WBMM

WBMM

Tuskegee/Montgomery, Alabama
Branding	Montgomery's CW ABC 32 (on DT2)
Slogan	TV to Talk About
Channels	Digital: 22 (UHF) & WNCF-DT 32.2 (UHF) Virtual: 22 (PSIP)
Subchannels	22.1 The CW 22.2 ABC
Owner	Bahakel Communications (Alabama Broadcasting Partners)
First air date	September 17, 1999
Call letters' meaning	We Belong in MontgoMery
Sister station(s)	WNCF, WAKA
Former channel number(s)	22 (UHF analog, 2002-2009) 24 (UHF digital, 2002-2009)
Former affiliations	Pax (1999-2005) Daystar (2005-2006)
Transmitter power	65 kW 50 kW (WNCF-DT2)
Height	341 m 545 m (WNCF-DT2)
Class	DT
Facility ID	68427 72307 (WNCF-DT2)
Transmitter coordinates	32°4′4.1″N 85°56′39.7″W 32°8′30.3″N 86°44′42.2″W (WNCF-DT2)

WBMM is the CW-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt licensed to Tuskegee. It broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 from a transmitter in unincorporated southwestern Bullock County along the Pike County line. The station can also be seen on Bright House Networks channel 9, Charter channel 14, and Knology channel 19. Owned by Bahakel Communications, WBMM is sister to CBS affiliate WAKA and ABC affiliate WNCF. The latter is actually owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting but operated by Bahakel through a shared services agreement (SSA).

Currently, WBMM and WNCF share studios on Harrison Road in North Montgomery while WAKA maintains a separate facility on Eastern Boulevard/US 80/US 231 in South Central Montgomery. Even though it is a full-powered outlet, WBMM is part of the national CW Plus programming service. The station has a website typical of CW Plus affiliates with some custom, localized content. The station can also be seen over-the-air in standard definition on WNCF's second digital subchannel. This airs on UHF channel 32.2 from a transmitter in Gordonville.

Digital Television

On WBMM-DT2 is a simulcast of co-owned WNCF.

Channel	Name	Video	Aspect	Programming
22.1	WBMM-CW	480i	4:3	Main WBMM programming / The CW
22.2	ABC-HD	720p	16:9	Simulcast of co-owned WNCF

History

The station signed-on September 17, 1999 as a Pax affiliate airing an analog signal on UHF channel 22. WBMM became an affiliate of Daystar for a year in 2005 before eventually joining The CW (through The CW Plus) in 2006. The latter network switch was the result of The WB and UPN shutting down and merging to form The CW. Although there was no known WB affiliate in Montgomery, UPN was seen through Troy's WRJM-TV (now WIYC). It was announced on July 7, 2011 that Bahakel Communications would purchase WBMM from SagamoreHill Broadcasting for $3.5 million. The acquiring company then immediately entered into a shared services agreement with SagamoreHill which resulted in WNCF beginning to be operated by WAKA.

The official transfer of WBMM from SagamoreHill to Bahakel was completed on October 31 after which Bahakel obtained a waiver of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) duopoly regulations that requires a market to be left with eight unique television station owners after a duopoly is formed. SagamoreHill had previously acquired WBMM in 2006 with an FCC "failing station" waiver because the Montgomery/Selma market has only eight commercially licensed full-power stations and the formation of any co-owned duopoly would have left the market with only seven unique station owners. Under the current SSA arrangement with Bahakel, SagamoreHill retains responsibility for WNCF's programming, personnel, and finances while the former company provides that station with sales, administrative, production, and technical services.

Despite being the senior partner in the proposed agreement, WAKA will vacate its current facilities in South Central Montgomery and consolidate into WNCF's studios at some point in 2012. This is most likely due to the fact (and the irony) that Bahakel has always owned WNCF's facility and has been leasing it to SagamoreHill. Bahakel owned and operated WNCF (as WKAB-TV) until 1985 when it purchased the more desirable WAKA. FCC rules at the time prevented dual television station ownership in a market so the WKAB license was sold but the building and grounds retained. In addition, WNCF's property offers more space for a proposed expansion as compared with the land surrounding WAKA's smaller studios.

News operation

Weeknight news open.

In January 2007, WBMM entered into a news share agreement with WAKA allowing the big three affiliate to produce a weeknight prime time newscast on this station. Known as CW News at Nine, the broadcast could be seen for thirty minutes and originated from WAKA's studios featuring the CBS affiliate's on-air personnel. On April 16, 2010, WNCF expanded its partnership with the Independent News Network (INN) and launched a half-hour newscast weeknights at 9 on WBMM. Still known by the same title, the show airs from INN's studios on Tremont Avenue in Davenport, Iowa.

The news anchor, meteorologist, and sports anchor are provided by the centralized news operation with other personnel filling-in as needed. WBMM maintains two locally-based reporters at its studios who contribute Montgomery-specific coverage to the newscast that is taped in advance and fed to the station through satellite relay. A news share agreement was established between WBMM and then-sister station WLTZ in Columbus, Georgia to share resources when covering East-Central Alabama since Montgomery and Columbus have coverage areas bordering each other.

As a result, additional reporters locally employed by WLTZ are seen during CW News at Nine. Specific changes to newscast offerings on this outlet as a result of WBMM and WNCF merging operations with WAKA remain to be seen. Presumably since WAKA has a locally-based news department in Montgomery, the outsourcing agreement with the Independent News Network would be terminated and live broadcasts be produced for WBMM. Perhaps more uncertain is the status of a news share agreement between WAKA and Fox affiliate WCOV-TV where the CBS affiliate produces a nightly prime time newscast at 9 on the latter station.

News team

+ denotes personnel based at WLTZ

Anchors

• Amanda Decker - weeknight news and producer
• Phil Doherty - producer and fill-in weeknight news
• Ryan Bass - producer and fill-in weeknight news
• Pat Walker (NWA Seal of Approval) - Senior Meteorologist seen weeknights
• Erik Garlick - fill-in weeknight meteorologist
• Dan Bronis - fill-in weeknight meteorologist
• Jeremy Moss - weeknight sports and producer
• Roland Glembine - producer and fill-in weeknight sports

Hosts

• Andrea Jackson - The Daily Buzz
• Andy Campbell - The Daily Buzz
• Holly Hannula - The Daily Buzz
• Mitch English - The Daily Buzz
• Michelle Yarn - The Daily Buzz
• Kia Malone - The Daily Buzz

Reporters

• Bob Gambacurta - "The Capitol Report" segment producer
• + Matt Lally - News Content Producer
• + Donyel Perry - photojournalist
• + Jeremy Babin - sports
• + Christina Chambers
• Morgan Hightower
• + Sara Belsole
• Lisa Blackwell

External links

• WBMM "Montgomery's CW"
• WNCF "ABC 32"
• WAKA "CBS 8"
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WBMM