Jackson, Tenn. TV chronology

[Mr Tony]

since we're doing most markets in TN

1955
WDXI channel 7 (CBS) signs on

1959
WDXI channel 7 adds ABC as secondary affiliation

1967
WDXI changes to WBBJ
WBBJ drops CBS and makes ABC primary

1968
WLJT channel 11 (PBS) launches as a satellite of WKNO Memphis

1981
WLJT channel 11 drops simulcast and becomes its own independent PBS station

1985
WJWT channel 16 (IND) signs on

1987
WJWT channel 16 changes from Independent to Fox

1990
WJWT changes to WMTU

1995
WMTU channel 16 adds UPN as seconday affiliation
WMTU drops Fox affiliate. UPN becomes primary affiliation

2001
WMTU changes to WJKT

2003
WJKT adds WB as secondary affiliation

2006
WJKT channel 16 switches to Fox and drops UPN primary/WB secondary affiliations

2009 DTV conversion
WJKT (39)
WBBJ (43) 7-2 ABC SAP (spanish audio of main chanel), 7-3 weather
WLJT (47) 11-1 Create, 11-2 PBS World, 11-3 PBS

2012
WBBJ adds subchannel of CBS Primary/MeTV secondary (very secondary....like 3 hours a day) and drops weather radio

 

[anotherguyTN]

Thanks for the info on Jackson. A little more on Channel 16: Through most of the 90's they simulcast with WLMT 30 in Memphis, including programming from Fox and later UPN. About the same time in 2001 that they changed the call letters to WJKT they cut back on simulcasting with WLMT to mainly on weekends and for local news at 9 PM. Now that thy are on Fox and WLMT is on CW, there is very little simulcasting except for the 9 PM news, which is actually produced by WATN 24 in Memphis for WLMT and WJKT since they were all owned by Clear Channel, then Newport and now Nexstar.

WBBJ claims that 7.2 is for SAP in Spanish but it's almost always in English, and is a total waste. They need to drop the simulcast of 7.1 and rearrange their bandwidth to allow Me TV to be a full time subchannel. But I've been on that rant before.