WSTM-TV
Encyclopedia
WSTM-TV is the NBC
-affiliated television station
for Central
New York State licensed to Syracuse
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter on Sentinel Heights Road in LaFayette
. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS
channel 3 and Time Warner
channel 4. There is a high definition feed offered on Verizon FiOS digital channel 503 and Time Warner
digital channel 863. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting
, it is sister to low-powered
CW affiliate WSTQ-LP
.
WSTM operates CBS
affiliate WTVH
(owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation
) through joint sales
and shared services
agreements. All three share studios on James Street/NY 290
in the Near Northeast
section of Syracuse. Syndicated
programming on this channel includes: Access Hollywood
, Entertainment Tonight
, Ellen
, and Dr. Phil
. WSTM and WSTQ split coverage of New York Yankees
games produced by the YES Network
for MyNetworkTV
affiliate WWOR-TV
.
to serve that purpose. WSTM-DT3 aired NBC Weather Plus
which ceased operation on December 1, 2008. However, there continues to be a local weather channel known as "CNY Central" that can also be seen on Verizon FiOS digital channel 460 and Time Warner digital channel 864. At one point, WSTM-DT4 aired The Tube
, a 24-hour music channel. After the network ceased broadcasting, the subchannel became vacant.
(the Newhouse
family's company) along with the Syracuse Post-Standard
, Syracuse Herald-Journal
, and WSYR radio (AM 570
and FM 94.5 now WYYY
). It was Syracuse's second television station signing-on a year and three months after WHEN-TV (now WTVH). It originally had facilities at the Kemper Building in Downtown Syracuse. In 1958, WSYR-AM-FM-TV moved to new studios on James Street.
Unlike most NBC affiliates in two station markets
, this channel did not take a secondary ABC
or DuMont
affiliation. WSYR-TV doubled as the NBC affiliate for Binghamton
until WINR-TV (now WICZ) signed-on in 1957. It also operated a satellite station in Elmira
until 1980. That station was first known as WSYE-TV and is now WETM-TV
. That channel is now owned by Newport Television
and fed via centralcasting
facilities of a Syracuse cross-town rival, which ironically now holds the WSYR-TV call letters. It still remains affiliated with NBC.
The Newhouse family largely exited broadcasting in 1980 and sold WSYR-TV to the Times Mirror Company. Since the company was not interested in the radio stations, it changed the television station's calls to WSTM-TV (for Syracuse Times Mirror) and kept the James Street studios. Under Times Mirror ownership, WSTM was sister to fellow NBC affiliate WVTM-TV
in Birmingham, Alabama
(which later became network owned-and-operated
and is now owned by Media General
) as well as later Fox O&O's KTVI
in St. Louis, Missouri
, KDFW
in Dallas-Fort Worth, and KTBC
in Austin, Texas
(KTVI is now owned by Local TV
). In 1986, Times Mirror sold WSTM to SJL Broadcast Management, a broadcast holding company controlled by George Lilly. SJL then sold WSTM to Federal Broadcasting in 1992. That company was bought out by Raycom Media
in 1997. The WSYR-TV
calls returned to Syracuse after Clear Channel Communications
purchased WIXT (formerly WNYS-TV
) as part of the Ackerley Group acquisition in 2000. The company changed WIXT's calls to match WSYR-AM which it had owned for several years.
On March 5, 1996, WSTM General Manager
Charles Bivins died after collapsing at the Syracuse Track and Racquet Club. He was 48 and had previously suffered a mild heart attack two years earlier. Bivins was also a visiting professor at Syracuse University
's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications teaching television programming. In 2003, Raycom Media purchased Syracuse's low-powered UPN
affiliate WAWA-LP from Venture Technologies Group, LLC for an undisclosed amount of money. The station had its call letters changed to WSTQ-LP (derived from WSTM) and given the on-air branding of "UPN 6, The Q". Raycom used "6" to reflect its cable slot as a result of the station becoming offered on the basic lineup of Time Warner on July 1.
