WDVM-TV

WDVM-TV is an independent full-power television station licensed to Hagerstown, Maryland, and serving the Washington, D.C., designated market area. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group and operates alongside CW affiliate WDCW. Its primary facilities are in Washington, D.C., while Hagerstown remains the station's city of license and an important bureau location. The station's transmitter is located on Blue Mountain near Front Royal, Virginia, following a 2025 relocation intended to improve over-the-air coverage of Washington, suburban Northern Virginia, and the Hagerstown region. The station began broadcasting on January 3, 1970, as WHAG-TV. It was founded by Warren Adler, who also owned WHAG radio, and initially operated as an NBC affiliate. Its original plans called for an analog transmitter on the Hagerstown Motor Inn, but structural concerns led to the selection of Fairview Mountain as the eventual transmission site. The station developed a local news operation from its launch, initially branded as The Valley News, and gradually expanded its schedule, field reporting, bureaus, and technical capabilities. Ownership changed several times during the station's early decades. Adler Communications sold the television station to Sheldon and Samuel Magazine in 1973. The Magazine brothers sold it to aviation entrepreneur Richard Henson in 1977, and Henson later transferred it to Great Trails Broadcasting in 1981. Great Trails exited broadcasting in the late 1990s, selling WHAG-TV and other stations to Quorum Broadcasting in 1998. Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced its acquisition of Quorum in 2003, completing the transaction at the end of that year. A major strategic turning point came when NBC declined to renew WHAG-TV's affiliation. The station had historically served Hagerstown and nearby communities, but regulatory market definitions placed it within the much larger Washington, D.C., television market, where it competed with NBC-owned WRC-TV. WHAG-TV ended NBC programming on July 1, 2016, and became an independent station. It expanded local news and temporarily carried Heroes & Icons programming before moving toward a broader syndicated and news-focused schedule. On July 1, 2017, the station adopted the WDVM-TV call sign and brand. The rebranding was intended to signal that the station sought a wider Washington-market identity rather than positioning itself solely as a Hagerstown outlet. Nexstar later acquired Tribune Media, owner of WDCW, in 2019, creating a nominal Washington-area duopoly involving WDVM-TV and WDCW. The two stations were subsequently placed under common management, and WDCW began carrying a standard-definition simulcast of WDVM-TV to extend its reach across the market. Nexstar repositioned the station as a news-intensive independent outlet. In 2022, the primary studios moved from Hagerstown to Washington, D.C., and local newscasts adopted the DC News Now branding. Hagerstown became a bureau, supplementing facilities in Frederick and Northern Virginia. The station expanded its morning, afternoon, evening, and prime-time news output, with programming designed around Washington, Maryland, and Northern Virginia audiences. WDVM-TV is also distributed through cable and satellite platforms, including Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and DirecTV, although availability and format vary by provider and market.

WDVM-TV signed on January 3, 1970, as WHAG-TV, a new UHF station licensed to Hagerstown, Maryland. Warren Adler owned the station together with WHAG radio. Although an initial plan called for an analog transmitter on the Hagerstown Motor Inn, structural limitations made that location unsuitable, and the station ultimately transmitted from Fairview Mountain. WHAG-TV joined NBC at launch and established local news programming under the name The Valley News. The station changed ownership repeatedly. Adler Communications sold it to Sheldon and Samuel Magazine in 1973. The Magazine brothers sold the station to Richard Henson in 1977, and Henson sold it to Great Trails Broadcasting in 1981. Great Trails later withdrew from broadcasting and sold WHAG-TV, together with WFFT-TV and KSVI, to Quorum Broadcasting in 1998. Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced the purchase of Quorum in September 2003 and completed the transaction on December 31 of that year. WHAG-TV's relationship with NBC became increasingly difficult because of changes in television market definitions. Hagerstown had once been treated as a separate, small media area, but the FCC's designated-market-area system grouped it with Washington, D.C. This placed WHAG-TV in the same market as NBC-owned WRC-TV. Although WHAG-TV continued to view itself as a Hagerstown and western Maryland station, the regulatory and commercial consequences of the larger market affected cable carriage and network affiliation. NBC declined to renew the affiliation, and WHAG-TV stopped carrying NBC programming on July 1, 2016. The final NBC program carried by the station was Last Call with Carson Daly. After becoming independent, the station expanded its local-news output and carried Heroes & Icons programming for a period. On July 1, 2017, it adopted the WDVM-TV call sign and branding. The change was designed to communicate a wider Washington-market ambition and was accompanied by efforts to increase cable distribution. Heroes & Icons programming was removed in 2019, with the schedule shifting toward additional syndicated programming and a more substantial local-news emphasis. Nexstar's 2019 acquisition of Tribune Media added WDCW, the Washington-market CW affiliate, to the company's local portfolio. The transaction created a nominal duopoly involving WDCW and WDVM-TV. Nexstar placed the stations under common management in 2020, added WDVM-TV's programming to WDCW's standard-definition signal, and expanded cable and satellite availability. These measures helped the station reach viewers in the central and eastern parts of the Washington market despite its Hagerstown license. The news operation has been central to the station's identity since its launch. Early broadcasts included evening news, sports, and weather, and the department expanded over time through additional newscasts, live field reporting, bureaus, and high-definition production. A microwave truck was added in 1997, and local news moved to high definition in 2013. Following the end of the NBC affiliation, Nexstar increased the station's news schedule and introduced programming focused on Maryland and Northern Virginia. In July 2022, Nexstar moved WDVM-TV's principal studios to Washington, D.C., rebranded the local newscasts as DC News Now, and retained Hagerstown as a bureau. The station also maintained bureaus in Frederick and Northern Virginia. Subsequent schedule changes expanded the weekday morning program, lengthened the 5 p.m. newscast, and added a 9 p.m. newscast. A transmitter relocation approved by the FCC in February 2024 was completed in September 2025, moving the facility to Blue Mountain near Front Royal, Virginia, with the goal of increasing coverage of Washington and Northern Virginia while continuing to serve western Maryland.

