WCVI-TV

WCVI-TV is a full-power television station serving the United States Virgin Islands from its license city of Christiansted on Saint Croix. The station operates on digital channel 23 and maintains transmitter facilities at Estate Princess Hill. Its programming history reflects the changing economics and network affiliations of a small island television market: it began in 1997 as an affiliate of the United Paramount Network, later joined The CW, operated for a period under a religious and general-interest programming model, and ultimately returned to major-network service through ABC and CBS arrangements. The station was established under the call sign WATU on May 16, 1997. It adopted the WCVI-TV call letters on June 30 of the same year and launched as a UPN affiliate. Before the station existed, UPN programming for the Virgin Islands had been supplied by satellite from WWOR-TV in New York City. WCVI-TV also carried Urban America Television for a time, but that secondary affiliation ended when the network ceased operations in May 2006. In September 2006, after UPN and The WB shut down, WCVI-TV became affiliated with the newly formed CW network. A major ownership change occurred in 2014. Virgin Blue agreed to sell the station to LeSEA Broadcasting Corporation, now known as Family Broadcasting Corporation, in April of that year. The transaction closed in July. After the acquisition, WCVI-TV discontinued its CW schedule and replaced it with programming supplied by LeSEA and its World Harvest service. This change left the Virgin Islands without an immediately clear local outlet for CW programming; the network was subsequently available in the territory through a cable-delivered feed of WSEE-DT2 from Erie, Pennsylvania. WCVI-TV later became associated with ABC through its digital subchannel WCVI-DT2. ABC programming began in 2016 after the network's previous Virgin Islands affiliate, WSVI-TV, ended its ABC relationship at the end of 2015. The service used a feed of WENY-TV from Elmira, New York, supplied by Lilly Broadcasting, with locally relevant non-network periods carrying paid programming and Lilly's One Caribbean Television service. The arrangement was notable because public statements about the affiliation were initially inconsistent: ABC announced WCVI as its new territorial affiliate, while station management said it had no knowledge of the reported arrangement at that time. Lilly Broadcasting announced an agreement to acquire WCVI-TV in September 2019, and the Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction later that year. The sale closed on November 5, 2019. Lilly stated that local ownership would enable the station to invoke must-carry rights with local cable and satellite distributors, an important consideration in a geographically isolated market that had experienced carriage problems. After the acquisition, Lilly moved its CBS service for the territory from a separate cable feed of WSEE-TV to WCVI-DT1, beginning November 20, 2019. This gave a full-power station in the U.S. Virgin Islands a primary-channel affiliation with one of the major commercial broadcast networks for the first time in three years. WCVI-TV therefore functions both as a local broadcast outlet and as part of Lilly Broadcasting's broader network-feed and Caribbean distribution strategy.

WCVI-TV began operations in 1997 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The station was initially assigned the call sign WATU and was founded on May 16, 1997. It changed to WCVI-TV on June 30, 1997, when it launched as an affiliate of the United Paramount Network. Its creation provided the territory with a locally licensed outlet for programming that had previously been supplied by satellite from WWOR-TV in New York City. During its early years, the station also carried Urban America Television as a secondary affiliation. That arrangement ended when Urban America Television ceased operations on May 1, 2006. Later that year, the closure of UPN and The WB led WCVI-TV to affiliate with The CW in September 2006. The station changed direction after Virgin Blue agreed in April 2014 to sell it to LeSEA Broadcasting Corporation. The sale closed on July 27, 2014, with LeSEA assuming control the following day. WCVI-TV dropped its CW programming after the transaction and adopted programming from LeSEA and World Harvest. CW programming was subsequently available to Virgin Islands viewers through a cable channel carrying WSEE-DT2 from Erie, Pennsylvania. WCVI-TV's digital subchannel WCVI-DT2 later became an ABC outlet for the territory. The change followed the end of WSVI-TV's ABC affiliation in December 2015. ABC identified WCVI as its new Virgin Islands affiliate, and ABC programming began in 2016. The subchannel carried a feed of WENY-TV from Elmira, New York, provided by Lilly Broadcasting, while other schedule periods included paid programming and Lilly's One Caribbean Television. In September 2019, Lilly Broadcasting announced that it would purchase WCVI-TV. The transaction was valued at $85,000 and required Federal Communications Commission approval before closing. The sale was completed on November 5, 2019. Lilly said the acquisition would allow the station to use must-carry provisions with local cable and satellite distributors, strengthening its ability to secure distribution in the territory. After the change in ownership, Lilly moved its CBS feed from a cable-only presentation of WSEE-TV to WCVI-DT1 on November 20, 2019. WCVI-TV consequently became a primary full-power outlet for both CBS and ABC programming in the U.S. Virgin Islands, while retaining room for paid and Caribbean-focused programming.

