WYTV

ABC/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Youngstown, Ohio

WYTV (channel 33) is a television station in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Vaughan Media, LLC, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of CBS affiliate WKBN TV (channel 27) and low power Fox affiliate WYFX LD (channel 62), for the provision of certain services. The three stations share studios on Sunset Boulevard in Youngstown's Pleasant Grove neighborhood, where WYTV's transmitter is also located.

On June 13, 2006, WYTV announced that it would launch a new second digital subchannel in September 2006 featuring MyNetworkTV. The move made that station the last full power channel to launch a secondary subchannel in Youngstown. The official launch occurred September 5 while soon after on September 18 WB outlet "WBCB" (controlled and operated by NBC affiliate WFMJ TV) became part of The CW. The digital subchannel is branded as MyYTV. In Bessemer, Pennsylvania, Comcast replaced Pittsburgh's WPCW with WYTV DT2 in October despite the former becoming a CW affiliate. Armstrong Cable (one of the market's largest cable systems) carries the station on channel 13 replacing WUAB the MyNetworkTV affiliate in Cleveland. In addition, Comcast and Time Warner Cable systems in Ohio also carry the channel. Comcast carries this station on analog while Time Warner Cable shows it on their digital tier. At its sign on, it originally aired eighteen hours of original local programming each week and another 30½ hours of programming that was not original. The station carries taped high school football and basketball "Game of the Week" match ups as well as tape delayed Youngstown State University football along with men's and women's basketball home games. It also aired Mahoning Valley Thunder arena football games and currently show select Mahoning Valley Scrappers baseball games. For a period as a separate station, WYTV produced a prime time newscast at 10 on this MyNetworkTV second digital subchannel. This competed with another broadcast airing at the same time on Fox affiliate WYFX that is still produced today by WKBN. WYTV DT2 currently repeats the main channel's weekday morning show from 7 until 9 that is known as 33 News at Daybreak. This broadcast features news anchor Len Rome (who is also a health reporter, "Good Question" segment producer, and feature reporter), weather caster Jim Loboy, and news reporter Greta Mittereder (who also produces the "Greta On The Go" segment). An HD simulcast is also offered on WYFX LD2 (Channel 62.2).

WYTV became known for its programming targeted to kids. WYTV aired cartoons and other kid themed programming between the after school hours of 4 and 6 p. m. It once aired a kids' show during the 1980s entitled 33 Powwww which consisted of a "voice activated" video game powered by the Mattel Intellivision. Viewers would call in to play this game and win prizes. Cartoons were also aired during the show. The TV POWWW concept was a syndicated franchise seen on television stations throughout the United States such as WCLQ in Cleveland (now WQHS TV). WYTV also has produced the local quiz show YSU Academic Challenge in which high school and middle school students from all over the area answered questions for prizes.

During its affiliation pact with Fox, which lasted until low power sister station WYFX signed on in 1998, WYTV preempted ABC programming whenever Fox programming aired.

WYTV was not among the ABC affiliates to preempt the Veterans Day airing of the film Saving Private Ryan in 2004 out of fears of being fined by the FCC for indecency in the wake of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, feeling that the film aired unedited on terrestrial television in the past without FCC repercussions. Because WYTV did opt to air Saving Private Ryan, this gave viewers in the Columbus, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh television markets that were able to view WYTV either over the air or on cable television the option of watching the film, since Sinclair Broadcast Group, E. W. Scripps Company, and Hearst Argyle Television (owners of WSYX, WEWS TV, and WTAE TV, respectively) did not allow any of their ABC affiliates to air the film. As Sinclair and Scripps each own additional ABC affiliates in the state, WYTV ultimately was one of only two ABC affiliates in the state of Ohio to air the film, alongside then ABC owned and operated station WTVG. It was later determined that showing the movie was not a violation of FCC regulations.

For a period as a separate station, WYTV produced a prime time newscast at 10 p. m. on its MyNetworkTV second digital subchannel. This competed with another broadcast airing at the same time on Fox affiliate WYFX that was produced by WKBN. In December 2007, the news departments of WYTV and WKBN physically merged. As a result, over 40 personnel at WYTV and six at WKBN were laid off. Under the shared services agreement, the senior station partner began producing newscasts on this ABC affiliate from a secondary set at the Sunset Boulevard studios. A previous plan calling for WYTV to build streetside satellite studios in downtown Youngstown was abandoned due to the consolidation. The current operational status of its Doppler weather radar based at the old facility on Shady Run Road is unknown. The two stations gradually had their on air looks mirror each other while their respective websites became identical. New logos for the stations and updated websites debuted in January 2009 including combined operations for sports and weather. Due to the duopoly, WYTV and WKBN maintain separate primary anchors for news, weather, and sports during the week but share most general assignment reporters and video footage. The two initially maintained separate websites as well; however, after LIN Media took over ownership of WKBN/WYFX and operations of WYTV, WYTV's website became a redirect to WKBN's website with only WYTV's station identification information available on WKBN's site. On May 6, 2010, the two outlets upgraded their combined news operation to high definition complete with new graphics on WYTV. There are news and weather sharing partnerships with WKBN (570 AM), WNIO (1390 AM), WNCD (93.3 FM), WAKZ (95.9 FM), WMXY (98.9 FM), and WBBG (106.1 FM). In November 2013, WYTV along with WKBN debuted a branded tool for showing live broadcasts from a moving vehicle. "33 Live Drive Action Cam" is a Jeep Patriot that can chase storms, show road conditions and respond to breaking news. Also in November 2013, WYTV began separating its content from that of WKBN and WYFX. This included WYTV receiving its own website once again.