WJXX

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WJXX
Orange Park/Jacksonville, Florida
Branding	ABC 25 (general) First Coast News (newscasts)
Slogan	Your News Leader)
Channels	Digital: 10 (VHF)
Subchannels	25.1 ABC 25.2 First Coast News Weather Plus
Owner	Gannett Company, Inc. (Gannett River States Publishing Corporation)
First air date	June 25, 1997
Call letters’ meaning	JaXX (informal abbreviation for Jacksonville)
Sister station(s)	WTLV
Former channel number(s)	Analog: Channel 25 (1997-2009)
Transmitter Power	29.5 kW
Height	290.7 m
Facility ID	11893
Transmitter Coordinates	30°16′24″N 81°33′13″W / 30.27333°N 81.55361°W / 30.27333; -81.55361
Website	www.firstcoastnews.com

WJXX is the ABC-affiliated television station for Jacksonville, Florida. The station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 10. The station is owned by Gannett as part of a duopoly with the area's NBC affiliate, WTLV. The two stations share studios located on East Adams Street in downtown near Jacksonville Municipal Stadium; WJXX and WTLV share a transmitter that is located in Kilarney Shores. The station is licensed to Orange Park. The station serves all of northeast Florida (more specifically, the First Coast) and southeast Georgia. The station is available on channel 5 on Comcast cable in the Jacksonville area. U-Verse carries WJXX on channel 25 and an HD feed on channel 1025.

[edit] History

WJXX's old ABC 25 logo. It is now replaced by the most recent logo.

WJXX first went on the air on June 25, 1997 owned by Allbritton Communications. It was the first station in the country designed for digital television, a medium which was then fairly new. The station was initially slated to be an independent, but just before it signed on, Allbritton signed a long-term affiliation deal with ABC. As a result, WJXX took the affiliation from longtime affiliate WJKS. That station then became a WB affiliate and changed its callsign to WJWB (it is now WCWJ).

Albritton sold WJXX to Gannett, owners of WTLV, in November 1999. Normally, duopolies between two "big four" affiliates or even "big three" affiliates would not be allowed because they usually constituted the top four stations in a market. FCC regulations do not allow common ownership of any two of the four biggest stations in a market. However, the FCC allowed the deal because, as the newest station in the market, WJXX ranked behind WJWB, Fox affiliate WAWS and then-UPN affiliate WTEV (now a CBS affiliate).

Once the sale was final on March 17, 2000, Gannett moved WJXX into WTLV's facilities and kept only a handful of the original staff. This created First Coast News which airs on both stations today. However, most of the news personnel are veterans of WTLV.

First Coast News adopted the "Global Village" theme by Stephen Arnold Music in 2000 shortly after acquiring WJXX (the package used before then was "The NBC Collection"). This package stayed until December 2006, when the station switched to "Seize The Day" by 615 Music. Earlier that year, First Coast News renovated its studios and changed their graphics after long-time anchor Alan Gionet departed.

On September 10, 2007, First Coast News stopped simulcasting the 5 and 5:30 p.m. weekday broadcasts on WJXX. The Ellen DeGeneres Show replaced the broadcasts at 5 p.m. on WJXX instead. Since NBC's Today expanded to four hours, the station moved Live with Regis and Kelly, which had previously aired at 10 a.m. on WTLV, to WJXX at 9 a.m. Divorce Court was also moved from WJXX (where it had aired at Noon) to 2 p.m. on WTLV. Joy Purdy (who previously worked at WFOR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Miami) also debuted as the new anchor of First Coast News at 7.

On October 29, 2007, First Coast News once again debuted new graphics in time for the November sweeps. Along with new graphics, Donna Hicken officially identified herself on-air as Donna Deegan. The ABC 25 logo also had changed for the first time since Gannett acquired it in 2000.

Banner released in the email promoting the new website. This is also to be the banner used at the top of the site during the early evening hours.

On May 15, 2008, First Coast News released an email to all subscribers about their website set to debut on May 21. It was announced by Online Manager Linda Mock that the new site was to have a new forum system known as 'Pluck' and would require everyone to sign up, unlike their existing system 'Topix'. A new banner that will change with the weather conditions replaced the old banner that showed the current on-air anchors. Also started was ads for every newscast at the top of the screen, that cycles through with previous ads. The new website was also announced via a breaking news alert at the top of the existing website. ^[1]

On May 21, 2008, as expected, First Coast News debuted its new website.^[2]

First Coast News now offers a "Weather Call" service that will call your telephone in the event of severe weather near your specific location. It utilizes National Weather Service data to place the call.

On October 23, 2008, First Coast News debuted new graphics and music, the same standardized packages as on every other Gannett television station. The new uniformed graphics were created by G3 (or the Gannett Graphics Group) based near sister station KUSA-TV in Denver; the music was composed by Rampage Music New York.^[3]

On June 12, 2009, WJXX shut down its analog transmitter in Clay County, Florida. This caused viewers in areas such as Gainesville to lose programming from WJXX, but viewers in Flagler County, Florida and on the Colonial Coast of Georgia gained programming.

[edit] Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Digital channels

In 2009, WJXX left channel 25 and kept its digital TV on channel 10 when the analog shutdown occured.^[4]

[edit] News operation

In September 1997, WJXX launched a 7 p.m. newscast called ABC 25 Tonight. When the station's brand new building was finally constructed, WJXX moved in and on December 15, 1997 started broadcasting 4 1/2 hours of local news programming each and every weekday.

