WCAX-TV
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| WCAX-TV | |
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| Burlington, Vermont Plattsburgh, New York |
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| Branding | Channel 3 (normal) The Channel 3 News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Vermont's Own |
| Channels | 3 (VHF) analog, 53 (UHF) digital |
| Translators | 62 W62AT Bellows Falls 69 W69AR Rutland |
| Affiliations | CBS |
| Owner | Mount Mansfield Television (Martin family) |
| Founded | September 26, 1954 |
| Call letters meaning | College of Agriculture Extension service (once provided by the University of Vermont) [1] |
| Former callsigns | WMVT [2] |
| Former affiliations | none |
| Transmitter Power | 38 kW (analog) 801 kW (digital) |
| Website | wcax.com |
WCAX-TV is the CBS affiliated television station for the Burlington, Vermont/Plattsburgh, New York market. The station is licensed to Burlington, and broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 3 with a digital signal on UHF channel 53. Its transmitter is located on Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. WCAX's studios are located on Joy Drive in South Burlington. The station's signal covers Vermont, northern New York, and Southern Quebec, Canada including Montreal. WCAX is owned by the Martin family of Burlington.
The station operates two outlying transmitters: W62AT channel 62 in Bellows Falls and W69AR channel 69 in Rutland.
On cable, WCAX can be seen on channel 3 via Comcast systems in Burlington and Charter systems in Plattsburgh. In Montreal on Videotron systems, it can be seen on analog channel 21. The station can also be seen on Illico digital cable channel 53.
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[edit] History
WCAX-TV first signed on the air on September 26, 1954 under the call letters of WMVT and as the first television station in the Green Mountain State. It was owned by C.P. Hasbrook, publisher of the now-defunct Burlington Daily News, along with WCAX-AM 1320 (now WVMT 620). At some point in time, the call letters were changed to the current WCAX-TV. Stuart Martin, son of Hasbrook's son-in-law, is the current owner of WCAX.
WCAX has always been a CBS affiliate. As such, it is one of the few stations in the country (not counting owned and operated stations) that has had the same owner, the same channel number, and the same primary network affiliation throughout its history. It has been the market leader for as long as records have been kept.
On October 25, 2006, WCAX began broadcasting a digital signal. WCAX DT can also be seen on Comcast digital cable channel 107.
[edit] Montreal
WCAX has a large viewership in Montreal, which is far larger than the entire population of the station's American viewing area. In the past, WCAX has identified itself as "Burlington/Plattsburgh/Montreal" to acknowledge its Montreal viewership. However, its news presence there has generally been limited to weather and some sports coverage, in large part because it is not eligible for inclusion in Nielsen ratings.
Like other Champlain Valley stations, WCAX once made a large share of its advertising sales across the border; however, Canadian business has almost completely dried up, mostly due to the arrival of CKMI-TV, coupled with the availability of network affiliates from other U.S. markets (e.g. Boston, Detroit) on Canadian cable and satellite systems.
WCAX's ratings in that market are quite modest compared to CFCF-TV, the undisputed market-leader. It should be noted that some viewers in Quebec might have to tune in to WCAX in order to see the entire CBS schedule since CFCF and CKMI do not carry all of that network's programming.
[edit] Local Programs and Newscasts
Channel 3's longest-running local programs (both dating to the founding of the station) are a daily 15-minute agricultural-information program entitled Across the Fence, produced in association with the University of Vermont Extension service, and a 30-minute weekly public-affairs show called You Can Quote Me.
In August of 2006, WCAX began offering the first and only wireless news website in the market. The website can be seen on wireless web-enabled electronics by entering the full web address of WCAX's website. WCAX has been carring CBS News Up to the Minute from October of 2005 to the present, following 13 years of not being on the air.
