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{{Short description|TV station in New Britain, Connecticut}}
{{Infobox_Broadcast |
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
call_letters = WVIT|
{{Infobox television station
station_logo = [[File:WVIT 2009 Logo.png]]|
station_slogan = ''Connecticut's News Leader''|
| callsign = WVIT
| logo = WVIT 2023.svg
station_branding = NBC Connecticut HD|
digital = 35 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])|
| location = {{ubl|[[New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain]]–[[Hartford]]–[[New Haven, Connecticut]]}}
| country = United States
subchannels = 30.1 [[NBC]]-[[HDTV|HD]]<br/>30.3 [[Universal Sports]]|
affiliations = [[NBC|National Broadcasting Company]]|
| city = New Britain, Connecticut
founded = |
| branding = NBC CT; NBC Connecticut
airdate = [[February 13]], [[1953]]|
| digital = 31 ([[UHF]]), shared with [[WRDM-CD]]
| virtual = 30
location = [[New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain]]/[[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]]/<br>[[New Haven, Connecticut]]|
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''30.1:''' [[NBC]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
callsign_meaning = [[Viacom International|'''V'''iacom<br>'''I'''nternational]]<br>'''T'''elevision<br>(reference to former owner [[Viacom (1971-2005)|Viacom]])|
| owner = [[NBC Owned Television Stations]]
former_callsigns = WKNB-TV (1953-1957)<br>WNBC-TV (1957-1960)<br>WHNB-TV (1960-1978)|
| licensee = NBC Telemundo License [[LLC]]
former_channel_numbers = 30 (UHF analog, 1953-2009)|
| founded = July 11, 1952<ref>"FCC begins granting new TV; Denver gets three." ''[[Broadcasting and Cable|Broadcasting – Telecasting]]'', July 14, 1952, pp. 5, 102. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/52-OCR/BC-1952-07-14-OCR-Page-0005.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/52-OCR/BC-1952-07-14-OCR-Page-0102.pdf]</ref>
owner = [[NBC Universal]]|
licensee = NBC Telemundo License Company|
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1953|02|13|p=y}}
| callsign_meaning = [[Viacom (1952–2005)|Viacom International]] Television (former owner's official subsidiary for trademark, [[copyright]] and station licensing purposes)
effective_radiated_power = 250 [[kilowatt|kW]]|
HAAT = 434 [[meter|m]]|
| sister_stations = [[WRDM-CD]] / WDMR-LD
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WKNB-TV (1953–1957)|WNBC (1957–1960)|WHNB-TV (1960–1978)}}
facility_id = 74170|
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 30 (UHF, 1953–2009)|'''Digital:''' 35 (UHF, 2004–2019)}}
coordinates = {{coord|41|42|3|N|72|49|55.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}|
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[CBS]] (secondary, 1953–1955)}}
homepage = [http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/ www.nbcconnecticut.com]|
| erp = 374 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|450|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 74170
| coordinates = {{coord|41|42|2|N|72|49|55|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/}}
}}
}}
'''WVIT''', is the [[NBC]] [[owned-and-operated station]] for the state of [[Connecticut]], licensed to [[New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain]]. WVIT has its offices and studios located in [[West Hartford, Connecticut|West Hartford]], and transmitter based in [[Farmington, Connecticut]].
'''WVIT''' (channel 30) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[New Britain, Connecticut]], United States, serving the [[Hartford]]–[[New Haven]] [[Media market|market]]. It is [[owned and operated]] by the [[NBC]] television network through its [[NBC Owned Television Stations]] division alongside [[Class A television service|Class A]] [[Telemundo]] outlet [[WRDM-CD]] (channel 19). The two stations share studios on New Britain Avenue in [[West Hartford]] and transmitter facilities on [[Rattlesnake Mountain (Connecticut)|Rattlesnake Mountain]] in [[Farmington, Connecticut]].


== History ==
==History==
===Early years===
WVIT signed on for the first time on [[February 13]], [[1953]] as '''WKNB-TV''', a sister station to WKNB radio (840 AM, now [[WRYM]]). The calls stood for [[Kensington, Connecticut|'''K'''ensington]]-'''N'''ew '''B'''ritain. It is Connecticut's second-oldest television station, and the first on the [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] band. It is also the only station in Connecticut to have never changed its original affiliation.
WVIT signed on for the first time on February 13, 1953, as WKNB-TV, owned by the New Britain Broadcasting Company along with WKNB radio (840 AM, now [[WRYM]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=New TV grantees prepare plans. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-02-23-OCR-Page-0062.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=62 |date=February 23, 1953 |access-date=January 5, 2019 }}</ref> The calls stood for [[Kensington, Connecticut|Kensington]]–New Britain. It is Connecticut's second-oldest television station and the first on the UHF band.<ref>Gross, Julian. "UHF is television too." ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', July 6, 1953, pp. 84, 86, 88, 90. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-07-06-OCR-Page-0084.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-07-06-OCR-Page-0086.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-07-06-OCR-Page-0090.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-07-06-OCR-Page-0092.pdf]</ref> The station has been with NBC since sign-on, though during its first two and a half years, it secondarily carried [[CBS]] programming as one of two affiliates in Connecticut,<ref>{{cite news|title=WKNB-TV signs; CBS-TV affiliation announced. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/53-OCR/BC-1953-01-05-OCR-Page-0075.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=75 |date=January 5, 1953 |access-date=January 5, 2019 }}</ref> along with WNHC-TV (now [[WTNH]]) in New Haven. At the time, Hartford and New Haven were recognized by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) as separate television markets; the commission would merge them into one market in 1954.


