WGSR-LD
An independent low-power television station serving the Reidsville, Martinsville, and Danville area from North Carolina and Virginia.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
WGSR-LD is an independent low-power television station licensed to Reidsville, North Carolina, and associated with the Star News Corporation. The station serves communities in the broader Dan River Region, including Reidsville, Martinsville, Virginia, and Danville, Virginia. Although its transmitter is located in downtown Reidsville, live programming is produced and transmitted from Star News's principal offices and studios in Martinsville, Virginia. The station is sister to WMDV-LD in Danville. The station's roots extend to 1982, when a public-access service known as WCTV-3 began operating on Alert Cable in Reidsville. A later over-the-air successor received an original Federal Communications Commission construction permit on March 7, 1988. It initially used the call sign W14AU and broadcast primarily satellite-supplied programming alongside a locally produced nightly newscast and the weekly call-in program Monday Night Live. The station was therefore established not only as a retransmitter of syndicated material but also as a local outlet with its own news and community programming. In 1996, the station was sold to Carolina Blue Communications, owned by Daniel Falinski. Under that ownership, it adopted a more regional orientation and changed its call sign to WXIV-LP, reflecting its then-channel 14 position. Its on-air identity during this period was The Boob Tube, and its schedule relied heavily on second-run situation comedies, with some overnight time brokered to a home-shopping service. A channel-allocation conflict involving Burlington station WGPX-TV required WXIV-LP to move from channel 14 to channel 39. The relocation was completed in April 2004. The channel move coincided with the sale of the station to Star News Corporation, which also operated the Martinsville-based NewsChannel 18 regional cable news service. Following the acquisition, the station became WGSR-LP and was promoted as Star-39. The call sign was updated to WGSR-LD on June 4, 2009, as part of the station's transition to digital broadcasting. WGSR-LD has emphasized local and regional coverage, particularly stories from the Dan River Region that may receive less attention from full-power stations serving the Greensboro market. Its programming has included local news, public-affairs discussions, community events, motorsports coverage, and other regional sports. The station has been especially associated with coverage of Martinsville Speedway and NASCAR-related programming, including driver and race previews and expanded reporting when races take place at the track. It has also carried programming involving snowmobiling, softball, and obstacle-course racing. Community events are a significant part of the station's identity. WGSR-LP began organizing and broadcasting the Reidsville Downtown Christmas Parade in the mid-2000s and has continued to provide annual coverage. Star News also produces the Martinsville Christmas Parade. During the holiday season, the station broadcasts municipal Christmas parades and supports seasonal shopping promotions involving merchants in Reidsville and Stoneville. The station completed its analog-to-digital transition on June 4, 2009, using UHF channel 47 for its digital signal and receiving permission to use channel 47 as its virtual channel. Additional digital subchannels were introduced on August 17, 2009, and the primary digital service began carrying high-definition programming in February 2011. As part of the FCC's 2017 spectrum auction and repacking process, WGSR-LD left channel 47 and began operating on RF channel 19 on September 1, 2018. It temporarily went off the air on February 27, 2019, to address interference and relocate to a new tower, returning on March 23, 2019, from a downtown Reidsville facility with its virtual-channel presentation revised to reflect channel 19. The station remains an independent local broadcaster rather than an affiliate of a major national broadcast network.
