View source for WDTN

{{Short description|Television station in Dayton, Ohio}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Distinguish|KDTN}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WDTN
| logo = WDTN (2012-present).svg
| logo_size = 225px
| branding = 2 News
| digital = 31 ([[UHF]]), shared with [[WBDT]] and [[WKOI-TV]]
| virtual = 2
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''2.1:''' [[NBC]]|'''2.2:''' [[Ion Mystery]]}}
| owner = [[Nexstar Media Group]]
| licensee = Nexstar Media Inc.
| location = [[Dayton, Ohio]]
| country = United States
| founded = {{start date|1947|4|4}}<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/47-OCR/1947-04-14-BC-OCR-Page-0084.pdf "Crosley is awarded third television CP."] ''[[Broadcasting - Telecasting]]'', April 14, 1947, pg. 80.</ref>
| airdate = {{start date and age|1949|3|15|p=y|br=yes}}
| callsign_meaning = Dayton
| sister_stations = WBDT
| former_callsigns = WLWD (1949–1976)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 5 ([[VHF]], 1949–1953), 2 (VHF, 1953–2009)|'''Digital:''' 50 (UHF, 2000–2019)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|NBC (1949−1980)|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (secondary, 1949–1955)|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (secondary 1949–1971, primary 1980–2004)}}
| erp = 1,000 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|330|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 65690
| coordinates = {{coord|39|43|8|N|84|15|21.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Licensing and Management System |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076ff3848dd5470184a0448d2b0e78&id=25076ff3848dd5470184a0448d2b0e78&goBack=N |access-date=November 25, 2022 |website=enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov}}</ref>
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wdtn.com/}}
}}

'''WDTN''' (channel 2) is a [[television station]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]], United States, affiliated with [[NBC]]. It is owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]], which provides certain services to [[Springfield, Ohio]]–licensed [[WBDT]] (channel 26), a ''de facto'' [[owned-and-operated station]] of [[The CW]], under a [[local marketing agreement]] (LMA) with [[Vaughan Media]]. The two stations share studios on South Dixie Drive in [[Moraine, Ohio]].

WDTN's transmitter facility is located off Frytown Road in an [[exclave]] of [[Jefferson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio|Jefferson Township]] surrounded by the southwest Dayton neighborhoods of Germantown Meadow, Highview Hills and Stoney Ridge; through a [[channel sharing agreement]], it shares its digital channel with WBDT, along with unrelated [[Richmond, Indiana]]–licensed [[Ion Television]] O&O [[WKOI-TV]] (channel 43).

==History==

===Early years===
The [[construction permit#broadcasting|construction permit]] for what is now WDTN was awarded to the [[Crosley Broadcasting Corporation]] of [[Cincinnati]] on April 4, 1947. It was the first broadcast television license granted by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to Dayton. However, due to several delays, the station did not actually go on the air until March 15, 1949, as WLWD, on channel 5,<ref>{{Cite web |title=WLW-D Serves Area For 13 Years |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/62-OCR/1962-04-02-BC-OCR-Page-0169.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref> twenty days after [[CBS]] affiliate [[WHIO-TV]] began broadcasting. From the very first day, it has operated from a studio and office facility located in a former skating rink on Dixie Drive in Moraine. (The property has changed jurisdictions since the original airdate: first it was within the now-defunct Van Buren Township, which voted to incorporate as [[Kettering, Ohio|Kettering]] in November 1952; in 1953, the western portion of Kettering, which included the property, voted to secede, forming Moraine Township, which in turn incorporated as Moraine in 1957.)

WLWD was the second link of a group of inter-connected stations which made up the "WLW Television Network", and was named for Crosley's [[flagship (broadcasting)#Radio|flagship]] Cincinnati radio station [[WLW]]; the "D" referred to Dayton. The other stations were [[WLWT]] in Cincinnati and WLWC (now [[WCMH-TV]]) in [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], both also owned by Crosley. The three outlets shared common regional programming, most of which was produced in Cincinnati and sent by way of [[microwave transmission#microwave link|microwave link]] to Dayton and Columbus (such as ''The 50-50 Club'' with [[Ruth Lyons (broadcaster)|Ruth Lyons]], and later [[Bob Braun]]; ''The [[Paul Dixon (entertainer)|Paul Dixon]] [[Paul Dixon Show|Show]]''; and ''[[Midwestern Hayride]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Television Transmission |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/49-OCR/1949-03-14-BC-OCR-Page-0036.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Broadcasting Corp Advertisement |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/49-OCR/1949-04-11-BC-OCR-Page-0193.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref> All three stations were also NBC affiliates, and had secondary relationships with the [[DuMont Television Network]]; WLWD also carried [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] programs. The first program shown on WLWD was NBC's ''[[Texaco Star Theater]]'', with [[Milton Berle]]. To reflect their connection to each other, the WLW Television stations hyphenated their call signs on air; the Dayton outlet was known as WLW-D. The Crosley television group would later expand to include WLWA (now [[WXIA-TV]]) in [[Atlanta]], WLWI (now [[WTHR]]) in [[Indianapolis]], and [[WOAI-TV]] in [[San Antonio]].
[[File:WDTN Studio.jpg|thumb|left|200px|WDTN's studio in Moraine, Ohio]]
The release of the FCC's ''Sixth Report and Order'' in 1952 resulted in shifts of VHF channel assignments in the Midwest region. In Ohio, WLWD's channel 5 allocation was moved to Cincinnati and given to sister station WLWT, with the Dayton station reassigned to transmit over channel 2. WLWD's channel change took place on April 27, 1953.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 19, 1952 |title=TV coverage; RTMA predicts expansion |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/52-OCR/BC-1952-05-19-OCR-Page-0078.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=Broadcasting - Telecasting}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crosley is Granted |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/52-OCR/BC-1952-12-15-OCR-Page-0069.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Channel Shift |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-05-11-OCR-Page-0050.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plus Pour Vous |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-05-11-OCR-Page-0093.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref> WHIO-TV, Dayton's only other station at the time, also shifted channels (from 13 to 7) as a result of the same ordinance. Along with the channel shift WLWD was also forced to operate with a shorter transmission tower, to reduce the overlap of its new channel 2 signal with the relocated signals of WLWT (which moved from channel 4 to channel 5) and WLWC (which shifted to channel 4 from channel 3). The analog channel 2 signal [[Sporadic E propagation|traveled a very long distance]] under normal conditions.

