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Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 History  



1.1  WTWV  





1.2  WTVA  







2 Newscasts  





3 Subchannels  





4 References  





5 External links  














WTVA







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Coordinates: 33°4740N 89°516W / 33.79444°N 89.08778°W / 33.79444; -89.08778
 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


WTVA

  • United States
  • City

    Tupelo, Mississippi

    Channels

  • Virtual: 9
  • Branding

    • WTVA 9
  • ABC WTVA (on DT2)
  • Programming

    Affiliations

  • 9.2: ABC
  • 9.3: Ion Television
  • Ownership

    Owner

  • (Mississippi TV License Company, LLC)
  • History

    First air date

    March 18, 1957 (67 years ago) (1957-03-18)

    Former call signs

    WTWV (1957–1979)

    Former channel number(s)

    • Analog: 9 (VHF, 1957–2009)
  • Digital: 57 (UHF, 1999–2008), 8 (VHF, 2008–2020)
  • Translator: W22BS 22 (UHF) Tupelo
  • Former affiliations

    ABC (secondary, 1957–1983)

    Call sign meaning

    Tennessee Valley Authority, from which Tupelo was the first city to receive TVA-generated electricity; also from then-current "TV Alive" branding

    Technical information[2]

    Licensing authority

    FCC

    Facility ID

    74148

    ERP

    42.1 kW

    HAAT

    540.9 m (1,775 ft)

    Transmitter coordinates

    33°47′40N 89°5′16W / 33.79444°N 89.08778°W / 33.79444; -89.08778

    Links

    Public license information

  • LMS
  • Website

    www.wtva.com

    WTVA (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Tupelo, Mississippi, United States, serving the Columbus–Tupelo market as a dual affiliate of NBC and ABC. The station is owned by Allen Media Broadcasting. WTVA's studios are located on Beech Springs Road (County Road 681) in Saltillo, and its transmitter is located in Woodland, Mississippi.

    History[edit]

    WTWV[edit]

    WTVA was the brainchild of Frank K. Spain, an engineering graduate of Mississippi State University, who had helped build NBC-owned station WNBW (now WRC-TV) in Washington, D.C. While Technical Director at WHEN-TV (now WTVH) in Syracuse, New York, in the early-1950s, he dreamed of bringing a television station to Tupelo, where he had spent most of his childhood. Spain applied for a license in 1953 which was granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1956. The station began airing on March 18, 1957, with the call letters WTWV. Its equipment (antenna, transmitter, cameras, etc.) was hand-built in Spain's garage, backyard, and basement in Syracuse.

    Spain hoped to parlay his good relations with NBC officials into getting his new station an affiliation with the network. However, several NBC executives believed Tupelo was not a desirable place for a local station because of its rural location, even though most viewers in northern Mississippi could only get NBC via grade B coverage from WMC-TVinMemphis, Tennessee, WLBTinJackson, Mississippi, and WAPI-TV (now WVTM-TV) in Birmingham, Alabama. Nonetheless, they told Spain that if he could figure out a way to obtain a network signal, he could carry it.

    Spain allegedly negotiated under-the-table deals with WMC-TV and set up a network of microwave relays and repeater systems to carry the WMC-TV signal to Tupelo. Station engineers then switched to and from the signal when network programming aired. This setup, necessary in the days before satellites, enabled WTWV to bring NBC programming to northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. The station also carried a secondary affiliation with ABC (which apparently necessitated the use of WHBQ-TV, now a Fox affiliate).

    In the mid-1960s, WTWV was approached by ABC about becoming a full affiliate of that network. Spain, who was still receiving "bootleg" NBC programming, told NBC executives about ABC's offer to pay him the customary rates. This prompted NBC to finally negotiate a formal deal with Spain, which made WTWV an official NBC affiliate—one of only three primary NBC affiliates in Mississippi at the time. It still carried some ABC programming in off-hours (namely, college football on Saturdays) until WVSB (now WLOV-TV) in nearby West Point began operating in 1983. Starting in 1972, WTWV operated a full-time satellite for eastern central Mississippi, WHTV (now WMDN) in Meridian on channel 24; WHTV operated as such until 1980, when Spain decided to make it a stand-alone station, with a CBS affiliation. WTWV built a new tower in the 1970s that not only brought a city-grade signal to Columbus for the first time, but gave the station one of the largest coverage areas in the country.