In January 1955, NBC announced it would purchase the WKNB stations for just over $600,000.<ref>{{cite news|title=Power plays take shape in television networking. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/55-OCR/1955-01-10-BC-OCR-Page-0027.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=27 |date=January 10, 1955 |access-date=December 29, 2018}}</ref> Though the network was acquiring both radio and television outlets, the key to the deal was channel 30–as one of the first UHF stations to be owned by a major network, the FCC encouraged the networks to expand their owned-and-operated holdings to include outlets in the new band to help ensure its viability. Indeed, NBC made plans to boost channel 30's signal to cover the entire market.
In 1954, only a year after channel 30 signed on, Hartford and [[New Haven]] were collapsed into a single television market. However, WKNB's signal was not strong enough to cover southern Connecticut at the time--a problem that would hamper channel 30 for almost a quarter-century. NBC continued to air some programming on New Haven's WNHC-TV (channel 8, now [[WTNH]]) for another year due to this shortfall in channel 30's coverage.


WKNB-TV began carrying the full NBC programming schedule in October 1955. The FCC approved the sale to NBC in December 1956, nearly two years after it was first announced.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBC gets green light on New Britain buy. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/56-OCR/1956-12-17-BC-OCR-Page-0081.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=81 |date=December 17, 1956 |access-date=December 29, 2018}}</ref> The network then renamed channel 30 WNBC (for New Britain, Connecticut) in January 1957.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBC rechristens WKNB-TV to WNBC(TV) West Hartford. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/57-OCR/1957-01-14-BC-OCR-Page-0100.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=100 |date=January 14, 1957 |access-date=December 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WNBC (TV) advertisement |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/57-OCR/1957-01-14-BC-OCR-Page-0077.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=77 |date=January 14, 1957 |access-date=December 29, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=For the record–Station authorizations, applications–Existing TV stations–Call letters assigned. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/57-OCR/1957-01-21-BC-OCR-Page-0108.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting |page=108 |date=January 21, 1957 |access-date=December 30, 2018}}</ref> In its first stint as an NBC-owned station, channel 30 failed to gain much headway in the ratings, largely because television manufacturers were not required to include UHF tuning capability until 1964. Viewers had to buy an expensive converter to watch WNBC, and even with one the picture was barely viewable. In addition, plans to relocate the station's tower and to boost transmission power never moved forward.
NBC itself purchased the station in 1957 and renamed it '''[[WNBC|WNBC-TV]]''' (for '''N'''ew '''B'''ritain, '''C'''onnecticut). It planned to boost the station's signal to cover all of the market, but these plans never materialized. In its first stint as an NBC-owned station, channel 30 failed to gain much headway in the ratings, largely because television manufacturers were not required to include UHF tuning capability until 1964. Viewers had to buy an expensive converter to watch WNBC-TV, and even with one the picture was barely viewable. Nonetheless, NBC bought channel 30 as part of an experiment to determine whether UHF could be competitive with [[Very high frequency|VHF]].


In September 1957, the Hartford-based [[Travelers Insurance Company]] signed on [[independent station]] WTIC-TV (channel 3, now [[WFSB]]), the state's second and last VHF station. Within a year of its debut (and despite its [[WTIC (AM)|radio sister]] having been an NBC radio affiliate for over thirty years) WTIC-TV became Connecticut's CBS affiliate, replacing its owned-and-operated station, WHCT-TV (channel 18, now [[Univision]] affiliate [[WUVN]]). NBC then realized its UHF experiment was a lost cause (it had shut down [[WBUF-TV|its other owned UHF station]] in [[Buffalo, New York]], in October 1958), and in June 1959 sold WNBC and WKNB radio for $750,000 to Plains Television Inc., a joint venture of Transcontinental Properties and H & E Balaban Corporation (WKNB was spun off immediately afterward).<ref>"NBC sells WNBC (TV) to Scheftel group." ''Broadcasting'', June 29, 1959, pp. 73–74. Retrieved December 30, 2018. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-06-29-BC-OCR-Page-0073.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-06-29-BC-OCR-Page-0074.pdf]</ref><ref>"Changing Hands." ''Broadcasting'', September 28, 1959, pp. 98–100. Retrieved December 30, 2018. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-09-28-BC-OCR-Page-0100.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-09-28-BC-OCR-Page-0102.pdf]</ref> As part of the deal, [[Springfield Television]], the owner of fellow NBC affiliate [[WWLP]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], was to have held a one-third share in channel 30; it abandoned this stake before the deal's completion after concerns arose over WWLP and WNBC's overlapping coverage areas, but continued to hold an option to reacquire it for some time afterward pending FCC approval.<ref>"Conn. sale protest dismissed by FCC." ''Broadcasting'', November 30, 1959, pp. 70–71. Retrieved December 30, 2018. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-11-30-BC-OCR-Page-0070.pdf] [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-11-30-BC-OCR-Page-0071.pdf]</ref> In May 1960, channel 30's callsign changed again – this time to WHNB-TV (for Hartford-New Britain); NBC reclaimed the WNBC calls for its flagship radio and television combination (the former [[WNBC (AM)|WRCA-AM]]-[[WQHT|FM]]-[[WNBC|TV]]) in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|title=WRCA to be WNBC? |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/60-OCR/BC-1960-04-04-OCR-Page-0086.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=88 |date=April 4, 1960 |access-date=December 30, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=For the record–Station authorizations, applications–Existing TV stations–Call letters assigned |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/60-OCR/BC-1960-05-09-OCR-Page-0100.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=100 |date=May 9, 1960 |access-date=December 30, 2018 }}</ref>
In September 1957, the [[Travelers Companies|Travelers Insurance Company]] signed on independent WTIC-TV (channel 3, now [[WFSB]]), Hartford's first and only VHF station. Within a year of its debut (and despite its [[WTIC (AM)|radio sister]] having been an NBC radio affiliate for over thirty years) WTIC-TV became Connecticut's CBS affiliate, replacing its owned-and-operated station, WHCT-TV (channel 18, now [[WUVN]]). NBC then realized its UHF experiment would end up as a lost cause and sold WNBC-TV to Transcontinental Properties in 1959. In 1960, the calls changed again -- this time to '''WHNB-TV''' (for '''H'''artford-'''N'''ew '''B'''ritain). This change came because NBC wanted the WNBC calls for its radio and television cluster in [[New York City]].


