Editing WIAT (section)

==Construction and early years==
In November 1964, Winston-Salem Broadcasting filed to sell a two-thirds stake to four investors: William P. Dubois, Enterprise Funds Inc., Northwest Growth Fund Inc., and Exchange Capitol Corporation. The FCC approved this transaction in March 1965.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Broadcasting|page=115|title=For the Record|id={{ProQuest|1014482898}}|date=December 14, 1964}}</ref> With the new ownership, plans were set in motion to construct WBMG, with Dubois as general manager.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/another-tv-channel-city-approved/tlohcfcuhrldeyspdkppdprfvozjvaap_ip-10-166-46-71_1702515001010|title=Another TV channel for city approved|pages=1, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/tv/ydjcvjlcbojpcsegdqzpykidezxytqxx_ip-10-166-46-113_1702514927843 4]|work=The Birmingham News|first=Turner|last=Jordan|date=March 11, 1965|access-date=December 20, 2023|archive-date=December 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217062240/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/another-tv-channel-city-approved/tlohcfcuhrldeyspdkppdprfvozjvaap_ip-10-166-46-71_1702515001010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Birm650311">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-way-cleared-for-n/122096642/|date=March 11, 1965|page=28|title=Way Cleared For New TV Station Here: FCC Approves Ownership Change Of UHF Channel|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217055237/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-way-cleared-for-n/122096642/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --> Even at this juncture, the station attempted to improve its position by filing for the lower channel 21.<ref name="Birm650624">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-new-uhf-tv-statio/99779912/|date=June 24, 1965|page=26|first=Emmett|last=Weaver|title=New UHF TV Station Aims At Fall Opening|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217055242/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-new-uhf-tv-statio/99779912/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --> 

WBMG began broadcasting on October 17, 1965.<ref name="Birm651016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-heres-lineup-of/136777003/|date=October 16, 1965|page=Week-Ender 1|title=Here's Lineup Of Channel 42|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217055242/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-heres-lineup-of/136777003/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat --> The quarters it occupied on [[Red Mountain (Birmingham)|Red Mountain]] had belonged to radio station WJLD and were designed to accommodate a television operation.{{r|Birm650624}} WBMG did not hold a primary network affiliation at launch. [[WAPI-TV]] (channel 13) held the primary affiliations with [[CBS]] and [[NBC]] in central Alabama, and not all of their programming was seen in Birmingham as a result; channel 42 filled this gap by airing the network shows not aired on channel 13.{{r|Birm650624}} This was illustrated in its first day of programming: the inaugural program was an [[NBC News]] special, but later in the evening the station aired ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' from CBS. Likewise, WBMG aired the ''[[CBS Evening News]] with [[Walter Cronkite]]'' and NBC's ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' on weeknights.{{r|Birm651016}} Carson had gone unseen in Birmingham in several years.<ref name="Birm651019">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-tv-notebookchann/136777059/|date=October 19, 1965|page=6|first=Emmett|last=Weaver|title=TV Notebook—Channel 42, Color Pep Up Programs|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217055234/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-tv-notebookchann/136777059/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue --> Because WAPI-TV had first-call rights on the networks' programs, series moved between the stations, sometimes in the middle of the television season.<ref name="Birm660113">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-tv-notebookchang/136777188/|date=January 13, 1966|page=16|first=Emmett|last=Weaver|title=TV Notebook—Changes Continue On TV Picture|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219012025/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-tv-notebookchang/136777188/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --><ref name="Birm670819">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-season-previewwb/136777282/|date=August 19, 1967|page=11|title=Season Preview—WBMG-TV Gives Viewing Line-Up|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217055240/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-season-previewwb/136777282/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat -->

The station broadcast with an [[effective radiated power]] of 479,000 watts until 1969, when it activated a new, {{convert|894|ft|m|adj=on}} tower and increased its power to over a million watts.{{r|hc}} The new tower was boasted to increase the station's signal in areas from [[Anniston, Alabama|Anniston]] and [[Gadsden, Alabama|Gadsden]] in the east to [[Tuscaloosa]] in the west.<ref name="Birm690807">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-for-channel-42-h/98944503/|date=August 7, 1969|page=26|title=For Channel 42: Higher Tower Ups Coverage|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219012223/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-for-channel-42-h/98944503/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --> By this time, Tuscaloosa and Anniston each had their own stations: Tuscaloosa's [[WSES|WCFT]] (channel 33) debuted in October 1965, while Anniston's [[WGWW|WHMA-TV]] (channel 40) started in October 1969.<ref name="Anni691005">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-whma-tv-test-pattern-s/136947196/|date=October 5, 1969|page=3D|title=WHMA-TV Test Pattern Slated For Showing Soon|newspaper=The Anniston Star|location=Anniston, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219011847/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-whma-tv-test-pattern-s/136947196/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sun --><ref name="Anni691026">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-whma-tv-makes-debut-on/136947208/|date=October 26, 1969|page=2A|title=WHMA-TV Makes Debut On Air Today|newspaper=The Anniston Star|location=Anniston, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219011921/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-whma-tv-makes-debut-on/136947208/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sun --> This situation persisted until May 31, 1970, when WAPI-TV became the sole NBC affiliate under a new agreement with NBC and WBMG the sole CBS affiliate.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Broadcasting|date=December 15, 1969|page=51|title=WAPI-TV to become full-time NBC-TV|id={{ProQuest|1014526329}} }}</ref><ref name="Birm700530">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-tv-notebook-13-g/136777367/|date=May 30, 1970|page=Week-Ender 1|title=TV notebook: 13 going all-NBC and 42 to all-CBS|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219011808/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-tv-notebook-13-g/136777367/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat --> Likewise, WCFT and WHMA-TV became full-time CBS affiliates.<ref name="Anni700324">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-whma-joins-cbs-network/136947546/|date=March 24, 1970|page=10|title=WHMA Joins CBS Network|newspaper=The Anniston Star|location=Anniston, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 17, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219011806/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-whma-joins-cbs-network/136947546/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue --><ref>{{Cite news|title=CBS-TV's New Links|work=Variety|id={{ProQuest|962913177}}|date=August 18, 1971|page=31}}</ref>

In 1971, WBMG moved into larger studios on Red Mountain.<ref name="Birm711129">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-wbmc-tv-sic-ope/137049570/|date=November 29, 1971|page=10|title=WBMC-TV [sic] opens new facility|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=December 19, 2023|archive-date=December 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219023345/https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-wbmc-tv-sic-ope/137049570/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Mon -->