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WYCW

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WYCW
CityAsheville, North Carolina
Channels
BrandingCW 62
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WSPA-TV
History
First air date
June 1, 1986 (1986-06-01)
Former call signs
WASV-TV (1984–2006)
Former channel numbers
  • Analog: 62 (UHF, 1986–2009)
  • Digital: 45 (UHF, 2002–2018), 7 (VHF, 2018–2020)
Call sign meaning
For the CW network, with which the station was affiliated
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
70149
ERP33.5 kW
HAAT674.2 m (2,212 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°10′12.4″N 82°17′26.4″W / 35.170111°N 82.290667°W / 35.170111; -82.290667
Translator(s)see WSPA-TV#Translators
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.wspa.com/cw62

WYCW (channel 62) is a television station licensed to Asheville, North Carolina, United States, serving as the CW outlet for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Spartanburg, South Carolina–licensed CBS affiliate WSPA-TV (channel 7). The two stations share studios on International Drive (next to the I-26 and I-85 Business/Veterans Parkway interchange) in Spartanburg and a transmitter on Hogback Mountain in northeastern Greenville County, South Carolina, southwest of Tryon, North Carolina.

This station began broadcasting in June 1986 as WASV-TV. When it was on the air, it aired religious programming or home shopping. It was off the air between 1991 and 1994 and again from January 1996 to October 1997. WASV-TV was acquired by Pappas Telecasting and, after constructing a new tower in North Carolina, returned to the air in October 1997 as an affiliate of UPN and The WB. WSPA-TV's then-owner, Spartan Communications, programmed WASV-TV under a local marketing agreement with Pappas. The WB affiliation had already been signed for by another local station beginning in 1999, and channel 62 became a sole UPN affiliate. Spartan Communications's successor, Media General, acquired channel 62 outright in January 2002 and launched a 10 p.m. local newscast. When UPN and The WB merged in 2006, WASV-TV became the CW affiliate and changed its call sign to WYCW. Since 2018, the two stations have been broadcast from the same transmitter in South Carolina.

Prior use of channel 62 in Asheville

[edit]

Asheville's first television station, WISE-TV, began broadcasting on channel 62 on August 2, 1953. It was a primary NBC affiliate which also carried programs from ABC, CBS, and DuMont.[2] ABC and DuMont moved to WLOS (channel 13) when that station signed on in September 1954.[3] In 1967, the station changed its call letters to WANC; the next year, it dropped its remaining NBC programming as its ownership brought a cable system to Asheville.[4] WANC-TV moved from channel 62 to 21 in 1971[5] and aired a limited amount of Christian television programming throughout the 1970s by simulcasting WGGS-TV (channel 16) in Greenville.[6] The station went silent in 1979 when the lease on its tower site expired;[7] Pappas Telecasting acquired WANC-TV and returned it to the air as WHNS on April 1, 1984.[8]

After WANC-TV moved to channel 21, WSPA-TV (channel 7) opened a translator using the channel in 1973. It broadcast from White Fawn Reservoir to provide the WSPA-TV signal in areas of southeast Asheville.[9]

History

[edit]

Construction and early years

[edit]

Channel 62 remained allocated for a full-service station, and in March 1983, Local Majority TV applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit to use the channel. The firm was owned by Millard V. Oakley, who owned radio stations and a cable television system in Tennessee.[10] In 1985, the commission authorized the station to broadcast with an effective radiated power of 8,400 watts.[11] An application for a license to cover was filed on October 15, 1985, indicating that the station, with the call sign WASV-TV, had been completed.[12] The Television & Cable Factbook lists that WASV-TV began broadcasting on June 1, 1986.[13] In September, when he was interviewed by the Durham Morning Herald, Oakley stated that the station was operating "on a limited basis", as he had not put together programming yet, but he intended to broadcast religious programs.[14]

