WSHM-LP
Encyclopedia
WSHM-LD is the CBS
-affiliated television station
for the Pioneer Valley
of Western Massachusetts
. Licensed to Springfield
, it broadcasts a low-powered high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 21 (PSIP virtual channel
3.5) from a transmitter shared with low-powered Retro Television Network
(RTV) affiliate WTXX-LP
on Ridge Road in Wilbraham
. The station can also be seen on Charter
and Comcast
channel 3 (hence the on-air branding CBS 3 Springfield). There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 803. Owned by the Meredith Corporation
, WSHM has studios in the Monarch Tower in Springfield's Metro Center/Quadrangle section.
Although identified as a separate outlet in its own right, WSHM is considered a semi-satellite of sister station WFSB
in Hartford
/New Haven, Connecticut
. While this station airs most network programming as provided through WFSB, it clears some of its syndicated programming but there are some shows shown at a different time. There are also programs that only air on WSHM while others are only seen on WFSB. Syndicated programming exclusive to this station includes Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
, and The World's Funniest Moments
. WSHM also airs separate on-air identifications and commercials. Although the station maintains its own studios, master control and some internal operations are based at WFSB's facilities on Capital Boulevard in Rocky Hill, Connecticut
.
in Holyoke
. The station served as a repeater of Trinity Broadcasting
's national religious
network. In 1994, it moved to UHF channel 67 and became W67DF. Originally, CBS was seen in the Pioneer Valley on WHYN-TV (now WGGB-TV
) from 1953 until 1958. At that point, WFSB (then known as WTIC-TV with no relation to the current station
except for the same calls) became the network's Connecticut
affiliate.
Due to its strong analog signal on heritage VHF channel 3, the station also became CBS' affiliate of record in Springfield. Later on, WTIC/WFSB would begin purchasing syndicated programming to air in the Hartford/New Haven and Springfield/Holyoke markets (this practice continues today). It also blocked several attempts by WGGB to switch from ABC
back to CBS.
Sometime in 2003, the Meredith Corporation (having acquired WFSB in June 1997) purchased W67DF in order to set up a separate operation in the Pioneer Valley. Reasons for such a launch ranged from advertising opportunities to complaints from New England Patriots
fans in weeks when the station chose to air other National Football League
games from the American Football Conference
. In November of that year, the station joined CBS and adopted the call sign WSHM-LP after upgrading to official low-powered status. It immediately replaced WFSB on Pioneer Valley cable systems.
The station became known on-air as "CBS 3" based on the cable channel location in order to encourage WFSB viewers stay with WSHM after the switch. Right from the start of its CBS affiliation, it was a semi-satellite of WFSB and cleared its syndicated programming except for those shows already seen on the other stations based in Springfield. WSHM did not simulcast any local newscasts from its parent even though this could have been possible because it was operated out of WFSB's "Broadcast House" studios at Constitution Plaza
in Downtown Hartford.
In August 2006, this station changed its logo from one resembling sister station KPHO to a logo resembling (but unrelated to) KYW-TV
in Philadelphia. On May 25, 2007, WFSB's studios were flooded by a water main break. The flooding knocked out power and phone service to the building which in turn caused WFSB to go dark. WSHM's master control was also affected and the station went black for about an hour mid-afternoon and intermittently throughout the evening. There were some points during the weekend that its "CBS 3 Springfield" IDs were being seen on WFSB and that station's IDs were seen on WSHM. On June 27, master control and internal operations of WFSB and WSHM moved to the former's new facilities in Rocky Hill.
Since it is a low-powered station, WSHM was exempt from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) mandated switch to digital-only broadcasting on or before June 12, 2009. Back on February 28, 2008, a high definition feed of this station was added to Comcast replacing WFSB-DT which moved to digital channel 291 and became a standard definition feed. Charter has yet to make the change. An application filed with the FCC calling for WSHM to launch its own low-powered digital station on channel 49 was dismissed in June 2006. Another application to move the existing analog signal to channel 45 was dismissed in 2004 at the station's request.
