WVVA
Encyclopedia
WVVA, virtual channel
6, is an NBC
-affiliated television station in Bluefield, West Virginia
, USA
, owned by the Quincy Newspapers
media chain. The station's studios are located in Bluefield, and its transmitter is based at East River Mountain, near the West Virginia-Virginia
border.
's Sixth Report and Order. Because of its proposed antenna height and location on East River Mountain, the channel 6 allocation to Bluefield was short-spaced to WATE-TV
(also on channel 6) in Knoxville, Tennessee
and side-spaced to WCYB-TV
(on adjacent channel 5) in Bristol, Virginia
. As a result, the proposed station on the channel 6 frequency would therefore be limited to one-half of the visual maximum effective radiated power, or 50,000 watts effective radiated power
.
The station's original call letters were WHIS-TV, named for West Virginia politician Hugh Ike Shott
. Shott died in 1953, two years before the station made it to air, and his heirs were channel 6's original owners. The Shott family controlled not only WHIS-TV but also an AM
and FM radio station combination and the city's only daily newspaper, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph
. Although their media holdings in Bluefield were considered a monopoly by some, only the newspaper was a vehicle for their conservative
political views. The Shotts constructed a privately-owned microwave relay system to receive NBC programming from WSLS-TV
in Roanoke, Virginia
, the closest city receiving network signals. On January 1, 1967, the WHIS stations moved into new facilities on Big Laurel Highway (U.S. Routes 19
and 460
), known as "Broadcast Center," and began full color operations.
In 1975, the FCC decreed that a single company could not own all of the media outlets in one area
, and required several small-market broadcast-print combinations to be broken up. The ruling forced the Shott family to break up their Bluefield media holdings. In 1979, after four years of litigation, the decision was made to sell the television station, which was sold to Quincy, Illinois
-based Quincy Newspapers. After the sale was completed, the new owners changed the station's call letters to WVVA, which stands for the states which channel 6 serves, West Virginia and Virginia.
On February 17, 2009, WVVA switched to "Digital Nightlight
" service on its analog signal showing information on the transition to exclusive digital television
and its nightly 6 o'clock newscast. Post-transition digital operations continued on channel 46, which remaps to channel 6 through PSIP
. The station's analog service was terminated altogether in late-April 2009.
WVVA currently has a construction permit
for a digital fill-in translator on channel 43 from a transmitter near Layland
. This will have the same call sign as the main signal and primarily serve the northern portion of the market.
.
Bureau (covering Summers
, Monroe
, and Greenbrier
Counties in West Virginia as well as Giles County, Virginia
). WVVA-DT2 (CW) offers the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz
on weekdays from 6 until 9 like all CW Plus affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone
.
Anchors
WVVA Precision Doppler Meteorologists
Sports
Multimedia journalists
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
6, is an 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...
-affiliated television station in Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, owned by the Quincy Newspapers
Quincy Newspapers
Quincy Newspapers, Inc. is a family-owned media company that originated in the newspapers of Quincy, Illinois. The company's history can be traced back to 1835, when the Bounty Land Register was one of only four newspapers in all of Illinois. Over the next century, a number of mergers followed...
media chain. The station's studios are located in Bluefield, and its transmitter is based at East River Mountain, near the West Virginia-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...
border.
History
The station was founded on July 31, 1955, under the special commitment of a VHF allotment made to Bluefield following the release of the Federal Communications CommissionFederal 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...
's Sixth Report and Order. Because of its proposed antenna height and location on East River Mountain, the channel 6 allocation to Bluefield was short-spaced to WATE-TV
WATE-TV
WATE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Eastern Tennessee licensed to Knoxville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 6 as well as Comcast and Knology...
(also on channel 6) in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
and side-spaced to WCYB-TV
WCYB-TV
WCYB-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station serving the Tri-Cities area of Northeastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter on Rye Patch Knob of Holston Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest...
(on adjacent channel 5) in Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
. As a result, the proposed station on the channel 6 frequency would therefore be limited to one-half of the visual maximum effective radiated power, or 50,000 watts effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
.
The station's original call letters were WHIS-TV, named for West Virginia politician Hugh Ike Shott
Hugh Ike Shott
Hugh Ike Shott was a newspaper editor, pioneer broadcaster, and Republican politician in the U.S. State of West Virginia.-Career:...
. Shott died in 1953, two years before the station made it to air, and his heirs were channel 6's original owners. The Shott family controlled not only WHIS-TV but also an AM
WHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
and FM radio station combination and the city's only daily newspaper, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
The Bluefield Daily Telegraph is seven-day morning daily newspaper based in Bluefield, West Virginia, and also covering surrounding communities in McDowell, Mercer and Monroe counties, West Virginia; and Bland, Buchanan, Giles and Tazewell counties, Virginia .The weekly Princeton Times, covering...
