WVTM

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Current station logo

WVTM (NBC 13) is a broadcast affiliate of the National Broadcasting Company's NBC TV network which is owned by Hearst Television Inc., and broadcast across Central Alabama on Channel 13. The call letters stand for "Vulcan Times Mirror" and its studios are located on Red Mountain adjacent to Vulcan Park.

WVTM is the latest incarnation of Alabama's first television station, WAFM-TV, which went on the air on July 1, 1949 with a mix of programs from ABC and CBS. In 1953 the station was sold to the Birmingham News along with WAPI-AM and WAPI-FM. In 1954 WAFM swapped networks with WBRC 6 to become an NBC affiliate. The new owners first changed the call letters to WABT-TV (for Alabama's Best Television), before switching to WAPI-TV in 1958, after the News was purchased by Newhouse. In 1961 the station became Birmingham's home for CBS programming. Later it resumed broadcasting the NBC network. The ownership and name remained the same through the late 1970s.

In 1980 Newhouse's Advance Publications group withdrew from the broadcasting business and sold the station to Times-Mirror Broadcasting, from whom it took its current name. News director Wendell Harris was promoted to vice-president for Times-Mirror and reassigned to Austin, Texas.

The 1990s brought a series of ownership changes. Argyle Broadcasting purchased it from Times-Mirror in the early part of the decade, then sold it to New World Communications in 1994. In 1996 the National Broadcasting Company purchased the station outright, holding onto it until Media General of Tampa, Florida purchased it on June 26, 2006.

WVTM logo in 2007
WVTM logo in 2014

In July 2007 Media General began an overhaul of the news department led by general manager Gene Kirkconnel. Gina Redmond took over Fran Curry's co-anchor spot with Mike Royer for the evening news. Andrea Lindenberg and Rod Carter were hired as the co-anchors of the morning news. Other plans include investments in new cameras, weather equipment and studio sets, as well as a lighted NBC peacock sign on Red Mountain.

Media General sold WVTM to the Hearst Corporation's TV subsidiary in 2014. Hank Price was named president and general manager of the station. After his retirement in late 2018, Susana Schuler succeeded him.

Preceded by:
WAPI-TV
Birmingham NBC affiliate
1980 - present
Succeeded by:
current

Notable personalities

News anchors/reporters

Sports anchors

Weather/meteorologists

External links

References

  • Carlton, Bob (July 4, 2007) "Lindenberg to anchor mornings on NBC 13." The Birmingham News
  • "Hearst Corporation Agrees to Acquire WVTM-TV (NBC) in Birmingham, Ala." (August 20, 2014) Hearst Corp. press release
  • Beahm, Anna (July 23, 2018) "Brittany Decker named evening anchor for WVTM 13 News." The Birmingham News
  • Edgemon, Erin (November 16, 2018) "WVTM-TV President Hank Price to retire." The Birmingham News