WLFG

WLFG is a religious independent television station licensed to Grundy, Virginia. The station serves the Tri-Cities area of southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee and is operated by Living Faith Television, a broadcasting organization based in Abingdon, Virginia. Its service footprint extends beyond the main station through associated satellite stations, including WAGV on channel 68 in Harlan, Kentucky, and WLFB on channel 40 in Bluefield, West Virginia. The station traces its origins to a broadcasting vision attributed to the Reverend Buford Smith, who was pastor of Tookland Pentecostal Church in Grundy. According to the station's historical account, Smith believed he had been called to establish a television outlet in Virginia. Tookland Pentecostal Church provided substantial financial support during the station's formative period. The operation later expanded from its original Grundy facility into a distributed transmission system serving multiple Appalachian communities. WLFG's technical network uses transmission sites near Hansonville, Virginia, and Harlan, Kentucky. Its satellite facilities broaden coverage into neighboring markets, with WLFB transmitting from East River Mountain south of Bluefield, Virginia. WAGV shares transmitter facilities with WLFG and became the first of the associated outlets to broadcast exclusively in digital format after a malfunction affected its analog transmitter. The station's schedule is primarily made up of religious programs supplied by ministries that purchase airtime, supplemented by infomercials and locally or regionally produced programming. Its principal branded program is Living Faith Now!, previously known as From These Hills. Other programming associated with the station includes Sing Time, programs presented by Fred Schmidt, and Life Begins at Calvary, produced by Calvary Church of the Tri-Cities. This operating model combines paid ministry programming with selected original and partner-produced broadcasts rather than following the general-entertainment schedule of a commercial network affiliate. A governance change occurred in 2006, when Tookland Pentecostal Church ended most of its ties with the station after Living Faith Television declared its independence. Following Buford Smith's death in May 2003, his son Michael Smith became president and chief executive officer of Living Faith Television. The organization is described as being controlled by a board of directors, with Mike Smith serving as president and CEO and Lisa Smith serving as chief financial officer. Other personalities associated with the operation have included Mary Smith, Laverne Tripp, and Fred Schmidt. WLFG completed its transition from analog broadcasting in May 2007. The analog transmission on UHF channel 68 was discontinued, while the station's digital signal continued on pre-transition UHF channel 49 using virtual channel 68. The station remains a locally oriented religious broadcaster whose identity is closely connected to Appalachian ministry programming, regional transmission facilities, and Living Faith Television's independent ownership structure.

WLFG developed from a religious broadcasting initiative associated with the Reverend Buford Smith, pastor of Tookland Pentecostal Church in Grundy, Virginia. Smith described the station as the result of a vision to establish a television ministry in Virginia. Tookland Pentecostal Church was a major source of financial support during the station's early development, helping the original Grundy operation become an established religious broadcaster. The station subsequently expanded its transmission arrangements beyond Grundy. Its network came to include two principal transmission sites, one near Hansonville, Virginia, and another near Harlan, Kentucky. Associated satellite stations further extended the service area: WAGV operates on channel 68 in Harlan, while WLFB operates on channel 40 in Bluefield, West Virginia, transmitting from East River Mountain south of Bluefield, Virginia. This distributed structure allowed Living Faith Television to reach an Appalachian audience spanning parts of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Buford Smith remained an important figure in the station's early history and served as pastor of Tookland Pentecostal Church until his death in May 2003. His son, Michael Smith, succeeded him as president and later served as president and chief executive officer of Living Faith Television. The organization is described as being governed by a board of directors, with Mike Smith as president and CEO and Lisa Smith as chief financial officer. Other individuals associated with the station's on-air or ministry output have included Mary Smith, Laverne Tripp, and Fred Schmidt. The relationship between the church and the broadcaster changed in 2006. After Living Faith Television declared its independence, Tookland Pentecostal Church broke most of its ties with the station. This marked a significant organizational transition from a broadcaster closely supported by its founding church to an independently operated religious television organization. WLFG's schedule has generally relied on programming supplied by other ministries that purchase airtime. The schedule also includes infomercials and a smaller body of original or partner-produced programming distributed throughout the broadcast day. Living Faith Now!, formerly called From These Hills, serves as the station's principal branded program. Additional offerings have included Sing Time, programming associated with Fred Schmidt, and Life Begins at Calvary, produced by Calvary Church of the Tri-Cities. The station also underwent a major technical transition. In May 2007, WLFG shut down its analog transmission on UHF channel 68. Its digital signal remained on pre-transition UHF channel 49 while using virtual channel 68 for viewer identification. WAGV, one of the related outlets sharing transmitter facilities with WLFG, had previously become exclusively digital after a malfunction affected its analog transmitter. These changes formed part of the station group's transition toward digital terrestrial broadcasting. WLFG remains an independent religious station rather than an affiliate of a conventional commercial broadcast network. Its identity is built around ministry programming, airtime supplied by religious organizations, regional transmission facilities, and a locally rooted ownership and governance history under Living Faith Television.

• 2007

  Analog transmission discontinued

  [1]WLFGen.wikipedia.org

  WLFG ended analog broadcasting on UHF channel 68 in May 2007 and continued with a digital signal on pre-transition UHF channel 49 using virtual channel 68.

• 2006

  Living Faith Television declares independence

  [1]WLFGen.wikipedia.org

  Tookland Pentecostal Church ended most of its ties with the station after Living Faith Television declared its independence.

• 2003

  Buford Smith dies

  [1]WLFGen.wikipedia.org

  Founder and early leader Buford Smith died in May 2003. His son, Michael Smith, subsequently became president and chief executive officer of Living Faith Television.

Independent religious television station providing Christian ministry programming, paid airtime, locally produced broadcasts, and selected infomercials to Appalachian communities.

• Original religious television program

  Living Faith Now!

  The station's principal branded program, formerly known as From These Hills. It is distributed throughout the broadcast day as part of WLFG's original religious programming.

• Religious television program

  Sing Time

  A Christian music and ministry program carried as part of WLFG's religious broadcast schedule.

• Partner-produced religious television program

  Life Begins at Calvary

  A program produced by Calvary Church of the Tri-Cities and carried by WLFG as part of its regional ministry programming.

• Broadcasting service

  Religious ministry airtime

  WLFG primarily schedules programs supplied by ministries that purchase airtime. This paid-programming model is supplemented by station-associated content and infomercials.

• 2007

  Transition from analog to digital transmissionGeneration change

  Background

  WLFG operated an analog service on UHF channel 68 while maintaining a digital transmission on a separate pre-transition channel.

  Action taken

  The station shut down its analog signal in May 2007 and continued digitally on UHF channel 49 with virtual channel 68.

  Aftermath

  WLFG continued terrestrial broadcasting through its digital transmission system.

  Source

• 2006

  Move toward independent operationStrategy

  Background

  Tookland Pentecostal Church had been a major financial supporter of the station during its formative period.

  Action taken

  Living Faith Television declared its independence, after which the church ended most of its ties with the broadcaster.

  Aftermath

  The station continued under the control of its board of directors and the leadership of Michael Smith and Lisa Smith.

  Source

• 2007

  WLFG ends analog broadcasting and continues digitally[1]WLFGen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  WLFG discontinued its analog transmission on UHF channel 68 in May 2007 and retained its digital signal on pre-transition UHF channel 49 while continuing to identify virtually as channel 68.

• 2006

  Tookland Pentecostal Church ends most ties with Living Faith Television[1]WLFGen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The church, an important early financial supporter of the station, severed most of its relationship with the broadcaster after Living Faith Television declared its independence.

1. 1WLFGen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Living Faith Television official websitelivingfaithtv.com