    WTVA[edit]

    On July 4, 1979, WTWV changed its call letters to "WTVA" to reinforce its identity, not only as the first TVA city,[3] but also its then-current branding of "TV Alive".[4] The WTWV call sign was later used on WFRQ, a radio station in Mashpee, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. The WTWV call sign is now in use by a Memphis-based TV station. Neither the Massachusetts nor the Memphis station are related to the current WTVA.

    Frank Spain was CEO of WTVA until his death on April 25, 2006. He continued to visit the station regularly well into his seventies. His widow Jane assumed the CEO position until the station was sold in September 2014. The outlet was the first commercial television station in Mississippi to devote its entire morning broadcast schedule to educational programming. The station also made history as the first in Mississippi to broadcast a live basketball game. In the late 1990s, WTVA launched a low-power translator, W22BS, which served as a primary UPN affiliate, before selling the station to rival WCBI in 2002.[5] The Spains continued to own WHTV/WMDN until it was sold to Meridian Media (now Waypoint Media) in January 2008.

    Although WTVA formerly operated WLOV through local marketing agreement (LMA), and previously operated ABC affiliate WKDH through a similar arrangement from its 2001 sign-on until its final sign-off on August 31, 2012, each station had its own station manager and owner in accordance with FCC policy. WTVA, Inc. also previously owned and operated WTVXinFort Pierce, Florida, and KTFLinFlagstaff, Arizona. During the majority of the time KTFL was broadcasting, it carried programing from FamilyNet. KTFL's transmitter was licensed as the most powerful television station its own market. On July 30, 1999, WTVA began its digital service on UHF channel 57 but is mapped to virtual channel 9; that service would move to VHF channel 8 on July 24, 2008. By comparison, sister station WLOV broadcast network programming in high definition over a low-power digital transmitter. It is likely the allowable power levels on channel 8, WTVA's post-transition digital channel, will be severely limited due to potential interference to other stations.[6]

    Logo used as MeTV affiliate from December 31, 2011, to August 31, 2012.

    Previously, FamilyNet was carried on WTVA-DT2 until December 31, 2011, when it was replaced by MeTV.[7] The subchannel again switched affiliations, this time to ABC, on September 1, 2012; the subchannel replaced WKDH as the ABC affiliate for the Columbus–Tupelo–West Point market, which ceased operations the night before on August 31.[8][9] The MeTV affiliation was moved to sister-station WLOV-DT 27.2.[10]

    Heartland Media announced on September 16, 2014, that it would purchase WTVA from the Spain family, ending 57 years of local ownership.[11] Heartland Media assumed control of the station on February 11, 2015.[12] Allen Media Broadcasting, in turn, purchased Heartland in 2020, bringing WTVA into its portfolio.

    Newscasts[edit]

    In March 2000, WTVA began producing a Sunday through Friday night prime time newscast on WLOV-TV. Last known as WTVA 9 News on WLOV, this broadcast could be seen for an hour on weekdays and half an hour on weekends. That newscast was expanded to seven nights a week on July 1, 2017. WLOV also aired WTVA 9 News on WLOV from 6 to 9 a.m., produced by WTVA that competes with a sixty-minute show seen on The CW affiliate WCBI-DT3. On April 20, 2009, WTVA became the first station in the market and second in the state to upgrade local news to high definition level (WLOV's show was included). Compared nationwide, it was the smallest market outlet that made the change.

    With the addition of ABC network programming on WTVA-DT2, the subchannel also airs local news programming as per the terms of its affiliation agreement, featuring simulcasts of most local newscasts seen on the primary channel. More specifically, WTVA's half-hour weekday newscasts at noon and 6 p.m. and its one-hour news and talk program Kay Bain's Saturday Mornin' Show is not seen on WTVA-DT2.[8][10] WTVA-DT2 does, however, air an exclusive newscast weeknights at 6:30 p.m. The station operates a weather radar at its facilities that is known on-air as "StormTrack Doppler". WTVA's Weather Authority made national news on April 28, 2014, when chief meteorologist Matt Laubhan escorted the station's crew to the basement when an EF3 tornado struck nearby. After calling the National Weather Service in Memphis and operating without any radar data for three hours, he later won an Emmy in 2015 for his efforts.