History
WGSR-LD developed from a public-access cable television service in Reidsville. The earliest identified predecessor was WCTV-3, which began on Alert Cable in 1982. On March 7, 1988, the Federal Communications Commission granted station manager Robert Tudor an original construction permit for an over-the-air low-power station on UHF channel 14 under the call sign W14AU. Its early schedule combined satellite-delivered programs with a locally produced nightly newscast and the weekly call-in show Monday Night Live. Carolina Blue Communications, controlled by Daniel Falinski, acquired the station in early 1996, with the FCC approving the transaction in August of that year. The new owner expanded the station's focus beyond Reidsville toward the surrounding regional market. The call sign became WXIV-LP, using Roman-numeral styling to refer to channel 14, and the station adopted The Boob Tube as its on-air brand. Its schedule during this phase was dominated by second-run sitcoms, while overnight hours included programming brokered to a home-shopping network. The station subsequently faced a technical and regulatory requirement to vacate channel 14 so Burlington-based WGPX-TV could deploy its digital signal there. Engineering work determined that UHF channel 39 was the feasible replacement, and WXIV-LP moved to that channel in April 2004. Around the same period, Carolina Blue Communications sold the station to Star News Corporation, the owner of the Martinsville regional cable news service NewsChannel 18. The station's call sign changed to WGSR-LP and its principal promotional identity became Star-39. WGSR expanded its local service after the Star News transaction. Its programming profile included regional news and public affairs, with an editorial willingness to address controversial subjects that larger full-power stations did not always pursue. The station also built recurring coverage around the Dan River Region, local government and community events, and Martinsville Speedway. Weekend sports programming included several hours devoted to NASCAR driver and race previews, with additional local reporting during races at Martinsville Speedway. Other sports and recreation coverage included snowmobiling, softball, and obstacle-track racing. Community-event broadcasting became another durable part of the station's role. Beginning in the mid-2000s, WGSR-LP organized and aired the annual Reidsville Downtown Christmas Parade. Star News also produced the Martinsville Christmas Parade, while the station broadcast municipal holiday parades and supported seasonal retail promotions involving Reidsville and Stoneville merchants. The station also carried selected acquired sports programming. Before the launch of the cable-only ACC Network, it aired some CBS-produced Atlantic Coast Conference basketball telecasts that had been associated with WFMY-TV's local rights. It also carried Baltimore Orioles baseball until October 2006 and aired the CBS event EliteXC: Primetime on May 31, 2008, after WFMY-TV declined to broadcast it. WGSR completed its digital transition on June 4, 2009. It shut down its analog signal, flash-cut to digital operation on UHF channel 47, and received authorization to use channel 47 as its virtual channel. The station added second and third digital subchannels on August 17, 2009, and its primary service began high-definition transmission on February 23, 2011. The call sign was changed from WGSR-LP to WGSR-LD on June 4, 2009. The FCC's 2017 spectrum auction and repacking initiative required stations using channels 38 and above to relocate to lower frequencies. WGSR-LD ended channel-47 operation and began transmitting on RF channel 19 on September 1, 2018, initially retaining references to virtual channels 47.1 and 47.3. Because of additional interference issues, the station went off the air on February 27, 2019, while it moved to a new tower. It returned on March 23, 2019, from a downtown Reidsville tower, with its virtual-channel presentation changed to correspond to physical channel 19. The transmitter remains in Reidsville, while live programming is produced from Star News's Martinsville offices and studios.
- 2019
Return from tower relocation
[1]After a temporary shutdown caused by interference and tower work, the station returns from a downtown Reidsville tower and changes its virtual-channel presentation.
- 2018
FCC repack relocation to RF channel 19
[1]WGSR-LD moves from RF channel 47 to RF channel 19 as part of the nationwide spectrum repacking process.
- 2011
High-definition broadcasting begins
[1]The primary digital channel begins transmitting in high definition.
- 2009
Digital transition and WGSR-LD call sign
[1]The station adopts the WGSR-LD call sign and transitions from analog broadcasting to digital operation on UHF channel 47.
- 2006
Reidsville Christmas Parade coverage begins
[1]WGSR-LP begins organizing and broadcasting the annual Reidsville Downtown Christmas Parade.
- 2004
Channel 14 to channel 39 relocation
[1]The station moves to UHF channel 39 to accommodate WGPX-TV's digital operation on channel 14 and is sold to Star News Corporation around the same period.
- 1996
Carolina Blue Communications acquisition
[1]Daniel Falinski's Carolina Blue Communications acquires the station, which becomes WXIV-LP and adopts The Boob Tube branding.
