History and Programming
The low-powered station that is currently WWME-CA started as W23AT, a translator of WFBT. Until January 1, 2005, WFBT-CA was a brokered-time ethnic station. This was originally the format of sister station WCIU from 1964 until December 31, 1994.
The "Me-TV" moniker originated on then-WFBT-CA as a block of TV shows from 12-3 p.m. This consisted of shows like Jack Benny, Sergeant Bilko, Carol Burnett, Maude, and One Day at a Time. The Me-TV branding was never used on WCIU. This block of programming underwent several changes adding and subtracting shows and expanding time periods.
On January 1, 2005, Weigel rechristened Chicago ethnic station as WWME-CA, and began carrying the Me-TV lineup full-time. The station's former ethnic programming and call letters (WFBT Chicago) moved to channel 48. On March 1, 2008, that station became WMEU-CA and became MeToo, an extension of the original station. The two low-power stations also air locally on WCIU-TV's digital subchannels. Initially, the two stations ran similar schedules, but by 2008, one would air sitcoms while the other aired dramas, and vice-versa. WWME also broadcasts Chicago Public Schools Public League events.
On March 11, 2008 WWME-CA signed on RF channel 39 at 1.8kW becoming Chicago's first low-power digital station. From early 2009 to December 2010, its subchannel on the WCIU-DT signal also appeared as Virtual Channel 23.1, while WWME-CA was mapped to virtual channel 23.2.
On September 14, 2009, Me Too to aired many off-network dramatic programs (such as Perry Mason, Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Twilight Zone). The original Me-TV likewise switched to a sitcom-intensive format (running such shows as The Bernie Mac Show, All in the Family, The Three Stooges and Frasier).
On December 1, 2010, WCIU dropped their FBT foreign broadcasting digital subchannel and for two weeks aired a simulcast of WCIU-TV on WCIU digital subchannel 26.6. The new digital subchannel, The U Too, was officially launched on January 5, 2011. The new digital network is airing on WCIU digital subchannel 26.2, replacing Me-TV, which moved to WCIU digital subchannel 26.3 on December 15, 2010. Digital subchannel 26.6 disappeared on that day while 26.2 aired a simulcast of WCIU-TV. In addition, PSIP channel 48.1 was discontinued (to be later used by the future WMEU-CA) while 23.1 reverted to being the virtual channel number for WWME-CA (23.2 was also discontinued). WWME added Bounce TV on its September 2011 launch as part of affiliation agreement with Weigel Broadcasting.
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