View source for WGWG

{{short description|MeTV affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina}}
{{for|current information on "ABC 4" in Charleston|WCIV}}
{{for-multi|the radio station at Gardner-Webb University|WLXK|the low-power radio station in Chicago which formerly used the WGWG callsign|WRME-LD}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign               = WGWG
| city                   =
| logo                   = WGWG 4 2018.webp
| logo_size              = 175px
| image                  = Wciv dt2.png
| image_size             = 175px
| branding               = MeTV Charleston
| digital                = 34 ([[UHF]])
| virtual                = 4
| atsc3                  = yes
| subchannels            =
| translators            =
| affiliations           = {{ubl|'''4.1:''' [[MeTV]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| network                =
| country                = United States
| founded                =
| airdate                = {{start date and age|1962|10|23|p=y}}
| last_airdate           =
| location               = [[Charleston, South Carolina]]
| callsign_meaning       = Graham Williams Group (consulting firm co-owned by HSH owner [[Armstrong Williams]])'
| former_callsigns       = {{ubl|WCIV (1962–2014)|WMMP (2014–2015)}}
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:''' 4 ([[VHF]], 1962–2009)
| owner                  = [[Howard Stirk Holdings]]
| licensee               = HSH Charleston (WCIV) Licensee, [[LLC]]
| operator               =
| sister_stations        =
| former_affiliations    = {{ubl|[[NBC]] (1962–1996)|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (1996–2014)|[[ZUUS Country]] (2014–2015)|Heroes & Icons (2015−2022)}}
| erp                    = 630 [[kW]]
| haat                   = {{convert|522|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| class                  =
| facility_id            = 21536
| coordinates            = {{coord|32|55|29|N|79|41|57|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority    = [[FCC]]
| website                = {{URL|https://www.howardstirkholdings.com/stations}}
}}
'''WGWG''' (channel 4) is a [[television station]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina]], United States, affiliated with the multicast network [[MeTV]]. The station is owned by [[Howard Stirk Holdings]]. WGWG's transmitter is located near [[Awendaw, South Carolina]].
From 1962 through 2014, what is now WGWG was the original home of [[WCIV]], and had been Charleston's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate since 1996; however, in August 2014, WCIV owner [[Allbritton Communications]] was acquired by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], owner of [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate WMMP (channel 36) and operator of [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WTAT-TV]] (channel 24, owned by [[Cunningham Broadcasting]]). Due to ownership conflicts with WMMP and WTAT, and a recent crackdown on [[local marketing agreement|joint sales agreements]] by the FCC, Sinclair elected to sell the WCIV channel 4 license to Howard Stirk Holdings, and moved WCIV's ABC programming and news operation to a subchannel of WMMP's channel 36 signal. At the same time, the two stations also switched call signs, with WCIV moving to channel 36 and channel 4 becoming the new WMMP, though the MyNetworkTV affiliation remains on channel 36.1 and did not move to channel 4.
The FCC approved HSH Charleston's purchase of channel 4 on December 4, 2014;<ref>{{cite web|title=Official FCC Blog|date=December 4, 2014 |url=http://www.fcc.gov/blog/making-good-promise-independent-minority-ownership-television-stations|publisher=Federal Communications Commission (FCC)|accessdate=December 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FCC Broadcast Actions|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db1209/DOC-330861A2.txt|publisher=Federal Communications Commission (FCC)|accessdate=December 13, 2014}}</ref> the call letters became WGWG on March 11, 2015. Howard Stirk Holdings operates WGWG independently of WCIV and WTAT, and has not entered into a local marketing agreement with Sinclair.
==History==
WGWG began operations on October 23, 1962, as WCIV, the third commercial outlet in Charleston.<ref>[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=86030&.pdf FCC History Cards for WCIV (WGWG)]. [[Federal Communications Commission]].</ref> The original license was granted to WTMA-TV but the call letters were later changed to WCIV before it signed on. It took the [[NBC]] affiliation from [[WCBD-TV]] (known as WUSN-TV at the time), leaving that station to become a full-time ABC affiliate. The station was originally owned by [[The Washington Star|the Washington Star Company]]. In 1976, businessman [[Joe Allbritton]] bought the ''Star'' and sold off the non-television assets in 1978 to form [[Allbritton Communications]].
