WSYR-TV
WSYR-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving Syracuse and Central New York, branded locally as LocalSYR.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WSYR-TV, virtual channel 9, is a commercial television station in Syracuse, New York, United States. It is affiliated with ABC and serves as one of the principal local news, weather, sports, and public-service media outlets for Central New York. The station operates from studios on Bridge Street in East Syracuse, in the town of DeWitt, while its transmitter is located on Sevier Road in Pompey. Its website and on-air identity use the LocalSYR branding. The station began broadcasting on September 9, 1962, under the call sign WNYS-TV. It was the last of Syracuse’s major network affiliates to sign on, following a frequency and market realignment that created room for another VHF station. WNYS-TV launched as an ABC affiliate and has retained that network relationship throughout its history. Its first facilities were in the basement of the ShoppingTown shopping center in DeWitt. A studio fire in April 1967 temporarily forced operations to WCNY-TV’s facilities in Liverpool until the station’s original premises could be rebuilt. Ownership and branding changed several times. The Outlet Company acquired the station in 1971. In 1978, the station was sold to WNYS Acquisition Corp., a partnership involving Coca-Cola’s New York bottling interests and former Washington Post president Larry H. Israel. The call letters changed to WIXT on March 1, 1978, with “IX” referencing the Roman numeral for nine. The Ackerley Group purchased the station in 1982, adding the “-TV” suffix to the calls, and moved it to the Bridge Street facility during the middle of the decade. Ackerley’s development of a centralized technical and production operation helped connect WIXT-TV with several other New York stations, including WWTI in Watertown and stations in Rochester, Binghamton, Elmira, and Utica. Clear Channel Communications acquired Ackerley in 2001. Because Clear Channel also owned WSYR radio in Syracuse, the television station adopted the WSYR-TV call sign on June 13, 2005. The calls had previously been associated with another Syracuse station, creating some local confusion, but the television station retained the identity after subsequent ownership changes. Clear Channel agreed in 2007 to sell its television division to Newport Television, while WSYR radio remained with Clear Channel, now iHeartMedia. Newport later sold WSYR-TV and most of its New York stations to Nexstar Broadcasting Group in a transaction completed on December 3, 2012. Nexstar Media Group is the station’s current owner. Local news is the station’s central business and brand proposition. WSYR-TV has historically competed strongly in Syracuse ratings and has often led major daytime and evening news periods. Its offerings include morning, midday, evening, and late-night newscasts, weather coverage supported by the station’s Live Doppler 9 radar, and consumer-oriented reporting. The station also produces Bridge Street, a locally focused daytime lifestyle and entertainment program that debuted in 2004. Its consumer journalism has developed from the Your Stories feature into a broader Consumer Protection Unit incorporating Your Stories, The Real Deal, and Consumer Reports. WSYR-TV also distributes content beyond its main signal. WWTI, channel 50 in Watertown, operates as a semi-satellite, carrying ABC programming and many WSYR-TV newscasts while maintaining separate advertising, station identifications, and some syndicated programming. WSYR-TV has also used digital subchannels for additional programming and news distribution. Its local newscasts became available in true high definition on January 29, 2011, accompanied by a new set, logo, and “The Local Station” positioning. The station remains an active local broadcaster focused on Central New York news, weather, community information, and ABC network programming.