Before the purchase of WAWA, Time Warner had refused to carry the channel. The same "must-carry
" rules that kept the station off the cable system eventually got WSTQ on. The must-carry rules give full-powered stations the option of "retransmission consent" or requiring compensation from cable systems as a condition of carrying a station's signal. In this case, full-powered WSTM can require cable systems like Time Warner to offer low-powered WSTQ on their systems as a condition of carrying this channel.
On March 27, 2006, Raycom Media announced the sale of WSTM and WSTQ to Barrington Broadcasting. The sale was finalized that August. On March 2, 2009 as a result of low ratings and slow advertising sales, it was announced that WTVH would enter into joint sales and shared service agreements with WSTM. Initially, the station continued to operate out of its own Jame Street studios a block away but was eventually merged into this station's facilities. WTVH was also integrated into WSTM's website.
On June 14, 2009 two days after the digital transition, its digital signal began broadcasting on UHF channel 24. Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers continue to display WSTM-DT's virtual channel
s as 3. On September 6, 2009, WTVH's transmitter was damaged after a power failure. While Granite Broadcasting worked to fix the signal, WSTM's third digital subchannel carried that station. On September 12, the signal was restored.
Through cable coverage, this station serves as the de-facto NBC affiliate for the Watertown and Ithaca
/Finger Lakes
region of New York State. WSTM provides some news coverage of these areas. Interestingly, the channel also carries substantial news stories from Utica
and Herkimer County
even though that area has its own affiliate WKTV
that produces local news. WSTM's analog signal reached parts of Southeastern Ontario
and was carried on Cogeco
systems in Kingston
until February 2009 when it was replaced with Buffalo
's WGRZ-TV
. It is still (after customer protest) carried on Time Warner systems in Ogdensburg
and Gouverneur
along with replacement WPTZ
.
Local news offerings on this station were originally ten minutes long and was not expanded to thirty minutes until the 1960s. For the past two decades, WSTM's newscasts have been second overall in the viewership ratings behind dominant WSYR. As of July 2008, that station remains number one in Central New York for the whole day-part. However, it is in a tight battle with WSTM for weekday mornings and weeknights at 11. WSYR makes up for this with huge leads during the week at noon, 5, 5:30, and 6. In two periods during its history, this station have used the popular Action News
branding. The station's on-air slogan, "Live. Local. Latebreaking.", has been used since 1998.
In 1996, the station began producing a prime time newscast at 10 for Fox affiliate WSYT
through a news share agreement. Airing every night for half-hour, this was known as Fox 68 News at 10. Original anchors were Chuck Plumpton and Betsy Sykes with Wayne Mahar providing weather forecasts. A sports anchor, Joe Brown, was added later. He was replaced by Joe Zone (now at WFSB
) and Amy Kellogg replaced Betsy Sykes on the news anchor desk. Further shuffling of the staff moved Joe Zone to news anchor and Jon Herz was hired as Sports Director. In 2000, WSTM declined to renew its agreement to produce WSYT's news programming and that channel partnered with WTVH to keep the broadcasts on-air.
When WSTQ became a sister station, WSTM began producing a weeknight prime time newscast called Action News at 10 on UPN 6, The Q. This was expanded to seven days a week on January 8, 2005. On January 22, WSTM expanded its own news operation with the addition of a weekend morning show. The WSTQ show was renamed Action News at 10 on CW 6 on September 18, 2006 to correspond with that station's network switch from UPN to The CW.
After becoming operated by WSTM, WTVH shut down its news department and merged it with this channel. It resulted in the elimination of forty jobs at that station. Michael Benny was retained to solo-anchor the weeknight newscasts on WTVH from its separate studios using other personalities from WSTM for all other content. The system set up by the other station to use all videotaped footage (including interviews) shot by WSTM was filled with problems with staffers from this station walking to WTVH's old studios to deliver raw video to be edited for its newscasts.
