WVVA

WVVA is a local television station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, and serving viewers across a mountainous regional market that includes Bluefield, Beckley, Oak Hill, southern West Virginia, and parts of southwestern Virginia. The station operates as an NBC affiliate on its primary service and carries The CW Plus through its WVVA-DT2 digital subchannel. Its facilities are located along U.S. Route 460 in Bluefield, while its main transmitter is positioned on East River Mountain near the West Virginia–Virginia border. The station began broadcasting on July 31, 1955, under the call sign WHIS-TV. The original call letters honored Hugh Ike Shott, a prominent West Virginia politician who had died in 1953. WHIS-TV was established by the Shott family's Daily Telegraph Publishing Company, which also owned the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and WHIS radio. The station was created following the Federal Communications Commission's 1952 television allocation changes, which made a VHF channel available to Bluefield under technical restrictions. Because the nearest practical network connection was in Roanoke, Virginia, the owners built a privately operated microwave relay system to bring NBC programming to the station. NBC service began in September 1955. WVVA's early operation was closely connected to Bluefield's newspaper and radio businesses. Its original operations were housed in the Bluefield Municipal Building before the WHIS properties moved in 1967 to a new facility on Big Laurel Highway, known as Broadcast Center. That move also accompanied the station's transition to full-color broadcasting. For many years, the WHIS properties were the principal broadcast outlets in Bluefield. Federal media-ownership rules adopted in the 1970s ultimately required the separation of the local newspaper, radio, and television interests. After a prolonged regulatory and appeals process, the Shotts sold the television station to Quincy Newspapers in 1979 while retaining the newspaper and radio stations. Following the sale, the station adopted the WVVA call sign on May 1, 1979. The letters were chosen to reflect the two states in its coverage area: West Virginia and Virginia. The new identity distinguished the television station from the remaining WHIS radio operations and marked its transition to new ownership. WVVA expanded its local and digital services over time. It operated a cable-only WB-affiliated service in the market during the late 1990s, initially promoted as West Virginia's WB 18. When The WB and UPN were replaced by The CW in 2006, the service moved to a second digital subchannel of WVVA, becoming WVVA-DT2 and providing The CW Plus to viewers without cable access. A short-lived weekday 10 p.m. newscast was produced for the subchannel in 2007. The station completed its transition from analog to digital television in 2009. It temporarily used its analog signal for a Digital Nightlight information service beginning February 17, 2009, before ending analog transmission later that spring. Its digital service continued to use virtual channel 6. WVVA also upgraded its local-news operation, beginning high-definition newscasts from renovated studios and a new control room in June 2012. In addition to its Bluefield headquarters, it maintains a Beckley bureau and a virtual Greenbrier Valley bureau covering several counties in West Virginia and Giles County, Virginia. Gray Television announced an agreement to acquire Quincy Media in February 2021 for $925 million, and the transaction closed on August 2, 2021. WVVA consequently became part of Gray's national station group and a sister station to several other West Virginia and Virginia broadcasters, including WSAZ-TV, WVIR-TV, WDBJ, WDTV, WHSV-TV, and WTAP-TV. WVVA remains an active local broadcast brand focused on NBC network programming, CW Plus programming, local news, weather, sports, advertising, and community coverage.

WVVA signed on July 31, 1955, as WHIS-TV, a Bluefield station established by the Shott family's Daily Telegraph Publishing Company. The company also owned the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and WHIS radio. The station's original call letters honored Hugh Ike Shott, a West Virginia politician who had died two years earlier. The station was made possible by a VHF channel allocation granted to Bluefield after the FCC's 1952 Sixth Report and Order. Technical constraints affected the channel's power and antenna arrangements because of its proximity to WATE-TV in Knoxville and WCYB-TV in Bristol. Since the closest practical network source was WSLS-TV in Roanoke, the owners built a private microwave relay system to deliver NBC programs. WHIS-TV began carrying NBC programming in September 1955. The station initially operated from the Bluefield Municipal Building. On January 1, 1967, the WHIS properties moved to a new facility on Big Laurel Highway, now associated with the station's Broadcast Center, and channel 6 began full-color operations. During its early decades, the WHIS newspaper, radio, and television holdings gave the Shott family an unusually prominent position in Bluefield media. Regulatory changes in the 1970s challenged such combinations, and the FCC required many small-market newspaper-broadcast ownership structures to be separated. The Shotts chose to retain the Daily Telegraph and radio stations and sell the television property. After several years of appeals, WHIS-TV was sold in 1979 to Quincy Newspapers, based in Quincy, Illinois. The station changed its call letters to WVVA on May 1, 1979. The new letters represented the station's service to West Virginia and Virginia and complied with the call-sign separation rules then applicable to television and radio stations under different ownership. WVVA later developed a secondary service for the market's WB programming. From 1995 to 1998, viewers received WB programming through WGN-TV's national feed. A cable-only local service, informally identified as WBB and promoted as West Virginia's WB 18, began in the late 1990s and was supported by WVVA with promotion and advertising. After The WB and UPN announced their merger into The CW in 2006, WVVA placed the replacement service on its second digital subchannel. WVVA-DT2 launched as a CW outlet, and a brief weeknight 10 p.m. newscast was produced for the subchannel in 2007. The station participated in the national digital television transition. Starting February 17, 2009, its analog signal carried Digital Nightlight information and the station's evening newscast. Analog transmission ended later in April, while WVVA's digital signal continued on channel 46 with virtual channel 6. The station modernized its local-news infrastructure in 2012, introducing high-definition newscasts from renovated studios and a new control room. It also maintained reporting operations in Beckley and a virtual bureau serving the Greenbrier Valley and adjacent areas. In February 2021, Gray Television announced plans to buy Quincy Media for $925 million. Gray completed the acquisition on August 2, 2021, making WVVA part of Gray's television group. The station consequently became affiliated with a broader network of Gray-owned stations in nearby markets, while continuing to operate locally from Bluefield as an NBC and CW Plus broadcaster.

