WAGT-CD2
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WAGT-DT2 is the CW-affiliated television station for the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) of East-Central Georgia and West-Central South Carolina. The station is part of The CW Plus. It is a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WAGT owned by Gray Television.
Over-the-air, WAGT-DT2 broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 30.2 (or virtual channel 26.2 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Beech Island, South Carolina's Spiderweb section. It can also be seen on Knology channel 12 and Comcast channel 23. Known on-air as CW Augusta, WAGT-DT2's parent station has studios on Broad Street/US 1/US 25/SR 28/SR 104 in Downtown Augusta.
History
The station signed-on in September 1998 alongside the launch of The WB 100+ national service. It was a cable-exclusive WB affiliate with the faux call sign "WBAU" (standing for The WB AUgusta). At some point in the early-2000s after operating as a separate entity (with advertising sold by WBEK-CA, now WAGT-CD), WBAU began to be managed by and have advertising services provided through WAGT.
On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced the two networks would end broadcasting and merge, creating a new combined network would be called The CW. Due to WAGT's association with WBAU, it received rights to carry The CW. Schurz decided to do away with the fictional call sign upon launching a simulcast of the station on a new second digital subchannel of WAGT. As a result, WAGT-DT2 was adopted as its first official callsign. In October 2009, the parent companies of WAGT and WJBF announced the two stations would enter into joint sales and shared services agreements in January 2010. This resulted in the two outlets combining news operations, sales, and other operational services.[1] It was later announced WJBF would control all of WAGT's news and advertising operations while that station handles programming and the maintaining of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.
Most of WAGT's managerial staff were dismissed and other employees were reassigned to different positions.[2] Media General had initially intended to move WAGT and this CW subchannel into an expanded wing of WJBF's studios on Reynolds Street. However, that 1956-built facility is unable to sustain the expansion needed to house both stations and a total of four services. The company chose instead to construct new combined studios at the Augusta West Shopping Center in a renovated former Barnes & Noble bookstore. Right now, the facility is scheduled to be completed in October 2011 after lengthy delays.[3]
Newscasts
After the original version of WAGT's weeknight-only prime time newscast at 10 (on Class A Independent station WBEK-CA, now WAGT-CD) had low ratings and inconsistent viewership, the show was cancelled and moved to this station. The broadcast was unable to directly compete against another newscast seen every night at the same time on Fox affiliate WFXG (produced by WJBF) because that effort was very successful in the time slot from its launch in 2004. On WBAU after being retooled, the newscast became known as WB 23 News at 10. With this station's September 2006 affiliation switch to The CW, WAGT renamed the broadcast CW Augusta Now and tailored the format towards a younger audience as was the case with the newly formed network.
On April 23, 2007 in an attempt to boost continual anemic ratings, WAGT decided to drop the CW Augusta Now title and its fast-paced format replacing it with a more traditional newscast. However, NBC Augusta News at 10 was still unable to mount a strong challenge and alternative to WFXG's newscast so it was cancelled in April 2008. WJBF continued producing local news for WFXG despite entering into operational agreements with WAGT in October 2009. As a result, some reporters and video footage from that outlet began to be seen on the Fox affiliate.
On September 26, 2011 after terminating the seven-year-old news share agreement with WJBF, WFXG launched its first ever in-house news operation. On the same day of that launch, WJBF introduced another prime time broadcast at 10 on WAGT-DT2. Known as NewsChannel 6 at 10 on The CW, the news is seen every night for thirty minutes on this station. Despite airing on a second digital subchannel of WAGT, the program has WJBF branding and features anchors from that station. Like all CW Plus affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone, WAGT-DT2 continues airing the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz on weekdays from 6 until 9.
References
- ^ http://www2.wjbf.com/jbf/news/special_reports/article/wjbf_wagt_enter_into_partnership/28655/
- ^ Emerson, LaTina (2009-12-30). "WJBF, WAGT still negotiating with on-air personnel". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ Emerson, LaTina (2010-12-02). "WBBQ, other stations to move to new locations". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-05.