In October 2009, Barrington Broadcasting began to produce separate weeknight newscasts on WTVH from a new secondary set at WSTM's facilities. Although that station retains separate branding, music, and graphic aspects of the weeknight shows that air from 5 to 6:30 and 11 to 11:35, coverage is essentially the same. Outside of those broadcasts, all newscasts on WSTM are now simulcasted on WTVH except for its weekend morning show. There may be pre-emptions or delays on one channel due to network obligations especially on weekends. Neither station have attempted to offer news shows outside traditional time slots to compete with WSYR (such as weekdays at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or weeknights at 4 and 7) despite a plan originally announced. However, WSTQ's weeknight newscast was expanded to an hour on August 30, 2010.
Viewership on WTVH has steeply declined since becoming operated by WSTM with the rumor mill turning wildly that it will eventually stop broadcasting local newscasts altogether. Meanwhile, WSYR has seen a noticeable increase in viewership as a result of being the only other over-the-air local news department in the area. There is a cable-only news channel known as YNN Central New York, but it serves a much wider area than the Syracuse broadcast stations.
WSTM was the first in Syracuse to use weather radar
in 1985 and launched its own system in 2000. This consisted of its own radar at the transmitter site in a network with WHEC-TV
/SUNY Brockport in the Rochester area as well as WIVB-TV
in Buffalo
. However, WIVB and WSTM have since shut down their individual radars. During current weather segments, WSTM features three live NOAA National Weather Service
radars in Montague
, Binghamton, and Buffalo. On-air this is known as "Live Triple Doppler" and the radar beams are superimposed over the on-screen image.
In mid-December 2010, WSTM became the first in the market to offer local newscasts in 16:9
enhanced definition widescreen
with the shows on WTVH and WSTQ being included. However, only the digital cable feed of WSTQ is aired in enhanced definition since its over-the-air low-powered analog and digital (on WSTM-DT2) signals remain in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition. Although not truly high definition, the broadcasts match the aspect ratio
of HD television screens. Rival WSYR upgraded to full high definition on January 29, 2011.
Meteorologists (all have AMS
Seal of Approval)
Sports
Multimedia journalists
Producers
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...
-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 Central
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
New York State licensed to Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. It broadcasts a 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 24 from a transmitter on Sentinel Heights Road in LaFayette
LaFayette, New York
LaFayette is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 4,833 at the 2000 census. The town is named after LaFayette, a national hero of both France and the United States....
. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service which operates over a fiber-optic communications network. It is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon Communications. Verizon was one of the first major U.S...
channel 3 and Time Warner
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
channel 4. There is a high definition feed offered on Verizon FiOS digital channel 503 and Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
digital channel 863. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting
Barrington Broadcasting
Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC , headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois is an entity wholly focused on broadcast television. The company's assets mainly consist of television stations in middle and small sized markets...
, it is sister to low-powered
Low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
CW affiliate WSTQ-LP
WSTQ-LP
WSTQ-LP is the low-powered CW-affiliated television station for Central New York State licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 14 from a transmitter on West Kirkpatrick Street alongside WOLF-FM's tower in the city's Lakefront section. Due to the low-powered status, the...
.
WSTM operates CBS
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...
affiliate WTVH
WTVH
WTVH is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central New York State licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 47 from a transmitter in LaFayette. The station can also be seen on Time Warner and Verizon FiOS channel 5. There is a high definition feed...
(owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation
Granite Broadcasting Corporation
Granite Broadcasting Corporation, founded by W. Don Cornwell and Stuart Beck in 1988 , is a broadcasting holding company which owns or operates 14 television stations in the United States, largely centered in the midwest with a cluster in New York state...
