WRTD-CD
WRTD-CD, virtual channel 54 (UHF digital channel 15), is a Class A Telemundo owned-and-operated television station licensed to Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The station is owned by the Telemundo Station Group subsidiary of NBCUniversal. Under a channel sharing agreement, WRTD-CD shares transmitter facilities with Fox affiliate WRAZ (channel 50, owned by locally based Capitol Broadcasting Company) near Auburn, North Carolina.
 | |
| Raleigh, North Carolina United States | |
|---|---|
| Channels | Digital: 15 (UHF) (shared with WRAZ[1]) Virtual: 54 |
| Branding | Telemundo Raleigh |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | Telemundo (2018–present; also 2005–2010) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Telemundo Station Group (Comcast/NBCUniversal) (NBC Telemundo License LLC) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1991 |
Former call signs | W60BT (1991–1999) WHOA-LP (1999–2005) WZGS-CA (2005–2013) WZGS-CD (2013–2018) |
Former channel number(s) | Digital: 44 (UHF, 2013–2018) 49 (UHF, 2018–2019) Virtual: 44 (PSIP, 2013–2018) |
| America's Store (c. 2002–2003) Independent (2010–2018) | |
Call sign meaning | Raleigh/Research Triangle Telemundo |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 41095 |
| ERP | 805.4 kW |
| HAAT | 607 m (1,991 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 35°40′29″N 78°31′39″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
Despite WRTD-CD legally holding a low-power Class A license, it transmits using WRAZ's full-power spectrum. This ensures complete reception across the Research Triangle television market (Raleigh−Durham−Chapel Hill−Fayetteville).
History
The station signed on in 1991 as W60BT. Its call sign was changed to WHOA-LP in 1999, and to WZGS-CA in 2005.
WZGS-CA went silent on April 1, 2010, due to losing its first affiliation with the Spanish-language Telemundo network.[2] It then became an independent station, airing English, Spanish and Portuguese programming. Telemundo returned to North Carolina in June 2017 on the second digital subchannel of Charlotte's WSOC-TV (channel 9).
WZGS-CA resumed broadcasting on March 25, 2011.[3] The station changed its call sign to WZGS-CD on May 31, 2013.[4]
On December 4, 2017, NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group announced its purchase of ZGS Communications' 13 television stations, including WZGS-CD. The sale marks NBCUniversal's re-entry into the Raleigh–Durham market, as they owned WNCN (channel 17) from 1996 to 2006 (it is now a CBS affiliate, owned by Nexstar Media Group).[5] The sale was completed on July 20, 2018.[6] NBCUniversal changed the station's call letters to WRTD-CD[7] on July 25, 2018;[4] the station also rejoined Telemundo.
References
- "WZGS / WRAZ Channel Share Agreement" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
- "Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- "Resumption of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 30, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- "Call Sign History (WRTD-CD)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- Miller, Mark K. (December 4, 2017). "NBCU Adding ZGS Stations To Telemundo". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- "Media Bureau Call Sign Actions" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- Digital TV Market Listing for WRTD-CD RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved July 31, 2018.