In May 1994, [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]] ABC affiliate [[WBRC]] was sold to [[New World Communications]], which signed an [[1994 United States broadcast television realignment|affiliation agreement]] with eleven other stations which would become [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliates. WBRC, along with [[Piedmont Triad]] ABC affiliate [[WGHP]], were placed in a [[blind trust]] in the fall of 1994, as the FCC prohibited a company from owning more than twelve television stations at the time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fox et al. to buy three stations; affiliation shuffle continues|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-15738628.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109123708/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-15738628.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2016|author=Geoffrey Foisie|author2=Julie A. Zier|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Cahners Business Information|date=August 22, 1994|accessdate=December 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The FCC last week approved New World's plans to transfer WGHP-TV Greensboro, N.C., and WBRC-TV Birmingham, Ala., into a trust for eventual sale to Fox|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-16799904.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016073449/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-16799904.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 16, 2015|author=Kim McAvoy|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Cahners Business Information|date=April 10, 1995|accessdate=December 5, 2015}}</ref> Both stations were sold to [[Fox Television Stations|Fox]] directly in July 1995, but Fox was forced to run WBRC as an ABC affiliate for over a year after the sale, as WBRC's affiliation contract with ABC did not expire until August 1996. Before WBRC became a Fox [[owned-and-operated station]], Allbritton purchased [[WCFT-TV]] and [[WJSU-TV]], and made them full power satellites of [[WBMA-LP]]; this prompted Allbritton to sign a groupwide affiliation deal with ABC which caused WCIV and [[Brunswick, Georgia|Brunswick]] sister station WBSG-TV (now [[Ion Television]] O&O [[WPXC-TV]]) to become ABC affiliates. The latter had joined ABC as a semi-satellite of [[WJXX]], which replaced [[WCWJ|WJKS]] as [[Jacksonville]]'s ABC affiliate upon its 1997 sign-on).<ref name="allbrittonabc">{{cite web|title=Allbritton Communications Co. and ABC have signed a 10-year affiliation agreement|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18220783.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109123708/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18220783.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2016|periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information|Cahners Business Information]]|date=April 22, 1996|accessdate=November 30, 2015}}</ref><ref name=ftu-joiningabc>{{cite news|title=Jags fans in lather over TV|url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/082197/2a1tv_25.html|author=Charlie Patton|newspaper=[[The Florida Times-Union]]|publisher=[[Morris Communications]]|date=August 21, 1997|accessdate=May 20, 2011}}</ref> WCIV became an ABC affiliate on August 19, 1996; the NBC affiliation subsequently returned to WCBD on that day. The last NBC program to air on WCIV was an ''NBC Sunday Night Movie'' presentation of ''[[A Friend to Die For]]'' at 9&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time on August 18, while the first ABC program to air on the station was ''[[Good Morning America]]'' at 7&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time on August 19.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}
===Sale to Howard Stirk Holdings; ABC and MeTV move to channel 36===
On July 29, 2013, Allbritton Communications announced that it would sell its entire television group, including WCIV, to Sinclair.<ref name=wp-allbrittonsinclair>{{cite news|last1=Heath|first1=Thomas|last2=Wilgoren|first2=Debbi|title=Allbritton to sell 7 TV stations, including WJLA, to Sinclair for $985 million|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/allbritton-to-sell-stations-to-sinclair-broadcast-group/2013/07/29/0ee746f2-f858-11e2-afc1-c850c6ee5af8_story.html|accessdate=July 29, 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> As part of the deal, Sinclair was planning to sell the license assets of WMMP to Howard Stirk Holdings (owned by [[conservatism in the United States|conservative]] talk show host [[Armstrong Williams]]), but would still operate the station through [[Local marketing agreement|shared services and joint sales agreements]].<ref name=tvnc-wmmpsale>{{cite news|title=Sinclair Buying Allbritton Stations For $985M|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/69268/sinclair-buying-allbritton-stations-for-985m|accessdate=July 29, 2013|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> However, in December 2013, FCC Video Division Chief Barbara Kreisman ruled that "the proposed transactions would result in the elimination of the [[grandfathered]] status of certain local marketing agreements and thus cause the transactions to violate our local TV ownership rules."