) through joint sales
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
and shared services
Shared services
Shared services refers to the provision of a service by one part of an organization or group where that service had previously been found in more than one part of the organization or group. Thus the funding and resourcing of the service is shared and the providing department effectively becomes an...
agreements. All three share studios on James Street/NY 290
New York State Route 290
New York State Route 290 is a state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, extending from downtown Syracuse to the east side of the county...
in the Near Northeast
Near Northeast, Syracuse
Near Northeast is a Syracuse, New York neighborhood, located northeast of the city's downtown. It corresponds to Onondaga County Census Tract 15, 16, 23, and 24.-Borders:Northwestern* Butternut StreetNorthern* South Carbon Street...
section of Syracuse. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on this channel includes: Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, Ellen
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, and Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
. WSTM and WSTQ split coverage of New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
games produced by the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
for MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
.
Digital programming
Due to its low-powered status, WSTQ does not operate a digital signal of its own. However, it is carried in standard definition on WSTM'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...
to serve that purpose. WSTM-DT3 aired NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus was a 24-hour, commercially sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC network. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and shut down on December 31, 2008...
which ceased operation on December 1, 2008. However, there continues to be a local weather channel known as "CNY Central" that can also be seen on Verizon FiOS digital channel 460 and Time Warner digital channel 864. At one point, WSTM-DT4 aired The Tube
The Tube (TV channel)
The Tube Music Network was a music video network carried on free-to-air satellite television, select digital television subchannels and digital cable systems. The network's president and founder was Les Garland, a veteran of MTV and VH1. The Tube was a wholly owned subsidiary of The Tube Media Corp...
, a 24-hour music channel. After the network ceased broadcasting, the subchannel became vacant.
| Channels (virtual/physical) | Programming |
|---|---|
| 3.1/24.1 | main WSTM programming/NBC HD |
| 3.2/24.2 | WSTQ-LP "CW 6" |
| 3.3/24.3 | WSTM-DT3 "CNY Central" |
History
The station began operations on February 15, 1950 with the call sign WSYR-TV. It was owned by Advance PublicationsAdvance Publications
Advance Publications, Inc., is an American media company owned by the descendants of S.I. Newhouse Sr., Donald Newhouse and S.I. Newhouse, Jr. It is named after the Staten Island Advance, the first newspaper owned by the Newhouse family...
(the Newhouse
Newhouse
-Places:* New House, County Durham* Newhouse, North Lanarkshire* Newhouse, Edinburgh * Newhouse, Utah, a ghost town-People:* Donald Newhouse , publisher* Flower A...
family's company) along with the Syracuse Post-Standard
Syracuse Post-Standard
The Post-Standard is the major daily newspaper servicing the greater Syracuse, New York, metro area. Affiliated with Syracuse.com, it is owned by Advance Publications. The Post-Standard features regular political commentary from Sean Kirst and local commentary by Dick Case. It is home-delivered in...
, Syracuse Herald-Journal
Syracuse Herald-Journal
The Syracuse Herald-Journal was an evening newspaper in Syracuse, New York, with roots going back to 1839 when it was named the Western State Journal. The final issue — volume 124, number 37,500 — was published on September 29, 2001...
, and WSYR radio (AM 570
WSYR (AM)
WSYR is a 5,000 watt radio station licensed to Syracuse, New York. Owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications, it broadcasts a talk radio format under the moniker "Newsradio 106.9 WSYR." It was previously billed as "Newsradio 570 WSYR" until it became a simulcast with WPHR-FM in January...
and FM 94.5 now WYYY
WYYY
WYYY is a Lite Adult Contemporary formatted radio station licensed to Syracuse, New York. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts at 94.5 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.-History:...
). It was Syracuse's second television station signing-on a year and three months after WHEN-TV (now WTVH). It originally had facilities at the Kemper Building in Downtown Syracuse. In 1958, WSYR-AM-FM-TV moved to new studios on James Street.
Unlike most NBC affiliates in two station markets
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
, this channel did not take a secondary 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...
or DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
affiliation. WSYR-TV doubled as the NBC affiliate for Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
until WINR-TV (now WICZ) signed-on in 1957. It also operated a satellite station in Elmira
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
until 1980. That station was first known as WSYE-TV and is now WETM-TV
WETM-TV
WETM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Upstate New York's Central Southern Tier licensed to Elmira. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 18 from a transmitter on Hawley Hill in West Elmira. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 3 and in...
. That channel is now owned by Newport Television
Newport Television
Newport Television, LLC is a television station holding company founded by Providence Equity Partners and Sandy DiPasquale in 2007 to acquire the television stations owned by Clear Channel Communications. In September 2007, Newport agreed to sell KFTY and KVOS-TV to LK Station Group LLC for $26.6...
and fed via centralcasting
Centralcasting
In terrestrial radio and television broadcasting, centralcasting refers to the use of systems automation by which customised signals for broadcast by multiple individual stations may be created at one central facility.- :...
facilities of a Syracuse cross-town rival, which ironically now holds the WSYR-TV call letters. It still remains affiliated with NBC.
The Newhouse family largely exited broadcasting in 1980 and sold WSYR-TV to the Times Mirror Company. Since the company was not interested in the radio stations, it changed the television station's calls to WSTM-TV (for Syracuse Times Mirror) and kept the James Street studios. Under Times Mirror ownership, WSTM was sister to fellow NBC affiliate WVTM-TV
WVTM-TV
WVTM-TV, channel 13, is the NBC-affiliated television station in the Birmingham-Anniston-Tuscaloosa-Gadsden, Alabama television market. The station is owned by Media General...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
(which later became network owned-and-operated
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
and is now owned by Media General
Media General
Media General, Inc. is a media company based in the Southeastern United States. Its major properties include newspapers such as The Tampa Tribune, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as numerous television stations, such as flagship station WFLA-TV.The company was...
) as well as later Fox O&O's KTVI
KTVI
KTVI, virtual channel 2, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the St. Louis, Missouri, designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners, under a local marketing agreement with Tribune-owned CW affiliate KPLR...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, KDFW
KDFW
KDFW, virtual channel 4 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex designated market area....
in Dallas-Fort Worth, and KTBC
KTBC
KTBC, channel 7, is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in Austin, Texas. Studios are located in downtown Austin at the corner of 10th and Brazos Streets , and its transmitter is located in the city....
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
(KTVI is now owned by Local TV
Local TV
Local TV LLC is a limited liability corporation, owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners , which operates 18 local network-affiliated television stations in the United States.-History:...
). In 1986, Times Mirror sold WSTM to SJL Broadcast Management, a broadcast holding company controlled by George Lilly. SJL then sold WSTM to Federal Broadcasting in 1992. That company was bought out by Raycom Media
Raycom Media
- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....
in 1997. The WSYR-TV
WSYR-TV
WSYR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central New York State that is licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 17 from a transmitter on Sevier Road in Pompey. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 9 and in high definition on...
calls returned to Syracuse after 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...
purchased WIXT (formerly WNYS-TV
WNYS-TV
WNYS-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Central New York that is licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter in LaFayette. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 7 and in high definition on digital...
) as part of the Ackerley Group acquisition in 2000. The company changed WIXT's calls to match WSYR-AM which it had owned for several years.
On March 5, 1996, WSTM General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Charles Bivins died after collapsing at the Syracuse Track and Racquet Club. He was 48 and had previously suffered a mild heart attack two years earlier. Bivins was also a visiting professor at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications teaching television programming. In 2003, Raycom Media purchased Syracuse's low-powered UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
affiliate WAWA-LP from Venture Technologies Group, LLC for an undisclosed amount of money. The station had its call letters changed to WSTQ-LP (derived from WSTM) and given the on-air branding of "UPN 6, The Q". Raycom used "6" to reflect its cable slot as a result of the station becoming offered on the basic lineup of Time Warner on July 1.