History
WSYR-TV began broadcasting on September 9, 1962, as WNYS-TV. Its launch followed a Syracuse-area channel realignment that made a third analog VHF station possible. The station entered the market as an ABC affiliate and has maintained that affiliation throughout its existence. Its original studios were located beneath the ShoppingTown shopping center in DeWitt. A fire in April 1967 interrupted operations and led to a temporary arrangement with WCNY-TV in Liverpool while the station rebuilt. The Outlet Company bought WNYS-TV in 1971. In 1978, WNYS Acquisition Corp., a partnership associated with Coca-Cola’s New York bottling division and former Washington Post president Larry H. Israel, acquired the station. The new owners changed the call sign to WIXT on March 1, 1978. The letters were intended to evoke “IX,” the Roman numeral for nine. The Ackerley Group purchased the station in 1982, added the -TV suffix, and developed a new Bridge Street operating center in East Syracuse. The station moved into that facility after construction during the mid-1980s. Ackerley also built a centralized technical operation serving a group of New York stations. By 1999, the system supported stations in Syracuse, Rochester, Watertown, Binghamton, Elmira, and Utica as broadcasters prepared for digital television. The technical hub continued under later ownership, although its functions were subsequently associated with other Nexstar facilities. Clear Channel Communications acquired Ackerley in 2001. The television station then shared ownership with WSYR radio, although the radio operation was not included in Clear Channel’s later television divestiture. On June 13, 2005, WIXT-TV adopted the WSYR-TV call sign. The change connected it more visibly with the Syracuse radio property, but also revived calls formerly used by a rival Syracuse television station. In 2007, Clear Channel agreed to sell its television division to Newport Television, a broadcasting group established by Providence Equity Partners. WSYR radio remained with Clear Channel, later renamed iHeartMedia. Newport operated WSYR-TV until it announced a sale to Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 2012. The transaction, part of a broader multi-station arrangement involving several broadcast groups, closed on December 3, 2012. Nexstar Media Group remains the station’s owner. The station’s business has centered on local news and information. During the early 1980s, it rose from third place to a leading position in Syracuse ratings and subsequently remained highly competitive, particularly in midday and early-evening news periods. It introduced Your Stories around 2000 as a direct-response consumer feature, allowing viewers to raise problems that could become reported segments. In 2007, the effort was expanded into the Consumer Protection Unit, including Your Stories, The Real Deal, and Consumer Reports. WSYR-TV launched Bridge Street in 2004 as a locally produced daytime magazine program. The show has undergone multiple hosting changes and format refreshes, but its purpose has remained a mix of local personalities, lifestyle material, entertainment, and community features. The station also operates Live Doppler 9, a weather radar installation at the transmitter site designed to support detailed coverage of lake-effect snow and other regional weather conditions. In 2009, WWTI in Watertown became increasingly dependent on WSYR-TV content after ownership cuts reduced its own local news operation. It began simulcasting selected WSYR-TV newscasts and functioning as a North Country bureau relationship rather than a fully separate news operation. WSYR-TV expanded its own schedule in the same period, including early-morning news and a digital-subchannel evening newscast. The station ended its CNN Newsource relationship during a late-2008 cost-reduction program and relied on ABC NewsOne for national and international material. WSYR-TV converted its local news production to true high definition on January 29, 2011. The transition included a new studio set, a refreshed Circle 9-style logo, and the slogan “The Local Station.” The studio received another significant upgrade in January 2018. In 2017, longtime anchor Carrie Lazarus moved from the anchor desk into a special-correspondent role. Rod Wood, who had anchored alongside Lazarus for decades, took a leave during the COVID-19 pandemic and retired in 2020. Jeff Kulikowsky, who had filled in during that period, succeeded him in the anchor role. The station continues to operate as an ABC affiliate under the LocalSYR identity, distributing local news, weather, sports, community information, network programming, and digital content across Central New York.
- 2023
Utica simulcast expands
[1]WUTR begins carrying the early hours of WSYR-TV’s morning newscast.
- 2018
News studio upgraded
[1]The station receives a significant studio-set upgrade.
- 2012
Nexstar ownership begins
[1]Nexstar completes its acquisition of WSYR-TV on December 3.
- 2011
Local news converts to HD
[1]WSYR-TV begins true high-definition local news production on January 29.
- 2005
Current call sign adopted
[1]WIXT-TV becomes WSYR-TV on June 13.
- 2004
Bridge Street premieres
[1]The station launches its locally produced daytime lifestyle program.
- 1985
Bridge Street relocation
[1]Station operations move toward the current East Syracuse facility on Bridge Street.
- 1982
Ackerley acquisition
[1]The Ackerley Group acquires the station.
- 1978
WIXT identity introduced
[1]The station changes its call sign from WNYS-TV to WIXT.
- 1971
Outlet Company acquisition
[1]The Outlet Company purchases WNYS-TV.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted ABC network affiliate positioned as Central New York’s local news and weather leader, with strong emphasis on live coverage, consumer advocacy, community reporting, and regional distribution.
Local television news · 1962
LocalSYR newscasts
WSYR-TV’s core output consists of live and recorded local newscasts covering Syracuse and Central New York. The schedule includes morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and late-night programming, with coverage of breaking news, politics, public safety, education, sports, and community events. Selected newscasts are distributed through WWTI in Watertown and other Nexstar relationships.
Lifestyle television · 2004
Bridge Street
Bridge Street is a locally produced weekday daytime magazine program introduced in 2004. It combines interviews, lifestyle features, entertainment segments, community information, and regional personalities. The program has used several hosts and refreshed formats over time while retaining its focus on Syracuse-area viewers and local production.
