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rm unnecessary fluff — it is actually quite unclear now if WB was even on C'ville cable!
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Until August 15, 2004, it was the only full-power commercial outlet in the Charlottesville [[media market|market]] affiliated with a major network with outside stations being seen on [[cable television|cable]] and [[terrestrial television|over the air]]. On that date, [[WCAV]] (channel 19) signed-on becoming the area's first [[CBS]] affiliate and first station to mount a challenge against WVIR.
Until August 15, 2004, it was the only full-power commercial outlet in the Charlottesville [[media market|market]] affiliated with a major network with outside stations being seen on [[cable television|cable]] and [[terrestrial television|over the air]]. On that date, [[WCAV]] (channel 19) signed-on becoming the area's first [[CBS]] affiliate and first station to mount a challenge against WVIR.

WVIR started a subchannel to air [[The CW]] when the network began in September 2006. This included a 10 p.m. local newscast.<ref name="Dail060413">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-leader-bye-bye-wb-and-upn/127369450/|date=April 13, 2006|page=A2|first=David|last=Royer|title=Bye-bye WB and UPN; hello CW|newspaper=The News Leader|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref><!-- Thu -->


As part of the [[Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act|analog nightlight]] service, the station was required by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to leave its analog signal on-air for two months after the end of digital transition at an estimated cost to the station of $20,000 to broadcast an endless loop of instructional video on [[Coupon-eligible converter box|digital converter box installation]]. This was interrupted daily to carry local newscasts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/area_stations_to_switch_to_digital_on_tuesday/35807/|title=Area stations to switch to digital on Tuesday|first=Brian|last=McNeill|work=The Daily Progress|date=February 14, 2009}}</ref>
As part of the [[Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act|analog nightlight]] service, the station was required by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to leave its analog signal on-air for two months after the end of digital transition at an estimated cost to the station of $20,000 to broadcast an endless loop of instructional video on [[Coupon-eligible converter box|digital converter box installation]]. This was interrupted daily to carry local newscasts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/area_stations_to_switch_to_digital_on_tuesday/35807/|title=Area stations to switch to digital on Tuesday|first=Brian|last=McNeill|work=The Daily Progress|date=February 14, 2009}}</ref>
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Gray's purpose in retaining WAHU-CD while selling its other two stations was to use its signal as a UHF simulcast of WVIR-TV's programming, allowing indoor reception in the core of the market; to that end, WAHU-CD has since been renamed WVIR-CD. The station was to move its signal from channel 32 to channel 2 by January 17, 2020. Equipment shipping and construction delays forced WVIR-TV to use WCAV's channel 19 facility on a temporary basis before it completed the relocation to channel 2 on March 18.<ref>{{cite web |title=Request to Extend a DTV Engineering STA Application |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f916fa4bd9c016fafc1503767aa&id=25076f916fa4bd9c016fafc1503767aa |website=FCC LMS}}</ref> Despite the UHF relay, WVIR-TV received hundreds of reception complaints in the following month and applied to increase its [[effective radiated power]] on channel 2 from 10&nbsp;kW to 34&nbsp;kW.<ref name=sta34kw>{{cite web |title=DTV Engineering STA Application |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f91718a638f0171989803910946&id=25076f91718a638f0171989803910946&goBack=N |website=FCC LMS |date=May 1, 2020}}</ref>
Gray's purpose in retaining WAHU-CD while selling its other two stations was to use its signal as a UHF simulcast of WVIR-TV's programming, allowing indoor reception in the core of the market; to that end, WAHU-CD has since been renamed WVIR-CD. The station was to move its signal from channel 32 to channel 2 by January 17, 2020. Equipment shipping and construction delays forced WVIR-TV to use WCAV's channel 19 facility on a temporary basis before it completed the relocation to channel 2 on March 18.<ref>{{cite web |title=Request to Extend a DTV Engineering STA Application |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f916fa4bd9c016fafc1503767aa&id=25076f916fa4bd9c016fafc1503767aa |website=FCC LMS}}</ref> Despite the UHF relay, WVIR-TV received hundreds of reception complaints in the following month and applied to increase its [[effective radiated power]] on channel 2 from 10&nbsp;kW to 34&nbsp;kW.<ref name=sta34kw>{{cite web |title=DTV Engineering STA Application |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f91718a638f0171989803910946&id=25076f91718a638f0171989803910946&goBack=N |website=FCC LMS |date=May 1, 2020}}</ref>

