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WIVT
Channels
Branding
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WBGH-CD
History
First air date
November 24, 1962(61 years ago)(1962-11-24)
Former call signs
  • WBJA-TV (1962–1978)
  • WMGC-TV (1978–1998)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog:34 (UHF, 1962–2009)
  • Digital:4 (VHF,2003–2009), 34 (UHF, 2009–2019)
Call signmeaning
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID11260
ERP298 kW
HAAT275.4 m (904 ft)
Transmitter coordinates42°3′39″N75°56′35″W/ 42.06083°N 75.94306°W/42.06083; -75.94306
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.binghamtonhomepage

WIVT(channel 34) is atelevision stationinBinghamton, New York,United States, affiliated withABC.It is owned byNexstar Media Groupalongsidelow-power,Class ANBCaffiliateWBGH-CD(channel 20). The two stations share studios onIngraham HillRoad in thetown of Binghamton,where WIVT's transmitter is also located.

History[edit]

Alfred E. Anscombe, former general manager of WKBW-AM-TVinBuffalo,secured aconstruction permitfor Binghamton's third television station on April 25, 1961.[2][3]He named it WBJA-TV[4]after his wife Beth J. Anscombe. Initially, the station was allocated to UHF analog channel 56.[4]However, five years earlier, two competing ABC affiliates inNortheastern Pennsylvania(WILK-TV channel 34 inWilkes-Barreand WARM-TV channel 16 inScranton) merged to formWNEP-TV,retaining WILK's license but using WARM's old UHF channel 16.[5]

Seeing a chance to use more signal at less cost, Anscombe sought and won a new construction permit foranalogchannel 34.[6]The new station signed on November 24, 1962,[7]from studios at its transmitter site on Ingraham Hill south of Binghamton; it was the third station to sign on in the Binghamton area, afterWBNGandWICZ-TV.[5][6]It has always been an ABC affiliate.[7]The Northeastern Pennsylvania-area station now known asWOLF-TVsigned on in 1985 on analog channel 38; it would eventually move to channel 56 thirteen years later.

Anscombe planned for WBJA to be the first station in a seven-station group;[7]however, only one other station, WEPA-TV inErie, Pennsylvania(now defunct; its channel 66 allocation was later used byWFXP), was started before the two stations were acquired by Gerald Arthur, Oliver Lazare, and Jules Hessen, a group who also ownedWEEEinRensselaer,in 1966.[8][9]Pinnacle Communications bought WBJA in 1978[10]and changed the call letters to WMGC-TV on October 16,[11][12][13]reflecting its new "Magic 34" branding.[5]It dropped the branding by the mid to late-1980s, but retained the call letters.

Former WIVT logo.

Pinnacle sold WMGC toCitadel Communicationsin 1986;[14]in 1995, Citadel sold the station, along withWVNYinBurlington, Vermont,to USA Broadcast Group,[15]which was soon renamed U.S. Broadcast Group after a complaint fromUSA Network.[16]U.S. Broadcast Group put its stations up for sale in early 1997;[17]WSKG-TVcontemplated acquiring WMGC and operating it as an NBC affiliate to raise money for itspublic broadcastingoperations; during this time, a cable-only version ofWETM(which would be replaced byWBGH-CDlater that fall) served as the network's affiliate for the Binghamton market following WICZ's affiliation with Fox in April 1996.[18][19]The station would be purchased by theAckerley Group,[20]which changed the call letters to WIVT on February 26, 1998.[12][21]The call letters were derived from Ackerley's station inSyracuse,WIXT (nowWSYR-TV).[21]

A few months later, Ackerley nearly lost its investment. OnMay 31, 1998,a tornado ripped through WIVT's Ingraham Hill studios and destroyed its tower; radio stationsWSKG,WSQXandWAALalso had their towers destroyed in that storm. WBNG had live reports that night literally from the WIVT facilities. The station had a feed restored toTime Warner Cablefor customers in the immediate Binghamton area, but was off-the-air for several months.[5]WIVT became a sister station to WBGH when that station was sold bySmith Televisionto Ackerley in 2000.[22]Ackerley merged with Clear Channel Communications (nowiHeartMedia) on June 14, 2002.[23]On April 20, 2007, the company entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group toNewport Television,a broadcasting group established byProvidence Equity Partners;[24]the deal was completed on March 14, 2008.[25]

Newport announced on July 19, 2012, that it would sell 12 of its stations, including WIVT and WBGH, to Nexstar.[26]The sale was completed on December 3. On September 16, 2013, it was announced thatMission Broadcastingwould acquire WICZ and low-powerMyNetworkTVaffiliateWBPN-LPfrom the Stainless Broadcasting Company subsidiary ofNorthwest Broadcasting.Upon the deal's completion, the stations' operations would have been taken over by Nexstar making them sisters to WIVT and WBGH.[27]In March 2015, Mission's purchase of WICZ and WBPN was canceled; as a result, Stainless withdrew the license assignment applications on March 18.[28]

News operation[edit]

NewsChannel 34 logo.

For the most part, WIVT has been a non-factor in the local newscast race in Binghamton. It has spent most of its history as the third station in what was at one point essentially a two-stationmarket(since it did not sign-on until November 1962). The outlet reaped virtually no benefit when the area's long-time NBC affiliate WICZ switched to Fox in 1996.[5]Immediately after taking control, the Ackerley Group significantly upgraded WIVT's news department with the ability to share resources with WIXT's well-respected news department in Syracuse as well as the company's other television properties in Upstate New York.[5]

WIVT's evening newscasts began to be simulcast on WBGH in 2000 after that station's acquisition by Ackerley.[22]After the aforementioned tornado caused severe damage to its newly renovated studios, the station temporarily relocated to the facilities of WSKG-TV inVestalwhile rebuilding on Ingraham Hill.[29]However, the upgrades proved unsustainable and cuts began to be made as a result. Shortly before Clear Channel took over in June 2002, WIVT eliminated its weekday morning and midday newscasts.[30]

On July 8, WIXT in Syracuse began producing a two-hour weekday morning show known asDaybreak.Airing from 5 until 7, the regional newscast (separate from WIXT and originating from a secondary set at its East Syracuse studios) was simulcasted on sister stationsWWTIinWatertownandWUTRinUtica.The show included brief localized updates (focusing on Binghamton) twice an hour although most coverage was regional in nature with area-wide weather forecasts.[30][31][32]

In 2003, WIVT dropped its weekend newscasts due to a loss of viewership.[32]The station eventually closed down its local sports department in 2006 and at the same time reduced its 11 p.m. newscast to a short five-minute update. WIVT also began originating its early weeknight shows, featuring unique segments including exclusive musical performances, from secondary studios in theOakdale MallinJohnson City.Due to a lack ofmeteorologists(except for a lone weather anchor) based at WWTI, WIVT's forecasting personnel also produced most weather segments that were taped in advance for that station.

On June 5, 2009, WIVT and WBGH announced there would be a consolidation of news operations with sister stationWETM-TVinElmiraafter Newport Television made across the board cuts.[33]WBNG reported all but two people from the news staff and all production personnel for the news department would be terminated.[34]ThePress & Sun-Bulletinlater identified the two personnel remaining asnews directorJim Ehmke and news anchor Peter Quinn but also said fifteen other members of the original 28 person staff, including non-news personnel, would remain based in Binghamton. The two stations would continue to be locally operated and maintain engineer staff at the studios on Ingraham Hill Road.[35]WIVT and WBGH then began simulcasting WETM's newscasts with only regional weather coverage of the Eastern Twin Tiers.[36]

A separate newscast specifically focusing on the Binghamton area was brought back to WIVT and WBGH on June 28, 2009, through a simulcast on both stations.[37]This effort originally consisted of a 6 p.m. weeknight newscast entirely produced from WETM's studios in Elmira. Eventually, production of the news and sports portions of the broadcast shifted back to the WIVT and WBGH facility. These segments are recorded earlier in the day (usually by 5 o'clock) and feature locally based photojournalists in Binghamton. A repeat of the 6 o'clock newscast at 11 was subsequently added to the schedules of WIVT and WBGH. During the broadcast, WSYR in Syracuse provides a localweather forecast(featuring rotating meteorologists) that is also recorded in advance. Soon after adding the hyper-local Binghamton news, WIVT ceased simulcasting WETM's newscasts making the taped weeknight newscast the only local news shown on the station. However, WBGH continued to air WETM's weekend 11 p.m. newscast until some point in late 2013.

Notable alumni[edit]

Technical information[edit]

Subchannels[edit]

The station's signal ismultiplexed:

Subchannels of WIVT[38]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
34.1 720p 16:9 WIVT-DT ABC
34.2 WBGH-HD NBC(WBGH-CD)
34.3 480i LAFF Laff
34.4 MYSTERY Ion Mystery
Simulcast of subchannels of another station

Since WBGH operates as part of the WIVT twinstick, its second digital subchannel now carries WBGH in 720p high definition as of February 9, 2010. The official plan was to broadcast WBGH-CD in high definition in the future with theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) roll-out plan for low-power digital stations. The plan took effect when WBGH-CDflash cutto digital in August 2015.

