WTRF-TV
Encyclopedia
WTRF-TV is the CBS
-affiliated television station
for the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia
and the Allegheny Plateau
of Eastern Ohio
that is licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Bridgeport, Ohio
. Owned by West Virginia Media Holdings
, the station has studios on 16th Street in Downtown Wheeling. Syndicated
programming on WTRF includes: Entertainment Tonight
, Inside Edition
, Judge Judy
, and Rachael Ray.
affiliate on a second digital subchannel. Known on-air as Fox Ohio Valley, it was also offered on Comcast
channel 12, but is now on channel 3 after the Comcast channel changes. Syndicated programming on WTRF-DT2 includes: Family Guy
, Two and a Half Men
, Everybody Loves Raymond
, and Maury
. Programming from MyNetworkTV airs weeknights from 11 to 1 in the morning. The station also operates the area's ABC
affiliate on a third digital subchannel, known on-air as ABC Ohio Valley. Syndicated programming on WTRF-DT3 includes: Star Trek: The Next Generation
, Family Feud
, America's Funniest Home Videos
, and Storm Stories
.
Both WTRF subchannels are now seen in the analog lineup of the area's Comcast cable system: WTRF-DT2 "Fox Ohio Valley" on cable channel 3, and WTRF-DT3 "ABC Ohio Valley" on cable channel 4. The primary WTRF-DT1 CBS programming continues on cable channel 7. The subchannels are also carried on other local cable systems.
affiliate but also carried some programming from ABC splitting that network's programming with then-CBS affiliate WSTV-TV (now WTOV-TV
). In 1979, WTRF became the area's first station to use videotape rather than film. On January 7, 1980, the channel swapped network affiliations with WTOV and became a CBS affiliate. NBC had struggled in the ratings for a number of years at the time and WTRF wanted a stronger affiliation. It also dropped the remaining ABC programs from its schedule. This was not as serious a problem as it appeared since WTAE-TV
in Pittsburgh was widely available in the area over-the-air and on cable.
From the early-1980s through the mid-1990s, it went through three different owners. Adams Communications bought the station from Wesray Corporation in the mid-1980s but ran into financial trouble and sold most of its stations, including WTRF, to a company headed by former Adams Vice President Paul Brisette in 1991. Brisette himself was nearly brought down by financial issues and merged his group with Benedek Broadcasting
in 1996. West Virginia Media Holdings bought the station in 2002.
Along with sister station WBOY-TV
in Clarksburg
, WTRF launched a new digital subchannel
with ABC programming on August 1, 2008 bringing programming from that network back to the station. Previously, both the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston
/Fairmont
markets
were served by WTAE as the de facto
affiliate. WTRF broadcasts were switched to digital-only at 12:30 p.m. in February 2009. The station returned its digital broadcasts to its analog channel number. Before becoming famous on network television as Faith Daniels
, Faith Augustine started her television reporting career at this station where she worked with her future husband, producer Dean Daniels, who also reported on the station.
.
WTRF, including its FOX and ABC subchannels, and WTOV are available on DirecTV
as of November 23, 2010.
Before then, Wheeling/Steubenville had been one of the few markets that didn't get local stations on satellite. Residents living in the West Virginia side of the market, as well as Jefferson
, Harrison and Tuscarawas counties in Ohio, got Pittsburgh stations on those systems. While Belmont
and Monroe
counties in Ohio qualified to get the New York City
and Los Angeles
stations, West Virginia Media Holdings refused to sign a waiver allowing viewers in those two counties to receive WCBS-TV
and KCBS-TV
from their respective markets. This rankled viewers in those areas because satellite service is all but essential for acceptable television in this area. Belmont and Monroe counties are located in a very rugged dissected plateau
. Over-the-air signals are practically unviewable in this area, and cable service is inconsistent outside the larger cities.
WTRF-DT2 is home to the area only nightly 10 o'clock broadcast known as Fox Ohio Valley News (even though they weren't the first to offer a 10PM newscast in the market;the first was the now defunct WVTX station). The second hour of the main channel's weekday morning show is repeated at 7 on that station. WTRF-DT3 simulcasts the weekday editions of 7 News at 6 a.m., noon, 6, and 11 p.m with separate on-screen branding to denote "ABC Ohio Valley". West Virginia Media Holdings produces a half-hour newscast, called West Virginia Tonight Live, weeknights at 5:30. It airs simultaneously on all company-owned stations (except flagship WOWK-TV
) from a newsroom in Morgantown
.
