On Red Mtn. 4th
tower down from Vulcan, if you're looking from Birmingham. It's the red-white
striped one.
Power (ERP):
5 MW.
Height Above Average
Terrain (HAAT):
1,381 feet.
Antenna:
Omnidirectional
Other Information:
Stereo
Station History:
WIAT came on the air
on October 17, 1965 as WBMG (BirMinGham). Prior to that time, the programming
from the three major networks was cherry-picked by the only two commercial
stations in the market, WBRC-6 and WAPI-13 (Now WVTM). The area lacked
a CBS affiliate, which is what this station became when it went on the
air.
WBMG always struggled
as a UHF battling two VHF competitors. The situation came to a head in
1997 when the new owners acknowledged a 1% share of the market audience
during their newscasts. It ranked dead last, even behind reruns! So, it
was time to stop and start over with a new staff and a new image. For about
a one month period, the station stopped airing local news. During those
time periods (5 and 10 pm) the station ran a clock. Yes, a clock. Once
a new staff was assembled, the calls changed to WIAT and local news resumed.
The calls coincide with the station's new slogan (It's About Time).
Up until last year,
the calls have always been WBMG.