==WVIR-DT3==
'''WVIR-DT3''', branded on-air as '''CW 29''', is the [[The CW Plus|CW+]]-affiliated third [[digital subchannel]] of WVIR-TV, broadcasting in [[1080i]] [[high-definition television|high definition]] on channel 29.3.

===History===
The origins of WVIR-DT3 began on September 21, 1998, back when it was known as '''"WBHA"''' and '''"WBC"''', a cable-only affiliate of [[The WB|The WB Television Network]] that was originally managed and promoted by [[Cox Communications]] alongside the launch of [[The WB 100+ Station Group]], a similar service to The CW Plus that was created to expand national coverage of The WB via primarily [[Public, educational, and government access|local origination]] channels managed by cable providers in markets ranked above #100 by [[Nielsen Media Research]]. Since it was a cable-exclusive outlet and therefore not licensed by the FCC, the channel used the "WBHA" and "WBC" [[call signs in North America|call signs]] in a fictional manner. Prior to the launch of the cable channels, residents in the Charlottesville and Harrisonburg markets were only able to receive WB network programming on cable via the network's [[Washington, D.C.]] affiliate WFTY (which later became WBDC, now [[WDCW]]) or via [[Chicago]]-based [[superstation]] [[NewsNation|WGN]] on both cable and [[satellite television|satellite]].

On January 24, 2006, The WB and [[UPN]] announced the two networks would end broadcasting and merge. The new combined service would be called [[The CW]]. The letters would represent the first initial of corporate parents [[CBS Corporation|CBS]] (the parent company of UPN) and the [[Warner Bros.]] unit of [[WarnerMedia|Time Warner]]. At the network's launch on September 18, WVIR gained The CW affiliation through The CW Plus. The main station launched a new second digital subchannel to serve as the network's outlet in the Charlottesville and Harrisonburg areas. On September 13, 2007, WVIR began offering [[NBC Weather Plus]] on the second digital subchannel. As a result, The CW moved to a new third digital subchannel where it remains today. WVIR-DT3 often preempts programming from The CW Plus in order to air local shows.

On October 17, 2012, the subchannel started broadcasting in 720p HD.


==News operation==
==News operation==

Revision as of 19:07, 30 June 2023

Not to be confused with WBIR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee.
WVIR-TV
CityCharlottesville, Virginia
Channels
Branding
  • NBC 29
  • CW 29 (on DT3)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
March 11, 1973 (51 years ago) (1973-03-11)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog:
  • 29 (UHF, 1973–2009)
  • Digital:
  • 32 (UHF, 2002–2019)
  • 19 (UHF, 2019–2020)
DT2:
NBC WX+ (2007–2008)
Call sign meaning
Virginia
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID70309
ERP10 kW (licensed)
34 kW (STA)[2]
HAAT367.9 m (1,207 ft)
Transmitter coordinates37°59′1″N 78°28′53″W / 37.98361°N 78.48139°W / 37.98361; -78.48139
Translator(s)WVIR-CD 35 (UHF) Charlottesville
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.nbc29.com

WVIR-TV (channel 29) is a television station in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW Plus. Owned by Gray Television, the station has studios on East Market Street (US 250 Business) in downtown Charlottesville, and its transmitter is located on Carters Mountain south of the city.

WVIR-CD (channel 35) operates as a low-power, Class A translator of WVIR-TV.

Television in Charlottesville: A quiet zone

It took Charlottesville until 1973 to have a television station of its own because of the assignment of exclusively ultra high frequency (UHF) television channels and the location of part of Charlottesville and the surrounding area in the United States National Radio Quiet Zone.

