WKTB-CD

(Redirected from W38CU)

WKTB-CD (channel 47) is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to Norcross, Georgia, United States, serving the Atlanta area as an affiliate of the Spanish-language network Telemundo. It is owned by locally based Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate and company flagship WANF (channel 46), and The CW affiliate WPCH-TV (channel 17). WKTB-CD's studios are located on Green River Parkway in Duluth, and its transmitter is located on Goshen Springs Road (near the I-85/SR 140 interchange) just outside Norcross. Master control and most internal operations are based at the shared studios of WANF and WPCH-TV on 14th Street Northwest in Atlanta's Home Park neighborhood.

WKTB-CD
CityNorcross, Georgia
Channels
BrandingTelemundo Atlanta
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WANF, WPCH-TV
History
FoundedApril 2, 1990
First air date
March 7, 1991 (33 years ago) (1991-03-07)
Former call signs
  • W67CI (1990–2000)
  • W38CU (2000–2009)
  • WKTB-CA (2009–2011)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 67 (UHF, 1991–2000), 38 (UHF, 2000–2011)
  • Digital: 47 (UHF, 2011–2019)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID35418
ClassCD
ERP15 kW
HAAT147.1 m (483 ft)
Transmitter coordinates33°55′1.3″N 84°12′5.9″W / 33.917028°N 84.201639°W / 33.917028; -84.201639
Translator(s)
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.telemundoatlanta.com

The 47.2 signal is rebroadcast in widescreen standard definition on full-power WANF to provide a Telemundo signal to the entire market, using virtual channel 47.1.

History

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Early years

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On April 2, 1990, John R. Broomall received the construction permit for a new low-power television station licensed to Roswell, Georgia, on channel 67.[2] Broomall sold the permit to the Korean American TV Broadcasting Co. in April 1991.[3]

By 1996, Korean American had added Telemundo programming, which aired for most of the day, alongside Chinese- and Korean-language fare.[4] Korean programming aired from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., emphasizing local news, alongside local church service broadcasts and South Korean news and entertainment programs.[5]

The Korean programming, known as KTN, went full-time on a cable channel on AT&T Broadband systems in 2001, which increased its output from six hours a day.[6] Programming continued to include imported and local productions.[7] Meanwhile, channel 67 became channel 38, a result of the clearing of channels 60 to 69 for telecommunications use, in 2000, becoming W38CU. The station's coverage area did not reach much of the city of Atlanta, but it did reach areas of Gwinnett County and DeKalb County with significant ethnic populations.

 
Former WKTB logo
 
Former WKTB logo

Digital era

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Korean American TV obtained a permit to construct W47DN-D as its digital companion channel on channel 47, with a superior technical facility covering much of the metropolitan area. In 2009, W38CU obtained Class A status and became WKTB-CA; this transferred to the digital transmitter in 2011 upon consolidation under one license. In 2009, the station reaffiliated with Telemundo.[8] In August 2013, a subchannel on full-power WPXA-TV began repeating WKTB-CD's Telemundo feed in standard definition, using virtual channel 47.11. In June 2021, this moved to WSB-TV.

Sale to Gray Television

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On February 7, 2022, it was announced that Gray Television would purchase WKTB-CD and sister company Surge Digital Media, an ad agency specializing in multicultural clients and services, for $30 million, pending approval of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); this would make WKTB-CD a sister station to Gray's duopoly of CBS affiliate WGCL-TV (channel 46, now WANF) and independent station WPCH-TV (channel 17).[9][10] The sale was completed on April 1, and with it, its full-power simulcast moved to WGCL's spectrum, remaining mapped to 47.1.[11]

Newscasts

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In 2012, Telemundo Atlanta began offering a full local news service with newscasts at 6 and 11 p.m.; the station had previously produced three daily 90-second news briefs prior to the expansion.[8][12] A 5:30 p.m. newscast was added in 2015.[13] Telemundo Atlanta's news was originally helmed by local anchor Jorge Buzo, now of WUVC-DT in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Luis Estrada is the anchor of Noticiero Telemundo Atlanta.

Subchannels

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The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WKTB-CD[14]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
47.2 1080i 16:9 TMDOHD Telemundo
47.3 480i TELEXIT TeleXitos
47.4 4:3 KTN-1 MBC America
47.5 WKTB365 The365
47.6 WKTBOUT Outlaw
47.7 16:9 TOONS MeTV Toons

The WKTB-CD feed on the WANF multiplex uses channel 47.1.

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WKTB-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "New LPTV Construction Permits" (PDF). LPTV Report. May 1990. p. 16. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Assignments and Transfers" (PDF). LPTV Report. May 1991. p. 36. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "Station tunes in to needs of Hispanic community". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 18, 1996. p. C6. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Fay, Tim (March 28, 1996). "TV station serves up new dish: Korean programming". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. JD6. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Brister, Kathy (November 14, 2001). "AT&T digital cable adding Korean channel". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. D1, D9. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  7. ^ Badie, Rick (March 30, 2003). "East meets South on Korean television". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. J1, J2. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Scott, Rose (March 12, 2012). "'Telemundo Atlanta' launches extended newscasts". WABE. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  9. ^ Miller, Mark K. (February 7, 2022). "Gray Buys Telemundo Affiliate WKTB Atlanta". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheckMedia. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  10. ^ "LMS #184533 Assignments". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  11. ^ "Gray Closes its Purchase Of Telemundo Atlanta", Gray Television, April 1, 2022, Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Kotowski, Meghan (March 11, 2012). "Located in Duluth, Telemundo Atlanta launches nightly newscast". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  13. ^ "Susan Sim Oh". WWAAC. August 17, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  14. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WKTB-CD". RabbitEars.
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