WTCT
WTCT, virtual channel 27 (UHF digital channel 30), is a religious television station licensed to Marion, Illinois, United States, serving the Paducah–Cape Girardeau–Harrisburg television market as the flagship station of the Tri-State Christian Television (TCT) network. WTCT's transmitter is located near Goreville, Illinois. The national feed of TCT via WTCT is available nationwide on DirecTV channel 377.
| Marion, Illinois United States | |
|---|---|
| Channels | Digital: 30 (UHF) Virtual: 27 (PSIP) |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | 27.1: TCT 27.2: Sonlife 27.3: TheGrio TV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Tri-State Christian Television, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | August 1981[1] |
Former call signs | WDDD-TV (1981–1984) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 27 (UHF, 1981–2009) Digital: 17 (UHF, 2009–2020) |
| Primary: Independent (1981–1986) TBN (1986–2007) Secondary: FNN (1981–1985) | |
Call sign meaning | Tri-State Christian Television |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67786 |
| ERP | 1,000 kW |
| HAAT | 228.5 m (750 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 37°33′26″N 89°1′24″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | www |
History
The station signed on the air in August 1981 as independent station WDDD-TV. In 1984, the station's call letters were changed to the current WTCT and became a TBN station in 1986 as well as with the case of a few independent stations that switched to the religious network during that year. The station also carried business news programming from the Financial News Network after the late movie each weeknight before sign-off until 1985. In 2007, the station became a TCT owned-and-operated station.
Former translators
WTCT previously broadcast on low-power translators in Paducah, Kentucky on W54AE (channel 54), in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on KCGI-CA (channel 45), and in Sikeston, Missouri on K54CA (channel 54); these translators ceased operation around 2010.
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WTCT HD | Main WTCT programming / TCT |
| 27.2 | 480i | 4:3 | SBN | Sonlife |
| 27.3 | LIGHTTV | TheGrio TV |
Analog-to-digital conversion
WTCT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 27, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 17.[3] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 27.
References
- The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says August 16, while the Television and Cable Factbook says August 24.
- RabbitEars TV Query for WTCT
- "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2012-03-24.