In 1961, the Charlottesville Broadcasting Corporation, owner of radio station WINA, applied to have very high frequency (VHF) channel 11 assigned to the Waynesboro–Staunton area.[3] However, even as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took applications for channel 11, the plan faced stiff opposition from the United States Navy, which planned to build a radio telescope at Sugar Grove, West Virginia.[4] In the meantime, Virginia Broadcasting Corporation, a company owned by stockbroker and bluegrass music artist William Marburg—better known as Bill Clifton—filed for Charlottesville's channel 64 allocation.[5] The channel 64 station received a construction permit in June 1964;[6] six months later, the WINA proposal for channel 11 was denied after the Navy insisted on continued protection for the Sugar Grove site.[7] The channel 64 permit was never built, though it was transferred to another group in 1966.[8]

Two parties then filed for new UHF stations, both originally specifying channel 25, in January 1965. Shenandoah Valley Broadcasting proposed a semi-satellite of WSVA-TV in Harrisonburg with local news and public affairs programming,[9] while WINA soon filed a competing proposal, believing Charlottesville needed a station of its own.[10] WINA won the construction permit, amended to specify channel 29, but failed to convince the national networks that they needed an affiliate in Charlottesville.[11] In 1969, WINA radio was sold, but neither the buyer nor the seller wanted to retain the channel 29 construction permit, which was returned to the FCC.[12]

History

Early years

Another company known as the Virginia Broadcasting Corporation, a consortium of more than 30 local stockholders, filed with the FCC on October 19, 1971, for permission to build channel 29.[13] The FCC granted the construction permit on March 1, 1972, and the company announced it would be operating within a year from a transmitter on Carters Mountain and studios on Main Street.[14] In June, the station secured affiliation with NBC and announced plans for daily 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts,[15] and WVIR-TV began broadcasting on March 11, 1973.[16] It took four years for channel 29 to turn a profit.[17]

WVIR-TV was the first television station in Charlottesville and the only full-service outlet for more than 30 years; WHSV-TV opened a translator in Charlottesville in 1980,[18] and Richmond public television station WCVE-TV built full-power repeater WHTJ in 1989.[19] It also expanded its coverage area to include Staunton and the Harrisonburg–Rockingham County areas by way of two translators of its own.[20]

The station originally operated from studios on Main Street and later added more offices on East Market Street. In 1983, it bought a building on Market Street which was being used as a parking garage to renovate for its studios and offices.[21]

Waterman ownership

In 1986, Waterman Broadcasting Corporation, led by Winchester native Bernie Waterman, presented an offer to the Virginia Broadcasting Corporation to buy WVIR-TV. The 41 stockholders unanimously agreed to sell the station for $8.694 million.[17][22]

In 2003, WVIR was the object of a major libel case in Virginia stemming from a 2001 news report that incorrectly stated a man's property had been searched and cocaine had been seized. The station had refused to retract the incorrect report. Jurors returned a $10 million verdict against the station, but a judge reduced the amount, calling it "undue".[23][24][25]

Until August 15, 2004, it was the only full-power commercial outlet in the Charlottesville market affiliated with a major network with outside stations being seen on cable and over the air. On that date, WCAV (channel 19) signed-on becoming the area's first CBS affiliate and first station to mount a challenge against WVIR.

WVIR started a subchannel to air The CW when the network began in September 2006. This included a 10 p.m. local newscast.[26]

As part of the analog nightlight service, the station was required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to leave its analog signal on-air for two months after the end of digital transition at an estimated cost to the station of $20,000 to broadcast an endless loop of instructional video on digital converter box installation. This was interrupted daily to carry local newscasts.[27]

Gray Television ownership

Waterman announced a deal to sell WVIR-TV to Gray Television on March 4, 2019. Gray already owned rival WCAV and ABC affiliate WVAW-LD (channel 16), which were concurrently sold to Lockwood Broadcast Group. WVIR became a sister station to Fox affiliate WAHU-CD (channel 27), which was not included in the sale and retained by Gray.[28][29] The sale was approved on April 15.[30] The transaction was completed on October 1.[31]

WVIR entered the 2016–17 spectrum reallocation auction, electing to take $46,399,285 for its channel 32 allocation and move to the low-VHF band (channels 2 through 6).[32] Chief engineer Bob Jenkins noted that the station was not particularly happy with moving to channel 2, but chose it over entering a channel-sharing agreement with another station.[33] WVIR is one of 17 stations to move from another band to low-VHF; it and WHDF (Florence, Alabama) are the only commercial major network affiliates.[34] Channels 2 through 6 were desirable for analog television, but are not widely used for digital television due to difficult indoor reception.

