WLMA

WLMA is a television station serving Lima, Ohio, and nearby communities in northwestern Ohio. The station operates on channel 44 and has roots in a local Christian radio initiative associated with WTGN-FM. Its history reflects a gradual expansion from primarily religious broadcasting into a broader local television service that combines faith-based programming, syndicated and family-oriented entertainment, and extensive high-school and collegiate sports coverage. The station’s origins date to 1976, when WTGN solicited listeners for seed money to support the creation of a television station. WTGN ultimately decided not to own or operate the proposed outlet. The individuals and supporters who had organized the effort instead incorporated American Christian Television Services, Inc., which became the station’s original owner. A former airport hangar on Baty Road northwest of Lima was converted into studios. The conversion was completed in 1980 with substantial volunteer involvement, and the resulting facility was regarded by its founders as unusually large for a television studio in northwestern Ohio. The station began broadcasting on June 13, 1982, under the call sign WTLW. Its original emphasis was Christian programming, but it broadened its schedule in 1988 by adding full-length broadcasts of local high-school basketball games. High-school football and other sports followed, establishing local athletics as a major part of the station’s identity. In 2010, WTLW launched WOSN, a 24-hour sports network carried on digital subchannel 44.2. WOSN eventually covered roughly 70 schools and several colleges, carrying hundreds of sporting events during a typical year. Its programming included football and basketball as well as soccer, volleyball, tennis, swimming, softball, baseball, track, bowling, and Soap Box Derby racing, along with sports-oriented studio programs such as The Sports Report, Big Sports Weekend, Buckeye Insider, and Marks Madness. The station’s broadcast infrastructure changed again as a result of the federal 600 MHz spectrum auction. WTLW was required to move its main transmission operation to low-VHF channel 4. To support service during the transition, a low-power translator was moved to the station’s main tower and operated on UHF channel 17 at 15 kW, with the virtual channel 44 identity. This arrangement made the translator the temporary originating source for the station’s signals while the main facility changed frequencies. The call sign was changed from WTLW to WLMA on October 13, 2022. The related low-power facility changed from WOIW-LD to WTLW-LD on October 17, 2022. WLMA is owned by Marquee Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement with American Christian Television Services, the station’s former owner. WTLW-CD, operating on UHF channel 17 and also mapped to virtual channel 44, functions as a translator of WLMA and remains owned outright by American Christian Television Services. The station’s facilities are located on Baty Road northwest of Lima. Its schedule combines infomercials and religious programming before 5 p.m. with family dramas, first-run talk shows, family movies, local sports, and reality programming later in the day. The station therefore occupies a hybrid position: it retains a Christian broadcasting heritage while operating as a locally focused independent television outlet with a particularly strong commitment to regional sports.

WLMA developed from a community broadcasting effort connected to WTGN-FM in Lima, Ohio. In 1976, WTGN asked its listeners to provide seed money for a proposed television station. Although the radio station later chose not to own or operate the television outlet, the people who had organized the campaign incorporated American Christian Television Services, Inc. The new organization pursued the project independently and built the station around a former hangar at the site of the former Lima Allen County Airport on Baty Road near Elida, northwest of Lima. The hangar was converted into television studios during 1980, largely through volunteer labor. Measuring approximately 80 by 80 feet, the facility was considered by the station’s founders to be one of the largest television studios in northwestern Ohio at the time. The station signed on June 13, 1982, using the call sign WTLW. Its early identity was closely associated with Christian broadcasting, reflecting the station’s origins in a faith-based community initiative. WTLW expanded its role in local media in 1988, when it began carrying complete broadcasts of local high-school basketball games. The station later added football, and sports became an increasingly important part of its service to the Lima area. In the fall of 2010, it created WOSN, a 24-hour sports network on digital subchannel 44.2. WOSN developed coverage of approximately 70 schools and several colleges, carrying hundreds of full-length events over the course of a year. Although football and basketball formed the core of its schedule, the sports service also presented soccer, volleyball, tennis, swimming, softball, baseball, track, bowling, and Soap Box Derby competitions. It supplemented game coverage with programs including The Sports Report, Big Sports Weekend, Buckeye Insider, and Marks Madness. The station later underwent a technical transition prompted by the federal 600 MHz spectrum auction. WTLW had to move its main operation to low-VHF channel 4. A low-power translator was moved to the station’s main tower and assigned UHF channel 17 with 15 kW of power. The translator used virtual channel 44 and temporarily served as the originating source for the station’s signals while the main facility changed frequencies. The related facilities and call signs were subsequently reorganized: WTLW became WLMA on October 13, 2022, while WOIW-LD became WTLW-LD on October 17. Ownership also changed over the station’s history. Marquee Broadcasting became the owner of WLMA and retained a local marketing agreement with American Christian Television Services, the organization that had previously owned the station. American Christian Television Services continues to own WTLW-CD, a UHF channel 17 facility mapped to virtual channel 44 that operates as a translator of WLMA. Under the WLMA identity, the station continues to combine several programming roles. Before 5 p.m., its schedule includes infomercials and religious programming. After 5 p.m., it carries family dramas, first-run talk shows, family films, local sports, and reality programs. Its development from a Christian television project into a broader independent station has been defined by the retention of religious and family programming alongside a durable local-sports operation.

• 2022

  Call sign changed from WTLW to WLMA

  [1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted the WLMA call sign on October 13, 2022, as part of a post-spectrum-auction technical transition.

• 2010

  WOSN sports network launched

  [1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  The station launched a 24-hour sports network on digital subchannel 44.2 under the WOSN name.

• 1988

  Local high-school sports coverage added

  [1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  WTLW expanded beyond religious broadcasting by introducing full-length broadcasts of local high-school basketball games and later football.

• 1982

  Station signs on as WTLW

  [1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  The station began broadcasting on June 13, 1982, under the WTLW call sign.

• 1980

  Former airport hangar converted into studios

  [1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  Volunteers converted a former Lima Allen County Airport hangar on Baty Road into the station’s television studio facility.

• 1976

  Television project begins through WTGN-FM listener support

  [1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  WTGN-FM solicited listener seed money for a proposed television station in Lima, beginning the initiative that ultimately led to American Christian Television Services.

Independent local television station combining Christian and family-oriented programming with substantial coverage of northwestern Ohio high-school and collegiate sports.

• Broadcast television station · 1982

  WLMA channel 44

  WLMA is the station’s primary television service for Lima and surrounding communities in northwestern Ohio. Its schedule combines religious programming and infomercials with family dramas, first-run talk shows, family movies, local sports, and reality programming.

• Digital sports network · 2010

  WOSN

  WOSN was launched on digital subchannel 44.2 as a 24-hour sports service focused on regional schools and colleges. It became known for extensive full-length coverage of football, basketball, and a broad range of additional sports, supported by studio programs such as The Sports Report and Big Sports Weekend.

• Low-power translator

  WTLW-CD

  WTLW-CD is a UHF channel 17 low-power facility mapped to virtual channel 44. It is owned by American Christian Television Services and operates as a translator of WLMA, helping distribute the station’s service in the Lima market.

• 2022

  Reconfigure broadcast facilities after the 600 MHz spectrum auctionStrategy

  Background

  The federal 600 MHz spectrum auction required the station to move its principal transmission operation to low-VHF channel 4.

  Action taken

  A low-power translator was moved to the main tower and used UHF channel 17 at 15 kW while the main facility transitioned frequencies. The station also changed its call sign to WLMA.

  Aftermath

  The channel 44 virtual identity was retained, while the related low-power facility ultimately operated under the WTLW-LD call sign.

  Source

• 2010

  Launch of WOSN digital sports networkProduct launch

  Background

  The station had built experience broadcasting local high-school sports and sought to expand that coverage through its digital television capacity.

  Action taken

  WTLW introduced a 24-hour sports network on digital subchannel 44.2 under the WOSN name.

  Aftermath

  WOSN expanded to cover approximately 70 schools and several colleges, with hundreds of events and multiple sports-focused programs.

  Source

• 1988

  Expand from primarily religious programming into local sportsStrategy

  Background

  The station had originated with a Christian broadcasting mission but sought to broaden its local service and audience relevance.

  Action taken

  WTLW began carrying full-length local high-school basketball broadcasts and subsequently added football coverage.

  Aftermath

  Sports became a major element of the station’s identity and later supported the creation of the WOSN digital sports network.

  Source

• 2022

  WTLW changes call sign to WLMA[1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Lima television station changed its call sign from WTLW to WLMA on October 13, 2022, during a transition involving its broadcast facilities and channel assignments.

• 2022

  Related low-power facility changes call sign to WTLW-LD[1]WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The low-power facility formerly identified as WOIW-LD changed its call sign to WTLW-LD on October 17, 2022, supporting the station’s channel-transition configuration.

1. 1WLMA (TV)en.wikipedia.org