WNTZ

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WNTZ
city =
station_
station_slogan = The New View of CenLa
station_branding = Fox 48
analog = 48 (UHF)
digital = 49 (UHF)
other_chs = K47DW Alexandria LA
K61GO Hicks LA
K51FO (ch. 52) Leesville LA
K67GL Bunkie LA
affiliations = Fox
MyNetworkTV (secondary)
network =
founded =
airdate = November 16, 1985
location = Natchez, Mississippi/Alexandria, Louisiana
callsign_meaning = NaTcheZ
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Communications Corporation of America
licensee = Comcorp of Alexandria License Corporation
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = independent (1985)
silent (1985-1991)
effective_radiated_power = 2820 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 316 m (analog)
313 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 16539
coordinates = coord|31|40|4|N|91|41|25.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.fox48tv.com/ www.fox48tv.com]

WNTZ is the Fox affiliate for the Alexandria, Louisiana Designated Market Area. It is licensed to Natchez, Mississippi, which is part of the Jackson, Mississippi television market. The station also has a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV.

It broadcasts an analog signal on channel 48, and a digital signal on channel 49. The station is owned by Communications Corporation of America. Its transmitter is located in Frogmore, Louisiana, and its master control is co-located with sister station KADN's operations in Lafayette.

Unique Station Characteristics

WNTZ is a network of one main transmitter and three translator transmitters that serves residents in three television markets -- Alexandria (the market that gets rated by Nielsen); the southernmost portion of the Monroe, Louisiana/El Dorado, Arkansas market (where the station's main transmitter tower is located); and the westernmost portion of the Jackson (the location of Natchez, the station's city of license).

WNTZ occupies rented office space from former owners of the station in two locations. Administrative, sales and marketing offices are located in Alexandria, rented from its second owner, Delta Media Corporation. A satellite office in Natchez is rented (per FCC license) from the station's first owner, the Perkins family.

First incarnation of WNTZ

WNTZ was granted its license on January 31, 1985, to the Perkins family of Natchez, Mississippi. Today, the Perkins family owns and operates radio stations in the Natchez area. This would be their first and only foray into television.

WNTZ began as an independent station, airing local programming exclusively to the Natchez area. This included a fully-staffed newscast.

However, the fortunes of WNTZ quickly eroded and it was placed in bankruptcy for the first time. Due to the bankruptcy, the station went off the air for a number of years, until the license for the station was sold in 1991 to Delta Media Corporation.

WNTZ gets Fox affiliation

Under Delta Media ownership, the goal was to give the Alexandria, Louisiana DMA a Fox network affiliation. However, a few challenges were ahead.

The license and transmitter tower for WNTZ was in Natchez, Mississippi. This concerned Fox because they did not want to grant a second affiliation in the Jackson, Mississippi DMA. In order to alleviate the problem, the original transmitter was sold and moved to future WNTZ owner Communications Corporation of America to sign on WGMB in Baton Rouge. Then, a new transmitter tower site was constructed in the small farming community of Frogmore, in neighboring Concordia Parish, Louisiana. The license remained in Natchez, even though its tower site was moved across to the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River. Fox then in turn granted WNTZ the Fox affiliation for the Alexandria market.

K47DW

K47DW signed on in the late 1980s relaying the programming of Delta Media's flagship station, Fox affiliate KADN in Lafayette, for the Alexandria market. Shortly after signing on, K47DW began airing commercials and identification separately from KADN, becoming "Fox 47". In 1991, when Delta Media purchased the license, moved the transmitter site, and signed on WNTZ for the second time, the Fox affiliation moved to channel 48. K47DW then became an affiliate of the Channel America network until 1995, when it began simulcasting WNTZ to fill in an area where channel 48's signal is weak.

Repeater stations

WNTZ serves as a full-power station licensed to Natchez, Mississippi, located 65 miles east of Alexandria - and thus, uses translators to alleviate weak spots in coverage in the western part of the Alexandria market.

*K47DW channel 47 in Alexandria, Louisiana
*K61GO channel 61 in Hicks, Louisiana¹
*K51FO channel 52 in Leesville, Louisiana²
*K67GL channel 67 in Bunkie, Louisiana

¹ -- "An application has been filed for a separate "-LD" digital repeater on channel 42."
² -- "While the calls mention "51", it actually broadcasts on channel 52, per FCC license."

