WLFT-CD
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
| |
|---|---|
| City | Baker, Louisiana |
| Channels | |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Family Worship Center Church, Inc. |
| History | |
| Founded | August 19, 1998 |
First air date | August 31, 1998 (as a cable channel) 2005 (over the air) |
Former call signs | K52CQ (1989–1998) WLFT-LP (1998–2003) WLFT-CA (2003–2011) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 52 (UHF, 1998–2005) 30 (UHF, 2005–2011) |
| Analog/CD1: Pax (1998–2002) FamilyNet (2002–2011) MeTV (2011–2021)/Independent (primary)/Soul of the South (secondary)/NewsNet (tertiary) CD2: MeTV (2011–June 2021) CD3: ZUUS Country (2012–2013) TV Scout (2013–2014) GetTV (2014–2017) HSN (2017–2018) Antenna TV (June–September 2021) Newsnet (January 2019-June 2019, September 2021-January 2023 CD4: Soul of the South (2013–2016) NewsNet (June–September 2021) Antenna TV (September 2016-June 2021, September 2021-January 2023) | |
Call sign meaning | Lifeline Family Television Louisiana Family Television Local Free TV Live Festival Television |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 8653 |
| Class | CD |
| ERP | 11.76 kW |
| HAAT | 144.8 m (475 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 30°22′50.4″N 91°3′16.5″W / 30.380667°N 91.054583°W |
| Translator(s) | KGLA-DT 42.4 (35.6 UHF) New Orleans |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
WLFT-CD (channel 30) is a low-power, Class A religious television station licensed to Baker, Louisiana, United States, serving the Baton Rouge area as the flagship station of the Sonlife Broadcasting Network. The station is owned by Family Worship Center Church, and has a transmitter on Honore Lane southeast of Baton Rouge.
History
WLFT started as channel 4 on Cox Cable, with programming from the Pax network in 1998. It also broadcast local religious programming on cable channel 17 and over the air on channel 52, as "WLFT/2". It was originally launched by the Bethany World Prayer Center through its subsidiary Touch Family Broadcasting, and the call sign originally stood for "Lifeline Family Television" after Bethany's flagship program. Other call acronyms used during the era of Touch Family Broadcasting included "Louisiana Family Television" and later "Local Free TV" until 2019 when it stopped using a slogan.
In 2002, WLFT converted to all-religious programming and Pax was moved to cable channel 14 (now on 70), as a direct network feed. The station also aired some programming from FamilyNet. In November of that year, WLFT-CA launched its new 500-foot (150 m) tower, allowing the station to increase its signal strength and reach more homes in communities like Hammond, Gonzales, New Roads and St. Francisville. It remained on channel 52 until fall 2005 when it relocated to channel 30.
In July 2011, the station converted to digital and began to carry programming from MeTV during the late-afternoon through early morning hours while airing local and religious-based programming during other hours. In the fall of 2011, the station launched a second HD subchannel, 30.2, which carried MeTV's entire lineup.
WLFT launched a third subchannel on October 3, 2012, which carried The Country Network (present-day Zuus Country). One year later, on October 2, 2013, Zuus Country was removed in favor of TV Scout. TV Scout was removed in July 2014 in favor of GetTV, which remained on channel 30.3 until late June 2017 before being replaced with the Home Shopping Network on July 1, 2017. On January 1, 2019, HSN was removed, and WLFT became a charter affiliate for NewsNet, airing the network on this subchannel.[2]
In August 2013, the station added the African-American centered Soul of the South Network to its fourth subchannel. On September 14, 2016, WLFT brought Antenna TV programming to Baton Rouge on channel 30.4. During the 2010s, only the main channel, 30.1, was carried by local cable providers.
By 2018, channel 30.1 (Cox 117) began carrying more original, local programming, especially a Thursday night lineup of original shows: A Better Life, Black & White, Let's Talk About Dogs, Kel's Cars and Colorado Xtreme. On June 28, 2021, WLFT lost its MeTV affiliation to a subchannel of MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH, and so it moved its Antenna TV affiliation to its main channel, took channel 30.2 dark, and duplicated Antenna TV feed on 30.3 full time, and shifted its NewsNet feed to 30.4.
On September 22, 2021, Touch Family Broadcasting sold the station to Red Stick Broadcasting, owned by WLFT station manager Lucas Fry and Kerry Denny.[3] When this happened, Antenna TV disappeared from the station's main feed with its primary feed reverted to channel 30.4, Newsnet was moved back to 30.3, and the main channel aired a mixture of movies from Soul of the South Network, independent films produced and/or filmed in Louisiana, and other local and syndicated programming, including NewsNet during the morning hours. Red Stick Broadcasting also branded WLFT as "Live Festival Television," providing coverage of numerous festivals, parades, tailgate parties, and other events throughout South Louisiana. On November 1, 2021, WLFT simulcast its main feed in standard definition on the fourth subchannel of New Orleans Telemundo affiliate KGLA, and it brought Telemundo programming to Baton Rouge for the first time by airing a standard definition simulcast (later upgraded to high definition by April 2022) of KGLA on channel 30.2.
On October 3, 2022, Lucas Fry filed an application with the FCC to sell WLFT to Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center. The FCC granted this license transfer on November 15, 2022.[4][5] On December 5, 2022, WLFT's main channel began simulcasting Sonlife Broadcasting Network's programming.[6] In late January 2023, Family Worship Center took channels 30.3 (NewsNet) and 30.4 (Antenna TV) dark, leaving only the main Sonlife feed on 30.1 and the rebroadcast of KGLA on channel 30.2. Antenna TV would return to Baton Rouge on March 1, 2023 when network owner Nexstar launched the network on WVLA-TV's fourth subchannel.
Subchannels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WLFT-CD | Sonlife |
| 30.2 | Telemun | Telemundo (KGLA-DT) |
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WLFT-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Where to watch NewsNet".
- ^ "Baton Rouge TV station changes hands, going on the air in New Orleans".
- ^ https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/WLFT-CD/applications-and-related-materials#assignments
- ^ https://www.rbr.com/sonlife-secures-a-bayou-state-tv-property/
- ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/ClzBWW9DmRB/
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WLFT
- Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from January 2023
- Television stations in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Religious television stations in the United States
- Telemundo network affiliates
- Television channels and stations established in 1998
- 1998 establishments in Louisiana
- Low-power television stations in the United States