WDTV

WDTV is a full-power television station licensed to Weston, West Virginia, and serving the Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont market and wider North-Central West Virginia. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 5 and is affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Media and operated alongside WVFX, a Clarksburg-licensed station carrying Fox and CW programming. Although WDTV retains a Weston license, its studios are located on Television Drive in Bridgeport, near the Interstate 79 corridor, while its transmitter is situated in an unincorporated area between Clarksburg and Arlington. The station began in 1954 as WJPB-TV, originally licensed to Fairmont and operating primarily as an NBC affiliate with secondary ABC and CBS relationships. Its early history reflected the technical and geographic difficulties of broadcasting across the region's rugged terrain. WJPB shut down in February 1955 after its UHF signal proved unable to reach the intended wider area effectively, and after the anticipated combination with Parkersburg station WTAP-TV failed to become practical. A new construction permit for a VHF channel 5 facility in Weston was awarded in 1959, allowing the station to return to the air in June 1960 as a primary ABC affiliate. The call letters changed to WDTV in November 1964. The name had previously been associated with the Pittsburgh station now known as KDKA-TV, and the West Virginia call sign was reportedly selected as a reference to that station's historical relationship with the region. In 1967, WDTV changed its primary network affiliation to CBS. For many years it continued to carry selected ABC programs, including sports, because the local market lacked a full-time ABC outlet. WDTV eventually discontinued ABC programming entirely around 1981. ABC returned to the market through a digital subchannel of WBOY-TV in 2008. WDTV's programming scope combines CBS network content with locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs material, commercial production, and community coverage. Its local news operation competes primarily with WBOY-TV. The station has maintained a particular interest in Morgantown and surrounding Monongalia and Preston counties, even though those counties are assigned to the Pittsburgh television market. Cable carriage in Morgantown dates back to the 1960s, and a 2018 market-related ruling enabled broader carriage of Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont stations in areas that had previously received television service mainly from stations in other states. The station expanded its relationship with WVFX after the latter became part of the same ownership structure. WDTV-produced programming began appearing on WVFX, including a 10 p.m. newscast branded Fox 10 News at 10 and simulcasts of WDTV's weekday early-evening broadcasts. WDTV converted its local news operation to high definition in November 2011. In December 2024, it aired its first full-length station-produced documentary, 4th and Forever: Liberty's Last Season, about the final football season of Liberty High School before consolidation with a crosstown rival. WDTV remains an active regional broadcaster whose principal brand value comes from local news, CBS programming, sports, weather, and West Virginia community coverage.

WDTV's history began with WJPB-TV, which signed on March 17, 1954, as a Fairmont-licensed UHF station. It was the second television outlet intended to serve the region and initially operated as a primary NBC affiliate while also carrying selected ABC and CBS programs. Early plans envisioned a broad combined market with WTAP-TV in Parkersburg, but the region's mountainous terrain and the limited reach of the stations' analog UHF signals made that arrangement ineffective. Expensive UHF converters further restricted potential audience access. WJPB ceased broadcasting on February 28, 1955. The market later developed around additional stations, including WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, but WJPB's owners continued pursuing a more effective facility. On December 30, 1959, they received authorization for a VHF station on channel 5 in Weston. The station returned to the air on June 23, 1960, this time as a primary ABC affiliate. Its call letters changed to WDTV on November 15, 1964. The calls had previously been used by Pittsburgh's channel 2, now KDKA-TV, and were reportedly chosen to honor that station's historical significance in the surrounding region. In 1967, WDTV moved its primary affiliation to CBS. This made the station unusual in having served as a primary affiliate of each of the traditional American Big Three networks at different points in its history. ABC programming continued on a secondary basis for several years, including selected sports events, because the local market lacked a full-time ABC station. WDTV dropped ABC programming around 1981, and the network did not return to a local Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont outlet until WBOY introduced an ABC digital subchannel in 2008. W. Russell Withers acquired WDTV in 1973 through Withers Broadcasting. The station later became connected with WVFX, a Fox/CW outlet licensed to Clarksburg. WVFX had been owned by Davis Television, but Withers Broadcasting acquired it in 2007 after receiving a failed-station waiver from the Federal Communications Commission because the market's limited number of full-power stations would ordinarily have prevented the combination. This created a shared ownership and operating structure for the two stations. Gray Television announced its purchase of WDTV and WVFX in May 2016. Gray assumed operational control through a local marketing agreement on June 1, 2016, and completed the acquisition on May 1, 2017. The stations subsequently operated as part of Gray's television portfolio, sharing facilities and producing related programming. WDTV's technical and news operations evolved alongside the television industry. In 2005, its newscast and commercial-production operations moved fully to digital electronic news-gathering systems, and the station adopted file-based workflows for exchanging audio and video. WDTV ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the nationwide digital transition; its digital signal ultimately used channel 5. The station launched a prime-time newscast on WVFX in late 2010, branded Fox 10 News at 10, while WVFX also began simulcasting WDTV's weekday early-evening news. WDTV's local news broadcasts moved to high definition on November 12, 2011. The station has long pursued carriage beyond its formal market boundaries. Morgantown, in Monongalia County, and Preston County are assigned to the Pittsburgh market, but WDTV has been carried on Morgantown cable systems since 1965 and has promoted the area as part of its practical coverage footprint. Satellite carriage restrictions historically limited access to Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont stations in those counties. Following a petition by Monongalia and Preston County governments, a market change was approved on February 2, 2018, facilitating carriage of local West Virginia stations. In December 2024, WDTV aired its first station-produced full-length documentary, 4th and Forever: Liberty's Last Season. The production followed Liberty High School's final football season before the school was consolidated with a crosstown rival, marking an expansion from routine news and sports coverage into long-form local storytelling.

