A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's surface to any number of tuned receivers simultaneously.
110-606: WAGA-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia , United States, serving as the market's Fox network outlet. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Briarcliff Road Northeast in the Druid Hills area of unincorporated DeKalb County , just outside the Atlanta city limits. WAGA-TV first began operations on March 8, 1949. The station
220-655: A CBS affiliate, owing to its radio sister's longtime affiliation with the CBS Radio Network , channel 5 also carried a secondary affiliation with the DuMont Television Network from 1949 to 1956. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network . Storer sold the WAGA radio stations in 1959; however, channel 5 has, except from 1998 to 2009, retained the "-TV" suffix. WAGA-TV
330-622: A Univision O&O), where it aired until the block was cancelled in December 2008. (The paid programming block that replaced it in January 2009, Weekend Marketplace , currently airs on MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL .) On September 13, 2014, WAGA-TV began carrying Xploration Station , a live-action educational program block distributed by Steve Rotfeld Productions that is syndicated primarily to Fox stations (including those owned by Fox Television Stations) on Saturday mornings. WAGA began serving as
440-622: A barter in some cases. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code ) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy , is available to every business , whether organized as a corporation , partnership or sole proprietorship , and to individuals, although it
550-403: A valuation of the reorganized business. Bankruptcy valuation is often highly contentious because it is both subjective and important to case outcomes. The methods of valuation used in bankruptcy have changed over time, generally tracking methods used in investment banking, Delaware corporate law, and corporate and academic finance, but with a significant time lag. Chapter 11 retains many of
660-477: A CBS affiliate, the station called its newscasts 5 News Scene . In the 1980s, this changed to Eyewitness News . In 1992, WAGA dropped CBS This Morning through 1994 in favor of a three-hour locally produced morning news program called Good Day Atlanta . With the 1994 affiliation switch to Fox, WAGA poured more resources into its already well-respected news department. It adopted a news-intensive schedule, increasing its news programming output to nearly 40 hours
770-600: A Fox affiliate on December 11, 1994, when the network's programming lineup moved to the station from WATL; the first Fox network program to air on the station as a full-time affiliate was Fox NFL Sunday at noon Eastern Time that day, leading into that afternoon's NFL doubleheader: an early game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams and a mid-afternoon game between the San Francisco 49ers and
880-524: A June 30 deadline; as a consequence of its financial difficulties, Gillett/SCI decided to sell its broadcast holdings. On February 17, 1993, one day after SCI purchased WTVT in Tampa from Gillett Holdings in a separate agreement for $ 163 million, New World Pictures purchased a 51% ownership stake in SCI Television from Gillett for $ 100 million and $ 63 million in newly issued debt. The purchase
990-558: A New York-based private equity firm. Two years later in 1987, KKR sold the Storer stations to Gillett Communications . After bankruptcy , Gillett restructured in 1991, selling several stations and changing its name to SCI Television Inc. On June 26, 1991, Gillett Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after it failed to reach an agreement with the company's creditors before a court-imposed June 25 deadline. SCI Television also missed repayment of $ 162 million in bank loans before
1100-552: A consequence of the WGNX deal, CBS reached an agreement to sell WVEU to Viacom in a three-way deal that saw Viacom sell CBS affiliate KSLA in Shreveport, Louisiana , to Ellis Communications (owned by Atlanta-based businessman Bert Ellis) to comply with FCC ownership rules in coincidence with Viacom's divestitures of its major network-affiliated television stations to focus on its UPN charter outlets. The last CBS network program to air on WAGA
1210-435: A deal to affiliate with longtime independent station WGNX (channel 46, now WANF ), which initially turned down CBS' offer to affiliate with the station; WGNX was especially attractive for the network since channel 46 was the only non-Big Three station in the Atlanta market that had a functioning news department. That November, Tribune relented and signed a deal with CBS to convert WGNX into the network's new Atlanta affiliate. As
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#17328803758991320-452: A deal to buy independent station WVEU (channel 69, now independent WUPA ) for $ 46 million. However, this was only a contingency, since WVEU's signal at the time barely made it outside of Atlanta itself and its closest-in suburbs, and it barely registered as a blip in the ratings. Even after it agreed to buy WVEU, CBS still sought to move its programming to a higher-profile station. It continued to negotiate with Tribune Broadcasting to reach
1430-430: A half-hour program titled Road to November on Fridays at 7 p.m. On March 30, 2020, WAGA added an additional half-hour of weekday news from 4:30 p.m to 5 p.m, it later expanded to a full hour on November 16, running evening newscasts from 4 p.m to 7 p.m. In 2018, $ 2 Tests: Bad Arrests aired, which then went on to win a Peabody Award , presented at the 2019 awards ceremony. The station's signal
1540-756: A long-term affiliation deal renewing its contract with WXIA and its sister NBC affiliates in Jacksonville , Minneapolis–St. Paul and Phoenix . WSB-TV was later eliminated as an option as its Atlanta-based owner, Cox Enterprises , would reach a new long-term agreement with ABC to retain its affiliation with that network. WATL was eventually eliminated as Qwest Broadcasting (a joint venture between music producer Quincy Jones , former NFL defensive end Willie Davis , television producer Don Cornelius , television host Geraldo Rivera , and Tribune) announced in November that it would purchase WATL from Fox Television Stations as part of
