| Springfield/Holyoke, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| Branding | CBS 3 Springfield |
| Slogan | Top Stories. Full Forecast. First Five Minutes. |
| Channels | Digital: 21 (UHF) & WFSB-DT 33.2 (UHF) Virtual: 3.1/3.1 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 3.5 CBS (HD) 3.6 local weather |
| Owner | Meredith Corporation |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Call letters' meaning | Springfield/Holyoke, Massachusetts |
| Sister station(s) | WFSB |
| Former callsigns | W42AU (1988-1994) W67DF (1994-2003) WSHM-LP (2003-2011) |
| Former channel number(s) | 42 (UHF analog, 1988-1994) 67 (UHF analog, 1994-2010) |
| Former affiliations | TBN (1988-2003) |
| Transmitter power | 6 kW 1,000 kW (WFSB-DT2) |
| Height | 155 m 288.8 m (WFSB-DT2) |
| Facility ID | 67980 53115 (WFSB-DT2) |
| Transmitter coordinates | (WFSB-DT2) |
| Website | cbs3springfield.com |
WSHM-LD is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Licensed to Springfield, it broadcasts a low-powered high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 (PSIP virtual channel 3.5) from a transmitter shared with low-powered Retro Television Network (RTV) affiliate WTXX-LP on Ridge Road in Wilbraham. The station can also be seen on Charter and Comcast channel 3 (hence the on-air branding CBS 3 Springfield). There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 803. Owned by the Meredith Corporation, WSHM has studios in the Monarch Tower in Springfield's Metro Center/Quadrangle section.
Although identified as a separate outlet in its own right, WSHM is considered a semi-satellite of sister station WFSB in Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut. While this station airs most network programming as provided through WFSB, it clears some of its syndicated programming but there are some shows shown at a different time. There are also programs that only air on WSHM while others are only seen on WFSB. Syndicated programming exclusive to this station includes Swift Justice with Nancy Grace, and The World's Funniest Moments. WSHM also airs separate on-air identifications and commercials. Although the station maintains its own studios, master control and some internal operations are based at WFSB's facilities on Capital Boulevard in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
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It signed-on as W42AU in 1988 airing a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter on Mount Tom in Holyoke. The station served as a repeater of Trinity Broadcasting's national religious network. In 1994, it moved to UHF channel 67 and became W67DF. Originally, CBS was seen in the Pioneer Valley on WHYN-TV (now WGGB-TV) from 1953 until 1958. At that point, WFSB (then known as WTIC-TV with no relation to the current station except for the same calls) became the network's Connecticut affiliate.
Due to its strong analog signal on heritage VHF channel 3, the station also became CBS' affiliate of record in Springfield. Later on, WTIC/WFSB would begin purchasing syndicated programming to air in the Hartford/New Haven and Springfield/Holyoke markets (this practice continues today). It also blocked several attempts by WGGB to switch from ABC back to CBS.
Sometime in 2003, the Meredith Corporation (having acquired WFSB in June 1997) purchased W67DF in order to set up a separate operation in the Pioneer Valley. Reasons for such a launch ranged from advertising opportunities to complaints from New England Patriots fans in weeks when the station chose to air other National Football League games from the American Football Conference. In November of that year, the station joined CBS and adopted the call sign WSHM-LP after upgrading to official low-powered status. It immediately replaced WFSB on Pioneer Valley cable systems.
The station became known on-air as "CBS 3" based on the cable channel location in order to encourage WFSB viewers stay with WSHM after the switch. Right from the start of its CBS affiliation, it was a semi-satellite of WFSB and cleared its syndicated programming except for those shows already seen on the other stations based in Springfield. WSHM did not simulcast any local newscasts from its parent even though this could have been possible because it was operated out of WFSB's "Broadcast House" studios at Constitution Plaza in Downtown Hartford.
In August 2006, this station changed its logo from one resembling sister station KPHO to a logo resembling (but unrelated to) KYW-TV in Philadelphia. On May 25, 2007, WFSB's studios were flooded by a water main break. The flooding knocked out power and phone service to the building which in turn caused WFSB to go dark. WSHM's master control was also affected and the station went black for about an hour mid-afternoon and intermittently throughout the evening. There were some points during the weekend that its "CBS 3 Springfield" IDs were being seen on WFSB and that station's IDs were seen on WSHM. On June 27, master control and internal operations of WFSB and WSHM moved to the former's new facilities in Rocky Hill.