In 1966 WHNB became, once again, one of two NBC affiliates in Connecticut: the network signed with WATR-TV (channel 20) in [[Waterbury]] in order to get its programming into New Haven. Channel 30 itself made up for the shortfall in its market coverage by operating two low-power translators (starting in 1971): W79AI in [[Torrington, Connecticut|Torrington]] on channel 79 [http://www.geocities.com/radiojunkie1/W79AI.html], and later in the 1980s, on channel 59 in New Haven.
In 1966, WHNB-TV became, once again, one of two NBC affiliates in Connecticut; the network signed with [[Waterbury]]-licensed WATR-TV (channel 20) to get its programming into New Haven on a strong signal.<ref>{{cite web|title=WATR-TV joining NBC-TV |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/66-OCR/1966-07-25-BC-OCR-Page-0066.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=66 |date=July 25, 1966 |access-date=December 30, 2018 }}</ref> By this time, television manufacturers were now required to include all-channel tuning. Channel 30 itself made up for the shortfall in its market coverage by operating two low-power translators (starting in 1971): W79AI (channel 79) in [[Torrington, Connecticut|Torrington]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091026163453/http://geocities.com/radiojunkie1/W79AI.html W79AI]</ref> and W59AA (channel 59) in New Haven.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091026133644/http://geocities.com/radiojunkie1/morgue.html W59AA New Haven]</ref> They also operated W79AH in Waterbury in the 1960s.


===Viacom and NBC ownership===
WHNB was sold to [[Viacom (1971-2005)|Viacom]] in 1978, and changed its call letters to '''WVIT''' (for "'''V'''iacom '''I'''nternational '''T'''elevision") to reflect its new ownership. Viacom immediately announced plans to boost WVIT's signal. In 1980, channel 30 signed on with a new transmitter that more than doubled its coverage area, giving it a clear signal to New Haven for the first time. Viacom also beefed up WVIT's news operation, which had long been an also-ran behind WFSB and WTNH due to its weak signal in New Haven. After the signal boost, however, it became a factor in the ratings for the first time in decades. WVIT became the market's exclusive provider of NBC programming in March 1982, when WATR-TV's affiliation contract with NBC ended and the station became independent [[WTXX]]. The Torrington translator was turned off in 1987, and the New Haven repeater was shut down in the middle 1990s to allow full-powered WTVU (now [[WCTX]]) to begin operations.
[[File:WVIT30prehd.png|thumb|WVIT's ''NBC30'' logo used from 2005 until July 16, 2009. The numeric "30" had been in use in one form or another since 1992.]]
In the summer of 1977, Plains Television announced it would sell WHNB-TV to [[Viacom (1952–2005)|the original iteration of Viacom]] for $15&nbsp;million. The former [[CBS Inc.]] subsidiary was making its first foray into broadcast station ownership.<ref>{{cite news|title=Viacom gets into station ownership. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/77-OCR/BC-1977-06-20-OCR-Page-0028.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=28 |date=June 20, 1977 |access-date=December 30, 2018}}</ref> Shortly after assuming control in the spring of 1978, channel 30's call letters were changed to the present WVIT on June 12 (for "Viacom International Television") to reflect its new ownership.<ref>{{cite web|title=For the Record–Call letters–Grants–Existing TVs |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/78-OCR/1978-08-07-BC-OCR-Page-0067.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=67 |date=August 7, 1978 |access-date=December 30, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=WVIT/Katz Television Continental advertisement. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/78-OCR/1978-06-12-BC-OCR-Page-0012.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=12 |date=June 12, 1978 |access-date=December 30, 2018}}</ref> Viacom immediately announced plans to boost WVIT's signal, and also made upgrades in the station's news department.<ref>{{cite news|title=WVIT/Katz Television Continental advertisement. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/79-OCR/BC-1979-12-24-OCR-Page-0002.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=2 |date=December 24, 1979 |access-date=December 30, 2018}}</ref> In 1980, channel 30 signed on with a new transmitter that more than doubled its coverage area, giving it a clear signal to much of New Haven for the first time, though the channel 59 repeater was kept in service. WVIT became the sole Connecticut-based NBC affiliate in March 1982, when WATR-TV's affiliation contract with NBC ended and the station became independent WTXX (it is now [[WCCT-TV]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=WATR-TV decides to go it alone |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-02-22-BC-OCR-Page-0076.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=72 |date=February 22, 1982 |access-date=December 30, 2018 }}</ref> The Torrington translator was turned off in 1987, and the New Haven repeater was shut down in the mid-1990s to allow full-powered WTVU (now [[WCTX]]) to begin operations. In 1993, WVIT and WTXX entered into a part-time [[local marketing agreement]] after talks with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WTIC-TV]] (channel 61) failed.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lender|first=Jon|date=June 11, 1993|title=WVIT Leases Time on WTXX as WTIC Protests|work=[[Hartford Courant]]|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1993-06-11-0000100900-story.html|access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref>


