WLMT

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WLMT

Memphis, Tennessee
Branding	CW 30
Slogan	Eyewitness News. Everywhere. Also: Uncovering. Investigating. Getting Results.
Channels	30 (UHF) analog, 31 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	The CW
Owner	Clear Channel Communications (sale pending)
Founded	April 3, 1983
Call letters meaning	We Love Memphis Tennessee (also for Michael Thompson, former owner)
Former affiliations	Independent (1983-1987 & 1990-1995) Fox (1987-1990) UPN (1995-2006) The WB (secondary) (2003-2006)
Website	www.myeyewitnessnews.com/cw/

WLMT, channel 30, is a CW affiliate for the Memphis, Tennessee area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

1 History
2 Newscasts
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The station signed on the air in April 1983 as the market's second independent station with the call letters WMKW-TV (the KW referring to Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inn, which is based in Memphis). It began a friendly rivalry with WPTY-TV for viewers. The station was founded by the TVX Broadcast Group -- which by then, owned several medium market UHF independent stations. WMKW had a general entertainment format featuring cartoons, sitcoms, old movies, drama shows, and some sports.

In April of 1987, along with the rest of the TVX stations, WMKW became the market's first affiliate of the Fox Television Network, becoming known on air as FOX 30.

In 1987, WMKW was sold by TVX to finance the purchasing of other television stations. The station was sold in 1988 to MT Communications - and the call letters were changed to WLMT. Fox pulled WLMT's affiliation in 1990, and gave it to WPTY - returning WLMT to an independent format.

MT Communications sold the station to Mass Media, Inc. in 1992. The station reached a LMA with WPTY, and the stations pooled resources and programming.

WLMT became a UPN affiliate at the network's launch in January 1995. Later that year, when WPTY became an ABC affiliate, the stations began sharing a newsroom operation and WLMT began airing a newscast called Newswatch 30. It would later be referred to simply as UPN 30 News. The newscast is now branded as Eyewitness News.

WLMT was sold in 1996 to Max Media, LLC - then bought by current owners Clear Channel Communications in 2001. Clear Channel also owns WPTY, so the arrangement gives Clear Channel a duopoly in Memphis.

In 2003, programming from The WB moved from WPTY (where it was shown late nights slot) to WLMT, where it also aired out of pattern from the station's UPN programming. In September 2006, WLMT officially became part of the new CW Television Network. WLMT will broadcast most of the CW's network programming, including primetime and daytime programs, as well as Saturday morning children's programming (Kids' WB).

On November 16, 2006, Clear Channel announced its intention to sell off all of its television stations, including WLMT,^[1] after the company was bought out by a private equity firm.

[edit] Newscasts

CW 30 Eyewitness News This Morning 7-8 a.m.
CW 30 Eyewitness News at 9 9-9:45 p.m.
CW 30 Eyewitness Sports 9:45-10 p.m.

[edit] News Anchors

Weekday Evenings:

Cameron Harper
Dee Griffin

Weekday Mornings:

Terrance Bates
Bonny Kinney

Weekends:

Joyce Peterson
Darryl Hood

[edit] Weather

Brian Teigland
Mark Walden
Nicondra Norwood
Henry Rothenberg

[edit] Sports

Greg Gaston
Kevin Jenks
Rob Petrone

[edit] Former Personalities

Tom Butler- Weekend Anchor (Now at KMSP in the Twin Cities)

[edit] References

^ "Clear Channel agrees to sale", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gannett Company, 2006-11-16. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Memphis market (Nielsen DMA #44)
WREG 3 (CBS) - WMC 5 (NBC) (The Tube on DT3) - WKNO 10 (PBS) - WMAE 12 / WMAV 18 (PBS/MPB) - WPRQ-LP 12 (A1) - WHBQ 13 (Fox) - W18BL 18 (UBN) - WBII 20 (A1) - WPTY 24 (ABC) - WLMT 30 (The CW) - WBUY 40 (TBN) - W42BY 42 (3ABN) - WPXX 50 (MyNetworkTV/i) - W57CG 57 (Ind.) - WJRJ 59 (Daystar)
See also broadcast television in Jonesboro, Jackson TN, Greenwood / Greenville and Columbus/Tupelo/West Point markets