▁assigned ▁two ▁commercial ▁V H F ▁channels ▁plus ▁one ▁non - com mer cial ▁V H F ▁channel , ▁the ▁H att ies burg – La ure l ▁market ▁was ▁sand wich ed ▁between ▁Alexand ria , ▁Louisiana ▁( channel ▁ 5 ) ▁and ▁New ▁Orleans ▁( ch annels ▁ 4 , ▁ 6 , ▁ 8 , ▁and ▁ 1 2 ) ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁G ulf port – B il ox i ▁( channel ▁ 1 3 ) ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁Jackson , ▁Mississippi ▁( ch annels ▁ 3 ▁and ▁ 1 2 ) ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁and ▁Mer id ian ▁( channel ▁ 1 1 ) ▁and ▁Mobile – P ens ac ola ▁( ch annels ▁ 3 , ▁ 5 , ▁and ▁ 1 0 ) ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁H att ies burg ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁media ▁mark ets ▁that ▁were ▁assigned ▁only ▁one ▁V H F ▁channel . ▁W D AM ▁was ▁fort un ate ▁enough ▁to ▁gain ▁that ▁license , ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁became ▁the ▁only ▁television ▁station ▁to ▁be ▁based ▁in ▁H att ies burg ▁until ▁WH LT ▁( channel ▁ 2 2 ) ▁signed ▁on ▁the ▁air ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁Although ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁station ▁operating ▁on ▁channel ▁ 2 ▁in ▁the ▁immediate ▁area , ▁it ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁St ark ville ▁and ▁Bat on ▁Rou ge , ▁which ▁are ▁too ▁close ▁to ▁H att ies burg ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁such