timeslots when CBS had only limited sports programming (namely PGA Tour golf, tennis, NASCAR auto racing, and an expanded college basketball schedule). The station dropped UPN programming after Sumter-licensed WQHB (channel 63, now MyNetworkTV affiliate WKTC) signed on in September 1997. Gannett ownership In 1998, Lewis Broadcasting sold WLTX to the Gannett Company. Gannett invested heavily in WLTX, doubling the size of the station in 2001 and providing the staff with all new news gathering equipment. Soon after taking control, Gannett hired longtime WIS meteorologist Jim Gandy to serve as the station's chief meteorologist. However, since Gandy was initially prohibited from appearing on the station's newscasts until a one-year non-compete clause in his WIS contract expired, Gannett used him as a consultant at WLTX and to serve as a substitute meteorologist at the company's other stations, including WXIA-TV in Atlanta and WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. In 2002, WLTX became the flagship broadcaster of the South Carolina Education Lottery. Digital broadcasting In May 2002, the station was the first commercial station in Columbia to broadcast in digital. WLTX's broadcasts became digital-only, effective June 12, 2009. Viewers who receive the over-the-air signal continue to see it as channel 19, although the digital transmission is on channel 15. Dispute with Dish Network In October 2012, Gannett entered a dispute against Dish Network regarding compensation fees and Dish's AutoHop commercial-skip feature on its Hopper digital video recorders. Gannett ordered that Dish discontinue AutoHop on the account that it is affecting advertising revenues for WLTX. Gannett threatened to pull all of its stations (such as WLTX) should the skirmish continue beyond October 7 and Dish and Gannett fail to reach an agreement. The two parties eventually reached an agreement after extending the deadline for a few hours. On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split in two, with one side specializing in print media and the other side specializing in broadcast and digital media. WLTX was retained by the latter company, named Tegna. Programming WLTX clears the entire CBS schedule, but airs the CBS Dream Team block two hours earlier (although the third hour of the block is aired by the station on Sunday mornings) and CBS Saturday Morning two hours later than most CBS stations in the time zone. Syndicated programs broadcast by WLTX include 25 Words or Less, The Jennifer Hudson Show and Inside Edition. News operation WLTX presently broadcasts 30½ hours of