WMGM-TV

WMGM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Jersey that is licensed to Wildwood. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter along CR 601 in Swainton east of the Garden State Parkway. The station can also be seen onComcast channel 4 and in high definition on digital channel 791. Owned by Access.1 Communications, WMGM has studios on New Road (U.S. 9) in Linwood. Syndicated programming on the channel includes: Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Judge Joe Brown and Judge Judy.

Overview
Officially, WMGM is considered a Philadelphia market station. For other network programming besides NBC, channels from that city cover the area. This station's affiliation creates a rare situation where there are two affiliates of the same network in the same area (with NBC O&OWCAU being the other) which means cable systems must carry both stations. WMGM is the only NBC affiliate based in the state althoughWNBC in New York City covers Northern New Jersey and WCAU in Philadelphia covers Southern New Jersey.

Digital programming
WMGM-TV can also be seen on analog translator WMGM-LP channel 7 that is licensed to Atlantic City with a transmitter in Pleasantvilleadjacent to the Atlantic City Expressway toll plaza.

History
The station began broadcasting on January 25, 1966 known as WCMC-TV (meaning Cape May County). It was owned by Jersey Cape Broadcasting along with radio stations WCMC-AM-FM. During the early years, even when NBC went to all time color programming (provided off KYW-TV's own feed), the station still broadcast local programming in black and white. WCMC-TV was sold to South Jersey Radio in 1981 and changed its call letters to WAAT and then the current WMGM-TV in 1984 to coincide with the co-owned FM radio station and in turn, established their own NBC affiliate feed. Upon the death of owner Howard Green in 2002, the stations were eventually sold to Access.1 Communications. On May 3, 2006, WMGM-LP in Pleasantville fell silent when a fire struck the building its transmitter was located in. The building also housed the transmitters for Atlantic City's WMGM-FM as well as Pleasantville's WOND-AM and WTKU-FM.

While WMGM-FM began broadcasting from WPUR-FM's auxiliary facilities atop the Trump Taj Mahal casino, the AM stations and WMGM-LP remained dark, leaving many Atlantic City residents without clear analog reception of NBC programs. However, the on-air signals were eventually brought back. For several years, people on the New Jersey side of the Philadelphia market could watch the entire NBC schedule on this channel, as KYW-TV (now a CBS O&O) pre-empted many of NBC's daytime programs as well as other shows. However, WMGM is one of the few affiliates not to carry the Sunday edition of Today.

Coverage area
WMGM's digital over-the-air signal is viewable in the three-county area it serves. The signal does penetrate parts of southern Ocean County, southern Burlington County, eastern Camden and Gloucester counties and coastal Delaware, even though the station has no cable carriage in these areas. On cable in Southern New Jersey, it serves Cape May, Atlantic,Cumberland, and Salem Counties. In addition, WMGM is also on cable in Vineland and Turnersville which covers parts of Eastern Camden and Gloucester Counties such as Winslow Township and the Williamstown/Monroe Township area. This is the only location where WMGM is carried out of its designated area. However, it is only viewable on Comcast digital channel 247. DirecTV and Dish Network provide WMGM to Philadelphia market area viewers on channel 40. As a result of the expanded carriage of its signal in the entire Philadelphia DMA, it is carried in Mercer County alongside with the market's NBC affiliate from WCAU instead of New York City's WNBC. That station is carried on cable for Verizon FiOS, Comcast, and Cablevision subscribers in all of Mercer County. WMGM's terrestrial signal under tropospheric-like dxing conditions can be picked up in that county but it is not offered on cable.

Newscasts and local programming
 An entertainment program called Curtain Call with David Spatz, winner of a 2007 Emmy Award for outstanding interview/discussion series, airs Saturday nights at 6 featuring interviews with world-class artists performing in Atlantic City. There are three public affairs shows that air on this channel: WMGM Presents Pinky (Saturday nights at 7:30), Forum 40 (Sunday mornings at 9:30), and Health Today (Saturdays at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 11). Prior to 2011, the station did not air local news weekday mornings (offering religious programming from 5 to 6 a.m. and a simulcast of the Don Williams radio talk show from WOND from 6 to 7 a.m.). However, on March 28, 2011, WMGM began airingToday in South Jersey, a one hour local morning newscast, which airs at 6 a.m. weekdays.

Newscast titles

 * NewsCenter 40 (1985-1999)
 * NewsChannel 40 NBC (1999-2010)
 * NBC 40 News (2010-present)

Station slogans

 * "We're TV-40, Just Watch Us Now" (1982-1983; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "Come Home To The Best, Only on TV-40" (1988-1989; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "TV-40's the One for All" (1990-1997, used with Frank Gari's "The One for All")
 * "South Jersey's News Source" (1993-1999)
 * "The South Jersey News Channel" (1999-2009, still used as secondary)
 * "Where Local Comes First" (2009-2010)
 * "Clear. Accurate. Reliable." (2010-present)

Current on-air staff
Anchors


 * Nichelle Polston - weekday mornings at 6 a.m.; also reporter
 * Jennifer Husko - weeknights at 5 p.m.; reporter; also heard on WOND-AM
 * Michelle Dawn Mooney - weeknights at 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.
 * Jeff Whitaker - weekends at 11 p.m.; also heard on WOND-AM

Weather team


 * Dan Skeldon - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
 * Rick Deluca - meteorologist; weekday mornings at 6 a.m.
 * Nick Pittman - meteorologist; weekends at 11 p.m.

Sports team


 * Pete Thompson - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
 * Mike Frankel - sports anchor; weekends at 11 p.m.

Reporters


 * Dan Carrigan - photographer
 * Shane Irwin - photographer
 * Phaedra Laird - photographer
 * Josh Sims - photographer

Former on-air staff

 * Hope Arvanitis
 * Theresa Berry
 * Cleve Bryan (now at WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC)
 * Joe Capasso
 * Christopher Dean
 * Mike Dirmann
 * Veronica Dudo
 * Mike Frankel
 * Frank Holland
 * Benjamin Nandy
 * Matt Powell
 * Colin Riccobon
 * Ben Stein
 * Dan Skalski
 * Kathryn Sotnik (now at WPRI-TV in Providence, RI)
 * Eryka Washington (now at WESH in Orlando)
 * Nicky Vallee
 * Dominique Verdieu
 * Eric Yutzy