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WPBN-TV / WTOM-TV
WPBN: Traverse City / Cadillac, Michigan WTOM: Cheboygan / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Branding	TV 7&4 7&4 News
Slogan	Coverage You Can Count On
Channels	Analog: WPBN: 7 (VHF) WTOM: 4 (VHF) Digital: WPBN: 50 (UHF) WTOM: 35 (UHF)
Affiliations	NBC WPBN & WTOM-DT2: RTN WPBN-DT3: NBC WX+
Owner	Barrington Broadcasting (Barrington Traverse City License, LLC)
Founded	WPBN: February 6, 1954 WTOM: January 4, 1959
Call letters meaning	WPBN: Paul Bunyan Network WTOM: Top Of Michigan
Former affiliations	ABC (secondary, 1954-1971) The Tube (on WPBN & WTOM-DT2, until October 1, 2007)
Transmitter Power	WPBN: 316 kW (analog) 78 kW (digital) WTOM: 100 kW (analog) 78 kW (digital)
Height	WPBN: 411 m (analog) 230 m (digital) WTOM: 189 m (analog) 168 m (digital)
Facility ID	WPBN: 21253 WTOM: 21254
Transmitter Coordinates	WPBN: 44°16′33.0″N, 85°42′49.0″W WTOM: 45°39′1.0″N, 84°20′37.0″W
Website	tv7-4.com

WPBN-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Northern Lower Peninsula and the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Licensed to Traverse City, the station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter located 12 miles west of Cadillac (in the Manistee National Forest in Wexford County). WPBN broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter located at the station's studios which are located on M-72 west of Traverse City.

Like other network affiliates in this vast and rural area, WPBN operates a full-time satellite, WTOM-TV. Licensed to Cheboygan, the station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 4 and a digital signal on UHF channel 35. WTOM's transmitter is located on U.S. 23 five miles east of the town. The station's signals reach Brevort, Petoskey, Pickford, and Indian River. WTOM serves as the default NBC affiliate for the Alpena market as it does not have an affiliate of its own.

Together, the two stations (which are known on-air as "TV 7&4") serve 22 counties in the Northern Lower Peninsula, three counties in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, and portions of Northern Ontario including Sault Ste. Marie's Canadian sister city, Sault Ste. Marie (though not on cable, where Shaw Communications replaced TV 7&4 with Detroit's WDIV in the early-2000s). TV 7&4 are owned by Barrington Broadcasting.

Contents 1 Digital Programming 2 History 3 Programming 4 News Operation 5 News Team 6 Administration 7 External Links

WBPN & WTOM's digital channels, in addition to their main signals on DT1, offer one additional signal. On WPBN & WTOM-DT2 is Equity Broadcasting's Retro Television Network. This is also carried on Charter digital cable channel 200. Until its shutdown on October 1, 2007, DT2 had been broadcasting The Tube, a 24-hour music video channel.

WPBN offers another digital signal. On WPBN-DT3 and Charter digital cable channel 201 is NBC Weather Plus. WTOM and Charter digital cable systems in Cheboygan do not offer NBC Weather Plus. Unlike WPBN's main digital signal, WTOM's does not currently offer NBC programming in full HDTV. Instead, the signal is broadcasted in a digital upconverted format. A true high definition signal for WTOM will be included in the future.

Channel	Programming
7.1 / 50.1 4.1 / 35.1	main WPBN & WTOM programming (NBC)
7.2 / 50.2 4.2 / 35.2	Retro Television Network
7.3 / 50.3	NBC Weather Plus

WPBN began broadcasting on February 6, 1954. It was signed on by Les Biederman, who had established WTCM-AM 1400 (now 580), the oldest radio station in the Northern Lower Peninsula in 1940. Over the next decade, he bought or signed on several other AM stations throughout Northern Michigan. These stations were known as the Paul Bunyan Network with WTCM being the flagship station. Since channel 7 covered much of the territory covered by the radio stations, Biederman decided not to call his new station WTCM-TV (for Traverse City, Michigan) but rather WPBN-TV (for Paul Bunyan Network).

In the 1950s, the FCC ruled that the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula was part of the Traverse City / Cadillac market. At the time, the only television station in that area had been a CBC private affiliate CJIC-TV. Since WPBN was already operating at the maximum power allowed, Biederman signed on WTOM-TV in Cheboygan on January 4, 1959, bringing American television to the Eastern Upper Peninsula for the first time. At that time, the two stations became known collectively as TV 7&4. When WTOM first began broadcasting, the two stations had their own newscasts but WTOM eventually became a full-time satellite of WPBN.

