WSAW-TV: Difference between revisions

| logo = [[File:WsawWSAW 2014logo 2012.pngwebp|150px200px]]

| branding = {{ubl|''NewsChannel 7''<br />My TV|MeTV Wausau ''(DT2)''<br />|[[WZAW-LD|Fox WZAW]] ''(DT3)''<br />|Central Wisconsin CW ''(DT4)''}}

| digital = 7 ([[very high frequency|VHF]])

| translators = W21DS-D 21 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]]) [[Sayner, Wisconsin|Sayner]]/[[Vilas County, Wisconsin|Vilas County, WI]]

| affiliations = {{ubl|'''7.1:''' [[CBS]]<br />|'''7.42:''' [[MyNetworkTV]]<br />[[MeTV]]|'''[[WZAW-LD|7.3]]:''' [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]<br />|'''7.4:''' [[The CW Plus|CW+]]<br />''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''

| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:'''| 7 (VHF, 1954–2009)|'''Digital:'''| 40 (UHF, until 2009)|'''''Translators:'''<br />57 & 42 W57AR/W42DH Sayner/Vilas County, WI''}}

| licensee = Gray Television Licensee, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]

| former_affiliations = '''All secondary:'''<br />{{ubl|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (secondary, 1954–1956)<br />|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (secondary, 1954–1965)<br />|[[NBC]] (secondary, 1954–1966)<br />'''DT3:'''<br />[[The Local AccuWeather Channel|AccuWX]]<br />[[Heroes & Icons]]}}

| erp = 72 [[kilowatt|kW]]

| class = [[digital terrestrial television|DT]]

| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|44|55|14.2|N|89|41|28.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}

| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]

| abovedigital = 28 = ([[UHF]])

| affiliations = {{ubl|'''7.10:''' CBS<br />|'''33.10:''' Fox<br />|'''34.1:''' CW+}}

'''WSAW-TV''' (channel 7) is a [[television station]] in [[Wausau, Wisconsin]], United States, affiliated with [[CBS]], [[MyNetworkTV]], and [[The CW Plus]]. It is owned by [[Gray Television]] alongside [[low-power broadcasting#Television|low-power]] [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WZAW-LD]] (channel 33). BothThe two stations share studios on Grand Avenue/[[U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin|US 51]] in Wausau, while; WSAW-TV's transmitter is located on [[Rib Mountain]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV Query Results -- Video Division (FCC) USA |url=https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=WSAW |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305015154/https%3A%2F%2Ffanyv88.com%3A443%2Fhttps%2Ftransition.fcc.gov%2Ffcc-bin%2Ftvq%3Fcall%3DWSAW |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |website=transition.fcc.gov}}</ref>

To serve the Northwoods area of Northern Wisconsin, it operates a digital fill-in [[broadcast relay station#Broadcast translators|translator]] in [[Sayner, Wisconsin|Sayner]] ('''W21DS-D''') that also covers [[Eagle River, Wisconsin|Eagle River]]. This station broadcasts on [[ultra high frequency|UHF]] channel 21 (also mapping to [[virtual channel]] 7) from a transmitter on Razorback Road in [[unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated]] [[Vilas County, Wisconsin|Vilas County]] (north of Sayner). The low-power repeater also serves the western portion of [[Michigan]]'s [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|Upper Peninsula]] although the broadcasting radius is limited to [[Marenisco Township, Michigan|Marenisco]] and [[Watersmeet Township, Michigan|Watersmeet]].

The station launched on October 23, 1954, as '''WSAU-TV''', a sister station to [[WSAU (AM)|WSAU radio]] (550 AM) and the original WSAU-FM (95.5, now [[WIFC]]; the current [[WSAU-FM]] is on 99.9 FM). It was originally owned by two groups who merged their applications in hearing: the radio station and the Wisconsin Valley Television Corporation, a consortium of North-Central Wisconsin newspapers that also included the ''Wausau Daily Record-Herald''.<ref name="Waus540329">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102719426/agree-on-merger-of-tv-interests-wsau-sa/|date=March 29, 1954|page=1|title=Agree on Merger of TV Interests, WSAU Sale to Valley Television Corp.|newspaper=Wausau Daily Record-Herald|location=Wausau, Wisconsin|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref><!-- Mon --> Channel 7 originally operated from the Plumer Mansion, a [[Richardsonian Romanesque|Richardsonian Romanesque-style]] building, that was located on North 5th Street in Wausau and torn down in 1972 one year after the station moved to its current home.<ref>[{{Cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/9788556/Site-of-the-Plumer-Mansion From Wikimapia: |title=Site of the Plumer Mansion in- Wausau, WI]Wisconsin|website=wikimapia.org}}</ref>

The Plumer Mansion's [[castle]]-like exterior and a [[suit of armor]] displayed in the mansion inspired the station's graphic designer, Sid Kyler, to design a medieval-style [[blackletter]] "7" logo along with an accompanying cartoon mascot, the fully armored knight "Sir Seven".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Behrens |first=Matt |title=The History of NewsChannel 7 |work=WSAW |url=https://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/39682167.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201103432/https://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/39682167.html |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> The logo and mascot served as representations of the station for several decades. Wisconsin Valley expanded with [[WMTV]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]] and radio station [[WJOK|WKAU]] in [[Kaukauna, Wisconsin|Kaukauna]]. In 1965, Wisconsin Valley purchased its first media holding outside of the state, [[KCAU-TV|KVTV]] in [[Sioux City, Iowa]]; as a consequence of doing business in other states, the firm renamed itself Forward Communications in January 1967.<ref name="Waus670109">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102710726/tv-corporation-has-new-name/|date=January 9, 1967|page=7|title=TV Corporation Has New Name|newspaper=Wausau Daily Herald|location=Wausau, Wisconsin|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref><!-- Mon -->