1650-466: A motion to convert to chapter 7 or appoint a trustee if either of these actions is in the best interest of all creditors. Sometimes a company will liquidate under chapter 11 (perhaps in a 363 sale), in which the pre-existing management may be able to help get a higher price for divisions or other assets than a chapter 7 liquidation would be likely to achieve. Section 362(d) of the Bankruptcy Code allows
1760-415: A much shorter wavelength, and thus requires a shorter antenna, but also higher power. North American stations can go up to 5000 kW ERP for video and 500 kW audio, or 1000 kW digital. Low channels travel further than high ones at the same power, but UHF does not suffer from as much electromagnetic interference and background "noise" as VHF, making it much more desirable for TV. Despite this, in
1870-415: A number of mechanisms to restructure its business. A debtor in possession can acquire financing and loans on favorable terms by giving new lenders first priority on the business's earnings. The court may also permit the debtor in possession to reject and cancel contracts. Debtors are also protected from other litigation against the business through the imposition of an automatic stay . While the automatic stay
1980-410: A plan during the period of exclusivity. This period allows the debtor 120 days from the date of filing for chapter 11 to propose a plan of reorganization before any other party in interest may propose a plan. If the debtor proposes a plan within the 120-day exclusivity period, a 180-day exclusivity period from the date of filing for chapter 11 is granted in order to allow the debtor to gain confirmation of
2090-479: A price war against competitors — all with the bankruptcy court's approval. Studies on the impact of forestalling the creditors' rights to enforce their security reach different conclusions. Chapter 11 cases dropped by 60% from 1991 to 2003. One 2007 study found this was because businesses were turning to bankruptcy-like proceedings under state law, rather than the federal bankruptcy proceedings, including those under chapter 11. Insolvency proceedings under state law,
2200-449: A ratings slump in 2009, and WAGA-TV has been the solid runner-up in the market since then. WAGA's Saturday and Sunday 6 p.m. newscasts are subject to delay due to network sports coverage. WAGA also provided news reports and weather forecasts for news radio station WYAY (106.7 FM), through a partnership between WAGA and WYAY's owner Cumulus Media struck in May 2012. For many years as
2310-442: A reorganization; a conversion into chapter 7 liquidation, or it is dismissed. In order for a chapter 11 debtor to reorganize, they must file (and the court must confirm) a plan of reorganization. Simply put, the plan is a compromise between the major stakeholders in the case, including, but not limited to the debtor and its creditors. Most chapter 11 cases aim to confirm a plan, but that may not always be possible. Section 1121(b) of
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#17328803758992420-509: A result, WGNX became the only Atlanta television station that did not retain its entire existing syndicated programming lineup following the switch. WATL – whose sale to Qwest Broadcasting (which, in 2000, merged with WB network part-owner, the Tribune Company ), would not be finalized until December 1995 – temporarily operated as an independent station during its transition into an affiliate of upstart network The WB upon that network's launch
2530-742: A two station, $ 167-million deal. By September 1994, with only a little more than two months left before channel 5 was slated to join Fox, CBS faced the prospect of having to pipe in WRBL in Columbus , WMAZ-TV in Macon , WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, South Carolina , and WDEF-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee , for Atlanta-area cable customers until it found a new affiliate in the market. Almost out of desperation, on September 26, CBS made
2640-417: A type of Colonial Revival architecture that was typical for Storer's broadcasting facilities. While this design was somewhat out of place in most of Storer's other markets (which also included Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee ), it was a perfect fit for Atlanta. (The studio facility was used for an on-location shoot for a Matlock episode called "The Reporter".) WAGA's original transmitter tower
2750-425: A variety of ways to generate revenue from television commercials . They may be an independent station or part of a broadcasting network , or some other structure. They can produce some or all of their programs or buy some broadcast syndication programming for or all of it from other stations or independent production companies. Many stations have some sort of television studio , which on major-network stations
2860-447: A week. The station retained a news schedule similar to what it had as a CBS affiliate. However, it expanded the weeknight 6 p.m. newscasts to two hours and moved the 11 p.m. newscast to 10 p.m. and expanded it to a full hour. On January 14, 2008, WAGA debuted a new 11 p.m. newscast called Fox 5 News Edge , returning a newscast to that timeslot since the station was still affiliated with CBS. On March 16, 2009, WAGA became
2970-485: Is multiplexed : Channel 5.2 originally was for the benefit of smaller cable providers which were taking the fullscreen SD signal straight from the air, and did not want problems due to the widescreen or scan conversion on 5.1; this lasted until the end of April 2009. The channel then stayed blank with no electronic program guide data for several weeks until late June, when it again had identical programming, but this time in widescreen. The 704×480i anamorphic format
3080-496: Is non-commercial educational (NCE) and considered public broadcasting . To avoid concentration of media ownership of television stations, government regulations in most countries generally limit the ownership of television stations by television networks or other media operators, but these regulations vary considerably. Some countries have set up nationwide television networks, in which individual television stations act as mere repeaters of nationwide programs . In those countries,
