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WSAW-TV
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WSAW-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Wausau, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power Fox affiliate WZAW-LD (channel 33). The two stations share studios on Grand Avenue/US 51 in Wausau; WSAW-TV's transmitter is located on Rib Mountain.[3]
Key Information
To serve the Northwoods area of Northern Wisconsin, it operates a digital fill-in translator in Sayner (W21DS-D) that also covers Eagle River. This station broadcasts on UHF channel 21 (also mapping to virtual channel 7) from a transmitter on Razorback Road in unincorporated Vilas County (north of Sayner). The low-power repeater also serves the western portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula although the broadcasting radius is limited to Marenisco and Watersmeet.
History
[edit]The station launched on October 24, 1954, as WSAU-TV, a sister station to 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.[4] Channel 7 originally operated from the Plumer Mansion, a 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.[5]
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".[6] The logo and mascot served as representations of the station for several decades. Wisconsin Valley expanded with WMTV in Madison and radio station WKAU in Kaukauna. In 1965, Wisconsin Valley purchased its first media holding outside of the state, KVTV in Sioux City, Iowa; as a consequence of doing business in other states, the firm renamed itself Forward Communications in January 1967.[7]
Forward sold off WSAU and WIFC radio in 1980. Since the radio station retained the WSAU call sign, Forward immediately applied to change channel 7's call sign to the similar-sounding WSAW-TV.[8] The WSAW-TV call sign became effective on March 8, 1981.[9]
It has been affiliated with CBS since its beginning although the station did have secondary affiliations with DuMont (until that network expired in 1956), ABC (until WAOW signed-on in 1965), and NBC (until WAEO [now WJFW-TV] launched in 1966). On September 5, 2006, WSAW added MyNetworkTV to a second digital subchannel.[citation needed]
WSAW-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, at 11:55 pm on February 17, 2009,[10] the original target date on which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009); the station concluded its analog broadcasts with a sign-off message from Sir Seven.[11] The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 40 to its analog era VHF channel 7.[12] On April 2, 2011, WSAW became the first station in the market to broadcast local newscast in high definition.[13] 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.[14]
On July 1, 2015, Gray bought the non-license assets of the market's Fox affiliate WFXS-DT (channel 55, owned by Davis Television, 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 virtual 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.[15]
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.[16] 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 its CW digital subchannel (which aired on WFXS before July 1, 2015).
On October 1, 2015, the station began using its new studio. It was the first upgrade in a decade and took months to finish. The new studio includes two new state-of-the art sets: one each for WSAW and WZAW.[17] Eventually, the WZAW-LD simulcast on WSAW's third subchannel was upgraded to high definition to provide full-market access to Fox programming in HD.
On February 1, 2021, Gray announced that they would purchase Quincy Media's radio and TV properties for $925 million.[18] At the time, Quincy owned WAOW in the market, so Gray had agreed to divest WAOW and its Wisconsin sister stations to Allen Media Group for $380 million on April 29 in order to satisfy FCC requirements.[19] WSAW added The CW as a subchannel on August 2, 2021.[20]
News operation
[edit]WSAW presently broadcasts 22+1⁄2 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 4+1⁄2 hours each weekday, and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays).
Technical information
[edit]The stations' signals are multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | CBS | CBS |
| 7.2 | 480i | MeTV+ | MyNetworkTV/MeTV | |
| 7.3 | 720p | FOX | Fox (WZAW-LD) | |
| 7.4 | CW | CW+ (WYOW) | ||
| 7.5 | 480i | Quest | Quest | |
| 7.6 | Outlaw | Outlaw |
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.10 | 1080i | 16:9 | WSAW-DT | CBS (WSAW-TV) |
| 33.10 | 720p | Fox | Fox (WZAW-LD) | |
| 34.1 | WYOW-DT | The CW Plus |
Translators
[edit]| City of license | Callsign | Channel | ERP | HAAT | Facility ID | Transmitter coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sayner | W21DS-D | 21 | 15 kW | 138 m (453 ft) | 167156 | 46°01′55.0″N 89°31′49.0″W / 46.031944°N 89.530278°W |
References
[edit]- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WSAW-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WYOW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "TV Query Results -- Video Division (FCC) USA". transition.fcc.gov. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ "Agree on Merger of TV Interests, WSAU Sale to Valley Television Corp". Wausau Daily Record-Herald. Wausau, Wisconsin. March 29, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Site of the Plumer Mansion - Wausau, Wisconsin". wikimapia.org.
