WMYG-LP

WMYG-LP was a low-power television station licensed to Lake City, Florida, and associated with the Gainesville television market. The station began broadcasting on July 3, 1985, as W15AG on UHF channel 15. Over its life, it changed call signs, affiliations, technical arrangements, and distribution methods as the North Central Florida television market evolved. The station initially operated as a small analog outlet with a limited local signal. After WGFL launched in Gainesville as a station affiliated with The WB and UPN, W15AG became a repeater of that operation in 1997. In 2001, it adopted the call sign WJXE-LP. In 2002, it became WBFL-LP and moved to VHF channel 11. The WBFL identity reflected the station's relationship with WGFL and its programming arrangements, although much of the service was distributed through cable systems and later through digital television infrastructure rather than through a broad standalone over-the-air signal. The television landscape changed substantially in 2006, when The WB and UPN announced that they would be replaced by The CW. News Corporation subsequently launched MyNetworkTV as an alternative for stations that did not receive CW affiliation. WMYG-LP became a separate MyNetworkTV affiliate on September 5, 2006, retaining the WMYG call letters and using the on-air name "My 11," a reference to its channel position on many cable systems. The station's programming was also carried through WGFL's digital subchannel, giving the service wider market coverage than its own low-power analog transmission could provide. WMYG-LP did not operate a digital transmitter of its own and there were no announced plans to convert its individual signal to digital. Its analog coverage was concentrated around Lake City, while WGFL-DT2 functioned as the principal full-market conduit for the MyNetworkTV service. The subchannel initially operated in 480i standard definition and was later upgraded to 1080i high definition during the spring of 2017, after the original WMYG-LP license had ended. The station was part of a wider collection of North Central Florida outlets. It was associated with WGFL, the Gainesville-licensed low-power Class A station WYME-CD, and WNBW-DT, an NBC affiliate licensed to Gainesville. WNBW-DT was owned by MPS Media but operated by New Age Media under a local marketing agreement. Sinclair Broadcast Group provided broader operational support under a master service agreement after acquiring the non-license assets of stations that New Age Media had intended to sell. WMYG also carried locally oriented news programming branded GTN News. The service was produced by the Independent News Network and supplemented by Gainesville-area reporters. A 7 p.m. newscast was introduced but lasted only a few months, while a 10 p.m. newscast continued for several years before being discontinued because of budget reductions in 2014. The Federal Communications Commission canceled WMYG-LP's broadcast license on November 18, 2015. Its MyNetworkTV programming continued under WGFL's license on a digital subchannel branded "My 11," making the service functionally continuous even though the original low-power station ceased to exist as a licensed broadcast outlet.

WMYG-LP originated as W15AG, a low-power station that signed on in Lake City, Florida, on July 3, 1985. It broadcast an analog signal on UHF channel 15 and served a relatively small geographic area. The station's later identity was closely connected to WGFL, a Gainesville station that developed relationships with The WB and UPN during the 1990s. In 1997, W15AG began operating as a repeater of WGFL. The arrangement gave the Lake City outlet access to network and syndicated programming while allowing WGFL to extend its service beyond Gainesville. The station changed call signs to WJXE-LP in 2001 and then to WBFL-LP in 2002. That year it moved to VHF channel 11, a position that later became central to its branding and cable distribution. WGFL subsequently became a CBS affiliate after Jacksonville CBS affiliate WJXT became independent. To preserve the former WB and UPN programming arrangement, WGFL established a second digital subchannel. The subchannel used the fictional WBFL identity and was promoted as WB 10, reflecting its cable placement on Cox systems. This system became important because WMYG-LP's own analog signal was limited and the station did not operate a separate digital transmitter. The planned merger of The WB and UPN into The CW in 2006 created a new affiliation environment. Stations not selected for CW received another option when News Corporation created MyNetworkTV. On September 5, 2006, WMYG became a separate MyNetworkTV affiliate. It kept the WMYG call letters and used My 11 as its primary on-air brand. Although the station remained a low-power licensee in Lake City, its programming reached much of the Gainesville market through WGFL-DT2 and cable carriage. The station's wider operating group included WGFL, WYME-CD and WNBW-DT. New Age Media was involved in the ownership or operation of several of these outlets, while WNBW-DT was owned by MPS Media and operated by New Age Media through a local marketing agreement. In 2013, New Age Media announced a proposed sale of stations including WMYG-LP and WGFL to Sinclair Broadcast Group. The application concerning WMYG-LP was dismissed in October 2014, after which Sinclair acquired non-license assets connected with stations it intended to purchase and provided operations through a master service agreement. WMYG carried local news under the GTN News name. The newscasts were produced by the Independent News Network, initially from Davenport, Iowa, and later from Little Rock, Arkansas, with additional Gainesville-area reporting. A 7 p.m. broadcast was discontinued after a short run. The 10 p.m. newscast lasted longer but was eventually phased out in 2014 because of budget cuts. On November 18, 2015, the WMYG-LP broadcast license was canceled. The station therefore became defunct as a licensed outlet, but its programming identity survived through WGFL's digital subchannel, which continued as My 11. The digital channel initially used 480i 4:3 standard definition and was upgraded to 1080i 16:9 high definition around spring 2017. This continuation preserved the service's market presence without restoring WMYG-LP as an independent low-power station.

