View source for WTLH

{{Short description|Television station in Bainbridge, Georgia}}
{{For|current information on "Fox 49" in Tallahassee|WTWC-TV}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign               = WTLH
| city                   = Bainbridge, Georgia
| logo                   = <!-- [[File:The CW WTLF logo.png|125px]] -->
| branding               = 
| digital                = 19 ([[UHF]])
| virtual                = 49
| subchannels            =
| affiliations           = {{ubl|'''49.1:''' [[Heroes & Icons]]<ref name=WTLHAffiliation>{{cite web|url=http://www.heroesandiconstv.com/wheretowatch/#FL|title=Where to Watch|publisher=[[Heroes & Icons|H&I Network Limited Partnership]]|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-date=May 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501160502/http://www.heroesandiconstv.com/wheretowatch/#FL|url-status=live}}</ref>|'''[[WTLF|49.2]]:''' [[The CW Plus]]|'''49.3:''' [[Comet (TV network)|Comet]]}}
| founded                = March 21, 1985
| airdate                = {{Start date and age|1989|2|12|p=y}}
| location               = {{ubl|[[Bainbridge, Georgia]]|[[Tallahassee, Florida]]}}
| country                = United States
| callsign_meaning       = "Tallahassee" (also [[IATA airport code]] for [[Tallahassee International Airport]])
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 49 (UHF, 1989–2009)|'''Digital:''' 50 (UHF, until 2020)}}
| former_callsigns       = 
| owner                  = New Age Media, [[LLC]]
| licensee               = New Age Media of Tallahassee License, LLC
| operator               = [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] (select engineering functions via [[Local marketing agreement|LMA]])
| sister_stations        = [[WTWC-TV]], [[WTLF]]
| former_affiliations    = {{ubl|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] (1989–2014)|[[MeTV]] (2015–2018)}}
| erp                    = 560 [[kW]]
| haat                   = {{convert|600|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id            = 23486
| coordinates            = {{coord|30|40|50.3|N|83|58|20.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority    = [[FCC]]
| website                =  
}}

'''WTLH''' (channel 49) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[Bainbridge, Georgia]], United States, serving the [[Tallahassee, Florida]]–[[Thomasville, Georgia]] [[media market|market]] as an affiliate of [[Heroes & Icons]]. It is owned by New Age Media, which provides certain services to [[The CW|CW]] affiliate [[WTLF]] (channel 24) under a [[local marketing agreement]] (LMA) with MPS Media, [[LLC]]. [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], owner of dual [[NBC]]/[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WTWC-TV]] (channel 40), provides some engineering functions for both stations under a master service agreement and also programs WTLF.

WTLH, WTLF and WTWC-TV share studios on Deerlake South in [[Unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated]] [[Leon County, Florida]], northwest of [[Bradfordville, Florida|Bradfordville]] (with a Tallahassee [[United States Postal Service|postal]] address); WTLH's transmitter is located in unincorporated [[Thomas County, Georgia]], southeast of [[Metcalf, Georgia|Metcalf]], along the Florida state line.

==History==
WTLH began on February 12, 1989, airing an [[analog television|analog]] signal on UHF channel 49; the station immediately became Tallahassee's Fox affiliate. Originally owned by New South Television, it was put into receivership due to owner Timothy Brumlik's arrest on money-laundering charges. In 1990, it was sold to Paul Lansat of [[Singer Island]], Florida. In 1994, the station was sold to Pegasus Broadcasting. On June 15, 1998, [[WFXU]] in [[Live Oak, Florida]] was established as a full-time [[broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|satellite]] of WTLH in order to improve its coverage on the eastern side of the [[media market|market]]. Since Tallahassee did not have enough stations to legally permit a [[Duopoly (broadcasting)|duopoly]], WFXU was technically owned by L.O. Telecast but operated by Pegasus through a local marketing agreement.

That station was sold to KB Prime Media in 1999 and became wholly owned by Pegasus in 2002. The sale was ultimately approved because the company helped fund WFXU's construction.<ref name="fcc-saletokb">{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=277185|title=Application Search Details (1)|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref><ref name="b&c-saletopegasus">{{cite news|last=McConnell|first=Bill|title=Pegasus wins OK for Tallahassee TV pair|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/97909-Pegasus_wins_OK_for_Tallahassee_TV_pair.php|access-date=July 25, 2010|newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date=April 2, 2002|archive-date=October 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003182515/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/97909-Pegasus_wins_OK_for_Tallahassee_TV_pair.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In April of that year, WFXU became a separate station after becoming the area's first [[UPN]] affiliate. Since its signal was not nearly strong enough to cover the entire market, WTLF in Tallahassee was established as a full-time satellite. That station was one of the first in the United States to sign-on as a digital-only outlet with no analog counterpart.

On January 24, 2006, [[The WB]] and UPN announced the networks would end broadcasting and merge. The new combined service would be called The CW. The letters would represent the first initial of its corporate parents: [[CBS Corporation|CBS]] (the parent company of UPN) and the [[Warner Bros.]] unit of [[WarnerMedia|Time Warner]]. It was made public April 24 that WTLH would create a new second digital subchannel to become Tallahassee's CW affiliate. The plan was later modified in August to make WFXU/WTLF the primary CW affiliates and have a simulcast provided on WTLH-DT2. This took effect when the network premiered on September 18, 2006.

