WSVI

WSVI
Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
Branding WSVI-TV Channel 8 (general)
News Channel 8 (newscasts)
Ion 8 VITN (alternate version)
Slogan The Virgin Islands Very Own
Channels Digital: 20 (UHF)
Virtual: 8 (PSIP)
Subchannels 8.1 Ion Television
Translators WFIG-LP 5 Charlotte Amalie
WZVI 43.1 Charlotte Amalie
Affiliations Ion Television (2016–present)
Owner Atlas News and Information Services Inc.
(Alpha Broadcasting Corporation [1])
First air date November 10, 1965 (1965-11-10)
Call letters' meaning WSVI: United States Virgin Islands
WZVI: WSVI 2 (represented with Z), Virgin Islands
WFIG-LP: W-FIGgie Family (former owners)
Former channel number(s) Analog
8 (VHF, 1965–2009)
Former affiliations ABC (1965–2015)
Transmitter power 1.1 kW
Height 312 m
Class Full service
Facility ID 2370
Transmitter coordinates 17°45′13.7″N 64°47′54.5″W / 17.753806°N 64.798472°W / 17.753806; -64.798472
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.wsvi.tv
www.wsvichannel8.com

WSVI is an Ion Television-affiliated, full-power television station licensed to Christiansted, St. Croix, and serving as the network's affiliate for the entire insular area of the United States Virgin Islands. The station transmits over channel 20, and identifies as their former analog channel, channel 8, via PSIP. The station is owned by Atlas News and Information Services.

WSVI has a satellite, WZVI channel 43, in Charlotte Amalie, as well as an analog translator, WFIG-LP channel 5. WFIG went off the air December 3, 2014 for financial reasons.[2]

The station under ABC affiliation signed off nightly at 2:00am AST (1:00 am AST March to November), but now carries a 24-hour schedule. Also under ABC affiliation without the resources or financial means to fill network time, it carried paid programming, Caribbean Lottery drawings, some local arts and events programming, and their weeknight-only local newscasts, as U.S. Virgin Islands receives other broadcast networks and superstations from the mainland via cable and satellite, thus the need for WSVI to maintain a full broadcast schedule of syndicated programming outside of network hours for island residents and tourists was negated, since those stations usually contain that syndicated programming in their schedules. Under their Ion affiliation this is less obvious, though some local programs continue to be carried in some timeslots, pre-empting Ion programming.

The company has had multiple ownership changes. Antilles Broadcasting Corp. sold WSVI to Group III Inc. for US$4 million.[3] In April 2011, WSVI's former owner, the Figgie Family Equity Fund, agreed to sell the station to Atlas News and Information Services of Las Vegas, Nevada, pending FCC approval.[4][5]

Until December 31, 2015, WSVI was affiliated with ABC. On January 1, 2016, the station switched to Ion Television after nearly 50 years with ABC; agreements were made with Lilly Broadcasting (which already provides a CBS feed with Caribbean-specific weather to the region via a second feed of their Erie, Pennsylvania station WSEE-TV) to provide an alternate ABC affiliate to serve the region, via WENY-TV in Elmira, New York on pay television.[6] Despite losing its affiliation with ABC, the station continues to carry the Litton's Weekend Adventure E/I block most associated with ABC affiliates, since that block is syndicated by Litton Entertainment and separate from any contract with ABC. The switch meant that no full-powered station based in the U.S. Virgin Islands has a primary affiliation with any of the "Big Four" networks.

Digital television

Digital channel

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[7]
8.1 720p 16:9 WSVI-TV Main WSVI programming / Ion Television

Analog-to-digital conversion

WSVI shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 8, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 20.[8] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 8.

References

  1. ↑ https://stations.fcc.gov/station-profile/wsvi
  2. ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA (WFIG-LP)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting: The Newsmagazine of the Fifth Estate: 99. November 17, 1986.
  4. ↑ TV Newscheck: "Full-Power TV On St. Croix Goes For $350K", May 2, 2011
  5. ↑ FCC Document: "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO TRANSFER CONTROL OF ENTITY HOLDING BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE" for WSVI, dated April 28, 2011.
  6. ↑ http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/where-is-abc-bachelor-fans-want-to-know-1.1991111[]
  7. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WSVI
  8. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
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