More recently, WSHM had a construction permit
to air a low-powered digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a new transmitter. On November 22, 2010, this became active after WSHM finally gained a "license to cover" allowing it to turn-off its analog signal on channel 67 and activate its own digital signal for the first time. Through PSIP, the signal appears as 3.5 which is based on WFSB's virtual channel
identification. Normally, it would be 67.1 taken from WSHM's defunct analog signal. On January 7, 2011 to reflect the change to digital-exclusive transmission, its calls were officially changed to WSHM-LD. WFSB's current digital signal can be reached in southern areas of the Pioneer Valley giving the area access to two CBS affiliates.
(3.2) from a transmitter on the Metacomet Ridge
in Avon, Connecticut
. This served as WSHM's digital signal until November 22, 2010 because the station did not broadcast one of its own due to its low-powered status. On WSHM-LD2, Comcast digital channel 293, and Charter digital channel 230 is a 24-hour subchannel airing weather programming, and UMass Amherst sports programming during the school year.
In October 2005, WSHM established a news department and began producing local newscasts from its Springfield studios using Grass Valley
's "Ignite" control room system. Originally, CBS 3 News aired Monday through Saturday nights at 6, Sundays at 6:30, and every night at 11 all for a half-hour in length. Initially after entering the local newscast race in the Pioneer Valley, it struggled to make a dent in the ratings of longtime market leader NBC
affiliate WWLP
and established ABC
affiliate WGGB.
According to Nielsen ratings, this station grew substantially across the board during the May 2009 sweeps period to within decimal points of WGGB in several key demographics. Compared with the area's other stations, WSHM tends to have a flashier format with more fast-paced coverage. It also has a smaller news operation compared with Springfield's other stations and most other big three affiliates
. Although it still does not offer a weekday morning show (unlike most CBS stations), the station has begun offering an updated morning weather forecast on its Facebook
page.
Fending off a challenge by WGGB, WSHM debuted the area's first prime time newscast on August 18, 2008. Known as CBS 3 Springfield Non-Stop News at 10, the twenty minute program aired in a commercial-free format on its local weather channel seven nights a week and was also originally streamed live on its website. The launch beat Fox affiliate WGGB-DT2
which started its own nightly prime time show at 10 on September 8. At some point in time for an unknown reason, WSHM's 10 o'clock broadcast was dropped. On August 24, 2009, it began airing a thirty minute newscast on weekday afternoons called CBS 3 Springfield News First at 4. It was the first Pioneer Valley station to make such a launch and currently remains the only local newscast seen in the time slot.
In September 2010, it began to carry select live UMass Minutemen
sports programming on its local weather channel. Around this time, the station began promoting there would be top stories of the day and a full weather forecast shown in the first five minutes of all newscasts before a commercial break. To go along with the changed format, a new logo debuted with an updated music package and graphics theme identical to sister station WFSB. In the past during weather forecast segments, this station had been exclusively using WFSB's weather radar
. Known as "Early Warning Pinpoint Doppler", this is based on top of a terminal building at Bradley International Airport
in Windsor Locks, Connecticut
. Eventually, live NOAA National Weather Service
radar data from several regional sites was added and the combined sources are currently branded on WSHM as "Pinpoint Doppler".
Boston
's CBS affiliate WBZ-TV
shares resources with WSHM for coverage of Eastern Massachusetts and this station does the same for western areas of the state. Along with CBS News
, it is also a CNN
affiliate. Clear Channel Communications
-owned radio stations WHYN-AM 560 and WHYN-FM
93.1 partner with WSHM for severe weather coverage and winter weather storm closings. On weekdays, Chris Stewart and Cherise Leclerc anchor news on WHYN-AM from late mornings to 7:00pm.