WLWD lost DuMont in 1955, a few months before the network shut down. It lost ABC in 1965 (though it cleared some ABC daytime programming until 1971 as a [[Network affiliate#Dual affiliations|secondary affiliate]]) when then-[[Independent station|independent]] WONE-TV (channel 22, now [[WKEF]]) picked up ABC's [[prime time#North America|prime time]] programming.

In 1968 the Crosley group took on the name of its parent company and became known as Avco Broadcasting, a subsidiary of the Aviation Corporation (later known as [[Avco]]). After the FCC restricted the [[concentration of media ownership|common ownership of stations with overlapping signals]] in the late 1960s, it [[grandfathered]] Avco's common ownership of WLWD, WLWT, WLWC and of WLW radio in Cincinnati. Even from its shorter tower, WLWD's city-grade signal reached as far as Cincinnati and as far north as the Columbus suburbs, while WLW radio's 50-[[kilowatt]] signal covered nearly all of Ohio and overlapped with all three television stations.

In 1975, Avco decided to exit broadcasting. As a result, WLWD lost its grandfathered protection, and had to be sold off separately from WLWT and WLWC. WLWD ended up being the last of Avco's television stations to be sold off, going to [[Grinnell College]] in [[Iowa]] for $13 million in June 1975; the acquisition made Grinnell College one of a few universities in the country to own a commercial television station.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/75-OCR/1975-06-23-BC-OCR-Page-0032.pdf "Now Avco unloads WLWD(TV) Dayton."] ''Broadcasting'', June 23, 1975, pg. 32.</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = TV in Ohio, college trustees tune in | journal = The Scarlet & Black | publisher = Grinnell College  |volume=84 |issue=1 |date=August 29, 1975 | page =1 | last = Voedisch | first = Lynn | url = http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?dmtypcz5de227dd | format = PDF | access-date = June 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news 
| url = https://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2000/06/01/280366/index.htm | last = Zwieg | first = Jason | title = The Best Investor You've Never Heard Of, ''Money'', June 1, 2000 | work = CNN | date = June 1, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = The Best Investor You've Never Heard Of | journal = Money | issue = June 2000 | pages =142–144 | last = Zweig | first = Jason | url = http://www.jasonzweig.com/uploads/6.00JoeRosenfield2.pdf | access-date = June 6, 2011}}</ref> The school changed the call letters to WDTN shortly after the sale closed on June 16, 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86133 |title= History Cards for WDTN-TV|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}--></ref><ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/76-OCR/1976-07-12-BC-OCR-Page-0045.pdf "For the record–Call letters–Grants."] ''Broadcasting'', July 12, 1976, pg. 45.</ref> Not long after Grinnell took over, WDTN increased the height on its broadcast tower and began operating at full effective radiated power, increasing its coverage area. (The WLWD [[call sign]] was used from April 2003 until April 2010 for an [[radio station#FM broadcasting|FM radio station]] serving [[Lima, Ohio|Lima]], now [[WBKS]]. The call sign has been used since October 12, 2010, by [[Daystar Television Network|Daystar]] station [[WLWD-LD]] (channel 20), licensed to [[Springfield, Ohio|Springfield]].)

