WTCT


WTCT, virtual channel 27, is a religious television station licensed to Marion, Illinois, United States, serving the Paducah–Cape Girardeau–Harrisburg television market as the flagship station of the Tri-State Christian Television network. WTCT's transmitter is located near Goreville, Illinois. The national feed of TCT via WTCT is available nationwide on DirecTV channel 377.

History

The station signed on the air in August 1981 as independent station WDDD-TV. In 1984, the station's call letters were changed to the current WTCT and became a TBN station in 1986 as well as with the case of a few independent stations that switched to the religious network during that year. The station also carried business news programming from the Financial News Network after the late movie each weeknight before sign-off until 1985. In 2007, the station became a TCT owned-and-operated station.

Former translators

WTCT previously broadcast on low-power translators in Paducah, Kentucky on W54AE, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on KCGI-CA, and in Sikeston, Missouri on K54CA ; these translators ceased operation around 2010.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
ChannelVideoAspectPSIP Short NameProgramming
27.1480iWTCT-SD1Main WTCT programming / TCT
27.21080iWTCT-HDMain WTCT programming / TCT
27.3480i4:3WTCT-SD2Light TV

Analog-to-digital conversion

WTCT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 27, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 17. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 27.