WGXA

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WGXA
WGXA logo
Macon, Georgia
Branding Fox 24
Slogan Where Your News Comes First
Channels

Digital: 16 (UHF)
Virtual: 24 (PSIP)

Subchannels 24.1 Fox
Affiliations Fox (NFL 1995-1996, sole affiliate 1996-present)
Owner Frontier Radio Management, Inc.
(Fox 24 of Macon License, LLC)
First air date April 21, 1982
Call letters’ meaning exploits G and A from Georgia's postal code
Former channel number(s) Analog:
24 (1982-2009)
Former affiliations ABC (1982-1995)
Transmitter Power 1000 kW
Height 216 m
Facility ID 58262
Transmitter Coordinates 32°44′58.4″N 83°33′34.5″W / 32.749556°N 83.559583°W / 32.749556; -83.559583
Website www.fox24.com

WGXA is a Fox affiliated television station in Macon, Georgia. It also serves other portions of Middle Georgia including Warner Robins, Milledgeville, Dublin, Gray, Fort Valley, and Perry. Its transmitter is located in Macon. WGXA is owned by Frontier Radio Management, Inc.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

WGXA began broadcasting on April 21, 1982 as an ABC affiliate, the last of the "Big 3" network affiliate stations in Middle Georgia after WMAZ-TV and WCWB-TV. Prior to that time, ABC programming was only available to area residents either during the off-network hours (via tape delay) on WMAZ or on affiliates from nearby markets, such as Atlanta's WXIA (later WSB-TV) or Columbus' WTVM. Within a few months, it surged to second place behind WMAZ, largely because its news product was far more modern than that of WCWB (now WMGT-TV). For a brief time in the 1990s, the early evening newscast was repeated at 10 p.m. on WGNM (channel 64).

During its years as an ABC affiliate, WGXA preempted various network news programs -- the Saturday and Sunday editions of World News Tonight (instead showing syndicated reruns of various shows), ABC World News This Morning (instead showing cartoons), and even Nightline (instead showing The Arsenio Hall Show) and This Week with David Brinkley.

When NFL broadcasts moved from CBS to Fox in the early 1990s, WGXA aired them on Sunday afternoons until WPGA-TV signed on the air as the area's first Fox affiliate in 1995. However, on January 1, 1996, WGXA and WPGA swapped affiliations, resulting in WGXA becoming a full Fox affiliate and WPGA joining ABC.

On February 17, 2009; WGXA turned off its analog transmitter at 12 p.m. and continued to broadcast its digital signal on channel 16; however through the use of PSIP, digital receivers will display WGXA's virtual channel as 24.

[edit] Programming

Being a Fox affiliate, WGXA airs Fox network programming between the hours of 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. WGXA airs syndicated shows in the mornings and afternoons and after the 10:00 p.m. newscast.

On January 5, 2008, WGXA began airing a weekend edition of the 10 p.m. newscast.

[edit] Current New Personalities

[edit] Anchors

[edit] Reporters

[edit] Meteorologists

[edit] Sports

[edit] Associated Press

  • Celeste Smith, Assignment Editor

[edit] Past personalities

  • Jaclyn Asztalos, General Assignment Reporter (now at WNCN)
  • David Bailey, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (1999-2000, was at WOFL Orlando, now at WWMT, Grand Rapids, MI)
  • Heather 'Barry' McCroan, Production Assistant, Fill-in Producer, General Assignment Reporter, Creative Services Director (May 2001-Sept 2002)
  • Whitney Casey, General Assignment Reporter (now at KHOU-TV as Host of "Great Day Houston")
  • Pete Cataldo, Sports Director (2002-05, now at WTLV/WJXX)
  • Jeff Cox, Chief Meteorologist (04/05-08/07, now a meteorologist for www.raysweather.com)
  • Kelly Cox, Weathercaster (?, now at WTVF-TV)
  • Bob Drury, General Assignment Reporter (?)
  • Charles Ewing, Meteorologist (?, now at WGHP-TV)
  • Liz Fabian, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at The Macon Telegraph)
  • Mike Fuori, Chief Meteorologist (2003-2005)
  • Courtney George, Reporter, (Network Sports Anchor for CNN, SPEED and FOX Sports NASCAR Reporter, currently Network anchor for the mtn, COMCAST SPORTSNET, Denver, CO)
  • Kevin Goff, Meteorologist (?, now at WJRT-TV)
  • Andrea Griffith, Anchor/Reporter (now CEO of AGP Omnimedia & host of 'Georgia Life & Style' TV)
  • Howard Handsel, General Assignment Reporter '99 - '02 Now (?)
  • Beth Haynes, General Assignment Reporter (?, now at WBIR-TV)
  • Adrianna Hopkins, General Assignment Reporter (?, now at WHAS-TV)
  • Sherri Jackson, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at WIAT-TV)
  • George Jobin, Sports Reporter Assignment Editor 1992-1999 Now manager WMUM FM and TV GPB Macon
  • Rob Jones, Sports Director (? - 2002, now at WVTM-TV)
  • Juan Kincaid, Sports Director (?, now at WWL-TV)
  • Dan Kilday, Sports Director/"Midnight Blitz" Host (2005 - 2006)
  • Danita Kirkpatrick, Anchor/Reporter (?)
  • Doug Long, News Director/Anchor/Reporter (?)
  • Kristine Lopez, Weekend Anchor/General Assignment Reporter (?-2003)
  • Michael Lopez, General Assignment Reporter (2007-2008)
  • Alison Morrow, General Assignment Reporter (2007-2008)
  • Zeb Mellett, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter (?)
  • Matt Miller, News Director/10 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (2001-05, now at WCPO-TV)
  • Rebecca Miller, Weathercaster (?, now at KXAS-TV)
  • Jeremy Moss, Sports Anchor/Reporter (?)
  • Simon Perez, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (?, now at KPIX-TV)
  • Holly Roehl, General Assignment Reporter (?)
  • Danyelle Sargent, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter (?, now at Fox Sports Network)
  • Bill Shanks, Sports Director 1995-98 (Now an author and Sports Talk Radio Host on WIFN 105.5 the Fan in Macon, 680 the Fan in Atlanta)
  • Chris Simmons, Weekend Meteorologist (2007-2008)
  • Anjula Singh, General Assignment Reporter (?)
  • Perry Swanson, Fox 24 News at 10PM Anchor/Reporter (8/2002-07) President of Peach County Chamber of Commerace in Fort Valley, GA
  • Cheryl Tan, Anchor/Reporter (now at WAVY-TV)
  • Jason Terzis, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter (now at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan)
  • Mark Thibodeau, Chief Meteorologist (now at The Weather Channel Radio Network)
  • Doug Wieder, General Assignment Reporter (?, married to Cheryl Tan, now executive producer at wife's crosstown rival, WVEC-TV in Norfolk, VA)
  • Ron Wildman, News Director/Anchor/Reporter (former Media Relations manager for Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis, ending Dec '07)
  • Angela Williams, General Assignment Reporter (?-2006, now at WTLV/WJXX-TV)
  • Secily Wilson, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at WKMG-TV)
  • Julie Wunder, Weathercaster (?, now at WLOS-TV)
  • Bob Young, Anchor/Reporter (?)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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