===Switch to ABC===
By the mid to late-1970s, ABC was searching for stronger affiliates in order to cement its status as the leading network in the United States. Its existing Dayton affiliate, WKEF, was a distant third in the ratings, and only ran ABC's prime time and [[ESPN on ABC|sports]] programming, plus whatever daytime programming was preempted by two [[Taft Broadcasting]]–owned ABC affiliates in adjacent markets, [[WKRC-TV]] in Cincinnati (now with CBS) and WTVN-TV (now [[WSYX]]) in Columbus. WKEF also did not have a functioning news department until 1979. Meanwhile, WKRC-TV and WTVN-TV were not only preempting ABC's daytime programs, but also its late night shows and some of its [[Saturday morning cartoon]]s. ABC also wanted a station in Dayton with both stronger ratings and signal, and one which could reach portions of the Cincinnati and Columbus markets. In summer 1979, ABC approached WDTN and reached an affiliation deal.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/79-OCR/BC-1979-06-25-OCR-Page-0050.pdf "ABC-TV gets engaged to WDTN Dayton."] ''Broadcasting'', June 25, 1979, pg. 50.</ref> Almost by default, NBC was then left to go with WKEF. On [[New Year's Day|January 1]], 1980, WDTN and WKEF swapped network affiliations. Five months after joining ABC, in May 1980, Grinnell College announced it would sell WDTN to the [[Hearst Television|broadcasting division]] of the [[Hearst Corporation]].<ref>"Hearst buys TV in Dayton, plans move into cable." ''Broadcasting'', May 26, 1980, pp. 39-40. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/80-OCR/1980-05-26-BC-OCR-Page-0039.pdf][http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/80-OCR/1980-05-26-BC-OCR-Page-0039.pdf]</ref> The sale was finalized over a year later, in September 1981 for a price of over $47 million.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/81-OCR/1981-09-14-BC-OCR-Page-0128.pdf "In brief."] ''Broadcasting'', September 14, 1981, pg. 128.</ref>

In August 1997, Hearst's television group merged with Argyle Television Holdings II to form what was then known as Hearst-Argyle Television. Argyle had purchased WDTN's former sister station, WLWT, that January, as part of a trade deal between Argyle II and [[Gannett Broadcasting]] which caused WLWT and its [[Oklahoma City]] sister station, [[KOCO-TV]], to swap ownership with [[WZZM]] in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], and [[WGRZ-TV]] in [[Buffalo, New York]]. For the same reason that forced the breakup of Avco's television group 20 years earlier, Hearst-Argyle could not keep both stations (common ownership of stations with overlapping city-grade signals would not be allowed until 2000). It opted to keep the larger WLWT and trade WDTN, together with [[WNAC-TV]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], to [[Smith Media|Sunrise Television]] for [[WPTZ]] in [[Plattsburgh, New York]], [[WNNE]] in [[Hartford, Vermont]], and [[KSBW]] in [[Salinas, California]]. The sale was finalized on July 2, 1998.

In May 2002, Sunrise merged with [[LIN Media|LIN TV]]; both television companies were owned by private equity firm [[Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-channel-2-part-of-tv-s/140312536/|date=February 20, 1998|page=7B|first=Bob|last=Batz|title=Channel 2 part of TV swap: WDTN chief expects no programming changes|newspaper=[[Dayton Daily News]]|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 5, 2024}}</ref>

===Return to NBC===
In early 2004, NBC landed a new affiliation agreement with LIN TV; in response to this agreement, ABC signed an affiliation deal with [[Sinclair Broadcasting Group]], which renewed the network's affiliations with the group's existing ABC affiliates and caused WKEF and its sister stations in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]]/[[Decatur, Illinois]] ([[WICS]] and [[WICD (TV)|WICD]]), to switch to that network. On August 30, 2004, in a reversal of the 1980 switch, WDTN returned to NBC after 24 years away to take advantage of the network's then-stronger programming.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2004/03/01/daily25.html | title = Channel 2 switching to NBC | last = Stephens | first = Caleb | publisher = [[Dayton Business Journal]] | date = March 3, 2004 | access-date = September 26, 2021 | url-access = subscription | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120123121401/https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2004/03/01/daily25.html | archive-date = January 23, 2012 }}</ref> Ironically, several months after the affiliation shift, ABC's ratings overtook those of NBC and the network wouldn't rebound for nearly a decade; in 2014, NBC had regained the lead over ABC.

On May 18, 2007, LIN TV announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives that could have resulted in the sale of the company. In early June, WDTN's website (along with those of several other LIN TV-owned stations not affiliated with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] such as [[WNDY-TV]], [[WWHO]], [[WAND (TV)|WAND]], [[WWLP]], and [[WLFI-TV]]) underwent a redesign. The web addresses were then operated by the Local Media Network division of World Now for a little over a year until October 2008, when LIN TV relaunched most of its station websites through [[Fox Interactive Media]] (later spun off as the independent company known today as EndPlay). Prior to the World Now contract, the web addresses were powered by Web Pros.

On October 3, 2008, LIN TV pulled WDTN (and its other stations) from Time Warner Cable, due to a dispute over "retransmission fees".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2008/09/29/daily47.html|title=WDTN pulled from Time Warner|publisher=Dayton Business Journal|date=October 3, 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 4, 2008 |title=Time Warner Cable pulls WDTN-TV, DaytonDailyNews.com/services/archive |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=123B401DCAFD9940&p_docnum=1 |work=newsbank.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE4953L520081006|title=Lin TV dark on Time Warner|publisher=Reuters|date=October 6, 2009|access-date=March 20, 2011}}</ref> Time Warner replaced WDTN with a free preview of [[HBO#HBO Family|HBO Family]].

