Birmingham, Ala. TV crhonology

[Ccook55]

1949
WBRC/ch. 4 (NBC primary, Dumont secondary) signs on.
WAFM/ch. 13 (CBS primary, ABC secondary) signs on.

1953
WBRC/ch. 4 relocates to channel 6 and drops Dumont as secondary.
WAFM/ch. 13 changes call to WABT.

1954
WBRC/ch. 6 switches to CBS with ABC as secondary.

1955
WCIQ/ch. 7 (NET) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Mt. Cheaha State Park, Ala.
WBIQ/ch. 10 (NET) signs on.

1958
WABT/ch. 13 changes call to WAPI.

1961
WBRC/ch. 6 drops CBS and makes ABC its primary.
WAPI/ch. 13 drops ABC as secondary. It has CBS and NBC as joint primary affiliations.

1965
WAPI/ch. 13 makes NBC its primary and CBS its secondary.
WBMG/ch. 42 (CBS) signs on.

1970
WCIQ/ch. 7 and WBIQ/ch. 10 become PBS affiliates.
WAPI/ch. 13 drops CBS as secondary.

1980
WAPI/ch. 13 changes call to WVTM.

1982
WTTO/ch. 21 (independent) signs on.

1986
Fox starts up; there is no OTA affiliate in Birmingham proper. Fox comes in from WDBB/ch. 17 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (a separate market from Birmingham) and WNAL/ch. 44 in Gadsden, Ala.
WCAJ/ch. 68 (independent) signs on.

1991
WTTO/ch. 21 becomes a Fox affiliate.
WCAJ/ch. 68 changes call to WABM.

1995
WABM/ch. 68 becomes a UPN affiliate.
The WB starts up; there is no OTA affiliate in Birmingham.

1996
WBRC/ch. 6 becomes a Fox affiliate.
WTTO/ch. 21 becomes a WB affiliate.
W58CK, a low-powered station on channel 58, becomes WBMA-LD, the ABC affiliate of Birmingham proper. It uses WCFT/ch. 33 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and WJSU/ch. 40 in Anniston, Ala. as satellites to furnish ABC to areas west and east of Birmingham (as "ABC 33/40"). Both were separate markets from Birmingham; they have since been absorbed into the Birmingham market. As such, WDBB/ch. 17 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (WB) is now included as are WNAL/ch. 44 (CBS) and WTJP/ch. 60 (Trinity) both in Gadsden.

1998
WBMG/ch. 42 changes call to WIAT.
WNAL/ch. 44 changes call to WPXH.
WABM/ch. 68 reverts to independent then picks up UPN again after five months.

1999
WPXH/ch. 44 switches to Pax.

2001
WLDM/ch. 23 (Pax) signs on. It is licensed to Northport, Ala. and originates from Tuscaloosa.

2002
WLDM/ch. 23 switches to America One.

2005
WLDM/ch. 23 changes call to WUOA.
WPXH/ch. 44 becomes an "I" affiliate.

2006
WDBB/ch. 17 and WTTO/ch. 21 become CW affiliates.
WABM/ch. 68 becomes a My Network TV affiliate.

2007
WPXH/ch. 44 becomes an Ion affiliate.

2008
WUOA/ch. 23 becomes a part-time This TV affiliate.

2009
The analog shutdown.
WBRC/ch. 6 (50) - 6.2 - Bounce TV
WCIQ/ch. 7 (7) - 7.2 - APT World; 7.3 - APT Create
WBIQ/ch. 10 (10) - 10.2 - APT World; 7.3 - APT Create
WVTM/ch. 13 (13) - 13.2 - Me-TV
WDBB/ch. 17 (18) - 18.2 - ZUUS Country
WTTO/ch. 21 (28) - 21.2 - ZUUS Country
WUOA/ch. 23 (6) - 23.2 - Alabama Public Radio; 23.3 - Exponential Radio
WCFT/ch. 33 (33) - 33.2 - Weather; 33.3 - Heartland
WJSU/ch. 40 (9) - 40.2 - Weather; 40.2 - Heartland
WIAT/ch. 42 (30) - 42.2 - Untamed Sports; 42.3 - WIAT Weather
WPXH/ch. 44 (45) - 44.3 - qubo; 44.3 - Ion Life; 44.4 - Ion Shop; 44.5 - QVC; 44.6 - HSN
WBMA-LD/ch. 58 (40) - 58.2 - Weather; 58.3 - Heartland
WTJP/ch. 60 (26) -60.2 - Church Channel; 60.3 - JUCE TV; 60.4 - Enlace USA; 60.5 - Smile Of A Child
WABM/ch. 68 (36)

 

[Charles35080]

Just a few minor changes---I've lived in Birmingham all of my life...

1949: WAFM (13) signed on around Memorial Day of 1949; WBRC (4) signed on 7/4/49.
1954: WABT (13) was the primary secondary affiliate for ABC in Birmingham between 1954-61.
1961: Even though WBRC was an ABC affiliate, they continued to carry some CBS daytime programming until ca. 1967-68.
1965: Even though WBMG (42) signed on as officially an independent station, they carried CBS, NBC and ABC programming not cleared by Channel 6 or Channel 13 from virtually the day they signed on. Also in 1965, WCFT-33 signed on in Tuscaloosa. By 1966, their daytime and primetime network schedules virtually mirrored Channel 42.
1969: WHMA (40) signed on in Anniston as a joint CBS/NBC affiliate. Again, their network schedule was virtually the same as Channels 33 and 42.
1970: When WAPI-13 went NBC, Channels 33, 40 and 42 all went CBS.
1986: Actually, WDBB-17 began broadcasting from a tower near Bessemer (about 20 miles W of downtown Birmingham) in an attempt to become the market's second general-entertainment independent. When Channel 68 signed on, its programming was a mix of Christian programming and "family-friendly" reruns.
1988: WCAJ (68) drops Christain programming for Home Shopping Network, and is removed from most cable systems in the Birmingham metro area.
1991: When WTTO became the market's Fox affiliate, WDBB and WNAL became semi-satellites of WTTO.
1996: After the Big Switch, Channels 17 and 21 became independents.
1997: Channels 17 and 21 became WB affiliates.

 

[Ccook55]

Good catches. I didn't include WHMA (WJSU), WDBB and WCFT at the time of their sign-ons because they were separate markets from Birmingham (Anniston was #192, Tuscaloosa was #170).

 

[Charles35080]

And here's another quirk about central Alabama TV. During the early to late '70's, Channel 13 did not carry the 3:00 NFL games on NBC in order for them to carry the Bear Bryant Show at 4:00 (Alabama football highlights) and the Auburn Football Review with Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Instead, those games were carried on Channels 33, 40 and 42. Similarly, the NBC station in Huntsville, WAAY-31, also carried the Alabama and Auburn football shows, but neither Channel 19 (WHNT-CBS) or Channel 48 (WYUR-ABC) picked up the NBC games. I think, though, that Huntsville viewers who had cable could get Nashville's NBC station.

 

[brenda jackson]

consumer

Wuoa is the most unprofessional Broadcasting Company I have ever encountered. I have watched many a movie That has been half completed... cut off in midstream to switch to another program. Why is this? Are you inept.. incompetent... do you people watch half a movie... if I can find out who to report you to I will do so... you should have some responsibility and accountability.