WCMN-LD

WCMN-LD

ATSC 3.0 station
St. Cloud–Sartell, Minnesota United States
Channels	Digital: 14 (UHF) Virtual: 13
Programming
Affiliations	Religious Independent
Ownership
Owner	Starcom, LLC
History
Founded	August 28, 1989
First air date	June 9, 1992 (32 years ago) (1992-06-09)
Former call signs	K13VS (1989–1996) WCMN-LP (1996–2022)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 13 (VHF, 1992–2022)
Former affiliations	Silent (2021–2022)
Call sign meaning	Central Minnesota
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	62341
Class	LD
ERP	15 kW
HAAT	95.1 m (312 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	45°32′35″N 94°15′42″W
Links
Public license information	LMS

WCMN-LD (channel 13) is a low-power television station licensed to both St. Cloud and Sartell, Minnesota, United States, which primarily broadcasts religious programming. Owned by StarCom, LLC, the station maintains a transmitter on Julep Road (off State Highway 23) in Waite Park, Minnesota.

History

Channel 13 began as K13VS in 1992; it was affiliated with the Main Street TV network and was the first new TV venture in St. Cloud since KXLI channel 41 started in 1982.^[2] While it also aired several local shows, it was hindered by a lack of visibility on cable systems.^[3] By 1994, the station was purchasing time on a local cable channel to make its weekday evening shows, including a local newscast available to cable homes.^[4]

StarCom sold three radio stations to Regent Broadcasting in 2000 so it could purchase and develop channel 13, which had become WCMN-LP in 1996.^[5] It returned to the air on August 20, 2001, airing All News Channel with local inserts.^[6] When ANC folded in 2002, the station switched to America One and then The Sportsman Channel.^[7]

On January 4, 2022, the station filed a license to cover application for digital facilities,^[8] stating that it is broadcasting in the ATSC 3.0 format, making it the first such station in Minnesota. It had operated in analog on VHF channel 13 until the FCC-mandated shutdown of analog LPTV stations on July 13, 2021, and did not construct an ATSC 1.0 facility.^[9] The station was licensed for digital operation effective September 21, 2022, changing its call sign to WCMN-LD.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WCMN-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. Banks, David (July 16, 1992). "St. Cloud gets new TV station: K13VS beams shopping shows, joins network". St. Cloud Times. p. 1A, 10A. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Hotakainen, Jerry (September 6, 1992). "Local TV show fishes for viewers: Program aimed at attracting sportsmen". St. Cloud Times. p. 10D. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Fox, Jeff (September 2, 1994). "Local TV station to air on TCI". St. Cloud Times. p. 3A. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Merger clears way for local TV". St. Cloud Times. June 22, 2000. p. 1A. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Halena, Sue (August 19, 2001). "St. Cloud TV station goes on air Monday". St. Cloud Times. p. 1A. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Ellis, Jon (September 2003). "Broadcasting News". Northpine.com.
8. "License To Cover for LPTV Station Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
9. Ellis, Jon (January 7, 2022). "Minnesota's First NextGen TV Station Signs On". Northpine.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.