Viacom purchased [[Paramount Pictures]] in 1994, placing its five-station group (WVIT; [[KMOV]] in [[St. Louis]]; [[WHEC-TV]] in [[Rochester, New York]]; [[WNYT (TV)|WNYT]] in [[Albany, New York]]; and [[KSLA-TV]] in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]]) under common ownership with the [[Paramount Stations Group]];<ref>Foisie, Geoffrey, and Christopher Stern. "Viacom, Paramount say 'I do.'" ''Broadcasting and Cable'', September 20, 1993, pp. 14–16. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-09-20-Page-0014.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-09-20-Page-0015.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-09-20-Page-0016.pdf]</ref><ref>Foisie, Geoffrey. "At long last: Viacom Paramount." ''Broadcasting and Cable'', February 21, 1994, pp. 7, 10, 14. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/94-OCR/BC-1994-02-21-Page-0007.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/94-OCR/BC-1994-02-21-Page-0010.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/94-OCR/BC-1994-02-21-Page-0014.pdf]</ref> the two groups were formally consolidated in December 1995.<ref name="v-viacompsg">{{cite news |last1=Flint |first1=Joe |title=Viacom Group Merged Under Par's Cassara |url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/viacom-group-merged-under-par-s-cassara-99123610/ |access-date=March 5, 2023 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=December 18, 1995}}</ref> The merged company decided to divest itself of all of its major network affiliates to focus on stations that carried its then-upstart United Paramount Network ([[UPN]]).<ref>Zier, Julie A., and Steve McClellan. "Minority-led group eyes Viacom stations." ''Broadcasting and Cable'', November 7, 1994, pp. 6. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/94-OCR/BC-1994-11-07-Page-0006.pdf]</ref> WVIT, the first television outlet Viacom purchased was the last station to be sold, as Viacom agreed to trade channel 30 to former owner NBC in return for future purchase rights to [[WWHO]] in [[Chillicothe, Ohio]], and [[WLWC]] in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]], two UPN-affiliated stations NBC was operating by way of local marketing agreements. The sale closed on December 8, 1997, making WVIT an NBC O&O for the second time in its history. It also ended its part-time LMA with WTXX, and the LMA deal was transferred to WTIC-TV.<ref>{{cite news|last=McClellan|first=Steve|title=NBC, Paramount swap stations.|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/97-OCR/BC-1997-08-04-OCR-Page-0014.pdf|periodical=Broadcasting and Cable|page=12|date=August 4, 1997|access-date=January 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1997-12-06-9712060245-story.html|title=Managers, reporter fired in WVIT-TV shakeup|last=Keveney|first=Bill|work=[[Hartford Courant]]|access-date=November 24, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
Viacom purchased [[Paramount Pictures]] in 1994. Within the next year, following the launch of the [[UPN|United Paramount Network]] venture it co-owned with [[Chris-Craft Industries]], Paramount/Viacom began to sell off its non-UPN affiliated stations. WVIT, which was Viacom's first station purchase in 1978, ended up being the last non-UPN outlet sold in 1997. As part of a three-way deal, which closed on [[December 8]] of that year, WVIT was sold to former owner NBC, while Paramount/Viacom ended up with [[WLWC]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]] and [[WWHO]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]], two stations owned by [[Fant Broadcasting]] which NBC operated by way of [[local marketing agreement]]s.


On December 4, 2017, NBCUniversal announced that it would buy [[Telemundo]] affiliate [[WRDM-CD]] and its Springfield [[satellite station]] WDMR-LP from [[ZGS Communications]], as with several other NBC O&Os, WRDM would become a sister station to WVIT, creating the third [[Duopoly (broadcasting)|duopoly]] in the Hartford–New Haven television market, following the duopolies of [[Nexstar Media Group]]'s WTNH/WCTX and [[Tegna Inc.|Tegna]]'s [[WTIC-TV]]/[[WCCT-TV]] (though as a low-power station, WRDM is exempt from FCC ownership caps, including the duopoly rule).<ref name="tvnc-saletotelemundo">{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Mark K.|title=NBCU Adding ZGS Stations To Telemundo|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/109362/nbcu-adding-zgs-stations-to-telemundo|access-date=December 4, 2017|work=TVNewsCheck|date=December 4, 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074450/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/109362/nbcu-adding-zgs-stations-to-telemundo|archive-date=December 6, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> ZGS had sold WRDM's spectrum in the FCC's [[incentive auction]] for $10,574,516 and indicated that the station would enter into a post-auction [[channel sharing]] agreement, which occurred with WVIT at the start of the year.<ref name="fcc-wrdmsale">{{cite web|title=FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Auction 1001 Winning Bids|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2017/db0413/DA-17-314A2.pdf|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=December 15, 2017|date=April 4, 2017}}</ref> The sale was officially completed on February 1, 2018.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBCU Completes ZGS Stations Buy|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/110882/nbcu-completes-zgs-stations-buy|access-date=February 1, 2018|work=TVNewsCheck|date=February 1, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:WVIT30prehd.png|thumb|left|150px|WVIT's ''NBC30'' logo used from 2005 until July 2009.]]


[[File:WVIT Studios.jpg|thumb|The "NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut" broadcast center in [[West Hartford]], which opened in 2009; the station had been based at the same site since its sign-on, and the former building was directly east of the current facility.]]
With NBC's second acquisition of the station came a greater investment into and expansion of the news department, and by the [[2000–2009|start of the new millennium]] WVIT was regularly trading the number-two position in the market with WTNH.


==Programming==
In August 2007, the station finalized plans to begin the construction of a new studio facility to replace the station's first building, which dates back to WVIT's inagural 1953 broadcasts. The new building has been erected in the lot that formerly was the parking lot for the station. Ground was broken in October 2007. The station began broadcasting HD at 11:00am July 16, 2009 when WVIT rebranded to ''NBC Connecticut HD''.
On June 16, 2017, WVIT announced that it would not air that week's edition of ''[[Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly]]'', which featured an interview with radio host [[Alex Jones]]. The station cited viewer, advertiser and management sensitivities to the views of Jones, as he had previously expressed a [[Historical negationism|denial]] of the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/connecticut-nbcmegyn-kelly-alex-jones-interview-1202469317/|title=Connecticut NBC Station Will Not Air Megyn Kelly's Alex Jones Interview|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=June 16, 2017|work=Variety|access-date=June 22, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=NBC Connecticut NBC Station Won't Air Megyn Kelly Interview with Alex Jones|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/connecticut-nbc-station-wont-air-megyn-kelly-interview-with-alex-jones/332564|author=Chris Ariens|work=TVNewser|date=June 16, 2017|access-date=June 17, 2017}}</ref> Otherwise, the station clears the entire NBC lineup.