- ^ Behrens, Matt. "The History of NewsChannel 7". WSAW. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016.
- ^ "TV Corporation Has New Name". Wausau Daily Herald. Wausau, Wisconsin. January 9, 1967. p. 7. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "FCC approval pending: Forward sells two local radio stations". Wausau Daily Herald. Wausau, Wisconsin. November 22, 1980. p. 3. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "History Cards for WSAW-TV". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
- ^ "Notification of Analog Signal Termination". WSAW. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ Archived at the Wayback Machine: "WSAW Analog Signoff". YouTube. June 13, 2009.
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Levin, Phil. "NewsChannel7 Newscasts Now in HD". WSAW. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.
- ^ DesRivieres, John. ""Sir 7" is Coming Back to Newschannel 7". WSAW. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.
- ^ "Gray in 4 New Deals, Closes 3 Earlier Ones". TVNewsCheck. July 1, 2015. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Raff, Robert (June 9, 2015). "Interference Consent" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
- ^ Caldwell, Sean (October 1, 2015). "WSAW, WZAW debut new, state-of-the-art Wausau studios". WSAW-TV. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (February 1, 2021). "Gray Television Acquires Quincy Media For $925 Million In Cash". Deadline. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ Media, Gray (April 29, 2021). "Gray Sells Divestiture Stations From Quincy Media Transaction to Allen Media for $380 Million". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ Poltrock, Heather (August 2, 2021). "WSAW adds CW to TV lineup, StartTV moves to 33.5". www.wsaw.com. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "RabbitEars.Info". rabbitears.info.
- ^ a b "Facebook". www.facebook.com.
- ^ a b "TitanTV Programming Guide". Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- The CW Central Wisconsin Archived March 11, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
WSAW-TV
View on GrokipediaHistory
Founding and early operations
WSAW-TV began operations as WSAU-TV on October 24, 1954, marking it as the first television station in Wausau and North Central Wisconsin. Founded by broadcaster Richard "Dick" Dudley, the station was established in connection with the existing WSAU radio operations, providing a foundational link between local radio and emerging television broadcasting in the region. Broadcasting initially from the historic Plumer Mansion—known locally as "The Castle"—in downtown Wausau, WSAU-TV quickly became a vital source of information and entertainment for communities across Marathon County and surrounding areas.[11][6] From its launch, WSAU-TV held a primary affiliation with CBS, supplemented by secondary affiliations with NBC, ABC, and the DuMont Television Network until the latter's closure in 1956. This multi-network arrangement allowed the station to offer a diverse lineup of national programming while emphasizing local content tailored to the needs of rural and small-town viewers in central Wisconsin. Early programming centered on community-oriented segments, including local news anchored by Walter John Chilsen, weather reports by Howard Gernetzke, and sports coverage that began with Mark Zelich in 1957; these efforts helped build viewer loyalty by covering regional events, agricultural updates, and high school sports. The station's inaugural broadcast, delayed by two weeks due to technical issues, featured Chilsen's voice announcing the sign-on, underscoring the pioneering spirit of local media in the post-World War II era.[11][10] Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, WSAU-TV expanded its technical capabilities and facilities to meet growing demand, including the adoption of color broadcasting as part of the broader industry transition during that decade. In 1967, the station came under the ownership of Forward Communications Corporation, with Dudley serving as president, which facilitated investments in equipment and programming to enhance signal quality and content production. By the early 1970s, operations relocated from the Plumer Mansion to a new studio on Grand Avenue, accommodating larger production needs. A significant milestone occurred in 1981 when the call sign changed to WSAW-TV, prompted by the divestiture of the affiliated radio stations and Federal Communications Commission rules restricting shared call letters between separately owned broadcast outlets. This rebranding solidified the station's independent identity while maintaining its commitment to serving Wausau and the broader North Central Wisconsin audience.[11][6]Ownership transitions and expansions
