WFMZ-TV
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| WFMZ-TV | |
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| Allentown, Pennsylvania | |
| Branding | 69 WFMZ-TV (general) 69 News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Your Life Your World Your News |
| Channels | Digital: 46 (UHF) Virtual: 69 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 69.1 WFMZ (Ind.) 69.2 AccuWX 69.3 RTN |
| Affiliations | Independent |
| Owner | Maranatha Broadcasting Company, Inc. |
| First air date | November 25, 1976 |
| Call letters’ meaning | Family Minded Zone |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 69 (1976-2009) |
| Transmitter Power | 400 kW |
| Height | 331 m |
| Facility ID | 39884 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 40°33′52″N 75°26′24″W / 40.56444°N 75.44°W |
| Website | www.wfmz.com |
WFMZ-TV is a general interest independent television station in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Philadelphia DMA. Its studio and transmitter are located on South Mountain in Allentown.
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[edit] Background
WFMZ went on the air on Thanksgiving 1976 with two daily newscasts and a mix of Religious and general interest programming.
WFMZ mainly serves the Lehigh Valley and Berks County areas with cable coverage in much of the Philadelphia DMA. There is over the air signal coverage in some northwest New Jersey counties that are part of the New York City DMA. WFMZ also serves as a local station in news and cable coverage to Carbon County and Monroe County within the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton DMA.
The schedule consists of first run syndicated programs like Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Family Feud and Deal or No Deal and classic TV shows Get Smart, Matlock, The Cosby Show and Hawaii Five-0, along with paid programming airing during the overnight hours. The station also produces various local programs about business, sports and health related issues.
WFMZ-DT subchannels
| Channel | Name | Video Format | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 69.1 | WFMZ-DT | 720p | main WFMZ-TV programming |
| 69.2 | WFMZ Accuweather | 480i | The Local AccuWeather Channel |
| 69.3 | WFMZ RTV | 480i | RTV |
[edit] News Operation
WFMZ-TV originally had two daily newscasts called "News Pulse" that ran when the station launched in 1976. These would be renamed "Channel 69 News" until finally being shorted to "69 News". Those two newscasts have expanded to over fifty a week including a nightly local Spanish newscast (which launched in February 2003). In 2005, WFMZ formed a partnership with Philadelphia station WPVI which allows the stations to cooperate in news gathering purposes. The current set for 69 News debuted in April 2006. High-definition news broadcasts began on May 1, 2008 making WFMZ the fourth station in the Philadelphia market to air HD news.
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast titles
- Newspulse (1976-1986)
- Channel 69 News (1986-1999)
- 69 News (1999-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- Your Life, Your World, Your News (1999-present)
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.[edit] News Team
[edit] Current On-Air Talent
Anchors
- Perla López Baray - Edición en Español at 11:00 PM
- Jaciel Cordoba - Sunrise and Noon
- Wendy Davis - weeknights at 5-6:30 PM and 10-11 PM
- Eve Tannery - Sunrise
- Rob Vaughn - weeknights at 5-6:30 PM and 10-11 PM
Anchors/Reporters
- John Derr - weekend evenings, health beat reporter
- Karin Mallett - weekend evenings, weekday Berks Edition reporter
- Nancy Werteen - Thursday Noon, Connect with Kids reporter
Weather Anchors
- Matt Broderick - Sunrise and Noon meteorologist
- Amanda Cox (AMS Member; NWA Member) - weekend evening meteorologist
- Kathy Craine - weeknights 6 PM
- Ed "Doofy" Hanna (AMS Member; NWA Member) - chief meteorologist, weeknights 5-6 PM, 10-11 PM
- Mark Shanaberger (AMS Member) - fill-in meteorologist
- Zenddy Caicedo Tintle - Edición en Español at 11:00 PM
Sports Team
- Troy Hein - sports director, weeknights 5 PM, 6 PM, 10-11 PM
- Tim McMaster - weeknights 5:30 PM
- Jim Vaughn - weekend sports anchor, sports reporter
- Dave Lesko - sports reporter, chief sports photographer
Reporters
- Linda Candelo - Edición en Español reporter at 11:00 PM
- Pam Cunningham - Berks Edition reporter
- Rick Edwards - traffic reporter
- Stephanie Esposito - Wednesday-Sunday reporter
- Jaccii Farris - Senior Reporter, Docujournalist
- Melissa Fullerton - Berks Edition reporter
- Bo Koltnow - evening reporter
- Joscelyn Moes - evening reporter
- Dwayne Parker - Berks Edition and Edición en Español reporter
- Jackie Shutack - Saturday-Wednesday reporter
[edit] Former On-Air Talent
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This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.[edit] AccuWeather Channel
The AccuWeather Channel debuted on February 4, 2001. It is broadcasted on WFMZ DT2 and digital cable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and according to WFMZ, was the first 24 hour local weather channel in the United States. Local weather updates are given every 15 minutes from one of WFMZ's meteorologists, plus national updates provided by AccuWeather. A link on the station's website offers live streaming video of this channel.
Weekdays
- Morning Outlook (5 AM-Noon): Matt Broderick
- Afternoon Outlook (Noon-5 PM): Matt Broderick
- Evening Outlook (5-11 PM): Ed Hanna (Mon-Tue) or Amanda Cox (Wed-Fri)
- Overnight Outlook (11 PM-5 AM): Ed Hanna (Mon-Tue) or Amanda Cox (Wed-Fri)
Weekends
- Morning Outlook (5 AM-Noon): Mark Shanaberger
- Afternoon Outlook (Noon-5 PM): Mark Shanaberger
- Evening Outlook (5-10:30 PM): Amanda Cox
- Overnight Outlook (10:30 PM-5 AM): Amanda Cox
[edit] Local Programming
[edit] The American Law Journal
The American Law Journal debuted in 1993 and is hosted by attorney Christopher Naughton, who is joined by various attorneys who answer questions about law related topics. Viewers can call in and receive free advice from any of the attorneys about the topic of the week. It airs live on Mondays at 7 PM.
[edit] Animal Doctor
Animal Doctor is hosted by Kathy Craine. Veterinarians from around the region join Kathy as they discuss various animal and pet related issues. It airs the first Monday of every month at 7:30 PM.
[edit] The Big Ticket
The Big Ticket is a high school football highlight show that airs every Friday at 11pm during the high school football season. Highlights from local games in The Lehigh Valley and Berks County air along with interviews from players & coaches. It debuted in 1995 and is currently hosted by Troy Hein and Tim McMaster, with reports from Dave Lesko and Jim Vaughn.
[edit] Business Matters
Business Matters is a program hosted by Tony Iannelli, where a panel of experts gather to discuss various business issues. It airs Mondays at 8:00 PM.
[edit] Election Central
Election Central is televised live every year during the May and November elections. Up to the minute results, live interviews and live reports are featured.
[edit] The Freddy Awards
The Freddy Awards which debuted in 2003 is fashioned after Broadway’s Tony Awards. A panel of evaluators view participating high schools musical performances. The best are honored in a ceremony that is broadcast live in HD on WFMZ every year. Ed Hanna and Shelley Brown host the ceremony from The State Theater in Easton.
[edit] Lehigh Sports Magazine
Lehigh Sports Magazine is hosted by Jim Vaughn and features interviews with Lehigh University coaches and players. It airs Mondays at 8:30 PM during Lehigh's fall sports season.
[edit] Rotary Auction
The Rotary Auction is televised live on WFMZ every year. Merchants donate items and bidders can call or log on to WFMZ.com to place their bids. The auction raises money for various organizations in the Lehigh Valley. Various WFMZ personalities volunteer their time to the auction.
[edit] Talk With Your Doctor
Talk With Your Doctor is hosted by Doug Eberhart, who is joined by various doctors from St. Luke's Hospital, and offers viewers the chance to call in and receive free medical advice. It airs Mondays at 6:30 PM.
[edit] External links
- Official Web Site of WFMZ-TV
- WFMZ Wireless
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WFMZ
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WFMZ-TV
- Official Web Site of WFMZ's Accu-Weather Channel
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