On October 29, LIN TV and Time Warner Cable reached an agreement, restoring WDTN, as well as offering it in high definition on the cable system for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WDTN Agreement |url=http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/WDTN_agreement |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=wdtn.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2008/10/27/daily18.html|title=WDTN-TV back on Time Warner|publisher=Dayton Business Journal|date=October 29, 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 31, 2008 |title=Hooray! Channel 2 is back on cable, DaytonDailyNews.com/services/archive |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=1243F21B93F06690&p_docnum=8 |work=newsbank.com}}</ref>

On June 4, 2010, it was announced LIN TV would begin operating CW affiliate WBDT (then owned by [[ACME Communications]]) through [[shared services|shared service]] and [[local marketing agreement|joint sales]] agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 26, 2024 |title=Nexttv {{!}} Programming{{!}} Business {{!}} Multichannel Broadcasting + Cable {{!}} www.nexttv.com |url=https://www.nexttv.com/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=NextTV |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2024 |title=TV News Check |url=https://tvnewscheck.com/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=TV News Check |language=en}}</ref> Three months later, LIN TV exercised an option to purchase that channel along with another LIN-operated ACME station, fellow CW affiliate [[WCWF]] in [[Green Bay, Wisconsin]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 26, 2024 |title=Nexttv {{!}} Programming{{!}} Business {{!}} Multichannel Broadcasting + Cable {{!}} www.nexttv.com |url=https://www.nexttv.com/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=NextTV |language=en}}</ref> LIN TV requested WBDT's license be assigned to a subsidiary of Vaughan Media (owner of CW affiliate [[KNVA]] in [[Austin, Texas]], which was also operated by LIN TV). The company holds a 4.5% equity stake in Vaughan Media, but controls most of that company's voting stock, effectively making it a [[shell corporation]] for LIN TV.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2024 |title=TV News Check |url=https://tvnewscheck.com/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=TV News Check |language=en}}</ref> WBDT was integrated into WDTN's facilities and the merger between the two stations occurred sometime around October 2010. WBDT originally had studios at Corporate Place in [[Miamisburg]], along Byers Road.

On March 4, 2011, LIN TV's contract with [[DISH Network]] expired, and all TV stations owned or operated by LIN, including WDTN and WBDT, were pulled from DISH.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contract with DISH Network Expires Without New Agreement |url=http://www.linmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/LIN-Media’s-Current-Retransmission-Contract-with-DISH-Network-Expires-Without-New-Agreement.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=linmedia.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2011/03/01/dish-network-may-drop-wdtn.html|title=DISH Network may drop WDTN|publisher=Dayton Business Journal|date=March 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 2, 2011 |title=Channel 2, CW could go dark for Dish subscribers, DaytonDailyNews.com/services/archive |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=135BB62C5E94F6D8&p_docnum=3 |work=newsbank.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/wdtn-daytons-cw-go-dark-for-dish-network-subscribers-1098894.html|title=WDTN, Dayton's CW go dark for Dish Network subscribers|publisher=Dayton Daily News|date=March 6, 2011
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 8, 2011 |title=NBC, CW remain blocked in dispute, DaytonDailyNews.com/services/archive |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=1360DC5770ECD378&p_docnum=2 |work=newsbank.com}}</ref> On March 13, LIN and DISH entered into a retransmission consent agreement, and all affected channels were restored.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DISH Network |url=http://www.linmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/LIN-Media-Enters-Into-Retransmission-Consent-Agreement-with-DISH-Network.pdf |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=linmedia.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/dish-network-and-lin-media-agree-restore-channels-1106419.html|title=Dish Network and Lin Media agree, restore channels|publisher=Dayton Daily News|date=March 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2011/03/14/dish-network-lin-media-reach-agreement.html|title=Dish Network, Lin Media reach agreement|publisher=Dayton Business Journal|date=March 14, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 15, 2011 |title=NBC, CW restored for Dish customers, DaytonDailyNews.com/services/archive |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=136042DC9777B0C0&p_docnum=1 |work=newsbank.com}}</ref>

On March 21, 2014, [[Media General]] announced that it would buy LIN.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-linmedia-offer-idUSBREA2K0S720140321|title=Media General to buy LIN Media for $1.6 billion|author=Sruthi Ramakrishnan|date=March 21, 2014|publisher=Reuters|access-date=March 21, 2014}}</ref> The FCC approved the merger on December 12, 2014, but a condition of the deal requires Media General to end the JSA between WBDT and WDTN due to tighter scrutiny such deals are getting by the FCC. Media General received a two-year waiver to end the JSA between WDTN and WBDT.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/fcc-okays-media-generallin-merger/136356 |title=FCC Okays Media General/LIN Merger |publisher=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |date=December 12, 2014}}</ref> The merger was completed on December 19, reuniting WDTN with WCMH-TV (the former WLWC).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nexstar Media Group, Inc. |url=https://www.nexstar.tv/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=Nexstar Media Group, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref>

On January 27, 2016, it was announced that [[Nexstar Broadcasting Group]] would buy Media General for $4.6 billion, and WDTN became part of "Nexstar Media Group".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2016/jan27_2016nexs.html |title=Nexstar Broadcasting Group Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Media General for $4.6 Billion in Accretive Cash and Stock Transaction |access-date=May 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130083411/http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2016/jan27_2016nexs.html |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The deal was approved by the FCC on January 11, 2017, and it was completed on January 17.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-broadcasting-group-completes-acquisition-of-media-general-creating-nexstar-media-group-the-nations-second-largest-television-broadcaster/|title=Nexstar Broadcasting Group Completes Acquisition of Media General Creating Nexstar Media Group, The Nation's Second Largest Television Broadcaster|publisher=[[Nexstar Media Group]]|date=January 17, 2017|access-date=January 17, 2017}}</ref>