• 2019

  Lilly Broadcasting becomes owner

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Lilly Broadcasting completed its acquisition of WCVI-TV on November 5, 2019.

• 2019

  CBS moves to the primary digital channel

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CBS programming moved to WCVI-DT1 on November 20, 2019.

• 2016

  ABC programming begins on WCVI-DT2

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCVI's second digital channel began relaying ABC programming for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• 2014

  LeSEA Broadcasting acquisition closes

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  LeSEA Broadcasting completed its purchase of WCVI-TV and replaced the station's CW schedule with its own programming services.

• 2006

  Joins The CW

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCVI-TV affiliated with The CW after UPN and The WB ceased operations.

• 1997

  Station founded as WATU

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station was founded on May 16, 1997, under the WATU call sign.

• 1997

  Call sign changes to WCVI-TV

  [1]WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  On June 30, 1997, the station adopted the WCVI-TV call letters and became a UPN affiliate.

A local U.S. Virgin Islands broadcast outlet combining major-network programming with paid, religious, and Caribbean-oriented content.

• CBS television service · 2019

  WCVI-DT1

  The station's primary digital service carries CBS programming for viewers in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lilly Broadcasting moved the market's CBS feed to WCVI-DT1 in November 2019, replacing a prior arrangement in which CBS was available through a separate cable feed of WSEE-TV.

• ABC television service · 2016

  WCVI-DT2

  WCVI-DT2 serves as an ABC outlet for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its service began in 2016 after the territory's previous ABC affiliate ended its relationship with the network. The schedule has used a feed of WENY-TV, supplemented during non-network periods by paid programming and Caribbean-oriented content.

• Television programming · 2014

  Religious and paid programming

  WCVI-TV has carried religious, inspirational, and paid programming at different points in its operating history. This programming became especially prominent after the 2014 acquisition by LeSEA Broadcasting, when the station replaced its CW schedule with LeSEA and World Harvest content.

• Caribbean television programming

  One Caribbean Television

  One Caribbean Television programming has been used to fill non-network periods on the station's ABC-related service. It provides Caribbean-oriented content within WCVI's schedule alongside network and paid programming.

• 2019

  Acquisition by Lilly BroadcastingM&A

  Background

  Lilly Broadcasting announced its agreement to purchase WCVI-TV in September 2019, subject to Federal Communications Commission approval.

  Action taken

  Lilly acquired the station and completed the transaction on November 5, 2019.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition strengthened the station's ability to seek must-carry distribution on local cable and satellite systems and enabled Lilly to reorganize its network services in the territory.

  Purchase price. $85,000 (2019 acquisition announced September 10; transaction completed November 5, 2019)

  Source

• 2019

  CBS feed moved to WCVI-DT1Generation change

  Background

  Before the ownership change, CBS service for the market was available through a separate cable feed of WSEE-TV from Erie, Pennsylvania.

  Action taken

  Lilly moved CBS programming to WCVI-DT1 beginning November 20, 2019.

  Aftermath

  The U.S. Virgin Islands obtained a CBS service on a primary channel of a local full-power station, complementing ABC programming on WCVI-DT2.

  Source

• 2016

  ABC launch on WCVI-DT2Product launch

  Background

  The ABC affiliation in the U.S. Virgin Islands became available after WSVI-TV ended its ABC relationship at the close of 2015.

  Action taken

  WCVI-DT2 began carrying ABC programming through a feed of WENY-TV supplied by Lilly Broadcasting.

  Aftermath

  ABC regained a broadcast outlet in the territory, although the subchannel schedule also included paid and Caribbean programming outside network periods.

  Source

• 2014

  Sale to LeSEA BroadcastingM&A

  Background

  Virgin Blue agreed to sell WCVI-TV to LeSEA Broadcasting, creating an ownership transition for the U.S. Virgin Islands station.

  Action taken

  The transaction closed in July 2014, and LeSEA replaced the station's CW programming with LeSEA and World Harvest services.

  Aftermath

  WCVI-TV shifted from a conventional CW affiliate model toward religious and general-interest programming, while CW distribution in the territory moved to a cable-delivered service.

  Source

1. 1WCVI-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WCVI-TV official websitewcvi.tv