WSET-TV
Encyclopedia
WSET-TV is the ABC
television network affiliate for the Roanoke
/Lynchburg, Virginia
market. The station is licensed to Lynchburg, and transmits its digital signal on VHF channel 13. WSET is owned by the Allbritton Communications Company
. Its transmitter is located near Thaxton, Virginia
. WSET also began airing Retro Television Network
on a digital subchannel starting April 2008.
Since returning its digital signal to VHF channel 13 in October 2009, WSET's over-the-air coverage in much of the western part of the market, especially the New River Valley, is somewhat marginal due in part to the mountainous terrain. W05AA was converted to digital operation in late 2009, which helped to fill in coverage holes in Roanoke.
affiliate, but also carried programs from ABC, NBC
, and DuMont
as well. By the end of 1954, Roanoke and Lynchburg had been collapsed into a single market. Accordingly, channel 13 moved its transmitter and tower to Evington, Virginia
in 1954 in an attempt to better serve Roanoke and the western part of the market. It also dropped NBC from its schedule, becoming a primary ABC affiliate--Virginia's first. The two stations then split CBS until WDBJ-TV signed on from Roanoke in 1955.
In the early 1960s, the station set up translator W05AA to help cover Roanoke, since its main signal did poorly in many parts of the city. WSET was not alone in installing low-VHF Roanoke translators; the early 1960s also saw W02AE put on the air to translate WSLS and W04AG put on the air to translate WDBJ.
In the late 1960s, former ABC World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson
was a reporter/anchor for the station.
In 1965, Lynchburg Broadcasting sold the WLVA stations to the Washington Star Company, which also owned the Washington Star
newspaper and WMAL-FM
-TV
. Joseph L. Allbritton bought the Star in 1976. Allbritton sold off the company's non-television assets, including WLVA radio, in 1977, and in 1978 WLVA-TV changed its call letters to the current WSET-TV to coincide with its new branding, "NeWSET-13."
For most of its first 30 years on the air, channel 13 provided spotty coverage to the western part of the market because it is sandwiched between WLOS-TV in Asheville, North Carolina
and WOWK-TV
in Huntington, West Virginia
. The station made numerous requests to move its transmitter closer to Roanoke. However, they were all turned down by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) each time due to concerns about interference, principally with WOWK. This was despite the fact that the Roanoke/Lynchburg and Huntington/Charleston
markets do not border each other. However, the FCC believed that the two markets were close enough that the two channel 13 transmitters had to be as far apart as possible to avoid interference. Its signal was so weak in Roanoke that ABC actually granted an affiliation to a second station in the market, WRFT-TV (channel 27), for much of the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1970, channel 13 sought to move its transmitter to Poor Mountain
near Roanoke, where the other major stations in the market operated their transmitters, but was turned down by the FCC even though Poor Mountain is over 220 miles from WOWK's transmitter. In 1980, WSET finally won FCC approval to relocate its transmitter from Evington to Thaxton Mountain near Bedford, halfway between Roanoke and Lynchburg. WSET activated its new transmitter in 1982, providing a city-grade signal to portions of the western part of the market for the first time. However, the FCC required WSET to significantly conform its signal to protect WOWK. As a result, some areas of the western part of the market, including parts of Roanoke itself, only got a grade B signal.
WSET's newscasts primarily focus on the eastern part of the Roanoke/Lynchburg market. In 2005, it was one of only two ABC affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone to air ABC's World News Tonight at 7 p.m. rather than 6:30; WSB-TV
in Atlanta is the other. However, WSET has returned the national program to the 6:30 p.m. time slot, shifting its local newscast to 7:00 p.m.
on Charter Cable & DirecTV
. It is also picked up in Yanceyville, North Carolina
on Comcast Cable.
which contained a scene in which two female characters kiss one another, and ran a prime-time infomercial instead. WSET was the only ABC affiliate to pre-empt the episode. The decision, which station management refused to explain, provoked condemnation from GLAAD and praise from Lynchburg resident Jerry Falwell
.
ABC 13 Weather
Sports team
Reporters
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...
television network affiliate for the Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
/Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
market. The station is licensed to Lynchburg, and transmits its digital signal on VHF channel 13. WSET is owned by the Allbritton Communications Company
Allbritton Communications Company
The Allbritton Communications Company is an owner of television stations and other media, based in Arlington, Virginia. All of its stations are affiliated with ABC after signing an affiliation agreement in 1997.-Currently owned:...
. Its transmitter is located near Thaxton, Virginia
Thaxton, Virginia
Thaxton is an unincorporated community in Bedford County, Virginia, United States. There is a town of the same name in Mississippi ....
. WSET also began airing Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
on a digital subchannel starting April 2008.
Digital television
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.1 | 720p 720p 720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan... |
16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... |
Main WSET-TV programming / ABC |
| 13.2 | 480i 480i 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC... |
4:3 | Retro Television Network Retro Television Network The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs... |
Since returning its digital signal to VHF channel 13 in October 2009, WSET's over-the-air coverage in much of the western part of the market, especially the New River Valley, is somewhat marginal due in part to the mountainous terrain. W05AA was converted to digital operation in late 2009, which helped to fill in coverage holes in Roanoke.
History
WSET-TV signed on the air for the very first time on February 8, 1953 as WLVA-TV (W-Lynchburg-VirginiA) from a transmitter on Tobacco Row Mountain. The station was owned by Lynchburg Broadcasting, which also owned WLVA radio. It was the first station in Virginia to operate at full power, and also served Charlottesville as well. It was originally a CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate, but also carried programs from ABC, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
as well. By the end of 1954, Roanoke and Lynchburg had been collapsed into a single market. Accordingly, channel 13 moved its transmitter and tower to Evington, Virginia
Evington, Virginia
Evington is an unincorporated community in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. Evington is located along Virginia State Route 24, west of U.S. Highway 29, southwest of Lynchburg.- External links :* *...
in 1954 in an attempt to better serve Roanoke and the western part of the market. It also dropped NBC from its schedule, becoming a primary ABC affiliate--Virginia's first. The two stations then split CBS until WDBJ-TV signed on from Roanoke in 1955.
In the early 1960s, the station set up translator W05AA to help cover Roanoke, since its main signal did poorly in many parts of the city. WSET was not alone in installing low-VHF Roanoke translators; the early 1960s also saw W02AE put on the air to translate WSLS and W04AG put on the air to translate WDBJ.
In the late 1960s, former ABC World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson
Charles Gibson
Charles deWolf "Charlie" Gibson is a former American broadcast television anchor and journalist. He was a host of Good Morning America from 1987 to 1998 and 1999 to 2006 and anchor of World News with Charles Gibson from 2006 to 2009....
was a reporter/anchor for the station.
In 1965, Lynchburg Broadcasting sold the WLVA stations to the Washington Star Company, which also owned the Washington Star
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
newspaper and WMAL-FM
WRQX
WRQX is an American commercial radio station licensed to serve the community of Washington, D.C.. The station broadcasts a hot adult contemporary music format to the Washington Metropolitan Area...
-TV
WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station in Washington, D.C.. It is the flagship station of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also operates local cable station NewsChannel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia...
. Joseph L. Allbritton bought the Star in 1976. Allbritton sold off the company's non-television assets, including WLVA radio, in 1977, and in 1978 WLVA-TV changed its call letters to the current WSET-TV to coincide with its new branding, "NeWSET-13."