Since it is a low-powered station, WSHM was exempt from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) mandated switch to digital-only broadcasting on or before June 12, 2009. Back on February 28, 2008, a high definition feed of this station was added to Comcast replacing WFSB-DT which moved to digital channel 291 and became a standard definition feed. Charter has yet to make the change. An application filed with the FCC calling for WSHM to launch its own low-powered digital station on channel 49 was dismissed in June 2006. Another application to move the existing analog signal to channel 45 was dismissed in 2004 at the station's request.
More recently, WSHM had a construction permit to air a low-powered digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a new transmitter. [1] On November 22, 2010, this became active after WSHM finally gained a "license to cover" allowing it to turn-off its analog signal on channel 67 and activate its own digital signal for the first time. Through PSIP, the signal appears as 3.5[2] which is based on WFSB's virtual channel identification. Normally, it would be 67.1 taken from WSHM's defunct analog signal. [3] On January 7, 2011 to reflect the change to digital-exclusive transmission, its calls were officially changed to WSHM-LD. [4] WFSB's current digital signal can be reached in southern areas of the Pioneer Valley giving the area access to two CBS affiliates.
The station can also be seen in standard definition on WFSB's second digital subchannel (3.2) from a transmitter on the Metacomet Ridge in Avon, Connecticut. This served as WSHM's digital signal until November 22, 2010 because the station did not broadcast one of its own due to its low-powered status. On WSHM-LD2, Comcast digital channel 293, and Charter digital channel 230 is a 24-hour subchannel airing weather programming, and UMass Amherst sports programming during the school year.
| Channels | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 1080i | 16:9 | Main WSHM programming / CBS |
| 3.6 | 480i | 4:3 |
In October 2005, WSHM established a news department and began producing local newscasts from its Springfield studios using Grass Valley's "Ignite" control room system. Originally, CBS 3 News aired Monday through Saturday nights at 6, Sundays at 6:30, and every night at 11 all for a half-hour in length. Initially after entering the local newscast race in the Pioneer Valley, it struggled to make a dent in the ratings of longtime market leader NBC affiliate WWLP and established ABC affiliate WGGB.
According to Nielsen ratings, this station grew substantially across the board during the May 2009 sweeps period to within decimal points of WGGB in several key demographics. Compared with the area's other stations, WSHM tends to have a flashier format with more fast-paced coverage. It also has a smaller news operation compared with Springfield's other stations and most other big three affiliates. Although it still does not offer a weekday morning show (unlike most CBS stations), the station has begun offering an updated morning weather forecast on its Facebook page.
Fending off a challenge by WGGB, WSHM debuted the area's first prime time newscast on August 18, 2008. Known as CBS 3 Springfield Non-Stop News at 10, the twenty minute program aired in a commercial-free format on its local weather channel seven nights a week and was also originally streamed live on its website. The launch beat Fox affiliate WGGB-DT2 which started its own nightly prime time show at 10 on September 8. At some point in time for an unknown reason, WSHM's 10 o'clock broadcast was dropped. On August 24, 2009, it began airing a thirty minute newscast on weekday afternoons called CBS 3 Springfield News First at 4. It was the first Pioneer Valley station to make such a launch and currently remains the only local newscast seen in the time slot.
In September 2010, it began to carry select live UMass Minutemen sports programming on its local weather channel. [5] Around this time, the station began promoting there would be top stories of the day and a full weather forecast shown in the first five minutes of all newscasts before a commercial break. To go along with the changed format, a new logo debuted with an updated music package and graphics theme identical to sister station WFSB. In the past during weather forecast segments, this station had been exclusively using WFSB's weather radar. Known as "Early Warning Pinpoint Doppler", this is based on top of a terminal building at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Eventually, live NOAA National Weather Service radar data from several regional sites was added and the combined sources are currently branded on WSHM as "Pinpoint Doppler".
Boston's CBS affiliate WBZ-TV shares resources with WSHM for coverage of Eastern Massachusetts and this station does the same for western areas of the state. Along with CBS News, it is also a CNN affiliate. Clear Channel Communications-owned radio stations WHYN-AM 560 and WHYN-FM 93.1 partner with WSHM for severe weather coverage and winter weather storm closings. On weekdays, Chris Stewart and Cherise Leclerc anchor news on WHYN-AM from late mornings to 7:00pm.
WSHM currently streams all weekday newscasts live on its website.
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