WELF-TV

WELF-TV is a religious television station broadcasting on channel 23 from Dalton, Georgia, in the United States. Although its license city is Dalton, the station serves viewers in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area and is associated with the wider southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia television market. Its programming identity is tied to the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), a Christian television network that distributes religious programming through a combination of network-owned stations, affiliates, and other platforms. The station began broadcasting on May 10, 1994. It was constructed and launched by Sonlight Broadcasting Systems, a Mobile, Alabama-based broadcast ministry co-founded by television producer Paul Crouch Jr. and attorney and broadcaster Jay Sekulow. Sonlight's stations were affiliated with TBN from the beginning, giving WELF-TV access to the network's schedule while allowing occasional substitutions or local programming decisions. This initial structure made the station part of TBN's broader distribution system without making it directly owned by TBN. In 1997, WELF-TV was sold together with the other Sonlight stations to All American TV, a minority-owned broadcasting company with close ties to TBN. The transaction changed the station's corporate ownership while maintaining its TBN affiliation. Under All American TV, WELF-TV became a full-fledged TBN affiliate rather than simply a station established by a separate ministry that carried much of the network's content. TBN acquired all of All American TV's stations in 2000. As a result, WELF-TV became a TBN-owned-and-operated station. The change consolidated its ownership and programming relationship with the national religious network. WELF-TV has continued to function primarily as a distribution outlet for TBN content rather than as a general-interest local television station with a large independent news operation. The station's transmitter is located on State Route 157 in unincorporated west-central Walker County, Georgia. Its signal has also been part of the transition from analog to digital broadcasting. TBN-owned full-power stations permanently ended analog transmissions on April 16, 2009. WELF-TV's principal offering is therefore broadcast television programming, especially Christian ministry, worship, teaching, inspirational, and related network content. Detailed current programming, management, and technical operating information is not established by the supplied reference material.

WELF-TV was established to provide religious television service to the Dalton, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, region. The station began operations on May 10, 1994, after being built and signed on by Sonlight Broadcasting Systems. Sonlight was a Mobile, Alabama-based broadcast ministry associated with Paul Crouch Jr., a television producer, and Jay Sekulow, an attorney and broadcaster. The station launched with a Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliation, reflecting Sonlight's broader strategy of building broadcast outlets that could distribute TBN programming. During its first ownership period, WELF-TV carried most of the TBN schedule but retained the ability to substitute alternate programming at certain times. This arrangement gave the station a local broadcast presence while connecting it to TBN's national religious television service. The station was licensed to Dalton, while its transmission facilities were located on State Route 157 in unincorporated west-central Walker County, Georgia, enabling service to the surrounding regional audience. In 1997, Sonlight sold WELF-TV and its other stations to All American TV. The buyer was a minority-owned broadcasting company described as having close ties to TBN. The transaction preserved the station's network relationship and strengthened its status as a full TBN affiliate. WELF-TV consequently moved from being a Sonlight-built station that carried substantial TBN programming to a more formally integrated affiliate within the network's distribution structure. The next major ownership change occurred in 2000, when TBN acquired all of All American TV's stations. WELF-TV thereby became a TBN-owned-and-operated station. This acquisition unified the station's ownership and affiliation under the TBN organization and made its identity as a local TBN outlet more explicit. The station later participated in the technical transition affecting TBN's full-power broadcast portfolio. TBN-owned full-power stations permanently ceased analog transmissions on April 16, 2009, replacing their former analog service with digital broadcasting. WELF-TV's continuing role has been as a religious television station serving the Chattanooga-area market, with its principal output centered on TBN-linked Christian programming rather than a broad local commercial television format. The available reference material does not identify a separate current local-news operation, detailed recent management history, or a distinct consumer product line beyond its broadcast service.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  TBN-owned full-power stations permanently ended analog transmissions on April 16 during the United States digital television transition.

• 2000

  TBN becomes owner and operator

  [1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  TBN purchased All American TV's stations, including WELF-TV, converting the station into a TBN-owned-and-operated outlet.

• 1997

  Ownership transfers to All American TV

  [1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  All American TV acquired WELF-TV and Sonlight's other stations, while the station continued its TBN relationship as a full affiliate.

• 1994

  WELF-TV launches

  [1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Sonlight Broadcasting Systems signed WELF-TV on the air on May 10 as a religious station licensed to Dalton, Georgia, serving the Chattanooga area.

A local broadcast outlet for Trinity Broadcasting Network religious programming, serving the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area from a station licensed in Dalton, Georgia.

• Religious television station · 1994

  WELF-TV broadcast service

  WELF-TV provides over-the-air religious television service on channel 23. The station is licensed to Dalton, Georgia, and serves the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area. Its output is primarily connected to the Trinity Broadcasting Network and consists of Christian religious, teaching, worship, inspirational, and related programming.

• Television programming · 1994

  TBN network programming

  As a TBN affiliate and later a TBN-owned-and-operated station, WELF-TV has carried most of the network's schedule, with the possibility of alternate programming at selected times. The offering is a distributed television schedule rather than a separately branded consumer product.

• 2009

  Transition from analog to digital broadcastingOther

  Background

  TBN's full-power stations were affected by the United States digital television transition.

  Action taken

  TBN-owned full-power stations permanently discontinued analog transmissions on April 16.

  Aftermath

  WELF-TV continued as part of TBN's digital broadcast station group.

  Source

• 2000

  TBN acquisition of All American TV stationsM&A

  Background

  TBN pursued ownership of the stations previously held by All American TV.

  Action taken

  TBN acquired all of All American TV's stations, including WELF-TV.

  Aftermath

  WELF-TV became a TBN-owned-and-operated station.

  Source

• 1997

  Sale from Sonlight Broadcasting Systems to All American TVM&A

  Background

  WELF-TV was part of the group of Sonlight stations transferred to All American TV.

  Action taken

  All American TV acquired the station while maintaining its TBN affiliation.

  Aftermath

  WELF-TV became a full-fledged TBN affiliate under its new owner.

  Source

• 2009

  TBN full-power stations complete analog shutdown[1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  TBN-owned full-power stations permanently discontinued analog transmissions as part of the transition to digital broadcasting.

• 2000

  TBN acquires All American TV stations[1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The Trinity Broadcasting Network purchased all of All American TV's stations, making WELF-TV a TBN-owned-and-operated station.

• 1997

  WELF-TV sold to All American TV[1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  WELF-TV changed ownership when All American TV acquired the station along with the other stations operated by Sonlight Broadcasting Systems. Its relationship with TBN continued and became more direct as a full network affiliate.

• 1994

  WELF-TV begins broadcasting[1]WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Sonlight Broadcasting Systems launched WELF-TV as a religious station licensed to Dalton, Georgia, with programming affiliated with the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

1. 1WELF-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Trinity Broadcasting Networktbn.org