WMWC-TV

WMWC-TV is a full-power religious television station serving the Quad Cities television market in the United States. The station is licensed to Galesburg, Illinois, while its studios are located on 44th Avenue in Moline and its transmitter is located near Orion, Illinois. It operates as an affiliate of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, commonly known as TBN, and carries the network's Christian religious programming rather than serving as a general-entertainment commercial affiliate. The station's history began with plans for a different role in the market. WMWC was originally intended to launch on September 1, 2001, as the Quad Cities' UPN affiliate. Northwest Television owned the proposed station, and Second Generation of Iowa, the company associated with Cedar Rapids Fox affiliate KFXA, was expected to handle its operations. The proposal encountered regulatory opposition when Grant Broadcasting System II, then the owner of KLJB-TV and KGWB-TV, filed a petition to deny. The construction permit was ultimately not granted until July 20, 2007, by which time UPN had already ceased operations and its planned Quad Cities affiliation had instead gone to low-power station WBQD-LP. Because of the delayed authorization and changes in the United States television spectrum plan, WMWC did not launch an analog service. The station's original analog allocation was UHF channel 67, and its application was later amended to specify digital operation on channel 53. Both allocations were affected by the nationwide digital television transition and subsequent changes to the television band. Northwest Television eventually selected VHF channel 8 for the station's post-transition digital transmission, but the station could not use virtual channel 8 because WQAD-TV continued to use that number based on its historical analog allocation. WMWC therefore adopted virtual channel 53. WMWC received the call letters WMWC on June 5, 2012, and began broadcasting on August 20, 2012. Its launch made it the first station in the Quad Cities market to sign on as a digital-only full-power station, after the nationwide full-power analog shutdown had already occurred. From its sign-on, the station operated as a TBN affiliate. TBN acquired WMWC from Northwest Television in December 2012, bringing the station into the network's ownership structure. The Federal Communications Commission added the “-TV” suffix to the call sign on June 13, 2013, producing the current WMWC-TV designation. WMWC-TV's brand is therefore defined primarily by its network affiliation, religious programming mission, and local broadcast footprint rather than by original entertainment, news, or sports production. Its service area spans communities in and around the Quad Cities, a metropolitan region associated with eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Publicly available reference material identifies the station's ownership, facilities, launch history, spectrum arrangements, and network role, but does not provide detailed information about current management, individual program schedules, ratings, revenue, or a complete subchannel lineup.

WMWC-TV was conceived during a period when the Quad Cities television market was expected to receive a new UPN affiliate. Northwest Television proposed the station for a September 1, 2001 launch, with Second Generation of Iowa slated to operate it. That plan was contested by Grant Broadcasting System II, which owned KLJB-TV and KGWB-TV and submitted a petition to deny the application. The construction permit was not issued until July 20, 2007. By then, UPN had shut down, and the affiliation originally associated with the proposal had gone to WBQD-LP in the Quad Cities market. The station's technical history was shaped by the United States transition from analog to digital television. WMWC did not receive a companion digital allocation under the normal post-1997 allotment process because its original construction permit came after the Federal Communications Commission had finalized the digital television allotment plan. Its original analog allocation was UHF channel 67, while a later application specified digital operation on channel 53. Those channel arrangements were affected by the nationwide repacking and removal of certain channels from the television band. Northwest Television selected VHF channel 8 for the station's eventual post-transition transmission, but WQAD-TV retained virtual channel 8 because of its historic analog assignment. WMWC consequently used virtual channel 53. The station received the call letters WMWC on June 5, 2012, and commenced broadcasting on August 20 of that year. It had no preceding analog service and therefore became the first Quad Cities television station to launch as a digital-only station after full-power analog broadcasting had ended nationally in 2009. From the beginning, WMWC operated as a Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliate, giving it a religious programming identity rather than the general entertainment identity originally envisioned under the UPN plan. In December 2012, Trinity Broadcasting Network purchased WMWC from Northwest Television. The acquisition placed the station within TBN's network of religious television outlets and aligned its ownership with its programming role. The station's call sign was updated with the “-TV” suffix on June 13, 2013. WMWC-TV remains associated with the Quad Cities market, with a license based in Galesburg, studio facilities in Moline, and a transmitter near Orion, Illinois. Available reference material does not identify a separate local news operation, notable original productions, current executives, detailed financial information, or a complete contemporary list of digital subchannels.

• 2013

  Call sign updated

  [1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station added the “-TV” suffix to become WMWC-TV on June 13, 2013.

• 2012

  Call letters assigned

  [1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station received the WMWC call letters on June 5, 2012.

• 2012

  Digital broadcast launch

  [1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WMWC began broadcasting on August 20, 2012, as a digital-only TBN affiliate.

• 2012

  Acquisition by Trinity Broadcasting Network

  [1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  TBN acquired the station from Northwest Television in December 2012.

• 2007

  Construction permit granted

  [1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station's construction permit was granted on July 20, 2007, after opposition had delayed the original proposal.

• 2001

  Planned UPN launch

  [1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Northwest Television planned to launch WMWC as a UPN affiliate on September 1, 2001, with operations expected to be handled by Second Generation of Iowa.

A local over-the-air broadcast outlet for Trinity Broadcasting Network religious programming in the Quad Cities television market.

• Broadcast television station · 2012

  WMWC-TV over-the-air service

  The station's core offering is full-power digital terrestrial television service for the Quad Cities region. It is licensed to Galesburg, Illinois, uses virtual channel 53, maintains studios in Moline, and transmits from a site near Orion, Illinois.

• Religious television programming · 2012

  TBN religious programming

  WMWC-TV carries programming associated with Trinity Broadcasting Network, giving the station a Christian religious orientation. Available reference material does not specify individual current programs or a complete schedule.

• 2012

  Adoption of a TBN religious affiliationStrategy

  Background

  By the time WMWC was ready to launch, the original UPN plan was no longer viable because UPN had ceased operations.

  Action taken

  WMWC launched as a Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliate on August 20, 2012.

  Aftermath

  The station established a religious television identity in the Quad Cities market.

  Source

• 2012

  Sale to Trinity Broadcasting NetworkM&A

  Background

  WMWC began service under Northwest Television ownership and was already operating as a TBN affiliate.

  Action taken

  TBN acquired the station from Northwest Television in December 2012.

  Aftermath

  Ownership and programming affiliation became aligned under the Trinity Broadcasting Network group.

  Source

• 2001

  Initial UPN affiliate strategyStrategy

  Background

  The proposed station was initially designed to serve the Quad Cities as a UPN affiliate, with Northwest Television as owner and Second Generation of Iowa expected to manage operations.

  Action taken

  The planned September 2001 launch was pursued, but a petition to deny filed by Grant Broadcasting System II contributed to a lengthy delay in the construction permit.

  Aftermath

  The permit was not granted until 2007, by which time UPN had ended and the Quad Cities affiliation had moved to WBQD-LP.

  • Grant Broadcasting System II — Grant Broadcasting System II filed a petition to deny the application.

  Source

• 2013

  WMWC adopts the WMWC-TV call sign[1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station received the “-TV” suffix on June 13, 2013, changing its call sign from WMWC to WMWC-TV.

• 2012

  WMWC-TV signs on as a digital-only station[1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  WMWC began broadcasting on August 20, 2012, becoming the first television station in the Quad Cities market to launch as a digital-only full-power station. It signed on as a Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliate.

• 2012

  Trinity Broadcasting Network acquires WMWC[1]WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Trinity Broadcasting Network acquired WMWC from Northwest Television in December 2012, making the religious network the station's owner.

1. 1WMWC-TVen.wikipedia.org