WNGH-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WNGH-TV
(satellite of WGTV,
Athens/Atlanta, Georgia)
city =
station_
station_slogan = Bringing You the Best
station_branding = GPB
analog = 18 (UHF)
digital = 33 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = PBS
network =
founded =
airdate = January 30, 1967
location = Chatsworth/Dalton, Georgia
callsign_meaning = North Georgia Highlands
former_callsigns = WCLP-TV (1967-2008)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Georgia Public Broadcasting
licensee = Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = NET (1967-1970)
effective_radiated_power = 5000 kW (analog)
426 kW (digital)
HAAT = 564 m (analog)
537 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 23942
coordinates = coord|34|45|2.3|N|84|42|52.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.gpb.org/ www.gpb.org]

WNGH-TV, channel 18 (digital 33), is a PBS television station licensed to Chatsworth, Georgia, and is part of the Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) network, serving northwestern Georgia and the Chattanooga area. Despite its UHF frequency, WNGH is one of GPB's strongest stations, with a coverage area as far north as Athens, Tennessee and as far south as metro Atlanta's north-northwestern suburbs. Several nearby translator stations help bring the signal to the mountainous parts of the service area. However, some network program duplication occurs with WTCI-TV, the PBS station that serves Chattanooga, northwest Georgia, northeast Alabama, and the extreme southwestern part of western North Carolina. WTCI-TV is seen in much of GPB's coverage area.

History

The station first signed on January 30, 1967 as WCLP, a National Educational Television and Georgia Educational Television Network affiliate. In effect, it was also Chattanooga's first educational station, as WTCI-TV didn't sign on until 1970. In early 1979, the station added the suffix to its callsign, becoming WCLP-TV. In 2002, WCLP's digital signal started on channel 33.

In the first-round digital channel election, WCLP chose to return to channel 18 for full-power digital operations after analog shutdown. However, an interference conflict forced it to stay on 33 permanently.

On April 15, 2008, WCLP-TV changed its call sign to WNGH-TV, which matches GPB's new FM radio station from Chatsworth, WNGH-FM, transmitting from the same location. It is unclear why the reverse was not done, since WCLP-FM was available to match the callsign the TV station had used for over 40 years since its inception.

Translators

All of WNGH's translators have been located near the state's borders regions with Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina -- areas where coverage from a full-powered GPB transmitter is insufficient, due to the distance from the main transmitters and the terrain of the north Georgia mountains.

Two are currently still operating:
*W04BJ Young Harris, Georgia, which applied for digital on 12 and appears to be dismissed
*W50AB Hiawassee, Georgia, which applied for digital on 8 and was dismissed in May 2007

Four others had their analog licenses and digital applications or construction permits cancelled, apparently at GPB's request:
*W27AA Draketown, Georgia, which applied for digital on 12 and dismissed October 2006, cancelled November 2006
*W65AD Cedartown, Georgia, which applied for digital on 9 and received a permit, cancelled September 2007
*W35AA LaFayette, Georgia, which applied for digital on 7, cancelled July 2007
*W51AB Flintstone, Georgia, etc., near Chattanooga, never applied for digital, cancelled in September 2002

This was and is the largest number of translators assigned to any of the GPB stations. Others are assigned to primary ("parent") stations WGTV TV (two, now one) and WJSP-TV (one), though all stations simulcast at all times.

External links

* [http://www.gpb.org/ GPB Website]
*TVQ|WNGH-TV
**TVQ|W04BJ
**TVQ|W50AB
**TVQ|DW27AA
**TVQ|DW65AD
**TVQ|DW35AA
**TVQ|DW51AB
*BIA|WCLP|TV|TV