WCOV-TV

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WCOV-TV
Montgomery, Alabama
Branding	Fox 20
Channels	20 (UHF) analog, 16 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	Fox
Owner	Woods Communications Corporation
Founded	April 23, 1953
Call letters meaning	Will COVington
Former affiliations	CBS (1953-86)
Website	www.wcov.com

WCOV-TV is a Fox-affiliated television station broadcasting on channel 20 from Montgomery, Alabama.

[edit] History

WCOV-TV was the first television station in Montgomery, going on the air on April 23, 1953. The station was affiliated with the CBS television network. It was originally supposed to broadcast on channel 12 (now occupied by WSFA), but RCA could not deliver a channel 12 transmitter in time. However, RCA could deliver a UHF transmitter. This historical accident would come back to haunt the station later.

The station was owned by Oscar Covington, whose father Will (who died in 1949) put WCOV radio (now WACV) on the air in 1939. Covington sold the station to Gay-Bell Corporation in 1964.

WCOV blocked several requests by WSLA-TV in Selma to increase its power so it could cover Montgomery. It claimed that the FCC would not be fostering the growth of UHF stations if it allowed WSLA to increase its power. In truth, WCOV feared that CBS would yank the Montgomery affiliation if WSLA moved in. Finally, in 1984, WSLA changed its calls to WAKA and got a construction permit for a taller tower that would cover Montgomery. Gay-Bell saw the writing on the wall and sold the station to its current owner, Woods Communications Corporation. WAKA took the CBS affiliation for Montgomery away from WCOV in 1986. Soon afterward, Woods affiliated the station with Fox and dropped all news programming.

On Tuesday, March 6, 1996, an aerial tornado moved across the southern part of the city of Montgomery, selectively removing bits and pieces of the landscape. As it moved from west to east, on its way to a tragic touchdown in East Montgomery, its tendrils twisted around the 793 foot tower on Adrian Lane, causing it to crash to the ground. On Friday, March 22, WCOV-TV returned to the air following the erection of a temporary 350 foot tower. The station operated with a one-kilowatt transmitter and an effective radiated power of 14,000 watts, and regained its metropolitan audience as-well-as some additional cable companies. The efforts of the local Cable TV community resulted in a comparatively short interruption to WCOV-TV's cable signal. In June, WCOV-TV returned to TCI cable of Selma via an off- air pickup and microwave link.

In early September, 1996, we began construction of a new transmitting facility in Grady, Alabama. Using the tall tower of Montgomery's NBC affiliate, WSFA-TV, we built Central Alabama's most modern UHF transmitting facility, with power capability of 4 million watts and antenna located 2139' above sea level. Near the end of January, 1997, we returned to the air with a vastly improved signal and stereo audio, and a much larger audience potential.

[edit] Programming

WCOV has not aired a local newscast since losing the CBS affiliation. The station does air other local programs, including MPD: The Television Series, a COPS-inspired program produced by the Montgomery Police Department; and County Law, which involves the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.

Syndicated shows on WCOV include Live with Regis and Kelly, The Tony Danza Show, The Tyra Banks Show, Judge Mathis, Judge Alex, and reruns of Sanford and Son, What's Happening!!, The Andy Griffith Show, and Seinfeld.

[edit] External links

• WCOV website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WCOV