WTME-LD

WTME-LD is a low-power television station serving Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. The station broadcasts on channel 35 and currently carries programming from Telemundo, the Spanish-language television network. It is owned by Gray Media and operates alongside NBC affiliate WMC-TV, which is also owned by Gray. The stations share studio facilities on Union Avenue in midtown Memphis, while WTME-LD's transmitter is located on Raleigh-LaGrange Road on the northeastern side of the city. The station began in November 1982 under the call sign W07BN and was originally licensed to Bruce, Mississippi. Its launch made it the first low-power television station in Mississippi. During its early years, the station emphasized locally oriented programming rather than functioning solely as a relay for a national network. Its schedule included a daily newscast, coverage of government meetings, music programs, and high-school sports. The station was also distributed through the MaxxSouth cable system in North Mississippi, extending its reach beyond its over-the-air coverage area. Ownership changed in 2020, when Bruce Independent Television, Inc. sold the station to 5GTV, LLC. Following the transaction, the Federal Communications Commission call sign was changed from W07BN to WYMP-LD on July 23, 2020. In October 2021, Gray Television announced an agreement to acquire WYMP-LD for $500,000. The transaction was completed on February 23, 2022, making the station a sister outlet of WMC-TV. The ownership arrangement linked a station historically associated with Bruce and North Mississippi to Gray's Memphis television operation, even though Calhoun County, where Bruce is located, was not then served by a Gray-owned station in the Columbus–Tupelo market. The station adopted the WTME-LD call sign on August 22, 2022. It subsequently relocated its licensed operating base to Memphis in early 2024, aligning the station more closely with the market and with its Gray-owned sister station. On March 10, 2024, WTME-LD changed its programming affiliation to Telemundo. This change established the station's current identity as a Spanish-language service in the Memphis market and represented a shift from its earlier history of locally produced programming and other programming arrangements. WTME-LD's principal offering is terrestrial television broadcasting, supplemented by distribution through broadcast and, where available, multichannel television systems. As a low-power station, it is more limited in technical coverage than a full-power television outlet, but its Memphis relocation and Telemundo affiliation give it a defined role in serving Spanish-speaking viewers. Its business identity is therefore shaped by three elements: a long operating history dating to 1982, ownership and operational ties to Gray Media and WMC-TV, and its present role as a Telemundo-affiliated station.

WTME-LD traces its history to November 1982, when it began broadcasting as W07BN from a license based in Bruce, Mississippi. It was the first low-power television station established in Mississippi. The original service developed a distinctly local programming profile, carrying a daily newscast, government-meeting coverage, music programs, and high-school sports. Its signal was also carried on the MaxxSouth cable system across North Mississippi, allowing the station to reach viewers outside its terrestrial footprint. For much of its early existence, the station was associated with Bruce Independent Television, Inc. In 2020, that company sold the station to 5GTV, LLC. The change in ownership was followed by a call-sign change: on July 23, 2020, W07BN became WYMP-LD. The new ownership period preceded a further transition into the Memphis television market. On October 25, 2021, Gray Television announced that it would acquire WYMP-LD for $500,000. The transaction closed on February 23, 2022. After closing, WYMP-LD became part of the same ownership group as WMC-TV, the Gray-owned NBC affiliate in Memphis. The relationship was notable because the station's historic community of license, Bruce in Calhoun County, was associated with the Columbus–Tupelo market, which at that time did not have a Gray-owned station. The acquisition nevertheless gave Gray an additional low-power outlet that could be integrated with its Memphis operations. The station changed its call sign again on August 22, 2022, becoming WTME-LD. In early 2024, it relocated to Memphis, Tennessee. Its facilities are associated with WMC-TV's studios on Union Avenue in midtown Memphis, while the WTME-LD transmitter is situated on Raleigh-LaGrange Road in the northeastern part of the city. A major programming transition occurred on March 10, 2024, when WTME-LD began carrying Telemundo programming. This change shifted the station toward a Spanish-language network role in Memphis. The station's present identity combines Telemundo network content with the technical profile of a low-power broadcast outlet and the infrastructure and ownership resources of Gray Media. Its historical importance lies in its pioneering low-power status in Mississippi, its former local programming emphasis, and its later transformation into a Memphis-based Spanish-language station.

• 2024

  Relocation to Memphis

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station relocates to Memphis in early 2024.

• 2024

  Telemundo affiliation begins

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  WTME-LD switches to Telemundo programming on March 10, 2024.

• 2022

  Acquisition closes

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Gray completes the purchase on February 23, 2022, making WYMP-LD a sister station of WMC-TV.

• 2022

  Call sign changes to WTME-LD

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts its current WTME-LD call sign on August 22, 2022.

• 2021

  Gray announces acquisition

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Gray Television announces an agreement to acquire WYMP-LD for $500,000.

• 2020

  Ownership transfers to 5GTV

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce Independent Television, Inc. sells the station to 5GTV, LLC.

• 2020

  Call sign changes to WYMP-LD

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the WYMP-LD call sign on July 23, 2020.

• 1982

  Station launches as W07BN

  [1]WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting in November 1982 from Bruce, Mississippi, becoming the first low-power television station in Mississippi.

A low-power Memphis television outlet focused on Spanish-language Telemundo programming, with operational ties to Gray Media and WMC-TV.

• Broadcast television · 1982

  WTME-LD over-the-air television service

  WTME-LD is a low-power digital television station broadcasting on channel 35. Its transmitter is located on Raleigh-LaGrange Road in northeast Memphis. The station's low-power designation gives it a more limited terrestrial footprint than a full-power station, while its Memphis facilities and Gray ownership connect it to the broader local television infrastructure.

• Spanish-language network affiliation · 2024

  Telemundo programming

  Since March 10, 2024, WTME-LD has carried programming from Telemundo. The affiliation gives the station a Spanish-language network identity and positions it to serve Spanish-speaking viewers in the Memphis market.

• Local television programming · 1982

  Locally produced programming

  During its earlier Bruce-based period, the station produced and aired local programming that included a daily newscast, government meetings, music shows, and high-school sports. These programs formed an important part of the station's original community-service profile.

• 2024

  Relocation and Telemundo affiliationStrategy

  Background

  After joining Gray's station group and changing its call sign to WTME-LD, the station was repositioned within the Memphis television market.

  Action taken

  The station relocated to Memphis in early 2024 and began carrying Telemundo programming on March 10, 2024.

  Aftermath

  WTME-LD assumed a Spanish-language network role in Memphis while retaining its low-power broadcast status.

  Source

• 2021

  Gray Television acquisition agreementM&A

  Background

  Gray Television sought to acquire WYMP-LD, a station historically licensed to Bruce but increasingly connected with the Memphis market.

  Action taken

  Gray announced an agreement to purchase the station for $500,000.

  Aftermath

  The sale closed on February 23, 2022, making the station a sister outlet of Gray-owned WMC-TV.

  Acquisition price. $500,000 (Announced October 25, 2021; transaction completed February 23, 2022)

  Source

• 2020

  Sale from Bruce Independent Television to 5GTVM&A

  Background

  The station's original owner, Bruce Independent Television, Inc., transferred ownership of the low-power outlet to 5GTV, LLC.

  Action taken

  5GTV acquired the station, after which the call sign changed from W07BN to WYMP-LD.

  Aftermath

  The transaction began a sequence of ownership and identity changes that ultimately led to Gray Media ownership and the station's Memphis-based Telemundo role.

  Source

1. 1WTME-LDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WTME-LD official websitew07bn.com