WFMJ-TV
WFMJ-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station serving the Mahoning Valley of Northeastern Ohio and Northwestern Pennsylvania. Licensed to Youngstown, Ohio, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 (or virtual channel 21.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter located on Mabel Street in Youngstown. Owned by the Maag family, publishers of Youngstown's daily newspaper, The Vindicator, the station maintains studios located on West Boardman Street in downtown Youngstown and is the top rated station in the market. It also carries select Youngstown State University football away games, along with the school's sports highlight program Penguin Gameday and YSU coaches' shows for both football and basketball.
History
The station was founded by William F. Maag, Jr., publisher of the Vindicator, and went on the air for the first time on March 11, 1953 on Channel 73. It was owned alongside and WFMJ radio (AM 1390, now WNIO, and FM 105.1, now WQXK). It has always been an NBC affiliate owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with NBC Radio. The Maags then purchased the construction permit issued for channel 21 (originally granted to WUTV) and moved to that frequency on August 7, 1954. After moving channels, WFMJ was replaced on channel 73 by independent station WXTV which moved to channel 45 in 1959 (the former channel location of WYTV, then WKST, before moving to channel 33) and remained on-the-air until late 1962.