A [[carriage dispute]] with [[AT&T]], lasting from 11:59&nbsp;p.m. on July 3 to August 29, 2019, resulted in the removal of WDTN, along with more than 120 other Nexstar stations across 97 markets, from AT&T's [[DirecTV]], [[DirecTV Now]] and [[U-verse]] platforms.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/07/04/at-t-directv-and-nextar-dispute-channels-blacked-out-independence-day/1648807001/|title=Nexstar stations blacked out on AT&T DirecTV and U-verse amid contract dispute|last=Tyko|first=Kelly|date=July 4, 2019|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Dade |title=AT&T And Nexstar Settle Carriage Dispute That Blacked Out Stations In 97 Markets |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/att-nexstar-settle-carriage-dispute-that-blacked-out-stations-in-97-markets-1202707707/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]] |access-date=August 29, 2019 |language=en |date=August 29, 2019}}</ref>

A carriage dispute with Dish Network, beginning at 7&nbsp;p.m. on December 2, 2020, resulted in the removal of WDTN and sister station WBDT from the platform, along with 164 Nexstar stations in 115 markets.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/12/02/failed-dish-nexstar-negotiation-115-markets-fewer-channels/3803614001/ | title = Dish Network customers lose Nexstar's local TV stations in 115 markets over failed negotiations | last = Rivera | first = Josh | date = December 2, 2020 | newspaper = [[USA Today]] | access-date = December 11, 2020 }}</ref>

A carriage dispute with DirecTV from July 2 to September 17, 2023, resulted in the removal of WDTN, along with 158 other Nexstar stations, from DirecTV, U-verse and [[DirecTV Stream]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Tinoco|first=Armando|title=Nexstar Media Group Stations Go Dark On DirecTV As Carriage Dispute Begins|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/nexstar-media-group-stations-go-dark-directv-carriage-dispute-1235429044/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=July 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=James |first=Meg |date=September 17, 2023 |title=Nexstar TV stations blackout on DirecTV ends after 76 days |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-09-17/directv-nexstar-tv-stations-blackout-ends |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Programming==
Game show host and announcer [[Johnny Gilbert]] hosted his own local daytime variety/talk show on WLWD immediately after the local airing of WLW television's ''Paul Dixon Show'' in the mid-1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official Johnny Gilbert Website |url=http://www.johnnygilbert.tv/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=johnnygilbert.tv |archive-date=January 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113214248/http://www.johnnygilbert.tv/biography.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Johnny Gilbert Jeopardy Bio |url=http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/bios/johnnygilbert/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=jeopardy.com |archive-date=November 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105212526/http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/bios/johnnygilbert/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Phil Donahue]] (former news anchor and radio talk show host at [[WHIO (AM)|WHIO radio]]) began hosting a talk show on WLWD in 1967,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/11/08/phil-donahue-dawns-daytime/|title=Entertainment Weekly: "Donahue Dawns on Daytime", November 8, 1996.|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] }}</ref> called ''[[The Phil Donahue Show]]'', that was then more issue-oriented (greatly reducing the station's program budget). Donahue's show went national in 1970. Since most programs on the WLW television regional network originated from WLWT in Cincinnati, it was the first time WLWD was the originator of a program.

Aside from Paul Dixon's weekday morning show, other Cincinnati-based programming that aired on WLWD included: ''The 50-50 Club'', hosted by Ruth Lyons (succeeded by Bob Braun after Lyons' 1967 retirement), and the Saturday evening country music program ''Midwestern Hayride''.

Due to WLWD's heavy local and regional programming schedule, many network programs from NBC and ABC were recorded on film as a [[kinescope]] for later airing. On rare occasions when a program was unavailable (sometimes due to network technical difficulties or if fill time was available before or after a network sportscast), a half-hour series entitled ''Star Performance'', consisting mostly of drama [[television pilot|pilot]]s from the 1950s, would air. Fifteen-minute mini-documentaries or newsreels would also air as a time filler under the title ''Miniature Theater''.

During the summer of 1983, WDTN was exempted from running ABC's [[soap opera]]s after 2 p.m., since WKRC-TV's signal easily covered Dayton. As a result, the station ran cartoons and off-network [[sitcom]]s in place of ''[[One Life to Live]]'' and ''[[General Hospital]]''. By the late 1980s, these were replaced with first run talk shows such as ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' (at 4 p.m.), ''[[The Montel Williams Show]]'', and ''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]''. WDTN would begin its talk block at 2 p.m. during the week. In 2000, [[Time Warner Cable]] (Dayton's largest cable system) dropped the Cincinnati network affiliates to make room for new cable channels. The Cincinnati stations had been available on cable in the Dayton area ever since cable arrived there in the mid-1960s. As a result, ABC soap viewers could no longer see ''One Life to Live'' or ''General Hospital'', while over-the-air viewers could still pick them up on [[WCPO-TV]] (which had become Cincinnati's ABC affiliate in 1996). In the fall of 2000, ''General Hospital'' returned to WDTN's schedule; after the station came under the control of LIN TV in May 2002, ''One Life to Live'' was added to the schedule as well. From this point on, WDTN aired the entire ABC schedule in pattern until the station returned to NBC in 2004.