3190-470: Is broadcast via terrestrial radio waves. A group of television stations with common ownership or affiliation are known as a TV network and an individual station within the network is referred to as O&O or affiliate , respectively. Because television station signals use the electromagnetic spectrum, which in the past has been a common, scarce resource, governments often claim authority to regulate them. Broadcast television systems standards vary around
3300-469: Is found in that part of northern Georgia. At the time, much of this region was among the few areas in the United States where cable was still not readily available. CBS did not return over-the-air to this area until Toccoa 's WNEG-TV (channel 32, now WGTA ) joined CBS the following August. Although it was located in the Greenville –Spartanburg– Asheville market, WNEG served as the de facto CBS affiliate for
3410-417: Is in place, creditors are stayed from any collection attempts or activities against the debtor in possession, and most litigation against the debtor is stayed, or put on hold, until it can be resolved in bankruptcy court, or resumed in its original venue. An example of proceedings that are not necessarily stayed automatically are family law proceedings against a spouse or parent. Further, creditors may file with
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3520-484: Is most prominently used by corporate entities. In contrast, Chapter 7 governs the process of a liquidation bankruptcy, though liquidation may also occur under Chapter 11; while Chapter 13 provides a reorganization process for the majority of private individuals. When a business is unable to service its debt or pay its creditors , the business or its creditors can file with a federal bankruptcy court for protection under either Chapter 7 or Chapter 11. In Chapter 7,
3630-792: Is often used for newscasts or other local programming . There is usually a news department , where journalists gather information. There is also a section where electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations are based, receiving remote broadcasts via remote pickup unit or satellite TV . Outside broadcasting vans, production trucks , or SUVs with electronic field production (EFP) equipment are sent out with reporters , who may also bring back news stories on video tape rather than sending them back live . To keep pace with technology United States television stations have been replacing operators with broadcast automation systems to increase profits in recent years. Some stations (known as repeaters or translators ) only simulcast another, usually
3740-612: Is part of the Chattanooga media market of Southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia , while Macon is part of the Asheville–Greenville–Spartanburg DMA of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia . Although outside of the must-carry obligations that apply within the Atlanta DMA, both counties are popular with visitors and summer-home residents from the Atlanta area. WSB-TV is also carried in those counties. In
3850-408: Is severable. The trustee or debtor-in-possession normally assumes a contract or lease if it is needed to operate the reorganized business or if it can be assigned or sold at a profit. The trustee or debtor-in-possession normally rejects a contract or lease to transform damage claims arising from the nonperformance of those obligations into a prepetition claim. In some situations, rejection can also limit
3960-411: Is the highest newscast output among Georgia's broadcast television stations. For most of its first three decades on the air, WAGA-TV was Atlanta's second-highest rated station. From the 1970s to early 2009, it had to fend off a spirited challenge from WXIA-TV, with the two stations regularly trading the number-two position in the market behind longtime leader WSB-TV. However, WXIA has never recovered from
4070-444: Is treated as a contested matter under Bankruptcy Rule 9014. A party seeking relief from the automatic stay must also pay the filing fee required by 28 U.S.C.A. § 1930(b). In the new millennium, airlines have fallen under intense scrutiny for what many see as abusing Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a tool for escaping labor contracts, usually 30–35% of an airline's operating cost. Every major US airline has filed for Chapter 11 since 2002. In
4180-639: Is unusual, as most standard definition digital channels use a fullscreen 640×480i format (by comparison, widescreen NTSC DVDs use 720×480p). Channel 5.2 again went blank in late July, but continued to have the same program data as 5.1, until it was deleted entirely on December 3. WAGA shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 5, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television . The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 27, using virtual channel 5. The station's first chief broadcast engineer from 1949, Paul B. Cram (99 years of age at
4290-539: The Fox Kids weekday and Saturday blocks when it affiliated with the network, due to the station's interest in airing syndicated shows more compatible with its expanded local news schedule on weekdays, opting only to air children's programs acquired via syndication on weekend mornings (the preemptions of Fox Kids by the New World stations led the network to change its carriage policies to allow Fox stations uninterested in carrying
4400-617: The Good Day Atlanta branding throughout the morning newscast. On September 14, 2015, the station extended its 11 p.m. newscast to one hour with the addition of a half-hour News Edge at 11:30; this made WAGA among the very few stations to extend its late newscast to midnight, and one of three Fox affiliates (Kansas City's WDAF-TV and Washington, D.C.'s WTTG being the others) to air a two-hour late local news block. On April 15, 2019, WAGA expanded Good Day Atlanta by one hour from 10 a.m. to 11 am. On February 14, 2020, WAGA added
4510-1268: The National Football League (NFL) accepted the network's $ 1.58 billion bid for the television rights to the National Football Conference (NFC) – a four-year contract that began with the 1994 NFL season – on December 18, 1993. WAGA-TV was among the stations involved in the Fox agreement, which also initially included four of New World's other existing CBS-affiliated stations – WITI-TV, WJBK-TV, WJW-TV and WTVT – and four additional stations – CBS affiliate KSAZ-TV in Phoenix , ABC affiliates WBRC-TV in Birmingham and WGHP in High Point, North Carolina , and NBC affiliate WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri — that were part of New World's concurrent $ 360-million acquisition of Great American Communications 's television properties. (The agreement would subsequently be amended to include four additional stations that New World acquired later that month from Argyle Television Holdings .) At