Under new ownership

Delta Media sold its television properties in Lafayette and Alexandria in late 1996. In 1997, WNTZ was sold to White Knight Broadcasting, the company of parent Communications Corporation of America (whom also purchased KADN from Delta Media). Under White Knight, WNTZ saw many of its biggest changes, most notably in the mid-2000s.

WNTZ, under Fox affiliation, struggled for a number of years to catch hold to viewers in the Alexandria market, mostly due to longtime Alexandria television stations KALB and KLAX. That changed in 2003, with the popularity of Fox programming and aggressive marketing tactics.

"Cenla Idol"

From 2003-2006, WNTZ gained local notoriety with the "Cenla Idol" series of annual singing competitions, based of the Fox television show "American Idol". Two Louisiana contestants from the "Cenla Idol" competition made past the initial audition rounds to advance to the Hollywood rounds.

Pineville native Dezmond Meeks, a runner-up in the local competition in 2003, auditioned in Orlando for season four of "American Idol". In one of the show's more memorable auditions from season four, Dezmond auditioned to James Brown's "I Got You", where judge Paula Abdul said to fellow judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, "I quit!", if Dezmond did not advance to Hollywood. Dezmond stands there awaiting an answer and after about a minute of debating, Randy Jackson folded and he made it past the audition. Simon Cowell's answer stayed a 'NO'. Dezmond was eliminated during the Hollywood rounds before the cut to the Top 45 after a sub-par trio audition with season four finalist Constantine Maroulis. Dezmond comprised a total of 4 contestants who were either born or lived in the Alexandria market who made it to the Hollywood round of "American Idol", the most from any market in the U.S. for season four.

Shreveport native Jenny Snider, who won the local "Cenla Idol" competition in 2006, made it past the judges in the Memphis audition for season six of "American Idol" to go to Hollywood and was lightly featured on the show. Her Hollywood auditions were also cut short after two rounds.

The local marketing success of "American Idol" boosted WNTZ's reputation, and in turn, ratings for the show.

Other successes

Also, aggressive sports programming by Fox has also contributed to moderate success for WNTZ. In May 2006, WNTZ ranked #1 in adult vievers 18-49 during common prime time programming (7:00-9:00 p.m. Central Time) for the first time in the station's history, beating longtime rival KALB.

Second bankruptcy

Even though the television ratings improved for WNTZ, the station faced financial difficulty. In June 2006, owner White Knight Broadcasting filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In a press release from the company, viewers and staff would "see no changes at the station". White Knight emerged from bankruptcy in October 2007. During the bankruptcy proceedings, owners of White Knight requested to merge many of the stations it owned, including WNTZ, into the fold of its parent company, Communications Corporation of America. The license change was granted by the FCC, and WNTZ was changed over to ComCorp of Alexandria License Corporation.

Secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV

On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN networks announced they would merge into a new singular network, The CW. In turn, Fox owner News Corporation announced the creation of MyNetworkTV for those stations left out in the cold due to The CW merger.

WNTZ became MyNetworkTV's home under a secondary affiliation agreement. WNTZ launched MyNetworkTV on September 4, 2006. The network airs on a time-delay basis, airing programming immediately after Fox prime time programming from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, and Saturday programming airs on Sunday from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.

KBCA, which held The WB affiliation a mere six months prior to the announced CW merger, was announced as the Alexandria affiliate of The CW, which commenced operations on September 18, 2006. Former UPN station KWCE-LP (channel 36 at the time), became an affiliate of Retro Television Network, and moved to channel 27 on the television dial.

"Fox News Louisiana AM"

WNTZ has not produced a newscast since its early days as an independent station. In order to compete with newscasts from KALB and KLAX, on August 20, 2007, WNTZ debuted "Fox News Louisiana AM" in Alexandria. The morning news show is produced by sister station WGMB in Baton Rouge. The show, a fast-paced two-hour program airing from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., goes head-to-head with national morning shows including NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America". Rachel Slavik and Lauren Unger host "Fox News Louisiana AM", while meteorologist Jesse Gunkel presents weather segments eight times an hour. Even though "Fox News Louisiana AM" is more localized, content from the Alexandria area rarely gets on the air.

Logo history

External links

* [http://www.fox48tv.com/ WNTZ's Homepage]
*TVQ|WNTZ
**TVQ|K47DW
**TVQ|K61GO
**TVQ|K51FO
**TVQ|K67GL
*BIA|WNTZ|TV|TV