Editing WDBB (section)

{{Short description|Television station in Alabama, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WDBB
| above = {{ubl|[[broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|Satellite]] of [[WTTO]], [[Homewood, Alabama]],|and [[WBMA-LD]], [[Birmingham, Alabama]]}}
| logo = Wtto the cw.png
| logo_upright = .8
| image = ABC 3340 logo 2020s.svg
| image_upright = .5
| city = Bessemer, Alabama
| digital = 14 (UHF)
| virtual = 17
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''[[WTTO|17.1]]:''' The CW|'''[[ABC 33/40|17.2]]:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[Cunningham Broadcasting]]
| licensee = WDBB-TV, Inc.
| operator = [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]
| location = [[Bessemer, Alabama|Bessemer]]–[[Tuscaloosa, Alabama]]
| country = United States
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1984|10|8|p=y|br=y}}
| callsign_meaning = Original owner Dubose Broadcasting
| sister_stations = [[WABM]], WBMA-LD
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 17 (UHF, 1984–2009)|'''Digital:''' 18 (UHF, until 2020)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[Independent station|Independent]] (1984–1986, 1990–1991, 1996–1997)|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] (1986–1990, 1991–1996)|[[The WB]] (1997–2006)}}
| erp = 675 kW
| haat = {{convert|637|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 71325
| coordinates = {{coord|33|28|48|N|87|25|50|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WDBB}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{url|wtto21.com}}
}}

'''WDBB''' (channel 17) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[Bessemer, Alabama]], United States, serving [[Tuscaloosa]] and west Alabama as a [[broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|satellite]] of [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]-based [[The CW|CW]] affiliate [[WTTO]] (channel 21, licensed to [[Homewood, Alabama|Homewood]]). It is owned by [[Cunningham Broadcasting]], a partner company of the [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], which owns WTTO, [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate [[WABM]] (channel 68), and regional [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate WBMA-LD (channel 58, branded as [[ABC 33/40]]), which WDBB also rebroadcasts. Sinclair supplies all of WDBB's programming under a programming services agreement, a form of [[local marketing agreement]]. However, Sinclair effectively owns WDBB, as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The transmitter is located near [[Windham Springs]], east of [[Alabama State Route 69|State Route 69]].

WDBB was started a local [[independent station]] by Dubose Broadcasting in 1984; it soon expanded to cover Birmingham. In 1986, the station launched [[WPXH-TV|WNAL-TV]] (channel 44) in [[Gadsden, Alabama|Gadsden]], which together with WDBB provided regional coverage. WDBB-WNAL served as the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]] affiliate for the Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and [[Anniston, Alabama|Anniston]]–Gadsden markets from the network's launch in 1986 until 1990, when the affiliation went to WTTO; WDBB began simulcasting that station the next year due to financial difficulties. WDBB and WTTO lost Fox in 1996 due to a major regional shuffle of network affiliations, affiliating with [[The WB]] in 1997 and with The CW in 2006.