Later that year, Oakley filed to sell WASV-TV to Dove Broadcasting, the owner of WGGS-TV; at the time, Broadcasting listed the construction permit as unbuilt for a much higher effective radiated power of 1,995,300 watts.[15] Dove intended for channel 62 to simulcast WGGS-TV in Greenville to viewers who could not receive the main station's signal in the region's rugged terrain.[16] In July 1988, Oakley instead filed to sell WASV-TV to Video Marketing Network, a firm headed by Robert J. Murley.[17] Video Marketing Network, based in Sarasota, Florida, intended to launch a series of low-power television stations carrying the company's own home shopping programming.[18][19] However, by May 1988, the firm was focused on test marketing its programming, not on station construction.[20] Between 1991 and 1994, according to the Television & Cable Factbook, WASV-TV was off the air due to what are listed as "financial and technical difficulties";[13] the station was advertised as for sale and "liquidation priced" in a 1991 issue of Broadcasting.[21] It resumed service, operating as a rebroadcaster of WGGS-TV,[22] only for its tower to collapse on January 17, 1996.[13]

WB and UPN affiliation

[edit]

During this time, in March 1994, Video Marketing Network filed to sell WASV-TV to Pappas Telecasting.[23] This marked a return to Asheville for Pappas, who had been responsible for the rebuild of WHNS. President Harry Pappas proposed to affiliate WASV-TV with The WB and launch a news department. Though Pappas now had the license, it needed a tower. It proposed to build one in southern Transylvania County, where it met opposition from locals opposed to a tower altering the area's scenic landscape.[24] The county declared a 180-day moratorium on tower construction in response,[25] and an alternate site on Pinnacle Mountain in Henderson County was secured.[26] Pappas also contracted with WSPA-TV owner Spartan Communications to provide programming, including daily newscasts, under a local marketing agreement (LMA).[27][28]

The relaunched WASV was made available to cable subscribers in Greenville and Spartanburg on September 8, 1997. It began broadcasting from its new tower on October 5 and at that time became an affiliate of UPN. In addition to UPN and WB programming, the station aired syndicated programming but had no local newscast.[29][30] When WASV signed with UPN, it was announced that the station would eventually become a sole affiliate of that network.[31] This was because The WB had already signed to move its station to the Sinclair Broadcast Group–associated WFBC-TV (channel 40).[32] This came to pass on September 6, 1999, when WB programs moved and that station became WBSC.[33]

On December 8, 1999, Spartan Communications agreed to be purchased by Media General for $605 million. The transaction bolstered Media General's portfolio of Southeastern TV stations while marking the end of a local, family-owned broadcaster.[34] Media General was permitted to buy WASV-TV outright in 2002, even though under FCC rules of the time the market had too few stations to permit duopolies.[35]

Logo used as WASV from September 2002 to September 2006.

The WB and UPN merged in 2006 to form The CW.[36] Sinclair decided to affiliate WBSC with MyNetworkTV, a new service formed by the News Corporation, which was also owner of the Fox network.[37][38] The CW announced an affiliation agreement with WASV on March 28, 2006.[39] Ahead of the launch of the new network, WASV changed call signs to WYCW.[40]

On March 1, 2009, WSPA's digital tower on Hogback Mountain collapsed in a wind storm, taking down the tower used for analog broadcasting—dating to the 1970s—as it fell. WSPA's digital signal was restored as a subchannel of WYCW, and a replacement antenna was mounted on the remnant lower portion of the digital tower to broadcast a temporary analog and digital service until a replacement tower was constructed.[41]

On September 8, 2015, Media General announced that it would acquire the Meredith Corporation, then-owner of regional Fox affiliate WHNS (channel 21), for $2.4 billion to form Meredith Media General. With WSPA and WHNS among the four highest-rated stations in the market, one of WSPA or WHNS would have had to be divested had the deal gone through.[42][43] That sale was canceled on January 27, 2016, in favor of a sale of Media General to the Nexstar Broadcasting Group[44] that was completed in January 2017.[45] Nexstar acquired the CW network in 2022.[46]

