WNGN-LPchannel 35 and WNGX-LD channel 42 are low-powertelevision stations in the Albany/Schenectady/Troy, New York market. The stations are owned by Brian A. Larson. WNGN is licensed to Troy, while WNGX is licensed to Schenectady and is officially considered to be a WNGN translator. WNGN-LP started as W04AT, then received the call-sign and channel W26BL on channel 26 on September 21, 1994, before receiving its current channel and call-sign on December 23, 1994. In 1992, Larson acquired WNGN-LP, a small TV translator in Hoosick Falls, that rebroadcast educational programming for the Hoosick Falls Central School District. He applied to switch the city of license to Troy, NY, and eventually moved the transmitter to its current site on Bald Mountain. WNGX-LD started with an experimental license and callsign of 940414FX on January 18, 1996. It was upgraded to become W04DA on channel 4 later that same day. On July 13, 1998, the station was upgraded again to become WGNX-LP and gained its current channel allocation. On September 11, 2009, the station converted to digital broadcasting and its call sign changed to WNGX-LD. Larson holds a construction permit to convert the station to a Low-power Digital transmitter with an effective radiated power of only 0.14 kW. He will retain the analog channel number by using what is known as digital flash. WTEN-DT has decided to use channel 35 for its digital home, thus displacing WNGN-LP from the dial. Under the Commission's rules, low power stations must surrender their channel to a full power applicant. On February 2, 2007, WNGN-LP applied to move its analog channel to 38. This is the second time WTEN has displaced WNGN-LP. For over ten years WNGN-LP broadcast on channel 26 until that was designated for WTEN to use for digital transmissions causing WNGN-LP to move to channel 35.
History
The table of allotments for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro originally designated channel 35 as a reserved non-commercial channel. Local public station WMHT had expressed interest in the allotment for years but switched focus to digital upgrades on channel 17. Prior to being reserved for noncommercial use, channel 35 originally signed on the air in 1952 as the first UHF station in the region. After only two years on the air the station failed because most television receivers were incapable of receiving UHF signals. The owners switched to VHFChannel 13 in Saratoga Springs which later moved to Albany, where today they still operate as NBC affiliate WNYT. WNGN-LP also transmits on channel 35 from the same tower and transmitter building as the original 35 used. For the station's entire history, WNGN was affiliated with FamilyNet. FamilyNet ceased network operations in 2017 when it transitioned to the subscription-only Cowboy Channel.
