WMDN
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Meridian, Mississippi United States |
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| Branding | CBS 24 |
| Slogan | Your Sports and Entertainment Leader |
| Channels |
Digital: 24 (UHF) Virtual: 24 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 24.1 CBS 24.2 Bounce TV 24.3 Cozi TV |
| Owner | Meridian Media (WMDN-TV, LLC) |
| First air date | June 10, 1968 (original incarnation) March 23, 1972 (second incarnation) February 2, 1994 (third incarnation) |
| Call letters' meaning | MeriDiaN |
| Sister station(s) | WGBC, WHPM-LD |
| Former callsigns | WHTV (1968–1970, 1972–1986) WTZH (1986–1991) |
| Former channel number(s) |
Analog: 24 (UHF, 1968–1972, 1980–1991, 1994–2009) Digital: 26 (UHF, until 2009) |
| Former affiliations |
Primary: NBC (1972–1980, as satellite of WTVA) Dark (1991–1994) Secondary: ABC (1968–1970, 1972–1980) Fox (1994–1997, NFL only) |
| Transmitter power | 616 kW |
| Height | 182.1 m |
| Facility ID | 73255 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 32°19′40″N 88°41′31.3″W / 32.32778°N 88.692028°W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
| Website | http://www.wgbctv.com |
WMDN is the CBS-affiliated television station for Meridian, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter at its studios on Crestview Circle south of downtown. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 5 and in high definition on digital channel 433. Owned by Meridian Media, WMDN is sister to NBC/Fox affiliate WGBC and the two share studios. Together, WMDN and WGBC have become known as The Meridian Family of Stations. Syndicated programming on WMDN includes: The Doctors, Dr. Phil Show, Hot in Cleveland, and Big Bang Theory.
The station started operations on channel 24 on June 10, 1968 under the call sign WHTV. It was originally owned by local businessmen Weyman Walker and James Britton. WHTV aired programs from CBS and ABC in a secondary manner. Unfortunately, like many UHF start-ups in a previously VHF market, this channel could not gain a significant foothold in ratings or local advertising and had to go dark on October 13, 1970.
On March 23, 1972, Frank K. Spain bought WHTV and made it a full-time satellite of WTWV (now WTVA) in Tupelo which was affiliated with NBC with some ABC programs such as college football carried at other times. Television guides during this time instructed viewers to consult WTWV's listings for WHTV's program schedule. This changed in 1980 when Spain opted to convert WHTV into a stand-alone station, making it the primary CBS affiliate for Meridian after WTOK changed its affiliation to ABC; NBC, then the lowest-rated network, was not seen for about two years by residents of the area, except those who could receive, either over-the-air or by cable, either Jackson's WLBT or Hattiesburg's WDAM. In 1982, NBC returned to the market on WLBM (now WGBC) as a semi-satellite of WLBT. Meanwhile, in 1986, WHTV changed call letters to WTZH.
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