WVBT

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WVBT
city =
station_
station_slogan = First on Fox
station_branding = Fox 43 (general)
Fox 43 News (newscasts)
analog = 43 (UHF)
digital = 29 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = March 1993
location = Virginia Beach, Virginia
callsign_meaning = Virginia Beach Television
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = LIN TV
licensee = WAVY Broadcasting, LLC
sister_stations = WAVY-TV
former_affiliations = Independent (1994-1995)
The WB (1995-1998)
effective_radiated_power = 5,000 kW (analog)
1,000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 261 m (analog)
241 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 65387
coordinates = coord|36|49|16.1|N|76|30|39.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.myfoxhamptonroads.com/ myfoxhamptonroads.com]

WVBT, channel 43, is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Hampton Roads area of southeast Virginia that is licensed to Virginia Beach. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk. Owned by LIN TV, the station is sister to NBC affiliate WAVY-TV. The two stations share studios on Wythe Street in downtown Portsmouth. Along with network programming, syndicated programming on WVBT include: "Judge Hatchett", "Family Guy", "Seinfeld", and "Cristina's Court".

History

WVBT began operation in March of 1993 with Home Shopping Network programming along with infomercials and religious shows. It affiliated with The WB on January 11, 1995. Shortly thereafter, the station came under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with LIN TV and WAVY. In May of 1996, WVBT began broadcasting from a new transmitter. LIN TV came to an affiliation agreement with Fox in November of 1995 and WVBT became a network affiliate in August of 1998. WB affiliation was sent to WTVZ. [ [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp951130/11300414.htm FOX TO CHANGE AFFILIATION IN SEPTEMBER 1998, FOX PLANS TO MOVE FROM WTVZ IN NORFOLK TO WVBT IN VIRGINIA BEACH ] ] [ [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp951206/12060042.htm Locals Still Buzzing About Fox Switch ] ] LIN TV purchased the station out-right in February of 2002.

News operation

When WVBT made the switch to Fox in 1998, WAVY started producing a 10 P.M. newscast. It was not the market's first prime time newscast as CBS affiliate WTKR produced a short-lived newscast on WGNT from 1995 until 1997. [ [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp950921/09210058.htm Same Stuff On Wtkr News And Wgnt ] ] ABC affiliate WVEC-TV also produced a 10 o'clock newscast on WPEN-LP from 1995 until they started LNC 4 (now LNC 5) in 1997. [ [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp951014/10140278.htm Wvec, Wpen Team Up On Prime-Time Programming ] ] WVEC continues to produce a 10 P.M. newscast to this day on that station. The 45-minute broadcast on WVBT is followed by the "Fox 43 Sports Wrap" with sports news and highlights. On July 21, 2008, the newscast and sports show started to be produced in high definition.

"Fox 43 News at 10" "(10 to 10:45 P.M.)"
"Weeknights"
*Anchors:
**Eric Harryman
**Nicole Livas
*Weather:
**Don Slater
*Sports:
**Bruce Rader

"Weekends"
*Anchors:
**Lori Crouch
*Weather:
**Cheryl Nelson
*Sports:
**Ahmed Fareed

"WVBT features additional news personnel from WAVY. See that article for a complete listing."

Former personalities

*Kerri Furey - weekends
**now co-anchor of WAVY's weekday morning and noon newscasts
*Stephanie Harris - weekends
**current WAVY anchor and health reporter
*Krista Marino - weeknights
**married to former WAVY reporter Ted Oberg [http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=bios&id=3251581] [ [http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=105820&ran=206644 WHRE will join Cox Cable's lineup in July | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com ] ]
**now a stay-at-home mom in Houston, Texas
*David Nelson - weeknights
*Cheryl Tan - weekends
**now WAVY weekday morning traffic reporter
*Derek Wing - weekends
**left for KCPQ in Seattle, Washington
*Kelly Wright - weeknights
**now at Fox News Channel [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,78281,00.html FoxNews.com - Kelly Wright - Bio ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.myfoxhamptonroads.com/ WVBT "Fox 43"]
* [http://www.wavy.com WAVY-TV/DT]
*TVQ|WVBT