WSHM currently streams all weekday newscasts live on its website.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
-affiliated television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for the Pioneer Valley
Pioneer Valley
The Pioneer Valley is the colloquial name for the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts's portion of the Connecticut River Valley. The Pioneer Valley consists of three counties in Massachusetts which collectively feature much of New England's most fertile farmland...
of Western Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Licensed to Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, it broadcasts a low-powered high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on UHF channel 21 (PSIP virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
3.5) from a transmitter shared with low-powered Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
(RTV) affiliate WTXX-LP
WTXX-LP
WTXX-LP is the low-powered RTV-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley area of Massachusetts that is licensed to Springfield. Owned by R and S Broadcasting, it broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter southeast of Wilbraham. This is also the proposed location of...
on Ridge Road in Wilbraham
Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Wilbraham is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is also a suburb of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts and part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,868 at the 2010 census...
. The station can also be seen on Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
channel 3 (hence the on-air branding CBS 3 Springfield). There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 803. Owned by the Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation
The Meredith Corporation is a media conglomerate based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The company has two divisions, National Media and Local Media.-History:...
, WSHM has studios in the Monarch Tower in Springfield's Metro Center/Quadrangle section.
Although identified as a separate outlet in its own right, WSHM is considered a semi-satellite of sister station WFSB
WFSB
'WFSB, channel 3, is a CBS-affiliated television station located in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, owned by the Meredith Corporation. WFSB's studios and offices are located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and its broadcast transmitter is based on Talcott Mountain in Avon, Connecticut. Syndicated...
in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
/New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. While this station airs most network programming as provided through WFSB, it clears some of its syndicated programming but there are some shows shown at a different time. There are also programs that only air on WSHM while others are only seen on WFSB. Syndicated programming exclusive to this station includes Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
Swift Justice With Nancy Grace
Swift Justice with Jackie Glass is a syndicated court program hosted by Judge Jackie Glass....
, and The World's Funniest Moments
The World's Funniest Moments
The World's Funniest Moments is a myNetworkTV reality television series from the 2008-2009 season, produced by Associated Television International and hosted by Arsenio Hall. Taped in front of a live audience, the show features humorous video clips taken from the Internet and submitted by viewers...
. WSHM also airs separate on-air identifications and commercials. Although the station maintains its own studios, master control and some internal operations are based at WFSB's facilities on Capital Boulevard in Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,966 at the 2000 census. Rocky Hill was part of Wethersfield, the neighboring town to the north, until it was independently incorporated in 1849....
.
History
It signed-on as W42AU in 1988 airing a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter on Mount TomMount Tom (Massachusetts)
Mount Tom, , is a steep, rugged traprock mountain peak on the west bank of the Connecticut River 4.5 miles northwest of downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts. The mountain is the southernmost and highest peak of the Mount Tom Range and the highest traprock peak of the long Metacomet Ridge...
in Holyoke
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
. The station served as a repeater of Trinity Broadcasting
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
's national religious
Religious broadcasting
Religious broadcasting refers to broadcasting by religious organizations, usually with a religious message. Many religious organizations have long recorded content such as sermons and lectures, and have moved into distributing content on their Internet websites.While this article emphasises...
network. In 1994, it moved to UHF channel 67 and became W67DF. Originally, CBS was seen in the Pioneer Valley on WHYN-TV (now WGGB-TV
WGGB-TV
WGGB-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter on Mount Tom in Holyoke. The station can also be seen on Charter and Comcast channel 4...
) from 1953 until 1958. At that point, WFSB (then known as WTIC-TV with no relation to the current station
WTIC-TV
WTIC-TV, channel 61, is a television station in Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by the Tribune Company, WTIC-TV is a charter affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
except for the same calls) became the network's Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
affiliate.
Due to its strong analog signal on heritage VHF channel 3, the station also became CBS' affiliate of record in Springfield. Later on, WTIC/WFSB would begin purchasing syndicated programming to air in the Hartford/New Haven and Springfield/Holyoke markets (this practice continues today). It also blocked several attempts by WGGB to switch from ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
back to CBS.
Sometime in 2003, the Meredith Corporation (having acquired WFSB in June 1997) purchased W67DF in order to set up a separate operation in the Pioneer Valley. Reasons for such a launch ranged from advertising opportunities to complaints from New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
fans in weeks when the station chose to air other National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
games from the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
. In November of that year, the station joined CBS and adopted the call sign WSHM-LP after upgrading to official low-powered status. It immediately replaced WFSB on Pioneer Valley cable systems.