===News operation===
== Digital television ==
{{expand section|early history of WVIT's news operation|date=November 2020}}
The station's digital signal, UHF 35, is multiplexed:
On June 13, 2016, WVIT became the second station in Connecticut to debut a 4&nbsp;p.m. newscast.<ref>{{cite news|title=4 NBC Stations to Launch Afternoon Newscast|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/4-nbc-stations-to-launch-afternoon-newscast/161020|date=January 4, 2016}}</ref> On the same day, WVIT began using Artworks' new "Look N" standardized graphics that were first adopted by sister station [[WNBC]], while its music changed to 615 Music's "The Tower", which was first adopted in 2000 by sister stations [[WMAQ-TV]] and [[KNBC]].


On June 7, 2021, WVIT debuted its 7&nbsp;p.m. newscast, becoming the first and only station in Connecticut to have a prime time newscast.

===Notable former on-air staff===
* [[Chris Berman]]
* [[Van Hackett]]
* [[Brian Kilmeade]]
* [[Rob Marciano]]
* [[Natalie Morales (journalist)|Natalie Morales]]
* [[Rob Morrison (journalist)|Rob Morrison]]
* [[Beasley Reece]]
* [[Brian Shactman]]
* [[Chris Wragge]]

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
<section begin="subs" />
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WVIT and WRDM-CD<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WVIT#station |title=RabbitEars TV Query for WVIT|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=July 10, 2024}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | License
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
|-
! rowspan = "4" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #0260aa;" | WVIT
! Virtual<br>Channel
! scope = "row" | 30.1
! [[Video resolution|Video]]
| [[1080i]] || rowspan=6| [[16:9]] || WVIT-HD || [[NBC]]
! [[Aspect ratio|Aspect]]
! Programming
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 30.2
| 30.1 || [[1080i]] || [[16:9]] || Main WVIT programming / NBC [[HDTV|HD]]
| rowspan=3| [[480i]] || COZI-TV || [[Cozi TV]]
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 30.3
| 30.2 || [[480i]] || [[4:3]] || [[NBC Plus]]
| CRIMES || [[NBC American Crimes]]
|-
|-
! scope = "row" | 30.4
| 30.3 || [[480i]] || [[4:3]] || [[Universal Sports]]
| OXYGEN || [[Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen]]
|-
! rowspan = "2" scope = "row" style="border-right: 4px solid #c0141e;" | WRDM-CD
! scope = "row" | 19.1
| 1080i || TLMD || [[Telemundo]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 19.2
| 480i || EXITOS || [[TeleXitos]]
|}
|}
<section end="subs" />
Digital subchannel 30.2 carried [[NBC Weather Plus]]; national network operations for that service ended in December 2008. [[NBC Plus]] then aired on that subchannel. This channel used the same graphics as Weather Plus, with a new 'NBC Plus' logo, and without the on-camera meteorologist segments. On December 20, 2012, WVIT replaced NBC Plus with [[Cozi TV]]; WVIT was the last NBC-owned station to carry NBC Plus. Digital subchannel 30.3 carried [[Universal Sports]] until its transition into a cable- and [[satellite television|satellite]]-exclusive service on January 1, 2012, and eventually Universal Sports shut down altogether on November 16, 2015. The 30.3 subchannel was reactivated in 2015, when WVIT added the [[Spanish language in the United States|Spanish-language]] digital network [[TeleXitos]], normally only carried on Telemundo stations; TeleXitos moved to a subchannel of [[WRDM-CD]] after its acquisition by NBCUniversal in February 2018. WVIT again reactivated the 30.3 subchannel in 2020, coinciding with the launch of [[LX (TV network)|LX]].


===Analog-to-digital conversion===
30.2 carried [[NBC Weather Plus]]; national network operations for that service ended in December 2008. Currently [[NBC Plus]] airs on that channel. This utilizes the same graphics as Weather Plus, with a new 'NBC Plus' logo and without the on camera meteorologist segments.
[[File:WVIT 2009 Logo.png|thumb|WVIT's ''NBC Connecticut'' first logo, used from July 2009 until July 2017]]


WVIT shut down its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 30, on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf List of Digital Full-Power Stations]</ref> The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 35, using [[virtual channel]] 30. With the transition, the height of the station's transmitter tower was increased to {{convert|434|m|ft|0|sp=us}}.
In June of 2009, WVIT left channel 30 and moved to channel 35 when the analog to digital conversion completed.<ref name="Analog to Digital">http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf</ref>
The station switched to full HD news with the opening of the NBC Connecticut Digital Media Center July 16, 2009.


