WVAW-LD (channel 16) is a low-power television station in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group alongside dual CBS/Fox affiliate WCAV (channel 19). The two stations share studios on Rio East Court in Charlottesville; WVAW-LD's transmitter is located on Carters Mountain south of the city.
Due to WVAW-LD's low-power status, its broadcast radius only covers the immediate Charlottesville area. Therefore, it relies on cable and satellite to reach the entire market.
History
What is now WVAW-LD originally debuted on June 12, 1979, on analog UHF channel 64 with the call sign W64AO. The station was a low-powered translator of WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, which was the area's default ABC affiliate. At the time, WHSV-TV was owned by Worrell Newspapers along with the Charlottesville Daily Progress.
On April 9, 2004, W64AO moved to UHF channel 16, changed call letters to WVAW-LP, upgraded power, and separated from WHSV-TV.