View source for WTNH

{{Short description|TV station in New Haven, Connecticut}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WTNH
| city = New Haven, Connecticut
| logo = WTNH ABC 8 New Haven.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| branding = Channel 8; ''News 8''
| digital = 10 ([[VHF]]), shared with [[WCTX]]
| virtual = 8
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''8.1:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|'''8.2:''' [[Rewind TV]]}}
| owner = [[Nexstar Media Group]]
| licensee = Nexstar Media Inc.
| location = [[New Haven]]–[[Hartford, Connecticut]]
| country = United States
| founded = {{start date|1947|08}}<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/47-OCR/1947-07-28-BC-OCR-Page-0034.pdf "WNHC seeks video CP to join DuMont hookup."] ''[[Broadcasting and Cable|Broadcasting – Telecasting]]''. July 28, 1947, pg. 34.</ref><ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/47-OCR/1947-09-01-BC-OCR-Page-0016.pdf "WDEL, WNHC get television permits."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting''. September 1, 1947, pg. 16.</ref>
| airdate = {{start date and age|1948|6|15|p=y|br=yes}}
| callsign_meaning = Television New Haven
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WNHC-TV (1948–1971)|WTNH-TV (1971–1985)}}
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 6 (VHF, 1948–1953), 8 (VHF, 1953–2009)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (1948–1956)|[[CBS]] (1948–1956)|[[NBC]] (secondary, 1949–1955)|ABC (secondary, 1949–1956)|[[The WB]] (secondary, 1995)}}
| sister_stations = [[WCTX]]
| erp = 20.5 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|342|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 74109
| coordinates = {{coord|41|25|22.2|N|72|57|4.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wtnh.com/}}
}}
'''WTNH''' (channel 8) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[New Haven, Connecticut]], United States, serving the [[Hartford]]–New Haven [[Media market|market]] as an affiliate of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. It is owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]] alongside [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate [[WCTX]] (channel 59), also licensed to New Haven. WTNH and WCTX share studios on Elm Street in [[downtown New Haven]]; per a [[channel sharing agreement]], the two stations transmit using WTNH's spectrum from a tower in [[Hamden, Connecticut]].
==History==
===Local pioneer (1948–1970)===
WTNH first went on the air on June 15, 1948, as WNHC-TV, originally broadcasting on channel 6. It is the oldest television station in Connecticut. The station was founded by the Elm City Broadcasting Corporation, owners of WNHC radio (1340 AM, now [[WYBC (AM)|WYBC]]; and 99.1 FM, now [[WPLR]]).<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/48-OCR/1948-06-14-BC-OCR-Page-0058.pdf "WNHC-TV programs to start this week."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', June 14, 1948, pg. 58.</ref> Elm City Broadcasting founded WNHC radio in December 1944 and was principally owned by Patrick J. Goode, [[United States Post Office Department|U.S.]] [[postmaster]] for New Haven; Garo W. Ray, Chief Engineer; and Aldo DeDominicis, a radio salesperson.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/44-OCR/1944-08-21-BC-OCR-Page-0066.pdf "FCC grants FM, standard permits."] ''Broadcasting – Broadcast Advertising'', August 21, 1944, pg. 66.</ref>
WNHC-TV was originally an affiliate of the [[DuMont Television Network]], and claims to have been the first full-time affiliate of that short-lived network.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dumonthistory.com/3.html |title=Channel Three: Stations |last=Ingram |first=Clarke |year=1999 |website=DuMont Television Network Historical Website}}</ref> The station originally broadcast from WNHC radio's building on Chapel Street in downtown New Haven.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cultural Heritage Tours–Downtown Tour–WNHC TV |url=http://www.walknewhaven.org/tours/sites/downtown/downtown_site17.html |website=walknewhaven.org |access-date=March 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327171233/http://www.walknewhaven.org/tours/sites/downtown/downtown_site17.html |archive-date=March 27, 2017}}</ref> However, with no studio facilities of its own, it could not produce local programming. For a time, WNHC-TV simply rebroadcast the signal of DuMont's [[New York City]] [[flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]], WABD (now [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] flagship [[WNYW]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=James |first1=Ed |title=TV Finds A Haven |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-09-20-BC.pdf#page=46 |magazine=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=September 20, 1948 |pages=42, 47 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> In October 1948, the station added [[CBS]] programming to its schedule,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=WNHC-TV is new CBS-TV affiliate |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/48-OCR/1948-10-11-BC-OCR-Page-0020.