Hampton Roads, Virginia United States |
|
---|---|
City | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
Branding | Fox 43 (general) WAVY News 10 (newscasts) |
Slogan | On Your Side (during WAVY-produced newscasts) |
Channels |
Digital: 29 (UHF) Virtual: 43 (PSIP) |
Translators | 36 WPMC-CD Mappsville 45 WNLO-CD Norfolk |
Affiliations | Fox (1998–present) |
Owner |
Nexstar Media Group (Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.) |
Founded | June 13, 1985 |
First air date | March 22, 1993 |
Call letters' meaning | Virginia Beach Television |
Sister station(s) | WAVY-TV |
Former channel number(s) |
Analog: 43 (UHF, 1993–2009) |
Former affiliations |
Independent (1993–1995) The WB (1995–1998) |
Transmitter power | 1,000 kW |
Height | 241 m |
Facility ID | 65387 |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°49′14″N 76°30′41″W / 36.82056°N 76.51139°W |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
Website | fox43tv.com |
WVBT, UHF digital channel 29 (virtual channel 43), is a television station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia (comprising the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton and environs), and the Outer Banks region of northeastern North Carolina. WVBT is owned by Nexstar Media Group as part of a duopoly with NBC affiliate WAVY-TV (channel 10). The two stations share studios and offices located on Wavy Street in Portsmouth, and WVBT broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Driver neighborhood of Suffolk, Virginia.
WVBT's programming can also be seen on two Class A repeaters: WPMC-CD (channel 36) in Mappsville, Virginia; and WNLO-CD (channel 45) in Norfolk.
WVBT began operation on March 22, 1993 with Home Shopping Network programming along with infomercials and religious shows. It became a charter affiliate of The WB starting on January 11, 1995. Shortly thereafter, the station's original local owners signed a local marketing agreement (LMA) with LIN TV. Under that agreement, WAVY took over the station's operations, and WVBT moved to WAVY's studios in Portsmouth. In May 1996, WVBT began broadcasting from a new transmitter, giving it a coverage area comparable to the other major Hampton Roads stations. Before then, its over-the-air signal was effectively limited to Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk.