WMTW

WMTW is a television station licensed to Poland Spring, Maine, and serving the Portland–Auburn market. The station is affiliated with ABC and is owned by Hearst Television, which operates it alongside CW affiliate WPXT. WMTW’s principal studios and news facilities are in Westbrook, Maine, while its main transmitter is in West Baldwin. A low-power digital translator in downtown Portland supplements the main signal for viewers who experience reception difficulties in the urban core. The station began broadcasting on September 25, 1954, as the third television station in the Portland market. It was established by Mount Washington Television, a group that included former Maine governor Horace Hildreth. WMTW has maintained a primary ABC affiliation for virtually all of its history, making it one of the longest-serving ABC affiliates in New England. During its first year it also carried a limited amount of DuMont programming, but ABC became its defining network relationship. WMTW originally transmitted from Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The unusually elevated site gave the station an exceptionally broad reach for a local broadcaster, extending beyond southern Maine and northern New Hampshire into parts of Vermont, Massachusetts, New York State, and southern Quebec. The signal was particularly significant in and around Montreal, where WMTW was carried on many cable systems for decades. Its wide coverage also made it an important source of ABC programming for viewers in areas that later received their own local ABC service. Ownership changed several times. Mount Washington Television sold the station to Dolphin Enterprises in 1963; Dolphin was led by entertainer Jack Paar. Paar subsequently appeared in programming on the station after restrictions connected to his former NBC contract expired. In 1967, Dolphin sold WMTW to Mid New York Broadcasting, which adopted the Harron Communications name in the late 1970s. Harron later sold the station to Hearst-Argyle Television after announcing its withdrawal from broadcasting in 2003. Hearst-Argyle subsequently became part of Hearst Television. A major technical transition occurred in 2002. Federal digital-television requirements meant that WMTW could not reproduce its former southern Maine coverage adequately from Mount Washington using the assigned digital facilities. The station therefore built a new transmitter at West Baldwin and ended its Mount Washington broadcasts on February 5, 2002. The new site provided less geographic reach but a stronger signal in the more densely populated portions of the Portland market. Earlier coverage losses were partly addressed through translators, although the former New Hampshire and Vermont translators were later sold or discontinued. WMTW has expanded its local news operation steadily. It added weekend morning news in 2010, introduced a longer weekday evening newscast in 2013, moved into a renovated Westbrook facility in 2014, and completed the transition to full high-definition newscasts in 2016. Additional weekday afternoon, noon, and prime-time programming followed. After Hearst acquired WPXT, WMTW began producing a prime-time newscast for that sister station. The station also operates a continuous cable news service through a partnership with Charter Communications and has used digital subchannels for weather and multicast television networks. Today, WMTW’s brand centers on ABC network programming, local news, weather, sports, severe-weather coverage, public-service information, and digital distribution. Its identity combines the regional heritage of its Mount Washington-era signal with a more concentrated focus on southern Maine and the Portland metropolitan area.

WMTW signed on September 25, 1954, as Portland, Maine’s third television station. Its license was held by Mount Washington Television, a group that included former Maine governor Horace Hildreth. The station selected channel 8 and adopted a primary ABC affiliation, although it carried some DuMont programming during its inaugural year. Its launch gave the Portland market three network-affiliated VHF stations at a time when that level of network representation was unusual for a market of its size. The station’s original transmitter was located on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Because of the mountain’s elevation, WMTW reached an unusually large territory, including southern Maine, northern New Hampshire, Vermont, parts of Massachusetts and New York, and portions of southern Quebec. The signal became especially valuable in Montreal, where the station was available through cable systems and supplied ABC programming before more local alternatives developed. The station’s original studios were based at the Riccar Inn in Poland, Maine, near its community of license. Mount Washington Television sold WMTW to Dolphin Enterprises in 1963. Dolphin’s chief officer was entertainer Jack Paar, who later hosted programs for the station after contractual restrictions associated with his NBC career no longer prevented him from appearing. In 1967, Paar sold the station to Mid New York Broadcasting. That company changed its name to Harron Communications in 1977, and Harron remained the station’s owner for several decades. The call sign gained a “-TV” suffix in 1958 and dropped it again in 2007. WMTW’s Mount Washington operation became difficult to reconcile with the transition to digital broadcasting. The station had been assigned a digital channel that could not provide an acceptable southern Maine signal from the mountain. Harron therefore constructed a new transmission facility in West Baldwin, closer to other Portland-market stations. WMTW ended its Mount Washington analog operation on February 5, 2002. The new facility reduced the station’s maximum geographic footprint but improved reception in the communities containing most of the market’s viewers. Additional translators were used to address coverage gaps, though the former Colebrook, New Hampshire, and White River Junction, Vermont, facilities were later transferred or shut down. In December 2003, Harron announced that it was leaving the broadcasting business. WMTW was subsequently acquired by Hearst-Argyle Television, which later operated under the Hearst Television name. Hearst also owns WPXT, creating a local duopoly and allowing the two stations to share facilities and certain operational resources. WMTW’s Westbrook campus houses the principal studios, while the main transmitter remains in West Baldwin. The station also maintains a low-power digital translator in downtown Portland on channel 26, mapped to virtual channel 8. The station’s news operation historically ranked behind WCSH and WGME in the Portland market, but it expanded its schedule to compete more actively. Weekend morning news began in 2010. In 2012, local news production moved to enhanced-definition widescreen, followed by a one-hour weekday 5 p.m. newscast in 2013. A new Westbrook facility began producing the station’s broadcasts in October 2014, and WMTW moved to full high-definition presentation in 2016. A weekday 4 p.m. newscast began that year, a weekday noon newscast followed in 2017, and a prime-time newscast for WPXT began after Hearst acquired that station in 2018. In 2020, WMTW expanded its weekday noon program to one hour. WMTW has also developed non-primary distribution services. Its digital subchannel 8.2 initially carried a local weather service branded News 8 Now and associated with AccuWeather. That service later gave way to multicast entertainment networks, including Heroes & Icons, MeTV, and Laff, as subchannel arrangements changed within Hearst’s Portland operations. Through Charter Communications, WMTW has operated a continuous cable news channel that loops local newscasts rather than simulcasting every live program. The station has also participated in regional sports distribution, including broadcasts connected with the New England Patriots preseason television network. WMTW remains an active ABC affiliate with a strong emphasis on local news, weather, severe-weather information, sports, digital publishing, and community service. Its modern identity is more concentrated on the Portland–Auburn market than its historic Mount Washington signal, but the station’s long-standing channel 8 branding and continuous ABC relationship remain central to its public identity.

• 2018

  Hearst adds WPXT to the local station group

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Hearst’s acquisition of WPXT leads WMTW to produce a prime-time newscast for the CW affiliate.

• 2016

  Full high-definition news production

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  WMTW transitions its local broadcasts to full high-definition presentation.

• 2014

  Westbrook facility becomes the news home

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  WMTW begins originating newscasts from a renovated facility in Westbrook.

• 2007

  The station drops the “-TV” suffix

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  WMTW-TV returns to the shorter WMTW call-sign presentation.

• 2003

  Hearst-Argyle acquires WMTW

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Harron Communications exits broadcasting and sells the station to Hearst-Argyle Television.

• 2002

  Transmission moves from Mount Washington to West Baldwin

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  WMTW ends its Mount Washington broadcasts and begins operating from a new West Baldwin transmitter designed for digital-era coverage.

• 1967

  Mid New York Broadcasting becomes owner

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Dolphin Enterprises sells WMTW to Mid New York Broadcasting.

• 1963

  Dolphin Enterprises acquires the station

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Mount Washington Television sells WMTW to Dolphin Enterprises, led by Jack Paar.

• 1958

  The call sign receives a television suffix

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  The station’s call sign is changed to WMTW-TV.

