems The Daily Times March 8 1981 p C13 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Robinson Bill February 2 1982 Court OKs Sale Of Channel 47 Station The Daily Times p 3 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Groer Anne July 2 1981 Channel 9 ownership approved after 24 years Sentinel Star p 2 C Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Bedard Paul June 20 1982 Judge Denies TV 47 Suit Seeking 17 000 The Daily Times p A2 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Salisbury TV unit sold The Evening Sun July 9 1982 p C7 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Jean Charlie February 27 1990 Brechner founder of Channel 9 dies The Orlando Sentinel pp B 1 B 4 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Marion Brechner The Daily Times January 9 2011 p B2 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Station expands The Morning News July 16 1987 p D2 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Mullinax Gary July 11 1988 Dover gets its own TV newscast Station looks northward from Salisbury Md for new business The Morning News p B1 B6 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Miller Mark K April 3 2020 Marquee Low Country Media to Swap LPTVs WB on the air The Daily Times May 9 2000 p 3 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com a b WMDT to add noon 10 p m newscasts The Daily Times September 1 2006 p 35 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com a b c McLain Kathleen September 22 2008 WMDT digital switch is on starting today The Daily Times p A5 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Marquee Broadcasting To Acquire WMDT TV WMDT 47 News August 8 2013 Archived from the original on August 11 2013 Retrieved August 9 2013 Malone Michael August 8 2013 WMDT in Salisbury Md Sells for 9 Million Broadcasting amp Cable Archived from the original on September 9 2013 Retrieved August 9 2013 WMDT station sold for 9 million The Daily Times August 8 2013 ProQuest 1418711576 Bernstein is CBS bound as reporter Asbury Park Press June 19 1998 p C5 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Cain Brooke August 2 2020 Fishel s leap of faith leads him away from his North Carolina home The News and Observer pp 1A 4A 5A Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com Stanglin Doug May 23 2014 Pills possible factor in Fox News anchor s arrest The Daily Times USA Today Archived from the original on April 10 2021 Retrieved May 6 2023 Roache George July 14 1995 A forecast for success Salisbury s Mike Seidel turns childhood hobby into a career with The Weather Channel The Daily Times pp 11 12 Retrieved May 6 2023 via Newspapers com TV Query for WMDT RabbitEars Archived from the original on February 22 2014 Retrieved February 5 2014 DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds PDF Federal Communications Commission May 23 2006 Archived from the original PDF on August 29 2013 Retrieved August 29 2021 FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table CSV Federal Communications Commission April 13 2017 Archived from the original on April 17 2017 Retrieved April 17 2017 External links editOfficial website WMDT DT2 Delmarva CW 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title WMDT amp oldid 1212205240, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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