AWARDS
2009 Georgia Associated Press Broadcasters Awards
--Best General Reporting: Kaitlyn Pratt/LeVar James—School Bullying Legislation
Honorable Mention: Alice Massimi—Jim DeLoach: Dangerous Intersection
--Staff Coverage—Honorable Mention: WSAV Staff—Sugar Refinery Blast
--Best Sports Feature: Ken Slats—Knowles Hall of Fame
--Best Spot News Video: Calvin Knowles—I-95 Car Carrier Crash
--General Excellence in Photoj: Jim Jensen—Police Memorial
--Best Use of Sound: Jim Jensen—Bomb Squad Training
Honorable Mention: Marc Casey—Crash Training
--Best Web Based Coverage: WSAV Staff—Sugar Refinery Explosion
WSAV-TV earns 3 regional Edward R. Murrow awards in 1 year
WSAV NEWS 3 was recognized in 2008 by the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) with three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for outstanding journalism 2008 in three categories:
--Overall Excellence
--Continuing Coverage of the Troy Davis Case
--Best Newscast.
RTNDA is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents local and network news professionals in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 30 countries.
WSAV-TV went on the air in 1956 and is owned by the Media General Broadcast Group. Media General is a multimedia company operating leading newspapers, television stations and online enterprises primarily in the Southeastern United States. The company's publishing assets include three metropolitan newspapers, The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal; 22 daily community newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina; and more than 150 weekly newspapers and other publications. The company's broadcasting assets include 23 network-affiliated television stations that reach more than 32 percent of the television households in the Southeast and nearly 9.5 percent of those in the United States. The company's interactive media assets include more than 75 online enterprises that are associated with its newspapers and television stations.
WSAV HISTORY
WSAV radio first went on the air in 1939. From the beginning, WSAV was an NBC radio affiliate carrying the programs of Bob Hope and many others in the "Golden Years" of radio broadcasting.
WSAV brought NBC news coverage of the attack on Pearl Harbor to Savannah, and the relatively new WSAV news team followed war efforts at home as Savannah and the surrounding communities, along with the rest of the nation, geared up for World War II.
In 1947, WSAV radio upgraded its broadcast facilities and became a 5000-watt station broadcasting on a regional channel, sending news and information about Savannah to the entire southeast coast of the United States. Television came to Savannah in the fifties and WSAV-TV went on the air in 1956, initially broadcasting from the radio station facility atop a bank building on Broughton Street in downtown Savannah.
The flashing WSAV sign was a landmark on Broughton Street for many years. Television grew very quickly and in 1960, WSAV radio and television moved into a brand new facility on "World Famous Victory Drive". A new broadcasting tower was built at the Victory drive site and WSAV-TV reached out to many of the surrounding counties in Georgia and South Carolina, giving thousands of viewers their first chance to see television.
In the 50's and 60's WSAV radio and television was home to many popular broadcast personalities.
On radio, Burl Womack hosted the 'Breakfast with Burl' show and dominated morning radio for years.
On television, Captain Sandy was the weatherman and he worked with a couple of puppet sidekicks: Wilbur the Weather Bird and Arthur the Thermometer.
In 1976, another new tower was built and the WSAV television signal reached out even further. Just a few months later, the stations were sold and separated with WSAV radio eventually becoming WBMQ. WSAV television remained in the Victory Drive studio location and expanded with the news department moving into a former insurance office next door.
In the mid nineties WSAV television changed hands several times. Media General now owns the station. Since the station was purchased by Media General there has been an extended period of upgrading and refitting. Technically and in physical plant appearance, WSAV television is in the best shape it has ever been.
WSAV-TV
1430 East Victory Drive
Savannah, GA 31404
Phone: 912-651-0300
Fax: 912-651-0304
Email: mail@wsav.com
News Department
Phone: 912-651-0307
Email: news@wsav.com
General Manager:
Brad Moses
