WDAM-TV

WDAM-TV
Callsign	WDAM-TV
City	Laurel, Mississippi
Branding	WDAM 7; WDAM News 7
Digital	28 (UHF)
Country	United States
Owner	Gray Television
Founded	1954
Callsign meaning	D. A. Murphy (founder)
Sister stations	WBTW, WTVA, WXVT

WDAM-TV is a television station in Laurel, Mississippi, serving the Hattiesburg, Mississippi–Laurel, Mississippi market as an affiliate of NBC and ABC. The station is owned by Gray Television and operates from studios in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with a transmitter near the Hardy, Mississippi area. Founded in the mid-1950s, the station has been involved in regional coverage of events such as Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi gubernatorial elections, and local cultural coverage tied to University of Southern Mississippi athletics.

History

WDAM-TV began broadcasting in 1954 under the ownership of D. A. Murphy, linking early operations to advancements in Federal Communications Commission licensing, RCA equipment, and postwar broadcasting expansion. Early network affiliations involved programming from NBC, CBS, and ABC at various times while competing with stations like WLOX and WJTV. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the station modernized with color transmission technology from manufacturers such as Philips and GE, and navigated market shifts driven by regional advertising from businesses in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Laurel, Mississippi. Ownership transitions included sales that connected the station to groups such as Media General and later Gray Television, mirroring consolidation trends exemplified by transactions like the Nexstar Media Group acquisitions and mergers in the 2000s and 2010s. Coverage highlights have included local election reporting tied to figures such as Trent Lott, natural disaster response coordination with FEMA, and community features involving Southern Miss Golden Eagles athletics.

Technical Information

The station transmits on digital channel 28 (UHF) with virtual channel 7, using transmitters that adhere to Advanced Television Systems Committee standards and ATSC 1.0 modulation. Facilities upgrades have paralleled industry shifts to digital broadcasting following the United States digital television transition mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. WDAM-TV has deployed microwave links, STL facilities, and encoder/decoder equipment from vendors like Cisco Systems, Sony Corporation, and Harris Corporation (now Graham Media Group in legacy ownership contexts). Spectrum repack activities coordinated with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the FCC affected channel assignments, similar to repacking that impacted stations such as WTVA and WLOX.

News Operation

The station maintains a local news operation producing multiple daily newscasts branded as WDAM News 7, covering municipal affairs in Laurel, Mississippi and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, regional crime beats involving agencies like the Harrison County Sheriff's Office when relevant, and statewide political reporting connected to the Mississippi Legislature. The news team competes with anchors, reporters, and meteorologists who have moved between markets such as Jackson, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama, and uses forecasting systems from The Weather Company and NOAA data tied to National Weather Service operations. Coverage partnerships and regional pooling have mirrored arrangements among stations like WJTV, WLOX, and WPBF for major breaking news and severe-weather events.

Programming

Station programming includes network-supplied content from NBC such as national news from NBC Nightly News, daytime programming like Today, and prime-time entertainment from Saturday Night Live and This Is Us while ABC affiliation supplies shows like Good Morning America and World News Tonight with David Muir. Local programming has featured community affairs shows, high school sports broadcasts aligned with the Mississippi High School Activities Association, and special coverage of regional festivals tied to Laurel Main Street. Syndicated offerings have historically included talk and court shows distributed by syndicators such as Debmar-Mercury and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

Subchannels

WDAM-TV operates multiple digital subchannels carrying affiliations and multicast networks such as MeTV, Ion Television, and Court TV-style content depending on market agreements and carriage deals. Subchannel multiplexing leverages MPEG-2 and statistical multiplexing techniques used industry-wide, similar to configurations found on stations like WJXT and WAGA-TV in other markets. Changes to subchannel lineups have reflected national trends toward nostalgia programming, true-crime formats, and specialty multicast networks distributed by companies such as Weigel Broadcasting and Scripps Networks.

Carriage and Coverage

The station's signal covers the Pine Belt region including Forrest County, Mississippi, Jones County, Mississippi, and adjacent parishes and counties extending toward Mobile, Alabama and Meridian, Mississippi depending on reception conditions. Cable and satellite carriage agreements involve providers like Comcast, DirecTV, and Dish Network, while retransmission consent negotiations follow precedents set in disputes involving groups like Sinclair Broadcast Group and Cox Media Group. Coverage areas overlap with adjacent markets supervised by the Nielsen designated market area system, influencing advertising sales and ratings comparisons with stations such as WLOX and WJTV.

Notable Alumni and Personnel

The station's on-air and behind-the-scenes alumni have included journalists, anchors, and meteorologists who advanced to larger markets and national outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, and CBS News. Notable personnel have participated in regional political interviews with figures like Ronald Reagan-era commentators or reported on state leaders such as Thad Cochran and Rosa DeLauro-adjacent national stories that touched the region. Technical staff have engaged with industry groups such as the Society of Broadcast Engineers and programming managers have coordinated with syndicators including Nexstar Media Group-distributed entities.

Category:Television stations in Mississippi Category:Gray Television