WLFT

WLFT-CD, virtual and UHF digital channel 30, is a low-powered, Class A flagship SonLife- affiliated television station serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States that is licensed to Baker. The station is owned by Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center. The station's transmitter is located in Interstate 10 near Siegen Lane across from TopGolf.

The station originally had its studios at 13567 Plank Road in Baker, Louisiana; however, once sold to Red Stick Broadcasting, WLFT's studios moved to downtown Baton Rouge at 334 North 3rd Street.

History

WLFT started as Cox cable channel 4, with programming from the Pax network in 1998. It also broadcast local religious programming on cable channel 17 and over the air on channel 52, as "WLFT/2". It was launched by the Bethany World Prayer Center under their company Touch Family Broadcasting, and the call sign originally stood for Lifeline Family Television after Bethany's flagship program. Other call acronyms used during the era of Touch Family Broadcasting included Louisiana Family Television and later Local Free TV until 2019 when it stop using a slogan.

In 2002, WLFT converted to all-religious programming and Pax was moved to cable channel 14 (now on 70), as a direct network feed. The station also aired some programming from FamilyNet. In November of that year, WLFT-CA launched its new tower, allowing the station to increase its signal strength and reach more homes in communities like Hammond, Gonzales, New Roads and St. Francisville.

In fall 2005, WLFT-CA would relocate from channel 52 (where the signal wasn't as strong) to channel 30.

In July 2011, the station converted to digital and began to carry programming from MeTV during the late-afternoon through early morning hours.

In the fall of 2011, the station launched a second HD subchannel, 30.2, which carried MeTV's entire lineup.

WLFT launched a third subchannel on October 3, 2012, which carried The Country Network (present-day Zuus Country). One year later, on October 2, 2013, Zuus Country was removed in favor of TV Scout. TV Scout was removed in July 2014 in favor of GetTV, which remained on channel 30.3 until late June 2017 before being replaced with the Home Shopping Network on July 1, 2017. On January 1, 2019, the Home Shopping Network was removed, and WLFT became a charter affiliate for NewsNet, airing the network on this subchannel.

In August 2013, the station added the African-American centered Soul of the South Network to its fourth subchannel. On September 14, 2016, WLFT brought Antenna TV programming to Baton Rouge on channel 30.4.

As of 2017, channel 30.1 primarily airs MeTV, some religious programming and infomercials scattered throughout the day, and select programs from Antenna TV during primetime and NewsNet from 6:30 AM to 8 AM every weekday with local news segments every half hour.

As of 2018, channel 30.1 (Cox 117) began carrying more original, local programming, especially a Thursday night lined up of original shows: A Better Life, Black & White, Let's Talk About Dogs, Kel's Cars and Colorado Xtreme. On June 28, 2021, WLFT lost its MeTV affiliation to a subchannel of MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH, and so it moved its Antenna TV affiliation to its main channel, took channel 30.2 dark, and duplicated Antenna TV feed on 30.3 full time, and shifted its NewsNet feed to 30.4.

On September 22, 2021, Touch Family Broadcasting sold the station to Red Stick Broadcasting, owned by WLFT station manager Lucas Fry and Kerry Denny. When this happened, Antenna TV disappeared from the station's main feed with its primary feed reverted to channel 30.4, Newsnet was moved back to 30.3, and the main channel aired a mixture of movies from Soul of the South Network, independent films produced and/or filmed in Louisiana, and other local and syndicated programming, including Newsnet during the morning hours. Red Stick Broadcasting also branded WLFT as "Live Festival Television," providing coverage of numerous festivals, parades, tailgating, and other events throughout South Louisiana. On November 1, 2021, WLFT simulcast its main feed in standard definition on the fourth subchannel of New Orleans Telemundo station KGLA, and it brought Telemundo programming to Baton Rouge for the first time by airing a standard definition simulcast (later upgraded to high definition by April 2022) of KGLA on channel 30.2.

On October 3, 2022, Lucas Fry filed an application with the FCC to sell WLFT to Jimmy Swaggart's Family Worship Center. The FCC granted this licensure transfer on November 15, 2022. On December 5, 2022, WLFT's main channel began simulcasting Sonlife Broadcasting Network's programming.https://www.instagram.com/p/ClzBWW9DmRB/

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

WLFT 30 over-air broadcasts 4 channels:
* Channel 30.1, WLFT currently broadcasts Sonlife. 30.1 is also carried by Cox Cable in greater Baton Rouge on 117, Eatel in Ascension and Livingston on 130, and Eatel in Plaquemine on 35.
* Channel 30.2 carried full-time MeTV, a retro television network, until June 2021. The channel was dark until November 1, 2021 when KGLA's signal was simulcast on said channel.
* Channel 30.3 is full-time NewsNet, the first 24/7 over-the-air news network.
* Channel 30.4 is full-time Antenna TV, a retro television network.

WLFT also maintains a web site a
WLFT.com
as well as a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram account.

References

External links

Official website
*

{{Other Louisiana Stations

Television stations in Louisiana
Telemundo network affiliates
Antenna TV affiliates
Television channels and stations established in 1998
Low-power television stations in the United States
NewsNet affiliates