Editing WTTO (section)

===Early years===
With the permit in hand, construction—and new shareholders—entered the picture. The Chapman brothers sold half of the unbuilt station in 1980 to Byron Lasky, who owned [[Satellite Television & Associated Resources]], a company providing microwave-based [[subscription television]] service in Birmingham.<ref name="Birm811127">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98929595/after-18-years-theyve-dont-something/|date=November 27, 1981|page=Kudzu 4|first=Joe|last=Rassenfoss|title=After 18 years, they've "done something" for Birmingham|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref><!-- Fri --> The tower was erected alongside studios in the city's Goldencrest neighborhood in early 1982,<ref name="Birm820305">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98929702/channel-21-its-getting-exciting-now/|date=March 5, 1982|page=Kudzu 8|title=Channel 21: 'It's getting exciting now'|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref><!-- Fri --> and on April 21, after more than 18 years, WTTO debuted as Birmingham's fourth commercial TV station, with the first program being ''[[Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]''.<ref name="Birm820422">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98928679/christmas-arrives-for-wtto-owners/|date=April 22, 1982|page=B6|first=Thom|last=Herrmann|title=Christmas arrives for WTTO owners|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref><!-- Thu -->

WTTO gave Birmingham its first [[independent station]] and Alabama its second, debuting a few weeks after [[WPMI-TV]] in [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]]. In 1983, Lasky acquired the remaining half of WTTO from the Chapmans.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1983/BC-1983-04-25.pdf|title=Changing Hands|page=78|work=Broadcasting|date=April 25, 1983}}</ref> During this time, the station extended its cable reach, appearing on the system in [[Anniston, Alabama|Anniston]] in 1985.<ref name="Anni850702">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99826552/wtto-service-okd-for-cable-customers/|date=July 2, 1985|page=6A|title=WTTO service OK'd for cable customers|newspaper=The Anniston Star|location=Anniston, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref><!-- Tue -->

Channel 21 was programmed as a typical UHF independent, maintaining a schedule reliant mainly on [[animated cartoon|cartoons]], [[sitcom]]s and [[feature film|movies]]. From its sign-on in 1982 until 1985, WTTO also carried programming from the [[Financial News Network]]. WTTO quickly became known in the market for airing a broad mix of [[cult film]]s as part of its film lineup (the station also hosted film festivals at parks throughout central Alabama, featuring public screenings of the movies that it broadcast), as well as spoof promotional campaigns for its programs.<ref>{{citation|title=Naked Birmingham|first=Chuck|last=Geiss|periodical=Black & White|date=May 17, 2012}}</ref> WTTO quickly became the strongest independent station in Alabama, and one of the highest-rated independents in the United States. WTTO remained the only independent station in central Alabama for its first two years of operation; however, it would eventually gain a competitor in the west-central part of the state. In 1984, [[WDBB]] began broadcasting from Tuscaloosa, and it activated a new transmission facility in 1986 that extended its signal to Birmingham.<ref name="Birm860307">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834046/looking-at-wdbb/|date=March 7, 1986|page=Kudzu 4, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99835075/ 5], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834056/ 6]|first=Kathy|last=Kemp|title=Looking at WDBB|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416082735/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834046/looking-at-wdbb/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> It was WDBB (and [[WPXH-TV|WNAL-TV]], a station in Gadsden that primarily rebroadcast it) that served as the market's first Fox affiliate.<ref name="Birm860807">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834669/wdbb-reaches-agreement-with-fox-network/|date=August 7, 1986|page=A10|first=Grace|last=Fiorella Chandler|title=WDBB reaches agreement with Fox network|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416082737/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834669/wdbb-reaches-agreement-with-fox-network/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu -->

In September 1986, HR Broadcasting Company, a unit of HAR Communications, purchased the station along with [[WCGV-TV]] in [[Milwaukee]] from Byron Lasky's companies. HAR Communications was 20% owned by [[Hal Roach Studios]].<ref>{{cite news|title=HR Broadcasting Acquires 2 Independent TV Stations|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-30-fi-10198-story.html|access-date=January 5, 2018|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 30, 1986}}</ref>

In June 1990, [[Qintex Entertainment]] sold its stake in HR Broadcasting Co., which owned WTTO and WCGV, to ABRY Communications for over $40 million.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-06-fi-711-story.html | first=Alan | last=Citron | title=Qintex Entertainment to Sell Virtually All of Its Assets | date=June 6, 1990|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=December 31, 2017}}</ref> ABRY was successful in winning the Fox affiliation from WDBB, which moved to WTTO on September 1, 1990.<ref name="Birm900810">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834747/fox-move-could-boost-wtto-tv/|date=August 10, 1990|page=A9|first=Cherry|last=Rich|title=Fox move could boost WTTO-TV|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416082737/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99834747/fox-move-could-boost-wtto-tv/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> As a result of their financial difficulties, WDBB and WNAL began simulcasting WTTO on January 30, 1991. Several stronger WDBB syndicated programs were added to WTTO's schedule as a result.<ref name="Birm910130">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98928585/wdbb-17-now-airing-wtto-21-programs/|date=January 30, 1991|page=D10|first=Cherry|last=Rich|title=WDBB-17 now airing WTTO-21 programs|newspaper=Birmingham Post-Herald|location=Birmingham, Alabama|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416082738/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98928585/wdbb-17-now-airing-wtto-21-programs/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Wed --> In addition to programming contracts, WTTO also purchased WDBB's Birmingham business offices and W62BG, a translator improving service in parts of the city.<ref name="Tusc910130">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VjgdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2aUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6474%2C6462163|page=8C|first=Max|last=Heine|work=The Tuscaloosa News|title=WDBB-TV back in Tuscaloosa|date=January 30, 1991|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416082738/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VjgdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2aUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6474%2C6462163|url-status=live}}</ref> The structure of WTTO's relationship with WDBB and WNAL changed to one of an affiliation; the stations also had the ability to air some of their own programming.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-07-08.pdf|pages=43–44|title=Independent TV's atypical ABRY Communications|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155952/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-07-08.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The three stations functioned as a regional network of their own, providing coverage comparable to WBRC and WVTM-TV.

By 1993, Abry had purchased WDBB and WNAL outright and converted both stations into full-time satellites of WTTO. WDBB then relocated its transmitter facilities to a tower in Moundville and reduced its transmitter power to reduce overlap with WTTO, but continued to maintain Bessemer as its city of license. That same year, WTTO entered into a [[local marketing agreement]] with WABM, which had been sold a few months earlier to a locally based group. By 1994, WTTO had become one of the highest-rated Fox affiliates in the country, and managed to overtake CBS affiliate WBMG as the third-highest-rated television station in central Alabama. Late that year, both WDBB and WNAL began airing separate programming during the daytime and late evening hours, consisting of syndicated sitcoms, drama and animated series that WTTO did not hold the rights to broadcast as well as local newscasts.

In 1994, Abry Communications merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which—in addition to acquiring WTTO and WDBB—also assumed the rights to the local marketing agreement with WABM. At that time, the station moved its operations into WABM's facilities on Beacon Parkway West. In 1995, WNAL was purchased by Fant Broadcasting, but it continued to simulcast WTTO's programming through a time brokerage agreement.