WGBA-TV
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| WGBA-TV | |
|---|---|
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| Green Bay / Appleton, Wisconsin | |
| Branding | NBC 26 NBC 26 News |
| Slogan | In Your Corner |
| Channels | Digital: 41 (UHF) Virtual: 26 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 26.1 NBC |
| Translators | W22BW 22 Sturgeon Bay W31BK 31 Menominee, Michigan |
| Owner | Journal Broadcast Group |
| Founded | December 31, 1980 |
| Call letters’ meaning | Green Bay and Appleton |
| Sister station(s) | WACY-TV, WTMJ-TV, WTMJ-AM, WLWK-FM |
| Former callsigns | WLRE (1980-1985) |
| Former channel number(s) | 26 (UHF analog, 1980-2009) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1980-1992) Fox (1992-1995) |
| Transmitter Power | 1,000 kW |
| Height | 365.5 m |
| Facility ID | 2708 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 44°21′29.7″N 87°58′47.3″W / 44.35825°N 87.979806°W |
| Website | nbc26.com |
WGBA-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Fox River Valley area of northeastern Wisconsin that is licensed to Green Bay. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from a transmitter east of Shirley in Brown County. Owned by the Journal Broadcast Group, the station operates MyNetworkTV affiliate WACY-TV (that is owned by Ace TV, Inc.) through a local marketing agreement a.k.a. LMA. Thew two share studios on North Road in Ashwaubenon along WI 172 even though their address says Green Bay. Syndicated programming on WGBA includes: Inside Edition, Deal or No Deal, Access Hollywood, and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.
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[edit] Translators
In addition to its main signal, they operate two translator stations. W22BW channel 22 is officially licensed as a Class A television station. The station was once rebroadcast in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on W02AM channel 2 in Gwinn, W09BA channel 9 in Felch, W49AF channel 49 in Crystal Falls, and W56BF channel 56 in Iron Mountain (which was encrypted and part of the now-defunct over-the-air cable system in that area).
| Call letters | Channel | City of license | Transmitter location |
|---|---|---|---|
| W22BW | 22 | Sturgeon Bay | north of city |
| W31BK | 31 | Menominee, Michigan | northeast of city along MI 35 |
[edit] History
They signed-on as independent station WLRE on December 31, 1980 broadcasting an analog signal on UHF channel 26. The call letters stood for station co-founder Lyle R. Evans (deceased). It was the first commercial UHF station and the first independent in the area. The station's partnership was dissolved in a bankruptcy court in which investors lost their money and the station was sold for pennies on the dollar. In 1985, the station was bought by Family Group Broadcasting, Inc. On October 3 of that year, the call letters were changed to the current WGBA-TV.[1] The station, then known on-air as "TV 26", was well known in its early years for children programming host "Cuddles the Clown" who would stay with the station until they acquired NBC affiliation and moved to WACY before retiring.
In the wake of a bankruptcy, WXGZ (the original operation on UHF channel 32) went off-the-air February 14, 1992. WGBA then became the new Fox affiliate the following day changing its identification to "Fox 26". They were handicapped by not having a local news operation. In 1994, the first year of NFL on Fox, the station had to contract with ABC affiliate WBAY-TV to do a pregame show before Green Bay Packers games since they lacked a local sports department of their own.
WGBA relaunched channel 32 with Ace TV, Inc. though a local marketing agreement in June 1994. WXGZ would become a charter affiliate of UPN and change their call letters to the current WACY-TV in 1995. WGBA became an NBC affiliate in August 1995 in the wake of WLUK changing from NBC to Fox after an ownership change and the network's acquisition of the NFL's NFC contract enabling WLUK to be the Packers home station. This station then became known on-air as "NBC26" and struggled to find a constant identity to compete with Green Bay's other three stations which were all established in the 1950s and had loyal audiences. In October 2004, the Journal Broadcast Group bought WGBA for $43.2 million dollars after Aries Telecommunications sold the station. Journal has owned market-leading NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee since the beginning days of television and had always been looking to expand into northeastern Wisconsin. Journal continues to maintain the WACY LMA and is looking to buy the station outright to form a true duopoly in the area.
Since the purchase, WGBA and WTMJ have become close sister stations to each other and now share the same news theme, promotion, and graphics packages. This station promotes its connections with the Journal Broadcast Group heavily including during the opening of its local newscasts. The station also share resources which allows WGBA the use of WTMJ's resources for breaking news, live events, and sports coverage. After the first part of the 2009 calendar year where much of the station's afternoon schedule outside of Days of Our Lives and the 4 P.M. hour consisted of paid programming, the station resumed carrying a full afternoon syndicated schedule consisting of The Dr. Oz Show, Family Feud and the syndicated run of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? along with returning series Access Hollywood and Deal or No Deal. In the 2009-2010 season of Days of Our Lives, it moved up an hour to fill the Noon slot.
[edit] News operation
During NBC coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics, WGBA began airing local newscasts every night at 6 and 10. Eventually as the news department grew, the station added newscasts in other dayparts. On June 3, 2008, the Journal Broadcast Group announced that WGBA's sports department and personnel, Ted Stefaniak and John Burton, would be laid off by the company. Sports segments are now simulcasted from WTMJ using that station's personnel.[2] On July 14, 2008, WGBA discontinued their weekday morning and Noon newscasts and let go some of its staff in order to save costs. In place of those shows, WTMJ's Live at Daybreak and Live at Noon newscasts were simulcasted on this station with local weather cut-ins from WGBA in Green Bay. The mid-morning magazine program The Morning Blend (simulcasted from WTMJ) now airs from 9 to 10 in the morning.[3]
In January 2009, the weekday morning simulcast was canceled and turned into a WGBA-produced rolling weather block called Non-Stop Weather likely owing to a disinterest by northeastern Wisconsin viewers in watching news coverage specific to the Milwaukee area. WTMJ's weekday Noon broadcast later moved to WACY in order to allow WGBA to carry more paid programming due to their financial struggles. This was eventually dropped as well. All weather forecasts (except on weeknights) are provided by WTMJ. WGBA's staff continues to film sports video and freelance announcers (some formerly with WGBA) provide commentary for Green Bay sporting events on this station.
On April 7, 2009, WTMJ became the first station in Milwaukee to broadcast local news in high definition. The simulcasted sports and weather cut-ins on WGBA were included in the upgrade. With the change came new music "High Velocity" from 615 Music and new graphics from Renderon Broadcast Design, the main graphics company used for all Journal Broadcast Group stations.[4] On July 24, it was announced that the majority of WGBA's news staff would be eliminated reducing the number of newsroom staff to a total of eight. The remaining staff had to re-apply for their positions and the station converted their reporters and photojournalists to work as "one man band" videojournalists who are responsible for every part of stories including editing. In September 2009, Bonnie Kirschman, the only employee to remain with WGBA's news operation since the 1996 launch was let go.
In mid-August 2009, the weekday morning news block was canceled entirely with Better moving to the 5 o'clock hour followed by encores of the previous night's Live at 10 broadcast and Early Today before Today. In addition to their main studios, the station operates a Fox Cities bureau in Appleton on West College Avenue. WGBA still provides weather forecasts for WACY's coverage of high school football games. The station operates their own weather radar at their studios.
[edit] News team
+ denotes personnel based at WTMJ's facilities on East Capitol Drive (a.k.a. WI 190) in Milwaukee
[edit] Current personalities
Anchors
- + Vince Vitrano - weekday morning Today cut-ins
- + Susan Kim - weekday morning Today cut-ins
- Stacy Engebretson - weeknights
- + Melissa McCrady - weekend morning Today cut-ins
- Kim Johnson - weekend evenings and video journalist
- + Molly Fay - The Morning Blend host
NBC 26 Precision / Storm Team 4 Weather Plus Meteorologists
- Cameron Moreland (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
- + Craig Koplien (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) - weekday morning Today cut-ins
- + Michael Fish - weekend morning Today cut-ins
- + Scott Steele - weekend evenings
Sports
- + Lance Allan - weeknights at 6 and 10
- + Rod Burks - weekend evenings
- + Jessie Garcia - reporter
Video Journalists
- Bob Healey - News Director and fill-in anchor
- Eric Peterson
- Chad Doran
- Wendy Navani
- Todd Hicks
[edit] Former personalities
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Titles
- NBC 26 News (1996-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- NBC 26 News (1996-2000)
- Where Local News Comes First (2000-2002)
- Going Places (2002-2004)
- You Ask We Investigate (2004-2009)
- In Your Corner (2009-present)
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.[edit] References
- ^ http://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProEngine.php?sCurrentService=TV&tabSearchType=Appl&sAppIDNumber=596813&PHPSESSID=27f736e089acabb7eb90d1e8778b2c6a
- ^ http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080603/GPG05/80603041/1978
- ^ http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/GPG0101/807150583/1207/GPG01
- ^ TMJ4 Debuts HD Newscasts
[edit] External links
- WGBA-DT "NBC 26"
- WTMJ-DT "Today's TMJ 4"
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WGBA-TV
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W22BW
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W31BK
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