WJFW-TV

WJFW-TV
Rhinelander/Wausau, Wisconsin United States

Branding	NBC 12 (general) NewsWatch 12
Slogan	News From Where You Live
Channels	Digital: 16 (UHF) Virtual: 12 (PSIP)
Subchannels	12.1 NBC 12.2 Antenna TV
Translators	27 W27AU-D Wausau
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	Rockfleet Broadcasting (Northland Television, LLC)
Founded	October 20, 1966
Call letters' meaning	Jasper F. Williams (former owner)
Sister station(s)	WVII-TV, WFVX-LD
Former callsigns	WAEO-TV (1966–1986)
Former channel number(s)	12 (VHF analog, 1966–2009)
Former affiliations	Universal Sports (on DT2)
Transmitter power	269 kW
Height	362 m
Class	DT
Facility ID	49699
Transmitter coordinates	45°40′3.3″N 89°12′29.4″W / 45.667583°N 89.208167°W / 45.667583; -89.208167
Website	www.wjfw.com

WJFW-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for North-Central Wisconsin's Northern Highland. Licensed to Rhinelander, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 (or virtual channel 12.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Starks. Owned by Rockfleet Broadcasting, the station has studios on County Road G (along WIS 17) in Rhinelander.

Since WJFW's transmitter is located further north than the other North-Central Wisconsin stations, it can only be seen in Wausau proper and not other areas in Marathon County to the south and west. Therefore, it operates a low-powered digital fill-in translator in Wausau (W27AU-D). This also airs a high definition signal but is seen on UHF channel 27 (it also maps to virtual channel 12.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Mosinee Hill southwest of the I-39/US 51/WIS 29 interchange.

Digital channels

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short name	Programming ^[1]
12.1	1080i	16:9	WJFW-DT	Main WJFW-TV programming / NBC
12.2	480i	4:3	WJFW-DT	Antenna TV

History

The station signed-on October 20, 1966 as WAEO-TV named after its original owner, Congressman Alvin E. O'Konski. Airing an analog signal on VHF channel 12, its original studios were located next to the transmitter tower. This was at the time one of the tallest structures in the world. Before its launch, NBC was seen in the market through a secondary affiliation on CBS outlet WSAU-TV (now WSAW-TV).

On November 17, 1968, a small plane with three passengers crashed into the transmitter tower knocking it out along with the station's building. It was off-the-air until a new tower was erected in the same location as the original. New studios were eventually built at the current location in Rhinelander. After the new transmitter's completion, WAEO was back on-air September 1, 1969. This updated transmitting tower was the 7th tallest structure in the world at 1,800 feet and was also the first in the United States built exclusively for color television transmission.

On June 1, 1979, the station was sold to minority-owned company Seaway Communications. As a result, it was the first VHF commercial television station in the United States to be owned by minority interests. In 1984, Dr. Jasper F. Williams (founder and CEO of Seaway Communications) was killed in a plane crash. In his memory, the call letters were changed to WJFW-TV on October 5, 1986.

In 1989, it activated an low-powered translator on channel 27 in Wausau. The station's main transmitter is located further north than other North-Central Wisconsin stations. This was a result of WISN-TV in Milwaukee which also aired on channel 12 in the analog era. The other two VHF and one UHF stations in the market had aired their analog signals on channels which were also in use by Chicago stations but they were farther away and less prone to interference. As a result, WJFW only provided Grade B coverage of Wausau itself and some parts of Marathon County could not even see the station at all except on cable.

Seaway merged with Rockfleet Broadcasting, the station's current owner, in 1998. In mid-March 2009, the main signal added Universal Sports as a second digital subchannel. After the translator performed a "flash-cut" to digital, it began to offer Universal Sports on its second subchannel as well. WJFW's broadcasts have been digital-only since February 17, 2009. Its former analog channel allotment (12) is now the home to the digital signal of CW affiliate WMOW. On May 23, 2011, WJFW replaced Universal Sports in favor of Tribune Broadcasting's Antenna TV digital subchannel network. WJFW-DT2 is also seen on Charter digital channel 967.

References

External links

Television stations in Central Wisconsin, including Wausau and Rhinelander

Wausau	WSAW (7.1 CBS, 7.2 MNTV, 7.3 Fox) WAOW (9.1 ABC, 9.2 CW, 9.3 Decades) WHRM (20.1 PBS/WPT, 20.2 WIS, 20.3 Create) W27AU-D (12.1 NBC, 12.2 Antenna) WTPX (46.1 Ion, 46.2 qubo, 46.3 Ion Life) WZAW (55.1 Fox, 55.2 MeTV, 55.3 Movies!)

