WGTU

WGTU and WGTQ
WGTU: Traverse City–Cadillac, Michigan; WGTQ: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; ; United States;
Channels for WGTU	Digital: 29 (UHF); Virtual: 29;
Channels for WGTQ	Digital: 8 (VHF); Virtual: 8;
Branding	ABC 29&8 (general); UpNorthLive News on ABC 29&8 (newscasts); TV 7&4 (29.2/8.2);
Programming
Affiliations	29.1/8.1: ABC; 29.2/8.2: NBC; for others, see § Subchannels;
Ownership
Owner	Sinclair Broadcast Group; (WGTU Licensee, LLC);
Sister stations	WPBN-TV / WTOM-TV
History
First air date	WGTU: August 18, 1971; WGTQ: October 29, 1976;
Former channel number	WGTU: Analog: 29 (UHF, 1971–2009); Digital: 31 (UHF, until 2009); ; WGTQ: Analog: 8 (VHF, 1976–2009); Digital: 9 (VHF, until 2009); ;
Former affiliations	CW+ (29.2/8.2, 2006−2009); Comet (29.2/8.2, 2015–2021);
Call sign meaning	WGTU: Grand Traverse UHF; WGTQ: Disambiguation of WGTU;
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	WGTU: 59280; WGTQ: 59279;
ERP	WGTU: 68.4 kW; WGTQ: 15 kW;
HAAT	WGTU: 393 m (1,289 ft); WGTQ: 288 m (945 ft);
Transmitter coordinates	WGTU: 44°44′53″N 85°4′8″W / 44.74806°N 85.06889°W; WGTQ: 46°3′8″N 84°6′38″W / 46.05222°N 84.11056°W;
Translators	WPBN-TV 7.2 Traverse City; WTOM-TV 4.2 Cheboygan;
Links
Public license information	WGTU: Public file; LMS; ; WGTQ: Public file; LMS; ;
Website	upnorthlive.com

WGTU (channel 29) in Traverse City, Michigan, and WGTQ (channel 8) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, collectively branded ABC 29&8, are television stations serving as the ABC affiliates for the northern Lower and eastern Upper peninsulas of Michigan. They are owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, alongside NBC affiliates WPBN-TV and WTOM-TV. The stations share studios on M-72 just west of Traverse City; WGTU's transmitter is located east of Kalkaska, Michigan, and WGTQ's transmitter is near Goetzville in southeastern Chippewa County, in addition to simulcasts on WPBN-TV and WTOM-TV's transmitters. The two stations, together known with WPBN/WTOM as "UpNorthLive", carry the same programming and serve one of the largest television markets east of the Mississippi River.

WGTU went on the air in 1970 and provided full ABC network service to Traverse City for the first time; WGTQ followed in 1976. Prior to WPBN/WTOM taking over many operational functions for WGTU/WGTQ in 2007, the stations aired very little local programming, with two attempts at full local newscasts having failed to garner ratings. The UpNorthLive newsroom produces one dedicated local newscast for WGTU/WGTQ.