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Heroes & Icons

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Heroes & Icons
TypeDigital broadcast television network
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide coverage: 83%[1]
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format720p (HDTV)
480i (SDTV On most OTA affiliates)
Ownership
OwnerWeigel Broadcasting
ParentH&I National Limited Partnership[2]
Key people
Sister channelsCatchy Comedy
Dabl
MeTV
MeTV+
MeTV Toons
Movies!
Start TV
Story Television
History
LaunchedSeptember 28, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-09-28)
Links
Websitewww.handitv.com
Availability
Terrestrial
See List of affiliates
Streaming media
Service(s)Frndly TV, Philo, Sling TV, DirecTV Stream

Heroes & Icons (H&I) is an American digital multicast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Usually carried on the digital subchannels of its affiliated television station in most markets, the network airs classic television series from the 1950s through the 2000s, with a focus on action/adventure, westerns, crime dramas, sci-fi, and superhero programming.

H&I operates from Weigel Broadcasting's headquarters on North Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois, and is essentially an offshoot of MeTV – the general classic TV digital networks also owned by Weigel.[3]

History

[edit]

Heroes & Icons was soft-launched with limited advanced promotion on September 28, 2014, as a diginet of Weigel-owned stations WWME-CD (channel 23.2) and WCIU-TV (channel 26.4) in Chicago, and WMLW-TV (channel 49.3) in Milwaukee. Heroes & Icons was created at the request of the affiliates of Weigel's existing networks, to increase their programming options.[3]

The network also launched in the South Bend, Indiana market, along with the major cable providers in the Chicago and Milwaukee markets (including Comcast Xfinity, RCN and Time Warner Cable) using existing carriage.[3] Weigel opted to soft launch H&I in order to fine-tune its schedule, along with adding additional programming to the fledgling network.[4] With the network having settled on a more stabilized schedule, Weigel moved the Heroes & Icons affiliation in Milwaukee to the third subchannel of CBS affiliate WDJT-TV (channel 58) on March 5, 2015, with This TV – which previously occupied the 58.3 space – moving to WMLW-DT3 in its place.[5] Fox Television Stations expanded its relationship with Weigel beyond Movies!, adding it to eleven of their stations in the fourth quarter of 2015.[6] A list of 2019 Nielsen ratings published by Variety indicated that Heroes & Icons averaged 196,000 viewers in prime time, up 18% from the 2018 average.[7]

Programming

[edit]

H&I's program schedule features a mix of police procedurals, westerns, science fiction, superhero and action/adventure-themed programs.[3] The network also carries a three-hour block of children's programming on Sunday mornings to fulfill FCC mandated E/I obligations.

Since 2016, a prominent staple in H&I's lineup is the airing of five live action classic Star Trek series (The Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise) Sunday through Friday evenings.

Weekdays feature a western block in the morning, followed by the "Day Shift" binge block of various crime dramas and action/adventure shows through the afternoon (a different show every day), a three-hour block of Walker, Texas Ranger early evenings, and the Star Trek block primetime through late evenings.

Weekends feature a morning DC Comics-based superhero block, featuring The Adventures of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.[8]

A military block airs Saturday nights, with war themed programs such as Black Sheep Squadron, Combat!, Rat Patrol, and Tour of Duty.

Affiliates

[edit]

As of July 2016, Heroes & Icons has current affiliation agreements with television stations in 63 media markets encompassing 33 states, covering 69.21% of the United States.[9] The network is carried on the digital subchannels of television stations in most of its markets (with current exceptions including St. George, Utah O&O KCSG, which has widespread cable and satellite coverage in the Salt Lake City market and throughout Utah. The network is also carried on cable television providers through their digital tiers at the discretion of the affiliate's parent station in certain markets, and in 2020, Heroes & Icons is available nationwide on DISH Network channel 293.

In South Bend, Indiana, where Weigel Broadcasting owns three television stations (ABC affiliate WBND-LD, CW affiliate WCWW-LD and MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYS-LD), the network is instead carried by former Fox affiliate WSJV through an agreement with that station's owner Gray Television (it took over the main signal on October 1, 2016, as that station was under consideration to sell its spectrum in that year's spectrum auction, though it ultimately remained on the air). The network added additional stations by early December 2014, which in addition to WSJV, included KCSG in the Salt Lake City market (a station Weigel eventually purchased in 2017) and a digital subchannel of Des Moines CBS affiliate KCCI.[10]

On September 18, 2015, Weigel signed an affiliation agreement with Fox Television Stations to carry the network on subchannels of the group's Fox and MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated stations in eleven markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., beginning in the fourth quarter of 2015. Once all of the stations involved in the agreement affiliated with the network, H&I will expand its coverage to 52% of all U.S. households and availability in eight of the 10 largest Nielsen markets.[6] Weigel also maintains a secondary agreement with Spectrum to carry the network nationwide on that cable service, slotting the network's national feed on systems where a terrestrial affiliate does not exist or is not under contract to be carried.[citation needed]

In October 2020, Heroes & Icons was made available on Sling TV.[11] On April 19, 2022, Heroes & Icons began airing on the Frndly TV live streaming service.[12] On August 9, 2022, Heroes & Icons became available on Philo.[13]

On December 28, 2023, Heroes & Icons was made available nationwide also on DirecTV. [14]

Current affiliates

[edit]
City of license/market Station[9] Virtual
channel
Primary affiliation Owner Date of affiliation Notes

Alabama

[edit]
Anniston (Birmingham) WGWW 40.1 - Howard Stirk Holdings October 1, 2015 Replaced Heartland as primary affiliate;
maintains secondary affiliation with ABC
Montgomery WALE-LD 17.6 Montgomery Weather Channel (local weather) Allen Media Broadcasting August 11, 2015
Tuscaloosa (Birmingham) WSES 33.1 - Howard Stirk Holdings October 1, 2015
Alaska
Anchorage KTUU-TV 2.2 NBC Gray Television September 1, 2019 Previously carried on co-owned KYES-TV 5.3 since October 1, 2018 (with a soft launch on September 21, 2018).

Arizona

[edit]
Phoenix KSAZ-TV 10.3 Fox Fox Television Stations November 1, 2015
Tucson KTTU 18.3 MyNetworkTV Tegna

California

[edit]
Bakersfield KNXT-LD 53.4 MyNetworkTV My Central Valley, LLC 2022
Los Angeles KCOP 13.4 Fox Television Stations October 1, 2015
KSFV-CD 27.2 Jewelry Television Weigel Broadcasting February 28, 2022
Fresno KAIL 7.3 MyNetworkTV Aperio Communications, LLC
Monterey KBNY-LD 19.1 - Cocola Television
San FranciscoOaklandSan Jose KTLN-TV 68.1 - Weigel Broadcasting April 17, 2019
StocktonSacramento KQCA 58.2 The CW Hearst Television October 1, 2018

Colorado

[edit]
Denver KTVD 20.2 MyNetworkTV Tegna February 1, 2020 Replaced MeTV
Colorado SpringsPueblo KRDO-TV 13.7 ABC News-Press & Gazette Company May 1, 2017 Switched to 13.7 from 13.3 in May 1, 2024 because KRDO 13 News started airing on 13.3.
Glenwood Springs KREG-TV 3.1 MeTV Weigel Broadcasting July 2017

Connecticut

[edit]
Hartford and New Haven WHCT-LD 35.2 MeTV Weigel Broadcasting September 30, 2020

District of Columbia

[edit]
Washington, D.C. WDCA 20.3 MyNetworkTV Fox Television Stations October 3, 2015

Florida

[edit]
Fort Myers WBBH-TV 20.2 NBC Hearst Television
Jacksonville WFOX-TV 30.3 Fox Cox Media Group June 3, 2015
Miami WPLG 10.3 ABC BH Media January 2018
Orlando (Daytona Beach) WRBW 65.3 MyNetworkTV Fox Television Stations October 1, 2015
Panama City WECP-LD 18.3 CBS Gray Television January 2017
Tampa (Saint Petersburg/Clearwater) WTVT 13.4 Fox Fox Television Stations November 1, 2015