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4620-516: The San Diego Chargers . (The affiliation switch involving WAGA, WGNX and WATL was originally slated to occur on November 27, but was delayed two weeks to allow Fox, New World and CBS to iron out the final details.) Prior to the end of its 45-year affiliation with CBS, WAGA had been the network's longest-tenured affiliate south of Washington, D.C. (a title now held by Charlotte affiliate WBTV , which has carried CBS programming since it signed on
4730-465: The automatic stay of § 362. The automatic stay requires all creditors to cease collection attempts, and makes many post-petition debt collection efforts void or voidable. Under some circumstances, some creditors, or the United States Trustee , can request the court convert the case into a liquidation under chapter 7, or appoint a trustee to manage the debtor's business. The court will grant
4840-405: The broadcast range , or geographic area, that the station is limited to, allocates the broadcast frequency of the radio spectrum for that station's transmissions, sets limits on what types of television programs can be programmed for broadcast and requires a station to broadcast a minimum amount of certain programs types, such as public affairs messages . Another form of television station
4950-534: The electricity bill and emergency backup generators . In North America , full-power stations on band I (channels 2 to 6) are generally limited to 100 kW analog video ( VSB ) and 10 kW analog audio ( FM ), or 45 kW digital ( 8VSB ) ERP. Stations on band III (channels 7 to 13) can go up by 5 dB to 316 kW video, 31.6 kW audio, or 160 kW digital. Low-VHF stations are often subject to long-distance reception just as with FM. There are no stations on Channel 1 . UHF , by comparison, has
5060-550: The 1970s and 1980s, WAGA once had cable carriage in Aiken and Clemson in west-central and upstate (northwestern) South Carolina . WAGA also had significant carriage on Storer and Liberty cable systems (later TCI, now Mediacom ) in South Georgia during that same timeframe. Television station The Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow ( TV Station Paul Nipkow ) in Berlin , Germany , was
5170-667: The 1980s). It also retained the Eyewitness News moniker it had used for its newscasts since July 1981. In addition to expanding its local news offerings at the time it joined Fox, the station replaced CBS daytime and late night programs that migrated to WGNX with an expanded slate of syndicated talk shows as well as some off-network sitcoms, game shows and documentary-based reality series , and also acquired some syndicated film packages and first-run and off-network syndicated drama series for broadcast in weekend afternoon timeslots on weeks when Fox did not provide sports programming; however,
5280-458: The Atlanta Braves from 1990 to 1993 with CBS' MLB broadcast contract (including the team's 1991 and 1992 World Series appearances). WAGA-TV presently broadcasts 73 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours each weekday, 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours on Saturdays and five hours on Sundays). In regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it
5390-405: The Bankruptcy Code provides for an exclusivity period in which only the debtor may file a plan of reorganization. This period lasts 120 days after the date of the order for relief, and if the debtor does file a plan within the first 120 days, the exclusivity period is extended to 180 days after the order for relief for the debtor to seek acceptance of the plan by holders of claims and interests. If
5500-483: The Bankruptcy Code), so, only a debtor can file a plan of reorganization . The SBRA requires the U.S. Trustee appoint a "subchapter V trustee" to every Subchapter V case to supervise and control estate funds, and facilitate the development of a consensual plan. It also eliminates automatic appointment of an official committee of unsecured creditors and abolishes quarterly fees usually paid to the U.S. Trustee throughout
5610-520: The Falcons' Super Bowl appearances— XXXIII and LI —have been carried on the station, as both were Super Bowls to which Fox had the national television rights. Since Fox obtained the partial (now exclusive) over-the-air network television rights to Major League Baseball in 1996, WAGA has also carried certain Atlanta Braves games that have been regionally or nationally televised by the network during
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#17328803758995720-405: The Falcons' unofficial "home" station. For the 1994 season , most of the team's first fourteen games that year were aired instead on lame-duck Fox O&O WATL; with that, the 3½-month interruption in game coverage that year, due to the transfer of NFC telecast rights from CBS to Fox, is the only break in network coverage of the team by the station to date since 1966. Since the switch to Fox, both of
5830-465: The Fox network, Fox News , Fox Sports 1 and the MyNetworkTV programming service, which were transferred to a separate company , Fox Corporation. Since it joined the network in December 1994, WAGA has only aired Fox's prime time, Saturday late night and sports programming, as well as special reports produced by Fox News . As with most of its sister stations under its former New World ownership (with
5940-627: The U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking another large portion of this band (channels 52 to 69) away, in contrast to the rest of the world, which has been taking VHF instead. This means that some stations left on VHF are harder to receive after the analog shutdown . Since at least 1974, there are no stations on channel 37 in North America for radio astronomy purposes. Most television stations are commercial broadcasting enterprises which are structured in
