WMDN

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WMDN
Image:Wmdn-logo.jpg
Meridian, Mississippi
Branding WMDN
Slogan Everybody's Watching
Channels Analog: 24 (UHF)

Digital: 26 (UHF)

Affiliations CBS
Owner Meridian Media, LLC
First air date June 10, 1968
Call letters’ meaning MeriDiaN
Former callsigns WHTV (1968-1986)
WTZH (1986-1994)
Former affiliations NBC/ABC (1968-1980, as satellite of WTVA)
silent (1991?-1994)
Fox (1994-1997, NFL only)
Transmitter Power 724 kW (analog)
836 kW (digital)
Height 186 m (analog)
165.3 m (digital)
Facility ID 73255
Transmitter Coordinates 32°19′40″N, 88°41′31.3″W
Website www.wmdntv.com

WMDN is the CBS television affiliate for Meridian, Mississippi. WMDN, Inc., the owner of the station, is controlled by the Spain family, owners of WTVA in Tupelo, in the state's northeastern quadrant. The station originally signed on the air in 1968 under the callsign WHTV. From 1968 until 1975, WHTV was essentially a translator for WTWV (the current WTVA), which was affiliated primarily with NBC, with some ABC programs (such as college football) carried at other times. (TV Guides from this era instructed viewers to consult WTWV's listings for WHTV's program schedule.)

This changed by 1980, when WHTV became the primary CBS affiliate for Meridian after longtime CBS affiliate WTOK became a primary ABC affiliate. In 1986, WHTV changed call letters to WTZH. WTZH went bankrupt in the early 1990s, leaving eastern Mississippi (and portions of western Alabama) without a CBS affiliate. During the gap, Hattiesburg's WHLT and occasionally Selma, Alabama's WAKA were carried by Comcast to provide CBS programming to cable subscribers. CBS finally returned to broadcasting over the air in the region when WMDN started on February 2, 1994. Its transmitter is located in Meridian.

Historical note: The callsign WMDN was originally used for Midland, Michigan's first radio station, owned by the city's newspaper, the Midland Daily News. That station began broadcasting in 1948 at 1490 kHZ and continued to use that callsign until July 1971.

[edit] Newscasts

WMDN originally aired news programs Monday-Friday at 6 and 10 p.m. Originally the broadcast was called 24/30 News, since the broadcast was simulcast on NBC affiliate WGBC as part of a local marketing agreement. The title changed to "WMDN News" when the broadcast was dropped from WGBC's lineup. WMDN also aired a morning newscast from 6-7 a.m. weekdays for a short time. All news broadcasts ended on June 30, 2005.

[edit] Programming

In addition to CBS network programming, WMDN airs a variety of syndicated programming including Dr. Phil, Ellen, Entertainment Tonight, and Judge Mathis. Weekend syndicated programming includes Everybody Hates Chris (actually from The CW), It's Showtime at the Apollo, and reruns of Alias.

[edit] External links