View source for WWMT

{{Short description|Television station in Kalamazoo, Michigan}}
{{distinguish|The Tribe (dance band)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Original research|date=October 2012}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2012}}
}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WWMT
| city = Kalamazoo, Michigan
| logo = LOGO WWMT CBS3 solid legal blu.png
| logo_size = 175px
| image = Arc West Michigan WWMT.svg
| image_size = 200px
| branding = {{ubl|''NewsChannel 3''|ARC West Michigan (3.2)}}
| digital = 8 ([[VHF]])
| virtual = 3
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''3.1:''' [[CBS]]|'''3.2:''' [[Independent station|Independent]]|''for others, see {{Section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]
| licensee = WWMT Licensee, [[LLC]]
| location = {{ubl|[[Kalamazoo]]–[[Grand Rapids]]–|[[Battle Creek, Michigan]]}}
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1950|7|9|p=y}}
| callsign_meaning = We're West Michigan Television
| former_callsigns = WKZO-TV (1950–1985)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 3 (VHF, 1950–2009)|'''Digital:''' 2 (VHF, until 2009)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (secondary, 1950–1955)|[[NBC]] (secondary, 1950–1960)|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (secondary, 1950–1962)|[[The CW]] (DT2, 2006–2023)}}
| erp = 25 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|317|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 74195
| coordinates = {{Coord|42|37|56|N|85|32|16|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{url|https://wwmt.com/}}
}}

'''WWMT''' (channel 3) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[Kalamazoo, Michigan]], United States, serving [[West Michigan]] as an affiliate of [[CBS]]. The station is owned by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], and maintains studios on West Maple Street in Kalamazoo; its transmitter is located in northwest [[Yankee Springs Township]] on Chief Noonday Road/[[M-179]] near Patterson Road.

==History==
The station signed on the air on July 9, 1950,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-marcellus-news-wkzo-tv-joins-network/168689355/ |date=July 6, 1950 |page=1 |title=WKZO-TV Joins Network Next Sunday, July 9th |work=[[Marcellus News|The Marcellus News]] |location=[[Marcellus, Michigan|Marcellus]], Michigan |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=March 23, 2025}}</ref> as WKZO-TV (the call letters standing for "Kalamazoo").<ref>[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=97910 FCC History Cards for WWMT]. [[Federal Communications Commission]].</ref> It was West Michigan's second television station to debut after WLAV-TV (channel 7, now [[WOOD-TV]] on channel 8) and was owned by broadcasting pioneer [[John Fetzer]], along with [[WKZO (AM)|WKZO]] radio, which Fetzer had owned since 1930. It carried programming from all four networks of the time: CBS, [[NBC]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], and [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]]. However, it has always been a primary CBS affiliate owing to its radio sister's affiliation with the [[CBS Radio Network]]. It originally operated from a transmitter in [[Oshtemo Township, Michigan|Oshtemo Township]], west of Kalamazoo. After a month of signing on in the afternoons to air movies, regular broadcasting began on July 1, 1950. On that date, it became one of 20 stations in the country that had priority for CBS's strongest programming.<ref name=stationhistory>{{cite web|url=https://wwmt.com/station/history|title=Station history|publisher=WWMT|date=December 15, 2015}}</ref>

From the start, WKZO-TV had reception problems due to the presence of [[WTMJ-TV]] across [[Lake Michigan]] in [[Milwaukee]], also on analog VHF channel 3 until a shake-up of channels in Chicago, Kalamazoo, and Milwaukee in 1953. WTMJ moved to channel 4; [[WBBM-TV]] in [[Chicago]] to move from channel 4 to channel 2 as a condition of its purchase by CBS. 

Channel 3 was originally the CBS affiliate for the northern portion of the [[South Bend, Indiana]] market. When South Bend got its own station, [[WSBT-TV]], in 1952, WKZO-TV shared the southwestern part of its viewing area with WSBT-TV to the detriment of the latter until all television manufacturers were required to include UHF tuning capability. 

