WPTY-TV

For the radio station in Long Island, New York, see WPTY (FM).

WPTY-TV

Memphis, Tennessee
Branding	WPTY ABC 24 ABC 24 News
Slogan	Start Here.
Channels	Digital: 25 (UHF) Virtual: 24 (PSIP)
Subchannels	24.1 ABC 24.2 TheCoolTV
Owner	Newport Television (Newport Television License, LLC)
First air date	September 10, 1978
Call letters' meaning	We're PeTrY Television (original owner)
Sister station(s)	WLMT, WJKT
Former channel number(s)	24 (UHF analog, 1978-2009)
Former affiliations	Independent (1978-1990) Fox (1990-1995)
Transmitter power	1,000 kW
Height	340 m
Facility ID	11907
Transmitter coordinates	35°16′33″N 89°46′38″W
Website	ABC24.com

WPTY-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for west Tennessee that is licensed to Memphis. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 25 from a transmitter in the Brunswick section of Arlington.

Owned by Newport Television, the station is sister to CW affiliate WLMT and Fox affiliate WJKT. All three share studios on Union Avenue Extension along Poplar Avenue (U.S. 72/TN 57) in Memphis. WJKT officially serves the Jackson area and has separate facilities in that city on Oil Well Road; however, master control and some internal operations are based in Memphis. Syndicated programming on WPTY includes: Two and a Half Men, Maury, The Doctors, and Live with Regis and Kelly.

Digital programming

On WPTY-DT2 and Comcast digital channel 915 is TheCoolTV.

Channel	Video	Aspect	Programming
24.1	720p	16:9	main WPTY-TV programming / ABC
24.2	480i	4:3	TheCoolTV

On June 12, 2009, WPTY continued on its pre-transitional digital channel when the conversion was completed.

History

The station began broadcasting on September 10, 1978 and was the market's first UHF channel and Independent. WPTY also served as the secondary outlet in town for the other three stations whenever they passed on shows in favor of local fare. It was owned by Petry Television (hence the call letters) and ran a general entertainment format of cartoons, movies, sitcoms, westerns, and drama shows. By 1983, WPTY picked up competition when the TVX Broadcast Group's WMKW signed-on and sparked a rivalry between the two.

TVX signed a deal to affiliate all of their stations with Fox in 1987 which resulted in WMKW becoming the area's affiliate. The network pulled the affiliation from that channel (by then known as WLMT) in February 1990 and gave it to WPTY. This occurred because TVX's deal with Fox included a clause stating that if an under-performing TVX station was sold, it could lose its affiliation.

Clear Channel Communications bought WPTY in 1992. A year later, a local marketing agreement (LMA) between Clear Channel and WLMT's then owner MT Communications brought the two rival stations together and they pooled resources and programming. In 1994, Fox Television Stations surprised the market by buying longtime ABC affiliate WHBQ-TV and announced that the station would become the new affiliate. In turn, ABC decided to go with WPTY as its new affiliate which happened on December 1, 1995.

At this point, the station began evolving into a traditional network affiliate running mostly first run syndicated shows and a few sitcoms while WLMT ran cartoons, movies, sitcoms, and some reality/talk shows as well. In 2001, Clear Channel would buy WLMT outright from Max Media making the two stations sisters. On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a broadcaster controlled by Providence Equity Partners.

News operation

Nightly news open at 10.

After becoming an ABC affiliate, WPTY decided to completely re-brand itself and start a news department. The newscasts were initially branded as NewsWatch 24 and featured an energetic, youthful, and almost "grunge" look. It began producing a nightly prime time broadcast on WLMT known as NewsWatch 30 at 9 to compete with WHBQ. Several years later, WPTY re-branded as ABC 24 News (with the news on WLMT becoming UPN 30 News at 9) and began to modify its style to reach a broader audience.

In 2002, WPTY re-branded to Eyewitness News, and modified its style once again to have a harder-edged, more aggressive and often "confrontational" approach by its anchors and reporters to stories and investigations. The change resulted in most of its original news anchors and reporters leaving or being laid off, with a complete overhaul in the station's image and presentation. During this time, WPTY's news operation had its share of recognitions and awards. It was honored in 2005 with Associated Press broadcasting awards for "Best Breaking News", "Best Newscast", "Best Reporter", and "Best Sportscast". The station was also honored in 2005 with an Edward R. Murrow and regional Emmy Award as the "Best Weekend Newscast".

In the same Associated Press award period in 2006, WPTY was honored with nine awards including "Best Overall Newscast". However, it still remained last in market ratings behind long-dominating rivals WREG-TV, WMC-TV, and WHBQ-TV. In 2009, with continued low ratings, and under its new ownership of Newport Television, new management was brought in to the station, leading to several firings and lay-offs in staff. Gradually, WPTY dropped most of its confrontational and aggressive style in its newscasts. In November 2010, after eight years of operating under the Eyewitness News name, WPTY re-branded yet again, returning to ABC 24 News. WPTY's ratings still remain last in the Memphis market, with a high level of turnover in staff continuing as well. Additionally, it has yet to upgrade its news operation to high definition, and is the only station in the Memphis market still broadcasting its news in 4:3 standard definition.

In addition to its newscasts on WPTY, three newscasts for WLMT are produced including an hour at 7 on weekday mornings and every night at 9 for 45 minutes. Following the prime time news, there is a fifteen minute sports highlight show. Fox affiliate WJKT simulcasts the nightly 9 o'clock broadcast and sports show. That station has microwave facilities at its studios in Jackson which allows the transmitting of live shots from the area. During weather segments, WPTY and WLMT use live NOAA National Weather Service radar data from the Local Forecast Office on Farm Road in Memphis (its official address is Walnut Grove Road). Although WPTY and WHBQ air their midday shows at 11, this channel is the only one to have an hour-long broadcast at that time.

Newscast titles

• NewsWatch 24 (1995-1997)
• ABC 24 News (1997-2002 and 2010-present)
• Eyewitness News/Eyewitness News Everywhere/ABC 24 Eyewitness News (2002-2010)

Station slogans

• "The Mid-South's News Source"/"The Mid-South's Information and Entertainment Source" (1995-1997)
• "Your New Mid-South News Leader" (1997)
• "Our Focus: The Mid-South" (1997–2002)
• "Uncovering. Investigating. Getting Results." (2002–2010)
• "Start Here." (2007–present; localized version of ABC ad campaign)

News team

Anchors

• Jeff Beimfohr - weekend evenings; also weeknight reporter
• Rodney Dunigan - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• Cameron Harper - weeknights at 9 p.m. on WLMT; also WPTY 10 p.m. reporter
• April Norris - weekday mornings and 11 a.m.
• Joyce Peterson - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

Weather team

• Mark Walden (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and NWA Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• David Still (NWA Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings and 11 a.m.
• Lauren Raymer (NWA Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekend evenings

Sports team

• Corey Maclin - sports anchor; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Kathy Morris - sports anchor; weekend evenings, also sports reporter

Reporters

• Shelvia Dancy - general assignment reporter
• Jeni DiPrizio - general assignment reporter
• Joy Lambert - general assignment reporter
• Jackie Orozco - general assignment reporter
• Allison Sossaman - general assignment reporter
• Randy Wimbley - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff

• Dayna Devon - weeknight anchor/reporter (1997-1999)

External links

• Official Website
• WPTY-TV Live Streaming Video Page
• WPTY-TV mobile
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WPTY-TV