WMCN-TV

WMCN-TV, virtual channel 44 (VHF digital channel 13), is an independent television station serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States that is licensed to Princeton, New Jersey. The station is owned by WRNN-TV Associates, as part of a duopoly with Willow Grove, Pennsylvania-licensed fellow independent WTVE (channel 51); it is also sister to Trenton, New Jersey-licensed Class A station WPHY-CD (channel 25). WMCN's studios are located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

WMCN-TV
Princeton, New Jersey/
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
CityPrinceton, New Jersey
ChannelsDigital: 13 (VHF)
(shared with WHYY-TV[1])
Virtual: 44 (PSIP)
BrandingWMCN44
SloganTri-State Area's Independent TV Station
Programming
AffiliationsIndependent
Ownership
OwnerWRNN-TV Associates
(RNN Philly License Co., LLC)
Sister stationsWTVE, WPHY-CD
History
First air dateMay 29, 1981 (1981-05-29)
(in Atlantic City, New Jersey; license moved to Princeton in 2018[2])
Former call signsWWAC-TV (1981–2003)[3]
Former channel number(s)Analog:
53 (UHF, 1981–2002)
Digital:
44 (UHF, 2002–2018)
12 (VHF, 2018–2020)
Former affiliationsDT2:
Bounce TV (2011–mid-December 2014)
Call sign meaningMarket
Connect
Network
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID9739
ERP24 kW (STA)
30 kW (CP)
HAAT188.1 m (617 ft) (STA)
294 m (965 ft) (CP)
Transmitter coordinates40°2′30.9″N 75°14′21.9″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
[http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?facid=9739 9739 LMS]
Websitewmcn.tv

The station is carried throughout the market by DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon FiOS and on most Comcast Xfinity cable systems. WMCN is also carried on cable in Ocean County (part of the New York City television market) on Xfinity channel 27 in standard definition, and on digital channel 794 in high definition.[4]

History

The station first signed on the air on May 29, 1981 as WWAC-TV, originally licensed to Atlantic City, New Jersey and broadcasting on UHF channel 53.[5] The station changed its callsign to WMCN-TV in 2003. In 2009, the station was rebranded as "Get It On TV Philadelphia" to reflect its focus on the entire Philadelphia market, not just Atlantic City. Most of the station's programming consisted of infomercials, many of which were produced by WMCN for local companies. The remainder of WMCN's schedule was filled with several hours per week of regional faith-based telecasts as well as children's and community interest programming.

In 2011, WMCN obtained rights to broadcast games from the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul, broadcasting a majority of their regular season games on the station.[6]

In 2012, the station was once again rebranded as "WMCN44," signaling a shift towards a more traditional independent station. WMCN also added several syndicated programs to its schedule, including Cold Case Files, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Punk'd. On September 10 of that year, WMCN announced that it would produce three new original weekly series: A New View, an issues-oriented show hosted by former WTXF-TV (channel 29) personality Dawn Stensland, Tolly's Awesome Friends, a series centered on noteworthy locals hosted by ex-WTXF sports director Don Tollefson, and Philly Sports Spotlight, a locally focused series hosted by former WPVI-TV (channel 6) sports anchor Phil Andrews.[7]

On December 4, 2014, voluntary assignment of the station's license was changed from Lenfest Broadcasting, LLC to WMCN License Holdings, LLC, which will have exactly the same ownership structure as Lenfest.[8][9]

In the fall of 2016, WMCN added programming from Newsmax TV during the 4–6 p.m. and 8–9 p.m. hours, as well as nightly broadcasts of the Cowtown Rodeo and motorsports newsmagazine Raceline TV, plus the weekly Ring of Honor Wrestling series.

In the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s incentive auction, WMCN-TV sold its spectrum for $63,144,027 and indicated that it would enter into a post-auction channel sharing agreement.[10] On July 14, 2017, NRJ TV, owner of WPHY-CD, agreed to purchase WMCN for $6 million; on July 24, 2017, it assigned its right to acquire the station to WRNN-TV Associates in a deal not filed with the FCC until December.[11] On February 14, 2018, WMCN entered into a channel sharing agreement with PBS member station WHYY-TV (channel 12);[1] as the WHYY-TV signal does not reach Atlantic City, WMCN has changed its city of license to Princeton, New Jersey.[2]

As a result of the 2017 RNN acquisition, WMCN now simulcasts the programming of its parent company's primary station, New York-based WRNN, thus extending its coverage into the Delaware Valley.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[12]
44.1720p16:9WMCN-HDInfomercial(s)
44.2480i4:3WMCN.2[Blank]
44.3WMCN.3[Blank]
44.4WMCN.4Jewelry TV
Table data as of August 6, 2020

On August 22, 2011, WMCN announced that it would carry Bounce TV on digital subchannel 44.2 starting on September 26, 2011.[13]

On December 15, 2014, WMCN-TV lost its affiliation with Bounce TV; sub-channel 44.2 was temporarily replaced with SMPTE color bars. Just over two weeks later, on December 31, Soul of the South Network took over the frequency.

Analog-to-digital conversion

WMCN discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 53, in October 2002. The station's digital signal began operating on UHF channel 44,[14] instead of its former UHF analog channel 53, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the digital television transition in 2009. WMCN was the first television station in the United States to receive permission from the FCC to discontinue its analog signal. The move to digital channel 44 was intended to provide better signal coverage of the Philadelphia market from a new transmitter location which would qualify for must-carry status on cable television in the metropolitan area.

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References
  1. "WMCN-WHYY CSA" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  2. "Community of License Change (with Exhibits)" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  3. "FCC - Call Sign History - Facility ID 9739". licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=9739&Callsign=(see%20latest%20begin%20date). Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  4. FCC Allows Early Analog Shutoff, TV Technology NewsBytes, October 10, 2002
  5. They used the 1980 song "Night Train" by Steve Winwood as background music during station identifications when they first became a station. FCC grants Atlantic City station WWAC-TV request to turn off NTSC, Broadcast Engineering, October 11, 2002
  6. WMCN Channel 44 to carry Philadelphia Soul games, Philadelphia Business Journal, March 31, 2011
  7. Dawn Stensland, Don Tollefson, Phil Andrews launch new TV shows, Philly.com, September 10, 2012
  8. "FCC - Application Search Details - BALCDT-20141103AEP". licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1656611. Federal Communication Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  9. "FCC 316 - APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGN BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE OR TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF ENTITY HOLDING BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE - BALCDT-20141103AEP". licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1656611&Service=DT&Form_id=316&Facility_id=9739. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  10. "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Auction 1001 Winning Bids" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. April 4, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  11. "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  12. RabbitEars TV Query for WMCN
  13. Bounce TV Adds 2 Cities Ahead Of Launch, Deadline Hollywood, August 22, 2011.
  14. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
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