However, the proposed deal fell through at the last minute. He tried to buy WUHQ in 1991 and turn it into a satellite of WZZM, which would have created a strong combined signal with about 40% overlap. A local investor, Richard Appleton, formed Northstar Television in 1989 and bought WZZM. KKR sold the station to Price Communications in 1986. Wometco's stations were sold to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) in 1985. In 1978, West Michigan Telecasters sold WZZM to Wometco Enterprises of Miami. In the following years, WZZM became a formidable force in the Grand Rapids viewing community, gathering high ratings and a reputation as one of the top news programs in the West Michigan area. In August 1971, a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art studio was opened in Walker, with Congressman Gerald Ford presiding over the ceremony. The news program improved in 1971 with the addition of the first weather radar in the West Michigan area, upgraded in 1974 to a computerized color version. Live broadcasts included This Morning with Bud Lindeman, Shirley's Show and an evening news program, though the station's most notable show in many minds is The Bozo Show, which was broadcast for more than 30 years. WZZM certainly had humble beginnings its first broadcasts were from a banquet room-turned studio at the Pantlind Hotel (now the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel). Southwestern Michigan viewers had to rely on WSJV in Elkhart, Indiana, WXYZ-TV in Detroit, or WLS-TV in Chicago for ABC programming until WUHQ-TV (now WOTV) signed on from Battle Creek in 1971. As a result, WZZM's signal barely reached Kalamazoo and just missed Battle Creek. It had to build its transmitter about 40 miles farther north than the other West Michigan stations and conform its signal to protect WSPD-TV. 1970s-1980sĪs a result of the swap with WWTV in 1962, WZZM was now short-spaced to WSPD-TV in Toledo, Ohio (now WTVG). Sometime in late 1964, WZZM-TV opened a satellite station on Channel 12 in Kalamazoo. The station went off the air just twenty minutes later, due to transmitter tube failure, returning to the air ten minutes later. The station officially went on the air on Novemat 6:30 p.m. However, in mid-1962, John Fetzer, owner of WWTV in Cadillac, then on channel 13, persuaded the group to swap channel locations. Until then, persons living in counties beyond the access of its signal relied upon television stations in the South Bend/ Elkhart, Indiana or Lansingareas for the syndicated programs that WZZM offers.Ī local group known as West Michigan Telecasters received a construction permit for channel 9 in 1961. Since April 2009, however, WZZM has been available on most cable systems in Southwest Michigan, although WOTV is the ABC affiliate for that region. Its transmitter is about 40 miles (64 km) north of that of other regional channels, so its signal was unavailable in the two southern tiers of Michigan counties except in Kalamazoo until recently. WZZMĪlthough WZZM is the primary ABC affiliate in West Michigan, it primarily serves the northern portion of the Grand Rapids - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo media market. It's based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, broadcasting at 16.5 kilowatts of power from a 324 m (1,063 ft) tower located in Newaygo County, near Grant. ZZM channel 13 is the Western Michigan affiliate television station for the American Broadcasting Company.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |