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Chattanooga, Tenn. TV chronology

C

Ccook55

1953
WROM/ch. 9 (NBC primary; ABC, CBS, Dumont all secondaries) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Rome, Ga.

1954
WROM/ch. 9 drops CBS as a secondary.
WDEF/ch. 12 (CBS primary; ABC, NBC, Dumont secondaries) signs on.

1955
WDEF/ch. 12 drops Dumont as a secondary.

1956
WRGB/ch. 3 (NBC) signs on.
WROM/ch. 9 drops NBC as primary and Dumont as a secondary.
WDEF/ch. 12 drops NBC as a secondary.

1957
WROM/ch. 9 reverts to independent.

1958
WROM/ch. 9 relocates broadcast facilities to Chattanooga and changes call to WTVC. It takes on ABC as primary.
WDEF/ch. 12 drops ABC as a secondary.

1963
WRGB/ch. 3 changes call to WRCB.

1967
WCLP/ch. 18 (NET) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Chatsworth, Ga.

1970
WCLP/ch. 18 becomes a PBS affiliate.
WTCI/ch. 45 (NET) signs on. It becomes a PBS affiliate that fall.

1972
WRIP/ch. 61 (independent) signs on.

1983
WRIP/ch. 61 changes call to WDSI.

1986
WDSI/ch. 61 becomes a Fox affiliate.

1987
WFLI/ch. 53 (independent) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Cleveland, Tenn.

1994
WELF/ch. 23 (Trinity) signs on. It is licensed to Dalton, Ga, and originates from Chatsworth, Ga.

1995
WFLI/ch. 53 becomes a UPN affiliate.
The WB has no OTA affiliate in Chattanooga. It is furnished on cable.

2001
WFLI/ch. 53 switches to the WB.

2002
WDEF/ch. 12 takes on UPN as a secondary.

2006
WDEF/ch. 12 drops UPN as a secondary.
WFLI/ch. 53 becomes a CW affiliate.
WDSI/ch. 61 starts a subcarrier becomes a My Network TV affiliate.

2008
WCLP/ch. 18 changes call to WNGH.

2009
The analog shutdown.
WRCB/ch. 3 (13) - 3.2 - Antenna TV
WTVC/ch. 9 (9) - 9.2 - This TV
WDEF/ch. 12 (12) - 12.2 - Bounce TV
WNGH/ch. 18 (33) - 18.2 - GPB Kids; 18.3 - GPB Knowledge
WELF/ch. 23 (16) - 23.2 - Church Channel; 23.3 - JUCE TV; 23.4 - Enlace USA; 23.5 - Smile Of A Child
WTCI/ch. 45 (29) - 42.2 - Create (weekdays), Tennessee Channel (weekends)
WFLI/ch. 53 (42) - 53.2 - Me-TV
WDSI/ch. 61 (40) - 61.2 - My Network TV
 
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WRIP signed on in 1972 12 hours a day as a movie station running only films from the 30's through the 60's along with Theatrical cartoons shorts, Three stooges, Little Racsals shorts, and Bugs Bunny. The station expanded to 18 hours a day late that year but in 1973 hit hard times. They cut back to 6 hours a day and added some low busget syndicates shows noone wanted late in 73. The Movies and cartoon shorts all fell off in 1974. But WRIP began to sell time to whoever wanted to be on the air and wer on 14 hours a day by 1975 with PTL Club, 700 Club, local black churches, and anyone else willing to pay to be on. The station had three or four low budget barter shows that were secualr and the rest of the day just sold blocks of time.

By 1980, WRIP was religious from 8 AM to 3:30 PM and again after 4 with New Zoo Revue as their only weekday secular show and a few other weekends. In September 1981, WRIP added a couple cartoons, some sitcoms, and a couple drama shows weekdays and weekends and was secular weekdays from 2 to 6 PM. In 1982, they added Brady Bunch, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, and some movies and were secular from 2 to 10 PM. That summer they were secular from Noon to Midnight. In the fall of 1982, WRIP added more cartoons and a few more sitcoms and drama shows and became a conventional independent station.

Channel 61 was sold in 1983 to another local owner and became WDSI and began marketing agressively. By 1986 they took Fox affiliation and by then evolved to a typical Fox independent. Today theya re a typical Fox affiliate. But they were one wierd station back in the 70's and early 80's.
 
In 1997 I lived on the north fringe of Atlanta in a townhouse apartment. My bedroom had a clear shot north and with an antenna I was able to get the three VHF Chattanooga stations. The San Francisco-Atlanta NFL game, played here, was blacked out due to it not being sold out before the deadline, so I was able to watch it on WTVC.
 
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