Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 7, 2026

WTBL-CD

WTBL-CD was a Class A television station in Lenoir, North Carolina, United States. It was primarily programmed as an independent station with some shows from FamilyNet. WTBL-CD was last owned by OTA Broadcasting, a company controlled by Michael Dell's MSD Capital. On cable, the station was carried on channel 13 in the Lenoir area. WLNN-CD in Boone provided its newscasts and other local programming for the station, and broadcast full-time on WTBL-CD's second digital subchannel.

Last revised
Jun 7, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
291 w
Citations
4
Source
Wikipedia ↗
WTBL-CD
Channels
BrandingWTBL Community Television
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
W21CK-D
History
First air date
1989 (1989)
Last air date
October 25, 2017 (2017-10-25)
Former call signs
  • W53AO (1988–1995)
  • WTBL-LP (1995–2012)
Former channel numbers
Analog: 53 (UHF, 1989–2001), 49 (UHF, 2001–2012)
Technical information
54983
ClassCD
ERP7 kW
HAAT329 m (1,079 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°54′25″N 81°29′22.98″W / 35.90694°N 81.4897167°W / 35.90694; -81.4897167

WTBL-CD (channel 49) was a Class A television station in Lenoir, North Carolina, United States. It was primarily programmed as an independent station with some shows from FamilyNet. WTBL-CD was last owned by OTA Broadcasting, a company controlled by Michael Dell's MSD Capital. On cable, the station was carried on channel 13 in the Lenoir area. WLNN-CD in Boone provided its newscasts and other local programming for the station, and broadcast full-time on WTBL-CD's second digital subchannel.

History

WTBL-CD started as W53AO, on channel 53. The station was mentioned in the April 1994 edition of Popular Communications magazine, in which it made mention of the station's attempt to be carried on the local cable television system.1

On April 13, 2017, the FCC identified WTBL-CD would be compensated $8.2 million to go off-the-air as part of the spectrum auction.2 WTBL-CD ceased operations October 25, 2017;3 its license was surrendered on October 30.4

Subchannels

The station's signal was multiplexed:

Subchannels of WTBL-CD
Channel Res. Short name Programming
49.1 480i TBLTV Main WTBL-CD programming (4:3)
49.2 Simulcast of WLNN-CD (4:3)
References

References

  1. Popular Communications, April 1994; retrieved February 5, 2019.
  2. "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. p. 1. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  3. "Suspension of Operations of a Digital Class A Station Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  4. "Cancellation Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 31, 2017.