The station became known on-air as "CBS 3" based on the cable channel location in order to encourage WFSB viewers stay with WSHM after the switch. Right from the start of its CBS affiliation, it was a semi-satellite of WFSB and cleared its syndicated programming except for those shows already seen on the other stations based in Springfield. WSHM did not simulcast any local newscasts from its parent even though this could have been possible because it was operated out of WFSB's "Broadcast House" studios at Constitution Plaza
Constitution Plaza
Constitution Plaza is a large commercial mixed-use development in downtown Hartford, Connecticut.-Construction:Constitution Plaza was built for $42 million and completed in stages from 1962 to 1964. Its planning and construction was spearheaded by a committee of local corporate leaders and business...
in Downtown Hartford.
In August 2006, this station changed its logo from one resembling sister station KPHO to a logo resembling (but unrelated to) KYW-TV
KYW-TV
KYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia. On May 25, 2007, WFSB's studios were flooded by a water main break. The flooding knocked out power and phone service to the building which in turn caused WFSB to go dark. WSHM's master control was also affected and the station went black for about an hour mid-afternoon and intermittently throughout the evening. There were some points during the weekend that its "CBS 3 Springfield" IDs were being seen on WFSB and that station's IDs were seen on WSHM. On June 27, master control and internal operations of WFSB and WSHM moved to the former's new facilities in Rocky Hill.
Since it is a low-powered station, WSHM was exempt from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) mandated switch to digital-only broadcasting on or before June 12, 2009. Back on February 28, 2008, a high definition feed of this station was added to Comcast replacing WFSB-DT which moved to digital channel 291 and became a standard definition feed. Charter has yet to make the change. An application filed with the FCC calling for WSHM to launch its own low-powered digital station on channel 49 was dismissed in June 2006. Another application to move the existing analog signal to channel 45 was dismissed in 2004 at the station's request.
More recently, WSHM had a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
to air a low-powered digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a new transmitter. On November 22, 2010, this became active after WSHM finally gained a "license to cover" allowing it to turn-off its analog signal on channel 67 and activate its own digital signal for the first time. Through PSIP, the signal appears as 3.5 which is based on WFSB's virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
identification. Normally, it would be 67.1 taken from WSHM's defunct analog signal. On January 7, 2011 to reflect the change to digital-exclusive transmission, its calls were officially changed to WSHM-LD. WFSB's current digital signal can be reached in southern areas of the Pioneer Valley giving the area access to two CBS affiliates.
Digital programming
The station can also be seen in standard definition on WFSB's second digital subchannelDigital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
(3.2) from a transmitter on the Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
in Avon, Connecticut
Avon, Connecticut
Avon is a town in the Farmington Valley region of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. , the town had a population of 18,098.Avon is a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America by...
. This served as WSHM's digital signal until November 22, 2010 because the station did not broadcast one of its own due to its low-powered status. On WSHM-LD2, Comcast digital channel 293, and Charter digital channel 230 is a 24-hour subchannel airing weather programming, and UMass Amherst sports programming during the school year.
| Channels (virtual) | Video | Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... |
16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... |
main WSHM programming/CBS (HD) |
| 3.6 | 480i | 4:3 | WSHM-LD2 "CBS 3 Springfield Now" (SD) |
News operation
Grass Valley (company)
Grass Valley, previously known as Grass Valley Group, is a privately held company based in California, USA. Grass Valley produces technology for the video and broadcast industry. On January 29, 2009, Thomson announced its intention to sell the Grass Valley business unit...
's "Ignite" control room system. Originally, CBS 3 News aired Monday through Saturday nights at 6, Sundays at 6:30, and every night at 11 all for a half-hour in length. Initially after entering the local newscast race in the Pioneer Valley, it struggled to make a dent in the ratings of longtime market leader NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WWLP
WWLP
WWLP is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts that is licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter on Provin Mountain in the Feeding Hills section of Agawam. The station can also be seen...
and established ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WGGB.