Georgia

[edit]
Bainbridge (Tallahassee) WTLH 49.1 - New Age Media April 30, 2018
Columbus WXTX 54.5 Fox American Spirit Media September 1, 2022
Perry/Macon WPGA-TV 58.2 MeTV Gray Television 2017
Toccoa/Atlanta (Athens) WGTA 32.2 Marquee Broadcasting

Hawaii

[edit]
Honolulu, Hawaii KITV 4.5 ABC Allen Media Group March 11, 2019

Idaho

[edit]
Boise KRID-LD 22.3 NewsMax TV Karlo Maalouf March 2, 2017 Began formally broadcasting on March 20, 2017
Pocatello/Idaho Falls KPIF 15.2 MeTV Pocatello Channel 15, LLC October 2, 2017

Illinois

[edit]
Chicago WWME-CD 23.2 MeTV Weigel Broadcasting September 28, 2014[3] Flagship station
WCIU-TV 26.4 - December 29, 2014 Full-power simulcast of WWME-CD2
Harrisburg WSIL-TV 3.2 ABC Allen Media Broadcasting January 3, 2018
Rockford WFBN-LD 35.1 Telemundo (on DT2) Weigel Broadcasting mid-2016 Replaced TouchVision
Springfield, Illinois
(St. Louis, Missouri)
WODK-LD 45.2 Cozi TV DTV America Dec 2016 or Jan 2017 Station is licensed to Springfield but transmits from suburban St. Louis; it does not transmit any signal to Springfield.

Indiana

[edit]
Evansville WZDS-LD 5.1 - Weigel Broadcasting
Elkhart (South Bend)[3] WSJV 28.1 Gray Television 2016 Formerly a Fox affiliate
Indianapolis WALV-CD 46.6 MeTV Tegna June 1, 2022 Carriage on WUDZ-LD ended on April 29, 2022, begins on WTHR 46.6 June 1, 2022

Iowa

[edit]
Cedar Rapids KWWL 7.2 NBC Allen Media Broadcasting August 2, 2021 Replaced The CW, which moved to KCRG-TV 9.3
Des Moines KCCI 8.3 CBS Hearst Television December 2014 Subchannel maintains secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV, pre-empting H&I prime time programming on weeknights[10]

Kansas

[edit]
Hutchinson/Wichita KWCH-DT 12.3 CBS Gray Television June 2017
Topeka WIBW-TV 13.3 February 28, 2019
KCMN-LD 42.2 Catchy Comedy DTV America Corporation

Kentucky

[edit]
Bowling Green WBGS-LD 34.3 Telemundo Gray Television January 31, 2023
Hazard (Lexington) WYMT-TV 57.2 CBS January 2017
Louisville WBNA 21.6 Independent Evangel World Prayer Center July 2015

Louisiana

[edit]
Alexandria KBCA 41.1 - Wilderness Communications July 1, 2015 Switched to 41.1 from 41.3 in September 2016 when the CW moved to a subchannel of NBC's KALB-TV due to an agreement between CW and Gray Television
Columbia/Monroe/El Dorado KMLU 11.2 MeTV Legacy Broadcasting January 2018
Lafayette/New Iberia/Baton Rouge KDCG-CD & KLWB 22.1 & 50.2 Delta Media Corporation July 1, 2015 replaced Antenna TV
New Orleans WUPL 54.3 MyNetworkTV Tegna

Maine

[edit]
Poland Spring (Portland) WPXT 51.2 The CW Hearst Television
Dedham (Bangor) WBGR-LD 33.2 MeTV James McLeod(Maine Family Broadcasting, Inc.) September 2019

Maryland

[edit]
Baltimore WMJF-CD 39.6 Ion Television HME Equity Fund II, LLC
Salisbury WGDV-LD 32.3 Azteca America Marquee Broadcasting

