WSET-TV
WSET-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving the Roanoke–Lynchburg market from Lynchburg, Virginia.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WSET-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, and serving the Roanoke–Lynchburg designated market area. It operates as an affiliate of the American Broadcasting Company and is identified on air primarily as ABC 13 or ABC 13 News. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and maintains studios on Langhorne Road in Lynchburg. Its principal transmitter is located on Thaxton Mountain near Thaxton, Virginia, while a digital translator serves viewers in Roanoke. The station began broadcasting on February 8, 1953, under the call sign WLVA-TV. Its original owner was Lynchburg Broadcasting Corporation, which also operated WLVA radio. Channel 13 initially carried CBS programming as its primary affiliation while also presenting selected programs from ABC, NBC, and DuMont. As the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas became part of a combined television market, the station shifted toward ABC. By the mid-1950s, after the launch of WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, WLVA-TV became a primary ABC affiliate. This made it one of the earliest primary ABC stations in Virginia and, according to historical descriptions of the station, the longest-serving primary ABC affiliate south of Washington, D.C. For much of its early history, WSET's predecessor struggled with signal coverage in the mountainous western portion of the market. Its initial transmitter locations provided stronger service to Lynchburg and the eastern side of the market than to Roanoke. Regulatory restrictions prevented repeated proposals to move the transmitter closer to Roanoke because of potential interference with channel 13 operations in other nearby markets. The station used a low-power translator in Roanoke beginning in the early 1960s, but adequate over-the-air reception remained difficult in some areas. Ownership changed several times. Lynchburg Broadcasting merged with the Washington Star Company in 1965. After Joe Allbritton acquired a controlling interest in the Star in 1975, regulatory requirements led to the sale of the company's radio properties and the reorganization of its television holdings as Allbritton Communications. On August 17, 1977, WLVA-TV adopted the WSET-TV call sign. The new calls were selected as a memorable television-oriented identity and later supported the station's Newset 13 news branding. A major technical turning point came after the Federal Communications Commission approved a transmitter relocation in 1980. The new facility on Thaxton Mountain, activated in 1982, substantially improved reception in and around Roanoke while preserving the station's ability to serve Lynchburg. Terrain and signal-protection limits continued to make cable, satellite, or translator reception important for some western viewers, particularly in the New River Valley. WSET has also developed a substantial local news operation. It currently produces approximately 27 hours of locally originated newscasts per week, with programming scheduled on weekdays and weekends and an editorial emphasis on the eastern portion of the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. The station moved its local newscasts to high-definition production on September 12, 2011. Its history includes the early television career of Charles Gibson, who worked as a reporter and anchor when the station was still WLVA-TV in the late 1960s. The station's programming decisions have occasionally attracted public attention. In 2002, it preempted an episode of ABC's Once and Again that included a same-sex kiss and replaced it with a paid infomercial. The decision drew criticism from GLAAD and became associated with the influence of conservative religious institutions in the Lynchburg area. WSET was acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in August 2014 as part of Sinclair's purchase of Allbritton Communications. It remains an active local broadcast brand, combining ABC network programming, local news, weather, sports, digital content, and community-oriented coverage.