===News operation===
In the 1970s and 1980s, WDTN used the ''[[Eyewitness News]]'' branding. For most of its history, its newscasts have been a runner-up to market leader WHIO-TV. On April 11, 2012, the station announced that it was in the process of reconstructing its studios in preparation for the production of high definition content.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=WDTN&init=quick&tas=search_preload&search_first_focus=1334667631697#!/wdtn2/posts/283015985113673 | title = We just updated our HD construction photo gallery. We are excited to deliver our news in HD for you.....soon! | website = [[Facebook]] | date = April 11, 2012 | access-date = April 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://interactives.wdtn.com/photomojo/gallery/2111/1/construction-underway-for-hd/construction-underway-for-hd/ | title = Construction underway for HD | access-date = April 17, 2012}}</ref> After June 8, 2012, newscasts were moved to the station's newsroom as the new news set was being built in the same location as the old one.<ref>{{ cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/2-news-prepares-for-hd-transition | title = 2 NEWS prepares for HD transition | date = June 8, 2012 | access-date = June 16, 2012 }}</ref> The first high definition newscast was at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, 2012.<ref>{{ cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/wdtn-tv-goes-hd-this-weekend | title = WDTN-TV goes HD this weekend | date = July 20, 2012 | access-date = July 21, 2012 }}</ref> WDTN was the second station in Dayton to have made the upgrade to HD newscasts; the shows on WBDT were included in the upgrade.

On August 20, 2007, the station began to produce a nightly prime time newscast for WBDT, known as ''2 News at 10 on Dayton's CW''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Huffman |first=Dale |title=WBDT launching 10 p.m. newscast |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-wbdt-launching-10-pm/174547951/ |access-date=June 15, 2025 |newspaper=Dayton Daily News |date=August 17, 2007 |location=Dayton, Ohio |page=A5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>  This show achieved higher ratings than [[WRGT-TV]]'s nightly prime time news in Dayton's metered market households on the 26th day of its broadcast. That year, ''2 News'' won the "[[Edward R. Murrow]] Award for Overall Excellence" for the second straight year.

In May 2011, the station changed the name of its weekday 5–7&nbsp;a.m. newscast from ''2 News Sunrise'' to ''2 News Today''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wdtn.com/ |title=Archive.org |date=May 8, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508100938/http://www.wdtn.com/ |archive-date=May 8, 2011 }}</ref> On November 14, 2011, the station moved ''2 News Today'''s start time to 4:30&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/2-news-today-moves-to-400-am | title = 2 News Today moves to 4:30 am | date = November 10, 2011 | access-date = November 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2011/11/10/wdtn-tv-expands-morning-show.html | title = WDTN-TV expands morning show | publisher = Dayton Business Journal | author = Ginger Christ | date = November 10, 2011}}</ref> probably in response to WHIO-TV's similar lengthening of its morning news on August 15.

In August 2011, the station announced plans to replace its weekday hour-long newscast, ''2 News at Noon'', with a local lifestyle talk show called ''Living Dayton'', starting in early January 2012. It was planned that anchor Marsha Bonhart, Holly Samuels and meteorologist Jamie Jarosik would deliver news and weather at the top of the broadcast, and that the show would cover any breaking news.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www3.wdtn.com/dpp/entertainment/call-for-lifestyle-show-hosts-experts |title = Call for lifestyle show hosts, experts |date=August 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/seen_and_overheard/entries/2011/09/01/wdtntv_to_replace_noon_news_wi.html|title=WDTN-TV to replace noon news with lifestyle show |publisher=[[Dayton Daily News]]|first=Amelia|last=Robinson|date=September 1, 2011}}</ref> ''Living Dayton'' premiered on February 6, 2012,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/living_dayton/living-dayton-premiers-on-wdtn | title = Living Dayton premiers on WDTN | date = February 6, 2012}}</ref> with newly hired hosts Nathalie Basha and [[Zuri Hall]]. Later on February 6, it was announced that Jim Bucher would join the show as a contributor.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/living_dayton/buch-joins-living-dayton | title = Buch joins Living Dayton | date = February 6, 2012}}</ref> The inclusion of news headlines and a weather forecast began on February 9; on the same day, Basha and Hall began providing a brief commentary-style discussion of topical issues, sometimes with a guest contributor, immediately following the news/weather segment.<ref>{{cite web | url-access=limited  |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/121049478001739/185575621549124 |archive-date = April 30, 2022| url = http://www.facebook.com/LivingDayton/posts/185575621549124 |title = Living Dayton on Facebook  |website=[[Facebook]]}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref>

On January 7, 2013, WBDT began to air a weekday news program from 7 to 9&nbsp;a.m., called ''2 News Today on Dayton's CW''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.facebook.com/wdtn2#!/wdtn2/posts/384865218273989 | title = Starting Monday, 2... | website = [[Facebook]] | date = January 3, 2013 | access-date = January 5, 2013}}</ref>

In January 2015, the station renamed its hour-long 5&nbsp;p.m. weekday newscast ''Five on 2'', and included more features, interviews and longer-form stories.<ref>{{ cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com | title = WDTN | access-date = October 28, 2017 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150120040013/http://wdtn.com/ | archive-date = January 20, 2015 }}</ref>

On September 11, 2017, the station added an hour-long 4&nbsp;p.m. weekday newscast, ''2 News First at 4''; it is the first and only 4&nbsp;p.m. local newscast in the market.<ref>{{ cite news | url = http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/106559/wdtn-dayton-to-roll-out-4-pm-newscast | title = WDTN Dayton To Roll Out 4 P.M. Newscast | last = Miller | first = Mark K. | date = August 17, 2017 | website = TVNewsCheck | access-date = October 28, 2017 }}</ref>

On April 4, 2020, WDTN debuted a weekend morning newscast airing Saturdays and Sundays from 6 to 8 a.m.