Before the purchase of WAWA, Time Warner had refused to carry the channel. The same "must-carry
Must-carry
In cable television, governments apply a must-carry regulation stating that locally-licensed television stations must be carried on a cable provider's system.- Canada :...
" rules that kept the station off the cable system eventually got WSTQ on. The must-carry rules give full-powered stations the option of "retransmission consent" or requiring compensation from cable systems as a condition of carrying a station's signal. In this case, full-powered WSTM can require cable systems like Time Warner to offer low-powered WSTQ on their systems as a condition of carrying this channel.
On March 27, 2006, Raycom Media announced the sale of WSTM and WSTQ to Barrington Broadcasting. The sale was finalized that August. On March 2, 2009 as a result of low ratings and slow advertising sales, it was announced that WTVH would enter into joint sales and shared service agreements with WSTM. Initially, the station continued to operate out of its own Jame Street studios a block away but was eventually merged into this station's facilities. WTVH was also integrated into WSTM's website.
On June 14, 2009 two days after the digital transition, its digital signal began broadcasting on UHF channel 24. Through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers continue to display WSTM-DT'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....
s as 3. On September 6, 2009, WTVH's transmitter was damaged after a power failure. While Granite Broadcasting worked to fix the signal, WSTM's third digital subchannel carried that station. On September 12, the signal was restored.
Through cable coverage, this station serves as the de-facto NBC affiliate for the Watertown and Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
/Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
region of New York State. WSTM provides some news coverage of these areas. Interestingly, the channel also carries substantial news stories from Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
and Herkimer County
Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
even though that area has its own affiliate WKTV
WKTV
WKTV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Upstate New York's Mohawk Valley licensed to Utica. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in the Eatonville section of Fairfield and Herkimer. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable...
that produces local news. WSTM's analog signal reached parts of Southeastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and was carried on Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
systems in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
until February 2009 when it was replaced with Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
's WGRZ-TV
WGRZ-TV
WGRZ, virtual channel 2 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York. Its studio is located at 259 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Its transmitter is located at 11530 Warner Hill Road in South Wales, New York...
. It is still (after customer protest) carried on Time Warner systems in Ogdensburg
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
and Gouverneur
Gouverneur, New York
Gouverneur, New York may refer to:* Gouverneur , New York* Gouverneur , New York...
along with replacement WPTZ
WPTZ
WPTZ, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Plattsburgh, New York, USA. WPTZ is owned by Hearst Television, and has its studios in Plattsburgh and transmitter located on Mount Mansfield in Vermont....
.
News operation
Action News
Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
branding. The station's on-air slogan, "Live. Local. Latebreaking.", has been used since 1998.
In 1996, the station began producing a prime time newscast at 10 for Fox affiliate WSYT
WSYT
WSYT is the Fox-affiliated television station for Central New York State that is licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter west of LaFayette. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station operates MyNetworkTV affiliate WNYS-TV ...
through a news share agreement. Airing every night for half-hour, this was known as Fox 68 News at 10. Original anchors were Chuck Plumpton and Betsy Sykes with Wayne Mahar providing weather forecasts. A sports anchor, Joe Brown, was added later. He was replaced by Joe Zone (now at 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...
) and Amy Kellogg replaced Betsy Sykes on the news anchor desk. Further shuffling of the staff moved Joe Zone to news anchor and Jon Herz was hired as Sports Director. In 2000, WSTM declined to renew its agreement to produce WSYT's news programming and that channel partnered with WTVH to keep the broadcasts on-air.
When WSTQ became a sister station, WSTM began producing a weeknight prime time newscast called Action News at 10 on UPN 6, The Q. This was expanded to seven days a week on January 8, 2005. On January 22, WSTM expanded its own news operation with the addition of a weekend morning show. The WSTQ show was renamed Action News at 10 on CW 6 on September 18, 2006 to correspond with that station's network switch from UPN to The CW.
