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| WVNY | |
|---|---|
| Callsign | WVNY |
| City | Burlington, Vermont |
| Branding | ABC 22/FOX 44 |
| Digital | 7 (VHF) |
| Virtual | 22 |
| Affiliations | American Broadcasting Company, Fox Broadcasting Company |
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Callsign meaning | Vermont, New York |
| Owner | Mission Broadcasting / operated by Nexstar Media Group |
| Sister stations | WFFF-TV, WVTA |
| Former callsigns | WJOY-TV (construction permit) |
| Erp | 30 kW |
| Haat | 200 m |
| Facility id | 66742 |
WVNY is a television station licensed to Burlington, Vermont, serving the Burlington–Plattsburgh market with primary affiliation to the American Broadcasting Company and secondary affiliation to the Fox Broadcasting Company. The station has navigated multiple ownership changes, network affiliation adjustments, and technical transitions since its sign-on in the late 20th century. WVNY operates in a media landscape that includes regional broadcasters, cable operators, and digital platforms linked to Comcast Corporation, Dish Network, and Sling TV distribution systems.
WVNY began life in the context of regional broadcast expansion alongside stations like WPTZ and WFFF-TV, emerging from a construction permit originally assigned the callsign that referenced local service on Lake Champlain. Early decades saw competition with heritage outlets such as WCAX-TV and cross-border reception into Montreal, where signals competed with Canadian networks like CBC Television and CTV Television Network. Ownership changed hands several times among broadcast groups including Vanguard Broadcasting and later entities involved in shared services, mirroring consolidation trends seen with groups such as Sinclair Broadcast Group and Gray Television though not owned by them. The station's affiliation negotiations and market positioning were influenced by network realignments involving ABC and secondary carriage of programming drawn from Fox sports packages like the National Football League broadcast agreements.
WVNY's operational history includes local programming initiatives, retransmission conflicts with cable systems managed by companies such as Time Warner Cable and retransmission consent disputes paralleling high-profile negotiations involving The Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox. The station also adapted to regulatory shifts from the Federal Communications Commission that governed digital transition timelines and licensing, and participated in market-wide moves toward high-definition content production akin to practices at WJW and KTVU.
WVNY broadcasts digitally on VHF channel 7 while using virtual channel 22, following the post-digital transition repack processes overseen by the FCC. The station operates with an effective radiated power and antenna height designed to serve both Vermont and parts of New York State, with coverage overlapping the footprints of stations like WNYT and WTEN. WVNY's technical infrastructure has been upgraded over time to support multicasting, enabling subchannels that carry programming affiliated with networks comparable to This TV and Bounce TV in other markets.
The station completed an analog-to-digital conversion consistent with the mandatory 2009 deadline and subsequent repack phases administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. WVNY's transmitter siting and antenna pattern account for terrain features such as the Green Mountains and the international border with Canada, which necessitated coordination with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in certain technical filings. Equipment vendors and engineering practices employed are similar to those used by peer stations like WPIX and WABC-TV during HD rollout and master control consolidation.
WVNY's schedule combines network-supplied content from ABC such as daytime programming, prime-time series, and national news feeds, along with syndicated offerings that resemble inventory traded among stations including Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! in many markets. The station has also aired sports telecasts tied to Fox Sports rights when operating its Fox-affiliated subchannel, paralleling carriage strategies seen at dual-affiliate stations like WSVN and KSTU. Local programming has included community features, public affairs shows, and special event broadcasts similar to regional coverage produced by WBRE-TV and WPTZ.
Syndicated talk, court, and lifestyle programming rounds out daytime and early fringe slots, reflecting marketplace acquisitions from distributors affiliated with companies such as CBS Media Ventures and Warner Bros. Television Distribution. WVNY's multicast lineup has at times carried diginets or additional network partners to diversify offerings, following a model used by stations across groups like Tegna and Gray Television.
WVNY produces local newscasts tailored to Vermont and the Champlain Valley, competing directly with legacy newsrooms at WCAX-TV and regional bureaus of WPTZ. The station's news coverage encompasses municipal government in Burlington, regional transportation issues affecting Interstate 89, agricultural reporting tied to University of Vermont Extension, and cross-border stories involving Montreal and Quebec authorities. News gathering employs field crews, technical staff, and anchors with ties to journalism programs at institutions like Syracuse University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
In various periods WVNY entered into news-share or operational agreements with neighboring stations to economize production, a pattern similar to partnerships formed by Sinclair-operated duopolies and shared services arrangements like those between Nexstar Media Group and mission partners. These arrangements affected staffing, set consolidation, and the scheduling of newscasts, while the station maintained live reporting for breaking events and election-night coverage tied to Vermont Secretary of State results.
Ownership of WVNY has passed through broadcast groups and investment entities, most recently involving an operational relationship with Nexstar Media Group and an ownership entity comparable to Mission Broadcasting. The station's primary network affiliation with ABC has remained stable while its secondary Fox carriage has been implemented via subchannel arrangements, reflecting affiliation flexibility seen in markets served by stations like WFLA-TV and WJAR. Corporate transactions affecting WVNY paralleled industry consolidation events that involved companies such as Tribune Media and Scripps in broader contexts.
The station participates in retransmission consent negotiations with multichannel video programming distributors including Comcast, Verizon FiOS, and regional cable systems, and complies with FCC ownership rules and local marketing agreements that shaped regional media landscapes during mergers like the Nexstar-Tribune merger.
WVNY's on-air roster has included anchors, meteorologists, and reporters who later moved to larger markets or networks such as NBC News, CBS News, and MSNBC. Some alumni have affiliations with journalism award programs like the Emmy Awards. Controversies affecting the station have mirrored industry-wide disputes over newsroom consolidation, paywall and streaming rights linked to parent companies like Disney, and carriage blackouts similar to high-profile standoffs involving AT&T and content owners. At times, editorial decisions and staffing changes prompted public discussion in local outlets including the Burlington Free Press and on statewide forums tied to Vermont Public Radio.
Category:Television stations in Vermont