WALV-CD

WALV-CD
Indianapolis, Indiana
United States
Branding MeTV Indianapolis (general)
Channel 13 Eyewitness News (WTHR news rebroadcasts)
Slogan Indiana's News Leader (WTHR news rebroadcasts)
Channels Digital: 46 (UHF)
Virtual: 46.1 &
WTHR-DT 13.3 (PSIP)
Affiliations MeTV
NBC (Alternate)
Owner Dispatch Broadcast Group
(Videohio Inc.)
First air date March 28, 1988 (1988-03-28)
Call letters' meaning W Alive
Former callsigns W27AR (1988–1995)
WALV-LP (1995–2002)
WALV-CA (2002–2012)
Former channel number(s) Analog:
27 (UHF, 1988–2002)
50 (UHF, 2002–2012)
Former affiliations Independent (1988–2000)
SkyTrak Weather Network (2000–2013)
Cozi TV (2013–2016)
Transmitter power 14.9 kW
Class DC
Facility ID 70161
Transmitter coordinates 39°55′43″N 86°10′55″W / 39.92861°N 86.18194°W / 39.92861; -86.18194Coordinates: 39°55′43″N 86°10′55″W / 39.92861°N 86.18194°W / 39.92861; -86.18194
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.wthr.com

WALV-CD, virtual and UHF digital channel 46, is a MeTV-affiliated television station located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The station is owned by the Dispatch Broadcast Group, and is a sister station to NBC affiliate WTHR (channel 13). The two stations share studio facilities located on North Meridian Street (south of I-65) in downtown Indianapolis; WALV-CD maintains transmitter facilities located near Ditch Road and West 96th Street (near I-465) in Carmel.

Even though WALV operates a digital signal of its own, the low-powered broadcasting radius does not reach the entire Indianapolis market. Therefore, the station is simulcast over WTHR's third digital subchannel in order to reach the entire market. This signal can be seen on virtual and UHF digital channel 13.3, broadcasting from a transmitter near Ditch Road and West 96th Street in Carmel. On cable, WALV-CD is available (through the WTHR-DT3 feed) on AT&T U-verse channel 50, Bright House Networks channel 60 and digital channel 357 and Comcast Xfinity digital channel 250.

History

Early history

The station first signed on the air on March 28, 1988 as W27AR, broadcasting on UHF channel 27; originally operating as an independent station, the station changed its call letters to WALV-LP in 1995. It has been owned by Dispatch Broadcast Group as a sister station to WTHR since its inception. In 2000, WALV was converted into a local weather service operated by WTHR – branded as the "SkyTrak Weather Network" (in reference to the weather branding that WTHR has used since it resumed using the Eyewitness News format for its newscasts in 1995).[1] The station moved to UHF channel 50 in 2002, at which time, it was granted permission by the Federal Communications Commission to upgrade its license to Class A status as WALV-CA.

Under its format as the "SkyTrak Weather Network," the station aired local and regional weather information for much of the day, along with replays of WTHR's noon and 6:00 p.m. newscasts and five-minute news updates that aired throughout the day; WALV also aired the second hour of the Saturday edition of Today in lieu of WTHR (which that station pre-empted in order to run an expanded morning newscast), as well as a variety of programs (most of which were aimed at children) that are designed to meet the FCC's educational programming guidelines, including replays of WTHR's long-running quizbowl program Brain Game. After ending its news share agreement with WNDY-TV (channel 23) in 2005 upon that station's purchase by LIN TV Corporation – owners of then CBS affiliate WISH-TV (channel 8, which assumed production responsibilities for WNDY's 10:00 p.m. newscast after the sale was announced) – WTHR began producing First Forecast for WALV, a nightly eight-minute weather segment that aired at 10:00 p.m. seven nights a week.

As a Cozi TV affiliate

In March 2013, WALV-CD affiliated with the classic television and lifestyle network Cozi TV, dropping most of the ancillary programming from its schedule as a result – although it retained the second hour of Weekend Today on Saturday mornings. The station also began airing a nightly rebroadcast of WTHR's 11:00 p.m. newscast at midnight, a primetime rebroadcast of the syndicated talk show Dr. Phil each weeknight, as well as a limited number of infomercials pre-empting Cozi TV programming in select timeslots. On February 24, 2014, when WTHR expanded its weekday morning newscast to 4:00 a.m., the station moved NBC's early morning newscast Early Today to WALV-CD in the former timeslot that the program had aired on channel 13.[2][3] Occasionally as time permits, WALV-CD may air other NBC network programs whenever WTHR is unable to in the event of extended breaking news or severe weather coverage. In 2016, WALV-CD began simulcasting MeTV from WTHR 13.3, dropping CoziTV programming.

Digital television

Digital channel

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[4]
46.1 480i 16:9 WALV-CD MeTV

Analog-to-digital conversion

WALV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 50, in 2012. The station flash-cut its digital signal into operation on UHF channel 46. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its physical UHF digital channel 46, instead of its former analog-era UHF channel 50; with the switch, Dispatch Broadcast Group received FCC permission to modify the station's call letters to WALV-CD.

Newscasts

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors[5]
SkyTrak Weather Team[5]
Sports team[5]
Reporters[5]

References

  1. ↑ Channel 13 to launch weather network, Indianapolis Business Journal, October 25, 1999. Retrieved June 19, 2014 from HighBeam Research.
  2. ↑ WTHR Expands Morning Newscast, TVSpy, January 31, 2014.
  3. ↑ WTHR Adds 30 Min. To Early News, To Start At 4, TVNewsCheck, February 3, 2014.
  4. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WALV
  5. 1 2 3 4 Meet the Team
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