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=October 11, 1948 |page=22 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> and additional secondary affiliations with [[NBC]] and ABC in 1949.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=WNHC-TV takes NBC |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/49-OCR/1949-02-14-BC-OCR-Page-0032.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=February 14, 1949 |page=32 |via=World Radio History}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=WNHC-TV adds ABC |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/49-OCR/1949-05-23-BC-OCR-Page-0046.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=May 23, 1949 |page=46 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> The station was the first in the country to use [[videotape]] for local programming and one of the first to broadcast in [[color television|color]].{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
When the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC)'s ''Sixth Report and Order'' ended the four-year freeze on television [[Construction permit#Broadcasting|construction permit]] awards in 1952, it also reorganized channel allocations to alleviate interference issues. As a result, WNHC-TV changed frequencies and moved to channel 8 in December 1953.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/52-OCR/BC-1952-05-19-OCR-Page-0078.pdf "TV coverage; RTMA predicts expansion."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', May 19, 1952, pg. 78.</ref><ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/54-OCR/1954-01-04-BC-OCR-Page-0062.pdf "WNHC-TV switches from six to eight."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting''. January 4, 1954, pg. 62.</ref> The next year, the FCC collapsed New Haven and Hartford into a single market. WNHC-TV shared some CBS programming with [[New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain]]'s WKNB-TV (channel 30, now NBC [[owned-and-operated station]] [[WVIT]]) until 1955, since WKNB's signal was not strong enough to cover New Haven at the time.
In 1956, the WNHC stations were purchased by [[Philadelphia]]-based [[Triangle Publications]].<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/56-OCR/1956-05-28-BC-OCR-Page-0082.pdf "Triangle makes 4th purchase in year, buys WNHC-AM-FM-TV for $5.4 million."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', May 28, 1956, pg. 82.</ref> Also that same year, WNHC-TV lost its CBS affiliation when that network purchased WGTH-TV in Hartford (channel 18, later WHCT and now [[Univision]] affiliate [[WUVN]]). This left channel 8 as a sole ABC affiliate, although it shared ABC programming with WATR-TV (channel 20, now [[WCCT-TV]]) in nearby [[Waterbury]] until 1966. Under Triangle ownership the WNHC stations moved to a new studio facility, on College Street in downtown New Haven, around 1960.
Until the original WTIC-TV (channel 3, now [[WFSB]]) signed on from Hartford in September 1957, WNHC-TV was the only station on the VHF dial in Connecticut. Many viewers northeast of Hartford used outdoor antennas to get spotty reception of CBS and NBC programs from [[Boston]], while those southwest of Hartford with outdoor TV antennas got great to excellent reception from their respective New York City flagship stations; indeed, much of southwestern Connecticut is part of the New York City market. By contrast, most of Connecticut got a clear picture and pitch-perfect sound from channel 8.
===Later years (1970–present)===
Triangle was forced out of broadcasting in 1970 after then-[[Pennsylvania Governor]] [[Milton J. Shapp]] complained the company had used its [[Pennsylvania]] stations in a smear campaign against him. The WNHC stations were among the first batch to be sold, going to [[Capital Cities Communications]], along with its sister stations in Philadelphia (WFIL-TV, now [[WPVI-TV]]) and [[Fresno]] (KFRE-TV, now [[KFSN-TV]]) in a deal that would be finalized in 1971.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/70-OCR/1970-02-16-BC-OCR-Page-0009.pdf "Capcities buys 9 Triangle outlets."] ''Broadcasting'', February 16, 1970, pg. 9.</ref><ref>"Last minute clearance for Capcities." ''Broadcasting'', March 1, 1971, pp. 19–20. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-03-01-BC-OCR-Page-0019.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-03-01-BC-OCR-Page-0020.pdf]</ref> However, Capital Cities could not keep the radio stations because of the FCC's then-restrictions on ownership, resulting in WNHC-AM-FM being spun off to separate third parties.<ref>"WNHC-AM-FM sold." ''Broadcasting'', April 6, 1970, pp. 9–10. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/70-OCR/1970-04-06-BC-OCR-Page-0009.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/70-OCR/1970-04-06-BC-OCR-Page-0010.pdf]</ref> WNHC-TV changed its call letters to the current WTNH-TV in April 1971, not long after Capital Cities officially took over (the station dropped the -TV suffix from its calls in 1985, but continued to call itself "WTNH-TV" on-air well into the 1990s). The station later relocated for a second time in May 1983, into its present studio facility on Elm Street.