According to Nielsen ratings, this station grew substantially across the board during the May 2009 sweeps period to within decimal points of WGGB in several key demographics. Compared with the area's other stations, WSHM tends to have a flashier format with more fast-paced coverage. It also has a smaller news operation compared with Springfield's other stations and most other big three affiliates
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
. Although it still does not offer a weekday morning show (unlike most CBS stations), the station has begun offering an updated morning weather forecast on its Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page.
Fending off a challenge by WGGB, WSHM debuted the area's first prime time newscast on August 18, 2008. Known as CBS 3 Springfield Non-Stop News at 10, the twenty minute program aired in a commercial-free format on its local weather channel seven nights a week and was also originally streamed live on its website. The launch beat Fox affiliate WGGB-DT2
WGGB-DT2
WGGB-DT2 is the primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley. The station is a second digital subchannel of ABC affiliate WGGB-TV owned by Gormally Broadcasting. Over-the-air, it broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF...
which started its own nightly prime time show at 10 on September 8. At some point in time for an unknown reason, WSHM's 10 o'clock broadcast was dropped. On August 24, 2009, it began airing a thirty minute newscast on weekday afternoons called CBS 3 Springfield News First at 4. It was the first Pioneer Valley station to make such a launch and currently remains the only local newscast seen in the time slot.
In September 2010, it began to carry select live UMass Minutemen
UMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...
sports programming on its local weather channel. Around this time, the station began promoting there would be top stories of the day and a full weather forecast shown in the first five minutes of all newscasts before a commercial break. To go along with the changed format, a new logo debuted with an updated music package and graphics theme identical to sister station WFSB. In the past during weather forecast segments, this station had been exclusively using WFSB's weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
. Known as "Early Warning Pinpoint Doppler", this is based on top of a terminal building at Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
in Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Windsor Locks is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 12,043. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region. It is also the site of the New England Air Museum...
. Eventually, live NOAA National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
radar data from several regional sites was added and the combined sources are currently branded on WSHM as "Pinpoint Doppler".
Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's CBS affiliate WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
shares resources with WSHM for coverage of Eastern Massachusetts and this station does the same for western areas of the state. Along with CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, it is also a CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
affiliate. Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
-owned radio stations WHYN-AM 560 and WHYN-FM
WHYN-FM
WHYN-FM is a hot adult contemporary radio station broadcasting from Springfield, Massachusetts. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WHYN-FM broadcasts from Mount Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and can be heard as far south as south central Connecticut...
93.1 partner with WSHM for severe weather coverage and winter weather storm closings. On weekdays, Chris Stewart and Cherise Leclerc anchor news on WHYN-AM from late mornings to 7:00pm.
WSHM currently streams all weekday newscasts live on its website.
Station slogans
- "Your Neighborhood News Source" (2005-2006)
- "Springfield's New Choice for Local News" (2006-2010)
- "Top Stories. Full Forecast. First Five Minutes." (2010-present)
News team
- Matthew Campbell - weeknight news anchor and news reporter
- Chris Stewart - weekend news anchor and news reporter
- Mike Skurko - meteorologist weeknights at 6 and 11
- Erika Martin - meteorologist weeknights at 4 and weekends
- Nick Morganelli (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - fill-in meteorologist - Ezra Broder - Sports DirectorSports DirectorA sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
seen weekends and sports reporter - Josh Maurer - UMass Sports Insider (replayed on Comcast SportsNet New England) host
- John Chandler - Springfield ArmorSpringfield ArmorThe Springfield Armor is a basketball team located in Springfield, Massachusetts, which plays in the NBA Development League. The Armor plays its home games at the MassMutual Center in Springfield's Metro Center neighborhood. The team is owned by HWS Basketball, LLC which is principally owned by...
Show host - Samantha Lavien - news reporter
- Natalie Tolomeo - news reporter
- Cherise Leclerc - news reporter