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Branding WETM 2 (general)
WETM 18 News Channels Digital: WETM-DT 18.2 (UHF/PSIP) Affiliations Independent (2006–present) Owner Nexstar Media Group
(Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.) First air date September 2004; 12 years ago (2004-09) | ||
WETM-DT2 is an Independent television station for the Central and Western Twin Tiers of Southern Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. It is a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WETM-TV that is owned by the Nexstar Media Group. Over-the-air, the station airs a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 18.2 from a transmitter on Hawley Hill in Big Flats. It can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 11 and in 720p high definition on digital channel 1245 (however, the HD feed is cable-only). Its parent outlet has studios on East Water Street in downtown Elmira. Syndicated programming on WETM-DT2 includes Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, Access Hollywood, and Extra among others.
History
WETM-DT2 has its roots in W30AA, a translator of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate WSKG-TV in Binghamton. That station closed down the translator in 2003 after concluding that the expenses required to operate W30AA were not justified by its limited viewership base. WSKG subsequently sold the W30AA license to Clear Channel Communications (then-owner of WETM), which brought it back on the air in September 2004 as low-powered UPN affiliate WTTX-LP (identified on-air as "UPN 30"). At that point, it began to be seen through a simulcast on WETM's second digital subchannel since its analog broadcasting radius was very limited.
With the September 2006 merger of UPN and The WB to form The CW, WTTX competed to become the area's affiliate. Ultimately, this went to cable-only WB 100+ station WBE, which was operated by rival ABC affiliate WENY-TV. WTTX was dealt another blow when WSKG launched full-time satellite WSKA on the channel 30 allotment, forcing Clear Channel to shut down the low-powered station. WTTX's programming was moved to WETM-DT2, which became an Independent outlet after The CW launched on September 18, 2006. WETM-DT2 won a New York State Broadcasters Association Award for its coverage of high school sports in 2006, 2008, and 2010. The station had shown local sports such as Elmira Jackals hockey as well as New York Yankees baseball.
The 2004 launch of WETM-DT2/WTTX-LP introduced the area's first prime time newscast at 10 PM, which is still seen for thirty minutes on weeknights. WETM 18 News at 10 currently competes with a ten-minute news and weather update airing on Fox affiliate WYDC (which is taped in advance). WETM-DT2 also simulcasts the entire weekday morning show, weekday news at noon, in addition to the weeknight newscasts at 5 and 6 from the main channel.