6050-433: The advantages of a traditional Chapter 11 case without the unnecessary procedural burdens and costs. It seeks to increase the debtor's ability to negotiate a successful reorganization and retain control of the business and increase oversight and ensure a quick reorganization. A Subchapter V case contrasts from a traditional Chapter 11 in several key aspects: it is earmarked only for the "small business debtor" (as defined by
6160-480: The affiliation agreement with New World and have Fox Television Stations sell WATL. With only a few months before WAGA was set to switch to Fox, CBS needed to find a new affiliate in what had become the nation's 10th largest media market . It approached all of Atlanta's major television stations to potentially reach an agreement. However, none of them were interested at first. CBS first approached WXIA-TV; however, its then-owner Gannett Broadcasting subsequently signed
6270-548: The air as WGTV , now the television flagship of Georgia Public Broadcasting , in May 1960. WAGA-TV originally broadcast from studios and transmission facilities located at 1018 West Peachtree Street Northwest. This building would later become home to pioneering superstation and leading Atlanta independent station WTBS (channel 17, now WPCH-TV ). On June 21, 1966, channel 5 opened its current facilities in Druid Hills. The studio resembles an antebellum Southern mansion ,
6380-485: The air on July 15, 1949, four months after WAGA). WGNX concurrently took over the CBS affiliation, which necessitated the shift of a large number of the syndicated cartoons , drama series and sitcoms in its inventory over to WVEU – which had become a UPN affiliate when that network launched on January 16, 1995 – as channel 46 could not continue to accommodate many of these shows due to CBS's network-dominated programming lineup; as
6490-559: The automatic stay provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. In August 2019, the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 ("SBRA") added Subchapter V to Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Subchapter V, which took effect in February 2020, is reserved exclusively for the small business debtor with the purpose of expediting bankruptcy procedure and economically resolving small business bankruptcy cases. Subchapter V retains many of
6600-441: The best interests of the creditors and the estate, the case may be dismissed resulting in a return to the status quo before bankruptcy. If the case is dismissed, creditors will look to non-bankruptcy law in order to satisfy their claims. In order to proceed to the confirmation hearing, a disclosure statement must be approved by the bankruptcy court. Once the disclosure statement is approved, the plan proponent will solicit votes from
6710-559: The block the right of first refusal to transfer the local rights to another station; by 2001, affiliates were no longer required to run the Fox Kids lineup even if Fox had not secured a substitute carrier). Fox Kids remained on WATL after it became a WB affiliate in January 1995, before moving to WHOT (channel 34, now WUVG-DT ) in September 2000; its successor, FoxBox/4Kids TV , moved to WUPA in January 2002 (coinciding with WHOT's conversion into
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#17328803758996820-433: The business ceases operations, a trustee sells all of its assets, and then distributes the proceeds to its creditors. Any residual amount is returned to the owners of the company. In Chapter 11, in most instances the debtor remains in control of its business operations as a debtor in possession , and is subject to the oversight and jurisdiction of the court. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy will result in one of three outcomes for
6930-512: The case. Most notably, Subchapter V allows the small business owner to retain their equity in the business so long as the reorganization plan does not discriminate unfairly and is fair and equitable with respect to each class of claims or interests. The reorganization and court process may take an inordinate amount of time, limiting the chances of a successful outcome and sufficient debtor-in-possession financing may be unavailable during an economic recession. A preplanned, pre-agreed approach between
7040-471: The classes of creditors. Solicitation is the process by which creditors vote on the proposed confirmation plan. This process can be complicated if creditors fail or refuse to vote. In which case, the plan proponent might tailor his or her efforts in obtaining votes, or the plan itself. The plan may be modified before confirmation, so long as the modified plan meets all the requirements of Chapter 11. A chapter 11 case typically results in one of three outcomes:
7150-442: The cost of litigating the chapter 11 case) are paid first. Secured creditors —creditors who have a security interest , or collateral , in the debtor's property—will be paid before unsecured creditors. Unsecured creditors' claims are prioritized by § 507. For instance the claims of suppliers of products or employees of a company may be paid before other unsecured creditors are paid. Each priority level must be paid in full before
7260-408: The court must determine whether the plan is "feasible, " in other words, the court must safeguard that confirming the plan will not yield to liquidation down the road. The plan must ensure that the debtor will be able to pay most administrative and priority claims (priority claims over unsecured claims ) on the effective date. Like other forms of bankruptcy, petitions filed under chapter 11 invoke
7370-442: The court seeking relief from the automatic stay. If the business is insolvent , its debts exceed its assets and the business is unable to pay debts as they come due, the bankruptcy restructuring may result in the company's owners being left with nothing; instead, the owners' rights and interests are ended and the company's creditors are left with ownership of the newly reorganized company. All creditors are entitled to be heard by
7480-409: The court to terminate, annul, or modify the continuation of the automatic stay as may be necessary or appropriate to balance the competing interests of the debtor, its estate, creditors, and other parties in interest and grants the bankruptcy court considerable flexibility to tailor relief to the exigencies of the circumstances. Relief from the automatic stay is generally sought by motion and, if opposed,
