The first television station in West Virginia celebrates 70 years.
By James E. Casto
HQ 106 | SUMMER 2019
Television was introduced to the American public at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. Delayed by World War II, the new medium got off to a slow start, but by the late 1940s television stations were signing on across the country.
Huntington’s WSAZ, the first television station in West Virginia, went on the air Oct. 14, 1949.
The new station began telecasting from an improvised studio located on the 14th floor of the West Virginia building on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street. When a 1951 fire destroyed the Tipton Theater, located just a block down Fourth Avenue, the station threw open a window, wheeled a camera over and broadcast the blaze live.
In the summer of 1953, the fledgling station moved two blocks north to a new home, a converted warehouse at Second Avenue and Ninth Street. It served WSAZ for 20 years but was in the downtown area marked by the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority for demolition and redevelopment. So, in 1973 the station moved again, this time to its current location at Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street.
The station began regular news broadcasts in 1951, and news, sports and weather have been a big part of its programming ever since.
Long-time viewers will remember WSAZ personalities from the past — sportscasters Jim Thacker and Bob Bowen, weather forecaster D.J. Schroeder, the Saturday Night Jamboree’s Dean Sturm, Jule Huffman as “Mr. Cartoon,” newsman Bos Johnson, whose son Rob is following in his father’s footsteps, and of course many more.
When WSAZ debuted, it was started by the Huntington Publishing Company, which owned the city’s newspapers. In the years since, the station has changed hands several times. Today, it’s part of Gray Television. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Gray is one of the nation’s largest owners of television stations.
“WSAZ has always been a pioneer,” said WSAZ General Manager Matt Moran. “We originated the concept of a two-city newscast, with one anchor in Huntington and the other in Charleston. The director would cut back between each feed. NBC later modeled their nightly newscast The Huntley-Brinkley Report on our Charleston-Huntington technique. This is just one of the many innovations developed by WSAZ to meet the needs of such a large and diverse market. We have to continue to be innovative and committed to our region. We cover 32 counties in three states. It’s an enormous undertaking, but the talented people of WSAZ make it happen every day, every week, every month and every year. News never stops and neither does our committment to our viewers,” said Moran.
And the viewers have rewarded WSAZ. Within the industry, WSAZ is a ratings behemoth and has some of the highest-rated news programs in the United States.
“Throughout the years, we’ve had incredible ratings success which can be attributed to the amazing people of WSAZ who care about our community. The people of WSAZ live, work, worship and give back to the communities we cover. And we’ve never forgotten our Huntington roots,” Moran stated.
For 70 years, generations of residents in West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio have grown up counting on WSAZ to be their window to their world on air and, now, digitally. “Our business continues to evolve, and we will evolve with it,” Moran said. “The future looks bright for WSAZ and we’d like to thank our loyal viewers who have put their trust in us over the past 70 years.”
