WTMU-LP
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| Boston, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Telemundo Boston |
| Channels | Digital: 46 (UHF, not yet on air) |
| Affiliations | silent, to be Telemundo |
| Owner | ZGS Communications (ZGS Boston, Inc.) |
| First air date | April 1995 |
| Last air date | April 9, 2010 (to return soon) |
| Call letters' meaning | TeleMUndo |
| Sister station(s) | WNEU |
| Former callsigns | W32AY (1995-2002) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 32 (1995-2000s) 67 (2006-2010) |
| Transmitter power | 11.2 kW |
| Facility ID | 64996 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°18′37.0″N 71°14′14.0″W / 42.31028°N 71.23722°W |
| Website | nuevainglaterra.holaciudad.com |
WTMU-LP is a low-power television station serving the Boston market. It is owned by ZGS Communications, and serves as the Telemundo affiliate for Boston and immediate suburbs. WTMU's programming is also available in southern New Hampshire and Boston's northern suburbs via a full-power satellite station, WNEU channel 34 (although ZGS considers WNEU to be the primary). The station has a construction permit to broadcast a digital signal on channel 46[1], and is currently silent pending construction of this facility.[2]
[edit] History
WTMU-LP signed on in April 1995 as W32AY, operating on channel 32.[3] In September 2000, the station began to relay its programs on WWDP, giving it a chance to better compete with WUNI, the established Spanish station in the area.[4][5] Originally owned by Telemundo itself, W32AY was sold to ZGS in 2001.[6] In February 2002, W32AY became WTMU-LP, and on July 1, WWDP discontinued its relay of the station.[4][5]
In December 2002, NBC (who acquired Telemundo several months earlier) purchased WPXB (now WNEU), and converted it to a new WTMU relay, as it is today.
For a time in the mid-2000s, WTMU was off-the-air, as channel 32 had been assigned to WBPX-TV for its digital signal[7], and the station's attempt to move to channel 67 was hindered by interference from WBPX's now-defunct analog signal on channel 68.[8] WTMU returned in December 2006; it reduced its power and relocated its transmitter to alleviate the interference.[8]
Although low-power stations were exempt from the 2009 analog shutdown that full-service stations were subject to, WTMU initiated plans for a digital signal on October 27, 2006 by applying for a construction permit for a digital companion channel on VHF channel 3.[9] On August 28, 2008, WTMU changed its plans and applied to flash-cut to channel 42, which was to have become available after WHDH-TV moved its digital signal to channel 7[10]; the original application was dismissed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 27, 2009[11], but a new application was filed on May 21.[12] A move was necessary, as the spectrum that channel 67 is located within had been auctioned off and was being removed from the television bandplan.[12]
Before WTMU's application could be approved, WHDH requested to return its digital signal to channel 42, leading to WTMU withdrawing its application for the channel on August 24 and filing instead to move to channel 46[1]; the FCC dismissed the channel 42 application on August 26, 2009[13], at the same time also canceling the construction permit for the previously-proposed digital companion channel.[9] (As of June 2010[update], however, both channels 3 and 42 remain listed in the FCC database.) In the meantime, WTMU was unable to get a digital signal on the air before being forced to terminate the analog signal on April 9, 2010, resulting in the station suspending operations.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 24, 2009. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1328843&Service=LD&Form_id=346&Facility_id=64996. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ a b "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communincations Commission. April 12, 2010. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1363604&Service=TX&Form_id=910&Facility_id=64996. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ^ "The Boston Radio Timeline". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. http://www.bostonradio.org/timeline.html. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^ a b George, Peter Q. (December 13, 2008). "WHRC-TV, Channel 46 (Ind.)". UHF Morgue. RadioDXer.com. http://radiodxer.bravehost.com/whrc.html. Retrieved March 27, 2010. "On September 18, 2000, WWDP began broadcasting the Spanish network Telemundo during most of their broadcast day. On July 1, 2002, the Telemundo affiliation came to an end and moved on to ZGS Broadcasting's WTMU-LP, Channel 32 in Boston…"
- ^ a b Fybush, Scott (July 8, 2002). "WMTW Clears Out". North East RadioWatch. http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-020708.html. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^ "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGN CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE FOR TV OR FM TRANSLATOR STATION OR LOW POWER TELEVISION STATION OR TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF ENTITY HOLDING TV OR FM TRANSLATOR OR LOW POWER TELEVISION STATION". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. April 30, 2001. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=556167&Service=TX&Form_id=345&Facility_id=64996. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ^ "Engineering STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 8, 2008. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1245276&Service=TX&Form_id=911&Facility_id=64996. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ^ a b "Engineering STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 17, 2006. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1162154&Service=TX&Form_id=911&Facility_id=64996. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ^ a b "Application Search Details (1)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1151887. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION (1)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 28, 2008. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1263677&Service=LD&Form_id=346&Facility_id=64996. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
- ^ "Application Search Details (2)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1263677. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ^ a b (2) "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 21, 2009. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1316936&Service=LD&Form_id=346&Facility_id=64996 (2). Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ^ "Application Search Details (3)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1316936. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
[edit] External links
- WNEU website
- WNEU advertising sales website (active, but has not been updated since 2006)
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WTMU-LP
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