WVBT
A Fox- and CW-affiliated television station serving Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, and southeastern Virginia.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WVBT is a commercial television station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. The station broadcasts primarily as a Fox affiliate and is operated alongside NBC affiliate WAVY-TV through Nexstar Media Group. WVBT and WAVY share studios on Wavy Street in downtown Portsmouth, while WVBT's main transmitter is near Driver in Suffolk. The station's branding has commonly emphasized its Fox affiliation and channel 43 identity, including the Fox 43 and Fox43 News names. The Federal Communications Commission allocated channel 43 to Virginia Beach in February 1982 following a petition by Ocean Broadcasting Corporation. Several groups sought the allocation, and Summit Communications ultimately received the construction permit in 1985. Delays, including the illness of Summit president Dewey Simmons and subsequent corporate reorganization, postponed construction. The permit holder reorganized as Virginia Beach Television Inc., and the station eventually began broadcasting on December 17, 1992. Its initial schedule consisted of Home Shopping Network programming, giving it a limited role in the local television market. WVBT changed direction in January 1995, when it became an affiliate of the newly launched WB network and replaced its home-shopping schedule with general entertainment programming. At approximately the same time, the station entered a local marketing agreement with LIN TV's WAVY-TV. The relationship gave WVBT access to the resources and operational capabilities of an established network affiliate, while WVBT supplied additional programming capacity in the market. The station also carried occasional overflow programming, including NBC programming displaced from WAVY by major news events or sports coverage. Fox announced in November 1995 that it would move its Hampton Roads affiliation from WTVZ-TV to WVBT after the existing agreement expired. The affiliation change took effect on August 31, 1998. At that time, WAVY began producing a 10 p.m. newscast for WVBT, initially branded Fox43 News at 10. The program used a separate presentation style and sought to appeal to a younger audience while drawing on WAVY's weather and sports resources. Within its first year, the newscast's ratings had reportedly tripled, establishing local news as an important part of WVBT's identity. The station also became involved in a carriage dispute with Cox Communications in the Hampton Roads market. WVBT removed its signal from Cox's system at the end of 1999 after objecting to its high cable-channel placement. The dispute lasted 35 days and ended with WVBT returning to the system on channel 14. In 2002, LIN TV purchased WVBT from Beach 43 Corporation, turning the existing operational relationship with WAVY into an outright duopoly. WVBT expanded its news schedule over the following decades. A weekday morning news extension debuted in February 2009, was reformatted as the lifestyle program The Hampton Roads Show in 2010, and later moved to WAVY-TV. A morning newscast was subsequently revived and expanded. The station added a 7 p.m. half-hour newscast in 2016 and a 6:30 p.m. newscast in February 2019, bringing the combined WAVY-WVBT local-news operation to 61 hours per week. Media General acquired LIN TV in 2014. Nexstar Broadcasting Group then acquired Media General in a transaction completed in 2017, placing WVBT under Nexstar ownership. Although Nexstar later acquired Tribune Media, it retained WAVY and WVBT while divesting other overlapping stations. In 2024, WVBT announced that its second digital subchannel would become a CW affiliate in September, with Cozi TV moving to a different subchannel. The station has also participated in the Hampton Roads NextGen TV deployment through associated ATSC 3.0 facilities.
History
The Federal Communications Commission allocated UHF channel 43 to Virginia Beach in February 1982. Ocean Broadcasting Corporation had petitioned for the allocation, but several other applicants also sought the channel. Summit Communications, led by developer Dewey Simmons, received the construction permit in 1985. Construction was delayed by Simmons's illness and other organizational problems. In 1986, the permit holder reorganized under the name Virginia Beach Television Inc. WVBT finally began broadcasting on December 17, 1992. Walter Ulloa of Los Angeles was its owner at launch, and the station initially operated as a full-time Home Shopping Network affiliate. That format gave the station limited local programming and did not immediately make it an important general-market competitor. A major transformation occurred in January 1995. WVBT became an affiliate of The WB when that network launched, replaced home-shopping content with general entertainment, and entered a local marketing agreement with LIN TV, owner of WAVY-TV in Portsmouth. The WAVY relationship supplied operational support and allowed WVBT to carry selected programming displaced from WAVY, including some NBC daytime programming and sports coverage. The move toward network and general-entertainment programming also improved WVBT's prospects for cable carriage. On May 18, 1996, WVBT activated a new transmitter facility. The new antenna was approximately 500 feet higher than the previous installation, and the station increased power to the maximum permitted level of five million watts. The technical upgrade improved coverage across Hampton Roads. Fox announced on November 29, 1995, that it would transfer its Hampton Roads affiliation from WTVZ-TV to WVBT when the existing contract ended. The switch followed a broader pattern in which Fox chose stations associated with major network affiliates over Sinclair-operated stations. Fox affiliation began on August 31, 1998. As part of the change, WAVY produced a new 10 p.m. program for WVBT. Fox43 News at 10 had its own anchors, set, graphics, and faster-paced style, while drawing on WAVY's weather and sports personnel. Its ratings reportedly tripled during its first year. WVBT's relationship with Cox Communications became contentious in late 1999. The station objected to being carried on Cox's high channel 43 position and requested placement on a lower-numbered channel. After Cox declined, WVBT removed its programming from the cable system on December 31, 1999. The station returned after 35 days with carriage on channel 14. In 2002, LIN TV purchased WVBT from Beach 43 Corporation, converting its operational relationship with WAVY into an ownership duopoly. The station continued to expand its news presence. It launched a 7 a.m. news extension in February 2009, later reworking the program as The Hampton Roads Show in 2010. That lifestyle program moved to WAVY-TV in 2011, and the morning news format was later restored and expanded to two hours. Media General acquired LIN TV in 2014. After a proposed Media General-Meredith combination failed amid shareholder opposition, Nexstar Broadcasting Group agreed to acquire Media General in 2016 and completed the transaction in 2017. WVBT therefore became part of Nexstar's station portfolio alongside WAVY-TV. Nexstar subsequently acquired Tribune Media but retained WVBT and WAVY while divesting other stations to address ownership and regulatory concerns. Under Media General and Nexstar, WVBT added a half-hour 7 p.m. newscast in 2016 and a 6:30 p.m. newscast in February 2019. Together with WAVY's output, the stations produced 61 hours of local news each week. WVBT also transitioned from analog to digital broadcasting. Its digital signal began on channel 29 in March 2002, the analog signal ended in June 2009, and the digital assignment later moved to channel 21 in January 2020 following the United States wireless spectrum auction. Hampton Roads also received a NextGen TV service associated with WVBT. WNLO-CD, a Norfolk-licensed low-power facility, began operating as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse in November 2020 for Nexstar stations and WTVZ-TV. In May 2024, WVBT announced a digital-subchannel realignment under which its second subchannel would become a CW affiliate in September and Cozi TV would move to channel 43.4.
