Nexstar Commences WWLP-TV Broadcasts to Berkshire County

WWLP-TV

Nexstar and Charter Communications have launched a special feed of local news provided by WWLP-TV (NBC), the Nexstar-owned television station in Springfield, MA to Charter subscribers in the communities of Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts.

The special feed can be found on Channel 14/1204 (Pittsfield, North Adams) and Channel 16/1204 (Lee), included in the basic tier cable package of all Charter systems serving the area. The launch was made possible with the assistance of U.S. Sens. Edward Markey, (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), who helped facilitate an agreement to return Springfield’s top ranked news and weather to Charter subscribers located in the Berkshires.

The leading edge of WWLP-TV’s 24-hour daily programming will be live simulcasts of every WWLP-22 News broadcast, delivering more than 38 hours of live weekly local news to Charter subscribers. Historically, WWLP-TV has always provided Berkshire news and weather coverage. With today’s launch, WWLP-TV will also provide a Berkshire-specific weather forecast in every newscast and dedicate additional staff to regular coverage of issues affecting these communities. WWLP-News 22 also will expand news coverage of the Massachusetts State Legislature on issues of key relevance to Berkshire communities.

“Today’s launch is a clear demonstration of WWLP-TV’s commitment to deliver much-needed breaking news and severe weather alerts to the Berkshires 24-hours a day,” said Tim Busch, president of Nexstar Broadcasting. “Providing high-quality, live local news and content to the communities we serve is core to Nexstar’s mission. We are extremely pleased to be returning WWLP-TV’s News 22 local newscasts and programming to Charter subscribers in Berkshire County.”

“We are pleased to be launching WWLP-TV’s local news programming for our customers in the Berkshires who are interested in more Massachusetts-focused news coverage,” said Tom Montemagno, Charter’s Executive Vice President, Programming Acquisition.

The special feed also carries WWLP-TV’s Mass Appeal lifestyle show, the longest running show of its nature in the market, and In Focus, a weekly public affairs program. Mass Appeal provides an upbeat and conversational connection to day-to-day life in Western Massachusetts. Featuring cooking, style, festivals, health, family and local businesses, Mass Appeal airs every weekday at 11am. Advertisers and marketers will welcome the opportunity to be featured during the program and once again reach potential customers in the Berkshire Mountains. In Focus will shed light on deeper civic issues with dialogue from major local leaders and influencers and feature regular episodes targeted to topics of Berkshire interest.