WZBJ-CD
WZBJ-CD (channel 19) is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. It is a translator of Danville-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WZBJ (channel 24) which is owned by Gray Television; the WZBJ stations collectively serve as a sister outlet to Roanoke-licensed CBS affiliate WDBJ (channel 7). WZBJ-CD's transmitter is located on Candlers Mountain near the campus of the station's former owner, Liberty University; its parent station shares studios with WDBJ on Hershberger Road in northwest Roanoke.
| Translator of WZBJ, Danville, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lynchburg/Roanoke, Virginia United States | |
| City | Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Channels | Digital: 19 (UHF) Virtual: 24 |
| Branding | WZBJ 24 |
| Programming | |
| Subchannels | 24.1: MyNetworkTV 24.2: Cozi TV 24.3: Decades |
| Affiliations | MyNetworkTV (2018–present) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Gray Television (Gray Television Licensee, LLC) |
| WDBJ, WZBJ | |
| History | |
First air date | January 1991 |
Former call signs | W19BC (1991–2000) WTLU-CA (2000–2012) WTLU-LD (2007–2012) WTLU-CD (2012–2015) WLHG-CD (2015–2018) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 19 (UHF, 1991–2004) 50 (UHF, 2004–2012) Digital: 43 (PSIP, 2010–2018) 43 (UHF, 2010–2019) |
| Analog/CD1: FamilyNet (January–September 1991) Religious (September 1991–2018) CD2: Heroes & Icons (June–September 2018) | |
Call sign meaning | Disambiguation of WDBJ |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 168095 |
| Class | CD |
| ERP | 15 kW |
| HAAT | 190.4 m (625 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 37°21′33.5″N 79°9′32″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | www |
History
The station first came on the air in January 1991 as W19BC channel 19, a translator station for FamilyNet, a network owned at the time by Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell. On September 1, 1991, W19BC began originating programming and became a 24/7 local LPTV station. In 2000, it changed its callsign to WTLU-CA. The station previously branded itself as HopeNow.tv. The station's digital transmitter, WTLU-LD on channel 43, signed on in 2010; in 2012, the analog WTLU-CA transmitter went dark, and its Class A status was transferred to the digital license as WTLU-CD. The call letters changed to WLHG-CD in 2015.
On April 30, 2018, Gray Television announced it would purchase WLHG-CD from Liberty University for $50,000. Under the terms of the transaction, Gray would hold an option agreement to acquire WFFP-TV, and enter into a shared services agreement (to take effect on June 15), whereby Gray would provide programming for and receive a share of the programming and advertising revenue accrued by WLHG-CD and WFFP, which would in turn become sister stations to Gray's existing property in the Roanoke–Lynchburg market, CBS affiliate WDBJ, a station that shares its physical channel spectrum with WFFP.[1][2]
Gray took control of WLHG-CD as scheduled on June 15. On the same day, it began simulcasting WDBJ's MyNetworkTV subchannel "My 19" on WLHG-CD. While the station moved to Gray's control, the station's PSIP virtual channel system was not in use, rendering WLHG-CD's channels temporarily as 43.3 and 43.4. On September 1, 2018, the call letters were changed to WZBJ-CD, and it began sharing virtual channel 24 with the full-power WZBJ license (which concurrently changed call letters from WFFP-TV).
Subchannels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Short name | Programming[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WZBJ-CD | Simulcast of WZBJ / MyNetworkTV |
| 24.2 | 480i | Cozi | Cozi TV | |
| 24.3 | Decades | Decades |
References
- Jacobson, Adam (April 30, 2018). "Gray: At Liberty To Expand In Virginia". Radio-Television Business Report. Streamline-RBR, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- "Station Trading Roundup: 7 Deals, $571.7M". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- RabbitEars TV Query for WZBJ-CD