WMEI


WMEI was a television station in Arecibo, Puerto Rico that broadcast over digital channel 14. The station was owned by Corporate Media Consultants Group, LLC, which 51% is owned by Power Television International and 49% is owned by Max Media. It was branded as WMEI 14 and TeleMar. WMEI was affiliated with RetroTV from 5AM to 6PM & The Action Channel from 6PM to 5AM on channel 14.1, while The Family Channel broadcast 24 hours a day on channel 14.2. WMEI maintained studios in Puerta del Condado in San Juan, with additional studios in Yauco and its transmitter was located at Cerro Maravilla in Ponce. The station signed off the air on August 31, 2017 at midnight.

History

WMEI was founded on February 28, 1990 by locally-owned Arecibo Broadcasting Systems managed by Hector Negroni Cartagena.
On December 28, 1994 WMEI launched WWKQ-LP Channel 26, a low-power TV station in Quebradillas owned by Signal Broadcasting.
WMEI channel 60 signed on as a test signal in 1997, and was operated by Signal Broadcasting, transmitting the Telefe Internacional programming and infomercials.
Also WMEI began operations for WQQZ-CA Channel 33 in Ponce On February 12, 1999, also owned by Signal Broadcasting.
WMEI Channel 60 began its regular programming in November 2006, and was an affiliate of Telefe Internacional branded as Mi 60 from 2006 to 2007, showing informercials from 4PM to 12AM.
WMEI Channel 60 officially launched operations as an independent station on March 20, 2007 at 6:25AM, and it was branded as TeleMar Puerto Rico from 2007 to 2009, from 2011 to 2013 and again since May 11, 2014.
In March 2007, WMEI launched its digital satellite station in Mayagüez, WOST Channel 16.
WMEI switched affiliations becoming an affiliate of Spanish Broadcasting System's Mega TV on November 23, 2009; the Mega TV affiliation was previously on WSJU-TV. Prior to this, WMEI had carried a Spanish-language version of The Local AccuWeather Channel.
WMEI, along with its satellite stations, was off the air for several months in early 2009. This was due to WMEI and WOST having shut down their analog signals in January 2009 to prepare for the digital transition. However, due to the transition date being delayed until June 12, 2009 and WTIN and WNJX-TV opting to retain their analog signals on WMEI and WOST's post transition channels until June, WMEI and WOST could not begin digital broadcasts until WTIN and WNJX terminated their analog signals.
WMEI became affiliated once again in February 2013, this time with TeLe-Romántica, U.S. Spanish Entertainment Network, whose programming included: Telenovelas, Movies, Series & Documentaries. TeLe-Romántica resumed operations in August 2014 due to the station's website failure, and moved its programming to WSJU-TV channel 31.2.
In November 2013, Power Television International acquired the non-license assets of WMEI & its Satellite Stations from Corporate Media Consultants Group for $18 million.
WMEI was affiliated with PBJ from 2014 to 2016.
On May 13, 2015, WQQZ-CA changed its call letters to WQQZ-CD after switching from analog to digital operation.
On January 12, 2016, WMEI, WOST and its satellite stations sold its spectrum, and participated in the 2016 FCC Spectrum auction. The officers said that once the auction is complete, the station would go off the air, or moving to another channel.
On April 1, 2016, WMEI changed its branding, reflecting on the station's digital channel number. The station's new name was WMEI 14. Also, WMEI switched affiliation to Retro Television Network, and broadcast daily from 5AM to 6PM. No programming changes were expected, and WMEI retained as a Tuff TV affiliate. Also, the station affiliated with Gun TV upon that network's launch the same day. Gun TV broadcast from 12AM to 5AM daily.
WMEI was most recently a dual affiliate of Tuff TV & The Family Channel, while WOST remained an affiliate of the Spanish version of The Local AccuWeather Channel.
On October 18, 2016, WOST went off the air as stated in the form. Station engineers had determined that one of the station’s power amplifiers was damaged during a thunder storm. The station was awaiting the delivery of parts to complete the repair to the power supply. It was expected that it might be another couple of weeks before the repairs were to be completed.
The licensee respectfully requested Special Temporary Authority pursuant to FCC Rule 73.1635. The circumstances of the storm were beyond the control of the licensee. It was acting diligently to repair the station to restore operations but had to wait on vendors to deliver equipment.
The licensee also requested a one-day waiver of the 30-day filing deadline to request silent authority. The 30th day for filing the silent STA request was miscalculated. The LMS form would not allow the proper date to be checked that the station went off the air.
On November 11, 2016, WWKQ-LP changed its callsign to WWKQ-LD licensed, as digital operation.
On December 5, 2016, WQQZ-CD went off the air because of a malfunction with its Ktech receiver. It was being repaired on the next few weeks. However, on December 8, 2016, WQQZ-CD returned to the air broadcasting the full Retro TV & Action Channel programming.
In April 2017, WMEI announced that it would shut down on August 31, following the Federal Communications Commission 's incentive auction. The station sold its spectrum for $9,696,619. Also, WOST would move their channel positions to channel 20, and WQQZ-CD to channel 16.
On May 2, 2017, WOST resumed broadcasting operations with a reduced power of 2 kW.
On September 12, 2017, the WMEI license was cancelled. The WMEI intellectual unit was moved to WOST and satellite stations. They are currently affiliated with Azteca America since August 1, 2018.

Digital television

WMEI's digital signal was multiplexed:
ChannelVideoAspectPSIP Short NameProgramming
14.1480iWMEI-DTMain WMEI programming / RetroTV / The Action Channel
14.2480iThe Family Channel

Satellite stations

WMEI was rebroadcast on the following stations:
StationCity of licenseChannels
TV 		First air dateERPHAATFacility IDTransmitter Coordinates
WOST
Mayagüez20
March 20, 200795 kW606.7 m60357
WWKQ-LDQuebradillas14
19 		December 28, 19942.48 kW163.7 m60369
WQQZ-CDPonce14
24 		February 12, 19990.75 kW613 m32142