Founded in 1953 by George Rankin Jr. and the Southeastern Broadcasting Company, WMAZ-TV came into being to bring the very first television signal to the people of Middle Georgia. The idea sparked when Rankin, who was a physics professor at Mercer University, decided to expand his already successful radio station into the new world of television. He wanted to use the latest technology to provide news and entertainment to the local community, launching the station just in time to broadcast the World Series that year. Today, the station is owned and operated by TEGNA Inc. Today, WMAZ is run by a team of long-time anchors and meteorologists and is mainly focused on local news, severe weather, high school sports, and positive community stories. They are based in Macon, Georgia, and serve as the primary news source for the Central Georgia region, covering numerous counties in the heart of the state. One interesting fact: A unique fact about WMAZ is the secret message hidden in its name. The call letters W-M-A-Z actually stand for "Watch Mercer Attain Zenith." This name was chosen in the 1920s when the station began as a radio physics project at Mercer University, and the students wanted to brag that their school was reaching the highest point (the zenith) of success.