Newscasts

[edit]

After buying WASV-TV outright, Media General moved to establish a news presence on channel 62. On March 4, 2002, WSPA-TV began producing The News on 62, a 10 p.m. half-hour newscast with regional news and weather.[47] A morning news extension from 7 to 9 a.m. was later added. In 2022, the 10 p.m. news was extended to a full hour.[48]

Technical information

[edit]

What was then WASV-TV began airing a digital signal on channel 45 on March 8, 2002.[49] The digital signal remained on channel 45[50] when the station shut down its analog signal on February 17, 2009, the original digital transition date.[51] In 2017, Nexstar sold WYCW's spectrum in exchange for $45.6 million as part of the spectrum auction,[52] with the two stations beginning to broadcast from the same transmitter site in 2018.[53]

Subchannels

[edit]

The WSPA-TV/WYCW transmitter is on Hogback Mountain in northeastern Greenville County, South Carolina.[1]

Subchannels of WSPA-TV and WYCW[54]
License Channel Res. Short name Programming
WSPA-TV 7.1 1080iWSPA-HDCBS
7.3 480iIONIon Television
40.2 480iTBDCharge! (WMYA-TV)
WYCW 62.1 1080iWYCW-HDThe CW
62.3 480iREWINDRewind TV
  Broadcast on behalf of another station

Translators

[edit]

