WWAY

infobox broadcast
call_letters = WWAY
station_
station_slogan = Live. Local. Interactive.
station_branding = WWAY NewsChannel 3
analog =
digital = 46 (UHF)
subchannels = 3.1 ABC 3.2 local weather radar
founded = October 8, 1964 [The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says October 1, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says October 30.]
location = Wilmington, North Carolina
callsign_meaning = the word WAY
former_channel_numbers = Analog:
3 (1964-2008)
owner = Morris Multimedia
licensee = WWAY-TV, LLC
effective_radiated_power = 1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 590 m
facility_id = 12033
coordinates = coord|34|7|53.8|N|78|11|15.4|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wwaytv3.com/ www.wwaytv3.com]

WWAY, channel 3, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Wilmington, North Carolina, owned by Morris Multimedia. WWAY's offices and studios are located in Wilmington, and its transmitter is located in Winnabow, North Carolina, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Wilmington.

WWAY is one of five Wilmington television stations that agreed to end analog transmissions early and became a digital-only station on September 8, 2008, [http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/7920 Digital TV switch coming early to Southeastern NC | WWAY NewsChannel 3 | Wilmington NC News ] ] five months ahead of the February 17, 2009 date for all US full-power television stations to complete digital transition. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf]

This makes the Wilmington market the first in the United States to convert to all-digital, serving as an FCC post-transition test market.

History

WWAY first signed on the air on October 1, 1964 as the second television station in Wilmington, preceded by WECT (channel 6) by more than ten years. It has been an ABC affiliate since its inception. This was somewhat unusual for a two-station market (especially one of Wilmington's size), and the reason is not clear to this day. In most two-station markets, ABC was relegated to secondary status on the existing stations.

WWAY was founded by local Wilmington interests, but by the mid-1980s the station was owned by Clay Communications. The station has undergone a revolving door of owners over the course of the next two decades: In 1987 Clay sold its broadcasting interests, including WWAY, to Price Communications. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DE1738F932A35756C0A961948260 COMPANY NEWS; Clay-Price Pact On 4 TV Stations - New York Times ] ] A year later Price sold WWAY to Adams Television [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6D91430F934A2575AC0A96E948260 COMPANY NEWS; BRIEFS - New York Times ] ] , who flipped the station to Hillside Broadcasting a few years later. Hillside then sold WWAY to Cosmos Broadcasting, a subsidiary of the Liberty Corporation, in 1999. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E2DE1E3FF932A35752C0A96F958260 Company News; Liberty Subsidiary Buys Tv Station In North Carolina - New York Times ] ] In 2005, Liberty merged its broadcasting interests with Raycom Media, which already owned WECT, and the Federal Communications Commission's duopoly rules do not allow common ownership of two of the four largest stations in a single market. Channel 3 was spun-off to current owner Morris Multimedia in 2006.

On May 8, 2008, the Federal Communications Commission announced that five stations in Wilmington, including WWAY, had agreed to voluntarily cease analog broadcasting on September 8, 2008, http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-282032A1.pdf] serving as a test market for the 2009 national US DTV transition.

Current personalities

;Anchors
*Ann McAdams - weeknights
*Marcy Cuevas - "Good Morning Carolina"
*Steve Rondinaro - weeknights
*Kevin Wuzzardo - "Good Morning Carolina"

;Weather
*Jerry Jackson - "Good Morning Carolina" and Noon
*Chris Phillips - chief meteorologist/weeknights
*Sonya Stevens - weekends

;Reporters
*Meghan Torjussen, also weekend anchor
*Meghan Packer, also weeknight anchor at 11pm
*Jenna Ciazzo
*Andy Scherr
*Margo Gray
*Tim Pullian
*Stephanie Beecken
*John Rendleman
*Vicky Brice - Traffic Command

Notable alumni

*Steve Beverly
*Ben Byrd
*Kaci Christian
*Douglas Clark
*Kim Downing
*Dawn Davenport
*Jon Evans
*Kitty Fitzgibbon
*Chris Francis
*Shirley Gilbert
*Dina Garrett
*Carisa Lawson
*Jeff Lennox
*Mark Mcginnis
*Gene Motley
*Kim Ratcliff
*Karen Schradin
*Ken Waltlington

External links

* [http://www.wwaytv3.com/ WWAY-TV 3 Homepage]
* [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/09/wilmington-nc-t.html Digital TV transition kicks off in Wilmington NC, LA Times, September 8, 2008]
*
*
*

References