For most of its first 30 years on the air, channel 13 provided spotty coverage to the western part of the market because it is sandwiched between WLOS-TV in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
and WOWK-TV
WOWK-TV
WOWK-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-States and Kanawha Valley area of West Virginia that is licensed to Huntington which is the second largest market east of the Mississippi River. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter...
in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. The station made numerous requests to move its transmitter closer to Roanoke. However, they were all turned down by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) each time due to concerns about interference, principally with WOWK. This was despite the fact that the Roanoke/Lynchburg and Huntington/Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
markets do not border each other. However, the FCC believed that the two markets were close enough that the two channel 13 transmitters had to be as far apart as possible to avoid interference. Its signal was so weak in Roanoke that ABC actually granted an affiliation to a second station in the market, WRFT-TV (channel 27), for much of the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1970, channel 13 sought to move its transmitter to Poor Mountain
Poor Mountain
Poor Mountain is a ridge of high peaks located in Roanoke County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Virginia. At 3,928 feet, Poor Mountain is the tallest mountain in the immediate area. The mountain is under consideration for the placement of a wind farm...
near Roanoke, where the other major stations in the market operated their transmitters, but was turned down by the FCC even though Poor Mountain is over 220 miles from WOWK's transmitter. In 1980, WSET finally won FCC approval to relocate its transmitter from Evington to Thaxton Mountain near Bedford, halfway between Roanoke and Lynchburg. WSET activated its new transmitter in 1982, providing a city-grade signal to portions of the western part of the market for the first time. However, the FCC required WSET to significantly conform its signal to protect WOWK. As a result, some areas of the western part of the market, including parts of Roanoke itself, only got a grade B signal.
WSET's newscasts primarily focus on the eastern part of the Roanoke/Lynchburg market. In 2005, it was one of only two ABC affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone to air ABC's World News Tonight at 7 p.m. rather than 6:30; WSB-TV
WSB-TV
WSB-TV, virtual channel 2.1 , is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship television station of Cox Enterprises and its Cox Media Group subsidiary...
in Atlanta is the other. However, WSET has returned the national program to the 6:30 p.m. time slot, shifting its local newscast to 7:00 p.m.
Out-of-market coverage
WSET is carried in Roxboro, North CarolinaRoxboro, North Carolina
Roxboro is a city and the county seat of Person County, North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the city of Roxboro has a population of 8,362. The city is 30 miles north of Durham, NC. It is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area.-History:...
on Charter Cable & DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
. It is also picked up in Yanceyville, North Carolina
Yanceyville, North Carolina
Yanceyville, first incorporated in 1833, is the county seat of Caswell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,091 at the 2000 census. It has been the county seat since 1792 . The original Caswell County Courthouse has been renovated and provides offices for county departments...
on Comcast Cable.
Once and Again controversy
On March 11, 2002, WSET pre-empted an episode of Once and AgainOnce and Again
Once and Again is an American television series that aired on ABC from September 21, 1999 to April 15, 2002. It depicts the family of a single mother and her romance with a single father...
which contained a scene in which two female characters kiss one another, and ran a prime-time infomercial instead. WSET was the only ABC affiliate to pre-empt the episode. The decision, which station management refused to explain, provoked condemnation from GLAAD and praise from Lynchburg resident Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
.
News operation
On September 12, 2011, WSET began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition, the station is the third in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market to make the transition to HD.News team
Anchors- Shelley Basinger - weekdays at noon; also reporter
- Danner Evans - weeknights at 5 and 5:30 p.m.
- Pattie Martin - weekday mornings Good Morning Virginia (5-7 a.m.)
- Dhomonique Ricks - weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also reporter
- Len Stevens - weeknights at 5:30, 6, 7, and 11 p.m.
- Noreen Turyn - weeknights at 6 p.m.
ABC 13 Weather
- Sean Sublette (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, 7, and 11 p.m. - Matt Ferguson (AMS Seal of Approval; member, NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
) - meteorologist; weekday mornings Good Morning Virginia (5-7 a.m.) and noon - Lyndsay Tapases - meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
Sports team
- Dennis Carter - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
- Justin Feldkamp - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
Reporters
- Lauren Compton - general assignment reporter
- Sally Delta - general assignment reporter
- James Gherardi - Danville bureau reporter
- Mark Kelly - general assignment reporter
- Jeremy Mills - general assignment reporter
- Heather Rosenbaum - Danville bureau reporter
- Rachel Schaerr - general assignment reporter
- David Tate - Roanoke bureau reporter
- Melinda Zosh - general assignment reporter