WTLW
WTLW, virtual channel 44 (VHF digital channel 4), is a religious/secular independent television station licensed to Lima, Ohio, United States. The station is owned by American Christian Television Services. WTLW's studios and transmitter are located on Baty Road northwest of the city.
 | |
| Lima, Ohio United States | |
|---|---|
| Channels | Digital: 4 (VHF) Virtual: 44 (PSIP) |
| Branding | WTLW 44 |
| Slogan | Your Local Family Station |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | 44.1: Religious Independent 44.2: West Ohio Sports Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | American Christian Television Services, Inc. |
| WOIW-LD, WNHO-LD | |
| History | |
First air date | June 13, 1982 |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 44 (UHF, 1982–2008) Digital: 47 (UHF, 2008–2009) 44 (UHF, 2009–2019) |
Call sign meaning | Witnessing The Living Word |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 1222 |
| Class | DT |
| ERP | 10 kW |
| HAAT | 207 m (679 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°45′47″N 84°11′1″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Website | wtlw |
| Translator of WTLW | |
|---|---|
| Lima, Ohio United States | |
| Channels | Digital: 17 (UHF) Virtual: 44 (PSIP) |
| Branding | see WTLW infobox |
| Slogan | see WTLW infobox |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | 44.1: Religious Independent 44.2: WOSN |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | American Christian Television Services, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | December 23, 1997 |
Former call signs | W61CZ (1997–2009) W23DE-D (2009–?) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 61 (UHF, 1997–2009) Digital: 23 (UHF, 2009–2019) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 74373 |
| Class | LD |
| ERP | 15 kW |
| HAAT | 149.6 m (491 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°45′47″N 84°11′1″W |
| Translator(s) | WOHW-LD (26 UHF, Lima) |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
WOIW-LD (virtual channel 44, UHF digital channel 17) in Lima operates as a translator of WTLW.
The station's owner should not be confused with the American Christian Television System, a defunct television network, or Associated Christian Television System, which owns WACX in Orlando, Florida.
History
WTLW has its roots in Christian radio station WTGN-FM, also in Lima. In 1976, WTGN solicited its listeners for seed money for a new television station. Before the station received FCC approval, however, WTGN opted not to own nor operate the new station, and the people behind the drive to get WTLW on the air decided to incorporate as American Christian Television Services, Inc.
The station chose a hangar at the former site of Lima Allen County Airport on Baty Road near Elida, northwest of Lima, to build a studio. The new studios, measuring 80 by 80 feet (24 by 24 m), was believed by the station founders to be the largest television studio in Northwest Ohio. The hangar was converted into a television studio in 1980, through the efforts of volunteers.
On June 13, 1982, WTLW signed on the air.
In 1988, the station expanded its focus from religious broadcasts to incorporate full length broadcasts of local high school basketball games. Eventually, football games were added as well. In the fall of 2010, WTLW launched a 24-hour all-sports network on its digital subchannel, 44.2. The station was called WOSN, standing for West Ohio Sports Network.
WOSN now covers 70 schools and several colleges and airs hundreds of full length sporting events throughout the year. WOSN is also home to several sports related shows – The Sports Report, Big Sports Weekend, Buckeye Insider and Marks Madness. The majority of games aired on WOSN are football and basketball contests, but soccer, volleyball, tennis, swimming, softball, baseball, track, bowling and even Soap Box Derby racing have been featured.
As a result of the 600 MHz spectrum auction, WTLW was required to move to VHF 4. The station then moved a low-powered translator (WOIW-LD) to its main tower as a nested translator to broadcast on UHF 17 at 15 kW of power, and became the temporary originating station for its signals (with a PSIP of 44.1 and 44.2) while WTLW moved frequencies.
Digital television
Programming
WTLW runs infomercials and religious programming before 5 p.m.; and family dramas, first-run talk shows, family movies, local sports programming, and reality shows after 5 p.m.[3]
References
- RabbitEars TV Query for WTLW
- RabbitEars TV Query for WOIW-LD
- "Our Broadcast Schedule". WTLW.com. American Christian Television Services. Retrieved November 18, 2018.