<ref name="tvnc-sinclairsidecar">{{cite web | url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/72517/fcc-targets-sinclair-sidecar-deals-in-3-mkts | title=FCC Targets Sinclair Sidecar Deals In 3 Mkts. | publisher=NewsCheckMedia | work=TVNewsCheck | date=December 6, 2013 | accessdate=December 7, 2013 | author=Halonen, Doug}}</ref><ref name="wsj-sinclairdeal">{{cite news | url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303722104579242653224582292 | title=FCC Asks Sinclair to Revise Plans to Use 'Sidecar' Companies | publisher=[[Dow Jones & Company]] | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=December 6, 2013 | accessdate=December 7, 2013 | author=Hagey, Keach}}</ref>
While Sinclair attempted to sell WMMP and planned to terminate an SSA with the Cunningham-owned Fox affiliate [[WTAT]], as well as foregoing any operational or financial agreements with the buyers of the stations being sold to other parties,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/sinclair-offers-to-sell-stations-ahead-of-fcc-decision_b117802 | title=Sinclair Offers to Sell Stations Ahead of FCC Decision | publisher=[[Mediabistro]] | work=TVSpy | date=March 21, 2014 | accessdate=July 26, 2014 | author=Eck, Kevin}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | url=https://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140320-913206.html | title=Sinclair Proposes Restructuring of Allbritton Transaction in Order To Meet Objections of the Federal Communications Commission | via=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | publisher=[[PR Newswire]] | date=March 20, 2014 | accessdate=July 26, 2014 | location=Baltimore}}</ref> on May 29, 2014, Sinclair informed the FCC that it had not found a buyer for WMMP and proposed surrendering the WCIV broadcast license; through the use of [[Digital subchannel|multicasting]], WMMP would both carry its existing programming and inherit WCIV's ABC affiliation, syndicated programming, and news operation.<ref name="b&c-wcivclosing?">{{cite news|last=Eggerton|first=John|title=Sinclair Proposes Surrendering Three Licenses to Get Allbritton Deal Done|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/sinclair-proposes-surrendering-three-licenses-get-allbritton-deal-done/131458|accessdate=May 30, 2014|newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date=May 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name="tvnc-wcivclosing?">{{cite news|last=Jessell|first=Harry A.|title=Sinclair Giving Up 3 Stations To Appease FCC|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/76663/sinclair-giving-up-3-stations-to-appease-fcc|accessdate=May 30, 2014|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=May 29, 2014}}</ref> Sinclair opted to retain WMMP because its facilities are superior to those of WCIV.<ref name="tvnc-wcivclosing?"/> However, following the closure of the Allbritton deal, Sinclair reached a deal to sell WCIV's license to Howard Stirk Holdings, and offer it studio space at WMMP's existing facilities.<ref name=fcc-hshwciv>{{cite web|title=Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101650192&formid=314&fac_num=21536|website=CDBS Public Access, [[Federal Communications Commission]]|publisher=Charleston Television, LLC|accessdate=September 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name=bc-hsh>{{cite news|title=Howard Stirk Holdings Grabs WCIV for $50,000|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/howard-stirk-holdings-grabs-wciv-50000/134123|accessdate=September 19, 2014|work=Broadcasting & Cable}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION AND UNIQUE SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101650192&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=2|publisher=Howard Stirk Holdings|accessdate=September 21, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:WGWGtelevision4logo.png|thumb|logo after changed callsign to WGWG]]
The transition process began on September 25, 2014, as a simulcast of WCIV was added to WMMP's second subchannel, along with [[MeTV]] on 36.3 (replacing [[ZUUS Country]] on that channel), and MyTV Charleston remaining on 36.1. The two stations then swapped licenses four days later; WCIV's call sign was moved to the WMMP license and virtual channel 36, while WMMP's call sign was moved to the WCIV license which will be sold to Howard Stirk Holdings. The original WCIV signal went silent on September 30, 2014, making ABC exclusive to WCIV-DT2.<ref name=wciv-change>{{cite web|title=Time to rescan for ABC News 4's new channel|url=http://www.abcnews4.com/story/26630001/time-to-rescan-for-abc-news-4s-new-channel|website=ABCNews4.com|date=September 25, 2014 |publisher=Sinclair Broadcast Group|accessdate=October 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106095922/https://www.abcnews4.com/archive/time-to-rescan-for-abc-news-4s-new-channel|archive-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref> As of October 8, channel 4 returned to the air with programming from the ZUUS Country network, which had displaced on 36.3 by WCIV's former DT2 affiliation, MeTV. On March 11, 2015, WMMP changed its call letters to WGWG.<ref name=fcc-callsigns>{{cite web|title=Call Sign History|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=21536&Callsign=WGWG|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref>
On August 1, 2015, the station switched its primary affiliation to [[Heroes & Icons]]. On August 2, 2016, the station launched its 4.2 subchannel, affiliated with [[Decades (TV network)|Decades]]. On September 12, 2022, the station switched its primary affiliation to MeTV, with Heroes & Icons moving to the fifth subchannel.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/WGWGTV4/posts/pfbid02MUEuPp4gJeJvUKHjT1Frq8SfAMGjAuqwvHRTaSuy2v1KTiBXDL8VNxGh8MH5zmjGl WGWGTV4] on [[Facebook]].</ref> This marked the first time MeTV aired on WGWG since 2014, when the network moved to WCIV-DT3. That subchannel switched to [[Stadium (sports network)|Stadium]].
==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's ATSC 1.0 channels are carried on the [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]] signals of other Charleston television stations:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Subchannels provided by WGWG (ATSC 1.0)<ref name="rei">[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WGWG#station RabbitEars TV Query for WGWG]</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
! scope = "col" | ATSC 1.0 host
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.1
| rowspan=2| [[720p]] || rowspan=5| [[16:9]] || WGWG-HI || [[MeTV]] || [[WTAT-TV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.2
| Catchy || [[Catchy Comedy]] || [[WCSC-TV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.3
| rowspan=3|[[480i]] || Antenna || [[Antenna TV]] || [[WCIV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.4
| StartTV || [[Start TV]] || [[WCBD-TV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.5
| H&I || [[Heroes & Icons]] || [[WCIV]]
|}
In exchange, the market's main commercial stations are broadcast in ATSC 3.0 on this multiplex:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Subchannels of WGWG (ATSC 3.0)<ref name=rei/>
! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | Short name
! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | [[WCBD-TV|2.1]]
| || WCBD || [[NBC]] ([[WCBD-TV]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.1
| || WGWG || MeTV
|-
! scope = "row" | 5.1
| || WCSC || [[CBS]] ([[WCSC-TV]])
|-
! scope = "row" | [[WTAT-TV|24.1]]
| || WTAT || [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] ([[WTAT-TV]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 36.10
| 1080p || style="background-color:#ffffd0|T2 || style="background-color:#ffffd0|[[Tennis Channel#Streaming channels|T2]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 36.2
| || WCIV || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] ([[WCIV]])
|}
{{legend|#ffffd0|Subchannel streamed via the Internet<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/static.php?name=atsc3_streaming|title=ATSC 3.0 Streams Delivered Via Internet|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=March 24, 2024}}</ref>}}
On October 1, 2011, WCIV added MeTV on digital subchannel 4.2,<ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/09/15/54029/metv-beefs-up-roster-with-10-new-stations Me-TV Beefs Up Roster With 10 New Stations], ''TVNewsCheck'', September 15, 2011.</ref> replacing [[The Local AccuWeather Channel]]. With the transition to WMMP, 4.2's signal moved to 36.3.
===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WGWG (as WCIV) shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 4, on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref name="Analog to Digital">[http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf List of Digital Full-Power Stations]</ref> The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition [[UHF]] channel 34,<ref name="FCCForm387">[http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101231369&formid=387&fac_num=21536 CDBS Print<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 4.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Facebook|WGWGTV4}}
{{Charleston TV}}
{{South Carolina TV}}
{{HSH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:WGWG-TV}}
[[Category:1962 establishments in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Antenna TV affiliates]]
[[Category:ATSC 3.0 television stations]]
[[Category:Catchy Comedy affiliates]]
[[Category:Heroes & Icons affiliates]]
[[Category:MeTV affiliates]]
[[Category:Start TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1962]]
[[Category:Television stations in Charleston, South Carolina|GWG]]