On March 19, 1985, Capital Cities announced its intention to buy ABC in a deal that would stun the broadcast industry.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-03-25-OCR-Page-0031.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-03-25-OCR-Page-0032.pdf "Capcities + ABC." ''Broadcasting'', March 25, 1985, pp. 31–32]</ref> As part of the deal, Capital Cities was required to sell WTNH due to a significant signal overlap with ABC's New York flagship station, [[WABC-TV]].<ref>"The other side of the CCC/ABC deal: $1 billion in spin-offs." ''Broadcasting'', April 1, 1985, pp. 43–44. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-04-01-OCR-Page-0043.pdf]{{Dead link|date=September 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-04-01-OCR-Page-0044.pdf]{{Dead link|date=September 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Like the other major stations in Connecticut, WTNH's city-grade signal reaches [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield County]], which is part of the New York City market. It also provides at least grade B coverage to most of Long Island.<ref>"FCC approval of CapCities/ABC deal likely." ''Broadcasting'', March 25, 1985, pp. 33–34. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-03-25-OCR-Page-0033.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-03-25-OCR-Page-0034.pdf]</ref> At the time, the FCC normally did not allow common ownership of two stations with overlapping coverage areas, and would not even consider granting a waiver for a city-grade overlap (the FCC began allowing common ownership of two stations with overlapping coverage areas in 2000). As a result, WTNH was sold to Cook Inlet Television Partners, a subsidiary of [[Cook Inlet Region, Inc.]] (an [[Alaska Native Regional Corporation]]); the deal was eventually completed in January 1986.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-07-29-OCR-Page-0030.pdf "ABC/CCC sells four TV's for $485 million; Detroit, Tampa to Scripps Howard."] ''Broadcasting'', July 29, 1985, pg. 30.</ref> During the mid-1980s, the syndicated ''[[Sally (1983 TV series)|Sally Jessy Raphael]]'' talk show originated from the WTNH studios in New Haven, until the show moved to New York City later in the decade.
Cook Inlet sold WTNH to [[LIN Television]] in 1994. When a new [[UHF]] station in New Haven, WTVU (channel 59, now WCTX) signed on in April 1995 as a [[The WB|WB]] affiliate, WTNH began operating the station through a [[local marketing agreement]] (LMA);<ref name="hc-wtvulaunch">{{cite news |last1=Keveney |first1=Bill |title=WTVU, channel 59, will go on air in April |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1995-03-28-9503280079-story.html |access-date=May 15, 2019 |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |date=March 28, 1995}}</ref> prior to WTVU's launch, WTNH held a temporary secondary WB affiliation, airing its programming (which at the time consisted solely of a Wednesday prime time lineup) Saturdays in late night.<ref name="v-wtnhwb">{{cite news |last1=Flint |first1=Joe |title=WB's second thoughts |url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/wb-s-second-thoughts-99128149/ |access-date=May 15, 2019 |work=Variety |date=April 17, 1995 |language=en}}</ref> In 2001, LIN TV bought WCTX outright. On May 18, 2007, the company announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives that could have resulted in the sale of the company.<ref>[http://www.lintv.com/news/images/PDFs/news_releases/TVL%20-%20LIN%20TV%20Corp.%20Exploring%20Strategic%20Alternatives%20-%205-18-07.pdf LIN TV Corp. Exploring Strategic Alternatives, LIN TV, May 18, 2007]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On March 21, 2014, [[Media General]] announced that it would purchase LIN Media and its stations, including WTNH and WCTX, in a $1.6 billion merger.<ref name=hc-saletomg>{{cite news|last=Harrison|first=Crayton|title=Media General To Buy LIN For $1.6 Billion|url=http://www.courant.com/business/hc-media-general-0322-20140321,0,7421531.story|access-date=March 22, 2014|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|date=March 21, 2014|agency=[[Bloomberg News]]|archive-date=March 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322044519/http://www.courant.com/business/hc-media-general-0322-20140321,0,7421531.story|url-status=dead}}</ref> The merger was completed on December 19.<ref>[http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2014/dec19_14_merger.html Media General Completes Merger With LIN Media] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219194453/http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2014/dec19_14_merger.html |date=December 19, 2014 }}, Press Release, [[Media General]]. Retrieved December 19, 2014</ref>
