Editing WBAL-TV (section)

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WBAL-TV<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WBAL|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WBAL|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 11.1 
| [[1080i]] || rowspan="5" | [[16:9]] || WBAL-DT || [[NBC]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 11.2 
| rowspan="4" | [[480i]] || MeTV || [[MeTV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 11.3 
| Story || [[Story Television]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 11.4 
| GetTV || [[Get (TV network)|GET]]
|- style="background-color: #f2d1de;"
! scope = "row" | 11.5 
| QVC || [[QVC Over Air]] [[File:4 rounded rect pink.svg|14px|alt=MPEG-4 video|link=MPEG-4 Part 2]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope = "row" | [[WNUV|54.3]] 
| rowspan=2|480i || rowspan=2|16:9 || Comet || [[Comet (TV network)|Comet]] ([[WNUV]])
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;"
! scope = "row" | [[WNUV|54.4]] 
| TheNest || [[The Nest (TV network)|The Nest]] ([[WNUV]])
|}
{{legend|#f2d1de|Subchannel broadcast with [[MPEG-4 Part 2|MPEG-4 video]]}}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}

WBAL-TV carries a [[digital subchannel]] on 11.2,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ravens Draft Special Airs Saturday On WBAL-TV|date=April 23, 2009|url=http://www.wbaltv.com/sports/19250361/detail.html|access-date=October 9, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930075341/http://www.wbaltv.com/sports/19250361/detail.html|archive-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref> which launched in August 2005 as "11 Insta-Weather Plus", an affiliate of [[NBC Weather Plus]] until the network dissolved in November 2008; after that, the subchannel carried automated local and regional weather information provided by NBC Plus until April 2009, when an alternate programming format was adopted featuring local weather information, newscasts and other special programming. On March 5, 2012, WBAL launched a 10 p.m. newscast on the subchannel (which was renamed "WBAL Plus" the previous year).<ref name="WBAL Plus">[https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/columnists/zurawik/bal-wbal-tv-10-pm-newscast-kate-amara-digital-channel-20120207-story.html#:~:text=WBAL%2DTV%2C%20which%20has%20seen,the%20station%20will%20announce%20Wednesday. WBAL-TV to launch 10 p.m. newscast with Kate Amara March 5], ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'', February 8, 2012.</ref>

On July 24, 2012, Hearst Television renewed its affiliation agreement with [[MeTV]] through 2015, to maintain existing affiliations with eight Hearst-owned stations that were already carrying the digital multicast network. As part of the renewal, Hearst also signed agreements to add the network as digital subchannels of WBAL-TV and sister stations [[KCRA-TV]] in [[Sacramento]], WCVB-TV in Boston, [[KOCO-TV]] in [[Oklahoma City]] and [[WXII-TV]] in [[Greensboro]].<ref>[https://tvnewscheck.com/uncategorized/article/me-tv-adds-five-more-hearst-stations/ Me-TV Adds Five More Hearst Stations], ''TVNewsCheck'', July 24, 2012.</ref> MeTV was added to subchannel 11.2 on September 10, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=MeTV Comes to Maryland on WBAL-TV|website=WBAL-TV 11|date=September 4, 2015|url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/metv-comes-to-maryland-on-wbal-tv/7095769}}</ref>

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WBAL-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 11, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition [[UHF]] channel 59, which was among the high band UHF channels (52–69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era assignment of VHF channel 11.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FCCForm387">{{Cite web|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101231254&formid=387&fac_num=65696|title=CDBS Print|website=licensing.fcc.gov}}</ref><ref name="Form 387 Attachment">{{cite web|title=DTV Transition Plan|publisher=FCC|url= http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=619245 |access-date=October 9, 2009}}</ref> Several VHF digital stations received permission for a power increase later that month after stations experienced signal problems as a result of changing their digital channel from UHF to VHF. WBAL-TV chose to test its equipment before making a commitment.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/boise-station-gets-power-boost-46927|title=Boise station gets power boost|last=Eggerton|first=John|date=June 29, 2009|work=Broadcasting & Cable|access-date=December 27, 2022}}</ref>

As a part of the [[Spectrum reallocation#Repacking|repacking]] process following the [[Spectrum reallocation#Broadcast incentive auction|2016-2017 FCC incentive auction]], WBAL-TV relocated to VHF channel 12 on July 2, 2020, using [[virtual channel]] 11.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nab.org/repacking/clearinghouse.asp |title = Searchable Clearinghouse {{!}} National Association of Broadcasters}}</ref> WJZ-TV concurrently moved to channel 11, WBAL-TV's former digital channel before the repacking.