Technical Profile: WFNA-DT

TV Technical Profile: WFNA

Channel:: 27
ATSC 3.0 Programming:: 5.1 - WKRG // CBS HD
55.1 - WFNA // CW HD
35.1 - WFGX // My Network TV HD
Transmitter Location:: [map] [street view] Northeast of Spanish Fort along US-31, near the intersection of Jenkins Pit Road. Co-located with WALA-DT.
Power (ERP):: 1 MW
Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT):: 1,660 feet
Antenna:: Directional
Other Information:: 41 dBu protected contour map, from the FCC. (FCCdata Link); [FCC]
[FCCdata]
[RabbitEars]; [Wikipedia]
[Facebook]
Owned by Gray Television Licensee; mDTV - future launch scheduled
History:: Came on the air September 1st 2001 as WB 55. Originally to have the WGMP call sign (for Gulf shores, Mobile, Pensacola), it changed to a less Gumpesque WBPG (For the WB network and PeGasus communications). Although licensed to Gulf Shores, it is a Mobile/Pensacola station. The transmitter is located east of Loxley on one of the two new tall towers erected for DTV in the area. This station was acquired by Emmis from Pegasus in early 2003. Emmis sold its stations to LIN TV in 2006, making it a sister station to WALA-TV.; The station switched to the CW Network in September 2006. Digital channel 25 was reported on the air with low power, and went full power when WXXV Gulfport, on analog 25, signed off. The station was late to the DTV party and didn't get a channel assignment in the first rounds of channel assignments. WBPG was reported on WALA-DT's 10.2 subchannel for a while. As of February 20^th 2009 the station is reported to be broadcasting from RF channel 25 already.; In October 2009 the station changed calls to WFNA, for the two states the station serves, Florida aNd Alabama.; The station picked up the new urban-oriented Bounce TV subchannel in September 2011, a day before the scheduled launch. In September 2012 the station rebranded as "CW 55" after years of using the calls sign as its main marketing logo. In December 2012, WFNA's ownership was transferred to Media General as part of a merger between that company and LIN TV. As part of the merger, WALA-TV in Mobile was sold off and WFNA became the sister station to WKRG. The station added a third subchannel, carrying the Justice Network, in late March of 2016. The station added Grit TV to the -.4 subchannel in October 2017, despite it already being carried on the market's WJTC on 44.2.

The station received a permit in July 2017 to relocate from RF channel 27 to channel 25 as part of the FCC repacking process. It moved to that new channel on 6 September 2019. The station announced in the summer of 2020 the need to re-scan for over-the-air viewers, first a date in August, then 22 September 2020, then due to Hurricane Sally, it was pushed back again to 21 October 2020. On that date, the station's channel lineup moved to WKRG's lineup, and this station began broadcasting a matrix of signals in the ATSC 3.0 format.