Weather service
Live Doppler 9
Live Doppler 9 is WSYR-TV’s local weather-radar service, operated from the transmitter site. The radar is presented as particularly useful for monitoring lake-effect snow bands and other weather systems affecting Central New York. Radar imagery and related weather information are distributed through the station’s broadcasts and digital platforms.
Consumer journalism · 2007
Consumer Protection Unit
The Consumer Protection Unit developed from the station’s Your Stories viewer-help feature. It gives viewers a channel for raising consumer problems and organizes reporting under names including Your Stories, The Real Deal, and Consumer Reports. The initiative is intended to combine direct audience assistance with investigative and explanatory local journalism.
Network television programming · 1962
ABC programming
WSYR-TV has carried ABC programming since its 1962 sign-on. The station generally clears the network schedule while supplementing it with locally produced news and features, syndicated programming, and digital-subchannel content.
Brand decisions
2011
Conversion to high-definition local newsGeneration changeBackground
The Syracuse television market was moving from standard-definition production toward widescreen and high-definition local broadcasts.
Action taken
WSYR-TV launched true high-definition local newscasts on January 29, accompanied by a new set, logo, and “The Local Station” slogan.
Aftermath
The station strengthened its technical positioning as a modern local broadcaster and continued using HD production for its news output.
2008
End of CNN Newsource affiliationStrategyBackground
Newport Television pursued cost reductions across its stations.
Action taken
The station ended its CNN Newsource affiliation, leaving ABC NewsOne as its cited source for national and international material.
Aftermath
WSYR-TV continued local news production while relying on its network news-service relationship for broader coverage.
2007
Expansion of consumer journalismStrategyBackground
The station’s Your Stories viewer-assistance feature had developed from a 2000 initiative into a recognizable part of its news operation.
Action taken
WSYR-TV reorganized the effort as the Consumer Protection Unit, incorporating Your Stories, The Real Deal, and Consumer Reports.
Aftermath
Consumer advocacy became a recurring component of the station’s local-news positioning.
2004
Launch of Bridge StreetProduct launchBackground
The station sought to expand its locally produced output beyond conventional news.
Action taken
WSYR-TV introduced Bridge Street, a weekday daytime talk, entertainment, and lifestyle program.
Aftermath
The program became a continuing local-content property with multiple host and format changes.
1987
Preemption of Full HouseOtherBackground
While operating as WIXT, the station evaluated its schedule and decided that a first-run syndicated run of Silver Spoons offered greater local scheduling value than ABC’s airing of Full House.
Action taken
WIXT preempted ABC’s Full House broadcasts in October 1987 to carry Silver Spoons instead.
Aftermath
The decision is recorded as an example of the station’s historical programming discretion; no broader consequence is identified in the reference material.
Recent events
- 2023
WUTR begins carrying WSYR-TV morning news hours[1]
Other
Utica sister station WUTR began simulcasting the 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. hours of WSYR-TV’s morning newscast.
- 2020
Rod Wood retires from WSYR-TV anchoring[1]
Leadership change
Longtime anchor Rod Wood left the anchor desk during the COVID-19 period and retired shortly before his eightieth birthday; Jeff Kulikowsky became his full-time successor.
- 2012
Newport agrees to sell WSYR-TV to Nexstar[1]
M&A
Newport Television announced the sale of WSYR-TV and most of its New York stations to Nexstar; the transaction closed on December 3.
- 2011
WSYR-TV begins high-definition local news[1]
Product generation · Product launch
The station became the first in Central New York to produce local news in true high definition, introducing a new set, logo, and station slogan.
- 2005
WIXT-TV becomes WSYR-TV[1]
Other
The station adopted its current call sign on June 13 after Clear Channel acquired Ackerley and aligned the television identity with WSYR radio.
- 2004
Bridge Street launches as a local daytime program[1]
Product launch
WIXT-TV introduced Bridge Street, a locally produced weekday lifestyle and entertainment program.
- 1982
Ackerley Group acquires Syracuse station[1]
M&A
The Ackerley Group purchased the station and later relocated operations to the Bridge Street facility in East Syracuse.
- 1978
Station adopts WIXT call sign[1]
Other
Following a change in ownership, WNYS-TV changed its calls to WIXT, a reference to channel nine.
- 1967
Studio fire temporarily disrupts WNYS-TV operations[1]
Other
A fire damaged the station’s ShoppingTown studio facilities, prompting a temporary move to WCNY-TV’s studios in Liverpool while reconstruction took place.
- 1962
WNYS-TV begins broadcasting as Syracuse channel 9[1]
Other
The station signed on September 9 as WNYS-TV, an ABC affiliate and the final major Syracuse network station to begin operations.
Sources2 sources
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