- 2024
CW subchannel announcement
[1]WVBT announced that its second subchannel would become a CW affiliate and that Cozi TV would move to another subchannel.
- 2020
Digital channel change
[1]WVBT moved its digital transmission assignment from channel 29 to channel 21 as part of the post-auction repacking process.
- 2017
Nexstar ownership begins
[1]Nexstar completed its acquisition of Media General, bringing WVBT into the Nexstar station group.
- 2009
Morning news expansion
[1]WVBT launched a 7 a.m. local-news extension.
- 2002
LIN TV creates a duopoly
[1]LIN TV purchased WVBT from Beach 43 Corporation and paired it directly with WAVY-TV.
- 1998
WVBT becomes a Fox affiliate
[1]Fox programming moved to WVBT on August 31, accompanied by the launch of Fox43 News at 10.
- 1996
Transmitter upgrade
[1]A new, higher antenna and increased power substantially improved the station's coverage.
- 1995
The WB affiliation and WAVY operating agreement
[1]WVBT joined The WB, adopted general entertainment programming, and entered a local marketing agreement with WAVY-TV.
- 1992
WVBT begins broadcasting
[1]WVBT signed on December 17 as a Home Shopping Network affiliate.
- 1985
Summit Communications receives construction permit
[1]Summit Communications was awarded the construction permit for the Virginia Beach station.
Products and positioning
A locally focused commercial broadcast station combining Fox network entertainment and sports with WAVY-produced news for the Hampton Roads television market.
Network television affiliation · 1998
Fox network service
WVBT's primary broadcast service carries Fox programming, including network entertainment, news, sports, and special events. The affiliation began on August 31, 1998, after Fox transferred its Hampton Roads relationship from WTVZ-TV.
Local news · 1998
Fox43 News
Fox43 News is WVBT's local-news brand, produced with resources from sister station WAVY-TV. Its first major program, Fox43 News at 10, launched alongside the station's Fox affiliation and established a dedicated late-evening news service.
Local news · 2009
Local morning news
WVBT has carried morning local-news programming, beginning with a 7 a.m. extension in 2009. The format was temporarily developed as The Hampton Roads Show before later returning to a conventional morning-news presentation.
Digital broadcast subchannel · 2024
CW digital subchannel
WVBT announced in 2024 that its second digital subchannel would become a CW affiliate in September, broadening the station's network-programming portfolio within the Hampton Roads market.
Digital broadcast subchannel
Cozi TV digital subchannel
Cozi TV programming has been carried by WVBT's digital multicast operation. The 2024 subchannel plan called for Cozi TV to move to subchannel 43.4.
Brand decisions
2024
CW and Cozi TV subchannel realignmentProduct launchBackground
Nexstar adjusted WVBT's multicast network lineup within the Hampton Roads market.
Action taken
WVBT announced that its second subchannel would join The CW in September, with Cozi TV moving to subchannel 43.4.
Aftermath
The change expanded the station's digital network offering while preserving Cozi TV through a different multicast position.
2019
Expansion of early-evening local newsProduct launchBackground
WVBT and WAVY sought to expand the amount and timing of local news available to viewers in Hampton Roads.
Action taken
WVBT added a 6:30 p.m. newscast, following the addition of a 7 p.m. half-hour newscast in 2016.
Aftermath
The additions brought the combined local-news output of WAVY and WVBT to 61 hours per week.
2002
Direct acquisition by LIN TVM&ABackground
WVBT had been operated alongside WAVY-TV through a local marketing agreement.
Action taken
LIN TV purchased WVBT from Beach 43 Corporation, creating an outright duopoly with WAVY-TV.
Aftermath
WVBT continued to share operational and news resources with WAVY-TV under common ownership.
1998
Move to Fox affiliationStrategyBackground
Fox decided to move its Hampton Roads programming from Sinclair-owned WTVZ-TV to WVBT after the existing affiliation agreement ended.
Action taken
WVBT became a Fox affiliate on August 31, 1998, while WAVY launched a dedicated 10 p.m. newscast for the station.
Aftermath
The Fox affiliation gave WVBT a stronger network identity and made Fox43 News at 10 a central part of its schedule.
1995
Shift from home shopping to network entertainmentStrategyBackground
WVBT's original Home Shopping Network format provided limited local and general-market programming. The launch of The WB created an opportunity to reposition the station as a general-entertainment outlet.
Action taken
WVBT adopted a WB affiliation, replaced home-shopping programming with general entertainment, and entered a local marketing agreement with WAVY-TV.
Aftermath
The change improved WVBT's appeal to cable operators and laid the groundwork for its later Fox affiliation.
Sources1 sources
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