Rabbit ears: Free TV in Charlottesville

By Courteney Stuart |
Published online Thursday Aug 26th, 2004
and in print issue #0334 dated Thursday Aug 26th, 2004

WCAV, WVAW, WVIR, WCVL. With all the call letters being bandied about these days, you won't be blamed for scratching your head and uttering "huh?" Here's the breakdown of which station is which, and where and when you can catch it.

CBS19

Call letters: WCAV

Watch it: broadcast 19, cable 18

Owned by: Gray Television

Launching on: September 1, local news to air mid-October

Adelphia effect: Adelphia is dropping WUSA, the D.C.-based CBS affiliate that formerly held channel 18.

ABC16

Call letters: WVAW

Watch it: broadcast 16, cable 3

Owned by: Gray Television

Launched on: August 16; local news to air mid-October

Adelphia effect: Adelphia is dropping WHSV, the Gray-owned Harrisonburg ABC station that formerly held channel 3.

WCVL9

Call letters: WCVL

Watch it: broadcast 9, cable 14

Owned by: Mediacast LLC (Denny King, Bob Sigman, Kirk Schroder)

Launching on: No date set

Adelphia effect: None yet. "They've approached the city about taking the channel," says Adelphia spokesman Lon Carruth, "but nothing is finalized yet."

NBC 29

Call letters: WVIR

Watch it: broadcast 29, cable 4

Owned by: Waterman Broadcasting

Launched on: 1973

Adelphia effect: none

WHTJ (PBS)

Call letters: WHTJ

Watch it: broadcast 41, cable 7

Owned by: Community Idea Stations

Launched on: 1964 in Richmond (as WCVE); 1965 in Charlottesville (translator installed; transmitter in 1989)

Adelphia effect: none

WVPT (PBS)

Call letters: WVPT

Watch it: broadcast 50, cable 11

Owned by: Shenandoah Valley Education Television Corporation

Launched on: 1968 in Harrisonburg; 1976 in Charlottesville (translator installed)

Adelphia effect: none