WKAG-CA
A former low-power, Class A independent television station serving Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and nearby communities in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
WKAG-CA was a low-power television station based in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Although its signal and cable distribution reached parts of north-central Tennessee, the station’s principal identity was local: it was created to provide Hopkinsville with its first locally based television service and developed a programming mix centered on regional news, community affairs, worship services, sports, syndicated entertainment, and locally produced features. The station originated with the Kentucky New Era, a Hopkinsville newspaper that sought a low-power television authorization in December 1981. On December 9, 1983, the Federal Communications Commission issued the construction permit. It was the first low-power television permit awarded to a Kentucky-based licensee; other low-power signals then operating in the state were translators for existing full-power stations. A transmission tower was erected along Old Madisonville Road in May 1984, and the station began broadcasting on July 24, 1984, using the call sign W43AG. A transmitter failure postponed the launch by one day. W43AG became Hopkinsville’s first local television station and Kentucky’s first standalone low-power television station. The station initially combined locally produced news with national material from CNN and BizNet, country-music videos, movies, and sports. Its first network affiliation was with the American Television Network, but that service ceased operations in August 1984. Afterward, music-video programming and a succession of independent or syndicated sources filled portions of the schedule. The station also carried Southeastern Conference football and men’s basketball, Cincinnati Reds baseball, church services, and other programming of interest to viewers in the surrounding region. Local news and community programming became central to the station’s identity. In its early years, W43AG produced an unusually large volume of newscasts for a low-power outlet, including morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend programs. The schedule later became more concentrated, with newscasts branded as NewsWatch Hopkinsville and NewsWatch Clarksville. Coverage addressed both the Pennyrile region and the Clarksville area, while the locally produced 43 Magazine highlighted businesses, organizations, events, and promotions. The station also supplied local coverage of worship services from First Baptist, Second Baptist, and St. John’s Baptist churches in Hopkinsville. W43AG received recognition for its community and news work. It earned a Kentucky Broadcasters Association award in 1989 for community-oriented programming, an award at the second annual LPTV Conference and Exposition for a local news production, and an Associated Press award for a series about Army training at Fort Campbell. In 1992, its broader programming and community service helped it receive a Station of the Year award from the Community Broadcasters Association. The station’s call sign changed to WKAG-LP in 1994, following the FCC’s authorization for low-power stations to use conventional call signs with an LP suffix. It was reportedly the first Kentucky low-power station to adopt that form. In 2002, after receiving Class A status, the call sign changed to WKAG-CA. The Class A designation gave the station additional regulatory protection, but it did not require the station to undertake the full-power television industry’s 2009 digital transition. The Kentucky New Era sold the station to Owen Broadcasting, controlled by station manager Eddie Owen, in 2004. NewWave Communications acquired it in 2010. Under NewWave, the station was rebranded Source16, reflecting its placement on cable channel 16 rather than its previous cable position. NewWave’s ownership was particularly relevant because the station’s audience relied heavily on cable carriage across several Kentucky and Tennessee counties. Source16 ceased operations on August 5, 2011. Employees were informed shortly before the shutdown, and the station’s news operation ended at the same time. The station was not included in the later sale of NewWave’s area cable systems to Time Warner Cable. Because WKAG-CA remained off the air for more than twelve consecutive months, the FCC canceled its license and deleted the call sign from its database on September 14, 2012. It is therefore a defunct local television brand rather than an operating broadcaster.
History
WKAG-CA developed from a local television initiative of the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville. The newspaper submitted its low-power television application in December 1981, and the FCC issued a construction permit on December 9, 1983. This was the first such permit awarded to a Kentucky-based licensee rather than to an operator using low-power facilities as a translator for an existing station. A tower was constructed on Old Madisonville Road in May 1984. Broadcasting began on July 24, 1984, under the call sign W43AG. A transmitter problem prevented the planned previous-day launch. The station’s creation made it Hopkinsville’s first local television outlet and Kentucky’s first independent standalone low-power television station. Its early schedule combined locally originated news with CNN and BizNet material, country-music videos, films, sports, and programming from the American Television Network. When that network folded in August 1984, the station replaced much of its schedule with music videos and other independent programming. W43AG’s programming strategy was strongly regional. It carried local news, public affairs, church services, community announcements, and sports. Its sports inventory included Southeastern Conference football and men’s basketball, Cincinnati Reds baseball, Austin Peay Governors events, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers programming, Kentucky Wildcats content, and selected St. Louis Cardinals baseball coverage. Over time, national and syndicated sources included the American Independent Network, Satellite