• 2017

  WGFL digital conduit upgrades to high definition

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  WGFL-DT2, which carries the continuing My 11 service, is upgraded from 480i 4:3 to 1080i 16:9.

• 2015

  License canceled

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  The WMYG-LP license is canceled on November 18, while the My 11 programming service continues on WGFL's digital subchannel.

• 2014

  News operation is phased out

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  The station's remaining nightly 10 p.m. GTN News broadcast is discontinued amid budget reductions.

• 2006

  Launches as a MyNetworkTV affiliate

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  WMYG becomes a separate MyNetworkTV affiliate and adopts the My 11 brand.

• 2002

  Becomes WBFL-LP and moves to channel 11

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  The station changes calls to WBFL-LP and moves to VHF channel 11.

• 2001

  Adopts WJXE-LP call sign

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  The low-power station changes its call sign from W15AG to WJXE-LP.

• 1997

  Begins repeating WGFL

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  W15AG becomes a repeater for WGFL after that station establishes WB and UPN affiliations.

• 1985

  W15AG begins broadcasting

  [1]WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org

  The station signs on in Lake City on July 3 as W15AG, broadcasting an analog low-power signal on UHF channel 15.

A low-power, locally oriented television outlet serving Lake City and the wider Gainesville market, with market reach expanded through cable carriage and WGFL digital-subchannel distribution.

• Television channel and MyNetworkTV affiliate · 2006

  My 11

  My 11 was WMYG-LP's principal consumer-facing identity after the station became a MyNetworkTV affiliate in September 2006. The name referred to channel 11, the station's VHF position and its placement on many cable systems. After the WMYG-LP license was canceled, the programming identity continued under WGFL's license on a digital subchannel.

• Local television news

  GTN News

  GTN News was a local news service carried by WMYG. The operation was produced by the Independent News Network and supplemented with reporters covering the Gainesville area. It offered evening broadcasts, including a short-lived 7 p.m. newscast and a later 10 p.m. program that was eventually discontinued because of budget cuts.

• 2015

  Continue My 11 through WGFL after license cancellationOther

  Background

  WMYG-LP's low-power analog signal had limited reach and the station did not have a separate digital transmission facility.

  Action taken

  After the license was canceled on November 18, the My 11 programming continued under WGFL's license on a digital subchannel.

  Aftermath

  The original WMYG-LP station became defunct, while the associated programming service remained available through WGFL-DT2.

  Source

• 2014

  Phase out GTN News broadcastsStrategy

  Background

  The station's local news operation faced budget pressure, and the 7 p.m. newscast had already ended after a short run.

  Action taken

  The remaining nightly 10 p.m. GTN News broadcast was discontinued in 2014.

  Aftermath

  WMYG no longer carried its own regular local newscast. A later news service was carried by WGFL-DT2.

  Source

• 2006

  Adopt MyNetworkTV after the WB-UPN transitionStrategy

  Background

  The planned replacement of The WB and UPN by The CW left some stations without a CW affiliation. MyNetworkTV was created as an alternative network service for those outlets.

  Action taken

  WMYG became a separate MyNetworkTV affiliate on September 5, 2006, and used the My 11 on-air identity.

  Aftermath

  The decision gave the station a distinct network identity and enabled its programming to continue reaching the market through WGFL-DT2 and cable distribution.

  Source

1. 1WMYG-LPen.wikipedia.org
2. 2MyGTN television websitemygtn.tv