In 1967, WSAU-TV was acquired by Forward Communications, marking the station's first major ownership change after its founding as part of the Wisconsin Valley Television Company.[13] Forward, a Wausau-based group owner, operated the station alongside its radio siblings WSAU (AM) and WIFC (FM) until 1980, when the radio outlets were divested to Mid-West Communications while retaining the WSAU call letters.[14] This separation prompted a call sign adjustment for the television station. On March 8, 1981, following its sale to United Communications Corporation, the station adopted its current WSAW-TV call letters to avoid confusion with the radio stations.[13] The transaction separated the television operations from the original radio cluster, allowing WSAW-TV to focus solely on its primary CBS affiliation, which it had maintained since sign-on while dropping secondary ABC and NBC alignments by 1966 as competing stations entered the market. United Communications, later rebranded as Quincy Media, guided WSAW-TV through further growth until 2021. Quincy Media's acquisition by Gray Television was announced on February 1, 2021, for $925 million in cash, transferring ownership of WSAW-TV effective August 2, 2021, after regulatory approvals.[15] To comply with FCC ownership limits in overlapping markets, Gray divested Quincy's ABC affiliate WAOW-TV (channel 9) and its full-power satellite WMOW-TV (channel 23) to Allen Media Group for $380 million as part of the deal, while retaining WSAW-TV and converting semi-satellite WYOW-TV (channel 34) in Eagle River from ABC to CBS alignment.[16] Key expansions under corporate ownership included the January 4, 1997, launch of WYOW-TV in Eagle River as a semi-satellite extending WSAW-TV's reach to northern markets; it initially carried ABC programming (1997–2021) with a brief Fox affiliation from 1997 to 1999 before reverting to ABC under WAOW ownership until the 2021 switch. On July 1, 2015, Gray acquired the non-license assets of Fox affiliate WFXS-TV (channel 55) from Davis Television for $300,000, relocating the programming to low-power translator WZAW-LD (channel 33) to establish a dedicated Fox affiliate simulcast with WSAW-TV's facilities.[17] Facility upgrades supported these developments, including WSAW-TV's transition to high-definition newscasts on April 2, 2011, which introduced enhanced graphics and a refreshed on-air look. A new state-of-the-art studio at 1114 Grand Avenue/US 51 in Wausau opened on October 1, 2015, consolidating operations for WSAW-TV and WZAW-LD with advanced production capabilities.[12] Affiliation expansions continued with the addition of The CW Plus as a subchannel on 7.4 (and 34.1 via WYOW) starting August 2, 2021, relocating Start TV to 33.5.[18] In October 2024, WSAW-TV celebrated its 70th anniversary with special programming highlighting its historical milestones and community impact.[19]Digital television
Subchannels
WSAW-TV, along with its satellite stations WYOW and low-power repeater WZAW-LD, broadcasts multiple digital subchannels providing a mix of network affiliates and syndicated programming to viewers in north-central Wisconsin. These subchannels utilize virtual channel mappings established following the station's full-power digital transition in 2009, allowing seamless numbering for over-the-air reception. The lineup includes high-definition feeds for major network content and standard-definition for digital multicast networks, all in 16:9 aspect ratio. The primary subchannels of WSAW-TV are as follows:| Virtual Channel | Resolution | Programming | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 1080i | CBS | Primary affiliation since the station's launch on October 24, 1954. |
| 7.2 | 480i | MeTV+ | Added around 2020; features classic TV programming. |
| 7.3 | 720p | Fox (simulcast of WZAW-LD) | Added in August 2015 as part of the Fox affiliation expansion. |
| 7.4 | 480i | The CW Plus | Launched on August 2, 2021, replacing prior subchannel content. |
| 7.5 | 480i | Quest | Added on March 11, 2020, featuring home improvement and adventure programming. |
| 7.6 | 480i | Outlaw | Launched on January 1, 2024, dedicated to Western-themed content. |
| Virtual Channel | Resolution | Programming | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.10 | 720p | CBS (simulcast of WSAW-TV 7.1) | Provides extended signal reach for CBS content. |
| 33.10 | 720p | Fox (simulcast of WZAW-LD 33.1) | Added in conjunction with the 2015 Fox affiliation. |
| 34.1 | 720p | The CW Plus (simulcast of WSAW-TV 7.4) | Launched in 2021 alongside the main CW addition. |
| Virtual Channel | Resolution | Programming | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33.1 | 720p | Fox | Primary channel, launched in August 2015. |
| 33.2 | 480i | MeTV | Syndicated classic TV. |
| 33.3 | 480i | Movies! | Movie programming. |
| 33.4 | 480i | Heroes & Icons | Action and crime dramas. |
| 33.5 | 480i | Start TV | Added in October 2019; moved from WSAW-TV 7.4 in 2021. |
| 34.10 | 480i | The CW Plus | Simulcast of WSAW-TV 7.4, launched in 2021. |