WNCF

WNCF is television station channel 32 in Montgomery, Alabama, and an affiliate of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The station serves Montgomery and surrounding areas in central Alabama, operating under the on-air identity ABC 32. Its current broadcast operation is closely integrated with WAKA, the CBS affiliate licensed to Selma, and WBMM, the CW+ affiliate licensed to Tuskegee. Although the three stations have separate licenses and brands, they share facilities and selected operational functions through an arrangement in which Bahakel Communications provides services to WNCF. Their shared base is on Harrison Road in north Montgomery, while WNCF's transmitter is located near Gordonville, Alabama. The station began broadcasting in March 1962 as WCCB-TV. Its launch gave Montgomery full-time ABC programming for the first time; before then, ABC programs had been divided among existing local stations. The original owner, First Alabama Corporation, encountered serious financial difficulties soon after launch. WCCB-TV went silent in February 1963 while its owner underwent financial reorganization, and the station's license and assets were subsequently transferred through bankruptcy proceedings. Bahakel Communications acquired the facility and returned it to the air in March 1964 as WKAB-TV. During the Bahakel period, the station improved its technical coverage, including a major power increase approved in 1968. A later antenna installation also improved the signal. In the mid-1980s, Bahakel acquired WAKA and sold channel 32 to Terrapin Communications. The transaction was followed by continuing changes in ownership, technical facilities, and strategy. Frey Communications acquired the station in 1988 and invested in a tall new tower intended to extend its over-the-air coverage into the Selma area. The call sign changed to WHOA-TV in 1989 as part of an effort to reposition the station. The station entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 1992. A court-approved plan transferred substantially all of its assets to Concord Commercial Corporation, with Frey leasing the assets back. Ventura Entertainment Group and Soundview Media Investments later acquired WHOA-TV, but Soundview sold the station to Park Communications within about a year because it determined that further improvements required more capital than it could provide. Media General acquired Park in 1996 and placed the Montgomery station on the market. Broadcast Media Group, controlled by John Kendrick, purchased it in 1999 for a reported $8 million, according to the station's Wikipedia history. The call letters became WNCF in July 1999. The change followed a major reset of the station's local-news strategy: its existing news operation was discontinued in May, nearly 20 employees were dismissed, and a new service launched later that year. That service struggled against stronger competitors and was discontinued in 2003. WNCF subsequently experimented with outsourced news production through the Independent News Network, including short local updates and later expanded evening programming. SagamoreHill Broadcasting acquired WNCF in 2004. The station's news strategy evolved again after Bahakel acquired WBMM in 2011 and entered into a shared-services arrangement involving WNCF. In February 2013, WNCF and WAKA launched the combined Alabama News Network operation, replacing WNCF's outsourced INN newscasts. The stations shared several broadcasts while retaining selected station-specific programs. WNCF also completed an important technical upgrade in September 2012, increasing effective power from 50 kilowatts to 720 kilowatts from facilities on WAKA's Gordonville tower. Its analog service had ended in April 2009 as part of the United States digital television transition, with the digital signal ultimately operating on channel 32. WNCF remains an active local ABC station and a participant in the Alabama News Network operation.

WNCF originated with a construction permit granted to First Alabama Corporation on July 26, 1961, for a new UHF station on channel 32 in Montgomery. The proposed call sign was WCCB-TV, and construction began late that year. The station started broadcasting on March 24, 1962, despite a costly transmitter-tube failure shortly before launch. Its arrival provided Montgomery with a full-time ABC affiliate, replacing the earlier practice of splitting ABC programs between WSFA-TV and WCOV-TV. The original ownership group soon experienced financial problems. An attempted sale in 1962 did not close, and WCCB-TV stopped broadcasting on February 15, 1963, while First Alabama and related companies went through financial reorganization. Bankruptcy proceedings led to a transfer of the station's license and assets to Bahakel Communications. After regulatory approval, the station returned to the air on March 12, 1964, as WKAB-TV. ABC programming returned to channel 32 after temporarily appearing on other Montgomery stations. Bahakel invested in the station's technical facilities. The Federal Communications Commission approved a substantial power increase in 1968, raising the authorized level from 180,000 watts to more than 800,000 watts. A new antenna installed in 1982 further improved the station's picture and coverage. In 1984, Bahakel announced plans to acquire WAKA, a Selma-licensed CBS station that was preparing to improve its coverage of Montgomery, and to sell WKAB-TV. Terrapin Communications purchased channel 32 in a transaction associated with the WAKA acquisition. The deal included a provision restricting WAKA from changing to the ABC affiliation for three years. Frey Communications bought WKAB-TV in 1988 and began a major tower project in Lowndes County. The new 2,049-foot tower was intended to extend the station's broadcast reach into Selma. In August 1989, the station adopted the call sign WHOA-TV, described by management as part of a fresh start. The effort did not produce lasting financial stability. WHOA-TV sought Chapter 11 protection in 1992, with Concord Commercial Corporation identified as its largest creditor. A 1993 reorganization plan transferred most station assets to Concord while Frey leased them back. Ventura Entertainment Group and Soundview Media Investments acquired WHOA-TV in 1995, but Soundview soon sold it to Park Communications after concluding that additional improvements would require more capital. Media General acquired Park later in 1995 and inherited the Montgomery station. Media General subsequently sold WHOA-TV to Broadcast Media Group in 1999. The new owner, controlled by John Kendrick, discontinued the existing local-news department in May, dismissed nearly 20 employees, changed the call letters to WNCF in July, and relaunched local news in November. The news relaunch performed poorly against established Montgomery competitors. WNCF ended the operation in July 2003, leaving only limited news inserts. SagamoreHill Broadcasting purchased WNCF in 2004. The station then used the Independent News Network for weekday updates, a short late-evening program, and later additional evening programming. In 2011, Bahakel acquired WBMM and entered a shared-services agreement under which it supplied WNCF with sales, production, and technical services. The Harrison Road facility became the operating center for WNCF, WAKA, and WBMM. WNCF made a major transmission upgrade in September 2012, moving its effective transmission from 50 kilowatts to 720 kilowatts through facilities on WAKA's Gordonville tower. On February 2, 2013, WNCF and WAKA replaced the outsourced news arrangement with Alabama News Network, a combined local-news operation. The stations simulcast several weekday and weekend broadcasts while retaining some separate programming. WNCF's analog signal had already ended on April 20, 2009, during the nationwide digital transition, and its digital service moved from pre-transition channel 51 to channel 32. The station continues to operate as an ABC affiliate serving the Montgomery market.

