WAOT-TV

WAOT-TV, virtual channel 34 (VHF digital channel 15), is a -affiliated television station serving, United States that is licensed to. The station is owned by -based, as part of a duopoly with Manchester-licensed independent station WAMN-TV (channel 53); the two stations are sister outlets to radio stations WAOT and WAOT-FM. The four outlets share studios on Iron Horse Drive in (shared with Hubbard's national cable networks Heart and Heart News Network); WAOT-TV, WAOT-FM and WAMN-TV share transmission facilities on Old Auburn Road in. WAOT also operates a secondary studio on Ocean Boulevard in Hampton Beach.

History
WAOT-TV started operations on September 17, 1960, after WAOT radio's owner Joseph Bonhomme won the rights to use the VHF channel 34 license assigned to on the third try, having previously applied for it twice in 1957 and 1959 respectively. When the station launched, it immediately affiliated NBC. Before 1960, viewers in New Hampshire would have received NBC programming from Boston affiliate WBZ-TV (now a CBS O&O affiliate) as well WMUR-TV (which would cherry-pick select NBC shows until the launch of WAOT-TV.

During the station's early years, it struggled to compete with then recently launched CBS affiliate WMOM-TV, and long standing ABC affiliate WMUR-TV. This was caused by the station being launched on a UHF dial. However, as TVs with UHF built-in started to pop up during the 70s, the station already would begin to improve.

In 1980, WAOT-TV-AM-FM were seized by US government officials amid securities fraud complaints regarding Bonhomme Broadcasting. The court-appointed station manager, Dan Armellini, and the -designated receiver, Domingo Carvajal, both had zero experience running a TV station, and thus arguments between the manager, receiver and station employees arose due to alleged mismanagement on parts of Armellini and Caravajal. Station employees took the SEC, Armellini and Carvajal to court in 1982. Receiver Carvajal sold WAOT-TV-AM-FM to the most interested buyer, (owners of the Toledo Blade newspaper in ), as part of the lawsuit settlement. Block's purchase of the trio marked the company's media entrance in the Northeast United States.

In 1995, Block signed-on WAMN-TV as a charter affiliate of UPN and a sister station to WAOT-TV, and Block introduced a on-air graphical upgrade to WAOT-TV in 1999, including a new logo (a similar logo would be adopted by former sister station in  upon it's switch to NBC in 2005).

In 2007, Block Communications sold WAOT-TV-AM-FM and WAMN-TV to -based for $1.5 million. On September 7, 2009, Hubbard would use the station's studios to help launch Heart, a lifestyle channel aimed at LGBT people.

Syndicated programming
Syndicated programming seen on WAOT includes Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Hot Bench, Dr. Phil, and The Doctors, among others.

News operation
WAOT currently broadcasts 46½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week, with 8½ hours each weekday, three hours on Saturdays and one hour on Sundays; all under the WAOT-34 TV NH News branding. The station's newscasts primarily focus on Manchester as well as the, , , and  regions. The 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. newscasts on weeknights focus primarily on news stories in the and  as well as stories in,  and ; they are branded as NH News Mountains & North Country Edition. WAOT has been nominated for five for "Best Newscast" since 2003.

Meteorologist Ed Kovalevich was hired in 1975, began doing on-air weather reporting in 1980, and was named chief meteorologist in 1988. He is a staunch supporter of the and has campaigned against the U.S. two-party system.

In 2003, WAOT began airing Spanish-language newscasts at 11:00 a.m. weekdays. 2014, WAOT formed a partnership with News United LLC to produce a French-language newscast airing nightly at 11:00 p.m. The anchor of the French-language newscasts is Fabrice Johannes, broadcasting from News United's Canadian studio in, , ; and airing segments from French-speaking reporters at WAOT.

In 2008, WAOT formed a broadcast partnership with 's Fox station (channel 25) that allowed the two stations to cooperate in news gathering for local stories.

Reporter Lawrence Avey joined in 2014, moving from sister station in.

In October 2018, co-anchor Patrice Mabille announced her departure from NH News. She officially left on November 2, 2018 to move to. She was replaced by newcomer journalist Janine G. Bastock, who had become a social media sensation when her story of coming out as transgender was publicized by in.

In July 2020, Weekday Meteorologist Smith London announced his departure from NH News to dedicate his time to the pro-choice movement. Sally Prindiville (a fill-in meteorologist and former "VJ" of sister station WAMN-TV) took over the position.

Notable current on-air staff

 * Nathan West - anchor
 * Janine G. Bastock - anchor
 * Lawrence Avey - reporter (formerly with and )
 * Sam Barnett - reporter (formerly with )
 * Wellington Shenna - reporter
 * Ed Kovalevich - chief meteorologist
 * Sally Prindiville - weekday meteorologist
 * Francisco Aarón Cebrián - anchor of NH News Edición en Español / fill-in reporter

Newscast themes

 * News 4 New York - Jim McAllister (1982-1986)
 * Total Coverage - 615 Music (1999-2009)
 * KSTP 5 Eyewitness News Package (2015-present)