WMDE
WMDE, virtual channel 36 (VHF digital channel 5), is an independent television station owned by WRNN-TV Associates and licensed to Dover, Delaware, United States, though its transmitter is located north of Wye Mills, Maryland, 41 miles (66 km) southwest of Dover. The station's location near the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay allows it, along with additional cable and satellite coverage, to also air their programming in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. markets across the Bay, though officially it is classified in the smaller Salisbury/Dover market.
 | |
| Dover, Delaware/ Salisbury/Baltimore, Maryland/ Washington, D.C. United States | |
|---|---|
| City | Dover, Delaware |
| Channels | Digital: 5 (VHF) Virtual: 36 (PSIP) |
| Branding | WMDE 36 |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | 36.1: Independent 36.2: Court TV 36.3: Dabl 36.4: Circle 36.5: ArirangTV 36.7: ShopHQ 36.8: QVC 36.9: QVC2 |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | WRNN-TV Associates Limited Partnership (RNN D.C. License Co., LLC) |
| History | |
| First air date | May 24, 2013 |
| Call sign meaning | Serving MarylanD and DElaware |
| Technical information | |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 189357 |
| ERP | 10 kW |
| HAAT | 145 m (476 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 38°57′17.3″N 76°5′34.8″W |
| Links | |
| Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | www |
Unlike most WRNN-TV Associates stations, WMDE does not operate a studio or an advertising sales office locally in Dover/Salisbury; instead, the station relies on master control and most of its operations controlled by WRNN-TV's studios in Rye Brook, New York.
History
WMDE signed on May 24, 2013. The station was originally owned by Western Pacific Broadcast LLC.[1] WRNN-TV Associates agreed to acquire the station for $11.5 million on April 25, 2018;[2] the sale was completed on July 11, 2018.[3]
Legal controversy
WMDE was originally an Atlantic City allocation, licensed in Seaford, Delaware. However, Western Pacific Broadcast petitioned to move it to Dover. That move was protested and then held up due to an appeal by another company that wanted to move its Wyoming and Nevada allocations to the Philadelphia and New York City markets, respectively (one of which was the station that became WJLP). The move of WMDE was deemed to be a more legitimate move, but its owner still had to wait pending the other station moves. This shuffling of stations was primarily sparked by the new allocations deriving from the digital TV changes in 2011.[4][5][6]
Programming
WMDE airs infomercials, as well as programming from Doctor TV, Newsmax TV, Biz TV and Shop LC.
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WMDE.1 | Main WMDE programming |
| 36.2 | CourtTV | Court TV | ||
| 36.3 | 480i | DABL | Dabl | |
| 36.4 | Circle | Circle | ||
| 36.5 | Arirang | ArirangTV | ||
| 36.6 | JTV | Jewelry TV | ||
| 36.7 | ShopHQ | ShopHQ | ||
| 36.8 | WMDE.8 | QVC | ||
| 36.9 | WMDE.9 | QVC2 |
References
- "FCC Ownership Report Search Results - Facility ID 189358". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission.
- "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 1, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- McAdams, Deborah D. "WMDE-TV Wins Reassignment". TV Technology. NewBay Media.
- Dobo, Nichole. "Dover to get its first local TV station this summer". Delaware Online.
- "Federal Communications Commission DA 14-547 (Final Ruling)" (PDF). FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission.
- "Digital TV Market Listing for WMDE". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
External links
- WMDE in the FCC's TV station database
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WMDE-TV