Program Network, Prime of Life Network, America One, All News Channel, Hit Video Network, and CNN news inserts. The station invested heavily in local news for an outlet of its size. During its first years, it scheduled numerous weekday newscasts and also aired weekend editions. In the 1990s, the schedule settled around evening programs at 6, 9, and 10 p.m., with a midnight repeat. During the 2000s, separate editions addressed Hopkinsville and the Clarksville-area audience. NewsWatch Hopkinsville and NewsWatch Clarksville were supplemented by 43 Magazine, which featured area businesses, civic organizations, events, and promotions. The station’s news and public-service work produced several awards, including Kentucky Broadcasters Association recognition, an LPTV conference award, an Associated Press award for a Fort Campbell series, and a Community Broadcasters Association Station of the Year honor. In 1994, the station adopted the call sign WKAG-LP, taking advantage of an FCC rule that allowed low-power stations to use conventional call signs with an LP suffix. In 2002, its Class A upgrade led to the WKAG-CA designation. The station was not required to make the same digital transition as full-power television stations in 2009 because of its Class A low-power status. Ownership changed in 2004, when the Kentucky New Era sold the station to Owen Broadcasting, controlled by station manager Eddie Owen. NewWave Communications bought the station in 2010 and rebranded it Source16 based on its cable channel assignment. Cable carriage was important to the station: in its later years, most viewers came from cable systems serving six Kentucky counties and three counties in north-central Tennessee. The station was available in approximately 80,000 cable-television homes according to the referenced account, although some systems, including a Clarksville-area Charter system, dropped it. Source16 ceased broadcasting on August 5, 2011. The news department was discontinued, and the station was not part of the subsequent sale of NewWave’s area cable systems to Time Warner Cable. The FCC deleted the WKAG-CA call sign and canceled the license on September 14, 2012, after the station had remained silent for over a year. WKAG-CA is consequently a defunct local television station and historical broadcast brand.
- 2012
License canceled
[1]The FCC canceled the license and deleted the call sign after more than a year off the air.
- 2011
Broadcast operations end
[1]Source16 shut down on August 5.
- 2010
NewWave acquisition and Source16 relaunch
[1]NewWave Communications acquired the station and relaunched its public brand as Source16.
- 2004
Sale to Owen Broadcasting
[1]The Kentucky New Era transferred ownership to Owen Broadcasting.
- 2002
Class A upgrade
[1]The station became WKAG-CA after attaining Class A status.
- 1994
Call sign changes to WKAG-LP
[1]The station adopted a conventional LP call sign after FCC rule changes.
- 1992
Named Station of the Year
[1]The Community Broadcasters Association recognized the station’s overall community broadcasting work.
- 1989
Local programming wins industry recognition
[1]The station received several awards for community programming, news, and advertising.
- 1984
W43AG signs on
[1]The station began broadcasting from Hopkinsville on July 24.
- 1983
Construction permit issued
[1]The FCC granted the first low-power television construction permit to a Kentucky-based licensee.
Products and positioning
A community-focused independent television outlet emphasizing local news, regional sports, public-service programming, and cable availability in western Kentucky and nearby Tennessee.
Television programming · 1984
Local news
WKAG-CA produced extensive local news programming for Hopkinsville, the Pennyrile region, and the Clarksville area. The schedule evolved from numerous early morning and evening broadcasts into branded NewsWatch Hopkinsville and NewsWatch Clarksville editions. Coverage included regional public affairs and reporting on Fort Campbell and surrounding communities.
Community-affairs programming
43 Magazine
43 Magazine was a locally produced feature program focused on area businesses, organizations, events, and promotions. It was offered in morning and afternoon editions and extended the station’s role as a community information service beyond conventional newscasts.
Sports broadcasting · 1984
Regional sports programming
The station carried a broad selection of syndicated and locally relevant sports, including Southeastern Conference football and men’s basketball, Austin Peay Governors events, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers games, Kentucky Wildcats programming, Cincinnati Reds baseball, and selected St. Louis Cardinals coverage.
Television station brand · 2010
Source16
Source16 was the station’s final public-facing brand after NewWave Communications acquired it. The name referenced the station’s new cable-channel position and was used until the service closed in 2011.
Brand decisions
2011
Shutdown of Source16StrategyBackground
The station’s future became uncertain after changes involving NewWave’s area cable operations.
Action taken
NewWave ended Source16’s operations on August 5, and the local news department was discontinued.
Aftermath
The station remained silent for more than twelve months, leading the FCC to cancel its license and delete the call sign in September 2012.
2010
NewWave Communications acquisitionM&ABackground
NewWave Communications was a local cable television provider whose systems were important to the station’s audience and distribution.
Action taken
NewWave purchased WKAG-CA and rebranded it Source16 to match its cable placement.
Aftermath
The new brand operated for about a year before the station ceased broadcasting.
2004
Sale to Owen BroadcastingM&ABackground
The Kentucky New Era transferred ownership of the Hopkinsville station after operating it for roughly two decades.
Action taken
Owen Broadcasting, controlled by station manager Eddie Owen, acquired the station.
Aftermath
The station continued operating as a locally oriented low-power, Class A broadcaster until its later sale to NewWave Communications.
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