WDBB

WDBB
CityBessemer, Alabama
Channels
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
OperatorSinclair Broadcast Group
WABM, WBMA-LD
History
First air date
October 8, 1984
(39 years ago) (1984-10-08)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 17 (UHF, 1984–2009)
  • Digital: 18 (UHF, until 2020)
  • Independent (1984–1986, 1990–1991, 1996–1997)
  • Fox (1986–1990, 1991–1996)
  • The WB (1997–2006)
Call sign meaning
Original owner Dubose Broadcasting
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID71325
ERP675 kW
HAAT637 m (2,090 ft)
Transmitter coordinates33°28′48″N 87°25′50″W / 33.48000°N 87.43056°W / 33.48000; -87.43056 (WDBB)
Links
Public license information
Websitewtto21.com

WDBB (channel 17) is a television station licensed to Bessemer, Alabama, United States, serving Tuscaloosa and west Alabama as a satellite of Birmingham-based CW affiliate WTTO (channel 21, licensed to Homewood). It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, a partner company of the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns WTTO, MyNetworkTV affiliate WABM (channel 68), and regional ABC affiliate WBMA-LD (channel 58), which WDBB also rebroadcasts. Sinclair supplies all of WDBB's programming under a programming services agreement, a form of local marketing agreement. However, Sinclair effectively owns WDBB, as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The transmitter is located near Windham Springs, east of State Route 69.

WDBB was started a local independent station by Dubose Broadcasting in 1984; it soon expanded to cover Birmingham. In 1986, the station launched WNAL-TV (channel 44) in Gadsden, which together with WDBB provided regional coverage. WDBB-WNAL served as the Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate for the Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston–Gadsden markets from the network's launch in 1986 until 1990, when the affiliation went to WTTO; WDBB began simulcasting that station the next year due to financial difficulties. WDBB and WTTO lost Fox in 1996 due to a major regional shuffle of network affiliations, affiliating with The WB in 1997 and with The CW in 2006.

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WDBB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.