its own market. On July 30, 1999, WTVA began its digital service on UHF channel 57 but is mapped via PSIP to virtual channel 9, that service would move to VHF channel 8 on July 24, 2008. By comparison, sister station WLOV broadcasts network programming in high definition over a low-powered digital transmitter. It is likely the allowable power levels on channel 8, WTVA's post-transition digital channel, will be severely limited due to potential interference to other stations. Previously, FamilyNet was carried on WTVA-DT2 until December 31, 2011, when it was replaced by MeTV. The subchannel again switched affiliations, this time to ABC, on September 1, 2012; the subchannel replaced WKDH as the ABC affiliate for the Columbus-Tupelo-West Point market, which ceased operations the night before on August 31. The MeTV affiliation was moved to sister-station WLOV-DT 27.2. Heartland Media announced on September 16, 2014 that it would purchase WTVA from the Spain family, ending 57 years of local ownership. Heartland Media assumed control of the station on February 11, 2015. Allen Media Broadcasting, in turn, purchased Heartland in 2020, bringing WTVA into its portfolio. Digital television Digital channels The station's digital signal is multiplexed: Programming Syndicated programming on the station includes Wheel of Fortune, Dr. Phil, Inside Edition, and Jeopardy!. Newscasts In March 2000, WTVA began producing a Sunday through Friday night prime time newscast on WLOV-TV. Currently known as WTVA 9 News on WLOV, this broadcast can be seen for an hour on weekdays and half an hour on weekends. That newscast was expanded to seven nights a week on July 1, 2017. WLOV also airs WTVA 9 News on WLOV from 6-9 a.m., produced by WTVA that competes with a sixty-minute show seen on The CW affiliate WCBI-DT3. On April 20, 2009, WTVA became the first station in the market and second in the state to upgrade local news to high definition level (WLOV's show was included). Compared nationwide, it was the smallest market outlet that made the change. With the addition of ABC network programming on WTVA-DT2, the subchannel also airs local news programming as per the terms of its affiliation agreement, featuring simulcasts of most local newscasts seen on the primary channel. More specifically, WTVA's half-hour weekday newscasts at noon and 6 p.m. and its one-hour news and talk program Kay Bain's Saturday Mornin' Show is not seen on WTVA-DT2. WTVA-DT2 does, however, air an