Northern WI	WMOW (4.1 CW, 4.2 ABC, 4.3 Decades) W42DH-D (7.1 CBS, 7.2 MNTV, 7.3 Fox) WJFW (12.1 NBC, 12.2 Antenna) WYOW (34.1 ABC, 34.2 CW, 34.3 Decades) WLEF (36.1 PBS/WPT, 36.2 Wisc, 36.3 Create)

Cable-only stations	FSN Wisconsin WisconsinEye

Defunct	WFXS (55.1 Fox, 55.2 MeTV, 55.3 Movies!)

Adjacent areas	Duluth Eau Claire/La Crosse Green Bay Marquette Madison

NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Wisconsin

WTMJ 4.1 (Milwaukee) W50DR 10.1 (La Crosse) WJFW 12.1 (Rhinelander/Wausau) WEAU 13.1 (Eau Claire) WMTV 15.1 (Madison) WGBA 26.1 (Green Bay)

See also ABC CBS CW Fox Ion MyNetworkTV NBC PBS Other stations in Wisconsin

Other television stations and subchannel networks in the state of Wisconsin

3ABN	W23BW-D 23 (Madison) W30BU 30 (Green Bay)

Antenna TV	WITI 6.2 (Milwaukee) WLUK 11.2 (Green Bay) WJFW 12.2 (Rhinelander/Wausau) WMTV 15.3 (Madison)

Bounce TV	WMLW 49.2 (Racine/Milwaukee)

BUZZR	WTSJ 38.2 (Milwaukee)

Comet	WCWF 14.2 (Suring/Green Bay) WCGV 24.2 (Milwaukee) WMSN 47.2 (Madison)

COZI	WTMJ 4.3 (Milwaukee)

Daystar	WMWD 38.1 (Madison) WGBD 49.1 (Green Bay)

Decades	WMOW 4.3 (Crandon) WAOW 9.3 (Wausau) WQOW 18.3 (Eau Claire) WXOW 19.3 (La Crosse) WKOW 27.3 (Madison) WYOW 34.3 (Eagle River) WDJT 58.4 (Milwaukee)

Escape	WACY 32.3 (Green Bay)

EVINE Live	WIWN 68.2 (Fond du Lac/Milwaukee)

Family Channel	W43BR 43 (Baraboo/Wisc. Dells)

getTV	WVTV 18.2 (Milwaukee)

Grit	WCGV 24.3 (Milwaukee) WACY 32.2 (Green Bay) WMSN 47.3 (Madison)

Heroes & Icons	WBUW 57.3 (Janesville/Madison) WDJT 58.3 (Milwaukee)

HSN OTA	WTPX 46.6 (Antigo/Wausau) WPXE 55.6 (Kenosha/Milwaukee)

Ion Life	WTPX 46.2 (Antigo/Wausau) WPXE 55.2 (Kenosha/Milwaukee)

Laff	WTMJ 4.2 (Milwaukee) WGBA 26.3 (Green Bay)

LATV	WIWN 68.4 (Fond du Lac/Milwaukee)

Local Accuweather	WMVS 10.4 (Milwaukee)

Locally-originated automated weather	WBAY 2.2 (Green Bay)

Me-TV	WGBA 26.2 (Green Bay) WKOW 27.2 (Madison) WBME 41.1/WDJT 58.2 (Milwaukee) WZAW 55.2 (Wausau)

Movies!	WISN 12.2 (Milwaukee) WZAW 55.3 (Wausau) WBUW 57.2 (Janesville/Madison)

MundoMax	WTSJ 38.1 (Milwaukee)

qubo	WTPX 46.3 (Antigo/Wausau) WPXE 55.3 (Kenosha/Milwaukee)

QVC OTA	WTPX 46.5 (Antigo/Wausau) WPXE 55.5 (Kenosha/Milwaukee) WIWN 68.6 (Fond du Lac/Milwaukee)

Sonlife	WIWN 68.1 (Fond du Lac/Milwaukee)

TBN	K32GF 32 (Rhinelander) W36DH 36 (Waupaca) WWRS 52 (Mayville/Milwaukee)

Telemundo	WYTU 63.1/WMLW 49.4 (Milwaukee/Racine)

This	WMLW 49.3 (Racine/Milwaukee)

WeatherNation TV	WMTV 15.2 (Madison)

Independent	WZCK-LP 8 (Madison) WPVS-LP 29 (Milwaukee) WMLW 49.1 (Racine/Milwaukee)

See also ABC CBS CW Fox Ion MyNetworkTV NBC PBS Other stations in Wisconsin

Rockfleet Broadcasting

WVII 7 (ABC / JTV Bangor) WJFW 12 (NBC Rhinelander / Wausau) WFVX-LD 22 (FOX / MNTV / JTV Bangor)

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