As planned, both the CBS (WCAV) and the ABC (WVAW) stations are on the air now, on channels 19 (18 cable) and 16 (3 cable), respectively. Both are just repeaters for national content, and won’t have local news until mid-October, or so goes the plan. The third new station, WCVL, is still shooting for a mid-November launch date, but there remains the matter of the $2M start-up funding. Inevitably, there is the question of whether the town can support a whopping four local TV stations — with the demise of the Observer, the question of how many local weeklies that Charlottesville can support may have been answered. Lisa Provence has the story in this week’s Hook.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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I so totally look forward to WCAV and WVAW launching their news. I predict months of giddy sniping on cvillenews.com, with employees of WVIR and WCAV taking pseudonymous potshots at each other and employees of weeklies goading them along all the while. It may not be quite as interesting as when The Hook split off from C-Ville Weekly, but I think it’ll be close.
waldo-
*cough* add the WCAV to the Local News links *cough*
we need to be fair and balence in Cvillenews RIGHT?
yeah…i wonder how much more Adelphia is going to raise their rates for these extra channels ??
Just wanted to let you know that the link for WCAV in your post is incorrect – should be http://www.wcav.tv.
they’re merely replacing two of the "out of area" affiliates that, by law, adelphia was required to provide room for, since c’ville had no CBS or ABC affiliates until now.
Neither channel is on cable yet (although WVAW wasn’t broadcasting actual programming as of yesterday). Anyone know when this is going to happen?
WCAV had a 30-second local news "update" during Seinfeld (the show occupying the 6 pm news slot). It was clearly being broadcast from a trailer, but the news anchor wasn’t bad.
but channel 18 is still showing as WUSA.
Just wanted to let you know that the link for WCAV in your post is incorrect – should be http://www.wcav.tv.
But it works good as wcav.com. :) Have they been promoting the .tv suffix?
*cough* add the WCAV to the Local News links *cough*
we need to be fair and balence in Cvillenews RIGHT?
Well, I don’t know what fair and balanced has to do with it [I’ve never promised to be either :) — also, if they have any sort of a slant to their news, I don’t know about it], but I will wait until they start putting news on their website.
picky picky :P
I just noticed that – I had looked on Google some time ago, and it was listed there with the .tv suffix.
New stations need on-air personalities to look earestly in the camera and pretend to be interested in news from the zoning board. The main qualifications for talking head are you look good and can read.
Waldo looks good. Damn good in fact. And he can read. Also he knows Charlottesville, which means he is over-qualified.
Here is a window of opportunity, Waldo, about to slam shut., Think about Bill Gates, when he saw a window of opportunity becae IBM had overlooked the necessity of having an operating system for its hardware.
But hold out for anchor. On-street reporters are a dime a dozen and paid at that rate.
Well, WCAV has finally replaced WUSA on channel 18 on Adelphia. Interesting that they show Seinfeld during both the 6 pm and 11 pm time slots against Dateline 29 News – I wonder how many viewers they’re pulling away!?
I wonder why Adelphia chose to retain Channel 6 out of Richmond instead of WUSA? I would think (and this is a WAG, not a SWAG) that there are far more displaced Metro Washingtonians here than displaced Richmonders.
Another observation – why is it that the Charlottesville network affiliates deliver pictures on Adelphia that are noticably inferior to their Richmond or DC counterparts? The picture quality on WCAV is pretty bad compared to Channel 6 or WUSA, and WVIR has never had a very good picture. Strange.
Somehow, I missed your comment for the past week, but it’s good, because I needed the laugh tonight. :) As if half of the town wasn’t totally sick of seeing my goofy mug in the paper pontificating on things I have no right about which to be pontificating, now I can get the other half totally sick of me!
But I *will* need a job come December, when I return to C’ville… Since I’m due to be married next year, the wife will be wanting me to provide, I suspect. ;) That talking head bit might start looking better and better.
I’m not a displaced Washingtonian, but I’d prefer WUSA to WTVR anyday! Maybe we need to complain to Adelphia? Don’t know if that would do any good, but it couldn’t hurt, and it might make us feel better!