    Subchannels[edit]

    The station's signal is multiplexed:

    Subchannels of WTVA[13]

    Channel

    Res.

    Aspect

    Short name

    Programming

    9.1

    1080i

    16:9

    WTVA-DT

    NBC

    9.2

    720p

    ABCWTVA

    ABC

    9.3

    480i

    IONWTVA

    Ion Television

    References[edit]

    1. ^ Miller, Mark K. (October 1, 2019). "Byron Allen Buying 11 Stations For $290M". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheckMedia. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  • ^ "Facility Technical Data for WTVA". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  • ^ "Wtva 50". July 13, 2007.
  • ^ "WTWV has new name". Clarksdale Press Register. July 15, 1979. p. Delta Outlook 8. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  • ^ "Growing despite tough times". NextTV. October 21, 2002.
  • ^ FCC third-round DTV allocations, DA-06-1675a1, allocate 9000 watts to WTVA.
  • ^ Where to Watch Me-TV: WTVA
  • ^ a b "ABC Getting New Outlet In Columbus-Tupelo". TVNewsCheck. August 28, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  • ^ "WTVA to broadcast ABC-TV". WTVA.com. August 28, 2012. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  • ^ a b ABC WTVA Information
  • ^ "Heartland Media Buying WTVA Tupelo". TVNewsCheck. September 16, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  • ^ Seid, Dennis (February 11, 2015). "WTVA sale complete; new general manager named". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  • ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WTVA
  • External links[edit]

    Broadcast television in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama

    This region includes the following cities: Columbus
    Tupelo
    West Point
    Houston
    Starkville
    Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television

    Full power

  • WCBI-TV 4 (.1 CBS, .2 Fox, .3 MNT)
  • WTVA 9 (.1 NBC, .2 ABC, .3 Ion)
  • WLOV-TV 27 (.1 CW+, .2 MeTV, .3 Ion+, .4 Crime)
  • WEPH 49 (.1 CTN HD, .2 Lifestyle, .3 CTNi, .4 CTN SD, .5 Biz TV (soon))
  • Low power

  • WHBH-CD 34 / W39CA-D 39 (UBN)
  • Defunct

  • W25AD 25 (TBN)
  • WKDH 45 (.1 ABC)
  • See also
    Birmingham TV
    Greenwood TV
    Huntsville TV
    Jackson MS TV
    Jackson TN TV
    Memphis TV
    Meridian TV

    Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state of Mississippi

    ABC

  • WEAR-TV 3 (Pensacola, FL)
  • WABG-TV 6 (Greenville)
  • WDAM-DT 7.2 (Laurel)
  • WTVA-DT 9.2 (Tupelo)
  • WTOK-TV 11 (Meridian)
  • WLOX 13 (Biloxi)
  • WAPT 16 (Jackson)
  • WATN-TV 24 (Memphis, TN)
  • WGNO 26 (New Orleans, LA)
  • CBS

  • WCBI-TV 4 (Columbus)
  • WWL-TV 4 (New Orleans, LA)
  • WKRG-TV 5 (Mobile, AL)
  • WAFB 9 (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • WJTV 12 (Jackson)
  • WLOX-DT 13.2 (Biloxi)
  • WXVT-LD 17 (Cleveland)
  • WHLT 22 (Hattiesburg)
  • WMDN 24 (Meridian)
  • Fox

  • WABG-DT 6.2 (Greenwood)
  • WVUE-DT 8 (New Orleans, LA)
  • WALA-TV 10 (Mobile, AL)
  • WHBQ-TV 13 (Memphis, TN)
  • WHPM-LD 23 (Hattiesburg)
  • WXXV-TV 25 (Gulfport)
  • WGBC 30 (Meridian)
  • WDBD 40 (Jackson)
  • WGMB-TV 44 (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • WNTZ-TV 48 (Natchez)
  • NBC

  • WMC-TV 5 (Memphis, TN)
  • WDSU 6 (New Orleans, LA)
  • WDAM-TV 7 (Laurel)
  • WTVA 9 (Tupelo)
  • WPMI-TV 15 (Mobile, AL)
  • WXXV-DT 25.2 (Gulfport)
  • WGBC-DT 30.2 (Meridian)
  • WNBD-LD 33 (Grenada)
  • WVLA-TV 33 (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • The CW

