WJTC

WJTC, virtual channel 44 (UHF digital channel 45), is an independent television station located in Pensacola, Florida, United States that also serves Mobile, Alabama. The station is owned by Deerfield Media, as part of a duopoly with NBC affiliate WPMI (channel 15); Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns Pensacola-based ABC affiliate WEAR-TV (channel 3) and MyNetworkTV affiliate WFGX (channel 35), operates WPMI and WJTC under a local marketing agreement. WPMI and WJTC share studios located on Azalea Road near (I-10) in Mobile, WJTC's transmitter is located near Robertsdale.

History

WJTC signed on the air on December 24, 1984 as an independent station; the station was founded by its original owners, the Mercury Broadcasting Company. The station – which was branded as "C44" – maintained a general entertainment programming format consisting of old movies, cartoons, westerns, dramas, and a few classic sitcoms.

In 1991, Clear Channel Communications, then-owner of WPMI, entered into a local marketing agreement with WJTC. Mercury Broadcasting retained the license, but Clear Channel owned local rights to programming broadcast on the station. WJTC affiliated with the United Paramount Network (UPN) upon its debut on January 16, 1995. Clear Channel acquired WJTC outright in 2001, creating a duopoly with WPMI.