WMTV
| |
|---|---|
| Channels | |
| Branding |
|
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | July 19, 1953 |
Former channel number(s) |
|
Call sign meaning | "Watch Madison Television" |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 6870 |
| ERP | 155 kW |
| HAAT | 414.8 m (1,361 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 43°3′3″N 89°29′13″W / 43.05083°N 89.48694°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
WMTV (channel 15) is a television station in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW. The station is owned by Gray Media and maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Forward Drive in the Greentree neighborhood on Madison's southwest side.
WMTV was the second television station to air in Madison, beginning in July 1953 just days after WKOW, and has been its NBC affiliate since signing on the air. Founded by a company controlled by the Bartell Group, it was sold to the Wisconsin Valley Television Company (later Forward Communications Corporation) in 1963. WMTV was successful and competitive in local news ratings under Forward in spite of the economic disadvantages inherent in being an ultra high frequency (UHF) station. However, after Forward was sold to a private equity firm in the 1980s, the station experienced a ratings slump. After a succession of owners in the late 1980s and 1990s, Gray acquired WMTV in 2002. The CW affiliation moved to this station in 2017 from previous affiliate WBUW.