7590-436: The court. The court is ultimately responsible for determining whether the proposed plan of reorganization complies with bankruptcy laws. One controversy that has broken out in bankruptcy courts concerns the proper amount of disclosure that the court and other parties are entitled to receive from the members of the creditor's committees that play a large role in many proceedings. Chapter 11 usually results in reorganization of
7700-406: The creditors' objection, the plan must not discriminate against that class of creditors, and the plan must be found fair and equitable to that class. Upon confirmation, the plan becomes binding and identifies the treatment of debts and operations of the business for the duration of the plan. If a plan cannot be confirmed, the court may either convert the case to a liquidation under chapter 7, or, if in
7810-427: The damages that a contract counterparty can claim against the debtor. Chapter 11 follows the same priority scheme as other bankruptcy chapters. The priority structure is defined primarily by § 507 of the Bankruptcy Code ( 11 U.S.C. § 507 ). As a general rule, administrative expenses (the actual, necessary expenses of preserving the bankruptcy estate, including expenses such as employee wages, and
7920-597: The debtor and its creditors (sometimes called a pre-packaged bankruptcy ) may facilitate the desired result. A company undergoing Chapter 11 reorganization is effectively operating under the "protection" of the court until it emerges. An example is the airline industry in the United States; in 2006 over half the industry's seating capacity was on airlines that were in Chapter 11. These airlines were able to stop making debt payments, break their previously agreed upon labor union contracts, freeing up cash to expand routes or weather
8030-413: The debtor's business or personal assets and debts, but can also be used as a mechanism for liquidation. Debtors may "emerge" from a chapter 11 bankruptcy within a few months or within several years, depending on the size and complexity of the bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Code accomplishes this objective through the use of a bankruptcy plan. The debtor in possession typically has the first opportunity to propose
8140-410: The debtor: reorganization, conversion to Chapter 7 bankruptcy, or dismissal. In order for a Chapter 11 debtor to reorganize, the debtor must file (and the court must confirm) a plan of reorganization. In effect, the plan is a compromise between the major stakeholders in the case, including the debtor and its creditors. Most Chapter 11 cases aim to confirm a plan, but that may not always be possible. If
8250-728: The far northern portion of the Atlanta market as well as the Greenville–Spartanburg–Asheville market's western fringes until that station's sale to the University of Georgia in 2008. (WGNX's availability in this area increased through expanded cable and satellite distribution in subsequent years.) On July 17, 1996, News Corporation—which separated most of its entertainment holdings into 21st Century Fox in July 2013—announced that it would acquire New World in an all-stock transaction worth $ 2.48 billion. The purchase by News Corporation
8360-423: The features present in all, or most, bankruptcy proceedings in the United States. It provides additional tools for debtors as well. Most importantly, 11 U.S.C. § 1108 empowers the trustee to operate the debtor's business. In Chapter 11, unless a separate trustee is appointed for cause, the debtor, as debtor in possession, acts as trustee of the business. Chapter 11 affords the debtor in possession
8470-670: The first regular television service in the world. It was on the air from 22 March 1935, until it was shut down in 1944. The station was named after Paul Gottlieb Nipkow , the inventor of the Nipkow disk . Most often the term "television station" refers to a station which broadcasts structured content to an audience or it refers to the organization that operates the station. A terrestrial television transmission can occur via analog television signals or, more recently, via digital television signals. Television stations are differentiated from cable television or other video providers as their content
8580-432: The following month on January 11, 1995. (WATL is now owned by Tegna as part of a duopoly with WXIA). As with most of the other New World-owned stations affected by the affiliation agreement with Fox, WAGA-TV made little mention of the Fox logo and name in its on-air imaging at the outset. Instead, it retained the "Channel 5" branding it had used since 1991 (modified slightly from the "TV5" branding it had used for most of
8690-434: The former New World stations that Fox sold to Local TV in 2007.) At that time, Channel 5 became the third English language network-owned commercial station in the Atlanta market (Viacom, then-owner of UPN's Atlanta station WUPA, had acquired part-ownership of that network in 1996). It was also one of two stations that switched to Fox under the New World agreement that replaced an existing Fox O&O, only to later be sold to
8800-420: The highest point available in the transmission area, such as on a summit , the top of a high skyscraper , or on a tall radio tower . To get a signal from the master control room to the transmitter, a studio/transmitter link (STL) is used. The link can be either by radio or T1 / E1 . A transmitter/studio link (TSL) may also send telemetry back to the station, but this may be embedded in subcarriers of
8910-434: The judge approves the reorganization plan and the creditors all "agree", then the plan can be confirmed. §1129 of the Bankruptcy Code requires the bankruptcy court reach certain conclusions prior to "confirming" or "approving" the plan and making it binding on all parties in the case. Most importantly, the bankruptcy court must find the plan (a) complies with applicable law, and (b) has been proposed in good faith. Furthermore,
9020-407: The judge approves the reorganization plan and the creditors all agree, then the plan can be confirmed. Section 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code requires the bankruptcy court reach certain conclusions prior to confirming or approving the plan and making it binding on all parties in the case, most notably that the plan complies with applicable law and was proposed in good faith. The court must also find that
