WLLZ-LP
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| Cedar / Traverse City / Cadillac, Michigan |
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| City of license | Cedar |
| Branding | My TV 12 |
| Slogan | Traverse City's Best Kept Secret |
| Channels | Analog: 12 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | MyNetworkTV RTV America One (secondary) |
| Owner | P & P Cable Holdings |
| Founded | December 12, 1996 |
| Call letters' meaning | reads like "wheels" (former calls of Detroit's WDZH-FM) |
| Former callsigns | W51CS (1996-2001) W12CX (2001-2003) |
| Former channel number(s) | 51 (UHF, 1996-2001) |
| Former affiliations | Urban America Television (2003-2006) The Sportsman Channel (secondary, to 2009) |
| Transmitter power | 0.893 kW |
| Height | 166 m |
| Facility ID | 16651 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 44°45′22″N 85°40′42″W / 44.75611°N 85.67833°W |
WLLZ-LP is the low-powered MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan that is licensed to Cedar. It broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter west of downtown Traverse City near Harris and Cedar Run Roads. Owned by P & P Cable Holdings, the station also airs programming from the Retro Television Network and some selected shows from America One. WLLZ can be seen on Charter channel 72 throughout the northern Lower Peninsula. Starting in 2010, the station was also carried on Charter in the eastern Upper Peninsula (including Sault Ste. Marie).
[edit] History
The station began broadcasting in 1996 on UHF channel 51 with the call sign W51CS. In 2001, it moved to VHF channel 12 and used the call letters W12CX. In 2003, they upgraded to low-power status and its calls became the current WLLZ-LP. In December of that year, the station became an affiliate of Urban America Television. It added America One programming to its schedule in Summer 2004. WLLZ became a full affiliate of the network in May 2006 when Urban America Television ceased operations.
It picked up MyNetworkTV at some point in 2008. Until then, there was no local affiliate in the northern Michigan market. In June 2008, the station was added to Charter digital channel 202 throughout the northern Lower Peninsula. It moved to the basic tier on channel 72 in December 2008.
From 1980 to 1996, the WLLZ calls were used by an album oriented rock FM radio station broadcasting on 98.7 in the Detroit area, nicknamed "Wheels 98.7". Rumour was that "WLLZ" stood for "We Love Led Zeppelin." From 1996 to 2009, 98.7 broadcast as Smooth Jazz V 98.7. That channel is currently Top 40 station WDZH. WLLZ's owner, P & P Cable Holdings, is known for picking up calls discarded by other Michigan radio and television stations for use on their own stations.
On May 15, 2009, this station discontinued an affiliation with The Sportsman Channel (which was phasing out its over-the-air affiliations) and added RTV, with America One programming significantly reduced (though not entirely eliminated). Previously from 2007 until 2008, NBC affiliate WPBN-TV carried RTV on a second digital subchannel. This was dropped in favor of a simulcast of ABC affiliate WGTU. Due to its low-powered status, WLLZ was exempt from switching to digital-only broadcasting on June 12, 2009. They currently have no plans to add a digital signal or switch through a "flash-cut".
[edit] Programming
Until May 2009, WLLZ aired INN National News, a newscast produced by Independent News Network in Davenport, Iowa that is contracted out by America One. The station also previously simulcasted a video and audio feed of the Greg Marshall show on WMKT radio from 7AM to 8AM; during the program, there are national news updates from Fox News, local news headlines, weather forecasts, sports scores, and call-in talk segments. The simulcast ended in early 2011.
[edit] External links
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