TV3 Winchester
Encyclopedia
TV3 Winchester is an ABC
and This TV
affiliate serving the Winchester, Virginia
, area. The station is owned by Gray Television
, which also owns WHSV-TV
, TV3 Winchester's parent station; the station is also available over-the-air on WHSV's DT3 subchannel out of Harrisonburg. TV3 Winchester is carried on Comcast
cable channel 3 in Frederick, Clarke, and Warren counties and ShenTel Cable channel 101 in Shenandoah County. TV3 Winchester is not seen on any Harrisonburg
cable systems, as the main WHSV channel is already available.
Along with Winchester, the station serves Frederick, Clarke, Warren, and Shenandoah counties in Virginia
in news and sports gathering and weather coverage.
While the greater Winchester area is currently part of the Washington, DC television market, WHSV has requested that the region merge into the Harrisonburg market. The FCC has since honored that request.
In 2010, TV3 Winchester began to be simulcasted on WHSV digital translator channel 42 from Signal Knob near Strasburg, Virginia
. The new digital translator covers the Northern Shenandoah Valley
, including the counties of Frederick
, Clarke
, Warren
and Shenandoah
and the cities of Winchester
and Front Royal
.
in 2005. Ground was broken for the new studios, which is located along Millwood Pike in Winchester, on March 1, 2006. The studios are shared with Shenandoah University
's own Public-access television
cable TV-only station, "Winchester Community Television". Construction was completed in November 2006 and the station launched on March 5, 2007.
Brad Ramsey, formerly the sports director/anchor and more recently a sales account executive at WHSV, handles general manager duties. Brad brought Tony Versley, an Emmy Award winning broadcast engineer on board as Director of Operations and Doug Stanford, formerly of WHSV, as Director of Creative Services and Promotions.
Bill DuVall was hired in September 2006 as TV-3's News Director. DuVall most recently worked at WVIR in Charlottesville, Virginia
as a co-anchor of NBC29 News at Sunrise. DuVall is no stranger to the area, as he worked at former Fox affiliate WYVN (now WWPX
) in Martinsburg, West Virginia
from 1991 to 1994. DuVall turned the reins of TV-3 Winchester over to Denise Chandler in 2008.
The station carries local newscasts at 6, 7 and 11pm on the weekdays. Morning newscasts on TV-3 Winchester started in early 2008.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
affiliate serving the Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, area. The station is owned by Gray Television
Gray Television
Gray Television, Inc. is a communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with administrative offices in Albany, Georgia.Established in 1946 by James H...
, which also owns WHSV-TV
WHSV-TV
WHSV-TV, channel 3 , is an ABC affiliate television station for the Harrisonburg, Virginia, market. WHSV News 3, as it is known on-air, is owned by Gray Television and has its transmitter located west of the town of Stanley on Massanutten Mountain...
, TV3 Winchester's parent station; the station is also available over-the-air on WHSV's DT3 subchannel out of Harrisonburg. TV3 Winchester is carried on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
cable channel 3 in Frederick, Clarke, and Warren counties and ShenTel Cable channel 101 in Shenandoah County. TV3 Winchester is not seen on any Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
cable systems, as the main WHSV channel is already available.
Along with Winchester, the station serves Frederick, Clarke, Warren, and Shenandoah counties in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in news and sports gathering and weather coverage.
While the greater Winchester area is currently part of the Washington, DC television market, WHSV has requested that the region merge into the Harrisonburg market. The FCC has since honored that request.
In 2010, TV3 Winchester began to be simulcasted on WHSV digital translator channel 42 from Signal Knob near Strasburg, Virginia
Strasburg, Virginia
Strasburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States, which was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It is the largest town, population-wise, in the county and is known for its pottery, antiques, and Civil War history...
. The new digital translator covers the Northern Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
, including the counties of Frederick
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, Clarke
Clarke County, Virginia
Clarke County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 14,034. Its county seat is Berryville.-History:Clarke County was established in 1836 by Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron who built a home, Greenway Court, on part of his 5 million acre property,...
, Warren
Warren County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,584 people, 12,087 households, and 8,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 13,299 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile...
and Shenandoah
Shenandoah County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,075 people, 14,296 households, and 10,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 16,709 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
and the cities of Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
and Front Royal
Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.-Geography:Front Royal is roughly west of Washington, D.C....
.
History
TV-3 Winchester was first announced at a press conference at Shenandoah UniversityShenandoah University
Shenandoah University is a comprehensive private university located in Winchester, Virginia in the United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students across more than ninety programs in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah...
in 2005. Ground was broken for the new studios, which is located along Millwood Pike in Winchester, on March 1, 2006. The studios are shared with Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University is a comprehensive private university located in Winchester, Virginia in the United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students across more than ninety programs in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah...
's own Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV-only station, "Winchester Community Television". Construction was completed in November 2006 and the station launched on March 5, 2007.
Brad Ramsey, formerly the sports director/anchor and more recently a sales account executive at WHSV, handles general manager duties. Brad brought Tony Versley, an Emmy Award winning broadcast engineer on board as Director of Operations and Doug Stanford, formerly of WHSV, as Director of Creative Services and Promotions.
Bill DuVall was hired in September 2006 as TV-3's News Director. DuVall most recently worked at WVIR in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
as a co-anchor of NBC29 News at Sunrise. DuVall is no stranger to the area, as he worked at former Fox affiliate WYVN (now WWPX
WWPX
WWPX-TV is the Ion Television affiliate licensed to Martinsburg, West Virginia, and serving the northwestern portion of the Washington, DC television market. The station is owned by ION Media Networks, and broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 12, displayed as virtual channel 60...
) in Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
from 1991 to 1994. DuVall turned the reins of TV-3 Winchester over to Denise Chandler in 2008.
The station carries local newscasts at 6, 7 and 11pm on the weekdays. Morning newscasts on TV-3 Winchester started in early 2008.