WGTU

WGTU and WGTQ
Channels for WGTU
Channels for WGTQ
Branding
  • ABC 29&8 (general)
  • UpNorthLive News on ABC 29&8 (newscasts)
  • TV 7&4 (29.2/8.2)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
OperatorSinclair Broadcast Group
WPBN-TV / WTOM-TV
History
First air date
  • WGTU: August 18, 1971 (1971-08-18)
  • WGTQ: October 29, 1976 (1976-10-29)
Former channel numbers
  • WGTU:
    • Analog: 29 (UHF, 1971–2009)
    • Digital: 31 (UHF, until 2009)
  • WGTQ:
    • Analog: 8 (VHF, 1976–2009)
    • Digital: 9 (VHF, until 2009)
  • CW+ (29.2/8.2, 2006−2009)
  • Comet (29.2/8.2, 2015–2021 on DT2)
Call sign meaning
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID
  • WGTU: 59280
  • WGTQ: 59279
ERP
  • WGTU: 68.4 kW
  • WGTQ: 15 kW
HAAT
  • WGTU: 393 m (1,289 ft)
  • WGTQ: 288 m (945 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
Translator(s)
Links
Public license information
Websiteupnorthlive.com

WGTU (channel 29) and WGTQ (channel 8) are television stations licensed respectively to Traverse City and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States, serving as the ABC affiliates for the northern Lower and eastern Upper peninsulas of Michigan. They are owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which contracts with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of regional NBC affiliates WPBN-TV and WTOM-TV, to provide services and advertising sales functions. The stations share studios on M-72 just west of Traverse City; WGTU's transmitter is located east of Kalkaska, Michigan, and WGTQ's transmitter is near Goetzville in southeastern Chippewa County, in addition to simulcasts on WPBN-TV and WTOM-TV's transmitters. The two stations, known as "ABC 29&8" and together with WPBN/WTOM as "UpNorthLive", carry the same programming and serve one of the largest television markets east of the Mississippi River.

WGTU went on the air in 1970 and provided full ABC network service to Traverse City for the first time; WGTQ followed in 1976. Prior to WPBN/WTOM taking over many operational functions for WGTU/WGTQ in 2007, the stations aired very little local programming, with two attempts at full local newscasts having failed to garner ratings. The UpNorthLive newsroom produces one dedicated local newscast for WGTU/WGTQ.