Photos • Location


WVRN-TV Latitude and Longitude:
37°30′14″N 77°41′53″W / 37.50389°N 77.69806°W / 37.50389; -77.69806
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WVRN-TV
Old WVRN-TV tower
Channels
Programming
AffiliationsDefunct
Ownership
Owner
  • Sudbrink Broadcasting
  • (Sudbrink Broadcasting Co. of Richmond)
History
FoundedJune 27, 1980 (1980-06-27) [1]
First air date
November 24, 1984 (1984-11-24) [2]
Last air date
  • September 9, 1988 (1988-09-09)
  • (3 years, 290 days)
Former call signs
  • WRNX (1980–1984)
  • WTLL (1984–1986)
Call sign meaning
"We're Virginian"
Technical information
Facility ID63601
ERP2,600 kW [2]
HAAT1,280 ft (390 m) [2]
Transmitter coordinates 37°30′14″N 77°41′53″W / 37.50389°N 77.69806°W / 37.50389; -77.69806 [2]

WVRN-TV (channel 63) was an independent television station in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It operated from November 24, 1984, to September 8, 1988, first as a religious station, then a general entertainment independent station.

History

The Christian Broadcasting Network received a construction permit for a television station in Richmond on June 27, 1980. [1] The station, which took the WRNX call sign, [3] was to adopt a general entertainment format with cartoons, sitcoms and westerns, as well as religious shows, similar to its other independent stations, including flagship WYAH-TV in Hampton Roads (now WGNT). It was also to run Pat Robertson's The 700 Club three times a day.

However, in 1982, CBN sold WRNX to National Capital Christian Broadcasting, owner of WTKK in Manassas, Virginia, for $34,500. [4] National Capital launched the station on November 24, 1984, [2] as WTLL, [5] airing religious programming previously shown on WRLH-TV. The format featured such Christian programming as The PTL Club, Jimmy Swaggart and many televangelists. For about seven hours a day weekdays and Saturdays, WTLL featured a mix of classic sitcoms, westerns, and some children's programs, including some recent cartoons on weekdays. The station was about 60% Christian and 40% secular. On Sundays, the station only ran Christian programming.

National Capital sold WTLL to Sudbrink Broadcasting for $3 million [6] on March 31, 1986. The station changed its call letters to WVRN-TV on April 28, [7] and took on a full-time general entertainment format, competing directly against WRLH. However, Richmond was not big enough at the time to support two independent stations. As a result, both stations became increasingly unprofitable.

In September 1988, Act III Broadcasting, which had recently taken over WRLH-TV, bought WVRN's assets and merged WVRN's stronger programming onto WRLH's schedule. WVRN was then shut down and its license was returned to the FCC and deleted. [8]

The original broadcasting tower in Midlothian, Virginia, that had been used by WVRN is now owned by Motorola and leased as a transmitter tower by two separately owned local FM radio stations: Audacy-owned urban station WBTJ and VPM Media Corporation-owned public radio station WBBT-FM.

References

  1. ^ a b "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 4, 1980. p. 67. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Television & Cable Factbook 1988 Edition (PDF). 1988. p. A-1097. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  3. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 17, 1980. p. 79. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  4. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 14, 1982. p. 69. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  5. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 29, 1983. p. 120. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  6. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 20, 1986. p. 233. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  7. ^ "Call Sign History (DWVRN-TV)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  8. ^ "A TV station consolidation chronology" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. March 1, 1993. p. 39. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
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