Pegasus declared [[Bankruptcy in the United States|bankruptcy]] in June 2004 over a dispute with [[DirecTV]] (then co-owned with Fox by [[News Corporation]]) over marketing of the [[direct broadcast satellite]] service in rural areas. The station group was sold in August 2006 to private investment firm CP Media, LLC of [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]] for $55.5 million.<ref name="tc-saletocp">{{cite news|title=WDSI FOX61 Bought By CP Media, LLC.|url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_90702.asp|access-date=July 24, 2010|newspaper=[[The Chattanoogan]]|date=August 9, 2006}}</ref> Eventually, CP Media formed a new broadcasting company known as New Age Media.

The company purchased WTLH at the end of March 2007 but sold WFXU separately to Budd Broadcasting.<ref name="tvbr-wfxusold">{{cite news|title=WFXU, this Budd's for you|url=http://www.rbr.com/tvepaper/issue230-06-mtw.html|access-date=July 25, 2010|newspaper=Television Business Report|date=November 28, 2006|archive-date=June 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604212614/http://www.rbr.com/tvepaper/issue230-06-mtw.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The latter dropped CW programming soon afterward leaving WTLF as Tallahassee's sole CW affiliate with the simulcast of that station continuing on WTLH-DT2. On February 17, 2009, WTLH shut-off its analog signal on UHF channel 49 and became digital-exclusive on UHF channel 50.

On September 25, 2013, New Age Media announced that it would sell most of its stations to the Sinclair Broadcast Group. In order to comply with [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) ownership restrictions, since Sinclair already owns WTWC, its partner company [[Cunningham Broadcasting]] planned to acquire the WTLH license but Sinclair was slated to operate the station (as well as WTLF, which would have been acquired by another sidecar operation, [[Deerfield Media]]) through [[Shared services|shared services agreements]].<ref name=bbj-saletosinclair>{{cite news|last=Haber|first=Gary|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group to pay $90M for eight New Age Media TV stations|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/09/25/sinclair-broadcast-group-new-age-media.html|access-date=September 25, 2013|newspaper=Baltimore Business Journal|date=September 25, 2013|archive-date=September 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925210350/http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/09/25/sinclair-broadcast-group-new-age-media.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=tvnc-newagesinclair>{{cite news|title=Sinclair To Buy 8 New Age Stations for $90M|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/70742/sinclair-to-buy-8-new-age-stations-for-90m|access-date=September 25, 2013|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=September 25, 2013|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927171703/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/70742/sinclair-to-buy-8-new-age-stations-for-90m|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 31, 2014, New Age Media requested the dismissal of its application to sell WTLH;<ref name=fcc-wtlhlicensenosale>{{cite web|last1=Kirkpatrick|first1=Daniel A.|title=Re: New Age Media of Tallahassee License, LLC…|url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=54348|format=PDF|date=October 31, 2014|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=November 15, 2014|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129023217/http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=54348|url-status=live}}</ref> the next day, Sinclair purchased the non-license assets of WTLH and WTLF and began operating them through a [[local marketing agreement|master service agreement]].<ref name=sinclair-newagetosinclairnonlicense>{{cite press release|date=November 5, 2014|title=Sinclair Reports Third Quarter 2014 Financial Results|url=http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/Q3%2014.pdf|type=Press release|location=Baltimore|publisher=[[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]|access-date=November 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129070109/http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/Q3%2014.pdf|archive-date=November 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=sbgi-newagesinclairmsa>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Form 10-Q|url=http://sbgi.edgarpro.com/redirect_frames.asp?filename=0001104659%2D14%2D078963%2Etxt&filepath=%5C2014%5C11%5C10%5C&cols=0%2C3%2C4%2C7%2C8&SortBy=receivedate&AD=D&startrec=1&res=10&pdf=0|website=sbgi.edgarpro.com|access-date=November 15, 2014|date=November 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107104019/http://sbgi.edgarpro.com/redirect_frames.asp?filename=0001104659%2D14%2D078963%2Etxt&filepath=%5C2014%5C11%5C10%5C&cols=0%2C3%2C4%2C7%2C8&SortBy=receivedate&AD=D&startrec=1&res=10&pdf=0|archive-date=January 7, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> On [[New Year's Day]] 2015, Sinclair moved the Fox affiliation to WTWC's second subchannel. At that point, MeTV programming moved from its third digital subchannel to its main channel; the simulcast of WTLF continues on its second subchannel.

On April 30, 2018, WTLH switched to [[Heroes & Icons]], after MeTV left to affiliate with WFXU and the second [[digital subchannel]] of [[WCTV]].<ref name=WTLHAffiliation/>

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WTLH<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WTLH#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WTLH|website=RabbitEars.info|access-date=January 21, 2015|archive-date=January 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121035822/http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WTLH#station|url-status=live}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 49.1 
| rowspan=2| [[1080i]] || rowspan=3| [[16:9]] || H&I || [[Heroes & Icons]]<ref name=WTLHAffiliation/>
|- style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"
! scope = "row" | [[WTLF|49.2]] 
| CW || [[The CW]] ([[WTLF]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 49.3 
| [[480i]] || Comet || [[Comet (TV network)|Comet]]
|-
|}
{{legend|#E6FFF7|Simulcast of subchannels of another station}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.heroesandiconstv.com/ Heroes & Icons Website]
*[http://yourcwtv.com/partners/tallahassee/ WTLF "The CW Tallahassee"]
*[http://wtwc40.com/ WTWC-TV "NBC 40"]
*[http://fox49.tv/ WTWC-DT2 "Fox 49"]

{{Tallahassee TV}}
{{Other Georgia stations}}
{{CW Georgia}}
{{Other Florida Stations}}
{{CW Florida}}
{{New Age Media, LLC}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wtlh}}
[[Category:1989 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Comet (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Heroes & Icons affiliates]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1989]]
[[Category:Television stations in Tallahassee, Florida|TLH]]