    Broadcast affiliates

  • WJTV-DT 12.2 (Jackson)
  • WBRL-CD 22 (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • WHLT-DT 22.2 (Hattiesburg)
  • WXXV-DT 25.3 (Gulfport)
  • WLOV-TV 27 (West Point)
  • WLMT 30 (Memphis, TN)
  • WNOL-TV 38 (New Orleans, LA)
  • WFNA 55 (Gulf Shores, AL)
  • Cable-only affiliates

    MyNetworkTV

  • WTOK-DT 11.2 (Meridian)
  • WHPM-LD 23.3 (Hattiesburg)
  • WFGX 35 (Fort Walton Beach, FL)
  • WLOO 35 (Vicksburg)
  • WBXH-CD 39 (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • WNTZ-TV 48Secondary (Natchez)
  • WUPL 54 (Slidell, LA)
  • Ion Television

  • WTVA-DT 9.3 (Tupelo)
  • WJTV-DT 12.3 (Jackson)
  • WFXW-DT 15.2 (Greenville)
  • WVLA-DT 33.3 (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • WPXL-TV 49 (New Orleans, LA)
  • WPXX-TV 50 (Memphis, TN)
  • PBS (MPB)

    Jackson market
    WMAU 17 (Bude)
    WMPN 29 (Jackson)
    Columbus/Tupelo/West Point market
    WMAB 2 (Mississippi State)
    WMAE 12 (Booneville)
    Biloxi/Gulfport market
    WMAH 19 (Biloxi)
    Hattiesburg/Laurel market
    W47BP 47 (Hattiesburg)
    W45AA 45 (Columbia)
    Greenwood/Greenville market
    WMAO 23 (Greenwood)
    Meridian market
    WMAW 14 (Meridian)
    Memphis market
    WMAV 18 (Oxford)

    Other

    Jackson area

  • WWJX 23 (TCT)
  • WRBJ-TV 34 (TBN, Magee)
  • Columbus/Tupelo area

  • WEPH 49 (CTN, Tupelo)
  • Gulf Coast area

  • WTBL-LD 51 (MeTV/Pursuit, Biloxi)
  • Mississippi Delta area

  • WHCQ-LD 8.4 (Cozi, Cleveland)
  • WFXW 15 (TCT, Greenville)
  • Memphis area

  • WWTW 34 (TCT, Senatobia)
  • WBUY-TV 40 (TBN, Holly Springs)
  • New Orleans area

  • KGLA-DT 42 (TMD, Hammond, LA)
  • Baton Rouge area

  • KBTR-CD 36 (Ind./This)
  • Mobile/Pensacola area

  • WMPV-TV 21 (TBN, Mobile, AL)
  • WHBR 33 (CTN, Pensacola, FL)
  • WJTC 44ATSC 3.0 (Ind., Pensacola, FL)
  • Defunct

  • WBMS-CA 10 (MeTV)
  • W23BC 23 (A1)
  • WXMS-LP 27 (MeTV)
  • WJKO-LP 64 (Daystar)
  • Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state of Alabama

    ABC

  • WEAR-TV 3 (Pensacola, FL)
  • WTVM 9 (Columbus, GA)
  • WTVA-DT 9.2 (Tupelo, MS)
  • WTOK-TV 11 (Meridian, MS)
  • WDHN 18 (Dothan)
  • WAAY-TV 31 (Huntsville)
  • WNCF 32 (Montgomery)
  • WBMA-LD 58 / WABM 68.2 / WDBB 17.2 / WGWW 40.2 (Birmingham/Bessemer/Anniston)
  • CBS

  • WCBI-TV 4 (Columbus, MS)
  • WTVY 4 (Dothan)
  • WKRG-TV 5 (Mobile)
  • WAKA 8 (Selma)
  • WHNT-TV 19 (Huntsville)
  • WMDN 24 (Meridian, MS)
  • WIAT 42 (Birmingham)
  • WANF 46 (Atlanta, GA)
  • Fox