Channel 3 lost DuMont in 1956 after that network shut down. In 1958, the WKZO stations moved their operations to an old car dealership on West Maple Avenue in Kalamazoo, the "Fetzer Broadcast House." Channel 3 remains based to this day. In 1960, Fetzer built a new {{convert|1,100|ft|m|0|adj=on}} transmission tower near the northern edge of [[Gun Lake (Michigan)|Gun Lake]]. The tower was located roughly halfway between Kalamazoo and [[Grand Rapids]], allowing it to provide city-grade coverage of Grand Rapids while still being within {{convert|15|mi|km|0}} of Kalamazoo as required by [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) regulations. Soon after channel 3 activated its new tower, the FCC moved Kalamazoo and Battle Creek into the Grand Rapids market, collapsing West Michigan into one of the largest television markets east of the Mississippi.  WKZO then shared ABC with WOOD-TV until [[WZZM]] (channel 13) signed on in 1962.<ref name=stationhistory/>

Fetzer also owned the [[Detroit Tigers]] baseball team from [[1956 Detroit Tigers season|1956]] to [[1983 Detroit Tigers season|1983]]. During this time, channel 3 frequently preempted prime time CBS programming for Tigers baseball games, including preseason [[exhibition game|exhibitions]].{{attribution needed|date=October 2012}} In 1985, Fetzer retired and began selling off his vast broadcasting empire, which by this time included, among other holdings, [[WWTV]] in [[Cadillac, Michigan]], and [[KOLN-TV]] in [[Lincoln, Nebraska]]. The FCC had grandfathered existing radio-television clusters when it barred common ownership of radio and television stations, but with Fetzer's announcement, WKZO-AM-TV lost its grandfathered protection. The Fetzer television stations were initially sold to [[George N. Gillett Jr.|Gillett Holdings]]. On December 5, 1985, per a since-repealed FCC rule restricting TV and radio stations in the same market but with different ownership from sharing the same callsigns, Gillett changed the station's call letters to the current WWMT (standing for "We're West Michigan Television"). Two years later, WWMT and KOLN were spun off to Busse Broadcasting. In 1995, [[Granite Broadcasting]] acquired the station. [[Freedom Communications]] purchased WWMT in 1998 from Granite, along with sister station [[WLAJ]] in [[Lansing]].<ref name=stationhistory/>

WWMT is the second longest-tenured CBS affiliate in Michigan (behind only [[WLNS-TV]] in Lansing, which signed on one month earlier); its logos have used the CBS logo since the mid-1990s. In 2005, a company-wide consolidation of operations at Freedom's stations resulted in the move of WLAJ's master control and most internal operations to WWMT's facilities. This left behind a skeleton crew of six people out of what began with 80 staffers in Lansing.{{attribution needed|date=October 2012}}

Freedom announced on November 2, 2011, that it would exit from television and sell its stations, including WWMT, to the [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]].<ref name=ocr-freedomsinclair>{{Cite news|last=Milbourn|first=Mary Ann|title=O.C. Register owner sells TV stations|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/sinclair-324997-stations-company.html|access-date=November 2, 2011|newspaper=[[Orange County Register]]|date=November 2, 2011}}</ref> The group deal closed on April 2, 2012. As a result, WWMT and WLAJ joined [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WSMH]] in [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]] as two of the three Sinclair-owned television properties in the state of Michigan. On February 16, 2016, upon the completion of the merger between [[Schurz Communications]] and [[Gray Television]], South Bend CBS affiliate WSBT-TV was spun off to Sinclair to meet regulatory guidelines, allowing WWMT and WSBT to become sister operations to one another for the first time, outside of existing news video sharing agreements.

