WVEA-TV

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WVEA-TV

Venice / Tampa, Florida
Branding	Univision 62/Noticias Univision Tampa
Channels	62 (UHF) analog, 25 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	Univision
Owner	Entravision
Founded	early-1980s
Call letters meaning	WVEA: "vea" is Spanish for "I see" (present subjunctive)
Former callsigns	WBSV (ch.62) W50AC (ch.50) W61BL (ch.61)
Former affiliations	On chs. 50 & 61: SIN; on ch.62: Independent
Website	www.wvea.entravision.com

WVEA (channel 62) is Tampa Bay, Florida's first Spanish-language TV station, which had its start in the early-1980s as low-powered W50AC ch.50, which offered programming from the Spanish International Network (SIN), the forerunner of today's Univision. In 1988, to make way for new HSN flagship WBHS (now WFTT-TV), the station relocated to channel 61 and became W61BL. In the mid-1990s, the station was re-called "WVEA-LP". In 2000, WVEA's parent company, Entravision, acquired Sarasota English independent WBSV channel 62, with the intent of moving the transmitter from Venice to the antenna farm at Riverview.

WBSV signed on May 3, 1991 as Venice's own independent station, designed to compete against WWSB and the other stations in the Tampa Bay and nearby Ft. Myers markets. Licensed to Venice, Florida the call letters stood for Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, the three cities it primarily served. WBSV had a variety of syndicated and local programming, plus infomercials and home shopping programs. early on, they also had its own newscast. But, WBSV was eternally in red ink, and relied more on home shopping and infomercials to keep the station afloat.

WBSV's history ended in early 2001, when the station left the air for a few weeks, to move the transmitter to Riverview, and establish WVEA's new studios. In March 2001, channel 61 moved to channel 62, which was re-called "WVEA-TV".

WVEA's current studios are located on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa, in a former Barnett Bank building west of Armenia Avenue. WVEA also is partnered with the Univision-owned WFTT channel 50, on a channel that was once WVEA's first home.

WVEA is now operating a full powered DTV transmitter in Riverview.

WVEA hasn't left its low-powered roots completely -- it operates a low-powered channel in downtown Tampa as WVEA-LP channel 46, which covers most of Tampa, into Pinellas County, and currently carries the Home Shopping Network.

WVEA can be seen on Bright House and Comcast cable -- channel 8 in Hillsborough, channel 7 in Pinellas and channel 15 in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

[edit] Former anchors/reporters

-Daniel Arreola (a popular sports anchor for the station from April 2002-August 2004) moved on to work back home in Southern California. During his stint at Univisión Tampa, Arreola made his first national television appearance on Telefutura's "Contacto Deportivo" with a feature on Yankees pitcher José Contreras. In addition to that his exclusive interview with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodríguez made it to "Contacto Deportivo". Arreola came up with catch phrase during highlights such as "¡Huele a touchdown, parece touchdown y sí es!" and "¡Vete a la banca!" He is now announcing soccer matches for Fox Soccer Channel and for Fox Sports International's English SAP channel.

-Sharon Miranda (former entertainment anchor) now works at Central Florida News 13, a 24-hour cable news station in Orlando, Florida, where she grew up.

-Idamis Toledo (former weather anchor) moved on to work as a news anchor/reporter for KVDA-TV Channel 60 (Telemundo O&O) in San Antonio, Texas.

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Tampa / St. Petersburg / Sarasota market (Nielsen DMA #12)

WEDU 3 (PBS) - WFLA 8 (NBC) - WTSP 10 (CBS) - WTVT 13 (Fox) - WLWA-LP 14 (Ind/Rel) - WPDS-LP 14 (Edu.) - W15CM 15 (AS) - WUSF 16 (PBS) - WHRT-CA 17 (Ind) - WSVT-CA 18 (DS) - WARP-CA 20 (MTV2) - WCLF 22 (CTN) - WXAX-LP 26 (AZA) - WFTS 28 (ABC) - WTAM-LP 30 (Multimedios) - WMOR 32 (Ind) - W33CC 33 (AS) - W34AW 34 (3ABN) - WSPF-CA 35 (St. Pete city access) - W36CO 36 (TBN) - WTTA 38 (MNTV) - WWSB 40 (ABC) - W43CE 43 (Ind) - WTOG 44 (The CW) - W48CN 48 (TBN) - WZRA-CA 48 (Ethnic/A1/NTV/CTV/DW) - WRMD-LP 49 (TEL) - WFTT 50 (TFU) - W56EB 56 (TBN) - W60CE 60 (TBN) - WVEA 62 (UNI) - WXPX 66 (ION)
Local digital television channels
WYKE-LP 47 (FN)
Local cable television channels
Bay News 9 - SNN News 6 - Catch 47 - FSN Florida - Sun Sports
Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations Reception may vary by geographical location
Fort Myers: WINK 11 (CBS) - WFTX 36 (Fox) Orlando: WKMG 6 (CBS) - WFTV 9 (ABC) - WOFL 35 (Fox) Gainesville: WUFT 5 (PBS)

Spanish-Language Television Stations in the state of Florida

Miami - Fort Lauderdale: WGEN 8 (Spanish Independent, Key West) - WSBS 22 (Spanish Independent, Key West) - WLTV 23 (Univision, Miami) - WJAN-CA 41 (Spanish Independent / CNN Español, Miami) - WSCV 51 (Telemundo, Fort Lauderdale) - WEYS-LP 56 (ALMA, Miami) - WAMI 69 (TeleFutura, Hollywood)
Tampa - St. Petersburg: WXAX-LP 26 (Azteca América, Tampa) - WTAM-LP 30 (Multimedios, Tampa) - WRMD-LP 49 (Telemundo, Tampa) - WFTT 50 (TeleFutura, Tampa) - WVEA 62 (Univision, Venice)
Orlando - Daytona Beach - Melbourne: WTMO 15 (Telemundo, Kissimmee) - W21AU 21 (Azteca América, Orlando) - WVEN 26 (Univision, Daytona Beach) - WOTF 43 (TeleFutura, Melbourne)
West Palm Beach - Fort Pierce: WWHB-CA 48 (Azteca América, Stuart)
Fort Myers - Naples: WUVF-CA 2/WTLE-LP 18 (Univision, Naples/Ft. Myers) - WTPH-LP 14 (Azteca América, Ft. Myers) - WWDT-CA 43 (Telemundo, Naples) - WLZE-LP 65 (TeleFutura, Ft. Myers)
See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, NBC, PBS, Religious, and Other stations in Florida