In addition, there is a public affairs program called Decision Makers. Hosted by company president and CEO Bray Cary, it airs on Saturday mornings at 9 and Sunday mornings at 8 on all West Virginia Media Holdings stations. In another arrangement between all of the company channels, weekend newscasts originate from WOWK's facilities on 5th Avenue in Downtown Huntington
.
StormTracker 7 Meteorologists
Sports
Reporters
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 Northern Panhandle of West Virginia
Northern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Northern Panhandle is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the state's northernmost extension, bounded by the Ohio River on the north and west, along with the state of Pennsylvania on the east...
and the Allegheny Plateau
Allegheny Plateau
The Allegheny Plateau is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio...
of Eastern Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
that is licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. 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 VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Bridgeport, Ohio
Bridgeport, Ohio
Bridgeport is a village in Belmont County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,831 at the 2010 census...
. Owned by West Virginia Media Holdings
West Virginia Media Holdings
West Virginia Media Holdings is a media chain in West Virginia. It owns television stations in each of the four main media markets in the state, as well as a weekly newspaper....
, the station has studios on 16th Street in Downtown Wheeling. 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 WTRF includes: 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...
, Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
, and Rachael Ray.
Digital programming
WTRF operates the area's primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate on a second digital subchannel. Known on-air as Fox Ohio Valley, it was also offered on 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 12, but is now on channel 3 after the Comcast channel changes. Syndicated programming on WTRF-DT2 includes: Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
, and Maury
Maury (TV series)
Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
. Programming from MyNetworkTV airs weeknights from 11 to 1 in the morning. The station also operates the area's 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 on a third digital subchannel, known on-air as ABC Ohio Valley. Syndicated programming on WTRF-DT3 includes: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
, and Storm Stories
Storm Stories
Storm Stories is a non-fiction television series aired on The Weather Channel and Zone Reality hosted and narrated by meteorologist and Storm-Tracker Jim Cantore. Storm Stories showcases various types of severe weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards. Each episode features a famous...
.
Both WTRF subchannels are now seen in the analog lineup of the area's Comcast cable system: WTRF-DT2 "Fox Ohio Valley" on cable channel 3, and WTRF-DT3 "ABC Ohio Valley" on cable channel 4. The primary WTRF-DT1 CBS programming continues on cable channel 7. The subchannels are also carried on other local cable systems.
| Digital Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 7.1 | Main WTRF-TV programming / CBS |
| 7.2 | WTRV-DT2 "Fox Ohio Valley" |
| 7.3 | WTRF-DT3 "ABC Ohio Valley" |
History
WTRF signed-on for the first time on October 24, 1953. Its call letters came from two radio stations that the original owners had put on-the-air in 1947. Those were sold off to finance the television station. WTRF was originally an NBCNBC
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 but also carried some programming from ABC splitting that network's programming with then-CBS affiliate WSTV-TV (now WTOV-TV
WTOV-TV
WTOV-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Ohio Valley that is licensed to Steubenville & Wheeling. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter in Mingo Junction, Ohio. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in Steubenville. Syndicated...
). In 1979, WTRF became the area's first station to use videotape rather than film. On January 7, 1980, the channel swapped network affiliations with WTOV and became a CBS affiliate. NBC had struggled in the ratings for a number of years at the time and WTRF wanted a stronger affiliation. It also dropped the remaining ABC programs from its schedule. This was not as serious a problem as it appeared since WTAE-TV
WTAE-TV
WTAE-TV is the ABC affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh, broadcasting on UHF channel 51 and identifying via PSIP as channel 4 . It also serves as an ABC affiliate for the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia market areas...
in Pittsburgh was widely available in the area over-the-air and on cable.
From the early-1980s through the mid-1990s, it went through three different owners. Adams Communications bought the station from Wesray Corporation in the mid-1980s but ran into financial trouble and sold most of its stations, including WTRF, to a company headed by former Adams Vice President Paul Brisette in 1991. Brisette himself was nearly brought down by financial issues and merged his group with Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting is a former television broadcaster, who owned and operated 22 network-affiliated television stations throughout the United States, all affiliated with major television networks, serving mainly small and medium-size markets. The company was founded in the late 1970s by A...
in 1996. West Virginia Media Holdings bought the station in 2002.
