WSKY-TV

Infobox broadcast
call_letters = WSKY-TV
station_
station_slogan = What to Watch
station_branding = Channel 4 Hampton Roads
digital = 4 (VHF)
post_transition = 9 (VHF, 21.3kW)
affiliations = 4.1 independent
owner = SKY Broadcasting Inc.
airdate = October 2001
location = Manteo, North Carolina
callsign_meaning = the word SKY, named for it's owner SKY Broadcasting Inc.
owner = Sky Television, LLC
effective_radiated_power = 12 kW
HAAT = 274 m
facility_id = 76324
coordinates = coord|36|31|15|N|76|18|15|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.4hamptonroads.com/ www.4hamptonroads.com]

WSKY-TV, which launched in October 2001, is a full-power/full market independent station serving the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA television market (DMA) and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The station, which is part of the Hampton Roads market, broadcasts on digital channel 4 and is licensed to Manteo, North Carolina. Its analog transmitter was located in Powells Point, North Carolina on the WCXL tower. WSKY was the last station in the US to be license as an analog, VHF low-band channel.

WSKY is carried on Cox Communications Hampton Roads, Hampton Roads' on channel 4, as well as 2 Charter systems in the DMA, Adelphia and Time Warner Cable services, Dish Network, and DirecTV. Before its fall 2001 launch, channel 4 on Cox Cable housed LNC or Local News on Cable, WVEC-TV's 24-hour news station. When WSKY launched, LNC moved up to channel 5 on Cox Cable lineups.

While the morning programming consists of mainly infomercials, the day, afternoon, and evening programming consists of local first run entertainment/news, sitcom/drama reruns (both syndicated and non-syndicated), and movies. WSKY also offers a fair amount of first-run syndicated programming, as well as major league and NCAA sporting events, including coverage of the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA) and the Norfolk Tides (Minor league baseball). WSKY currently airs: Still Standing, Frasier, Roseanne, South Park, Hawaii Five-O, Reno 911!, The Nanny, Mad About You, Masterminds, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Dead Zone, Regenesis, A Different World, COPS, Raceline, and other favorites.

Despite the callsign and former branding of "SKY 4", it is not affiliated in any way with British Sky Broadcasting of the United Kingdom, nor its parent company, News Corporation (who also owns the Fox network).

Digital signal and tower collapse

The station's analog signal signed-off in late November 2006, as their digital signal was to sign-on from a new tower in Camden County, NC. WSKY had some challenges covering the Northern most area of the metro (Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton) on its analog signal; which was to be remedied with its new digital tower. Between 6 and 7 a.m. on the morning of March 2, 2007, in high winds during storms moving through the area, WSKY-DT's tower collapsed, also destroying the transmitter building. The tower was three weeks away from completion. [cite web | url=http://www.vartv.com/ | title=Major setback for WSKY-DT | publisher=VARTV.com | accessdate=2007-03-02] [cite web | url=http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6169382&nav=menu45_2 | title=Broadcast tower under construction in Camden Co. collapses during storm | publisher=WAVY-TV | accessdate=2007-03-02]

The tower was rebuilt and finished in November 2007. WSKY-DT started broadcasting a test pattern on November 24, 2007. [ [http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12299663#post12299663 Database Error ] ] . WSKY-DT started regular broadcasts on November 27, 2007.

Logos

External links

* [http://www.4hamptonroads.com/ WSKY-TV Website]
*TVQ|WSKY-TV
*FCCmap|WSKY-TV|TV|586297
*BIA|WSKY|TV|TV

References