After becoming operated by WSTM, WTVH shut down its news department and merged it with this channel. It resulted in the elimination of forty jobs at that station. Michael Benny was retained to solo-anchor the weeknight newscasts on WTVH from its separate studios using other personalities from WSTM for all other content. The system set up by the other station to use all videotaped footage (including interviews) shot by WSTM was filled with problems with staffers from this station walking to WTVH's old studios to deliver raw video to be edited for its newscasts.
In October 2009, Barrington Broadcasting began to produce separate weeknight newscasts on WTVH from a new secondary set at WSTM's facilities. Although that station retains separate branding, music, and graphic aspects of the weeknight shows that air from 5 to 6:30 and 11 to 11:35, coverage is essentially the same. Outside of those broadcasts, all newscasts on WSTM are now simulcasted on WTVH except for its weekend morning show. There may be pre-emptions or delays on one channel due to network obligations especially on weekends. Neither station have attempted to offer news shows outside traditional time slots to compete with WSYR (such as weekdays at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or weeknights at 4 and 7) despite a plan originally announced. However, WSTQ's weeknight newscast was expanded to an hour on August 30, 2010.
Viewership on WTVH has steeply declined since becoming operated by WSTM with the rumor mill turning wildly that it will eventually stop broadcasting local newscasts altogether. Meanwhile, WSYR has seen a noticeable increase in viewership as a result of being the only other over-the-air local news department in the area. There is a cable-only news channel known as YNN Central New York, but it serves a much wider area than the Syracuse broadcast stations.
WSTM was the first in Syracuse to use 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...
in 1985 and launched its own system in 2000. This consisted of its own radar at the transmitter site in a network with WHEC-TV
WHEC-TV
WHEC-TV, channel 10, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Rochester, New York, USA. WHEC-TV is owned by Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Hubbard Broadcasting, and broadcasts from a studio/office facility on East Avenue in Downtown Rochester...
/SUNY Brockport in the Rochester area as well as WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. However, WIVB and WSTM have since shut down their individual radars. During current weather segments, WSTM features three 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...
radars in Montague
Montague, New York
Montague is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 108 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Mary Montague Pierpont, the daughter of the original owner....
, Binghamton, and Buffalo. On-air this is known as "Live Triple Doppler" and the radar beams are superimposed over the on-screen image.
In mid-December 2010, WSTM became the first in the market to offer local newscasts in 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 ...
enhanced definition widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
with the shows on WTVH and WSTQ being included. However, only the digital cable feed of WSTQ is aired in enhanced definition since its over-the-air low-powered analog and digital (on WSTM-DT2) signals remain in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition. Although not truly high definition, the broadcasts match the aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
of HD television screens. Rival WSYR upgraded to full high definition on January 29, 2011.
Newscast titles
- Camera Headlines (1950s)
- TV-3 Total News (1970s)
- Action NewsAction NewsAction News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
- Channel 3 News (1980s-1993)
- TV-3 Action NewsAction NewsAction News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
(1993-1996) - Action NewsAction NewsAction News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
3 (1996-2010) - NBC 3 News (2010-present)
Station slogans
- Hello Syracuse, Central New York, Channel 3 Loves You (early-mid 1980s, used during period station used Frank GariFrank GariFrank Gari is a popular singer and songwriter from the late 1950s and early 1960s. His best known songs as a performer are "Utopia" , "Lullaby of Love" and "Princess" , all of which hit the U.S. Top 40 in 1961. He co-wrote with Roger McGuinn the song Beach Ball for Bobby Darin...
's "Hello News") - The News Station (1984-1993)
- In Touch with Central New York
- More News, More Often (1993-?)
- Central New York's News Leader (2000-2006)
- Live. Local. Late-breaking. (2006-present)
News music packages
- "KTLAKTLAKTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
News" - "The News Image" and "The News Image Plus"
- "Hello News"
- "Move Closer to Your WorldMove Closer to Your WorldMove Closer to Your World is a television news music package composed by jingle writer Al Ham under his Mayoham Music label. In the 1970s it was considered an anthem for local television news, and is considered the anthem of WPVI-TV in Philadelphia for its Action News programs to the current day...
