| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Branding | TV-30 |
| Slogan | The Christian Alternative |
| Channels | Digital: 22 (UHF), (PSIP 30) |
| Affiliations | Religious independent |
| Owner | VCY America, Inc. |
| First air date | 1983-01-11 |
| Call letters' meaning | Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 30 (1983-2009) |
| Former affiliations | FamilyNet (?-2009; still airs recorded programming from former Southern Baptist Convention ownership period) |
| Transmitter power | 196 kW |
| Height | 286 m |
| Facility ID | 72342 |
| Website | Official site |
WVCY-TV is a conservative Christian television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts digitally on Channel 22, but maps on a virtual channel via PSIP to their former analog channel position, Channel 30.
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WVCY first went on the air on January 11, 1983.
Formerly, the station had a sister operation, WSCO in Suring, serving Green Bay on Channel 14 from 1993 to 1997. However, in 1997, VCF sold WSCO to Paxson Communications in order to concentrate on its Milwaukee operations [1] That station is now WCWF, northeastern Wisconsin's CW affiliate.
In 1980, VCY was granted a construction permit for WVCX-TV channel 43 in Tomah,[2] to serve the La Crosse/Eau Claire market. However, that construction permit expired in 1985.
In 2008, VCY acquired W04CW channel 4 in Tigerton, which is used as a repeater of WVCY's programming.
In 1994 CBS desired to purchase WVCY when WITI announced it would switch to Fox. CBS had already been turned down by WTMJ-TV, WISN-TV (which had been affiliated with CBS from 1961 through 1977), WVTV (which was a CBS owned and operated station in the 1950s), WCGV, and WJJA. WVCY's ownership though decided to reject the offer and keep the station, resulting in CBS affiliating with WDJT (who had initially declined the CBS affiliation offer), just days before WITI switched to Fox.
On February 17, 2009, WVCY discontinued its analog service and began to broadcast exclusively on digital channel 22.[3] However, via PSIP, WVCY continues to map to Channel 30, without any subchannel services and broadcasting basic service in 480i for transmission and expense concerns.
Although WVCY holds a commercial license,[4] the station chooses not to air advertising and asks for viewer support through donations via the station and VCY America Radio instead for funding. Unlike other religious television stations, it does not carry CCM programming, or signs and wonders televangelists (like Benny Hinn).
The station does air some programming from FamilyNet, though since the network's 2009 purchase by a company owned by televangelist Robert A. Schuller, it seems to have refused any new programming from the network; FamilyNet shows and films airing on WVCY show the network's pre-2008 logo, suggesting they were recorded before then and retained in the station's tape archive for later use. VCY America's radio network has also discontinued programs or affiliations in the past that have changed to more "mainstream" religious views or have financial appeals that go beyond the conservative views of VCY. WVCY-TV also carries a disclaimer on CBN News broadcasts disclaiming that CBN's views are not that of the station. A limited amount of programming from the Christian Television Network also airs on the station.
WVCY also carries some government hearings and presidential speeches, and is the last commercial station in the state to continue to program weekday afternoon children's programming.
WVCY's transmitter operates at a power of 196 kW, and can be seen through southeastern Wisconsin over the air and on cable television via must-carry elections. Besides Wisconsin Public Television's stations during school recesses and vacations, WVCY was the final commercial station in the state until the start of 2010 to go off-the-air every night [5].
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