Massachusetts

[edit]
Boston WSBK-TV 38.2 Independent CBS News and Stations October 6, 2016

Michigan

[edit]
Detroit WJBK 2.4 Fox Fox Television Stations November 1, 2015
Flint WJRT 12.5 ABC Allen Media Group August 30, 2019
Kalamazoo WLLA 64.3 MeTV Christian Broadcasting Ministries June 1, 2020 Replaced Retro TV (now on 64.5)
Lansing WILX-TV 10.2 NBC Gray Television October 1, 2016 Replaced WeatherNation TV
Marquette WZMQ 19.5 MeTV Lilly Broadcasting

Minnesota

[edit]
Chisholm, Minnesota KRII-TV 11.3 NBC Gray Television March 2017 Subchannel maintains secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV, pre-empting H&I prime time programming on weeknights[15][16]
Duluth-Superior, Wisconsin KBJR-TV 6.3
MinneapolisSt. Paul KSTP-TV 5.7 ABC Hubbard Broadcasting
Rochester KTTC 10.3 NBC Gray Television March 2015[17] Also carried on translator W50DR-D in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Missouri

[edit]
Poplar Bluff KPOB-TV 15.2 ABC Allen Media Broadcasting January 3, 2018 Full-power satellite of WSIL-TV
St. Louis KNLC 24.3 MeTV Weigel Broadcasting December 12, 2017[18]

Nebraska

[edit]
Omaha WOWT 6.3 NBC Gray Television January 2019

Nevada

[edit]
Las Vegas KHSV 21.2 MeTV Howard Stirk Holdings June 1, 2022 Displaced from channel 21.1 by MeTV

New Jersey

[edit]
Secaucus (New York City) WWOR-TV 9.4 MyNetworkTV Fox Television Stations October 3, 2015

New Mexico

[edit]
Albuquerque KOB 4.2 NBC Hubbard Broadcasting October 2021
Farmington KOBF 12.2 Satellites of KOB
Roswell KOBR 8.2

New York

[edit]
Albany WNYA 51.2 MyNetworkTV Hubbard Broadcasting September 1, 2024
Buffalo WBBZ-TV 67.2 MeTV Phil Arno March 2017
Rochester WHEC-TV 10.5 NBC Hubbard Broadcasting May 2019
Saranac Lake WYCI 40.1 MyNetworkTV Cross Hill Communications 2017
Syracuse WTVU-CD 22.3 Cornerstone TV Renard Communications 2021

North Carolina

[edit]
Charlotte WCCB 18.5 The CW Bahakel Communications October 2, 2023
Greenville WTMQ-LD 29.3 Heartland Tutt Media Group August 15, 2015 Replaced Tuff TV on DT3.
Raleigh WIRP-LD 27.4 Estrella TV DTV America 2017
WRAZ 50.4 Fox Capitol Broadcasting Company 2022
Smithfield WARZ-LD 21.3 Heartland Tutt Media Group August 15, 2015 Replaced Tuff TV on DT3.
Washington (Greenville) WITN-TV 7.5 NBC Gray Television
Wilmington WTMV-LD 39.3 Heartland Tutt Media Group August 15, 2015 Replaced Tuff TV on DT3.

North Dakota

[edit]
Bismarck KNDB 24.1 - BEK Communications Cooperative July 2015
Minot KNDM 26.1 Satellite of KNDB
Fargo KVLY-TV 11.4 NBC Gray Television September 12, 2016
KXJB-LD 30.3/28.3 CBS

Ohio

[edit]
Cincinnati WXIX-TV 19.2 FOX Gray Television January 1, 2020
Cleveland WBNX-TV 55.4 Independent Winston Broadcasting Network December 30, 2015
Portsmouth (CharlestonHuntington) WQCW 30.2 The CW Gray Television

Oklahoma

[edit]
Oklahoma City KUOK 36.5 Univision Tyler Media Group
Tulsa KMYT-TV 41.4 MyNetworkTV Imagicomm Communications
Oregon
Medford KFBI-LD 48.1 MyNetworkTV Imagicomm Communications Maintains the Primary Affiliation With MyNetworkTV pre-temping H&I prime time programming on weeknights[19]

Pennsylvania

[edit]
Allentown (Philadelphia) WFMZ-TV 69.3 Independent Maranatha Broadcasting Company
Erie, Pennsylvania WSEE-TV 35.4 CBS Lilly Broadcasting March 4, 2019
Jeannette (Pittsburgh) WPKD-TV 19.2 Independent CBS News and Stations

Puerto Rico

[edit]
Añasco W34FK-D 33.1 - TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc.