Until 1971, TV 7&4 shared ABC programming with the area's CBS affiliates WWTV & WWUP ("9&10 News"). TV 7&4 aired ABC's sports programming on the weekends while "9&10 News" aired some of ABC's game shows and soap operas. In 1971, WGTU signed on and took the ABC affiliation.

In 1980, Midwest Broadcasting which was the Biederman family's company, wanted to expand their broadcast operations in Northern Michigan. However, the FCC told the Biedermans that they could do so only if they sold off some stations to stay under ownership limits. One of the stations sold off was TV 7&4 and sold to US Tobacco.

Until recently, TV 7&4 was owned by Raycom Media. In late-2005, following Raycom's purchase of The Liberty Corporation, Raycom announced that "TV 7&4" would be sold along with another NBC affiliate in the Upper Peninsula, WLUC-TV in Marquette. The sale was necessary to help meet FCC restrictions on station ownership.

On March 27, 2006, Raycom announced that Barrington Broadcasting would acquire 12 Raycom stations, including TV 7&4. The FCC approved the deal in June of 2006 and the finalization took place on August 12, 2006. At that point, TV 7&4 joined WLUC, Saginaw's NBC affiliate WEYI-TV and (to a degree) Toledo's NBC affiliate WNWO-TV as part of Barrington's family of stations in and around the state of Michigan.

On September 19, 2007, an application was filed at the FCC by Max Media to sell WGTU & WGTQ to Tucker Broadcasting for $10 million. After FCC approval, Tucker Broadcasting plans to enter into a joint sales agreement (JSA) with WPBN & WTOM owner Barrington Broadcasting. This would result in WPBN & WTOM operating WGTU & WGTQ. According to the FCC filing, WPBN & WTOM will sell advertising time and provide news and other programming for WGTU & WGTQ. ^[1] It is unknown what the future holds for "WBVC" as Max Media owns that cable-only CW affiliate as well.

In recent years, TV 7&4 has acquired popular syndicated programs such as Dr. Phil and The Oprah Winfrey Show which gives the station a line-up that has contributed to the strong growth in its early evening newscasts. TV 7&4 also airs Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! in early primetime.

The station had aired America's Store overnights before it was discontinued in 2006, and now airs NBC All Night. The Tube was aired on weekend overnights before its discontinuation in October 2007, with NBC All Night replacing it.

TV 7&4 has long been second in the news ratings in the market according to Nielsen Media Research behind WWTV & WWUP (9&10 News). TV 7&4's newscasts, which are known as 7&4 News, have seen significant growth in viewership at the expense of 9&10 News in every timeslot in which they compete against each other. This has especially happened over the last three years. Much like 9&10 News, the quality of TV 7&4's news department is much higher than expected for a station in the 116th market. TV 7&4's personalities include longtime anchors and reporters such as Dave Walker, Greg MacMaster, Adam Bartelmay, Marc Schollett and Diana Fairbanks. Another longtime personality, Dave Fortin, retired in December of 2006 after 42 years at TV 7&4.

The station has many alumni including weatherman Dave Barrons and news anchor Scott Michael Trager who both went to 9&10 News in the early-1990s. Another alumnae was the immortal "Deputy" Don Melvoin who first hosted the Deputy Don kids show in the 1950s. After a stint in Hollywood that included roles on The Twilight Zone and a movie filmed on Mackinac Island called Somewhere in Time, Melvoin came back to TV 7&4 to host Deputy Don Rides Again and the legendary horror flick Count Zappula. Don Melvoin died in 2002.

In addition to their main studios, TV 7&4 operates two news bureaus. The "Cadillac Newsroom" is located on Spruce Street in Downtown Cadillac. The "Gaylord Newsroom" is located on West Main Street in Downtown Gaylord. TV 7&4 has more of a Traverse City focus verses WWTV.

On September 10, 2007, TV 7&4 began airing an 11 AM newscast during the week as part of the schedule shuffle involving the expansion of Today to four hours.

