WTMU-LP

WTMU-LP
Boston, Massachusetts
United States
Branding Telemundo Boston
Channels Analog: 46 (UHF)
Digital: 46 (UHF, not yet on air)
Affiliations Telemundo
(as translator of WNEU)
Owner ZGS Communications
(ZGS Boston, Inc.)
First air date April 1995
Call letters' meaning TeleMUndo
Former callsigns W32AY (1995–2002)
Former channel number(s) Analog:
32 (UHF, 1995–2004)
67 (UHF, 2004–2010)
Transmitter power 2.35 kW (analog)
11.2 kW (digital)
Facility ID 64996
Transmitter coordinates Analog: 42°25′51.7″N 71°5′18.8″W / 42.431028°N 71.088556°W / 42.431028; -71.088556 (WTMU-LP)
Digital: 42°18′37.0″N 71°14′14.0″W / 42.310278°N 71.237222°W / 42.310278; -71.237222 (WTMU-LD)
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.telemundoboston.com

WTMU-LP, UHF analog channel 46, is a Telemundo-affiliated television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The station is owned by ZGS Communications. WTMU maintains studio facilities located on Wells Avenue in Newton, and its transmitter is located in Boston, Massachusetts.

The station is operated as a translator of Telemundo owned-and-operated station WNEU (Merrimack, New Hampshire, which is owned by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, subsidiary of NBCUniversal)[1] because WNEU's broadcasting radius does not reach Boston.

The station has a construction permit to broadcast a digital signal on channel 46,[2] and is currently operating in analog on channel 46 pending construction of this facility.[3][4]

History

The station first signed on the air in April 1995 as W32AY, operating on UHF channel 32.[5] In September 2000, the station began to simulcast its programming on WWDP (channel 46), giving it a chance to better compete with Univision affiliate WUNI (channel 27), the established Spanish-language station in the area.[6][7] Originally owned by Telemundo itself, W32AY was sold to ZGS in 2001.[8] In February 2002, W32AY changed its call letters to WTMU-LP, and on July 1, WWDP discontinued its relay of the station's programming.[6][7]

In December 2002, NBC (who acquired Telemundo several months earlier) purchased WPXB (channel 60, now WNEU);[9] WNEU began to carry Telemundo programming as a satellite of WTMU in April 2003.[10] Today WTMU operates as a translator of WNEU.[1]

WTMU went off-the-air in 2004, as the channel 32 allocation had been assigned to WBPX-TV for its digital signal,[11] and the station's attempt to move to channel 67 was hindered by interference from WBPX's now-defunct analog signal on channel 68.[12] WTMU resumed broadcasting operations in December 2006; it reduced its effective radiated power and relocated its transmitter to alleviate the interference.[12]

Although low-power stations were exempt from the 2009 analog shutdown that full-service stations were subject to, WTMU initiated plans for a digital signal on October 27, 2006 by applying for a construction permit for a digital companion channel on VHF channel 3.[13] On August 28, 2008, WTMU changed its plans and applied to flash-cut to channel 42, which was to have become available after WHDH-TV moved its digital signal to VHF channel 7;[14] the original application was dismissed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 27, 2009,[15] but a new application was filed on May 21.[16] A move was necessary, as the spectrum that channel 67 is located within had been auctioned off and was being removed from the television bandplan as a result of the transition.[16]

Before WTMU's application could be approved, WHDH requested to return its digital signal to channel 42, leading WTMU to withdraw its application for the channel on August 24 and filing instead to move to channel 46;[2] the FCC dismissed the channel 42 application on August 26, 2009,[17] at the same time also canceling the construction permit for the previously-proposed digital companion channel.[13] In the meantime, WTMU was unable to get a digital signal on the air before being forced to terminate the analog signal on April 9, 2010, resulting in the station suspending operations.[18] To avoid losing its license due to not broadcasting for a year, WTMU resumed broadcasting on April 4, 2011, using its existing analog facilities but operating on channel 46 under special temporary authority.[3][19] It again suspended operations on April 9, but returned to the air on March 14, 2012.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Current FCC status for WTMU-LP
  2. 1 2 "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 24, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Engineering STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 29, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Resumption of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 16, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Boston Radio Timeline". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  6. 1 2 George, Peter Q. (December 13, 2008). "WHRC-TV, Channel 46 (Ind.)". UHF Morgue. RadioDXer.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010. On September 18, 2000, WWDP began broadcasting the Spanish network Telemundo during most of their broadcast day. On July 1, 2002, the Telemundo affiliation came to an end and moved on to ZGS Broadcasting's WTMU-LP, Channel 32 in Boston…
  7. 1 2 Fybush, Scott (July 8, 2002). "WMTW Clears Out". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  8. ↑ "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGN CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE FOR TV OR FM TRANSLATOR STATION OR LOW POWER TELEVISION STATION OR TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF ENTITY HOLDING TV OR FM TRANSLATOR OR LOW POWER TELEVISION STATION". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. April 30, 2001. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  9. ↑ Fybush, Scott (September 10, 2002). "North East RadioWatch". Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  10. ↑ "ValueVision to acquire Boston's WWDP television station". Boston Business Journal. January 16, 2003. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Engineering STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 8, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Engineering STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 17, 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  13. 1 2 "Application Search Details (1)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  14. ↑ "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION (1)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 28, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Application Search Details (2)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  16. 1 2 (2) "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT OR MAKE CHANGES IN A LOW POWER TV, TV TRANSLATOR OR TV BOOSTER STATION" Check |url= value (help). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 21, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Application Search Details (3)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  18. ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communincations Commission. April 12, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Resumption of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. April 5, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2012.

External links

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