Everything about Wwmt totally explained
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WWMT ("CBS 3") is the
CBS television affiliate for the
West Michigan television market. Licensed to
Kalamazoo, where its studios are located, the station is owned by
Freedom Communications. The station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 3 and a digital signal on VHF channel 2 from a transmitter located southwest of
Middleville. WWMT's studios are also the location of master control and operations for its sister station in
Lansing,
ABC affiliate
WLAJ channel 53. WWMT operates a
CW affiliate on its DT2 digital subchannel, "CW 7" (carried on cable channel 7)
History
WWMT debuted on
June 1,
1950, as
WKZO-TV (
W Kalama
zo
o). It is West Michigan's second-oldest television station, and was owned by broadcasting pioneer
John Fetzer along with WKZO-AM 590, which he'd launched in
1931.
WKZO initially had reception problems due to the presence of
WTMJ-TV across
Lake Michigan in
Milwaukee, also on channel 3. In
1953, WTMJ moved to channel 4 (which, in turn, forced
WBKB in
Chicago to move from channel 4 to channel 2, as a condition of its purchase by
CBS.) In
1956, WKZO-AM-FM-TV moved to an old car dealership on West Maple Avenue in Kalamazoo, which has been the station's home ever since. It was the primary CBS affiliate by default in the
South Bend /
Elkhart area in Northern
Indiana, a significant part of its advertising area, before Northern Indiana got the UHF channels that dominate that market and WKZO's signal was moved to a more northerly location.
Channel 3 has been a primary CBS station from the very beginning, but initially had secondary affiliations with
NBC and
ABC). However, in
1960, Fetzer built a new 1100 foot (335 meter) transmitter near Gun Lake. The new tower added
Grand Rapids to its city-grade coverage and turned West Michigan into a single television market. WKZO then shared ABC with
WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids until
WZZM signed on in
1962.
When John Fetzer owned the
Detroit Tigers baseball team, WKZO frequently pre-empted primetime CBS broadcasting for Tigers baseball games, including preseason
exhibition.
Until it was dethroned by WZZM in the late
1970s, WKZO was West Michigan's top television station. In
1985, Fetzer retired and sold off his vast broadcasting empire. WKZO was sold to Busse Broadcasting, who changed the call letters to the current WWMT-TV (
We're
West
Michigan
Television). For a time in the mid
1990s, even though most of its fellow CBS affiliates were in third place or worse, WWMT was number one.
Freedom Communications purchased WWMT in
1998 from Granite Broadcasting along with sister station
WLAJ.
WWMT and
WLNS in
Lansing are the longest-serving
CBS affiliates in the state of
Michigan, primarily due to
WJBK in
Detroit joining the
FOX network. Although not owned by
CBS Corporation, WWMT has used elements of the
CBS Mandate since the mid-
1990s. For example, the station's logos have used the CBS logo and blue and gold as its colors since the mid-1990s, and since 2006 WWMT has branded itself as "CBS 3".
In
September of
2006, WWMT created a second digital channel to began airing programming from
The CW, which was created as a result of the
UPN and
WB networks merging. From the
September 18, 2006 launch through early
December, the CW affiliate was known as
West Michigan's CW.
The new half hour news program airs seven days a week. Jeff McAttee anchors on weekdays, Diane Daniels anchors on weekends.
Newscasts
WWMT DT2, offers
The Daily Buzz weekdays from 6 to 9 AM. The station's
weather radar is called "LIVE DOPPLER RADAR" as part of Severe Weather Center 3. The opening sequence refers to the newscast title as "NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at 6" (for the morning and evening 6:00 broadcasts). ' when the news is preempted on the main channel.
Partners
Former Partner
CBS affiliate
WWTV / WWUP,
Cadillac /
Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan
Slogans
"Live Local Breaking News" (current)
"Where News Comes First" (until 2006)
"Channel 3 & You" (1987-1994)
"We're West Michigan Television," "Hello West Michigan" (1985)
"We're the ones to see." (1970s)
"Kalamazoo Direct to You" (1960s)
Sports
Hi-Lite Nite is the weekly Friday night high school football program.
Major personalities
NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at 5am (2 hours)
Weekdays:
- Jeff Varner - Anchor.
- Holly Doyle - Anchor.
- Ron Boyd - Weather.
NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at Noon
Weekdays:
- Jeff Varner - Anchor.
- Holly Doyle - Anchor.
- Ron Boyd - Weather.
NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at 5
Weekdays:
- Judy markee- Anchor.
- Jeff McAtee - Anchor.
- Keith Thompson - Chief Meteorologist.
NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at 5:30
Weekdays:
- Jeff McAtee - Anchor.
- Judy Markee - Anchor.
- Keith Thompson - Chief Meteorologist.
NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at 6
Weekdays:
- Judy Markee - Anchor.
- Jeff McAtee - Anchor.
- Keith Thompson - Chief Meteorologist.
- Ed Kengerski - Sports Director.
Weekends:
- Diane Daniels - Anchor.
- Brian James - Meteorologist
- Andy Pepper - Sports.
NEWSCHANNEL 3 Live at 11
Weekdays:
- Judy Markee - Anchor.
- Jeff McAtee - Anchor.
- Keith Thompson - Chief Meteorologist.
- Ed Kengerski - Sports Director.
Weekends:
- Diane Daniels - Anchor.
- Brian James - Meteorologist.
- Andy Pepper - Sports.
Ownership
Founded by John Fetzer in 1950.
Sold in 1985 to Busse Broadcasting.
Sold in 1995 to Granite Broadcasting.
Sold in 1998 to Freedom Communications.
Old WWMT Logos
Image:WWMT_Logo.jpg|Logo from 1996 to 2006
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wwmt'.
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