Monday through Friday there was the 5:30 a.m.-7 a.m. news (ABC 25 Today), News at Noon, 5 p.m.-6:30, ABC 25 Tonight at 7 p.m., and then the 11 p.m. Nightcast. On weekends there was either a 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. news and then the 11 p.m. Nightcast. There was no morning show on weekends.

Deanna Fené and Joy Purdy on First Coast News at 7.

In the May 2007 Nielsen Ratings, WTLV and WJXX had a powerful lead. They won the weekday morning, Noon, 5:30, and 6 p.m. slots. Also, at 11 p.m., more people watched WTLV and WJXX than any other local station combined. However, as of the November 2007 Nielsen Ratings, WTLV and WJXX only won the weekday morning, Noon, and 11 p.m. news slot. The 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m. slots went to WJXT. This is partly due to the cancellation of simulcasting First Coast News at 5 and First Coast News at 5:30 on WJXX.

All of WTLV's newscasts are simulcasted on WJXX except: First Coast News at 5, First Coast News at 5:30, First Coast News at Noon, the first half-hour of Good Morning Jacksonville Sunrise, and Good Morning Jacksonville Saturday. Also, WTLV airs First Coast News at 6 Weekend at 6 p.m. while WJXX airs another edition of it at 6:30 p.m. The same occurs on Sundays. WJXX is the only television station in Jacksonville to have a weeknight 7 p.m. newscast known as First Coast News at 7 and airs Good Morning Jacksonville Sunday as well.

First Coast News logo.

In addition to their main studios, WJXX and WTLV operate a "Southern Bureau" that covers St. Johns, Clay, and Putnam Counties.

WJXX and WTLV operate their own weather radar. Known as "First Coast Doppler 2 Track", it is located next to WTLV's transmitter. They also broadcast a weather radar that is operated by the National Weather Service and is located at its Local Forecast Office near Jacksonville International Airport.

On February 8, 2009, in an effort to save money, WJXX fired Dave Vanore from his position as weekend meteorologist. He had been at the station for about a year. Steve Smith, who had filled the position as Good Morning Jacksonville weather anchor since the 90s, replaced Vanore. Michelle Jacobs, traffic reporter on Good Morning Jacksonville, First Coast News at 5, and First Coast News at 5:30, replaced Smith as the meteorologist on Good Morning Jacksonville. Jacobs carries weather certification from Mississippi State University. Jacobs previously was also a fill-in weather anchor for First Coast News, as well as for WTEV/WAWS where she was a full-time traffic reporter as well. On July 3rd, it was announced Smith was going to move to First Coast News At 7 with Patrica Crosby.

On July 3,2009, First Coast News announced that starting July 6th, her and Patrica Crosby were switching places. Joy Purdy will now anchor Good Morning Jacksonville with Phil Amato, and Michelle Jacobs. Patrica Crosby will now anchor First Coast News At 7. She will now have more time to spend with her kids. Deanna Fene' will be moved from First Coast News At 7 to the weekend shift to fill Victor Blackwell's postion.

[edit] Personalities

Good Morning Jacksonville (5:30-7 a.m.)
Weekdays

• Anchors:
  • Phil Amato
  • Joy Purdy
• Weather & Traffic:
  • Michelle Jacobs

First Coast News at 6
Weekdays

• Anchors:
  • Jeannie Blaylock
  • Shannon Ogden
• Weather:
  • Tim Deegan
• Sports:
  • Dan Hicken
• On Your Side
  • Ken Amaro

First Coast News at 7
Weekdays

• Anchors:
  • Patricia Crosby
• Weather:
  • Steve Smith
• Sports:
  • Dan Hicken

First Coast News at 11
Weekdays

• Anchors:
  • Donna Deegan
  • Shannon Ogden
• Weather:
  • Tim Deegan
• Sports:
  • Dan Hicken

Weekends

• Anchor:
  • Deanna Fene'
• Weather:
  • Mark Collins
• Sports:
  • Chris Porter

[edit] Reporters

• Jackelyn Barnard - chief investigative reporter
• Ronnie Belton - Money Manager seen Monday mornings
• Jessica Clark - "Southern Bureau" reporter (also fill-in anchor)
• Ryan Duffy
• Michelle Jacobs - traffic reporter
• Mike Kaminski - photojournalist
• Erich Spivey
• Doug Lockwood - photojournalist
• Kyle Meenan (also fill-in anchor)
• Kristin Smith
• Chef Robert Tulko - seen during food segments on weekday and Saturday mornings
• Roger Weeder - education reporter
• Angela Williams
• Jennifer Lindgren

[edit] Notable alumni

Former WJXX Personalities (1997-2000)

Former First Coast News/WTLV Employees

[edit] News/Station Presentation

[edit] Newscast Titles

• ABC 25 News (1997-2000)
• First Coast News (2000-Present) With WTLV

[edit] Newscast Music

• Impact, 615 Music (1997-2000) When ABC 25 had its own news department
• Global Village, Stephen Arnold Music (2000-2006) With WTLV
• Seize The Day, 615 Music (2006-Present) With WTLV
• Gannett News Music Package, Rampage Music New York (2008-Present) With WTLV

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• WJXX "ABC 25"
• First Coast News wireless
• Eulogy for a Television Station: The Last Days of WJXX
• WJXX Outtakes and Bloopers
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WJXX
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WJXX-TV