. Although their media holdings in Bluefield were considered a monopoly by some, only the newspaper was a vehicle for their conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
political views. The Shotts constructed a privately-owned microwave relay system to receive NBC programming from WSLS-TV
WSLS-TV
WSLS-TV, channel 10 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Roanoke, Virginia. Its transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County. The station is owned by Media General who also owns local newspapers The News & Advance and Danville Register & Bee...
in Roanoke, Virginia
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...
, the closest city receiving network signals. On January 1, 1967, the WHIS stations moved into new facilities on Big Laurel Highway (U.S. Routes 19
U.S. Route 19 in West Virginia
U.S. Route 19 in West Virginia runs through West Virginia from the Virginia state line in Bluefield, WV to the Pennsylvania state line near Mount Morris, PA.-Route:...
and 460
U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460 is a spur of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles from Norfolk, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky at U.S. Route 60. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky...
), known as "Broadcast Center," and began full color operations.
In 1975, the FCC decreed that a single company could not own all of the media outlets in one area
Concentration of media ownership
Concentration of media ownership refers to a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media...
, and required several small-market broadcast-print combinations to be broken up. The ruling forced the Shott family to break up their Bluefield media holdings. In 1979, after four years of litigation, the decision was made to sell the television station, which was sold to Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
-based Quincy Newspapers. After the sale was completed, the new owners changed the station's call letters to WVVA, which stands for the states which channel 6 serves, West Virginia and Virginia.
On February 17, 2009, WVVA switched to "Digital Nightlight
Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act
The Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act, or SAFER Act, is a U.S. law to require the Federal Communications Commission to allow the continuation of full-power analog TV transmissions in 2009 for 30 more days, for the purpose of broadcasting public service announcements regarding the...
" service on its analog signal showing information on the transition to exclusive digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
and its nightly 6 o'clock newscast. Post-transition digital operations continued on channel 46, which remaps to channel 6 through PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
. The station's analog service was terminated altogether in late-April 2009.
WVVA currently has a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
for a digital fill-in translator on channel 43 from a transmitter near Layland
Layland, West Virginia
Layland is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Layland is located on West Virginia Route 41 west-northwest of Meadow Bridge. Layland has a post office with ZIP code 25864....
. This will have the same call sign as the main signal and primarily serve the northern portion of the market.
Digital programming
On WVVA-DT2, Comcast channel 10, and Suddenlink channel 18 is the area's CW affiliate. Known on-air as Two Virginias' CW, the station receives all programming through The CW PlusThe CW Plus
The CW Plus is a group of primarily digital sub-channels, analog, and non-broadcast cable television outlets for the CW Television Network, for markets below the top 99 television media markets in the United States....
.
| Channels (virtual/physical) | Video Display resolution The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection... |
Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1/46.1 | 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... |
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 WVVA programming/NBC (HD) |
| 6.2/46.2 | 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 | WVVA-DT2 "Two Virginias Virginias Virginias may refer to:*Virginia*West Virginia... ' CW" (SD) |
Newscasts
WVVA remains one of the strongest NBC affiliates in the country and continually averages high Nielsen rating shares in the mountainous ten county market. In addition to its main studios, WVVA operates a Beckley Bureau (on Main Street along North Kanawha Street/WV 210) and a "virtual" Greenbrier ValleyGreenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
Bureau (covering Summers
Summers County, West Virginia
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...
, Monroe
Monroe County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,583 people, 5,447 households, and 3,883 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 7,267 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, and Greenbrier
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,453 people, 14,571 households, and 9,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 17,644 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
Counties in West Virginia as well as Giles County, Virginia
Giles County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,657 people, 6,994 households, and 4,888 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 7,732 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
). WVVA-DT2 (CW) offers the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz is a nationally syndicated breakfast television news and infotainment program. The show is produced by Fisher Communications and is owned and distributed by ACME Communications; it is broadcast every weekday morning from studios at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida...
on weekdays from 6 until 9 like all CW Plus affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
.
Anchors
- Lauren Pozen - weekday mornings and noon
- Greg Carter - Content Manager seen weeknights at 6
- Eric Greene - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11; In Focus host (also "All Points Bulletin" segment producer)
WVVA Precision Doppler Meteorologists
- Corey Henderson (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...
Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights - Janna Brown - weekday mornings and noon
- Lauren Solomon - weekends and multimedia journalist
Sports
- Jaime Baker - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 11
- Brad Zahar - weekends and reporter
Multimedia journalists
- Rachel Lucas - Greenbrier Valley Bureau
- Lorin Richardson - Beckley Bureau
- Mark Hughes - videographer
- Matt Irvin - videographer
- Stephanie Crace
- Paul Hess
- Kate Mosso
- Josh Frketic
- Meredith Boggs