On May 8, 2017, Sinclair entered into an agreement to acquire Chicago-based [[Tribune Media]] – which has owned WXMI since 1996 – for $3.9 billion, plus the assumption of $2.7 billion in debt held by Tribune. Sinclair was precluded from acquiring WXMI directly, as both it and WWMT rank among the four highest-rated stations in the Grand Rapids–Kalamazoo–[[Battle Creek]] market in total day viewership, and the market has too few independently owned full-power stations to permit legal duopolies in any event.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy Tribune Media for $3.9 billion plus debt|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-tribune-sinclair-20170508-story.html|first=Stephen|last=Battaglio|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 8, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group Sets $3.9 Billion Deal to Acquire Tribune Media|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/sinclair-tribune-merger-station-group-1202416416/|first=Cynthia|last=Littleton|periodical=Variety|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|date=May 8, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast to buy Tribune Media for $3.9 billion, giving it control over 215 local TV stations|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/05/08/sinclair-broadcast-to-buy-tribune-media-for-3-9-billion-creating-nations-largest-tv-station-group/|first=Todd|last=Frankel|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=[[Jeff Bezos|Nash Holdings, LLC]]|date=May 8, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast nears deal for Tribune Media|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tribune-media-m-a-sinclair-exclusive-idUSKBN1830QH|first=Liana|last=Baker|first2=Jessica|last2=Toonkel|work=[[Reuters]]|date=May 7, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The New Sinclair: 72% Coverage + WGNA|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/103905/its-official-sinclair-is-buying-tribune|first=Harry A.|last=Jessell|first2=Mark K.|last2=Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> On April 24, 2018, in an amendment to the Tribune acquisition through which it proposed the sale of certain stations to both independent and affiliated third-party companies to curry the DOJ's approval, Sinclair announced that it would sell WXMI and eight other stations – Sinclair-operated [[KOKH-TV]] in [[Oklahoma City]], [[WRLH-TV]] in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[WOLF-TV]] (along with LMA partners [[WSWB]] and [[WQMY]]) in [[Scranton]]–[[Wilkes-Barre]], [[KDSM-TV]] in [[Des Moines]] and [[WXLV-TV]] in [[Greensboro]]–[[Winston-Salem]]–[[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]], and Tribune-owned [[WPMT]] in [[Harrisburg]] – to [[Standard General#Standard Media|Standard Media Group]] (an independent broadcast holding company formed by [[private equity firm]] Standard General to assume ownership of and absolve ownership conflicts involving the aforementioned stations) for $441.1 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Spins Off 23 TVs To Grease Trib Deal|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/113054/sinclair-spins-off-23-tvs-to-grease-trib-deal|first=Harry A.|last=Jessell|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=April 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Sinclair Enters Into Agreements to Sell TV Stations Related to Closing Tribune Media Acquisition|url=http://sbgi.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tribune-Divest-Announcement-FINAL-4-24-18.pdf|publisher=Sinclair Broadcast Group|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=April 25, 2018|archive-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426075952/http://sbgi.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tribune-Divest-Announcement-FINAL-4-24-18.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="aa-saletohsh">{{cite news|title=Sinclair Revises TV Spinoff Plans For Tribune Deal, Announces Deals For Several Stations|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/176083/sinclair-revises-tv-spinoff-plans-for-tribune-deal|website=All Access|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=April 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Station Trading Roundup: 7 Deals, $571.7M|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/113254/station-trading-roundup-7-deals-5717m|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=May 1, 2018|access-date=May 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Form of Transition Services Agreement|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101783773&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=3|website=Federal Communications Commission|date=April 30, 2018|access-date=May 2, 2018|archive-date=May 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503043536/https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101783773&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=3|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Three weeks after the FCC's July 18 vote to have the deal reviewed by an [[administrative law judge]] amid "serious concerns" about Sinclair's forthrightness in its applications to sell certain conflict properties, on August 9, 2018, Tribune announced it would terminate the Sinclair deal, intending to seek other [[M&A]] opportunities. Tribune also filed a [[breach of contract]] lawsuit in the [[Delaware Chancery Court]], alleging that Sinclair engaged in protracted negotiations with the FCC and the DOJ over regulatory issues, refused to sell stations in markets where it already had properties, and proposed divestitures to parties with ties to Sinclair executive chair David D. Smith that were rejected or highly subject to rejection to maintain control over stations it was required to sell. The termination of the Sinclair sale agreement placed uncertainty for the future of Standard Media's purchases of WXMI and the other six Tribune- and Sinclair-operated stations included in that deal, which were predicated on the closure of the Sinclair–Tribune merger.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tribune Terminates $3.9 Billion Sinclair Merger, Sues Broadcast Rival|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tribune-media-terminates-merger-agreement-with-sinclair-broadcast-group-1533810907|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|publisher=[[News Corp (2013–present)|News Corp.]]|date=August 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tribune Kills Sinclair Merger, Files Suit|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/220320/tribune-kills-sinclair-merger/|first=Mark K.|last=Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=August 9, 2018|access-date=August 9, 2018|archive-date=March 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329181121/https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/tribune-kills-sinclair-merger/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tribune Media pulls out of Sinclair Broadcast merger|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-tribune-sinclair-merger-ended-20180809-story.html#|first=Christopher|last=Dinsmore|newspaper=[[Baltimore Sun]]|publisher=[[Tronc]]|date=August 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tribune Ends Deal With Sinclair, Dashing Plan for Conservative TV Behemoth|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/business/dealbook/sinclair-tribune-media.html|first=Edmund|last=Lee|first2=Amie|last2=Tsang|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tribune Ends Deal with Sinclair, Files Breach of Contract Suit|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/tribune-ends-deal-with-sinclair-files-breach-of-contract-suit|first=Jon |last=Lafayette|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=August 9, 2018}}</ref>

