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WSAV-TV

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WSAV-TV
CitySavannah, Georgia
Channels
Branding
  • WSAV 3;WSAV News 3
  • WSAV CW 3.2; MyLC (on DT2)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
FoundedFebruary 1, 1956(68 years ago)(1956-02-01)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog:3 (VHF,1956–2009)
  • Digital:39 (UHF, 2000–2018)
ABC(1982–1985; secondary 1956–1970)
Call signmeaning
Savannah;IATA codeforSavannah/Hilton Head International Airport
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID48662
ERP800kW
HAAT442.4 m (1,451 ft)
Transmitter coordinates32°3′31.7″N81°17′54.4″W/ 32.058806°N 81.298444°W/32.058806; -81.298444
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.wsav

WSAV-TV(channel 3) is atelevision stationinSavannah, Georgia,United States, affiliated withNBC,The CW Plus,andMyNetworkTV.Owned byNexstar Media Group,the station maintains studios on East Victory Drive/US 80/SR 26in Savannah's Live Oak section, and its transmitter is located on Little Neck Road inunincorporatednorthwesternChatham County,nearPooler.[3]

History[edit]

The station began broadcasting onVHFchannel 3 on February 1, 1956, and was co-owned with WSAV radio (630 AM; laterWBMQ) after a long legal battle over the frequency with the owners ofWJIV(900 AM). It initially aired ananalogsignal from a transmitter on top of a bank building on Broughton Street in Downtown Savannah.[4]The flashing WSAV sign was a landmark on the street for many years. WSAV radio had long carriedNBC Radioprogramming, so WSAV-TV took the NBC television affiliation.

It sharedABCwithCBSaffiliateWTOC-TV(channel 11) until 1970, whenWJCL-TV(channel 22) started operations as a full-time ABC affiliate. During the late 1950s, WSAV-TV was also briefly affiliated with theNTA Film Network.[5][unreliable source?]WSAV briefly had an FM station using an antenna atop the middle of three AM towers at the transmitter facility on Oatland Island. However, without many listeners to the simulcast programming, the FM operation was ended in the 1950s.

In 1960, WSAV-AM-TV moved into a brand-new facility on Victory Drive, where WSAV-TV still is located today. A new tower was built at the site boosting its signal to many of the surrounding counties in Georgia and South Carolina. The current tower near Pooler was built in 1976. In the same year, the WSAV stations were sold to different parties, with WSAV-TV going to theNews-Press & Gazette Company.[6]In 1982, the station swapped affiliations with WJCL and became an ABC affiliate. That network had become number one in the country and was searching for stronger affiliates. However, by 1985, WSAV was one of several ABC affiliates nationwide that were disappointed with the network's weak prime time programming offerings, particularly on Thursday nights, which were bogging down WSAV's otherwise successful lineup. Meanwhile, WSAV returned to NBC a mere three years later in 1985, one year before that network became number one again, reversing the 1982 affiliation swap.[7]

In the 1990s, like many other commercial television stations in the United States, WSAV was sold several times. NPG sold its entire broadcasting group of the time to the first incarnation ofNew Vision Televisionin 1993. Ellis Communications bought the New Vision stations in 1995.

In 1996, Ellis was sold to Retirement Systems of Alabama who merged it withAFLAC's former broadcasting division to formRaycom Media.Since AFLAC had owned rival WTOC, Raycom could not keep both stations due toFederal Communications Commission(FCC) regulations at the time forbidding common ownership of two stations in the samemarket;this rule would be partially repealed in 2000 when the FCC allowed common ownership of two stations in the same market provided that both of them are not the four highest-rated stations in a market with eight unique station owners. Savannah had only six full power stations at the time of the merger, which was too few to permit a duopoly in any case. As a result, Raycom opted to keep the higher-rated WTOC and sell WSAV. In early 1997, Raycom traded WSAV and two other stations toMedia Generalin return forWTVR-TVinRichmond, Virginia.

In the 2000s, WSAV acquired the local rights to the syndicatedgame showsWheel of FortuneandJeopardy!.Both were previously shown on rival WJCL for almost two decades. On February 1, 2006, WSAV celebrated its 50th anniversary. To commemorate the event,Savannah MayorOtis Johnsonofficially announced the date as "WSAV Day" and lauded the station for its many achievements over the decades. Its continued service to its viewers being always "On Your Side" whenever a viewer needs to get a story out was also recognized.

On March 21, 2014,LIN Mediaentered into an agreement to merge with Media General in a $1.6 billion deal. Because LIN already owned ABC affiliate WJCL and operatedFoxaffiliateWTGS(channel 28), the companies were required to sell either WSAV or WJCL and its SSA with WTGS to another station owner in order to comply with FCC ownership rules as well as planned changes to those rules regarding same-market television stations which would prohibitsharing agreements.[8][9][10]On August 20, 2014, Media General announced that it would keep WSAV and sell WJCL toHearst Television,with WTGS going toSinclair Broadcast Group.[11][12]The sale was completed on December 19,[13]and Hearst closed on its purchase of WJCL andBirmingham-basedWVTM-TV(the latter of which was acquired due to an ownership conflict withWIAT) three days later.[14]

On January 27, 2016, Media General announced that it had entered into a definite agreement to be acquired byNexstar Broadcasting Groupfor $4.6 billion. The combined company would be known as Nexstar Media Group, and own 171 stations (including WSAV-TV).[15][16]The deal closed one year later, in January 2017.[17]

Weather with Captain Sandy[edit]

WSAV was known for an unusual practice on its newscasts from the 1950s to the 1970s. Channel 3 was home to "Captain Sandy," who was something of a hybrid between a weatherman andchildren's showhost.[18]The character gave the weather on the weeknight news working withpuppetsidekicks"Wilbur the Weather Bird," "Arthur Mometer",and" Calamity Clam. "Captain Sandy would appear on the news set wearing a vaguelynauticalcap and blazer, as a nod to the region's dependence on theAtlantic Ocean.The comedy elements of the forecast included the thermometer and the clam. Captain Sandy's big thermometer was temperamental and would fidget before revealing the next day's high and low temperatures. When Captain Sandy openedDavy Jones' Lockerto get the tide information (a crucial component of any weather forecast in the region) out of Calamity Clam, the puppeteer always tried to bite the captain's hand.

By the end of the 1970s, the new out-of-town owners of WSAV expressed embarrassment with Captain Sandy's routine as newscasts became more strait-laced and serious, with non-scientistweather presentersreplaced with certifiedmeteorologiststrained in accurate forecasting. They also found the endeavor anachronistic since most television stations had begun to wind downlocal children's shows.NPG made the Captain finally conform to convention, prescribing him a suit and tie like other newscasters, and put the puppets out of commission, to the almost-certain sorrow of area children. One of the personalities behind the Captain Sandy character was smooth-voiced Joe Cox, who later left WSAV to become weatherman at cross-town rival WJCL, where he also hosted an evening radio program onWJCL-FM96.5. The original Captain Sandy from 1956 was played by Norm Strand.

WSAV-DT2[edit]

WSAV-DT2is theCW+-affiliated second digital subchannel of WSAV-TV, broadcasting in 720p high definition on channel 3.2.

History[edit]

What is now WSAV-DT2 began on September 21, 1998, after WSAV entered into a partnership withThe WB 100+,a national programming service operated byThe WBfor television markets ranked greater than 100, andcablesystems in the Savannah area.WSCGalso carried The WB from the network's launch in January 1995 to 1997. After WSCG's switch to UPN and prior to the launch of The WB 100+, cable providers piped inWGN-TV'snational feedand/or local WB affiliateWATLinAtlanta.It was a cable-exclusive station, and as a result, used thecall sign"WBVH" (standing for "The WB Savannah" ) in a fictional manner for identification purposes. WSAV-TV provided local advertisement opportunities and performed promotional duties for the outlet.

On January 24, 2006,CBS Corporation(whichsplitfromViacomafter 2005) andWarner Bros. Television(the company which owned The WB) announced they then would cease operating theUPNand The WB networks and combine their resources to create a programming service entitledThe CW.The letters would represent the first initial of the new network's respective corporate parents.

On September 18 of that year, The CW officially launched nationwide at which point WGCW-LP started to simulcast "WBVH" and allowing non-cable subscribers access to the new network; WGCW-LP was, in turn, relayed over the second subchannel of WSCG, until becoming exclusive to WSCG-DT1/DT2 on May 2, 2012, when WGCW-LP had suddenly fallen silent (with the "WGCW" call letters remaining as a part of this CW+ affiliate's branding, although at that point a fictitious call sign that was no longer recognized by the FCC). With its over-their-air launch, "WBVH" began using WGCW as its official calls and became part of The CW Plus, a successor to The WB 100+.

On September 5, 2006, WSAV-DT2 signed on as aMyNetworkTV/Retro TVaffiliate. It switched to MeTV on September 26, 2011.

On April 1, 2016, it was announced that WSAV-DT2 would assume the CW affiliation from WSCG-DT1/DT2 on September 12 of that year, thus shifting MyNetworkTV and MeTV to WSAV-DT3 (replacing the station's weather radar, which launched on May 16, 2012).[19][20]Shortly thereafter, WSAV-TV addedLaffas a new fourth digital subchannel. After the move of MeTV to WJCL-DT2 in the fall of 2019, the third subchannel was replaced withCourt TV,and MyNetworkTV's schedule was shifted onto WSAV-DT2 to overlay the national late nightpaid programmingcarried as part of The CW Plus schedule. As of March 16, 2021, MyNetworkTV programming has moved to WSAV-DT3, replacing Court TV programming weeknights from 9 to 11 p.m.[21]WSAV-DT2 currently airs a half-hour newscast at 10 p.m., moving the first episode ofSeinfeldto 1:30 a.m.[21]

News operation[edit]

For most of its history, WSAV has been a solid, if distant, runner-up to longtime dominant WTOC. While WSAV and WJCL made a serious threat in the 1970s, WTOC has won every timeslot since 1980 often garnering more viewers than its rivals combined. The CBS outlet airs more than seven hours of news a day, a considerable amount for a station in the 97th market and far more than any other television station in Savannah. In 1976, as part of a major expansion of its news department, WSAV moved to a former insurance office that is next door to its original East Victory Drive studios.

Until 2024, unlike most NBC affiliates in theEastern Time Zone,WSAV did not offer midday newscasts during the week. The station now produces a half-hour midday newscast at 11 a.m. followed by the lifestyle/advertorialshowThe Bridgeat 11:30 a.m. Another recent addition to local news on this outlet occurred on June 21, 2010, when it added a broadcast weeknights at 5:30. As well, WSAV recently added a 5 p.m. newscast to the lineup. Before this point in time, WTOC had been the area's only station to air local news in those time slots.

In 2009, WSAV-DT2 launched a two-person bureau to produce a newscast weeknights at 7 calledMy Lowcountry News,this production is specifically targeted to the South Carolina side of the market featuring coverage from throughout the Lowcountry and the state. Some stories originated from Media General's three stations in South Carolina.[22]

There is a weather forecast targeted towardsHilton HeadandBeaufortin addition to South Carolina sports headlines.

WSAV does maintain a bureau on Assembly Street/SC 48covering theCapitolinColumbia.The operating expenses are shared among Nexstar's television stations in South Carolina. WSAV became the last Savannah station to upgrade newscasts to high definition level on March 8, 2011. However, since WSAV-DT3 only transmits in standard definition digital,My Lowcountry 3was not included in the change. After switching to MeTV, that broadcast was reduced to a half-hour. News and weather updates from this station can be heard onWEAS(93.1 FM),WIXV(95.5 FM), & WJCL-FM (96.5). All news anchors also serve as reporters. In early October 2013, the half-hour 7 p.m. newscast was moved to 10 p.m. (now calledWSAV News 3 at 10:00), it remained a half-hour broadcast and was also shown onSavannah's CW 13(WGSA).[23]

Controversy[edit]

The station made national headlines after reporter Alex Bozar gian, who was reporting live on the Savannah Bridge Run, was slapped on herbuttocksby a runner during the broadcast. Bozar gian, who kept her composure, latertweetedthat the runner "violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!!" The runner, later identified as Thomas Callaway, was banned from participating in future races.[24]Callaway apologized in an interview to WSAV in which he stated, "I'm thankful for this opportunity to share my apology to her and to her family, her friends and her co-workers. It was an awful act and an awful mistake."[25]

On December 9, 2019, Bozar gian filed a sexual battery report with the Savannah Police Department against Callaway.[26]

Notable current on-air staff[edit]

Technical information[edit]

Subchannels[edit]

The station's signal ismultiplexed:

Subchannels of WSAV-TV[27]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
3.1 1080i 16:9 WSAV-HD NBC
3.2 720p WSAV-CW
3.3 480i CourtTV Court TV
3.4 Laff Laff

Analog-to-digital conversion[edit]

WSAV-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 3, 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 remained on its pre-transitionUHFchannel 39,[28][29]usingvirtual channel3.

References[edit]

  1. ^"TitanTV Programming Guide -- What's on TV, Movies, Reality Shows, and Local News".wsav.titantv.
  2. ^"Facility Technical Data for WSAV-TV".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^"WSAV-TV - TV Station Profile - FCC Public Inspection Files".Publicfiles.fcc.gov.RetrievedDecember 27,2019.
  4. ^FCC History Cards for WSAV-TV
  5. ^"Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films",Boxoffice:13, November 10, 1956, archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2009
  6. ^"WSAV-TV sold"(PDF).November 15, 1976.RetrievedSeptember 17,2023.
  7. ^"Savannah switch"(PDF).March 4, 1985.RetrievedSeptember 17,2023.
  8. ^TV Station Mega Merger: Media General, LIN Set $1.6 Billion DealfromVariety(March 21, 2014)
  9. ^Media General acquiring LIN Media for $1.6 billion,Los Angeles Times,March 21, 2014.
  10. ^Media Gen/LIN To Sell/Swap In Five Markets,TVNewsCheck,March 21, 2014.
  11. ^"Media General, LIN Sell Stations In 5 Markets".TVNewsCheck.August 20, 2014.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
  12. ^Malone, Michael (August 20, 2014)."Media General, LIN Divest Stations in Five Markets".Broadcasting & Cable.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
  13. ^Media General Completes Merger With LIN MediaArchivedDecember 19, 2014, at theWayback Machine,Press Release,Media General,Retrieved December 19, 2014
  14. ^"Hearst Closes On WVTM, WJCL; Names GMs".TV News Check.December 22, 2014.
  15. ^"Nexstar-Media General: It's A Done Deal".TVNewsCheck.RetrievedJanuary 27,2016.
  16. ^Picker, Leslie (January 27, 2016)."Nexstar Clinches Deal to Acquire Media General".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 27,2016.
  17. ^Marszalek, Diana (January 17, 2017)."Nexstar Closes Media General Deal".Broadcasting & Cable.
  18. ^Gunn, Robin Wright."Captain Sandy: R.I.P."Connect Savannah.RetrievedJanuary 10,2023.
  19. ^Stabilizing After Ownership ChangesBroadcasting and Cable,April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  20. ^WSAV to launch The CW this fallThe Island Packet,April 1, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  21. ^ab"Programming".June 14, 2019.
  22. ^Marszalek, Diana (July 23, 2013)."News Finds A New Home Among Diginets".TV News Check.RetrievedAugust 16,2014.
  23. ^WSAV News 3 at 10WSAV,TBD
  24. ^Mettler, Katie (December 8, 2019)."A reporter blasted the runner who 'smacked my butt on live TV.' Now he's banned from future races".The Washington Post.
  25. ^Merrigan, JoAnn (December 10, 2019)."WSAV's Alex Bozar gian addresses bridge run incident".WSAV.RetrievedDecember 11,2019.
  26. ^Fieldstadt, Elisha (December 11, 2019)."Female TV reporter seeks criminal charges against man who slapped her backside on camera".NBC News.RetrievedDecember 11,2019.
  27. ^"RabbitEars.Info".rabbitears.info.
  28. ^"DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 29, 2013.RetrievedMarch 24,2012.
  29. ^"CDBS Print".licensing.fcc.gov.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WSAV-TV&oldid=1227442658"