• 1954

  WMTW begins broadcasting

  [1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  WMTW signs on as the third television station in the Portland market and begins its long-running relationship with ABC.

A regional ABC television affiliate positioned as a local news, weather, sports, and public-service source for Maine’s Portland–Auburn market.

• Local television news

  WMTW News 8

  WMTW’s principal local-news franchise covers Maine and nearby parts of New Hampshire through morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and weekend broadcasts. Its programming includes breaking news, weather, investigative and community reports, traffic information, and regional sports. The schedule has expanded progressively since 2010 as the station sought to compete more directly with established Portland-market news providers.

• Cable news service

  WMTW All News Channel

  A continuous cable service distributed through Charter Communications that repeatedly presents WMTW local newscasts. It is designed as an additional access point for local coverage rather than a full-time simulcast of the main station’s live schedule.

• Digital multicast channel · 2007

  News 8 Now

  WMTW’s former digital subchannel service carried recurring local weather segments, AccuWeather regional and national forecasts, National Weather Service radar, news and sports headlines, public-service announcements, and station promotions. It was later replaced by multicast entertainment programming.

• Broadcast network affiliation · 1954

  ABC network service

  WMTW distributes ABC’s network schedule to viewers in its designated market, alongside locally produced news, weather, sports, and public-service programming. The station has maintained a primary ABC affiliation since its launch, apart from limited DuMont programming carried during its first year.

• 2018

  Expand local news production after the WPXT acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Hearst Television’s acquisition of WPXT created an opportunity to combine resources and extend WMTW’s local-news brand to the sister station.

  Action taken

  WMTW began producing a prime-time newscast for WPXT.

  Aftermath

  The two Hearst stations operated as a local television grouping with shared facilities and news resources.

  Source

• 2014

  Consolidate operations in WestbrookStrategy

  Background

  WMTW sought a modern broadcast facility for its growing news operation and broader station activities.

  Action taken

  The station renovated a former WPXT news facility and moved newscast production from Portland to Westbrook, with other operations also planned for relocation.

  Aftermath

  WMTW began producing newscasts from the Westbrook facility in October 2014 and later operated there alongside WPXT.

  Source

• 2002

  Replace the Mount Washington transmission siteStrategy

  Background

  The station’s digital assignment could not reproduce an acceptable southern Maine signal from the historic Mount Washington site.

  Action taken

  WMTW constructed a new main transmitter in West Baldwin and ended its Mount Washington operation.

  Aftermath

  The station lost some of its former long-distance coverage but strengthened reception in the more populous areas of southern Maine.

  Source

• 2020

  WMTW expands its weekday noon newscast to one hour[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The weekday noon broadcast was extended to a full hour, becoming the first regularly scheduled hour-long noon newscast in the Portland–Auburn market.

• 2018

  WMTW begins producing prime-time news for WPXT[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · M&A

  Following Hearst’s acquisition of WPXT, WMTW began producing a prime-time newscast for its sister CW station.

• 2017

  WMTW launches a weekday noon newscast[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  WMTW introduced a weekday noon newscast, extending its local news presence beyond morning and evening periods.

• 2016

  WMTW adds a weekday 4 p.m. newscast[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The station expanded its local news schedule with a new weekday afternoon broadcast.

• 2014

  WMTW relocates its news operation to Westbrook[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  WMTW announced a move from its Portland and Auburn facilities to a renovated, broadcast-ready site in Westbrook, where it began originating newscasts later that year.

• 2003

  Harron exits broadcasting and WMTW is sold to Hearst-Argyle[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Harron Communications announced its withdrawal from broadcasting, leading to the sale of WMTW to Hearst-Argyle Television.

• 2002

  WMTW ends broadcasting from Mount Washington[1]WMTWen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  The station moved its main transmission facility from Mount Washington to a new tower in West Baldwin to meet digital-television requirements and improve service to the population centers of southern Maine.

1. 1WMTWen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WMTW official websitewmtw.com