WABM

WABM is a full-power television station serving Birmingham, Alabama, and the surrounding Central Alabama market on digital channel 68. The station operates primarily with an independent programming schedule while maintaining a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. Its identity has changed several times since it began broadcasting, reflecting the competitive and sometimes unstable economics of independent and emerging broadcast networks in mid-sized American television markets. The station first went on the air on January 31, 1986, under the call sign WCAJ. It initially operated as a religious independent station, carrying programming associated with the Eternal Word Television Network and the American Christian Television System, alongside a limited selection of secular entertainment. Its original facilities were located at Samford University. Competition increased soon afterward when WTJP-TV began broadcasting from Gadsden, weakening WCAJ's audience position. By 1987, the schedule had become almost entirely Christian programming, although home-shopping and infomercial content was briefly added later that year. The station returned to an exclusively religious schedule in 1990. In 1990, Krypton Broadcasting acquired the station and changed its call sign to WABM. In January 1991, it was relaunched as a general-entertainment independent carrying movies, dramas, westerns, sitcoms, cartoons and other syndicated programming. WABM faced strong competition from WTTO and WDBB, and its comparatively limited signal coverage made it difficult to compete across the wider Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Anniston–Gadsden region. Krypton's financial difficulties further constrained the station's ability to purchase attractive syndicated programs, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993. After WABM was sold to a locally based ownership group in 1993, it entered a local marketing agreement with WTTO. The arrangement allowed the stations to share selected programming and advertising functions while retaining separate schedules. Sinclair Broadcast Group later assumed the agreement when it acquired WTTO and related assets from Abry. Sinclair purchased WABM outright in 2001, creating a Birmingham-area television duopoly involving WABM and WTTO/WDBB. WABM became Birmingham's charter UPN affiliate on January 16, 1995. Because UPN initially offered only a limited number of prime-time hours, the station continued to rely heavily on syndicated entertainment. Sinclair temporarily ended the UPN affiliation in March 1998, citing ratings and financial concerns, and WABM briefly returned to independent programming. The affiliation was restored on August 10, 1998, after Sinclair reached a new arrangement with UPN. During the interim, some viewers received UPN programming through cable carriage of out-of-market stations, and WABM later broadcast a marathon of previously unaired episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. The next major transition came in 2006. Following the creation of MyNetworkTV as an alternative for stations not selected for The CW, Sinclair announced that WABM would become Birmingham's charter MyNetworkTV affiliate. The station joined the service on September 5, 2006, while WTTO and WDBB became charter affiliates of The CW. WABM continued to supplement the network schedule with syndicated programming and paid programming, including Fox's Weekend Marketplace block after 4Kids TV was discontinued nationally. A proposed Sinclair acquisition of Allbritton Communications in 2013 created regulatory complications involving WABM, WTTO, WDBB and WBMA-LD. Sinclair initially planned to divest certain station licenses while retaining operational relationships, but the Federal Communications Commission required changes because of ownership-limit and brokerage-agreement concerns. Sinclair later considered selling WABM, but reported that it had not found a buyer. The revised plan called for WABM to carry a simulcast of ABC affiliate WBMA-LD on one or more digital subchannels while moving WABM's existing syndicated and MyNetworkTV programming to a digital subchannel. This structure was intended to preserve a full-power Birmingham outlet for ABC while satisfying broadcast ownership requirements. WABM's brand therefore represents both a local broadcast outlet and a flexible distribution platform within Sinclair's Birmingham station group. Its principal business is the sale of local advertising inventory and the distribution of syndicated, network and promotional television programming. The station shares studio facilities at the Riverchase office park in Hoover with WTTO and WBMA-LD, while its transmitter is located on Red Mountain in southwestern Birmingham.