9130-433: The last major network station in the market (behind WGCL-TV, WSB and WXIA) to begin broadcasting its locally produced newscasts in high-definition . On September 14, 2009, WAGA expanded its weekday morning newscast to five hours from 5 to 10 a.m. along with the addition of an hour-long 9 a.m. extension of the program called Good Day Xtra . On April 1, 2010, WAGA expanded its morning news by an extra half-hour, with
9240-487: The league's regular season and postseason , including their appearance in the 1996 World Series and their victory in the 2021 World Series , which gave the city its first major sports championship since 1995 . WTBS/WPCH retained the local over-the-air television rights to the Braves until 2011 . During WAGA's run as a CBS station, it aired select Atlanta Hawks games as part of CBS' NBA coverage from 1973 to 1990, and then
9350-400: The local television station has no station identification and, from a consumer's point of view, there is no practical distinction between a network and a station, with only small regional changes in programming, such as local television news . To broadcast its programs, a television station requires operators to operate equipment, a transmitter or radio antenna , which is often located at
9460-419: The main broadcast. Stations which retransmit or simulcast another may simply pick-up that station over-the-air , or via STL or satellite. The license usually specifies which other station it is allowed to carry. VHF stations often have very tall antennas due to their long wavelength , but require much less effective radiated power (ERP), and therefore use much less transmitter power output , also saving on
9570-436: The network already owned WATL and was in the midst of planning to launch a local news department for channel 36, Fox found the prospect to having its programming carried on a VHF station too much to resist, considering that WAGA had a stronger market position and a long-respected local news operation. (At the time, channel 5 placed second, behind WSB-TV, in total day and news viewership.) As a result, Fox decided to include WAGA in
9680-612: The network itself (in Dallas – Fort Worth , sister station KDFW-TV had replaced KDAF as that market's Fox station in July 1995), making Atlanta one of a handful of markets more than one station has served as an O&O of the same network. In November 1996, two months before the completion of the Fox–New World merger and at a time when other network-owned stations around the United States began adopting similar network-driven branding, WAGA-TV shortened its branding to simply " Fox 5 Atlanta " per
9790-530: The network's branding guidelines (with its newscasts concurrently rebranding as Fox 5 Eyewitness News , later shortened to Fox 5 News in August 1998). On December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company , owner of WSB-TV's affiliated network ABC, announced its intent to buy WAGA-TV's parent company, 21st Century Fox, for $ 52.4 billion; the sale excluded the Fox Television Stations unit (including WAGA-TV),
9900-404: The next lower priority level may receive payment. Section 1110 ( 11 U.S.C. § 1110 ) generally provides a secured party with an interest in an aircraft the ability to take possession of the equipment within 60 days after a bankruptcy filing unless the airline cures all defaults. More specifically, the right of the lender to take possession of the secured equipment is not hampered by
10010-571: The primary television station for the Atlanta Falcons upon the team's inception in 1966 , under CBS's contractual television rights to the pre- AFL merger National Football League. The station carried most regional or national Falcons game telecasts aired by CBS until its contractual rights to the National Football Conference concluded in 1993 . However, the station's December 1994 switch to Fox allowed WAGA to retain its status as
10120-476: The programmes seen on its owner's flagship station, and have no television studio or production facilities of their own. This is common in developing countries . Low-power stations typically also fall into this category worldwide. Most stations which are not simulcast produce their own station identifications . TV stations may also advertise on or provide weather (or news) services to local radio stations , particularly co-owned sister stations . This may be
10230-421: The proposed plan. With some exceptions, the plan may be proposed by any party in interest. Interested creditors then vote for a plan. If the judge approves the reorganization plan and the creditors all agree, then the plan can be confirmed. If at least one class of creditors objects and votes against the plan, it may nonetheless be confirmed if the requirements of cramdown are met. In order to be confirmed over
10340-545: The reorganization plan is feasible in that, unless the plan provides otherwise, the plan is not likely to be followed by further reorganization or liquidation. In a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the debtor corporation is typically recapitalized so that it emerges from bankruptcy with more equity and less debt, a process through which some of the debtor corporation's debts may be discharged. Determinations as to which debts are discharged, and how equity and other entitlements are distributed to various groups of investors, are often based on
10450-429: The revamped programming schedule – as was the case with most of New World's other Fox stations – relegated children's programs to weekend mornings only. With the switch from WAGA to WGNX, CBS lost significant viewership in the northern portion of the Atlanta market. Despite its five million-watt analog signal, WGNX did not penetrate nearly as far into this area as WAGA did because of the relatively mountainous terrain that
10560-585: The space of 2 years (2002–2004) US Airways filed for bankruptcy twice leaving the AFL–CIO , pilot unions and other airline employees claiming the rules of Chapter 11 have helped turn the United States into a corporatocracy . The trustee or debtor-in-possession is given the right, under § 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, subject to court approval, to assume or reject executory contracts and unexpired leases. The trustee or debtor-in-possession must assume or reject an executory contract in its entirety, unless some portion of it
