WDEM-CD (channel 17) is a low-power, Class A television station in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The station is owned by Innovate Corp. and mostly broadcasts subchannels featuring infomercials and diginets.

WDEM-CD
HC2 default slide
Channels
Programming
Affiliationssee § Subchannels
Ownership
Owner
History
FoundedJanuary 8, 1986
First air date
August 31, 1987
(37 years ago)
 (1987-08-31)
Former call signs
  • W17AI (1986–1998)
  • WDEM-LP (1998–2008)
  • WDEM-CA (2008–2009)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 17 (UHF, 1988–2009)
  • Digital: 17 (UHF, 2009–2019)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID54414
ClassCD
ERP15 kW
HAAT219.6 m (720 ft)
Transmitter coordinates39°58′14″N 83°1′16″W / 39.97056°N 83.02111°W / 39.97056; -83.02111
Links
Public license information

History

edit

W17AI began broadcasting in 1987. It was owned by Regional Broadcasting Corporation, owned by Gary and Susan Clarke; beginning in 1988, it primarily served to rebroadcast WWAT-TV in Chillicothe. At the time, WWAT-TV had been removed from all three of the cable systems in the Columbus area.[2][3] This was a change from Clarke's original plan for programming W17AI after he purchased the permit from the LaMarca Group of New York City the year before; he had originally intended on programming oriented to the large campus audience at Ohio State University.[4][5] The Clarkes sold the station in August 1989 to WWAT-TV owner Wendell A. Triplett.[6] In 1991, W17AI split from WWAT-TV to broadcast the Home Shopping Network.[7] The call sign was changed to WDEM-LP in 1998.

In early 2009, the station—still owned by Triplett—changed its programming from home shopping to an arts and culture format known as "Lifeline Columbus" under the leadership of David Chesnet.[8] The station had previously become a Class A station in December 2008, changing call signs from WDEM-CA to WDEM-CD.[9] The station also converted to digital in 2009 and added a subchannel airing Telemundo in 2010. Subchannels aired in the 2010s included Universal Sports and Justice Network (now True Crime Network). Minority Brands, owned by Richard Schilg, acquired WDEM-CD from Triplett for $75,000 in 2014.[10]

On April 3, 2019, HC2 Holdings closed on its acquisition of WDEM from Minority Brands, Inc., for $866,000.[11] The station then moved from channel 17 to channel 24 as part of the repack, with Telemundo replaced by HC2-owned Azteca América.

Subchannels

edit

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WDEM-CD[12]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
17.1 480i 4:3 WDEM-CD Infomercials
17.2 16:9 Oxygen
17.3 NBC American Crimes
17.4 The365
17.5 Defy
17.6 Outlaw
17.7 NTD America
17.8 4:3 ShopHQ

References

edit
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WDEM-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Channel 17 has plans for live TV: Station to start with programs from Channel 53". The Columbus Dispatch. August 26, 1988. p. 11F.
  3. ^ Lilly, Stephen (August 29, 1988). "WWAT Buys Share of Channel 17". Columbus Business First. p. 7. ProQuest 232371732.
  4. ^ Jones, David (April 21, 1987). "Low-power TV goes strong". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8B.
  5. ^ Jones, David (September 3, 1985). "CBS looks at invasion by Latin neighbors". The Columbus Dispatch. p. D9.
  6. ^ "At the FCC" (PDF). LPTV Report. October 1989. p. 45.
  7. ^ "Broadcast bits". The Columbus Dispatch. November 13, 1991. p. 9E.
  8. ^ Feran, Tim (March 9, 2009). "Tiny station seeks niche as beacon of culture". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 1D.
  9. ^ "Report No. 513 Media Bureau Call Sign Actions December 17, 2008". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  10. ^ "Richard Schilg Acquires WDEM Columbus". Broadcasting & Cable. July 30, 2014.
  11. ^ Jacobson, Adam (April 3, 2019). "HC2 Closes On Columbus Class A". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  12. ^ "RabbitEars listing for WDEM-CD". RabbitEars.info.