South Carolina

[edit]
Charleston WGWG 4.5 - Howard Stirk Holdings August 1, 2015 Replaced ZUUS Country
Columbia WOLO-TV 25.5 ABC Bahakel Communications January 1, 2019 Replaced Start TV which moved to 25.2, replacing This TV
Greenville-Spartanburg WDKT-LD 31.5 GEB Network Carolina Christian Broadcasting

Tennessee

[edit]
Jackson WYJJ-LD 27.5 Antenna TV
MyNetworkTV
DTV America Corporation
Kingsport WAPK-CD 36.4 MeTV Holston Valley Broadcasting Group
Knoxville WBXX-TV 20.3 The CW Gray Television
Memphis WHBQ-TV 13.2 Fox Imagicomm Communications
Nashville WJFB 44.2 MeTV Weigel Broadcasting

Texas

[edit]
Amarillo KEYU 31.2 Telemundo Gray Television 2018
Austin KBVO 14.3 MyNetworkTV Nexstar Media Group October 29, 2018
Corpus Christi KQSY-LD 30.2 Heartland Channel 7 of Corpus Christi, Inc. Fall 2020
DallasFort Worth KDFW 4.3 Fox Fox Television Stations May 14, 2021
Houston KPRC-TV 2.3 NBC Graham Media Group December 1, 2015 Replaced LATV, vacant since 2012
Lubbock KLBB-LD 48.2 MeTV Gray Television
Odessa KTLE-LD 7.7 Telemundo 2017
Snyder KABI-LD 42.1 -
San Antonio KSAT-TV 12.4 ABC Graham Media Group January 2019

Utah

[edit]
Cedar City/St. George KCSG 8.4 (14.6) MeTV Weigel Broadcasting September 29, 2014 Replaced MeTV as primary affiliation.

Virginia

[edit]
Norfolk/Virginia Beach WVEC 13.7 ABC Tegna
Roanoke/Lynchburg WDBJ 7.2 CBS Gray Television September 1, 2018

Washington

[edit]
Bellingham KVOS-TV 12.1 Univision Weigel Broadcasting Also serving Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, and much of Canada via Cable and Satellite.
Seattle KFFV 44.3 MeTV
Spokane KXLY-TV 4.3 ABC Morgan Murphy Media

West Virginia

[edit]
Weston WDTV 5.3 CBS Gray Television February 2019

Wisconsin

[edit]
Eau Claire WEAU 13.6 NBC Gray Television October 2015 Replaced Antenna TV, which moved to channel 13.2
Green Bay WBAY-TV 2.4 ABC February 1, 2019[20]
Janesville (Madison) WIFS 57.8 Ion Television Byrne Acquisition Group, LLC
Milwaukee WMLW-TV 49.3 Independent Weigel Broadcasting September 29, 2014 (moved from WDJT-DT3 to WMLW-DT3 on January 8, 2018)[5]
Wausau WZAW-LD 33.4 Fox Gray Television