- 1988
Original construction permit granted
[1]The FCC grants an original construction permit for W14AU on UHF channel 14.
- 1982
Predecessor public-access service launches
[1]WCTV-3 begins operating as a public-access cable television service on Alert Cable in Reidsville.
Products and positioning
A locally focused independent low-power television broadcaster emphasizing regional news, community events, public affairs, and motorsports coverage.
Local television broadcasting · 1988
WGSR-LD primary television service
The station's main independent broadcast service provides locally oriented news, public affairs, community coverage, acquired programming, and regional sports content for viewers in and around Reidsville, Martinsville, Danville, and the Dan River Region. Its programming identity is based on local access and regional stories rather than affiliation with a major national broadcast network.
Digital television · 2009
Digital multicast channels
WGSR-LD expanded its digital offering with second and third subchannels beginning in 2009. The available subchannel lineup and programming may change over time, but the expansion enabled the station to carry more than one digital service after its analog shutdown.
Local programming
Regional community and sports programming
Recurring locally produced programming includes Christmas parade broadcasts, holiday retail promotions, NASCAR driver and race previews, Martinsville Speedway reporting, and coverage of sports or recreation such as snowmobiling, softball, and obstacle-track racing. These programs extend the station's role beyond conventional daily television news.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Reidsville Downtown Christmas Parade
Reidsville, North Carolina
WGSR-LP began organizing and broadcasting the annual downtown Christmas parade, making the event a recurring part of its community-service and local-programming schedule.
Outcome. The parade became an annual live broadcast associated with the station.
- Holiday parade and local shopping promotion
Reidsville, North Carolina · Stoneville, North Carolina · Martinsville, Virginia
During the holiday season, the station broadcasts area municipal Christmas parades and works with merchants in Reidsville and Stoneville to promote seasonal shopping and local decorations.
Outcome. The activity supports local merchants and provides recurring seasonal community coverage.
Brand decisions
2018
Spectrum-repack frequency changeOtherBackground
The FCC's spectrum auction and repacking program required television stations operating on channels 38 and above to move to lower-frequency assignments.
Action taken
WGSR-LD ended operation on channel 47 and began transmitting on RF channel 19.
Aftermath
Further interference required a temporary shutdown and tower relocation before the station returned in March 2019.
2009
Conversion from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
The station's analog service was scheduled to be replaced by digital television transmission.
Action taken
WGSR shut down its analog signal and flash-cut to digital operation on UHF channel 47, later adding digital subchannels.
Aftermath
The station became a digital low-power broadcaster and expanded its available digital services.
2004
Relocation from channel 14 to channel 39StrategyBackground
WGPX-TV needed UHF channel 14 for its digital operation, and engineering studies identified channel 39 as the feasible replacement for WXIV-LP.
Action taken
The station moved to channel 39 while its sale to Star News Corporation was being completed, then adopted the WGSR-LP call sign and Star-39 identity.
Aftermath
The move allowed the low-power station to remain on the air and aligned it with Star News Corporation's regional media operations.
Recent events
- 2019
WGSR-LD temporarily leaves the air during tower relocation[1]
Other
The station signed off to address interference and move to a new tower, returning approximately one month later from a downtown Reidsville site.
- 2018
WGSR-LD relocates to RF channel 19 under the FCC repack[1]
Regulation · Other
Following the FCC spectrum auction and repacking process, WGSR-LD ceased operation on channel 47 and commenced operation on RF channel 19.
- 2011
WGSR-LD begins high-definition primary programming[1]
Product generation
The station's primary digital channel began transmitting programming in high definition.
- 2009
WGSR-LP completes analog-to-digital transition[1]
Other · Product generation
The station shut down its analog signal, began digital operation on UHF channel 47, and adopted channel 47 as its virtual channel.
- 2009
WGSR-LD adds digital subchannels[1]
Product launch
The station began carrying second and third digital subchannels as part of its expanded digital service.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/wgsr-ld · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled