Work began on launching WATC TV back in 1984 when Dr. James
(Jimmy) and Joanne Thompson applied to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) for the construction permit
for the station. The couple had successfully launched several
Christian television stations before, beginning with WGGS TV in
Greenville, South Carolina which signed on the air in October
1972. They saw this as a great opportunity to expand into Atlanta.

The FCC initially granted the construction permit for WATC to
another broadcast group, but the Thompsons were able to obtain
it when the original group was unable to build the station and the
permit became available again. So work began on the station and
WATC TV signed on the air on April 14, 1996, providing Atlanta
with a new broadcast channel featuring a mix of family, Christian
and educational programming.

The station initially operated out of a facility in Woodstock, Georgia which was located near the Sweat Mountain transmitter site. Renovation work was underway during that time at its current facility located in Norcross, Georgia.

WATC quickly became known to viewers as the home of Atlanta Live, the station’s nightly live program showcasing local ministries, musicians and civic leaders. This flagship series of WATC, initially hosted by Jimmy and Joanne, premiered in January 1997 at the Woodstock facility. In June of that year, the program moved to the Norcross studio where it is still being produced today. In December 2005, one hour of the two-hour broadcast was picked up by NRB Network and is seen across the United States.

The station continued expanding its broadcast signal in the late 90s and is now seen over the air throughout the metro Atlanta market and also in over one million cable homes.

WATC also expanded its production of original programming to include the long-running series The Bobby Hurd Show, Friends & Neighbors, The Gravedigger Show and Babbie’s House. Many of these programs are seen across the United States and around the world on various broadcast stations and satellite networks. WATC has been honored with numerous Angel and Telly Awards for its productions.

As a community-minded television station, WATC has been involved in helping meet the needs of the community through its First Works Outreach. For many years, the station has partnered with many non-profit organizations to provide food, clothing and other assistance as needed. The First Works’ Love of Life concert events helped to raise funds for community-oriented non-profit organizations.

In April 2006, WATC celebrated its tenth anniversary with a week-long retrospective. During this time, Jimmy and Joanne reminisced about the challenges of starting the station, laughed about their difficulty in dealing with Atlanta traffic, and praised God for the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Christian television.

Jimmy and Joanne would like to thank you for watching WATC TV and for partnering together with them. They, along with the WATC staff, are excited about the future of the station and the new opportunities ahead.