• 2013

  Alabama News Network launches

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  WNCF and WAKA began a combined local-news operation, replacing WNCF's outsourced INN programming.

• 2012

  Transmission upgrade

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  WNCF increased effective power to 720 kilowatts from a facility on WAKA's Gordonville tower.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  WNCF ended analog transmission on April 20 as part of the United States digital television transition.

• 2004

  SagamoreHill Broadcasting acquisition

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  SagamoreHill Broadcasting acquired WNCF and became its current licensee-owner.

• 1999

  WNCF identity introduced

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  Broadcast Media Group acquired the station, changed its call letters from WHOA-TV to WNCF, and relaunched local news.

• 1992

  Chapter 11 reorganization

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  The station filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid financial pressure and programming-related liabilities.

• 1989

  Call sign changes to WHOA-TV

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted WHOA-TV ahead of the commissioning of a new Lowndes County tower.

• 1968

  Major power increase approved

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  The station received approval to increase power from 180,000 watts to more than 800,000 watts.

• 1964

  Return to air as WKAB-TV

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  Bahakel Communications acquired the station through bankruptcy proceedings and restored service as WKAB-TV.

• 1963

  Station goes silent

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  WCCB-TV suspended operations during the financial reorganization and bankruptcy of its original ownership group.

• 1962

  WCCB-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  The station launched on March 24 as WCCB-TV and brought full-time ABC programming to Montgomery.

• 1961

  Construction permit granted

  [1]WNCFen.wikipedia.org

  First Alabama Corporation received authorization to build a new UHF television station on channel 32 in Montgomery.

A local ABC broadcast outlet serving Montgomery and central Alabama, with its news, production, sales, and technical activities partly integrated with neighboring Bahakel-operated stations.

• Broadcast television channel · 1999

  ABC 32

  WNCF's primary on-air identity and ABC network outlet in the Montgomery market. It carries ABC's national schedule together with locally inserted advertising, public-service material, weather information, emergency communications, and station promotions.

• Local television news service · 2013

  Alabama News Network

  A combined local-news operation serving WNCF, WAKA, and related central Alabama audiences. The service replaced WNCF's outsourced Independent News Network broadcasts in 2013 and supports shared morning, late-evening, and weekend programming, alongside selected WNCF-specific newscasts.

• Television news program · 2005

  ABC 32 News 10 at Ten

  A short late-evening local news and weather program introduced through WNCF's relationship with the Independent News Network. The program formed part of the station's attempt to provide local news through an outsourced production model before the Alabama News Network operation began.

• 2013

  Launch of the Alabama News NetworkStrategy

  Background

  WNCF's outsourced news arrangement was replaced after Bahakel's shared-services relationship with WNCF and ownership of WBMM created a basis for a consolidated operation.

  Action taken

  WNCF and WAKA launched Alabama News Network on February 2, with shared morning, late-evening, and weekend broadcasts and additional WNCF-specific programming.

  Aftermath

  The stations' news and production activities became more integrated while WNCF retained its ABC identity.

  Source

• 2005

  WNCF outsources local news to the Independent News NetworkStrategy

  Background

  After ending its in-house newsroom, WNCF sought a lower-overhead way to provide local news and weather updates.

  Action taken

  WNCF partnered with the Davenport, Iowa-based Independent News Network for weekday updates, Good Morning America cut-ins, and a late-evening local program.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement was expanded in 2010 before being replaced by the jointly operated Alabama News Network in 2013.

  Source

• 1999

  Broadcast Media Group resets WNCF's news operationStrategy

  Background

  After acquiring the station, Broadcast Media Group sought to reposition channel 32 and address weak performance from its prior local-news service.

  Action taken

  The owner discontinued the existing news operation, dismissed nearly 20 staff members, changed the call letters to WNCF, and launched a new local-news service in November.

  Aftermath

  Ratings were poor, and the replacement newsroom was ultimately closed in 2003.

  Source

• 1984

  Bahakel chooses to acquire WAKA and sell channel 32M&A

  Background

  Bahakel Communications sought to acquire WAKA, whose upgraded Selma facilities were expected to provide stronger Montgomery-market coverage, while continuing to operate only one of the two stations.

  Action taken

  Bahakel announced the sale of WKAB-TV, which was later acquired by Terrapin Communications. The transaction included a restriction preventing WAKA from switching to ABC for three years.

  Aftermath

  WKAB-TV continued as an ABC outlet under new ownership, while Bahakel retained WAKA and later became connected to WNCF through shared services.

  Source

1. 1WNCFen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Alabama News Networkalabamanews.net