Along with sister station WBOY-TV
WBOY-TV
WBOY-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for North-Central West Virginia that is licensed to Clarksburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter east of downtown and U.S. 50. Owned by West Virginia Media Holdings, the station has studios on West...
in Clarksburg
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, WTRF launched a new digital subchannel
Digital 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...
with ABC programming on August 1, 2008 bringing programming from that network back to the station. Previously, both the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston
Weston, West Virginia
Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County, and home to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.-History:...
/Fairmont
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
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...
were served by WTAE as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
affiliate. WTRF broadcasts were switched to digital-only at 12:30 p.m. in February 2009. The station returned its digital broadcasts to its analog channel number. Before becoming famous on network television as Faith Daniels
Faith Daniels
Faith Daniels became nationally known for her role in anchoring some of America's most popular news and talk show programs....
, Faith Augustine started her television reporting career at this station where she worked with her future husband, producer Dean Daniels, who also reported on the station.
Satellite availability
As of June 3, 2010, WTRF and its two digital subchannels are available on Dish NetworkDish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
.
WTRF, including its FOX and ABC subchannels, and WTOV are available on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
as of November 23, 2010.
Before then, Wheeling/Steubenville had been one of the few markets that didn't get local stations on satellite. Residents living in the West Virginia side of the market, as well as Jefferson
Jefferson County, Ohio
Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 69,709. Its county seat is Steubenville and is named for Thomas Jefferson, who was at the time Vice President....
, Harrison and Tuscarawas counties in Ohio, got Pittsburgh stations on those systems. While Belmont
Belmont County, Ohio
Belmont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 70,400. Its county seat is St. Clairsville...
and Monroe
Monroe County, Ohio
Monroe County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,642. Its county seat is Woodsfield and is named for James Monroe, Secretary of State when the county was formed and later President of the United States....
counties in Ohio qualified to get the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
stations, West Virginia Media Holdings refused to sign a waiver allowing viewers in those two counties to receive WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
and KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
from their respective markets. This rankled viewers in those areas because satellite service is all but essential for acceptable television in this area. Belmont and Monroe counties are located in a very rugged dissected plateau
Dissected plateau
A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity...
. Over-the-air signals are practically unviewable in this area, and cable service is inconsistent outside the larger cities.
Local HD
As of June 4, 2011, WTRF and Digital Subchannels are without a newscast in either high definition or 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen. Their hasn't been plans or future plans to have WTRF news operations in HD. WTRF currently doesn't carry any syndicated programming in HD. WTOV in the market launched 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen in April of 2009. As of June 27, 2011, WSAZ will launch the second high definition newscast in the state of West Virginia and the first in the Charleston-Huntington DMA. As of June 4,2011 WTAP in Parkersburg is the first news outlet in West Virginia with local news in HD.Out of market coverage
Despite it's coverage issues mentioned above, it has coverage outside of the market on cable. In the northeastern part of West Virginia, it is carried in Buckhannon in Upshur County, Beverely and Elkins in Randolph County and Flemington in Taylor County.News operation
WOWK-TV
WOWK-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-States and Kanawha Valley area of West Virginia that is licensed to Huntington which is the second largest market east of the Mississippi River. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter...
) from a newsroom in Morgantown
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
.
In addition, there is a public affairs program called Decision Makers. Hosted by company president and CEO Bray Cary, it airs on Saturday mornings at 9 and Sunday mornings at 8 on all West Virginia Media Holdings stations. In another arrangement between all of the company channels, weekend newscasts originate from WOWK's facilities on 5th Avenue in Downtown Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
.
News team
Anchors- Nate Fluharty- Morning & Noon anchor (2010-present)
- Jim Forbes - Weeknights at 10, and 11 (2002-present)
- Leigh Ann Towne - Weeknights at 5 & 6 (2005-present)
- Laurie Conway- Weekends/weekday reporter (2010-present)
StormTracker 7 Meteorologists
- Dr. Dave Walker - Chief Meteorologist (5, 6, 10 & 11) (2005-present)
- Ashley Dougherty - Morning & Noon Meteorologist (2008-present)
Sports
- Scott Nolte - Sports Director (1993-present)
- Mike Anthony - Sports Anchor/reporter (1995-present)
Reporters
- Dave Elias (2001-present)
- Amy Wadas (2009-present)
- Jamie Ward (2011-present)
- D.K. Wright (1980-present)