WDTV

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WDTV
Image: WDTV.JPG
Weston-Clarksburg, West Virginia
Branding Newschannel 5
Channels 5 (VHF) analog,
6 (VHF) digital
Affiliations CBS
ABC (secondary)
UPN on DT2
Owner Withers Broadcasting
Founded 1956 (on channel 35, moved to channel 5 in 1960)
Former callsigns WJPB (1956-65)
Transmitter Power 100,000 kW (analog)
Website wdtv.com

WDTV is a television station located in Weston, West Virginia, United States and is owned by Withers Broadcasting. It is the CBS affiliate for is known as the "Fairmont-Clarksburg-Morgantown" television market (although Morgantown is technically located in the neighboring Pittsburgh market). Its studios are located in Bridgeport, West Virginia.

The station signed on the air as WJPB in 1956. It was the first television station in the market, and operated on UHF channel 35. It was a CBS affiliate, but, as the only station in the market, it also was able to carry programming from the other two networks. When WBOY signed on in 1957, it took the NBC affiliation while WDTV remained a CBS affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation.

The UHF signal was not nearly strong enough to reach the entire market, which is a very rugged dissected plateau. In 1960, the station asked for and received permission to move to VHF channel 5. In 1965 the station changed its calls to WDTV. The WDTV calls had previously resided on what is now KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh from 1949 to 1954, and were reportedly chosen "in honor" of that station.

Today the station is a primary CBS affiliate, while carrying college and NFL football from ABC, who does not have a station in the market. Weston viewers can receive the full ABC schedule from WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh and WCHS-TV in Charleston. The market is one of the few left in the country that doesn't have three stations because the intended third station, Parkersburg's WTAP-TV, did not have a signal strong enough to reach Clarksburg and Weston.

It operates its digital signal on channel 6. One digital channel presents a simulcast of WDTV, while the other presents UPN programming, as "WDTV-UPN 6". It is unknown at present what future "UPN 6" will have, due to the merging of UPN and The WB into The CW in fall 2006, plus the debut of My Network TV.

Owing to the small population of the market, the station has a limited news budget.

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