  • WAGA-TV 5 (Atlanta, GA)
  • WBRC 6 (Birmingham)
  • WALA-TV 10 (Mobile)
  • WCOV-TV 20 (Montgomery)
  • WGBC 30 (Meridian, MS)
  • WDFX-TV 34 (Dothan)
  • WXTX 54 (Columbus, GA)
  • WZDX 54 (Huntsville)
  • NBC

  • WXIA-TV 11 (Atlanta, GA)
  • WSFA 12 (Montgomery)
  • WVTM-TV 13 (Birmingham)
  • WPMI-TV 15 (Mobile)
  • WRGX-TV 23 (Dothan)
  • WGBC-DT 30.2 (Meridian, MS)
  • WLTZ 38 (Columbus, GA)
  • WAFF 48 (Huntsville)
  • The CW

  • WTOK-DT 11.3 (Meridian, MS)
  • WHDF 15 / WHNT-DT 19.2 (Florence/Huntsville)
  • WPCH-TV 17ATSC 3.0 (Atlanta, GA)
  • WTTO 21ATSC 3.0 / WDBB 17 (Homewood/Bessemer)
  • WBMM 22 / WNCF-DT 32.2 (Tuskegee/Montgomery)
  • WLOV-TV 27 (West Point, MS)
  • WLTZ-DT 38.2 (Columbus, GA)
  • WFNA 55ATSC 3.0 (Gulf Shores)
  • MyNetworkTV

  • WCBI-DT 4.3 (Columbus, MS)
  • WTOK-DT 11.2 (Meridian, MS)
  • WFGX 35 (Fort Walton Beach, FL)
  • WATL 36 (Atlanta, GA)
  • WLTZ-DT 38.3 (Columbus, GA)
  • "WAMY" 8 / WZDX-DT 54.2 (Huntsville)
  • WABM 68 (Birmingham)
  • Ion

  • WKRG-TV 5.2 (Mobile)
  • WAKA-DT 8.3 (Selma)
  • WTVA-DT 9.3 (Tupelo, MS)
  • WPXA-TV 14 (Rome, GA)
  • WAAY-DT 31.2 (Huntsville)
  • WPXH-TV 44 (Hoover)
  • PBS (APT)

    Huntsville market
    WHIQ 25 (Huntsville)
    WFIQ 36 (Florence)
    Birmingham market
    WCIQ 7 (Mount Cheaha)
    WBIQ 10 (Birmingham)
    Meridian, MS market
    WIIQ 41 (Demopolis)
    Montgomery market
    WDIQ 2 (Dozier)
    WAIQ 26 (Montgomery)
    Columbus, GA market
    WGIQ 43 (Louisville)
    Mobile market
    WEIQ 42 (Mobile)

    Other

    Huntsville market:

    • WTZT-CD 11 (Athens, Cozi)

    Tupelo, MS market:

    Birmingham market:

  • WOTM-LD 19 (Birmingham, Ind.)
  • WEAC-CD 24 (Sylacauga, Cowboy)
  • WTBM-CD 24 (Birmingham, Biz)
  • WSES 33 / WGWW 40 (Tuscaloosa/Anniston, H&I)
  • WUOA-LD 46 (Birmingham, Buzzr)
  • W16DS-D 47 (Birmingham, Ind./Rel.)
  • WTJP-TV 60 (Gadsden, TBN)
  • Atlanta, GA market:

  • WHSG-TV 63 (Monroe, TBN)
  • WUPA 69 (Atlanta, Ind.)
  • Montgomery market:

  • WBIH 29 (Selma, TCT)
  • WFRZ-LD 33 (Montgomery, WS/INSP)
  • WMCF-TV 45 (Montgomery, TBN)
  • WIYC 48 (Troy, Cozi)
  • Columbus, GA market:

    Dothan market:

    Mobile market:

  • WMPV-TV 21 (Mobile, TBN)
  • WHBR 33 (Pensacola, FL, CTN)
  • WJTC 44ATSC 3.0 (Pensacola, FL, Ind.)

  • Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WTVA&oldid=1225818689"

    Categories: 
    1957 establishments in Mississippi
    Allen Media Group
    Ion Television affiliates
    NBC affiliates
    Television channels and stations established in 1957
    Television stations in Tupelo, Mississippi
    Hidden categories: 
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