Time warner is to dispose of its broadcast station in Atlanta, Georgia, in order to side-step potential problems with the FCC over its planned merger with AT&T. Meredith Corp is the buyer for a reported $70 million.

But the sale brings to an end a long tradition of Time Warner – and Ted Turner’s – links with WTBS, now called WPCH, as its only FCC regulated broadcast station. Selling WTBS/WPCH means that Time Warner now has no major FCC broadcasting licenses under its ownership.  Meredith Corp has been running the station since 2011.

WTBS was Ted Turner’s first significant station and established in 1970, and he used the station as a national feed and Turner was one of the very first broadcasters (1976) to tap into the reach of satellite TV. He renamed the feed as Superstation WTBS and over time this name morphed into TBS, and was the TV home of the Atlanta Braves baseball, Atlanta Hawks basketball and professional wrestling.

Turner Broadcasting was acquired by Time Warner in 1996.

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