General Info

In February, 1950 Channel 3 signed on for the first time as WSYR-TV. The station was located on the seventh floor of the Kemper Building in downtown Syracuse, N.Y. It wasn't until 1980 that the station s call letters were changed from WSYR to the current WSTM. WSTM was the first television station in Syracuse to broadcast in color (1957), the first to use videotape machines (1958), the first to use all-electronic news gathering (1973), and the first to broadcast in full stereo sound (1986). In November, 2002 it became the first station in the Syracuse market to broadcast in true high definition - a 1080i signal - on over the air digital channel 54. Channel 3 has always been an NBC affiliate, but its history includes a rich tradition of local programming. Over the years, viewers have tuned in for shows like "Monster Movie Matinee" and "The STM Club". "Saturday Showboat" was the longest running children s program in the country. Action News 3 started with one man, who anchored newscasts until 1972. Newscasts were originally only ten minutes long and didn't expand to 30 minutes until the 1960's. WSTM is a part of Barrington Broadcasting and has become one of the prominent stations in the company s growing international communications holdings.