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WMMN-TV, virtual channel 9 (UHF digital channel 19), is a dual NBC/ITV-affiliated television station licensed to Mattupolis, Mattula, United States. The station is owned by the GamerCraft Broadcast Group subsidiary of GamerCraft, as part of a duopoly with Mattula Beach-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WMMT (channel 50, which WMMN simulcasts on its third subchannel). The two stations share studios on the Mattupolis Bay Studios in Mattupolis.
The television duopoly is also sisters with radio stations WMTP (850 AM), WTMT (1060 AM), WMTP-FM (102.5), and WMAT-FM (95.1).
The station's second digital subchannel is the intellectual unit of former LMA sister station and former ITV affiliate WMUT-TV (channel 8), which GamerCraft had to sell to purchase WMMN-TV's parent company and LMA partner Craftsman Media.
History[]
In New Years Day, 1949, channel 9 signed-on as WMTP-TV. It was owned by United Independent Broadcasters II, a company founded by New York City talent-agent Arthur Judson as its second incarnation, as William S. Paley purchased the first one in September 1927 and is now CBS. UIB II purchased WMTP radio (850 AM and 95.1 FM, now WMAT-FM) in 1934.
The station became a primary ABC affiliate, owing to WMTP radio's affiliation with the Blue Network, and also carried secondary affiliations with NBC, CBS, and DuMont. When WMLA-TV (channel 2, now a CBS affiliate) signed-on in 1954 and took the NBC affiliation (owing to WMLA radio's affiliation with NBC Red), WMTP-TV shared ABC with that station until WGER-TV (channel 7) signed-on in 1957 and took the ABC affiliation, owing to WMTP radio's displacement by WGER as the ABC Radio affiliate. The affiliation with DuMont ended in 1955 when DuMont stopped airing of new episodes of shows; the network ceased operations in 1956. The station also took a secondary affiliation with the NTA Film Network during its run; after it ceased operations, channel 9 became an exclusive CBS affiliate.
Judson closed down UIB II and sold WMTP-AM-FM-TV in 1970 to Craftsman Newspapers, which owned the newspaper The Mattupolis Times, as well as inactive licenses for channel 10 and 1060 kHz. Both licenses had to be sold (in order to comply with FCC regulations in place at the time, which prohibited one owner from owning two AM or TV stations) to the Mattupolis News Company, which owned competing newspaper The Mattupolis News. The radio license signed on in 1975 as WTMT (the News wanted to link the station to its roots as a license owned by the Times) and the TV license signed on in 1980 as WMUT-TV, which would later move to channel 8 in 2001.
In the 1970s, WMTP-TV signed on translator W14MT (channel 14) in Miner County to reach the area as the station's signal is marginal because of possible interference with Endreaville, Welter's then-CBS affiliate WEND-TV (now a fellow NBC affiliate).
NBC affiliation[]
In 1979, Kinnan Broadcasting signed a deal with CBS to affiliate its Mattula and Welter stations, including future Endreaville sister station WSWT-TV (now WSOE-TV), to the network. Both CBS and Kinnan hesitated at first on struggling flagship WMLA-TV, which itself is an also-ran, and CBS didn't want to leave channel 9, but when Craftsman promised a better news commitment to NBC to improve ratings, CBS accepted the move to channel 2. The switch took place which saw WMTP-TV taking the NBC affiliation and change its callsign to WMMN-TV (taking note of the new affiliation) and WMLA-TV taking the CBS affiliation (it later became a Fox affiliate in 1995, swapping with former repeater WMLC (channel 19), but returned to CBS in 2009, reversing the swap). In 1986, the station signed on translator W33MT (physical channel 33, now repeater WMTP-LD) in Ocean County.
It was not required by the FCC to change callsigns when Craftsman, which had grandfathered protection for its ownership of the stations and the Times, sold WMTP to Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) and WMTP-FM to Bonneville International, which changed its callsign to WMAT-FM and is currently a sister station to aforementioned WTMT and formerly, WMUT-TV.
Local marketing agreements, later outright purchases, and later acquisition by GamerCraft[]
WMMN-TV owner Craftsman entered into a local marketing agreement with Mattula Beach Broadcasting—which owned Mattula Beach-licensed then-WB affiliate WLML (channel 50, now MyNetworkTV affiliate WMMT), which resulted in its callsign change to its current one and the move of UPN, which channel 9 had been airing during late-night hours since its inception in 1995, to channel 50. In order to keep UPN coverage to Ocean County (where channel 50 only gives rimshot coverage), WMMN-TV and WMTP-LP opened their second digital subchannels as repeaters of WMMT; Craftsman bought WMMT outright in 2001 and the secondary UPN affiliation went back for a few days on WMMN-TV when WMMT joined MyNetworkTV.
In 2003, Craftsman entered into a new local marketing agreement with what was then called WNT Broadcasting—which owned then-ITV affiliate WMUT-TV (channel 8).
In 2019, Craftsman was acquired by GamerCraft, which had to sell WMUT-TV to E-Media. GamerCraft kept WMUT-TV's 8.1 intellectual unit (news operations, programming inventory, and ITV affiliation). Ironically, GamerCraft's CEO and majority owner Red Gordonia had a news career at WMMN-TV for a handful of years before purchasing Gameria City's WNT radio from future Minecraftia Governor Greg Davis.
In January 22, 2020, GamerCraft announced its deals with iHeartMedia and Bonneville International to purchase WMTP (and the current WMTP-FM, a WMTP repeater), WTMT, and WMAT-FM (the former WMTP-FM). This acquisition was approved by the FCC, which meant not only that channel 9 reunited with its former radio sisters (with speculation that the station will return to the original WMTP-TV call letters), but also returned WTMT to common ownership with its former license holder's assets. The sale was completed on March 16, 2020.
Digital television[]
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WMMN | Main WMMN-TV programming / NBC |
| 9.2 | ITV8 | "ITV Mattupolis" / ITV | ||
| 9.3 | My50 | Simulcast of WMMT / MyNetworkTV |
Programming[]
Syndicated programming[]
Syndicated programs include NBC-distributed Access Hollywood, Judge Jerry and Maury, CBS-distributed Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud, and reruns of The Simpsons. They also air the Redding television series, which is produced and distributed by The Matthews Company, in which GamerCraft is having merger talks with.
Newscasts[]
WMMN-TV currently airs 45 hours of news programming a week, consisting of 6 1/2 hours a day Mondays to Saturdays, and 6 hours Sundays. They also produce 8 1/2 hours a day of newscasts for sister station WMMT, consisting of full-hour 11:00am and 10:00pm and half-hour 5:30pm and 6:30pm newscasts, as well as a five-hour extension of their morning newscast WMMN Today.
Notable former on-air staff[]
Red Gordonia - anchor/reporter (1988-1994, now CEO and owner of parent company GamerCraft)
Translators/Repeaters[]
WMMN-TV broadcasts on these translators/repeaters:
| Station | City of license | Channel
(RF/VC) |
Call letters' meaning | ERP | HAAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W14MT-D | Miner County | 14 (UHF)
9 (PSIP) |
WMTP-TV = former call letters of WMMN-TV
14 = physical channel |
1.65 kW | 135 m (443 ft) |
| WMTP-LD | Ocean County | 33 (UHF)
9 (PSIP) |
WMTP-TV = former call letters of WMMN-TV | 2.3 kW | 89 m (292 ft) |
WMMN-TV and its translators also has a relay feed of WMMT (channel 50, which simulcasts WMMN-TV on its third digital subchannel).