WACH-TV (Virginia)
| Company type | Commercial television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | October 13, 1953 |
| Defunct | 1955 |
| Fate | Ceased operations due to financial difficulties; license and permit later sold |
| Headquarters | Newport News , United States |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
| Owner | Eastern Broadcasting Corporation |
WACH-TV, broadcasting on UHF analog channel 33, was a commercial television outlet licensed to Newport News, Virginia. It operated between 1953 and 1955, with a four-month suspension in 1954. Owned by Eastern Broadcasting Corporation, it was the third television station to serve the Hampton Roads area, commencing transmissions on October 13, 1953.
History
As a companion to WHYU radio (1270 kHz), WACH-TV transmitted from its downtown Newport News antenna, which was the tallest edifice in the Lower Peninsula region. The station’s programming primarily featured sports and mystery genres, delivering approximately five hours of daily content including shows such as Crusader Rabbit, All American Football, and Ringside with Rasslers.
Prior to its launch, WACH-TV contested the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding network affiliations, accusing the sole VHF broadcaster in the market, WTAR-TV, of exclusively controlling all three major networks in Hampton Roads. This advocacy exposed regulatory shortcomings impacting UHF broadcasters and aimed to secure more equitable network distribution. It is noteworthy that one month before WACH-TV began operations, WVEC-TV started airing on channel 15 as the region’s NBC affiliate.
Operations were halted on March 27, 1954; simultaneously, its sister radio station adopted the WACH call sign. Before ceasing broadcasts, WACH-TV had reduced its lineup to four programs that it repeated continuously: a news segment, Crusader Rabbit, Short Subjects, and Hornliegh on Holiday.
Brief return to the air
In August 1954, WACH-TV recommenced transmissions by simulcasting its radio counterpart; this marked the first instance of a UHF station resuming service after suspending operations due to financial challenges. The station ultimately discontinued broadcasting again around July 1, 1955. Confronted with ongoing financial difficulties, WACH-TV’s proprietors petitioned the FCC to designate all future VHF channels in Hampton Roads exclusively for educational purposes, thereby leaving only one commercial VHF outlet (WTAR-TV). At this juncture, the comparative hearing for channel 10 (WAVY-TV) was underway, with network affiliations unsettled pending FCC rulings.
Eastern Broadcasting’s television venture culminated in bankruptcy, leading to a temporary shutdown of WACH radio on February 1, 1956. Later that year, United Broadcasting under Richard Eaton acquired both the WACH radio license and television construction permit. The TV permit briefly adopted the call letters WYOU-TV in conjunction with the radio station’s rebranding to WYOU. Eaton maintained possession of the television permit beyond the sale of WYOU in 1960; in November 1964, the FCC mandated that 29 permit holders—including Eaton—activate their inactive UHF stations. Nevertheless, channel 33 did not resume service until WTVZ-TV launched on September 24, 1979—more than two decades after WACH-TV’s final sign-off. The WACH call letters are currently assigned to the Fox affiliate based in Columbia, South Carolina.