WTRF-DT3

WTRF-DT3 is the ABC-affiliated television station for Wheeling, West Virginia and Steubenville, Ohio. It is a third digital subchannel of CBS affiliate WTRF-TV which is owned by West Virginia Media Holdings. Over-the-air, the station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 7.3 from WTRF's transmitter located in Boydsville, Ohio. WTRF-DT3 is also offered on Comcast digital cable channel 205. The station is known on-air as ABC Ohio Valley. WTRF-DT3's parent station has studios on 16th Street in downtown Wheeling. Syndicated programming on the station includes: Judge Joe Brown, Judge Judy, Family Feud, and Trivial Pursuit: America Plays. WTRF launched a new third digital subchannel with ABC programming on August 1, 2008. The station is carried as Comcast digital channel 205.

Previously, WTRF and WTOV-TV aired ABC programming in off-hours, but began phasing out ABC in the 1970s. WTRF dropped it entirely in the early 1980s, but WTOV continued to air a few ABC programs until 2000. However, WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh provided grade B coverage to most of the Wheeling / Steubenville market and was available in most area cable systems, while the far western part of the market could also get WSYX-TV in Columbus, Ohio and WYTV in Youngstown, Ohio. WTRF-DT3 simulcasts the weekday editions of 7 News at 6 A.M., Noon, 6, and 11 P.M with separate on-screen branding to denote "ABC Ohio Valley". See the WTRF article for news personalities. As a result of Fox and MyNetworkTV airing on WTRF-DT2 and the recent launch of WTRF-DT3, the tiny Wheeling / Steubenville market no longer lacks any major network affiliate. For now, both WTAE and WYTV retain their analog cable carriage on local Comcast systems, with "ABC Ohio Valley" airing only on Comcast digital cable.

External links

• WTRF-DT3 "ABC Ohio Valley"
• WTRF-TV "7 News"