WALA-TV (along with its three subchannels) is the only TV station within a 50-mile radius of Mobile, aL that still broadcasts on a VHF over the air frequency. All other stations in the Mobile, AL/Pensacola, fL TV market broadcasts on a UHF frequency.
As a result, WALA's OTA signal is fragile, much weaker than the other stations in the same area. I recently purchased a very expensive digital tv antenna that has 80 miles Long Range Multi-Directional VHF/UHF High Gain reception, so it should be more than able to pick up any channels within an 80-mile radius of my location. WALA's tower is only 41 miles from where I live. I can pick up every other station in the Mobile, AL/Pensacola, fL area, some located even farther away than WALA.
But I can't get any reception, not even a weak one, from WALA. And I am not the only one in my area who is having this problem.