Forward sold off WSAU and WIFC radio in 1980;. Since the radio station retained the WSAU call sign, and Forward immediately applied forto thechange channel 7's call sign to the similar-sounding WSAW-TV.<ref name="Waus801122">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102719656/fcc-approval-pending-forward-sells-two/|date=November 22, 1980|page=3|title=FCC approval pending: Forward sells two local radio stations|newspaper=Wausau Daily Herald|location=Wausau, Wisconsin|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 28, 2022}}</ref><!-- Sat --> The WSAW-TV call sign became effective on March 8, 1981.<ref name="hc">{{FCC letter|hcards=yes|callsign=WSAW-TV|letterid=86790}}</ref>

It has been affiliated with CBS since its beginning although the station did have secondary affiliations with [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (until that network expired in 1956), [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (until [[WAOW]] signed-on in 1965), and [[NBC]] (until [[WJFW-TV|WAEO]] [now WJFW-TV] launched in 1966). On September 5, 2006, WSAW added MyNetworkTV to a second [[digital subchannel]]. Its broadcasts have been [[Digital television transition in the United States|digital-only]] since before midnight on February 16, 2009, when the analog sign-off featured a "good night" from Sir Seven.{{cn|date=March 2023|reason=Dead link, couldn't find an archive.}} On April 2, 2011, WSAW became the first station in the [[media market|market]] to broadcast local newscast in high definition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Levin |first=Phil |title=NewsChannel7 Newscasts Now in HD |work=WSAW |url=https://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/NewsChannel7__119226799.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723112103/http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/NewsChannel7__119226799.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011}}</ref> With the switch to HD came a revamp of their news set and new graphics, along with a return of Sir Seven as the station's mascot in a newly CGI-rendered form.<ref>{{Cite news |last=DesRivieres |first=John |title="Sir 7" is Coming Back to Newschannel 7 |work=WSAW |url=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/Sir_7_is_Coming_Back_to_Newschannel_7_119221189.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723112113/http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/Sir_7_is_Coming_Back_to_Newschannel_7_119221189.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011}}</ref>

On July 1, 2015, Gray bought the non-license assets of the market's Fox affiliate [[WFXS-DT]] (channel 55, owned by Davis Television, [[Limited liability company|LLC]]). Due to [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) ownership restrictions, a new low-power station (WZAW-LD, channel 33) was established to become the area's Fox affiliate. All of WFXS's program streams including WFXS's existing PSIPvirtual channel numbering were then moved to the low-power outlet. Subsequently, WFXS ceased broadcasting after nearly sixteen years on-the-air and its studios on North 3rd Street in Wausau were shut down.<ref name="tvnc-wfxsclosure">{{cite news |date=July 1, 2015 |title=Gray in 4 New Deals, Closes 3 Earlier Ones |work=TVNewsCheck |url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/86603/gray-in-4-new-deals-closes-3-earlier-ones |url-status=live |access-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305021559/https%3A%2F%2Ffanyv88.com%3A443%2Fhttps%2Ftvnewscheck.com%2Funcategorized%2Farticle%2Fgray-in-4-new-deals-closes-3-earlier-ones%2F |archive-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref>

In consenting to the interference that would be caused by WZAW operating under [[special temporary authority]] on channel 31 (the same [[RF]] channel as WFXS) rather than its licensed channel 33, Davis Television stated that it would return the WFXS license to the FCC for cancellation following the sale.<ref name=fcc-wfxstoclose>{{cite web|last1=Raff|first1=Robert|title=Interference Consent|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101680064&qnum=5410&copynum=1&exhcnum=2|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=July 3, 2015|format=PDF|date=June 9, 2015}}</ref> In August 2015, WSAW launched a prime time newscast on the Fox outlet known as ''WZAW News at 9''. This half-hour broadcast offers direct competition to [[WAOW]]'s thirty-minute, weeknight-only news airing at the same time on [[WMOW|its]] [[The CW|CW]] [[digital subchannel]] (which aired on WFXS before July 1, 2015).

WSAW presently broadcasts {{frac|22½|1|2}} hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with {{frac|4½|1|2}} hours each weekday, and 2two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays).

The stations' digital signals are [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:

|+Subchannels of WSAW-TV<ref name="auto1">[http{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WSAW#station |title=RabbitEars TV Query for WSAW].Info|website=rabbitears.info}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/NewsChannel7/photos/a.434442178659.230075.49134238659/1015057644208660/?type=1&theater {{User-generated source|certaintitle=yesFacebook|datewebsite=March 2022www.facebook.com}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=http://wsaw.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx|title=TitanTV Programming Guide|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012150525/http://wsaw.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx|archive-date=October 12, 2017|access-date=September 17, 2023}}</ref>

| [[1080i]] || rowspan=6| [[16:9]] || CBS || Main WSAW-TV programming / [[CBS]]

| [[480i]] || MyTVMeTV+ || [[MyNetworkTV]]/[[MeTV]]

| rowspan=2|[[720p]] || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|FOX || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] ([[WZAW-LD]])

| style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|CW || [[Thestyle="background-color: CW Plus#E6FFF7;"|[[CW+]] (WYOW)

| CircleOutlaw ||[[CircleOutlaw (TV network)|CircleOutlaw]]

| [[1080i]] || rowspan=23| [[16:9]] || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|WSAW-DT || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|[[CBS]] (WSAW-TV)

| rowspan=2|[[720p]] || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|Fox || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] ([[WZAW-LD]])

| 720p || 16:9 || WYOW-DT || Main WYOW programming / [[The CW Plus|The CW]]

! [[height above average terrain|HAAT]]

[[Category:TelevisionCBS channels and stations established in 1954affiliates]]