WVLA

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WVLA
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Branding	NBC 33
Channels	33 (UHF) analog, 33.1 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	White Knight Broadcasting
Founded	October 16, 1971
Call letters meaning	Vetter LouisianA (previous owner), We're the Voice of LouisianA (unofficial)
Former callsigns	WRBT-TV (1971-87)
Former affiliations	ABC (1971-77)
Website	www.nbc33tv.com

WVLA (NBC 33) is the local NBC affiliate for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It transmits its analog signal on UHF channel 33, and its digital signal on UHF channel 34. The station is seen via satellite through DirecTV and Dish Network. It is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, and is sister station to the area's independent station, KZUP. WVLA's transmitter is located near Addis, Louisiana.

The station signed on the air on October 16, 1971 as WRBT-TV, an ABC affiliate. In the late 1970's ABC became the most watched network and was seeking out stronger stations in major markets to switch affiliations to, all the while NBC fell to third and last place in ratings. With Baton Rouge being one of those markets, WRBT traded the affiliation to WBRZ in exchange for NBC in 1977. It changed its calls to WVLA in 1987 after building a higher tower boosting its power to five million watts. The station was the first local station in Baton Rouge and the second station in Louisiana to broadcast in stereo.

The station airs syndicated shows such as Ellen, Rachael Ray, Oprah, Inside Edition, The Insider, and Entertainment Tonight.

Contents 1 Newscast 2 Facts 3 Former logos and promo slides 4 External links

[edit] Newscast

WVLA used to broadcast a one-hour 6am newscast on weekdays, but it was cancelled in January of 2005. It also aired a 6pm and a 10pm newscast during the 1980s, but both newscasts were cancelled in 1989, citing poor ratings.

Today WVLA, is one amongst a group of major-network stations that don't have a newscast. This group also includes ABC affiliate KDNL-TV St. Louis, Missouri, FOX affiliate WUTV Buffalo, New York, NBC affiliate WTWC-TV Tallahassee, Florida, and CBS affiliate WEVV Evansville, Indiana, along with many others.

Today, instead of newscasts, WVLA airs Days of Our Lives at Noon, Inside Edition at 5:00pm, Geraldo at Large at 6:00pm, and Sex and the City at 10:00pm.

As of December 2006, the station has posted job listings for various on-air news positions, so WVLA will apparently be resuming local news programming soon.

[edit] Facts

The station airs the Catholic Mass on Sundays.

As of August 15, 2006, WVLA is available in Lafayette on Cox Communications cable channel 3. While Lake Charles' KPLC remains on the system, WVLA has replaced KPLC as the default NBC affiliate in Lafayette. [1]

In 1983, station owner Cyril Vetter pulled Late Night with David Letterman from WRBT's schedule, replacing it with reruns of All in the Family, citing poor ratings. Because of that, 3500 college students from LSU petitioned to get Letterman back on the air. Vetter required each of the 3500 students to maintain a C average in order to bring back Letterman to the nighttime schedule. Eventually, the show made it back.

[edit] Former logos and promo slides

A promo slide for the 10:00 news for WRBT, known as "Baton Rouge Tonight," from 1987.

WRBT promo/station ID for the "Tonight Show," from 1986.

WVLA station ID from 1996.

Present Day WVLA ID.

[edit] External links

• NBC 33 Homepage
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WVLA