On July 23, 2021, WDTN debuted a new set, with updated graphics having been rolled out in the preceding weeks.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/its-here-wdtn-debuts-new-look-new-technology/ | title = It's here! WDTN debuts new look, new technology | publisher = WDTN | date = July 23, 2021 | access-date = September 26, 2021 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210726183650/https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/its-here-wdtn-debuts-new-look-new-technology/ | archive-date = July 26, 2021 }}</ref>

On September 2, 2021, Mark Allan, anchor for over 25 years, retired from broadcasting. Allan arrived at the station in fall 1995 from [[KAKE (TV)]] in Wichita, Kansas, first anchoring coverage of the then-ongoing [[Dayton Peace Accords]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2021/05/27/longtime-dayton-tv-anchor-to-retire.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210527160301/https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2021/05/27/longtime-dayton-tv-anchor-to-retire.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = May 27, 2021 | title = Longtime Dayton TV anchor to retire | author = DBJ staff | publisher = [[Dayton Business Journal]] | date = May 27, 2021 | access-date = September 26, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://marketshare.tvnewscheck.com/2021/09/02/mark-allan-retiring-after-25-years-anchoring-at-wdtn-dayton/ | title = Mark Allan Retiring After 25 Years Anchoring At WDTN Dayton | last = Greeley | first = Paul | publisher = TVNewsCheck | date = September 2, 2021 | access-date = September 26, 2021 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210903122027/https://marketshare.tvnewscheck.com/2021/09/02/mark-allan-retiring-after-25-years-anchoring-at-wdtn-dayton/ | archive-date = September 3, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.wdtn.com/celebrating-mark-allan/celebrating-mark-allan-thank-you-for-letting-me-be-your-news-guy/ | title = Celebrating Mark Allan: 'Thank you for letting me be your news guy' | author = WDTN.com staff | publisher = WDTN | date = September 2, 2021 | access-date = September 26, 2021 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210927002722/https://www.wdtn.com/celebrating-mark-allan/celebrating-mark-allan-thank-you-for-letting-me-be-your-news-guy/ | archive-date = September 27, 2021 }}</ref>

WDTN includes segments from the syndicated consumer and personal finance series ''Money Talks with Stacy Johnson'' as part of its newscasts.

The station maintains news partnerships with several area newspapers. In addition to its main studios, WDTN operates bureaus in Springfield (on West Main Street) and in [[Xenia, Ohio|Xenia]] (in the ''Xenia Daily Gazette'' newsroom on South Detroit Street).
 
WDTN operates its own [[weather radar]] known on-air as "Live Doppler 2 HD" (formerly as "Live Doppler 2X"). The station's weather reports are branded as "Storm Team 2" and ''were'' sometimes branded as "Live Doppler 2X".

For many years, [[Charlie Van Dyke]] was the voice heard on WDTN's [[station identification#Combining identification with promotion|station IDs]], news intros, [[promo (media)|promo]]s, and other [[voice-over]] work. In September 2011, Van Dyke was replaced by [[Roger Rose]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/participate/mailbag/marks-mailbag-october-21st |title = Mark's Mailbag: October 21st |date=October 22, 2011}}</ref>

====Notable former on-air staff====
* [[Len Berman]] – news and sports reporter, now retired (formerly at [[NBC Sports]] and [[WNBC-TV]])<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ramentertainment.com/details.cfm?artist=1470 | title=Celebrity Talent Roster | date=April 3, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://maristpoll.marist.edu/tag/len-berman/ | title=Home of the Marist Poll &#124; Polls, Analysis, Learning, and More }}</ref>
* [[Fran Charles]] – weekend sports anchor (now at [[MLB Network]]) 
* [[Julie Chen]] – reporter & anchor; now host of [[Big Brother (American TV series)|the U.S. version of ''Big Brother'']], former co-host of ''[[The Talk (talk show)|The Talk]]'' (both on [[CBS]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Julie Chen Bio |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/julie-chen/bio/195194 |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=tvguide.com}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=WDTN-TV Big Brother Star Julie Chen Reports 1996 | date=September 17, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRoeINnciec |access-date=January 27, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
* Jodine Costanzo – reporter (now at [[WPXI]])
* [[Phil Donahue]] – host of ''The Phil Donahue Show'', as described above
* [[Johnny Gilbert]] – local talk-variety show host in mid-1960s, as described above (now announcer on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'')
* [[Gordon Jump]] – host of ''Gordon Jump's Fun Time'' and&nbsp;''High Time''; also WLWD's director of special broadcast services (1961-1965)
* [[Jessica Moore (journalist)|Jessica Moore]] – reporter (now at [[WCBS-TV]])<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/carl_nichols_retires | title = Carl Nichols is laying down the clicker | date = January 2, 2009 | access-date = December 9, 2011}}</ref>
* [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]] – sports anchor (now at NBC Sports)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dan Patrick Biography (1957-) |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/23/Dan-Patrick.html |access-date=January 27, 2024 |website=www.filmreference.com}}</ref><ref>{{ cite journal | title = On Top of His Game | journal = American Journalism Review | publisher = University System of Maryland | issue = May 1999 | last = Lisheron | first = Mark | url = http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=556 | access-date = July 5, 2011 }}</ref>
* [[John Seibel]] – anchor (now [[executive director]] of a [[nonprofit organization]])