Gray's purpose in retaining WAHU-CD while selling its other two stations was to use its signal as a UHF simulcast of WVIR-TV's programming, allowing indoor reception in the core of the market; to that end, WAHU-CD has since been renamed WVIR-CD. The station was to move its signal from channel 32 to channel 2 by January 17, 2020. Equipment shipping and construction delays forced WVIR-TV to use WCAV's channel 19 facility on a temporary basis before it completed the relocation to channel 2 on March 18.[35] Despite the UHF relay, WVIR-TV received hundreds of reception complaints in the following month and applied to increase its effective radiated power on channel 2 from 10 kW to 34 kW.[2]

News operation

WVIR presently broadcasts 36 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 6 hours on weekdays, and 3 hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). WVIR's news department covers both the immediate Charlottesville region and the Shenandoah Valley. In addition to its main studios, WVIR operates a bureau in The News Virginian newsroom (owned by BH Media) in Waynesboro and a sales office in Staunton.

Although the station does not operate a weather radar of its own, WVIR features live NOAA National Weather Service radar data from several regional sites. This is presented in a forecasting system on-air known as "Storm Team 29 Live Triple Doppler". It also offers local weather to computer users via the WeatherBug service. All weekday broadcasts except the prime time news at 10 are streamed live on WVIR's website. In September 2011, NBC29 News at Sunrise was extended which now airs from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

Alongside the launch of The CW, WVIR began producing a new nightly prime time newscast on WVIR-DT2 (now WVIR-DT3). Competing with a show already airing on Class A Fox affiliate WAHU-CD (produced by CBS affiliate WCAV), this was originally known as CW 29 News at 10 and featured a separate graphics package and news music theme. Eventually, the broadcast was renamed NBC 29 News at 10 and began mirroring programs seen on the main channel.

Like all CW Plus affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone, WVIR-DT3 aired the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m.

The station began producing high-definition newscasts in April 2008, making Charlottesville the second-smallest market at the time with HD local news.[36] However, the prime time shows on WVIR-DT3 were not included in the upgrade because the digital subchannel had, at that time, only aired in standard definition. On October 17, 2012, the 10 p.m. newscast on WVIR-DT3 began airing in HD.

Notable alumni

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WVIR-TV[37]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
29.1 1080i 16:9 NBC Main WVIR-TV programming / NBC
29.2 480i WNat WeatherNation TV
29.3 720p CW The CW Plus
29.4 480i Crime True Crime Network
29.5 Grit Grit
29.6 Circle Circle


On September 18, 2006, this channel launched a new second digital subchannel to be the area's CW affiliate. On September 13, 2007, WVIR began offering NBC Weather Plus on that subchannel resulting in The CW moving to a new third subchannel. In December 2008, the national Weather Plus feed on 29.2 was shut down and a local weather channel programmed by WVIR was added in its place until March 30, 2015, when it became the newest affiliate of WeatherNation TV.[38]

Analog-to-digital conversion

WVIR-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 29, at 12:30 p.m. on February 17, 2009, the original target date in which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 32.[39][40] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 29.

Former translators

In addition to the main signal, WVIR could be seen on two digital translators. Both were located in the neighboring Harrisonburg–Staunton market, which lacked its own NBC affiliate. On October 2, 2019, the day after the sale of WVIR to Gray Television was completed, sister station and ABC affiliate WHSV-TV announced that it would convert the two translators into separate NBC/CW+ affiliates for Harrisonburg on December 1. Translator W30CT-D became WSVW-LD on the same day.[41][42]

Call letters Channel City of license Transmitter location
W22EX-D 22 Staunton Elliott Knob
WSVW-LD 30 Harrisonburg Massanutten Peak