===Spectrum auction repack===
== Current personalities==
On August 2, 2019, WVIT was moved from channel 35 to channel 31.
;Anchors
* Brad Drazen - NBC Connecticut Today & 11 AM
* Yvonne Nava - NBC Connecticut Today & 11 AM
* Lisa Carberg - NBC Connecticut News @ 5 & 6 PM
* Keisha Grant - NBC Connecticut News @ 5, 5:30 & 11 PM
* Gerry Brooks - NBC Connecticut News @ 5:30, 6 & 11 PM
* Anjuli Porter - NBC Connecticut News - Weekend Mornings
* Lauren Petty - NBC Connecticut News - Weekend Evenings

;Weather Center Meteorologists
* Brad Field - chief/weeknight meteorologist
* Bob Maxon - morning meteorologist
* Ryan Hanrahan - weekend evenings
* Darren Sweeney - weekend mornings
* Jeremy Schmidt - freelance meteorologist

;Sports
* Joe D'Ambrosio - sports reporter/substitute anchor
* Kevin Nathan - sports director/weeknight anchor
* Mike Ratte - weekend anchor

;Traffic
* Kayla James
* Chris Ayotte
;Reporters
* Debra Alfarone
* Monica Buchanan
* Debra Bogstie
* Susan Goodman
* Doug Greene
* Ryan Hanrahan - Meteorologist/Reporter
* Tom Monahan - Chief political correspondent
* Amy Parmenter
* Diana Perez - New Haven Bureau Reporter/ Fill-In anchor
* Andrew Pergam - Managing Editor NBCConnecticut.com
* Lauren Petty - Anchor/Reporter
* Anjuli Porter - Anchor/Reporter
* Amanda Raus
* Ben Sosenko
* Jeff Stoecker - Reporter/Fill-In Anchor

==News/Station Presentation==
===Newscast Titles===
*''30 News'' (1983-1987)
*''Connecticut News'' (1987-1992)
*''Unknown'' (1992-1994)
*''Connecticut News 30'' (1994-1998)
*''Connecticut News'' (1998-2000)
*''NBC 30 Connecticut News'' (2000-2005)
*''NBC 30 News'' (2005-2009)
*''NBC Connecticut News'' (2009-present)

===Station Slogans===
*''An Hour's News in Half The Time''/''Catch 30'' (1983-1987)
*''Live. Local. Late-Breaking.'' (1998-2005)
*''Connecticut's News Leader'' (2005-present)
*''Connecticut's Only Local News in High Definition.'' (2009-present)
{{inc-video}}


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}

<references/>


== External links ==
== External links ==
*[http://www.nbcconnecticut.com WVIT website]
* {{Official website|https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071231185025/http://www.geocities.com/radiojunkie1/W79AI.html UHF Morgue: W79AI, former WVIT translator]
*[http://wap.nbcconnecticut.com WVIT Wireless]
*[http://www.necrat.com/wvit_protv.html WVIT Tower]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20071231185025/www.geocities.com/radiojunkie1/W79AI.html UHF Morgue: W79AI, former WVIT translator]
*{{TVQ|WVIT}}


{{Springfield MA TV}}
{{Hartford/New Haven TV}}
{{Hartford/New Haven TV}}
{{Springfield MA TV}}
{{NBC Universal}}
{{NBC New England}}
{{NBCUniversal}}
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Wvit}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wvit}}
[[Category:Television stations in Connecticut]]
[[Category:1953 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Channel 30 TV stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Cozi TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Former Viacom subsidiaries]]
[[Category:NBC Owned Television Stations]]
[[Category:Paramount Global]]
[[Category:Paramount Stations Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1953]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1953]]
[[Category:NBC owned-and-operated television stations]]
[[Category:Television stations in Connecticut|VIT]]

Latest revision as of 05:39, 9 January 2025

WVIT
CityNew Britain, Connecticut
Channels
BrandingNBC CT; NBC Connecticut
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WRDM-CD / WDMR-LD
History
FoundedJuly 11, 1952[1]
First air date
February 13, 1953 (71 years ago) (1953-02-13)
Former call signs
  • WKNB-TV (1953–1957)
  • WNBC (1957–1960)
  • WHNB-TV (1960–1978)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 30 (UHF, 1953–2009)
  • Digital: 35 (UHF, 2004–2019)
  • CBS (secondary, 1953–1955)
Call sign meaning
Viacom International Television (former owner's official subsidiary for trademark, copyright and station licensing purposes)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID74170
ERP374 kW
HAAT450 m (1,476 ft)
Transmitter coordinates41°42′2″N 72°49′55″W / 41.70056°N 72.83194°W / 41.70056; -72.83194
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.nbcconnecticut.com

WVIT (channel 30) is a television station licensed to New Britain, Connecticut, United States, serving the HartfordNew Haven market. It is owned and operated by the NBC television network through its NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Class A Telemundo outlet WRDM-CD (channel 19). The two stations share studios on New Britain Avenue in West Hartford and transmitter facilities on Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington, Connecticut.

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

WVIT signed on for the first time on February 13, 1953, as WKNB-TV, owned by the New Britain Broadcasting Company along with WKNB radio (840 AM, now WRYM).[3] The calls stood for Kensington–New Britain. It is Connecticut's second-oldest television station and the first on the UHF band.[4] The station has been with NBC since sign-on, though during its first two and a half years, it secondarily carried CBS programming as one of two affiliates in Connecticut,[5] along with WNHC-TV (now WTNH) in New Haven. At the time, Hartford and New Haven were recognized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as separate television markets; the commission would merge them into one market in 1954.

In January 1955, NBC announced it would purchase the WKNB stations for just over $600,000.[6] Though the network was acquiring both radio and television outlets, the key to the deal was channel 30–as one of the first UHF stations to be owned by a major network, the FCC encouraged the networks to expand their owned-and-operated holdings to include outlets in the new band to help ensure its viability. Indeed, NBC made plans to boost channel 30's signal to cover the entire market.

WKNB-TV began carrying the full NBC programming schedule in October 1955. The FCC approved the sale to NBC in December 1956, nearly two years after it was first announced.[7] The network then renamed channel 30 WNBC (for New Britain, Connecticut) in January 1957.[8][9][10] In its first stint as an NBC-owned station, channel 30 failed to gain much headway in the ratings, largely because television manufacturers were not required to include UHF tuning capability until 1964. Viewers had to buy an expensive converter to watch WNBC, and even with one the picture was barely viewable. In addition, plans to relocate the station's tower and to boost transmission power never moved forward.

In September 1957, the Hartford-based Travelers Insurance Company signed on independent station WTIC-TV (channel 3, now WFSB), the state's second and last VHF station. Within a year of its debut (and despite its radio sister having been an NBC radio affiliate for over thirty years) WTIC-TV became Connecticut's CBS affiliate, replacing its owned-and-operated station, WHCT-TV (channel 18, now Univision affiliate WUVN). NBC then realized its UHF experiment was a lost cause (it had shut down its other owned UHF station in Buffalo, New York, in October 1958), and in June 1959 sold WNBC and WKNB radio for $750,000 to Plains Television Inc., a joint venture of Transcontinental Properties and H & E Balaban Corporation (WKNB was spun off immediately afterward).[11][12] As part of the deal, Springfield Television, the owner of fellow NBC affiliate WWLP in Springfield, Massachusetts, was to have held a one-third share in channel 30; it abandoned this stake before the deal's completion after concerns arose over WWLP and WNBC's overlapping coverage areas, but continued to hold an option to reacquire it for some time afterward pending FCC approval.[13] In May 1960, channel 30's callsign changed again – this time to WHNB-TV (for Hartford-New Britain); NBC reclaimed the WNBC calls for its flagship radio and television combination (the former WRCA-AM-FM-TV) in New York City.[14][15]

In 1966, WHNB-TV became, once again, one of two NBC affiliates in Connecticut; the network signed with Waterbury-licensed WATR-TV (channel 20) to get its programming into New Haven on a strong signal.[16] By this time, television manufacturers were now required to include all-channel tuning. Channel 30 itself made up for the shortfall in its market coverage by operating two low-power translators (starting in 1971): W79AI (channel 79) in Torrington[17] and W59AA (channel 59) in New Haven.[18] They also operated W79AH in Waterbury in the 1960s.

Viacom and NBC ownership

[edit]
WVIT's NBC30 logo used from 2005 until July 16, 2009. The numeric "30" had been in use in one form or another since 1992.

In the summer of 1977, Plains Television announced it would sell WHNB-TV to the original iteration of Viacom for $15 million. The former CBS Inc. subsidiary was making its first foray into broadcast station ownership.[19] Shortly after assuming control in the spring of 1978, channel 30's call letters were changed to the present WVIT on June 12 (for "Viacom International Television") to reflect its new ownership.[20][21] Viacom immediately announced plans to boost WVIT's signal, and also made upgrades in the station's news department.[22] In 1980, channel 30 signed on with a new transmitter that more than doubled its coverage area, giving it a clear signal to much of New Haven for the first time, though the channel 59 repeater was kept in service. WVIT became the sole Connecticut-based NBC affiliate in March 1982, when WATR-TV's affiliation contract with NBC ended and the station became independent WTXX (it is now WCCT-TV).[23] The Torrington translator was turned off in 1987, and the New Haven repeater was shut down in the mid-1990s to allow full-powered WTVU (now WCTX) to begin operations. In 1993, WVIT and WTXX entered into a part-time local marketing agreement after talks with Fox affiliate WTIC-TV (channel 61) failed.[24]

Viacom purchased Paramount Pictures in 1994, placing its five-station group (WVIT; KMOV in St. Louis; WHEC-TV in Rochester, New York; WNYT in Albany, New York; and KSLA-TV in Shreveport, Louisiana) under common ownership with the Paramount Stations Group;[25][26] the two groups were formally consolidated in December 1995.[27] The merged company decided to divest itself of all of its major network affiliates to focus on stations that carried its then-upstart United Paramount Network (UPN).[28] WVIT, the first television outlet Viacom purchased was the last station to be sold, as Viacom agreed to trade channel 30 to former owner NBC in return for future purchase rights to WWHO in Chillicothe, Ohio, and WLWC in New Bedford, Massachusetts, two UPN-affiliated stations NBC was operating by way of local marketing agreements. The sale closed on December 8, 1997, making WVIT an NBC O&O for the second time in its history. It also ended its part-time LMA with WTXX, and the LMA deal was transferred to WTIC-TV.[29][30]

On December 4, 2017, NBCUniversal announced that it would buy Telemundo affiliate WRDM-CD and its Springfield satellite station WDMR-LP from ZGS Communications, as with several other NBC O&Os, WRDM would become a sister station to WVIT, creating the third duopoly in the Hartford–New Haven television market, following the duopolies of Nexstar Media Group's WTNH/WCTX and Tegna's WTIC-TV/WCCT-TV (though as a low-power station, WRDM is exempt from FCC ownership caps, including the duopoly rule).[31] ZGS had sold WRDM's spectrum in the FCC's incentive auction for $10,574,516 and indicated that the station would enter into a post-auction channel sharing agreement, which occurred with WVIT at the start of the year.[32] The sale was officially completed on February 1, 2018.[33]

The "NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut" broadcast center in West Hartford, which opened in 2009; the station had been based at the same site since its sign-on, and the former building was directly east of the current facility.

Programming

[edit]

On June 16, 2017, WVIT announced that it would not air that week's edition of Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly, which featured an interview with radio host Alex Jones. The station cited viewer, advertiser and management sensitivities to the views of Jones, as he had previously expressed a denial of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.[34][35] Otherwise, the station clears the entire NBC lineup.

News operation

[edit]

On June 13, 2016, WVIT became the second station in Connecticut to debut a 4 p.m. newscast.[36] On the same day, WVIT began using Artworks' new "Look N" standardized graphics that were first adopted by sister station WNBC, while its music changed to 615 Music's "The Tower", which was first adopted in 2000 by sister stations WMAQ-TV and KNBC.

On June 7, 2021, WVIT debuted its 7 p.m. newscast, becoming the first and only station in Connecticut to have a prime time newscast.

Notable former on-air staff

[edit]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]
Subchannels of WVIT and WRDM-CD[37]
License Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
WVIT 30.1 1080i 16:9 WVIT-HD NBC
30.2 480i COZI-TV Cozi TV
30.3 CRIMES NBC American Crimes
30.4 OXYGEN Oxygen
WRDM-CD 19.1 1080i TLMD Telemundo
19.2 480i EXITOS TeleXitos

Digital subchannel 30.2 carried NBC Weather Plus; national network operations for that service ended in December 2008. NBC Plus then aired on that subchannel. This channel used the same graphics as Weather Plus, with a new 'NBC Plus' logo, and without the on-camera meteorologist segments. On December 20, 2012, WVIT replaced NBC Plus with Cozi TV; WVIT was the last NBC-owned station to carry NBC Plus. Digital subchannel 30.3 carried Universal Sports until its transition into a cable- and satellite-exclusive service on January 1, 2012, and eventually Universal Sports shut down altogether on November 16, 2015. The 30.3 subchannel was reactivated in 2015, when WVIT added the Spanish-language digital network TeleXitos, normally only carried on Telemundo stations; TeleXitos moved to a subchannel of WRDM-CD after its acquisition by NBCUniversal in February 2018. WVIT again reactivated the 30.3 subchannel in 2020, coinciding with the launch of LX.

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]
WVIT's NBC Connecticut first logo, used from July 2009 until July 2017

WVIT shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 30, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television.[38] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 35, using virtual channel 30. With the transition, the height of the station's transmitter tower was increased to 434 meters (1,424 ft).

Spectrum auction repack

[edit]

On August 2, 2019, WVIT was moved from channel 35 to channel 31.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "FCC begins granting new TV; Denver gets three." Broadcasting – Telecasting, July 14, 1952, pp. 5, 102. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [1] [2]
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WVIT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "New TV grantees prepare plans" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. February 23, 1953. p. 62. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  4. ^ Gross, Julian. "UHF is television too." Broadcasting – Telecasting, July 6, 1953, pp. 84, 86, 88, 90. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [3] [4] [5] [6]
  5. ^ "WKNB-TV signs; CBS-TV affiliation announced" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. January 5, 1953. p. 75. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  6. ^ "Power plays take shape in television networking" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. January 10, 1955. p. 27. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  7. ^ "NBC gets green light on New Britain buy" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. December 17, 1956. p. 81. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  8. ^ "NBC rechristens WKNB-TV to WNBC(TV) West Hartford" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. January 14, 1957. p. 100. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  9. ^ "WNBC (TV) advertisement" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. January 14, 1957. p. 77. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  10. ^ "For the record–Station authorizations, applications–Existing TV stations–Call letters assigned" (PDF). Broadcasting – Telecasting. January 21, 1957. p. 108. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. ^ "NBC sells WNBC (TV) to Scheftel group." Broadcasting, June 29, 1959, pp. 73–74. Retrieved December 30, 2018. [7] [8]
  12. ^ "Changing Hands." Broadcasting, September 28, 1959, pp. 98–100. Retrieved December 30, 2018. [9] [10]
  13. ^ "Conn. sale protest dismissed by FCC." Broadcasting, November 30, 1959, pp. 70–71. Retrieved December 30, 2018. [11] [12]
  14. ^ "WRCA to be WNBC?" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 4, 1960. p. 88. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  15. ^ "For the record–Station authorizations, applications–Existing TV stations–Call letters assigned" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 9, 1960. p. 100. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  16. ^ "WATR-TV joining NBC-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 25, 1966. p. 66. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  17. ^ W79AI
  18. ^ W59AA New Haven
  19. ^ "Viacom gets into station ownership" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 20, 1977. p. 28. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  20. ^ "For the Record–Call letters–Grants–Existing TVs" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 7, 1978. p. 67. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  21. ^ "WVIT/Katz Television Continental advertisement" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 12, 1978. p. 12. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  22. ^ "WVIT/Katz Television Continental advertisement" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 24, 1979. p. 2. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  23. ^ "WATR-TV decides to go it alone" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 22, 1982. p. 72. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  24. ^ Lender, Jon (June 11, 1993). "WVIT Leases Time on WTXX as WTIC Protests". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  25. ^ Foisie, Geoffrey, and Christopher Stern. "Viacom, Paramount say 'I do.'" Broadcasting and Cable, September 20, 1993, pp. 14–16. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [13] [14] [15]
  26. ^ Foisie, Geoffrey. "At long last: Viacom Paramount." Broadcasting and Cable, February 21, 1994, pp. 7, 10, 14. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [16] [17] [18]
  27. ^ Flint, Joe (December 18, 1995). "Viacom Group Merged Under Par's Cassara". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  28. ^ Zier, Julie A., and Steve McClellan. "Minority-led group eyes Viacom stations." Broadcasting and Cable, November 7, 1994, pp. 6. Retrieved January 5, 2019. [19]
  29. ^ McClellan, Steve (August 4, 1997). "NBC, Paramount swap stations" (PDF). Broadcasting and Cable. p. 12. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  30. ^ Keveney, Bill. "Managers, reporter fired in WVIT-TV shakeup". Hartford Courant. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  31. ^ Miller, Mark K. (December 4, 2017). "NBCU Adding ZGS Stations To Telemundo". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  32. ^ "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Auction 1001 Winning Bids" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. April 4, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  33. ^ "NBCU Completes ZGS Stations Buy". TVNewsCheck. February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  34. ^ Otterson, Joe (June 16, 2017). "Connecticut NBC Station Will Not Air Megyn Kelly's Alex Jones Interview". Variety. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  35. ^ Chris Ariens (June 16, 2017). "NBC Connecticut NBC Station Won't Air Megyn Kelly Interview with Alex Jones". TVNewser. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  36. ^ "4 NBC Stations to Launch Afternoon Newscast". January 4, 2016.
  37. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WVIT". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  38. ^ List of Digital Full-Power Stations
[edit]