WABM began broadcasting on January 31, 1986, as WCAJ, a religious independent station based at Samford University. Its early schedule included programming from the Eternal Word Television Network and the American Christian Television System, supplemented by selected secular entertainment. Competition from WTJP-TV in Gadsden reduced its audience, and by 1987 the station had shifted almost completely to Christian programming. Home-shopping and infomercial content appeared for a period before being removed in 1990. Krypton Broadcasting acquired the station in 1990, changed its call sign to WABM and relaunched it as a general-entertainment independent in January 1991. The new schedule included classic movies, dramas, westerns and other syndicated programs. WABM competed with WTTO and WDBB in a market spanning Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Anniston–Gadsden. Its limited coverage area and Krypton's financial problems made the competition difficult, and Krypton filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993. Later in 1993, WABM was sold to a locally based group that entered into a local marketing agreement with WTTO. The stations shared some programming and advertising functions while maintaining distinct schedules. Sinclair assumed the WTTO-related agreement in 1994 and purchased WABM outright in 2001. The transaction produced a Birmingham-area television duopoly involving WABM and the WTTO/WDBB operation. WABM became the Birmingham market's UPN affiliate in January 1995. UPN initially supplied only a small amount of prime-time programming, so WABM continued to operate much like an independent station. Sinclair dropped the affiliation in March 1998, replacing UPN programs with syndicated films and other content. The station returned to UPN on August 10, 1998, after Sinclair negotiated a new affiliation arrangement. During the break, cable viewers could receive UPN through selected out-of-market stations, and WABM later aired a marathon of delayed Star Trek: Voyager episodes. In 2006, the creation of MyNetworkTV gave Sinclair an alternative for stations that were not selected as charter affiliates of The CW. WABM was chosen as Birmingham's MyNetworkTV outlet and joined the service on September 5, 2006. WTTO and WDBB became Central Alabama's CW affiliates. WABM retained a broader independent-style schedule around its network programming, using syndicated entertainment and paid programming to fill remaining hours. Sinclair's proposed 2013 acquisition of Allbritton Communications created ownership and brokerage concerns involving WABM, WTTO, WDBB and WBMA-LD. The FCC required revisions to the proposed structure. Sinclair announced in 2014 that it intended to sell WABM to an unaffiliated buyer, but later stated that no buyer had been found. A revised plan contemplated retaining WABM and using it to simulcast WBMA-LD's ABC programming on a full-power signal, while moving WABM's existing programming to a digital subchannel. WABM's studios are located with related stations at the Riverchase office park in Hoover, and its transmitter operates from Red Mountain in southwestern Birmingham.

• 2014

  Ownership structure is revised during the Allbritton transaction

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  FCC concerns prompt Sinclair to revise its plans involving WABM and related Birmingham stations.

• 2006

  MyNetworkTV affiliation begins

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  WABM joins MyNetworkTV at the network's launch.

• 2001

  Sinclair ownership begins

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  Sinclair purchases WABM outright.

• 1995

  UPN affiliation begins

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  WABM becomes Birmingham's charter UPN affiliate.

• 1993

  Bankruptcy and local marketing agreement

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  Krypton's bankruptcy is followed by a sale of WABM and a local marketing agreement with WTTO.

• 1991

  General-entertainment format launches

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  WABM adopts an independent schedule centered on movies, dramas, westerns and syndicated entertainment.

• 1990

  Krypton Broadcasting acquires the station

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  The new owner prepares the station for a general-entertainment repositioning and changes its call sign to WABM.

• 1986

  WCAJ signs on

  [1]WABMen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting on January 31 as a religious independent outlet.

A locally focused Birmingham entertainment station positioned between an independent broadcaster and a network-affiliated outlet. WABM has historically used syndicated programming, secondary network affiliations and digital subchannels to maintain schedule flexibility in a competitive regional television market.

• Broadcast television · 1986

  WABM main channel

  The station's primary full-power television service on channel 68. It has carried a flexible mix of independent syndicated entertainment, network programming and paid programming, with the exact schedule changing as affiliations and broadcast-market conditions evolved.

• Television network affiliation · 2006

  MyNetworkTV programming

  WABM became a charter MyNetworkTV affiliate in September 2006. The affiliation supplies scheduled network programming while the station uses syndicated and locally sold content to fill the remainder of its broadcast day.

• Digital television

  Digital multicast services

  WABM's digital capacity supports additional programming services and was central to the proposed arrangement under which WBMA-LD's ABC programming would be simulcast on a WABM subchannel while WABM's existing programming moved to another digital service.

• 2014

  Restructuring of the proposed Allbritton transactionM&A

  Background

  The proposed acquisition raised FCC concerns about in-market ownership limits and existing brokerage arrangements involving Birmingham-area stations.

  Action taken

  Sinclair considered selling WABM, then proposed retaining it and using its full-power signal for an ABC simulcast while moving WABM's existing programming to a digital subchannel.

  Aftermath

  The revised structure was intended to address regulatory objections and preserve ABC service on a full-power Birmingham signal.

  Proposed Allbritton acquisition value. (2013-2014)

  Source

• 2006

  Switch to MyNetworkTVStrategy

  Background

  The launch of MyNetworkTV created an alternative for stations not selected for The CW.

  Action taken

  Sinclair designated WABM as the Birmingham market's charter MyNetworkTV affiliate.

  Aftermath

  WABM joined MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, while WTTO and WDBB became CW affiliates.

  Source

• 1995

  UPN affiliationOther

  Background

  UPN launched as a new national broadcast network with a limited initial prime-time schedule.

  Action taken

  WABM became Birmingham's charter UPN affiliate while retaining substantial syndicated programming.

  Aftermath

  The station temporarily left UPN in 1998 but restored the affiliation later that year.

  Source

• 1991

  Repositioning as a general-entertainment independentStrategy

  Background

  The station's earlier religious format had struggled amid increased competition and changing local television economics.

  Action taken

  Krypton Broadcasting changed the call sign to WABM and replaced the predominantly religious schedule with movies and syndicated entertainment.

  Aftermath

  WABM remained an independent station and competed directly with WTTO and WDBB.

  Source

1. 1WABMen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WABM official websitewabm68.com