On September 8, 2015, Media General announced that it would acquire the [[Meredith Corporation]] for $2.4 billion, with the combined group to be renamed Meredith Media General if the sale had been finalized. Because Meredith already owned WFSB, and the two stations ranked among the four highest-rated stations in the Hartford–New Haven market in total day viewership, the companies would have been required to sell either WTNH or WFSB to comply with FCC ownership rules as well as recent changes to those rules regarding same-market television stations that restrict [[local marketing agreement|sharing agreements]]; WCTX would have been the only one of the three stations affected by the merger that could legally be acquired by Meredith Media General, as its total day viewership ranked below the top-four ratings threshold.<ref>{{cite web|title=Media General Acquiring Meredith For 2.4 Billion|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/88230/media-general-acquiring-meredith-for-24b|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=TV Station Mega Merger: Media General Sets $2.4 Billion Acquisition of Meredith Corp.|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/tv-station-meredith-media-general-merger-1201587744/|author=Littleton, Cynthia|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 8, 2015|access-date=September 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Media Merger Means WFSB Or WTNH Sale Likely|url=http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ap-meredith-media-general-wfsb-wtnh-merger-20150908-story.html|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|date=September 8, 2015|access-date=September 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Media General-Meredith deal means either WTNH or WFSB must be sold|url=http://www.nhregister.com/business/20150908/media-general-meredith-deal-means-either-wtnh-or-wfsb-must-be-sold|author=Turmelle, Luther|newspaper=[[New Haven Register]]|publisher=[[Journal Register Company]]|date=September 8, 2015 <!-- 6:59 PM EDT --> |access-date=September 9, 2015}}</ref> However, on January 27, 2016, [[Nexstar Broadcasting Group]] announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Media General (which was approved on January 17, 2017), resulting in the termination of Meredith's acquisition by Media General.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Press Release of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1142417/000119312507000688/dex991.htm|access-date=October 26, 2021|website=sec.gov}}</ref>
On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced it would acquire the assets of Chicago-based [[Tribune Media]]—which has owned [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WTIC-TV]] (channel 61) since 1996 and [[The CW|CW]] affiliate [[WCCT-TV]] (channel 20) since 2001—for $6.4 billion in cash and debt. Nexstar was required to sell two of the stations (including one ranking in the top four in ratings) to a separate, unrelated company to comply with FCC ownership rules.<ref>{{cite web|title=Acquisition of Tribune Media Company|url=https://www.nexstar.tv/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Nexstar-Tribune-Investor-Presentation-FINAL-12-3-18.pdf|website=[[Nexstar Media Group]]|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nexstar Buying Tribune Media For $6.4 Billion|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/226264/nexstar-buying-tribune-media-6-4-billion/|author=Mark K. Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nexstar Confirms $4.1B Tribune Media Acquisition To Become Leading Local TV Station Owner|url=https://deadline.com/2018/12/nexstar-tribune-media-acquisition-1202512653/|author=Peter White|author2=Dade Hayes|website=Deadline Hollywood|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nexstar to buy WGN owner Tribune Media for $4.1 billion|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-nexstar-tribune-media-20181202-story.html|author=Gerry Smith|author2=Nabila Ahmed|author3=Eric Newcomer|agency=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg News]]|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nexstar to buy Tribune Media for $4.1 billion|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tribune-media-m-a-nexstar-media/nexstar-to-buy-tribune-media-for-4-1-billion-idUSKBN1O217Z|author=Arjun Panchadar|author2=Sonam Rai|work=[[Reuters]]|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nexstar Announces Deal to Buy Tribune for $6.4B|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/nexstar-announces-deal-to-buy-tribune-for-6-4b|author=Jon Lafayette|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=It's Official: Nexstar Takes Tribune In Billion-Dollar Stock Deal|url=https://www.rbr.com/reuters-nexstar-gets-tribune-in-4-1b-deal/|author=Adam Jacobson|website=Radio-Television Business Report|publisher=Streamline-RBR, Inc.|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nexstar To Spin Off $1B In Stations|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/226264/nexstar-buying-tribune-media-6-4-billion/|author=Harry A. Jessell|author2=Mark K. Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="nxsttrco1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar_agrees_to_acquire_tribune/|title=Nexstar Media Group Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Tribune Media Company for $6.4 Billion in Accretive Transaction Creating the Nation's Largest Local Television Broadcaster and Local Media Company|publisher=[[Nexstar Media Group]]|date=December 3, 2018|access-date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="nxsttrco2">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribunemedia.com/nexstar-media-group-enters-into-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-tribune-media-company/|title=Nexstar Media Group Enters Into Definitive Agreement To Acquire Tribune Media Company|publisher=[[Tribune Media]]|date=December 3, 2018|access-date=December 3, 2018}}</ref> On March 20, 2019, it was announced that Nexstar would keep the WTNH/WCTX duopoly and sell the WTIC/WCCT duopoly to [[McLean, Virginia]]-based [[Tegna Inc.]] as part of the company's sale of nineteen Nexstar- and Tribune-operated stations to Tegna and the [[E. W. Scripps Company]] in separate deals worth $1.32 billion; this would make the WTIC/WCCT duopoly the first television properties in Connecticut and southern New England for Tegna.<ref name="tvnc-nexstarspinoffs">{{cite web|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/232391/nexstar-selling-19-tvs-in-15-markets-for-1-32b/|title=Nexstar Selling 19 TVs In 15 Markets For $1.32B|work=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheckMedia|date=March 20, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Nexstar to Sell Stations to Tegna, Scripps for $1.32 Billion|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-20/nexstar-to-sell-19-stations-to-tegna-scripps-for-1-32-billion|author=Nabila Ahmed|author2=Anousha Sakoui|website=Bloomberg News|publisher=[[Bloomberg, L.P.]]|date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>
==News operation==
[[File:News 8 wtnh.png|150px|thumb|Logo for WTNH's news operation.]]
WTNH presently broadcasts 48 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with six hours each weekday and {{frac|4|1|2}} hours each on Saturdays and Sundays) among both WTNH and WCTX. In addition to its main studios, WTNH operates a [[New London, Connecticut|New London]] bureau and a Hartford bureau on Columbus Boulevard. Along with regional [[NOAA]] [[National Weather Service]] radar data, the station operates its own [[weather radar]] near its transmitter site in Hamden. Together, these two sources are called "SkyMax Doppler Network". This can be seen via live video with audio from the National Weather Service on WTNH's website.
For over a quarter century, the station used the ''[[Action News]]'' format made famous at former Philadelphia sister station WFIL-TV (which became WPVI-TV and is now an ABC O&O), using the same "[[Move Closer to Your World]]" music and graphics packages as WPVI. It rebranded as ''NewsChannel 8'' in 1996.