• 2025

  Blue Mountain transmitter relocation completed

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station moves to its new Blue Mountain tower on September 2.

• 2024

  Transmitter relocation approved

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC authorizes relocation of the transmitter to Blue Mountain with an associated power increase.

• 2022

  Washington studio move and DC News Now launch

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station moves its primary facilities to Washington and adopts the DC News Now news identity.

• 2019

  Tribune Media acquisition completed

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Nexstar completes its acquisition of Tribune Media, including WDCW in Washington.

• 2017

  WDVM-TV identity introduced

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The WHAG-TV call sign and brand are replaced by WDVM-TV.

• 2016

  Transition to independent status

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  NBC programming ends and the station begins operating independently.

• 2003

  Nexstar acquires Quorum

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Nexstar announces and completes its acquisition of Quorum Broadcasting and WHAG-TV.

• 1998

  Quorum Broadcasting acquisition

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Great Trails sells WHAG-TV to Quorum Broadcasting as part of a transaction involving three stations.

• 1973

  First ownership change

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Adler Communications sells WHAG-TV to Sheldon and Samuel Magazine.

• 1970

  WHAG-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station signs on as WHAG-TV on January 3 and launches as an NBC affiliate serving Hagerstown and surrounding communities.

News-intensive independent local television station serving the broader Washington, D.C., market while retaining a Hagerstown, Maryland, license and regional bureaus.

• Local television news · 2022

  DC News Now

  WDVM-TV's principal local-news identity, introduced in 2022 after the station moved its primary studios to Washington, D.C. The service combines Washington-area reporting with coverage of western Maryland and Northern Virginia. Its schedule includes morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and prime-time programming, supported by bureaus in Hagerstown, Frederick, and Northern Virginia.

• Broadcast television · 1970

  WDVM-TV broadcast service

  The station's principal over-the-air television service, carried on virtual channel 25. It is an independent service with a schedule built around local news, syndicated programming, and other non-network content. The signal is also simulcast in standard definition on WDCW to improve reach across the Washington market.

• 2024

  Relocate and upgrade the transmitterOther

  Background

  Nexstar proposed a new transmission site to improve the station's over-the-air coverage of Washington and Northern Virginia while preserving service to western Maryland.

  Action taken

  The FCC approved relocation to Blue Mountain near Front Royal, Virginia, together with a power increase to 1,000 kW.

  Aftermath

  The station completed the move on September 2, 2025, after technical revisions intended to limit loss of adequate local service in rural Maryland and Pennsylvania.

  Source

• 2022

  Move primary operations to WashingtonStrategy

  Background

  Nexstar sought to position WDVM-TV as a broader Washington-area news service.

  Action taken

  The primary studios moved from Hagerstown to Washington, newscasts adopted the DC News Now brand, and the schedule was expanded.

  Aftermath

  Hagerstown remained a bureau, while the station increased its emphasis on Washington, Maryland, and Northern Virginia coverage.

  Source

• 2017

  Rebrand WHAG-TV as WDVM-TVStrategy

  Background

  The station sought to increase cable carriage and present itself as a Washington-market outlet rather than only a Hagerstown station.

  Action taken

  The call sign and on-air brand changed from WHAG-TV to WDVM-TV on July 1.

  Aftermath

  The station continued operating independently while emphasizing regional news coverage.

  Source

• 2016

  Convert the station to independent statusStrategy

  Background

  NBC declined to renew WHAG-TV's affiliation after the station was treated as part of the Washington, D.C., market, where it competed with NBC-owned WRC-TV.

  Action taken

  Nexstar ended NBC programming on July 1 and expanded locally produced news and other non-network programming.

  Aftermath

  The station developed a broader independent identity and later adopted the WDVM-TV name.

  Source

• 2025

  WDVM-TV relocates to the Blue Mountain tower[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station relocated its transmitter to the approved Blue Mountain site, substantially changing its projected over-the-air coverage footprint.

• 2024

  FCC approves transmitter relocation[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation

  The FCC approved a proposed transmitter relocation to Blue Mountain near Front Royal, Virginia, together with a power increase intended to improve Washington-area coverage.

• 2022

  WDVM-TV moves primary studios to Washington and launches DC News Now branding[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Nexstar moved the station's primary studios from Hagerstown to Washington, D.C., changed the local-news identity to DC News Now, and expanded the news schedule.

• 2020

  WDVM-TV and WDCW brought under common management[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Nexstar combined management of WDVM-TV and WDCW and expanded the stations' shared distribution and programming arrangements.

• 2019

  Nexstar completes Tribune Media acquisition[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tribune Media, bringing Washington-area CW station WDCW into the same corporate portfolio as WDVM-TV.

• 2017

  WHAG-TV rebrands as WDVM-TV[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station changed its call sign and public identity from WHAG-TV to WDVM-TV as part of an effort to present itself as a broader Washington-market outlet.

• 2016

  NBC affiliation ends and WHAG-TV becomes independent[1]WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  WHAG-TV ended its long-standing NBC affiliation and began operating as an independent station, accompanied by an expansion of locally produced news and other programming.

1. 1WDVM-TVen.wikipedia.org