History
WSET-TV began broadcasting on February 8, 1953, as WLVA-TV, a Lynchburg station owned by Lynchburg Broadcasting Corporation. The same company owned WLVA radio, and the television station initially transmitted from Tobacco Row Mountain west of Sweet Briar. During testing, its signal could reportedly be received as far away as Charlottesville. WLVA-TV started as a CBS affiliate but also carried programs from ABC, NBC, and DuMont. The television identities of Roanoke and Lynchburg were consolidated into a single market by the end of 1954. To improve coverage, channel 13 constructed a transmitter in Evington. Because Roanoke already had WSLS-TV as an NBC outlet, and because WDBJ-TV later began broadcasting from Roanoke, WLVA-TV moved toward primary ABC status. It became a long-term ABC affiliate and helped establish channel 13 as a significant regional broadcaster. Coverage remained a central operational problem. The Evington transmitter served Lynchburg and the eastern side of the market relatively well but was distant from Roanoke and obstructed by mountainous terrain. The station repeatedly sought permission to relocate its transmitter closer to Roanoke. The FCC rejected those proposals because of interference concerns involving channel 13 stations in Asheville, North Carolina, and Huntington, West Virginia. The signal limitations were serious enough that ABC temporarily authorized WRFT-TV, channel 27, to provide additional ABC service in the market from 1966 to 1975. WLVA-TV also introduced a Roanoke translator in the early 1960s. In 1965, Lynchburg Broadcasting merged with the Washington Star Company, which also owned radio and television stations in Washington, D.C. Joe Allbritton obtained a controlling interest in the Star in 1975. Because of FCC cross-media ownership requirements, Allbritton divested the company's radio assets, including WLVA radio, in 1977 and organized the remaining television properties as Allbritton Communications. On August 17 of that year, WLVA-TV changed its call sign to WSET-TV. The new identity was selected as a marketable television name and was later used in the station's Newset 13 news branding. Allbritton pursued a solution to the station's coverage problems. In 1980, the FCC approved a transmitter move to Thaxton Mountain near Bedford, approximately between Roanoke and Lynchburg. WSET activated the new facility in 1982. Reception improved substantially in Roanoke and throughout much of the market, although signal restrictions and terrain continued to leave some western communities with only marginal over-the-air service. The Roanoke translator remained important for viewers unable to rely on cable or satellite distribution. The station continued as a local ABC affiliate while expanding its news and technical operations. In October 2005, it temporarily aired ABC's World News Tonight at 7 p.m., an unusual scheduling arrangement in the Eastern Time Zone, before returning the program to its conventional 6:30 p.m. time slot and moving a local newscast to 7 p.m. WSET converted its local news production to high definition on September 12, 2011. The station currently produces about 27 hours of local news each week, with programming on weekday mornings, evenings, and weekends. A notable programming controversy occurred on March 11, 2002, when WSET preempted an episode of Once and Again featuring a kiss between two female characters. The station substituted a prime-time infomercial and did not initially provide a detailed public explanation. GLAAD criticized the action. Local religious and political influence became part of the discussion because station general manager Randy Smith belonged to Thomas Road Baptist Church, while Jerry Falwell publicly defended the decision. Falwell characterized the concern as involving the episode's broader content rather than only the kiss. WSET's former staff includes Charles Gibson, who worked as a reporter and anchor at the station in the late 1960s before becoming a nationally recognized network news journalist, and Mona Kosar Abdi, who worked as a reporter from 2014 to 2017. The station became part of Sinclair Broadcast Group in August 2014 when Sinclair acquired Allbritton Communications. It remains active under the WSET-TV name, providing ABC programming, local journalism, weather information, advertising, and digital news service to the Roanoke–Lynchburg region.
- 2014
Sinclair ownership begins
[1]Sinclair Broadcast Group acquires Allbritton Communications, including WSET-TV.
- 2011
Local news moves to high definition
[1]WSET begins producing its local newscasts in high definition.
- 2009
Digital transition completed
[1]WSET ends analog broadcasting under the nationwide transition and later moves its digital signal to VHF channel 13; the Roanoke translator also becomes digital.
- 1982
Thaxton Mountain transmitter enters service
[1]The transmitter relocation materially improves service to Roanoke and other parts of the combined market.
- 1977
Station renamed WSET-TV
[1]WLVA-TV adopts the WSET-TV call sign during the reorganization of Allbritton's television properties.
- 1965
Lynchburg Broadcasting joins the Washington Star Company
[1]The station's owner merges with the Washington Star Company, linking WLVA-TV to a larger media group.
- 1955
Primary ABC affiliation established
[1]After market realignment and the arrival of WDBJ-TV, channel 13 becomes a primary ABC affiliate.
- 1953
WLVA-TV launches on channel 13
[1]The station begins operations in Lynchburg as WLVA-TV, initially combining CBS affiliation with programming from several national networks.
Products and positioning
A local ABC network affiliate positioned as a primary source of television news, weather, emergency information, and regional coverage for viewers in Lynchburg, Roanoke, and surrounding communities.
