NORFOLK, Va. — In 1950, as the Korean War began, Tidewater’s first television station signed on the air, beginning a commitment to military coverage that has lasted for generations.
As WTKR celebrates 75 years, the station reflects on its unique role in covering the military and its impact on the region.
Through tragedy and triumph, viewers have had a front-row seat to it all.
“The military is our second society. Not just in terms of population. Of course, the naval base itself is the largest naval base in the world, and from a news standpoint, 24 hours a day, you’ve got to keep an eye and an ear on the military,” said anchor Ed Hughes, who led the station's news coverage for more than three decades and chronicled significant military milestones, including the Navy's USS Enterprise, built in 1961.
That same year, leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis, WTKR explored what nuclear war could mean for the area. “The Norfolk Naval Base might very well be a target. Everything and everyone within a five-mile radius would be destroyed,” experts noted.
From documentaries to breaking news, longtime reporter Bob West recalled a defining moment in the early 1960s. "The finest moment that this news department ever had was early in the 60s, and that’s when two military aircraft collided mid-air over Hampton and crashed into a residential area. It was a tragic story.”
Years later, history repeated itself when a Navy jet crashed into an apartment building near the oceanfront during a live newscast. Fortunately, the pilots survived, and no one on the ground was hurt. It was dubbed the Good Friday Miracle.
There was little good news in 2000, when the Norfolk-based USS Cole was bombed, resulting in the deaths of 17 sailors.
There were also significant stories during peacetime, including the historic visit of two Soviet warships to Norfolk in 1989. “Hey, these are the guys we’re supposed to be mad at and they’re supposed to be mad at us. And it didn’t turn out that way at all. And that story will always go down in my mind as one of the biggest stories we ever covered,” said Hughes.
As troops were mobilized around the world, WTKR was there. Anchor Barbara Ciara traveled with local sailors during the air assault on the Taliban in the Middle East. “We also had the privilege of bringing a flag that had been in New York to the crew and the tears they shed knowing that was their mission, but that flag had been so close to Ground Zero is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” Ciara recalled.
Through dark days and brighter ones, deployments and homecomings, WTKR’s commitment to military coverage shines today, with live broadcasts of parades honoring veterans and monthly reports highlighting the servicemen and women proud to call Hampton Roads home.
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