1. 2024First full-length documentary airs

   WDTV broadcasts 4th and Forever: Liberty's Last Season, its first station-produced documentary.

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2. 2018Market carriage access expands

   A February 2 market ruling permits broader carriage of Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont stations in Monongalia and Preston counties.

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3. 2017Gray completes acquisition

   Gray completes its purchase of WDTV and WVFX on May 1 after operating them under a local marketing agreement.

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4. 2011Local news converts to HD

   WDTV begins broadcasting its local news in high definition on November 12.

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5. 2010WVFX prime-time newscast launches

   A WDTV-produced 10 p.m. newscast begins on WVFX under the Fox 10 News at 10 branding.

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6. 2009Analog transmission ends

   WDTV shuts down its analog channel 5 signal on June 12 and continues as a digital broadcaster.

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7. 2005News and commercial production become digital

   The station completes a transition to digital electronic news-gathering and file-based production workflows.

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8. 1981ABC programming ends

   WDTV drops the remaining ABC programming carried on a secondary basis.

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9. 1973Withers Broadcasting acquires the station

   W. Russell Withers purchases WDTV through Withers Broadcasting.

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10. 1967Primary CBS affiliation begins

    WDTV changes its primary network relationship from ABC to CBS while continuing limited ABC programming for a period.

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11. 1964Call letters become WDTV

    The station adopts the WDTV call sign on November 15.

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12. 1960Channel 5 service returns from Weston

    The station resumes broadcasting on June 23 using VHF channel 5 and becomes a primary ABC affiliate.

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13. 1955WJPB-TV suspends operations

    The original UHF operation shuts down on February 28 because of signal limitations, difficult terrain, and the challenges of building a viable regional service.

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14. 1954WJPB-TV signs on

    The station begins broadcasting on March 17 as a Fairmont-licensed UHF outlet, primarily affiliated with NBC and carrying selected ABC and CBS programs.

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Local CBS affiliate and regional news broadcaster focused on North-Central West Virginia.

• WDTV Local NewsLocal television news

  WDTV's locally produced news service covers breaking news, government, weather, public safety, community affairs, and regional events across North-Central West Virginia. The operation also contributes sports and other material to related programming on WVFX.

• CBS programmingNetwork television programming1967

  As a CBS affiliate, WDTV carries the network's schedule alongside locally inserted newscasts, weather, advertising, and public-service material. The station has held a primary CBS affiliation since 1967.

• Fox 10 News at 10Prime-time local news2010

  This WDTV-produced late-evening newscast airs on sister station WVFX. It extends WDTV's local news production into a Fox-branded prime-time slot and forms part of the shared programming relationship between the two stations.

• 4th and Forever: Liberty's Last SeasonDocumentary2024

  WDTV's first full-length documentary follows Liberty High School's final football season before the school was consolidated with a crosstown rival. The production represents an expansion of the station's local storytelling beyond daily news.

• 2016Gray agrees to acquire WDTV and WVFXM&A

  WDTV and WVFX were operating within the Withers Broadcasting ownership structure, with WVFX's combination requiring a failed-station waiver because of the market's limited number of full-power stations.

  What changed. Gray Television announced an acquisition of both stations and assumed operational control through a local marketing agreement on June 1.

  Aftermath. The transaction was completed on May 1, 2017, making WDTV part of Gray's station group.

  announced purchase price. $26.5 million (2016 announcement)

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• 2011Convert local news to high definitionGeneration change

  WDTV had already digitized its newsgathering and commercial-production workflows in 2005.

  What changed. The station began airing local news in high definition on November 12.

  Aftermath. WDTV became one of the earliest West Virginia stations to present local news in HD.

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• 2010Launch a prime-time newscast on WVFXProduct launch

  The shared ownership and operating relationship between WDTV and WVFX created an opportunity to extend WDTV's news operation to the Fox-affiliated station.

  What changed. WDTV began producing Fox 10 News at 10 for WVFX and also supplied weekday early-evening news simulcasts.

  Aftermath. The arrangement gave the two stations a combined local-news presence across additional network programming windows.

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• 2009Complete the digital television transitionGeneration change

  United States full-power television stations were required to end analog broadcasting under the nationwide digital transition.

  What changed. WDTV ended its analog channel 5 transmission on June 12 and continued with a digital signal using channel 5.

  Aftermath. The station continued as a digital broadcaster and later modernized its local production and high-definition news presentation.

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• 1967Switch primary affiliation from ABC to CBSStrategy

  WDTV had operated as a primary ABC station after returning to the air in 1960, while the market lacked a full-time ABC outlet and relied on secondary carriage and imported programming.

  What changed. The station made CBS its primary network affiliation while continuing to carry selected ABC material for a number of years.

  Aftermath. WDTV became one of the relatively few American stations to have held primary affiliations with NBC, ABC, and CBS during its history. It later dropped ABC programming entirely.

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• 2024WDTV airs first station-produced documentary

  The station broadcast 4th and Forever: Liberty's Last Season, a documentary about Liberty High School's final football season before consolidation with a rival school. The program was narrated by alumnus Jimbo Fisher.

  Product launch
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• 2016Gray announces acquisition of WDTV and WVFX

  Gray Television announced an agreement to acquire WDTV and WVFX for $26.5 million. Gray began operating the stations under a local marketing agreement in June 2016, with the transaction completed in May 2017.

  M&A
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• 2011WDTV begins high-definition local news

  WDTV converted its local news broadcasts to high definition, becoming one of the first stations in West Virginia to present local news in the format.

  Product generation
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1. WDTV
2. WDTV official website