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
<section begin=subs />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WDTN, WBDT, and WKOI-TV<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WDTN|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WDTN|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | License
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! rowspan = "3" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #bc2128;" | WDTN
! scope = "row" | 2.1 
| [[1080i]] || rowspan=6|[[16:9]] || WDTN HD || [[NBC]] 
|-
! scope = "row" | 2.2 
| rowspan=2|[[480i]] || ESCAPE || [[Ion Mystery]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope = "row" | [[WRGT-TV|45.4]] 
| Charge! || [[Charge! (TV network)|Charge!]] ([[WRGT-TV]])
|-
! rowspan = "2" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #ff4500;" | WBDT
! scope = "row" | 26.1 
| 1080i || WBDT HD || [[The CW]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.2 
| rowspan=2|480i || Bounce || [[Bounce TV]]
|-
! rowspan = "row" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #228B22;" | WKOI-TV
! scope = "row" | 43.1 
| ION TV || [[Ion Television|Ion]]
|}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}
<section end=subs />
On January 1, 2016, WDTN added the Escape network (now [[Ion Mystery]]) to its lineup on its second digital subchannel, replacing a [[standard-definition]] feed of the main WDTN programming previously airing on that subchannel.<ref>{{ cite news | url = http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/90055/katz-signs-tribune-media-gen-for-diginets | title = Tribune, Media General Add Grit, Escape, Laff | publisher = TVNewsCheck | author = Staff | date = November 21, 2015 | access-date = November 28, 2015 }}</ref> On January 31, 2016, the station added the [[Justice Network]] to its third digital subchannel. On February 1, 2018, the Justice Network was dropped, replaced by [[Ion Television]], which was moved from sister station WBDT's DT3 subchannel.

On June 7, 2018, unrelated [[WKOI-TV]] began sharing WDTN's digital channel, with Ion Television programming appearing on virtual channel 43.1.<ref name="ddn20180606">{{ cite news | url = https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/antenna-not-working-local-channels-start-changing-frequencies-soon/tvTyLYTkyT6JjuN2UQUltI/ | title = TV antenna not working? Local channels start changing frequencies soon | newspaper = [[Dayton Daily News]] | last = Filby | first = Max | date = June 6, 2018 | access-date = June 22, 2018 }}</ref> WDTN also continued to carry Ion Television on virtual channel 2.3.

Sister station WBDT began sharing WDTN's digital channel on June 29, 2018;<ref name="ddn20180606" /><ref name="wbdtmove">{{ cite web | title = Modification of a Licensed Facility for DTV Application | url = https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f915f98d3db015fc0cb9b1c3204&id=25076f915f98d3db015fc0cb9b1c3204&goBack=N | work = Licensing and Management System | publisher = [[Federal Communications Commission]] | date = March 23, 2018 | access-date = June 22, 2018 }}</ref> on that date, virtual channel 2.3 was dropped.

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WDTN shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 2, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition 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 50,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref><ref name="FCCForm387">{{Cite web|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101234487&formid=387&fac_num=65690|title=CDBS Print|website=licensing.fcc.gov}}</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 2. WDTN moved its digital signal from channel 50 to channel 31 on November 8, 2019, as part of the FCC's [[spectrum reallocation]] process.<ref name="ddn20180606" /><ref>{{ cite web | title = Television Broadcast Station Construction Permit | id = RePack CP, File Number: 0000034768 | url = https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/4c6dad80-e16e-6cd4-3cf5-f88feb23165d/7b00b296-5fc2-4003-b60b-4b91625854ba.pdf | type = PDF | work = Public Inspection Files | publisher = [[Federal Communications Commission]] | date = January 22, 2018 | access-date = June 22, 2018 }}</ref>

==See also==
<!-- Keep these links in-sync and not out-of-date with article-->
*[[Channel 2 virtual TV stations in the United States]]
*[[Channel 31 digital TV stations in the United States]]
*[[List of television stations in Ohio]] 
*[[List of television stations in Ohio (by channel number)]]
*[[List of television stations in the United States by call sign (initial letter W)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.wdtn.com/}}

{{Dayton TV}}
{{Ohio TV}}
{{NXST TV}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wdtn}}
[[Category:1949 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Ion Mystery affiliates]]
[[Category:NBC affiliates]]
[[Category:Nexstar Media Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1949]]
[[Category:Television stations in Dayton, Ohio|DTN]]