10670-479: The start time moved a half-hour earlier to 4:30 a.m., becoming the first Atlanta station to expand its morning newscast into that slot; the extension was made to attract those who wake up go to work earlier than most; the additional half-hour competes against national early morning newscasts airing on WXIA, WGCL and WSB. As of September 2010, WAGA dropped the Fox 5 Morning News and Good Day Xtra titles, in favor of using
10780-491: The study stated, are currently faster, less expensive, and more private, with some states not even requiring court filings. However, a 2005 study claimed the drop may have been due to an increase in the incorrect classification of many bankruptcies as "consumer cases" rather than "business cases". Cases involving more than US$ 50 million in assets are almost always handled in federal bankruptcy court, and not in bankruptcy-like state proceeding. The largest bankruptcy in history
10890-531: The subverted exception of former sister station KTVI in St. Louis, which assumed rights to the network's children's programs in 1996 and carried the blocks until Fox stopped providing them within its schedule), Channel 5 declined carriage of the children's programming blocks that Fox carried prior to 2008, only having aired fall preview specials and network promotions for those blocks that aired within Fox's prime time lineup during that twelve-year period. WAGA opted not to run
11000-418: The time, Fox's owned-and-operated and affiliate stations were mostly UHF outlets that had limited to no prior history as major network affiliates, among them its existing Atlanta outlet, WATL-TV (channel 36, now a MyNetworkTV affiliate), which the network's Fox Television Stations unit had acquired from Renaissance Broadcasting (during its acquisition of then-WATL parent Chase Broadcasting) in 1993. Although
11110-406: The time; d. November 28, 2010), was given the duty of permanently turning off the analog transmitter live on the air at 12:30 p.m. on June 12. WSB-TV, WXIA-TV, and WATL also went off the air at the same time, with WSB and WXIA also live in their transmitter rooms like WAGA. WAGA is carried in parts of Cherokee and Macon counties of western North Carolina , both bordering Georgia. Cherokee
11220-399: The world. Television stations broadcasting over an analog system were typically limited to one television channel , but digital television enables broadcasting via subchannels as well. Television stations usually require a broadcast license from a government agency which sets the requirements and limitations on the station. In the United States, for example, a television license defines
11330-436: Was later the site of a different tower for WPCH-TV's analog channel 17 signal, and a backup for WWWQ (99.7 FM). Because Storer Cable became part of Comcast , the tower (owned by competing cable television provider Time Warner , along with WPCH) was to be removed by October 2009, ending the land lease . In 1985, WAGA-TV and the other Storer stations were sold into a group deal to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR),
11440-508: Was New World's second-largest station, behind WSBK-TV, at the time the SCI purchase was completed – became the company's flagship television station. On May 23, 1994, as part of a broad deal that also saw News Corporation acquire a 20% equity interest in the company, New World Communications signed a long-term agreement to affiliate its nine CBS-, ABC- or NBC-affiliated television stations with Fox, which sought to strengthen its affiliate portfolio after
11550-443: Was a first-run episode of Walker, Texas Ranger at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on December 10; this led into a message by then-station president and general manager Jack Sander shortly before the start of that evening's edition of Channel 5 Eyewitness News at 11:00 (which was relaunched as an hour-long prime time newscast at 10 p.m. two days later), informing viewers about the pending network changes. WAGA-TV officially became
11660-505: Was finalized on January 22, 1997, folding New World's ten Fox affiliates into the former's Fox Television Stations subsidiary and making all twelve stations affected by the 1994 agreement owned-and-operated stations of the network. (The New World Communications name continues in use as a licensing purpose corporation—as "New World Communications of [state/city], Inc." or "NW Communications of [state/city], Inc."—for WAGA and its sister stations under Fox ownership, extending, from 2009 to 2011, to
11770-691: Was finalized on May 25, at which point, the film and television production company folded WAGA and its six sister stations—fellow CBS affiliates WTVT, WJW-TV in Cleveland, WJBK-TV in Detroit, and WITI-TV in Milwaukee; NBC affiliate KNSD in San Diego ; and then-independent WSBK-TV in Boston —into a new broadcasting subsidiary, New World Communications . As a result of New World being headquartered in Atlanta, WAGA – which
11880-445: Was of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which listed $ 639 billion in assets as of its Chapter 11 filing in 2008. The 16 largest corporate bankruptcies as of December 13, 2011 Enron, Lehman Brothers, MF Global and Refco have all ceased operations while others were acquired by other buyers or emerged as a new company with a similar name. ‡ The Enron assets were taken from
11990-418: Was originally owned by Toledo, Ohio –based Fort Industry Company, which also operated WAGA radio (AM 590, now WDWD ; and WAGA-FM 103.3, now WVEE ), all colloquially called "Wagga". Fort Industry would later be renamed Storer Broadcasting after the company's founder, George B. Storer. Channel 5 is Atlanta's second-oldest television station, signing on seven months after WSB-TV (then on channel 8). Originally
12100-417: Was the only VHF commercial station in Atlanta that was on the same channel from its launch. Though both WSB-TV and WLTV—predecessor of WXIA-TV (channel 11)—initially broadcast over channel 8, the Federal Communications Commission 's 1952 Sixth Report and Order reallocated the frequency to Athens and reserved the channel for non-commercial educational use. The University of Georgia returned channel 8 to
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