In April 2023, the WWMT station was part of a [[bomb threat]] when a person entered the station and claimed to an employee that he had a bomb on him. The station was safely evacuated and the suspect surrendered within three hours. The station remained closed off after the suspect was arrested due to a backpack that the person brought in.<ref>[https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/police-respond-to-threat-at-kalamazoo-tv-station/ 1 in custody after threat at Kalamazoo TV station] [[WOOD-TV]]</ref><ref>[https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/investigations/police-respond-bomb-threat-kalamazoo-news-station-employees-evacuated/69-eef8c6ec-f89e-4b42-b336-a1b1464b53b9 Employees evacuated, police respond to bomb threat at Kalamazoo news station] [[WZZM]]</ref><ref>[https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/kzoo-bc/report-police-arrest-man-accused-of-bomb-threat-at-wwmt-in-kalamazoo KDPS: Police arrest man accused of threatening WWMT with bomb] [[WXMI]]</ref>

===WWMT-DT2===
[[File:LOGO WWMT CW7 legal grn.png|thumb|Former logo until 2024.]]
On April 4, 2006, WWMT announced it would affiliate with [[The CW]] on a new second [[digital subchannel]].<ref>[http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/103543-CW_Adds_Seven_More_Affiliates.php CW Adds Seven More Affiliates], ''[[Broadcasting & Cable]]'', April 4, 2006.</ref>

[[West Michigan]] is one of the largest television markets where The CW was unavailable through over-the-air analog broadcasts. WWMT is one of the few stations the new network was awarded that had not previously been affiliated with either The WB or UPN. WXSP joined MyNetworkTV when the network launched on September 5 and WWMT did the same with The CW when it began on September 18. From that date through early December, WWMT-DT2 was branded as "West Michigan's CW"; it has since changed its branding to "The CW 7", after its cable position on [[Time Warner Cable]]/[[Charter Spectrum]] systems in the area.

The CW affiliation was moved to [[WOTV|WOTV-DT2]] on January 1, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malone |first=Michael |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Nexstar Stations Take Over CW Affiliations in 3 Markets |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/nexstar-stations-take-over-cw-affiliations-in-three-markets |access-date=January 4, 2024 |website=Broadcasting Cable |language=en}}</ref> As such, the subchannel became an [[Independent station|independent]], rebranded as "ARC West Michigan".<ref>{{Cite web |title=ARC West Michigan: Introducing WWMT's new community-based network |url=https://wwmt.com/news/local/arc-west-michigan-program-news-channel-3-wwmt-tv-program-jerry-springer-wilcox-maury-las-man-big-bang-jeopardy-kelly-clarkson-show |access-date=January 4, 2024 |website=wwmt.com}}</ref>

==News operation==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2012}}
WWMT at present broadcasts {{frac|34|1|2}} hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with {{frac|5|1|2}} hours each weekday and {{frac|3|1|2}} hours each on Saturdays on Sundays). Originally, WKZO was Western Michigan's highest-rated television station but lost the lead to WZZM in the mid-1970s.{{attribution needed|date=October 2012}} It has been a solid runner-up, first to WZZM and later WOTV/WOOD-TV, for most of the time since then.{{attribution needed|date=October 2012}} For a time in the mid-1990s, even though most of WWMT's fellow CBS affiliates were in third place or worse,{{attribution needed|date=October 2012}} this station was very competitive with WZZM and WOOD-TV{{editorializing|date=October 2012}} often resulting in close [[Nielsen ratings]] during [[sweeps]] periods.{{Citation needed|date=October 2012}}

Since its city of license is Kalamazoo, the station has traditionally had a focus on the southern areas of the market (Kalamazoo and Battle Creek). To assist in story-gathering efforts in these areas, it operates a bureau on Michigan Avenue West in downtown Battle Creek. WWMT also once operated a news bureau near Grand Rapids Police headquarters due to its secondary focus on the northern half of the market (Grand Rapids and Muskegon).

Veteran news anchor Tom VanHowe began filling in for Jeff McAtee on July 28, 2008. McAtee was on active duty serving as a [[Commander (United States)|commander]] with the [[United States Navy Reserve]]. [[Marketing director]] Mark Bishop told the ''[[Grand Rapids Press]]'' that "McAtee will be active in the Navy Reserve for a year or two."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wwmt.com/news/newschannel_1351469___article.html/well_howe.html |title= Local News: New face at Newschannel 3 &#124; newschannel, well, howe : WWMT NEWSCHANNEL 3|website=www.wwmt.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918092129/http://www.wwmt.com/news/newschannel_1351469___article.html/well_howe.html |archive-date=September 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2008/07/longtime_tv_anchor_coming_out.html Longtime TV anchor coming out of retirement], MLive.com, July 22, 2008.</ref> In November 2008, VanHowe extended his contract to continue on WWMT until at least June 2009. He continued to co-anchor the station's 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m. newscasts on weeknights. Weekday morning news anchor [[Jeff Varner]] (participant in ''[[Survivor: The Australian Outback]]'') moved to the weeknight broadcasts alongside Judy Markee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freedom.com/company/full_news2.asp?id=1357|title=Mortgage & Refinance: A Top Mortgage Lender &#124; Freedom Mortgage}}</ref>