1. 2021Gray Media becomes owner

   Gray Television completes its acquisition of Quincy Media, placing WVVA under Gray ownership.

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2. 2012Local news moves to high definition

   Renovated studios and a new control room support high-definition local newscasts.

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3. 2009Analog transmission ends

   WVVA uses a temporary Digital Nightlight service before terminating analog operations and continuing as a digital station.

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4. 2006WVVA-DT2 becomes a CW outlet

   The former WB service transitions to The CW and is placed on WVVA's second digital subchannel.

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5. 1998Local WB service expands

   A cable-only WB service identified as West Virginia's WB 18 begins operating with WVVA promotional and advertising support.

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6. 1979WVVA name adopted

   Quincy Newspapers completes its purchase of the television station, which changes its call letters from WHIS-TV to WVVA on May 1.

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7. 1967Broadcast Center opens

   The WHIS properties move into new facilities on Big Laurel Highway, and the television station begins full-color operations.

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8. 1955WHIS-TV signs on

   The station begins broadcasting in Bluefield on July 31 as WHIS-TV and starts carrying NBC programming later that year.

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Local broadcast television station and regional news provider

• WVVA NBCBroadcast television network affiliate1955

  WVVA's primary service carries NBC network programming alongside locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs material, syndicated programming, and commercial content. The service broadcasts from Bluefield and uses virtual channel 6 for viewer identification. Its coverage is oriented toward the Bluefield–Beckley–Oak Hill market and neighboring communities in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia.

• WVVA-DT2Digital subchannel2006

  WVVA-DT2 is the station's second digital subchannel and carries The CW Plus. It developed from a local WB service that was initially available through cable and later moved to an over-the-air digital platform when The CW replaced The WB and UPN in 2006. The subchannel has also carried locally produced programming, including a short-lived prime-time newscast in 2007.

• WVVA local newscastsLocal news programming

  WVVA produces local news and weather coverage for its regional audience. Its reporting operation includes the Bluefield headquarters, a Beckley bureau, and a virtual Greenbrier Valley bureau serving several counties in West Virginia and Giles County, Virginia. The station began producing its local newscasts in high definition in 2012 after a studio and control-room renovation.

• 2021Join Gray Television through the Quincy Media acquisitionM&A

  Gray Television announced an agreement to acquire Quincy Media and its portfolio of local television stations.

  What changed. Gray completed the acquisition on August 2, 2021, making WVVA part of Gray's station group.

  Aftermath. WVVA became a sister station to Gray-owned broadcasters in several nearby West Virginia and Virginia markets while continuing its local operation in Bluefield.

  Announced acquisition value. $925 million announced transaction value (2021)

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• 2009Complete the digital television transitionGeneration change

  The United States was moving from analog to digital full-power television broadcasting under federal transition requirements.

  What changed. WVVA used an analog Digital Nightlight service for transition information and then ended analog broadcasting, continuing with its digital signal on channel 46 and virtual channel 6.

  Aftermath. WVVA became a digital-only full-power station while retaining channel 6 as its primary viewer-facing identity.

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• 2006Move the CW service to WVVA-DT2Product launch

  The WB and UPN announced that they would close and be replaced by a combined network called The CW.

  What changed. WVVA placed the market's replacement network service on its second digital subchannel, WVVA-DT2.

  Aftermath. The CW became available over the air to viewers in the Bluefield–Beckley–Oak Hill area.

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• 1979Sell the television station to comply with media-ownership requirementsM&A

  Federal policy in the 1970s required the separation of certain local newspaper, radio, and television combinations. The Shott family elected to retain the Daily Telegraph and radio holdings rather than the television station.

  What changed. After an appeals process, WHIS-TV was sold to Quincy Newspapers and renamed WVVA.

  Aftermath. The transaction ended the station's direct ownership by the Shott family's Bluefield media group and established the WVVA identity.

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• 2021Gray Television completes acquisition of Quincy Media

  Gray Television completes its acquisition of Quincy Media, bringing WVVA into Gray's station portfolio and making it a sister station to multiple broadcasters in West Virginia and Virginia.

  M&ALeadership change
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• 2012WVVA launches high-definition local newscasts

  The station begins producing local news in high definition after renovating its studio facilities and control room.

  Product generation
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• 2009WVVA completes its transition to digital television

  WVVA uses an analog Digital Nightlight service to provide transition information before ending analog broadcasting and continuing with digital operations mapped to virtual channel 6.

  RegulationProduct generation
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• 2006WVVA launches CW service on its second digital subchannel

  The market's former WB service becomes part of The CW and is added to WVVA-DT2, extending the network's over-the-air availability to local viewers.

  Product launchOther
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• 1979Television station changes call sign to WVVA after sale to Quincy Newspapers

  Following the sale of WHIS-TV to Quincy Newspapers, the station adopts the WVVA call letters, referring to West Virginia and Virginia.

  M&ALeadership change
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• 1955WVVA begins broadcasting as WHIS-TV

  The station signs on in Bluefield as WHIS-TV, initially affiliated with NBC after the owners construct a microwave relay system to receive network programming from Roanoke.

  Other
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1. WVVA
2. WVVA official website