Analog-to-digital conversion[edit]

WIVT shut down its analog signal, overUHFchannel 34, after midnight on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcastsunder federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transitionVHFchannel 4 to UHF channel 34 for post-transition operations.[39]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WIVT".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^"The FCC last week..."(PDF).Broadcasting.May 1, 1961. p. 62.RetrievedDecember 4,2011.
  3. ^"For the Record"(PDF).Broadcasting.May 1, 1961. p. 129.RetrievedDecember 4,2011.
  4. ^ab"For the Record"(PDF).Broadcasting.May 29, 1961. p. 90.RetrievedDecember 4,2011.
  5. ^abcdefFybush, Scott (December 20, 2000)."Ingraham Hill, Binghamton, N.Y."Tower Site of the Week.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  6. ^ab"The FCC last week..."(PDF).Broadcasting.March 12, 1962. p. 61.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  7. ^abc"WBJA-TV begins operating"(PDF).Broadcasting.December 3, 1962. p. 50.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  8. ^"Howell sells 81% of his TV stations"(PDF).Broadcasting.May 9, 1966. p. 56.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  9. ^Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999(PDF).1999. p. A-138.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^"Changing Hands"(PDF).Broadcasting.June 19, 1978. pp. 40–1.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  11. ^FCC History Cards for WMGC-TV (WIVT).Federal Communications Commission.
  12. ^ab"Call Sign History".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  13. ^"Call Letters"(PDF).Broadcasting.September 11, 1978. p. 78.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  14. ^"Changing Hands"(PDF).Broadcasting.June 30, 1986. p. 55.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  15. ^"USA flag to wave over seven stations".Broadcasting & Cable.August 28, 1995. Archived fromthe original(preview of subscription content)on June 11, 2014.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  16. ^"What's in a name?".Broadcasting & Cable.October 9, 1995. Archived fromthe original(preview of subscription content)on June 11, 2014.RetrievedDecember 5,2011.
  17. ^"U.S. Broadcast Group. up for sale and CEO Robert Fish is out".Broadcasting & Cable.January 20, 1997. Archived fromthe original(preview of subscription content)on June 11, 2014.RetrievedDecember 6,2011.
  18. ^Behrens, Steve (June 2, 1997)."Shifting to a" virtual station, "Binghamton's WSKG flees the" death spiral "".Current.Archived fromthe originalon June 9, 2012.RetrievedDecember 6,2011.
  19. ^Fybush, Scott (June 26, 1997)."The Reaction to Dodge".North East RadioWatch.RetrievedDecember 6,2011.
  20. ^"The big deals club".Broadcasting & Cable.February 2, 1998. Archived fromthe original(preview of subscription content)on June 11, 2014.RetrievedDecember 6,2011.
  21. ^abFybush, Scott (March 12, 1998)."CapStar Cuts Staff".North East RadioWatch.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  22. ^abFybush, Scott (March 24, 2000)."WFAU Loses A Tower, WFNX Gains A State, NERW Visits California's Coast".North East RadioWatch.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  23. ^"Radio giant acquires The Ackerley Group".Eugene Register-Guard.June 15, 2002. p. 15A.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  24. ^Malone, Michael (April 20, 2007)."Clear Channel Sells Stations".Broadcasting & Cable.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  25. ^"Clear Channel Completes Sale to Providence Equity Partners".Broadcasting & Cable.March 14, 2008.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  26. ^"Newport Sells 22 Stations For $1 Billion".TVNewsCheck.July 19, 2012.RetrievedJuly 19,2012.
  27. ^Malone, Michael (September 16, 2013)."Nexstar to Acquire Citadel's Iowa Stations for $88 Million".Broadcasting & Cable.RetrievedSeptember 16,2013.
  28. ^Corbett, Dennis P. (March 18, 2015)."Re: Withdrawal of File Nos. BALCDT-20130927A11G, BALTVL-20130927AHH, and BAPDTL-20130927AH1"(PDF).CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedMarch 24,2015.
  29. ^Fybush, Scott (June 18, 1998)."Dame Media is Sold".North East RadioWatch.RetrievedNovember 25,2009.
  30. ^abFybush, Scott (June 10, 2002)."WICC Drops Music, WPXT Drops News".North East RadioWatch.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  31. ^Fybush, Scott (July 15, 2002)."Clear Channel Faces Hearings on Augusta Purchase".North East RadioWatch.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  32. ^ab"An Unusual Market".Broadcasting & Cable.November 9, 2003.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  33. ^"WIVT and WBGH to expand local news to the Southern Tier - WIVT/WBGH Newschannel34".Archived fromthe originalon June 16, 2009.RetrievedJune 5,2009.
  34. ^"Workers Fired at Newschannel 34 | WBNG-TV Binghamton, NY | Local Top Stories".Archived fromthe originalon June 9, 2009.RetrievedJune 5,2009.
  35. ^"OH SNAP! (not found)".pressconnects.RetrievedJanuary 26,2024.
  36. ^"News department at WIVT-WBGH combined with WETM".YNN Binghamton.June 5, 2009.RetrievedOctober 6,2012.
  37. ^"NewsChannel34 will be returning June 29th with local news at 6pm - WIVT/WBGH Newschannel34".Archived fromthe originalon June 29, 2009.RetrievedJune 29,2009.
  38. ^"RabbitEars.Info".rabbitears.info.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  39. ^"DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 29, 2013.RetrievedMarch 24,2012.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WIVT&oldid=1230613129"