The network will be carried on WDAM’s 7.2 subchannel beginning next Monday, making it ABC’s 242nd affiliate. The station will produce local news as a lead-in to ABC’s Good Morning America, World News and Nightline.
DMA 167
Raycom Adds ABC Affil In Hattiesburg
The ABC Television Network and Raycom Media signed an affiliation agreement to broadcast the full ABC Television Network programming schedule in the Hattiesburg, Miss. (DMA 167), over Raycom’s NBC affiliate WDAM’s 7.2 subchannel. The announcement was made by Paul McTear, president and CEO of Raycom Media, Inc., and John Rouse, senior vice president, Affiliate Relations, ABC Television Network.
As part of the new affiliation, WDAM 7.2 will broadcast local news coverage for the market three times a day leading into ABC’s Good Morning America, World News and Nightline. The channel is targeted to launch Monday, June 11.
“We look forward to better serving the viewers and communities in the Hattiesburg DMA by providing them a local outlet for ABC programming,” said Raycom CEO Paul McTear. “WDAM 7.2 will combine ABC’s powerhouse entertainment and national news programming with our award-winning local news coverage.” McTear went on to say, “This new affiliation will allow us to add additional local news and greater opportunities to have more local content for the Hattiesburg and Laurel viewers.”
Comments (1)
Hope Yen and Charles Babington says:
June 8, 2012 at 2:49 pm
I was a 22-year old kid, partway thru majoring in electrical engineering when I got stationed in Mississippi in the USAF. It was 1962, and my first purchase was a TV set, 50′ mast and a rotor. I remember seeing WDAM (NBC) Channel 7 in Hattiesburg and WTOK (CBS), Channel 11 in nearby Meridian. Tiny – at the time – newcomer WLOX (ABC) Biloxi barely reached out 30 miles with its little 200 foot tower. Even back then I asked why Robert Wright in Meridian or the fellow that owned WDAM didn’t jointly combine their markets and build a tall tower to serve both cities. That is what had happened year before when Frank Spain built his tower for Channel 9 in Tupelo. Eventually Bernie Imes built one for his CBS station in Columbus, WCBI-TV. It was known as Columbus-Tupelo. Hattiesburg and Meridian. Still separate markets, Meridian still struggling. Some things never change.