WSPA-TV–WYCW's signal is additionally rebroadcast over the following translators, mostly in North Carolina:[55]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Facility Technical Data for WYCW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "WISE-TV Has Debut On Air". Asheville Citizen. August 2, 1953. p. 14. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Telecasts By WLOS To Start Today". Asheville Citizen. September 18, 1954. p. 14. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  4. ↑ "First Cable TV Service Expected Here By Feb. 1, Thoms Announces". Asheville Citizen. November 2, 1967. p. 45. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  5. ↑ "History Cards for WISE-TV/WANC-TV". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
  6. ↑ "We Are Back On The Air". Asheville Citizen-Times. March 31, 1974. p. 12B. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Weak signal cited: Agency puts WHNS-TV on hold". Asheville Citizen. Associated Press. July 22, 1982. p. 24. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ Harrison, Tom (April 1, 1984). "TV-21: on the air". Greenville News. pp. TV Spotlight 24, 25. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Important Message to Television Viewers in Southeast Asheville". Asheville Citizen-Times. March 25, 1973. p. 26. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  10. ↑ "For the Record". Broadcasting. February 21, 1983. p. 84. ProQuest 963235484.
  11. ↑ "For the Record". Broadcasting. October 14, 1985. p. 75. ProQuest 1014730205.
  12. ↑ "WYCW". FCCdata.org. REC Networks. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 "WASV-TV". Television & Cable Factbook. Vol. 74. 2006. p. A-1601.
  14. ↑ Knight, Myra (September 28, 1986). "8 Apply To Operate New TV Stations In State". Durham Morning Herald. pp. 7C. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting. December 1, 1986. p. 111. ProQuest 1014725811.
  16. ↑ Kiss, Tony (May 15, 1987). "Asheville May Get New Television Station". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1CL. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Public Notice". Asheville Citizen-Times. August 1, 1988. p. 1CL. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  18. ↑ Dukess, Karen (January 19, 1988). "New shopping network aims to be a 'class act'". St. Petersburg Times. p. City Times and Independent 8. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  19. ↑ Lindley, David (February 29, 1988). "Video Marketing Network ready to take on King HSN". The Bradenton Herald. p. Business Extra 5. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  20. ↑ Liesman, Steve (May 5, 1988). "Video Marketing Buys Fashion Network". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. pp. 1D, 5D. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  21. ↑ "High Power TV Station License WASV-TV62, Asheville, NC Liquidation Priced at $350,000". Broadcasting (Advertisement). February 25, 1991. p. 65. ProQuest 1016938475.
  22. ↑ Kiss, Tony (October 26, 1994). "Asheville cable to offer Playboy channel". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 3B. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Notice". Asheville Citizen-Times. April 25, 1994. pp. 6D. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  24. ↑ Alexander, Phil (May 10, 1996). "New TV station planned for area". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. A1. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  25. ↑ Alexander, Phil (May 29, 1996). "Moratorium only obstacle to WASV tower". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. B1. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  26. ↑ "TV tower awaiting final approval". Asheville Citizen-Times. December 4, 1996. p. B2. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  27. ↑ "New TV station". Asheville Citizen-Times. June 26, 1996. p. B1. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  28. ↑ Davidson, Paul (June 26, 1996). "Spartan to run proposed independent TV station". The Greenville News. p. 6D. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  29. ↑ O'Donoghue, Ed (August 29, 1997). "Upstate gets its sixth TV station". The Greenville News. p. 6D. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  30. ↑ Kiss, Tony (October 5, 1997). "New TV station hits Asheville airwaves today". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. F1. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  31. ↑ "WASV-TV signs deal with UPN". The Greenville News. September 19, 1997. p. 6D. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  32. ↑ McClellan, Steve (July 21, 1997). "WB woos and wins Sinclair" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. pp. 4, 8. ProQuest 225341388. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  33. ↑ "WFBC changes call letters". Anderson Independent-Mail. September 28, 1999. p. 5C. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ Bray, Chad (December 9, 1999). "Deal ends family-owned Upstate TV era: Media General buys Spartan Communications". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. pp. 1D, 6D. Retrieved November 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ McConnell, Bill. "Duopolies: The pair necessities". Broadcasting & Cable. pp. 58–61. ProQuest 225284755.
  36. ↑ Carter, Bill (January 24, 2006). "UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  37. ↑ "News Corp. Unveils MyNetworkTV". Broadcasting & Cable. February 22, 2006. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  38. ↑ Romano, Allison (March 2, 2006). "Sinclair Signs On to MyNetworkTV". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  39. ↑ Romano, Allison (March 28, 2006). "The CW Signs 30 More Affils". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  40. ↑ Kiss, Tony (August 25, 2006). "Changes coming for area TV stations". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. Take5 29. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Work to restore on-air signal begins after WSPA-TV tower collapse". Broadcast Engineering. March 5, 2009. ProQuest 204175518.
  42. ↑ "Media General Acquiring Meredith For 2.4 Billion". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. September 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  43. ↑ Cynthia Littleton (September 8, 2015). "TV Station Mega Merger: Media General Sets $2.4 Billion Acquisition of Meredith Corp". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Nexstar Agrees to Buy Media General for $4.6B". January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Nexstar Broadcasting Group Completes Acquisition of Media General Creating Nexstar Media Group, The Nation's Second Largest Television Broadcaster". Nexstar Media Group. January 17, 2017. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  46. ↑ Messmer, Jack (August 15, 2022). "Nexstar Management Of CW Is Immediate". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  47. ↑ "Channel 62 to launch local newscast Monday". Asheville Citizen-Times. March 2, 2002. p. B5. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  48. ↑ Malone, Michael (October 12, 2022). "Local News Close-Up: Lots of Upside in Upstate South Carolina". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  49. ↑ "WASV-DT". Television & Cable Factbook. Vol. 74. 2006. p. A-1600.
  50. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  51. ↑ Kiss, Tony (February 14, 2009). "Switch to all-digital TV stalls". Asheville Citizen-Times. pp. A1, A5. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ↑ "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. p. 1. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Channel 7 & 62 signal troubleshooting". WSPA. March 29, 2018.
  54. ↑ "RabbitEars TV Query for WSPA". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  55. ↑ "List of TV Translator Input Channels". Federal Communications Commission. July 23, 2021. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
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