WTZT-CA
Encyclopedia
WTZT-CA, known under the branding ZTV11, is a Class A television station
in Athens, Alabama
, broadcasting locally on channel 11. Founded on November 2, 1988, the station is owned by Jamie Cooper and wife Gloria, both of whom also host a morning show on the station. Despite its status as a Class A broadcaster, the station can be seen on numerous cable systems in northern Alabama.
Cooper began his broadcasting career with the Huntsville
City Schools ETV unit in 1974. Some years later, he began doing human interest features on the newscasts of Huntsville ABC
affiliate WAAY-TV
(under the name "The Country Rover"). This led to another show on the station in the early 1990s, WAAY Too Early, a comedy-variety program, which he co-hosted with then-weather anchor Gary Dobbs (who has since returned to WAAY). Cooper later left to be on his own, first brokering the show, now titled Cooper and Company, to Huntsville's WAFF-TV and later Florence's
WOWL-TV (now WHDF
). The current version on his station features a variety of music, comedy, sports reports, and cooking segments.
WTZT-CA carries a mix of programming consisting of sports, movies, children's shows, religious programs, classic television reruns, home improvement programs, and a few other variety programs. The station also airs Cooper's Country Rover reports from the 1980s, repackaged into an hour of episodes; sometimes other locally produced programs air on ZTV-11 also.
Before Cooper purchased the station, it was owned by Athens Broadcasting, along with WVNN and WZYP
radio stations, both longtime properties of the Bill and Mary Dunnavant family.
After owning the station for several years now, Gloria Cooper has branched off into the print industry. Her company, Image Marketing, Inc., publishes magazines such as Who's Who In Athens, Limestone County, Who's Who In Marshall County, Who's Who In The Shoals and Who's Who On The Tennessee River.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in Athens, Alabama
Athens, Alabama
Athens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 24,234...
, broadcasting locally on channel 11. Founded on November 2, 1988, the station is owned by Jamie Cooper and wife Gloria, both of whom also host a morning show on the station. Despite its status as a Class A broadcaster, the station can be seen on numerous cable systems in northern Alabama.
Cooper began his broadcasting career with the Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
City Schools ETV unit in 1974. Some years later, he began doing human interest features on the newscasts of Huntsville ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WAAY-TV
WAAY-TV
WAAY-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Tennessee Valley area of North Alabama that is licensed to Huntsville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter at its Monte Sano Boulevard studios on top of Monte Sano Mountain. Calkins Media owns...
(under the name "The Country Rover"). This led to another show on the station in the early 1990s, WAAY Too Early, a comedy-variety program, which he co-hosted with then-weather anchor Gary Dobbs (who has since returned to WAAY). Cooper later left to be on his own, first brokering the show, now titled Cooper and Company, to Huntsville's WAFF-TV and later Florence's
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
WOWL-TV (now WHDF
WHDF
WHDF is The CW affiliate in northern Alabama, airing on channel 15. WHDF is under the ownership of Lockwood Broadcasting.WHDF's studios are located in Florence, and the station maintains a Huntsville sales office on Andrew Jackson Way, in the Five Points neighborhood...
). The current version on his station features a variety of music, comedy, sports reports, and cooking segments.
WTZT-CA carries a mix of programming consisting of sports, movies, children's shows, religious programs, classic television reruns, home improvement programs, and a few other variety programs. The station also airs Cooper's Country Rover reports from the 1980s, repackaged into an hour of episodes; sometimes other locally produced programs air on ZTV-11 also.
Before Cooper purchased the station, it was owned by Athens Broadcasting, along with WVNN and WZYP
WZYP
WZYP is an adult-oriented Top 40 music-formatted radio station licensed to serve Athens, Alabama, and broadcasting in the Huntsville, Alabama, area. The station is owned by Cumulus Media...
radio stations, both longtime properties of the Bill and Mary Dunnavant family.
After owning the station for several years now, Gloria Cooper has branched off into the print industry. Her company, Image Marketing, Inc., publishes magazines such as Who's Who In Athens, Limestone County, Who's Who In Marshall County, Who's Who In The Shoals and Who's Who On The Tennessee River.