In September of 2006, WCAX introduced its third local program called Late Night Saturday. It is produced in conjunction with Champlain College for its Media Arts Department. The program is hosted by Tim Kavanaugh and airs weekly on Saturdays. It offers local musicians and artists a chance to perform in front of a live studio audience and showcase their work. [3]
WCAX operates a 24-hour local weather channel called Weather 3.2 that features rebroadcasts of newscasts along with local weather. To satisfy minimum FCC children programming requirements, the channel also airs children programming on the weekends. Weather 3.2 can be seen on WCAX's DT2 digital subchannel as well as on Comcast digital cable channel 168 and Telecom digital cable channel 303. Whenever CBS programming or sports prevents WCAX from airing news at 6 or 11 PM on the main channel, it is seen on Weather 3.2 branded as The Channel 3 News on Weather 3.2.
WCAX and the area's NBC affiliate, WPTZ, are the only stations in the market that offer local news. WCAX delays the weekday edition of the CBS Evening News until 7 PM because there is no 5 PM local newscast. WCAX tends to have more of a Vermont focus in its news coverage. In addition to its main studios, WCAX operates four news bureaus. Two are located in Vermont: Montpelier (the state capital, established in 1964) and Rutland (established in 1967). The New York Bureau is located in Plattsburgh, New York and was established in 1973. The Upper Valley Bureau is located in West Lebanon, New Hampshire and was established in 2002.
Weekdays
- Channel 3 News Daybreak (5 to 6 AM)
- Channel 3 News Early Morning (6 to 7 AM)
- The Channel 3 News at Noon (12 to 12:10 PM)
- Across the Fence (12:10 to 12:30 PM)
- The Channel 3 News at 6 (6 to 6:30 PM)
- The Channel 3 News at 6:30 (6:30 to 7 PM)
- The Channel 3 News at 11 (11 to 11:35 PM)
Saturdays
- The Channel 3 News at 6 (6 to 6:30 PM)
- The Channel 3 News at 11 (11 to 11:30 PM)
- Late Night Saturday (11:30 PM to 12 AM)
Sundays
- You Can Quote Me (11 to 11:30 AM)
- The Channel 3 News at 6 (6 to 6:30 PM)
- The Channel 3 News at 11 (11 to 11:30 PM)
[edit] News Team
Anchors
- Roger Garrity - 11 PM anchor
- Kristin Kelly - 6 and 11 PM anchor
- Beth Parent - Noon anchor and education reporter
- Marselis Parsons - Director seen weeknights at 6 PM
- Darren Perron - weekends
- Judy Simpson - weekday mornings
Sky Watch 3 Meteorologists
- Dave Busch - weekends and weekday mornings / Noon
- Dan Dowling - weekdays at 11 PM
- Sharon Meyer - Chief seen weekdays at 6 PM
- Gary Sadowsky - weekday mornings and Noon (currently on medical leave)
Sports
- J.J. Cioffi - Director seen weekdays at 6 PM
- Shawna Lidsky - weekday mornings
- Mike McCune - weekdays at 11 PM
- Mike McGill - weekends
Reporters
- Jessica Abo
- Kristin Carlson - environmental reporter
- Kate Duffy
- Brian Joyce
- Jack LaDuke - New York reporter
- Tim Lewis
- Andy Potter
- Adam Sullivan - Upper Valley reporter
- Jack Thurston - feature reporter
[edit] Logos
 WCAX's previous news logo. |
 WCAX's current news logo. |
WCAX's current logo. |
[edit] External Links
- Station Website
- CBS Website
- WCAX at TV Hat
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WCAX
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W69AR
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W62AT
| Local television stations
WCAX 3 (CBS) - WPTZ 5 / WNNE 31 (NBC) (WX+ on WPTZ DT2) - W16AL 16 (TBN) - W18AE 18 (RSN / A1) - WVNY 22 (ABC) - WWBI 27 (Daystar) - |
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Out of market channels available in the Burlington / Plattsburgh area on cable |
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Regional cable television channels |
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Northern New Hampshire |
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| Southern New Hampshire Part of Boston market |
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WBZ 4 (Boston) - W62AT 62 (Bellows Falls) There is no CBS affiliate based in the state. |
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