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WDBJ7 history
WDBJ7 company history timeline
The two-way contest virtually ended in January 1955, when the WROV group relinquished their application and sold their television assets to WDBJ. The Times-World Corp. would be awarded the channel 7 construction permit two months later.
October 3, 1955: WDBJ-7 signed on from Mill Mountain with studios in the Mountain Trust Bank Building.
WDBJ-TV first signed on the air on October 3, 1955.
In 1955, after the bank closed the furniture business, the Heironimus Store signed a lease and began work on a $1.3 million renovation plan, which included the installation of Roanoke’s first escalators.
The Heironimus Store opened its new “old” downtown location to much fanfare in 1956.
1956: WDBJ-7 moved to studios in the Times World building.
In 1956, WDBJ radio and television moved their operations to the Times-World Building; the television station also relocated its transmitter to Poor Mountain.
1957: WDBJ-7 moved to a transmitter on Poor Mountain.
For the better part of the 1960's, WDBJ in Roanoke VA presented a live program called All-Star Wrestling on Saturday afternoons at 5:00 PM, in advance of the live event later that night at the Starland Arena.
A TV Guide clipping from January 1964, showing All-Star Wrestling in it's familiar time slot of 5 PM. Notice the designation of Roanoke VA, something rare in the TV guide listings.
TV Listings from January 7, 1967, the final Saturday that "All Star Wrestling" live from Roanoke aired on WDBJ.
1969: WDBJ-7 was purchased by Schurz Communications of South Bend.
In 1979, WDBJ-TV opened a news bureau in Lynchburg, known as the Central Virginia Bureau, which provided reports focusing on the eastern part of the Roanoke–Lynchburg market (from Charlottesville to Danville); weekend anchor Graham Wilson served as the bureau chief.
In 1993, the Dunlap Company, a firm based in Texas and owning several other small retail chains, purchased the Heironimus stores from the Lynn Family.
In 1996, Dunlap made the decision to close the flagship store in Downtown Roanoke.
The building was sold by the Edgar A. Thurman Charitable Trust in 1997 to a developer who planned street-level retail with office and luxury apartments on the upper floors.
2003: WDBJ-DT began running a 24-hour schedule.
2004: WDBJ became the first in the market to invest in high-definition recording equipment.
It was very involved in the community hosting teen and women’s advisory councils, offering classes in knitting and other activities, and its window displays were the stuff of legend under the watchful direction of design artist James Powers. Its mall locations remained open until the last one closed in 2005.
Schurz Communications announced on September 14, 2015 that it would exit broadcasting and sell its television and radio stations, including WDBJ, to Gray Television for $442.5 million.
The FCC approved the sale on February 12, 2016. and the sale was completed on February 16.
The Monument Company from Richmond, Virginia purchased the building in 2018 with plans for apartments in the upper floors for new generations of downtown dwellers, and they partnered with the Mast Store to breathe retail life back into a building steeped in history and commerce.
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WDBJ7 competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WLBT 3 On Your Side | - | $39.6M | 149 | - |
| WSOC-TV | 1957 | $8.1M | 147 | - |
| Wis-tv | 1953 | $31.3M | 24 | - |
| WPEC | - | $8.9M | 80 | - |
| Sinclair Broadcast Group | 1986 | $3.1B | 8,400 | 672 |
| NBC29 WVIR-TV | 1973 | $36.0M | 50 | - |
| The Roanoke Times | 1886 | $21.9M | 350 | - |
| Leisuremedia360 | - | $1.1M | 7 | - |
| FOX40 | 1968 | $9.4M | 104 | - |
| NBC International Ltd. | - | $5.4M | 30 | - |
WDBJ7 history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of WDBJ7, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about WDBJ7. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at WDBJ7. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by WDBJ7. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of WDBJ7 and its employees or that of Zippia.
WDBJ7 may also be known as or be related to WDBJ, WDBJ7 and Wdbj7.