" - "NBC Stations"
- "The NBC Collection"
News team
Anchors- Megan Coleman - weekday mornings and noon
- Jackie Robinson - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m.
- Matt Mulcahy - Managing EditorManaging editorA managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
seen weeknights at 5, 6, 10, and 11 p.m. - Laura Hand -weekday noon news anchor Monday through Wedenday and weekend mornings
- Lisa Spitz - weekday noon news anchor Thursady and Friday and weekend evenings
Meteorologists (all have AMS
American Meteorological Society
The 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)
- Wayne Mahar - Chief seen weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
- Peter Hall - weekday mornings and noon
- Matt Stevens - weekend mornings and Monday through Tuesday at 10
- Mike Brookins - weekend evenings and Wednesday through Friday at 10
Sports
- John Evenson - 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 weeknights at 6, 10, and 11 (also OrangeSyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
VIP Pass host) - Niko Tamurian - weekend evenings and sports reporter (also "CNY Central Athlete" and "My School" segments producer)
- Brian Mueller - sports reporter
- Alex Dunbar - sports and news reporter (also photographer)
- Dave Cumes - Orange VIP Pass host and heard on W256AC-FM 99.1/WTKW 99.5/WTKV-FM 105.5WTKWWTKW, "TK99," is a Classic rock radio station in Syracuse, New York. The station broadcasts to the Syracuse, New York and the Utica-Rome area markets on a frequency of 99.5 FM....
Multimedia journalists
- Michael Benny - WTVH Managing Editor and "Talk at 10" contributor
- Stacy JohnsonStacy JohnsonStacy Johnson is an author and creator and host of Money Talks, a nationally syndicated consumer/personal finance news series.-Early life and education:...
- "Money Talks NewsMoney Talks NewsMoney Talks News is a nationally syndicated consumer/personal finance news series offering tips and advice on saving money and avoiding rip offs in the United States market. It is hosted by Stacy Johnson. News segments are approximately 1.5 minutes in length and air as part of local news programs...
" segment producer - Susan Arbetter - WCNY-TVWCNY-TVWCNY-TV is Syracuse, New York's public television station and PBS member station. WCNY-TV's programming is also seen in Utica on low-powered repeater W22DO-D channel 24 Digital...
CapitolNew York State CapitolThe New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. Housing the New York State Legislature, it is located in the state capital city Albany, on State Street in Capitol Park. The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million , was the most expensive government...
Correspondent - Jim Kenyon - Chief Investigative
- Chris McGrath - producer
- Brandon Roth
- Jessica Cain
- Caitlin Nuclo
Producers
- Chris Shepherd
Notable past personnel
- Jim AxelrodJim AxelrodJim Axelrod is a National Correspondent for CBS News, and reports for the CBS Evening News and other CBS News programs.Axelrod was one of CBS News' embedded correspondents in Iraq and was the first TV reporter to broadcast live from Saddam International Airport after its takeover by American...
- CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS 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... - Bob CostasBob CostasRobert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
- NBC SportsNBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others... - Joe CastiglioneJoe CastiglioneJoseph John Castiglione is an American radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team, an author and lecturer.-Early life and career:...
- Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
radio play-by-play - Dan KloefflerDan KloefflerDan Kloeffler is an American television journalist. He has worked as an anchor on WSTM-TV, MSNBC, and, currently, ABC News.-Early life:Kloeffler graduated from Algonac High School in Algonac, Michigan, in 1994...
- NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is... - Steve KroftSteve KroftSteve Kroft is an American journalist and a longtime correspondent for 60 Minutes. His investigative reporting has garnered him much acclaim, including three Peabody Awards and nine Emmy awards, one of which was an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement.-Early life:Born on August 22, 1945 in Kokomo,...
- 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
reporter - Dave Ryan - CBS College Sports