The Delta News has moved on, but WXVT’s legacy remains

WEEK 16 – Elsewhere around Greenville

(4/4)

Today, the Delta News cluster of stations has made it into the big leagues and is being operated by a legitimate broadcasting group – Cox Media Group, which owns, among others nationwide, WHBQ Fox 13 in Memphis – following consummation of a 2019 sale of its previous owner’s entire portfolio. There haven’t yet been signs of any changes to the news operation, though, and perhaps there won’t be at all; but it’s certainly an interesting prospect to think about. There’s an entire topic dedicated to DMA 193: The Delta News over on the TVNewsTalk forums. (Yes, the DMA number slipped by one rank since that topic was created.)

Among the unique, perhaps slightly technical points of interest touched on in that topic: while it may make sense for the news operation of the Delta to be combined, how on earth are all the major networks in a single market able to be controlled by one owner?! Many of you may not know this, but FCC rules actually make it illegal for a station owner to own more than two stations in any given market. What makes the difference here is that, as is also explained in this topic, “the FCC's multiple ownership rules are blind to subchannels and low-power stations.” If you look at it that way, then Cox is totally in the clear, as Greenville only has one full-powered station: WABG, the ABC affiliate. Fox operates on a subchannel of WABG, and WNBD-LD is a low-powered station on which both NBC and CBS are aired.

Per these rules, the owner could actually launch additional stations in the market if they wanted to… which is exactly what they did, twice. In 2019 they revived the old WXVT full-powered signal as Ion station WFXW, and in 2017 they created WXVT-LD, reusing the old call signals, as a repeater of WNBD-LD. (I’ve probably lost some of y’all with that info, but I find it fascinating. And also surprisingly well-documented online. Check out the substantial Wikipedia articles for each of the stations: WABG, WXVT, WNBD, WFXW.)

One final point is that, as a direct consequence of its small market size, Greenville can never keep a steady staff of newscasters. Except for some folks who are there for the long haul, most everyone you’ll see one day may not be there the next, as there’s a never-ending stream of departures and new faces. This is because small-market stations are commonly willing to hire young journalists right out of college (or heck, even while they’re still enrolled, in some instances), giving them their first shot to get on-air and then, if they’re lucky, launch their career to a bigger market in the future. In Memphis, we see this same pattern play out approximately every three years (the usual length of a contract) with certain non-veteran reporters, but in Greenville, it’s a way of life.

This might not be the best thing for the residents. But, on the flip side, it’s great for the journalists. Countless newscasters got their start in Greenville, and have moved on to bigger and better things across the country. In Memphis, this includes Fox 13’s Brittani DuBose, and Local 24’s John Bryant and Ed Echols (incidentally, all meteorologists. All Mississippi stations, not just Greenville, have a continuous supply of those, since Mississippi State University has, I believe, one of the best broadcast meteorology programs in the nation. Memphis Retail currently works at WCBI in Columbus). A quick Google search for the term “Greenville, MS” in TV station bios turns up folks in Baton Rouge, Columbia, Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, Dallas, Youngstown, Milwaukee, Nashville, and more.

Even national newscasters can trace their roots back to Greenville. Among these are “Dateline NBC” correspondent Andrea Canning, who got her start at WXVT… as well as “Today Show” anchor Hoda Kotb, who has more than once retold the story of how WXVT took a chance on her and jump-started her career. I’d say it paid off big-time! Read more about her story from SiriusXM and Hotty Toddy News. (I gave you a lot of links in a short time today, but you really must check out these two. The rest are optional.)

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Back to the present, the WXVT building at 3015 E Reed Road continues to sit empty, CBS eye staring off into nothingness and the doppler radar behind the building no longer scanning the skies. But, I’d say it had a life well-lived.

WXVT-TV (abandoned) // 3015 E Reed Road, Greenville, MS 38703

(c) 2020 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)

Taken on: July 18, 2018

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Sets appears in: • Elsewhere around Greenville, MS

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