For most of the last half-century, WTNH has been a distant runner-up in the overall Connecticut market to dominant WFSB. However, in recent times, it has had to fend off a spirited challenge from WVIT. Since the turn of the millennium, the two stations have regularly traded the runner-up spot. However, WTNH appears to have higher ratings in southern and coastal Connecticut. Historically, WTNH's ratings for news and local programming are far higher in [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen]]'s "Metro B" area of [[New Haven County]] than "Metro A" containing [[Hartford County]].{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
Since 2000, WTNH has been producing a nightly prime time newscast at 10&nbsp;p.m. on WBNE/WCTX. It has competed right from the start with [[WTIC-TV]]'s 10&nbsp;p.m. broadcast, which established itself as a viewer favorite since it debuted in 1989. As of the February 2008 ratings period, WTIC's weeknight newscast is actually the most watched late news broadcast in the market, even gathering more viewership than the 11&nbsp;p.m. newscasts on Connecticut's [[Big Three television networks|Big Three stations]]. In 2005, WCTX began simulcasting the second hour of WTNH's weekday morning show at 6&nbsp;a.m. followed by a third hour from 7–8&nbsp;a.m. that was seen exclusively on WCTX, except for simulcast ''[[Good Morning America]]'' cut-ins on WTNH. The simulcast of the 6&nbsp;a.m. hour was eventually dropped. The 7&nbsp;a.m. hour received competition on March 3, 2008, when WTIC launched its own weekday morning show.
Its weekday noon newscast was originally an hour long, but was reduced to 30 minutes on February 23, 2009, when a new lifestyle/entertainment magazine show known as ''Connecticut Style'' was added at 12:30&nbsp;p.m. On January 12, 2015, ''CT Style'' was added at 9&nbsp;a.m. and the noon newscast become an hour long. On April 26, 2010, WTNH re-branded from ''News Channel 8'' to ''News 8''. In addition, WTNH began broadcasting its newscasts in [[16:9]] [[widescreen]] [[enhanced definition]], with WCTX's newscasts and ''Connecticut Style'' being included in the upgrade. On October 4, 2010, WTNH became the third station in the market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in [[high-definition television|high definition]]. WCTX's newscasts also made the transition, while ''Connecticut Style'' made the transition in 2015.
On January 2, 2017, ''Good Morning Connecticut'' was expanded to start at 4:30&nbsp;a.m. while the noon newscast was shortened to 30 minutes. ''Connecticut Style'' was also cut to a half hour.
On March 30, 2020, WTNH planned to launch an expansion of WCTX's prime time newscast to the three-hour entirety of prime time on weeknights and 90 minutes on weekends.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/wctx-launching-3-hour-news-block-in-primetime|title=WCTX Launching 3-Hour News Block in Primetime; Newscasts produced by Nexstar sister station WTNH in Hartford|last=Lafayette|first=John|date=March 10, 2020|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|access-date=March 11, 2020}}</ref> This quickly shifted to launching on March 16 instead to provide continuing coverage of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut|local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic]].
==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
<section begin=subs />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WTNH and WCTX<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WTNH|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WTNH|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=June 24, 2024}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | License
! 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
|-
! rowspan = "3" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #c00000;" | WTNH
! scope = "row" | 8.1
| [[720p]] || rowspan=2|[[16:9]] || WTNH-DT || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 8.2
| [[480i]] || Rewind || [[Rewind TV]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399; border-bottom: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope = "row" | [[WCCT-TV|20.4]]
| 480i || 16:9 || Quest || [[Quest (American TV network)|Quest]] ([[WCCT-TV]])
|-
! rowspan= "2" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #1d9ee9;" | WCTX
! scope = "row" | 59.1
| [[720p]] || rowspan=2|[[16:9]] || WCTX-DT || [[MyNetworkTV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 59.2
| [[480i]] || CHARGE || [[Charge! (TV network)|Charge!]]
|}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}
<section end=subs />
===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WTNH shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 8, on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref>{{cite web |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |website=fcc.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref> The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10, using [[virtual channel]] 8.
==Cable and satellite availability==
During the 1970s and 1980s, WTNH once had carriage in portions of northeastern [[New Jersey]] in [[Bergen County]] and much of [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] on [[Long Island]].<ref>[http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/coals7/forms/search/cableSearchNf.cfm]{{Dead link|date=April 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{URL|https://www.wtnh.com/|Official website}}
{{Hartford/New Haven TV}}
{{Springfield MA TV}}
{{ABC New England}}
{{NXST TV}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wtnh}}
[[Category:1948 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:Companies based in New Haven, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Nexstar Media Group]]
[[Category:Rewind TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1948]]
[[Category:Television stations in Connecticut|TNH]]