WMGM-TV
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WMGM-TV, channel 40, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Atlantic City, New Jersey, licensed to Wildwood. Its transmitter is located in Swainton. Owned by Access.1 Communications, WMGM has studios on New Road in Linwood.
Overview
On cable TV in Southern New Jersey, WMGM serves the counties of Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland.
The station operates a low-powered translator, WMGM-LP channel 7, that is licensed to Atlantic City with a transmitter located in Pleasantville.
Officially, WMGM is considered a Philadelphia market station. For other network programming besides NBC, Philadelphia stations cover the area. WMGM's NBC affiliation creates a rare situation where there are two affiliates of the same network in the same market (NBC O&O WCAU in Philadelphia being the other).
WMGM is the only NBC affiliate based in the state although WNBC in New York City covers North Jersey and WCAU in Philadelphia covers South & Central Jersey. WMGM's analog and digital over the air signals are also viewable in Ocean County NJ and coastal Delaware, even though the station has no cable carriage in these areas.
History
The station began broadcasting on January 25, 1966 known as WCMC-TV. It was owned by South Jersey Radio Company along with radio stations WCMC-AM-FM and WAAT-FM.
WCMC-TV changed its call letters twice, once to WAAT in 1981 and to the current WMGM-TV in 1984 to coincide with then co-owned radio station WMGM-FM. Upon the death of owner Howard Green in 2002, the station was eventually sold to Access.1 Communications.
On May 3, 2006, WMGM-LP in Pleasantville fell silent when a fire struck the building its transmitter was located in. It was adjacent to the tollbooths on the nearby Atlantic City Expressway. The building also housed the transmitters for Atlantic City's WMGM-FM, Pleasantville's WOND-AM and WTKU-AM. While WMGM-FM moved to auxiliary facilities atop the Trump Taj Mahal casino, the AM stations and WMGM-LP remained dark leaving many Atlantic City residents without clear analog reception of NBC programs. The signals were eventually brought back on-air.
For several years, people in the New Jersey side of the Philadelphia market could watch the entire NBC schedule on channel 40, as KYW-TV (now a CBS O&O) pre-empted NBC's daytime programs as well as other shows.
Local programming
A entertainment program called Curtain Call airs Saturday nights at 6. It provides information on the performances in Atlantic City. It is repeated early Monday morning at 12:30. There are two public affairs shows that air on the station. WMGM Presents Pinky can be seen on Saturday nights at 7:30. Forum 40 broadcasts on Sunday mornings at 9:30.
WMGM airs newscasts under the branding of NewsChannel 40. On the weekends, there are only two newscasts at 11 P.M. There is no weekday morning news on this station, but a simulcast of WOND-AM's weekday morning show, Don Williams in the AM, airs for an hour at 6. WMGM's schedule offers several repeats of local news. Several personalities on WMGM perform duties at sister station WOND-AM 1400.
WMGM's local newscasts have gathered a small following in Southern Ocean County, where the station is not carried by cable but easily available over the air.
At this time, WMGM does not offer NBC Weather Plus.
News team
Anchors
- Don Williams - weekday morning host
- based at WOND-AM 1400
- Theresa Berry - weekday mornings and 5 P.M.
- reporter
- Michelle Dawn Mooney - weeknights at 5:30, 6, and 11
- Michael Schurman - Saturdays
- Jeff Whitaker - Sundays
- weekday afternoon host on WOND-AM 1400
NewsChannel 40 South Jersey Weather Team
- Dan Skeldon - chief seen on weeknights at 5:30, 6, and 11
- Kevin Maloney - weekends
- fill-in
Sports
- Pete Thompson - director seen on weeknights at 6 and 11
- Mike Frankel - weekends
- sports reporter
- Dan Serafin
- fill-in
Reporters
- Jennifer Husko - general assignment
- weekday assignment editor
- news update anchor on WOND-AM 1400
- Teresa Berry - fill-in anchor
- Veronica Dudo - general assignment
- weekday afternoon host on WOND-AM 1400
- Greg Browne
- Phaedra Laird
- Cleve Bryan