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| Semi-satellite ofWJTV, Jackson, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
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| City | Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
| Channels | |
| Branding | WHLT 22 |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| WJTV,WIAT,WKRG-TV | |
| History | |
First air date | January 12, 1987 (38 years ago) (1987-01-12) |
Former call signs | WLHT (CP, 1981–1987) |
Former channel numbers |
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Call sign meaning | Hattiesburg–Laurel Television |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 48668 |
| ERP | 1,000kW |
| HAAT | 243 m (797 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 31°24′19.4″N89°14′14.8″W / 31.405389°N 89.237444°W /31.405389; -89.237444 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | |
WHLT (channel 22) is atelevision station inHattiesburg, Mississippi, United States, affiliated withCBS and owned byNexstar Media Group. Its second subchannel serves as anowned-and-operated station ofThe CW (viaThe CW Plus) as Nexstar owns a majority stake in the network. WHLT has studios onUS 49 in Hattiesburg; its transmitter is located in unincorporated northeasternForrest County.
Although identifying as a separate station in its own right, WHLT is considered asemi-satellite ofsister stationWJTV (channel 12) inJackson. As such, it clears all network programming as provided through its parent andsimulcasts most of WJTV's newscasts, but airs a separate offering ofsyndicated programming; there are also separatestation identifications and local commercial inserts. WHLT'smaster control, as well as some internal operations, are housed at WJTV's studios on TV Road in southwest Jackson.
In the early 1980s, there was a need for a CBS affiliate in the Pine Belt region, as the four closest CBS affiliates to Hattiesburg, WJTV,WWL-TV inNew Orleans,WHTV inMeridian, Mississippi, andWKRG inMobile, all had signals that failed to provide at least a Grade B signal to the city proper.[2] The FCC had an allocation for channel 18 in Laurel and channel 22 in Hattiesburg, with WHTV's owner,Frank K. Spain via his company Central Television, sought the license for Hattiesburg's channel 22 slot, and Capital Television, owner of WJTV, sought Laurel's channel 18. In 1982, the FCC awarded the license to Capital Television, as CBS agreed to an affiliation for the new channel. Delays occurred as Central Television appealed the FCC's licensing decision, and WJTV was sold toNews-Press & Gazette Company one year later. By 1985, NPG agreed to purchase Spain's license for Hattiesburg's channel 22 with Spain taking a consulting fee by agreeing to help sign on the station, as NPG had, at that time, never built a new TV station.[3][4]
WHLT began broadcasting on January 12, 1987, bringing CBS programming to the Pine Belt for the first time, as well as giving News Press & Gazette the opportunity to take advantage of local advertising and news opportunities in the Pine Belt region.[5] It also allowed the Jackson-based station's signal coverage area to be expanded in Southeastern Mississippi. Prior to its sign on, Hattiesburg's cable provider, UA-Columbia Cablevision, carried WJTV on its lineup, but due to marginal picture quality, the cable company switched to WKRG on September 5, 1986, after that station added a new relay, right as plans for WHLT were finalized.[6] In 1993, News-Press & Gazette sold several of its outlets (including WHLT and WJTV) to the first incarnation ofNew Vision Television.
In turn, the company sold its entire station group to Ellis Communications in 1995. Ellis was subsequently merged intoRaycom Media in 1996 after it was bought out by a media group led by theRetirement Systems of Alabama (who boughtAFLAC's broadcasting group a few months earlier). In 1997, Media General acquired WHLT and WJTV (as well asSavannah, Georgia'sWSAV-TV) from Raycom in a swap forRichmond, Virginia'sWTVR-TV.
The trade was made in part due to Raycom's acquisition of rivalWDAM-TV inLaurel andFederal Communications Commission (FCC) rules of the time did not permitduopolies. On April 16, 2009, WHLT "flash-cut" its signal after discontinuing analog broadcasts and begandigital-only transmission. It originally applied to flash-cut earlier on February 17 but the FCC denied the station's request.
As part of a long-term affiliation renewal withThe CW, Media General announced on December 23, 2014, that WHLT would add the network to their digital subchannel.[7] This displaced The CW's previous home on WHPM-LD2.Comcast offers WHLT-DT2 in high definition on channel 1024 for Hattiesburg viewers. By spring 2017, the over-the-air feed for WHLT-DT2 was upgraded into720p to allow for16:9 high definition viewing for non-cable or satellite subscribers.[8]
On January 27, 2016,Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced its acquisition of Media General; the deal was completed on January 17, 2017.
In February 1987, the station launched its fledgling two-person news operation, covering a major local news story, a deadlytornado in neighboringJones County. That small beginning led to personnel growth and the production of half-hour newscasts airing weekdays at 6 and 10 p.m. This evolution grew out of the station's early practice of gathering local news stories and feeding them to sister station WJTV daily (via the back haul of a terrestrial microwave link) for inclusion in one block of WJTV's 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.
WHLT (in 1998) relaunched a full news department with shows known as22 Daily News, with the same branding and slogan ("It's About Time") as the product at sister stationWIAT inBirmingham, Alabama. Despite attaining decent ratings and winning numerous awards, it was unable to attract local advertising through consistent viewership. As a result, its newscasts were canceled after just two years.
As a semi-satellite of WJTV, WHLT simulcasts its parent outlet's weekday morning show.
In October 2013, WHLT began offering a 30-minute local newscast which airs weeknights at 10 p.m. This program features full local news coverage of the Hattiesburg–Laurel market, anchored by Melanie Christopher, Byron Brown, and chief meteorologist Ken South. Content for the local newscast is collected by three local Hattiesburg journalists on the WHLT 22 team and is supplemented by news content from WJTV, with WHLT content shared among WJTV and its sister stations throughout the state and border regions when required. During the second block, there is a localweather segment (branded as "Storm Team 22") focusing on the Pine Belt viewing area.
The station's signal ismultiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WHLT-HD | CBS |
| 22.2 | 720p | CW+ | The CW Plus | |
| 22.3 | 480i | 16:9 | ION | Ion Television |
| 22.4 | ESCAPE | Ion Mystery |
Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state ofMississippi | ||
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Includes stations in out-of-state TV markets, but reaching a portion of Mississippi | ||
| ABC | ||
| CBS | ||
| Fox | ||
| NBC | ||
| The CW | ||
| MyNetworkTV | ||
| Ion Television | ||
| PBS | ||
| Religious | ||
| Other | ||
| ABC | .svg){kind=logo} | |
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| CBS | ||
| The CW |
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| Fox | ||
| MyNetworkTV | ||
| NBC | ||
| Other stations | ||
| TV network |
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| Other assets |
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| Acquisitions | ||
** Owned by third parties but operated by Nexstar through various agreements. | ||