Anchors

• Adam Bartelmay - weekday mornings and 11 AM
  • Made in Your Town producer
• Stacey Skrysak - weekday mornings and 11 AM
  • Peninsula Kitchen producer
• Marc Schollett - weeknights at 5, 6, and 11 PM
  • Water Watch producer
• Kristin Maciorowski - weeknights at 5 PM
  • education reporter
  • 7&4 News Buddy Check producer
• Diana Fairbanks - weeknights at 6 and 11 PM
• Bill Froehlich - weekends
  • reporter

7&4 News Storm Team Meteorologists

• Greg MacMaster (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
• Joe Charlevoix - weekday mornings and 11 AM
• Jayne Smith (AMS Seal of Approval) - weekends

Sports

• Jayson Geiser - weeknights at 6 and 11 PM
• Loren Knaster - weekends
• Matt Soltysiak - sports reporter

Reporters

• Jenn Carlson - "Gaylord Newsroom"
• Rob Preston - "Cadillac Newsroom"
• Dave Walker - weekly commentator and special report contributor
• Lisa Chavarria
• Rachel Melnick
• Courtney Rehmer
• Melissa Smith
• Sheena Elzie

• Jill Saarela - Vice President / General Manager
• Doug DeYoung - News Director
• Wendy Wakefield - Business Manager
• Mike Miller - Chief Engineer
• Mary Speck - Program Manager
• Kim St. Mary - Creative Services Director
• Greg Johnson - Promotions Manager

• WPBN & WTOM "TV 7&4"
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WPBN
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WTOM

v • d • e Broadcast television in the Traverse City / Cadillac / Sault Sainte Marie (Northern Michigan) market  (Nielsen DMA #116)
Local television stations WTOM 4 / WPBN 7 (NBC) (RTN on WPBN / WTOM DT2) (WX+ on WPBN DT3) - WGTU 29 / WGTQ 8 (ABC) (The CW on WGTU DT2) - WWTV 9 / WWUP 10 (CBS) - WLLZ 12 (A1/TSC) - WCMU 14 / WCMW 21 / WCMV 27 (PBS) - WFQX 33 / WFUP 45 (FOX) Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations Reception may vary by geographical location; some stations may be available only on cable Sault Ste. Marie, ON: CHBX 2 (CTV) - CBLT 5 (CBC) | Grand Rapids: WWMT-DT 3.2 (The CW) - WOOD 8 (NBC) - WZZM 13 (ABC) - WXSP 15 (MNTV) - WGVU 35 (PBS) | Mid-Michigan: WNEM 5 (CBS) - WJRT 12 (ABC) - WDCP 19 (PBS) - WEYI 25 (NBC) - WBSF 46 (The CW) - WSMH 66 (FOX) | Alpena: WBKB 11 (CBS) | Marquette: WJMN 3 (CBS) - WLUC 6 (NBC) - WNMU 13 (PBS) | Detroit: WKBD 50 (The CW) | Green Bay: WBAY 2 (ABC) - WFRV 5 (CBS) - WLUK 11 (FOX) | Montreal: CBMT 6 (CBC) Local and Regional cable television stations "WBVC" 61 (The CW) - FSN Detroit
See also, Broadcast television in Ontario

v • d • e Broadcast television in the Alpena market  (Nielsen DMA #208)
Local stations WCML 6 (PBS) - WBKB 11 (CBS) - W18BT 18 (TBN) - W26DF 26 (Ind) Local cable channels: ACC 3 (educational) - Alpena's CW (The CW Plus) Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations Reception may vary by geographical location WTOM 4 (NBC, Cheboygan) - WNEM-DT 5.2 (MNTV, Bay City) - CBMT 6 (CBC, Montreal) - WJRT 12 (ABC, Flint) - WFUP 45 (FOX, Vanderbuilt)

v • d • e NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Michigan
WDIV 4 (Detroit/Windsor) • WLUC 6 (Marquette) • WPBN 7 / WTOM 4 (Traverse City / Cheboygan) • WOOD 8 (Grand Rapids) • WILX 10 (Onondaga) • WEYI 25 (Saginaw)
See also: ABC, CBS, Fox, PBS, CW, MyNetworkTV and Other stations in Michigan

v • d • e Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC
Corporate Management Roster:	Keith L. Bland (Senior VP) · Christoper H. Cornelius (COO) · Mary L. Flodin (Senior VP) · Warren Spector (CFO) · K. James Yager (CEO)
ABC Network Affiliates:	KHQA · KTVO · KVII / KVIH · WHOI · WPDE
CBS Network Affiliates:	KGBT · KHQA · KRCG
The CW Network Affiliates:	KVII / KVIH · KXTU · WBSF · WEYI · WHOI · WSTM1 · WSTQ · WWMB2
Fox Network Affiliates:	KXRM · KYOU3 · WACH · WFXL
NBC Network Affiliates:	WEYI · WLUC · WNWO · WPBN / WTOM · WSTM
1This station carries the feed of its low-power sister station for owners of high-definition television sets. 2Barrington operates this station owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting. 3Barrington operates this station owned by Ottumwa Media Holdings.
Annual Revenue: Unknown at this time. · Employees: Unknown at this time. · Stock Symbol: None, privately held. · Website: www.barringtontv.com