Editing WDTN (section)

==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>