On September 18, 2008, WWMT began producing a nightly prime time newscast at 10 p.m. on its CW-affiliated second digital subchannel. This established a third local news option in the timeslot, competing with Fox affiliate [[WXMI]] (channel 17)'s longer-established hour-long 10 p.m. newscast and MyNetworkTV affiliate WXSP's half-hour 10 p.m. newscast produced by WOOD-TV. Known as ''Newschannel 3 Live at 10 on The CW 7'', this program currently airs for 30 minutes featuring a separate title opening, "CW 7" labeled microphones, and a "Newschannel 3 on CW 7" [[Digital on-screen graphic|bug]] in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
 
On April 17, 2009, WXMI became the first station in the market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in [[high-definition television|high definition]]. Six months later, WOOD-TV upgraded its newscasts to [[16:9]] [[widescreen]] [[enhanced definition]] (WZZM would do the same some time in late 2009). Although not truly high definition, broadcasts matched the [[Display aspect ratio|aspect ratio]] of widescreen television sets.{{original research inline|date=October 2012}} WWMT remained the last major station in Western Michigan with pillar boxed [[4:3]] standard definition newscasts until April 16, 2011, when it became the second station in the market to upgrade its local newscasts to full high definition (updated graphics were introduced along with the change).{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}

After WLAJ's Lansing-based news operation was shut down on September 25, 2009, WWMT began producing a taped five-minute news and weather brief weeknights at 11 p.m. on that station. Known as ''ABC 3 News Update'', regional and state coverage was presented in the show since WLAJ does not maintain any news personnel at its studios. There were also recorded local weather cut-ins seen on that station weekday mornings during ''[[Good Morning America]]''. These productions were upgraded to high definition on April 16, 2011. After WLAJ came under the ownership of Shield Media on March 1, 2013, all news programming produced by WWMT ceased airing on the Lansing station and was replaced by newscasts from WLNS-TV.

In June 2011, Andy Dominianni (who had previously served as the station's morning anchor in the late 1990s) and Kate Tillotson were appointed as anchors of the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts. On April 23, 2012, WWMT became the first station in the market to expand its weekday morning newscast to 4:30&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2012/04/23/58919/wwmt-launches-430-am-newscast|title=WWMT Launches 4:30 A.M. Newscast}}</ref> On January 19, 2013, WWMT debuted weekend morning newscasts, airing for two hours from 6 to 8 a.m. on Saturdays and from 7 to 9 a.m. on Sundays.

=== Notable former on-air staff ===
*[[Joe Pagliarulo]] – morning and noon anchor, now a nationally syndicated conservative TV/radio talk show host

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WWMT<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WWMT|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WWMT|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=November 29, 2024}}</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" | 3.1 
| rowspan=2|[[1080i]] || rowspan=4|[[16:9]] || CBS || [[CBS]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 3.2 
| Ind || [[Independent station|Independent]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 3.3 
| rowspan=2|[[480i]] || ROAR || [[Roar (TV network)|Roar]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 3.4
| CHSN || [[Chicago Sports Network]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope = "row" | [[WXSP-CD|15.3]]
| 480i || [[4:3]] || Comet || [[Comet (TV network)|Comet]] ([[WXSP-CD]])
|}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WWMT shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 3, on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251if_/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-08-29|title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2024}} The station's digital signal moved from its pre-transition VHF channel 2 to channel 8 (which was formerly used for the analog signal of WOOD-TV), using [[virtual channel]] 3.

==See also==
*[[Channel 3 virtual TV stations in the United States]]
*[[Channel 7 branded TV stations in the United States]]
*[[Channel 8 digital TV stations in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official|wwmt.com}}

{{Grand Rapids TV}}
{{Lansing TV}}
{{Northern Michigan TV}}
{{CBS Michigan}}
{{Other Michigan Stations}}
{{SBGI}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wwmt}}
[[Category:1950 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:CBS affiliates]]
[[Category:Roar (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kalamazoo, Michigan]]
[[Category:Sinclair Broadcast Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1950]]
[[Category:Television stations in West Michigan|WMT]]