WTRF-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTRF-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = From Studios in Wheeling and Steubenville
station_branding = 7 News
Fox Ohio Valley (on DT2)
ABC Ohio Valley (on DT3)
analog = 7 (VHF)
digital = 32 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = CBS
Fox - primary (on DT2)
MNTV - secondary (on DT2)
ABC (on DT3)
network =
founded =
airdate = October 24, 1953
location = Wheeling, West Virginia /
Steubenville, Ohio
callsign_meaning = Two Radio Frequencies
(referring to AM and FM stations with same calls)
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = West Virginia Media Holdings
licensee =
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = NBC (sole affiliate, 1953-1980)
ABC (secondary, 1953-1989)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
730.9 kW (digital)
HAAT = 293 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 6869
coordinates = coord|40|3|41.1|N|80|45|8.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wtrf.com/ wtrf.com]

WTRF-TV, channel 7, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Wheeling, West Virginia and Steubenville, Ohio. Its transmitter located in Boydsville, 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", and "Judge Judy".

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. They were sold off to finance the television station. WTRF was originally an NBC affiliate but also carried some programming from ABC. In 1979, WTRF became the area's first station to use videotape rather than film. The station began phasing out ABC programs in the late-1980s in part because WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh was widely available in the area over-the-air and on cable. On January 7, 1980, WTRF swapped network affiliations with WTOV-TV 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. Once one of West Virginia's most respected stations, WTRF fell on hard times in the 1980s due to ownership instability.

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. Currently, WTRF is a distant second in the ratings behind WTOV. In many cases, CBS O&O KDKA-TV from Pittsburgh gets better ratings in the Wheeling / Steubenville market than WTRF does. This is due to a combination of the proximity of the market to Pittsburgh (less than an hour away), not to mention WTRF's recent performance woes, and KDKA's longstanding popularity in Western Pennsylvania.

Digital television

WTRF operates the area's Fox affiliate on its second digital subchannel. Known on-air as "Fox Ohio Valley", it is also offered on Comcast cable channel 12. WTRF-DT2 is also a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate. On weeknights, programming from that network airs from 11 P.M. to 1 A.M. For Saturday prime time, it airs early on Sunday morning from 12:30 to 2:30. The station also operates the area's ABC affiliate on its third digital subchannel. Known on-air as "ABC Ohio Valley", it can also be seen on Comcast digital cable channel 205. At this point, it is unknown if WTRF-DT3 will ever be offered on Comcast's basic tier.

Analog-to-digital conversion

After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf] , WTRF-TV will move its digital broadcasts back to its present analog channel number, 7. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101234236&formid=387&fac_num=25455 CDBS Print ] ] http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=616897] With WTOV moving it's present digital signal back to channel 9, the Wheeling/Steubenville market will be one of the few in which none of it's stations will need PSIP to air on a virtual channel.

Newscasts

WTRF-DT2 is home to the Valley's only weeknight 10 o'clock newscast, which mirrors WTRF's news format. WTRF-DT3 airs live simulcasts of newscasts airing on the main WTRF channel, with different branding for "ABC Ohio Valley".

WTRF owner West Virginia Media Holdings produces a half-hour long newscast called "West Virginia Tonight Live". It airs simultaneously on WTRF, WOWK-TV (in Huntington / Charleston), WVNS-TV (in Beckley), WBOY-TV (in Clarksburg), and stories 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.

News team

Anchors
*Nate Fluharty - weekday mornings
**reporter
*Stacy Rich - weekday mornings and Noon
**reporter
*Jim Forbes - Managing Editor seen on weeknights
*Leigh Ann Towne - weeknights
*April Kaull - weeknights at 5:30
**West Virginia correspondent based in Morgantown
*Steven Centofanti - weekends
**reporter

"StormTracker 7 Meteorologists"
*Dr. Dave Walker - Chief seen on weeknights
*Ashley Dougherty - weekday mornings and Noon
*Jason Kratzwald - weekends

Sports
*Scott Nolte - Director seen on weeknights at 6, 10, and 11
*Mike Anthony - weekends
**sports reporter

Reporters
*Dave Stingo - NASCAR commentator
**based at WBOY-TV
*Jerry Echemann
*Dave Eliasr
*D.K. Wright

References

External links

* [http://www.wtrf.com/ WTRF-TV/DT "7 News"]
* [http://www.myfoxov.com/myfox/ WTRF-DT2 "Fox Ohio Valley"]
* [http://www.wtrfabcov.com/ WTRF-DT3 "ABC Ohio Valley"]
*TVQ|WTRF-TV