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WVIR-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b "DTV Engineering STA Application". FCC LMS. May 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "TV Tower Is Planned In Augusta". The Daily Progress. June 10, 1961. p. 9. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Action May Take Two Years: FCC Will Rule on TV Channel for This Area". The Daily Progress. July 27, 1963. p. 11. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "TV Station On UHF Band Planned Here". The Daily Progress. February 4, 1963. p. 13. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "FCC Grants Permit for TV Station". The Daily Progress. June 20, 1964. p. 9. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "FCC Denies TV Channel In This Area". The Daily Progress. December 24, 1964. p. 21. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Construction Permit Issued for Channel 64". The Daily Progress. November 5, 1966. p. 9. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "New Request For TV Outlet In City Made". The Daily Progress. January 19, 1965. p. 11. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "WINA Also Seeks Channel 25". The Daily Progress. February 8, 1965. p. 17. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Station to Boost Its Power Output". The Daily Progress. June 22, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Sale of WINA stations is approved by the FCC". Broadcasting. December 15, 1969. p. 50. ProQuest 1014526209.
  13. ^ "FCC History Cards for WVIR-TV". Federal Communications Commission.
  14. ^ "Timetable Set for Television". The Daily Progress. March 3, 1972. p. B1. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "NBC Okays Agreement To Serve Channel 29". The Daily Progress. June 12, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "WVIR-TV Channel 29, NBC In Charlottesville, Va., Will Sign On The Air Sunday March 11 2:45 p.m." The Daily Progress. March 11, 1973. p. A7. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b Riley Powell, Lee (September 20, 1986). "Channel 29 To Be Sold For $10 Million". The Daily Progress. pp. C1, C2. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Harrisonburg TV Station Improves Local Signal". The Daily Progress. November 8, 1980. p. Piedmont 8. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "New Station To Sign On". The Daily Progress. May 17, 1989. p. B1. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Area Served By Active Print And Broadcast Media". The Daily Progress. August 24, 1984. p. Welcome to Charlottesville 8, 9. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "WVIR-TV will buy building Downtown". The Observer. May 5, 1983. p. 6. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting. September 29, 1986. pp. 78–79. ProQuest 1016907629.
  23. ^ Gramaldi, James V. (June 16, 2003). "Blair Analogy Reaches Courtroom Far From N.Y." The Washington Post. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  24. ^ Mooney, Jake (September–October 2003). "From simple story to major mess". Columbia Journalism Review. pp. 46–49. ProQuest 230369591.
  25. ^ "Judge says $10 million jury award is excessive". The Roanoke Times. Associated Press. November 12, 2003. p. 4. Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Royer, David (April 13, 2006). "Bye-bye WB and UPN; hello CW". The News Leader. p. A2. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ McNeill, Brian (February 14, 2009). "Area stations to switch to digital on Tuesday". The Daily Progress.
  28. ^ Staff (March 4, 2019). "Gray Television to acquire NBC 29 from Waterman Broadcasting". The Daily Progress.
  29. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  30. ^ "Notice of Consent to Assignment","CDBS Public Access", Federal Communications Commission, April 15, 2019, Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  31. ^ "Consummation Notice", CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, October 2, 2019, Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  32. ^ "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction 1001 Winning Bids" (PDF).
  33. ^ "Broadcasters Face Complex Repack". TvTechnology.
  34. ^ "Repack Plan". RabbitEars.
  35. ^ "Request to Extend a DTV Engineering STA Application". FCC LMS.
  36. ^ "Local Adoption Surges". Television Broadcast. May 2008. pp. 22–23. ProQuest 203708156.
  37. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WVIR
  38. ^ "WeatherNation Welcomes WVIR- StormTeam NBC 29 to the Family".
  39. ^ "Still Switching to Digital in Central Virginia - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather". Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2009.
  40. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  41. ^ WHSV announces launch of NBC and CW Plus affiliations 'NBC 3 in the Valley'
  42. ^ The Official Logo Of The Upcoming WSVW-LD/W22EX-D (NBC) & WSVW-LD2/W22EX-D2 (CW+)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WVIR-TV&oldid=1162718761"