Former affiliates

[edit]
Market Station Channel Owner Years of affiliation Status
San FranciscoOaklandSan Jose KICU-TV 36.4 Fox Television Stations November 2015 – May 2019 Now a Catchy Comedy affiliate
Bridgeport, Connecticut (New York) WZME 43.1 NRJ TV, LLC 2015–2016 Now a Sonlife Broadcasting Network affiliate
Chicago, Illinois WWME-CA (Analog) 23 (Analog) Weigel Broadcasting March–September 2015 Analog signal was terminated due to FCC mandate on September 1, 2015
Danville
(Roanoke/Lynchburg)
WFFP-TV 24.2 Liberty University 2015–2018 Affiliation moved to WDBJ following WFFP-TV's sale to Gray Television
Hagerstown (Washington, D.C.) WDVM-TV 25.1 Nexstar Media Group July 1, 2016 – July 1, 2019 Now an independent station.
Poland Springs
(Portland, Maine)
WMTW 8.2 Hearst Television 2015–2018 Now a MeTV affiliate
Racine, Wisconsin (Milwaukee) WMLW-TV 49.3 Weigel Broadcasting 2014–2015[3] This TV moved from WDJT-DT3 in channel map shuffle
Springfield, Illinois
(St. Louis, Missouri)
WODK-LD 45.2 DTV America Dec 2016 – Jan 2018 Contract terminated upon Weigel's assumption of ownership of KNLC and move to KNLC-DT3; station transmits from St. Louis antenna farm and has no signal radius into the Springfield market proper.
Wausau, Wisconsin WSAW-TV 7.3 Gray Television 2014–2015 Now a simulcast of Fox affiliate WZAW-LD
Albany, New York WNYT 13.3 Hubbard Broadcasting December 29, 2015 – June 1, 2019 Now a Start TV affiliate
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas KDFI 27.4 Fox Television Stations 2015-2021 Moved to sister station KDFW 4.3 in May 2021
Virginia Beach WVBT 43.3 Nexstar Media Group November 2, 2018 - October 30, 2021 Now a Rewind TV affiliate
Santa Fe (Albuquerque) KASA-TV 29.1 Telemundo Station Group
(NBCUniversal)
January 2017 - October 2021 Switched to Cozi TV after NBC purchased station from Ramar Communications
Hobbs (Albuquerque) KUPT 29.1 February 2015 - October 2021 Switched to Cozi TV after NBC purchased station from Ramar Communications
Cedar Rapids KCRG-TV 9.4 Gray Television March 2019 - August 2021 Moved to KWWL 7.2 in an affiliation swap with The CW
Salt Lake City KTVX 4.4 Nexstar Media Group November 2018-November 2022 Switched to TheGrio
Charlotte, North Carolina WJZY 46.5 October 1, 2015-October 2, 2023
Roscommon, Michigan WURO-LD 18.1 M33 Media LLC March 2017–December 7, 2023 Station is defunct

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "RabbitEars.Info".
  2. ^ "H&I TV Network". H&I. © 2020 H&I National Limited Partnership
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Robert Channick (September 29, 2014). "Weigel Broadcasting launches cop show digital TV network". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  4. ^ "News & Notes: Felicia Middlebrooks; WOJO; WVIX/WVIV; WMVP/WSCR; James VanOsdol; Weigel Broadcasting; WGN-TV; More". Chicagoland Radio & Media. September 30, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Chris Foran (March 4, 2015). "Weigel flips channels for This TV, Heroes & Icons formats". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Journal Media Group. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Lafayette, Jon (September 18, 2015). "Fox Stations Agree to Carry Heroes & Icons". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  7. ^ Schneider, Michael (December 26, 2019). "Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2019's Winners and Losers". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  8. ^ H&I schedule
  9. ^ a b "Stations for Network - Heroes & Icons". RabbitEars. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Michael Malone (December 2, 2014). "Weigel Launches Cop Show Net Heroes & Icons". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  11. ^ "Watch Heroes & Icons Online". Sling TV. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  12. ^ "Frndly TV Will Add Five New Channels to Its Live Streaming Lineup". Cord Cutters News. March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  13. ^ "Channel Lineup - Philo".
  14. ^ DirecTV Press Release
  15. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KBJR
  16. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KRII
  17. ^ "New local broadcast channel coming to KTTC 10.3". KTTC. Quincy Media. February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  18. ^ "NLEC Notice of move to sub channel 24.2". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  19. ^ "KFBI My 48". Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  20. ^ "WBAY TV-2 adds H&I and Start TV to channel line up". January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
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