WPFO
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| Waterville/Portland, Maine | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Fox 23 News 13 |
| Channels | Digital: 23 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | 23.1 Fox |
| Owner | Corporate Media Consultants Group (operated by Max Media) (CMCG Portland License, LLC) |
| First air date | August 27, 1999 |
| Call letters' meaning | We're Portland's FOx |
| Former callsigns | WMPX-TV (1999-2003) |
| Former channel number(s) | 23 (UHF analog, 1999-2009) |
| Former affiliations | Pax (1999-2003) |
| Transmitter power | 390 kW |
| Height | 331 m |
| Facility ID | 84088 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 44°9′15.3″N 70°0′35.2″W / 44.15425°N 70.009778°W |
| Website | myfoxmaine.com |
WPFO is the Fox-affiliated television station for Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire that is licensed to Waterville, Maine. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 23 from a transmitter on Oak Hill in Litchfield near the Androscoggin and Kennebec County line. Owned by Corporate Media Consultants Group and operated by Max Media (which owns 49 percent of CMCG), the station has studios on Oxford Street in Downtown Portland. Syndicated programming on WPFO includes: Two and a Half Men, The Office, Judge Alex, and Seinfeld.
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[edit] History
The station began broadcasting on August 27, 1999 as WMPX-TV and was a Pax (now Ion Television) affiliate owned by Paxson Communications. Paxson sold the channel in December 2002 to Corporate Media Consultants Group who changed the call sign to the current WPFO. The new calls reflected an affiliation change to Fox, which took place in April 2003, filling a gap created in Fall 2001 when WPXT switched to The WB. In July 2007, this station debuted a new logo and updated website. The website's design was outsourced to Fox Interactive Media which also develops websites for Fox's owned-and-operated stations. WPFO switched website providers to Broadcast Interactive Media in March 2010.
From its sign-on until April 12, 2003, the station was branded on-air as "Pax 23". In addition to Pax programming, WMPX carried a small amount of local programming. As WPFO in addition to Fox prime time, sports, and syndicated programming, the station produces and airs local paid programming under the titles Fox 23 Lifestyle and Your Hometown. It was announced by the Maine Lottery on April 16, 2010 that starting May 11 WPFO would begin airing the Mega Millions lottery drawings Tuesday and Friday nights at 11 following the hour long 10 o'clock newscast. Maine joined the Mega Millions lottery on May 9 starting ticket sales on that date.
[edit] News operation
For a time in the early-2000s, WMPX re-aired some newscasts from WCSH and WLBZ as part of a larger deal between Paxson Communications and Gannett. This station also operated from WCSH's Downtown Portland studios at Congress Square and sold air time jointly with WCSH and WLBZ under a time brokerage agreement. [1] In 2003, a three hour-long weekday morning talk show with a call-in format called So Goes The Nation began airing. It was hosted by Alan Silberberg and former WVOM host Charlie Horne from the studios of Bangor's Fox affiliate WFVX-LP. Originally seen only on WFVX, simulcasts were later added on WPFO and area radio station WLOB. So Goes The Nation was canceled in September 2004.
From November 9, 2005 until March 27, 2009, WPFO simulcasted WLOB's weekday morning show known as The Fox Morning News hosted by Ray Richardson and Ted Talbot. There were short features and news stories from Fox News and weather forecasts with former WGME-TV meteorologist Paul Cousins during breaks in the show. The program was more of a conservative talk show than newscast and featured live call-ins from viewers and listeners. It was replaced by the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz. The program moved to MyNetworkTV affiliate WPME and is now known as The Ray and Ted Show and airs 6:30 until 7:30.
On February 5, 2007, WGME began producing a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on WPFO known as News 13 on Fox after a news share agreement was established between the two. It is aired from a secondary set at WGME's studios on the corner of Washington Avenue and Northport Drive in the North Deering section of Portland. Starting April 5, 2010, the weeknight 10 o'clock broadcast was expanded to an hour. As a result of this, the show uses all Fox News material for national news coverage. Previously, it was using CBS News in the national segments. This continues for the thirty minute weekend broadcast.
A two-hour long morning show was launched on WPFO called Good Day Maine also produced by WGME. It is a talk, entertainment, news, weather, and sports program that airs from 7 to 9. The show is the only local morning broadcast during the time slot and competes against The Early Show (on WGME), Good Morning America, and Today. This newscast airs from the secondary set at WGME's facilities (which received an update) along with a new secondary weather set (while also using the main weather center outside of WGME's Early Show cut-ins) to deliver weather reports. There is also a live interview desk that was previously used on WGME during news headline updates on that station's weekday morning show and a new light story room which includes a nighttime backdrop of the Portland skyline along with several couches and armchairs. WPFO's website hosts video from both of the WGME-produced newscasts.
All WGME-produced newscasts on WPFO were made available in high definition format starting on February 8, 2012; the newscasts are presented in widescreen (letterboxed) format on WPFO's standard definition feed.
[edit] News 13 on Fox Team
Anchors
- Diana Ichton - Good Day Maine Co-Anchor
- ON YOUR SIDE Segment Producer & Reporter
- Jon Chrisos - Good Day Maine Co-Anchor
- Kim Block - Fill-In Anchor
- medical/health reporter
- "Around The Block" Segment Producer (based on healthy living topics, titled after presenter/anchor, Kim Block)
- Gregg Lagerquist - Weeknights at 10
- Political Anchor & Segment Producer
- Adrienne Stein - Weeknights at 10
- Catherine Parrotta - Weekends at 10
- reporter
Storm Team 13 Meteorologists
- Charlie Lopresti (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights at 10
- Sarah Long (AMS Seal of Approval) - Good Day Maine
- "Thursday's Child" segment producer
- Craig Miller - Weekends and fill-in
- David Epstein - weekend fill-in
Sports
- Dave Eid - Director seen weeknights
- Evans Boston - weekend sports anchor and fill-in reporter
- John Brickley - fill-in
Reporters
- Doug Rafferty - Special Reports
- "Maine Outdoors" & "Doug's Discoveries" Host/Segment Producer
- Giovanna Bechard - News 13 on FOX at 10PM Weeknight General Reporter
- Steve Roldan - Top Stories/General
- Fill-in Anchor/Meteorologist
- Kate Barker - fill-in reporter (was formerly weekday morning co-anchor and general assignment reporter)
- Scott Episkapo - photojournalist/general
WGME News 13 News Partners from WGAN-AM 560
- Ken Altshuler - WGAN Morning News and weekday morning commentary
- Political Edge commentator
- Mike Violette - WGAN Morning News and weekday morning commentary
- Political Edge commentator
- Erik Van Den Bossche - WGAN Trafficwatch
- Ben Bozeman - WGAN Trafficwatch
[edit] References
- ^ Fybush, Scott (October 23, 2000). "WNSS Gets Funny, Utica Gets Buggy, Dodge Gets Arrested". North East RadioWatch. http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-001023.html. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
[edit] External links
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