Local television news
ABC 13 News
WSET's locally produced news operation covers Lynchburg, Roanoke, and communities across the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. Its programming includes weekday and weekend newscasts, reporting, interviews, local sports, traffic information, and breaking-news coverage. The station's local news output totals approximately 27 hours per week.
Weather information
WSET Weather
The station provides television and digital weather forecasts, severe-weather alerts, and regional conditions for central and western Virginia. Weather information is integrated into its newscasts and online service, with particular importance in a mountainous market where storms and terrain can affect travel and reception.
Digital news and video
WSET.com
WSET's website extends the station's broadcast identity through digital articles, videos, weather information, breaking-news updates, and other local content. It functions as the station's online publishing and audience-engagement platform.
Network television programming · 1955
ABC network programming
As an ABC affiliate, WSET distributes the network's entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming throughout its broadcast coverage area, subject to the station's local scheduling decisions and market obligations.
Controversies
2002
Once and Again preemption controversy
WSET replaced an episode of ABC's Once and Again with a prime-time infomercial. The episode included a kiss between two female characters and a student-teacher relationship storyline. GLAAD condemned the decision, while Jerry Falwell defended station management and argued that the concern involved the episode's broader content. The incident became a notable example of local affiliate discretion and cultural pressure affecting network programming.
Brand decisions
2014
Join Sinclair Broadcast GroupM&ABackground
Allbritton Communications sold its television stations to Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Action taken
WSET-TV became part of Sinclair's portfolio of local broadcast stations.
Aftermath
The station continued operating under the WSET-TV identity as a Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate.
2011
Convert local newscasts to high definitionGeneration changeBackground
High-definition production was becoming standard among major local television stations in the Roanoke–Lynchburg market.
Action taken
WSET began broadcasting its locally produced newscasts in high definition.
Aftermath
The station became the third broadcaster in its market to make the transition, modernizing the presentation of its local news product.
2002
Preempt an episode of Once and AgainOtherBackground
Station management objected to the content of a scheduled episode that included LGBTQ-related material and a student-teacher relationship plotline.
Action taken
WSET removed the episode from its schedule and aired a paid infomercial instead.
Aftermath
The decision drew public criticism from GLAAD and became the subject of discussion about local religious influence and affiliate control over network programming.
1980
Secure approval for a transmitter relocationStrategyBackground
The original transmitter arrangement produced weak or obstructed reception in Roanoke and parts of the western market because of distance, terrain, and FCC interference restrictions.
Action taken
WSET obtained FCC approval to move its main transmitter to Thaxton Mountain near Bedford.
Aftermath
The facility entered service in 1982 and substantially improved coverage in Roanoke, although terrain and signal-protection limits continued to affect some western viewers.
Recent events
- 2014
Sinclair acquires WSET-TV through Allbritton transaction[1]
M&A
Sinclair Broadcast Group completed its acquisition of Allbritton Communications, bringing WSET-TV into the Sinclair station group.
- 2011
WSET-TV completes local news high-definition transition[1]
Product generation
WSET began presenting its locally produced newscasts in high definition, becoming the third station in the Roanoke–Lynchburg market to make the transition.
- 1982
WSET activates the Thaxton Mountain transmitter[1]
Other
A new transmitter on Thaxton Mountain improved channel 13 reception across much of Roanoke and the broader market, although mountainous terrain continued to limit service in some western areas.
- 1977
WLVA-TV adopts the WSET-TV call sign[1]
Leadership change · Other
The station changed its call letters from WLVA-TV to WSET-TV after the television assets were reorganized under Allbritton Communications.
- 1955
WLVA-TV becomes a primary ABC affiliate[1]
Other
Following changes in the combined Roanoke–Lynchburg market and the launch of WDBJ-TV, channel 13 settled into its long-term ABC affiliation.
- 1953
WSET-TV begins broadcasting as WLVA-TV[1]
Other
Channel 13 began operations in Lynchburg under the WLVA-TV call sign, initially carrying CBS as its principal network affiliation alongside selected programming from other networks.
Sources2 sources
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