WRDW-TV

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WRDW-TV
Image:Wrdw tv logo.PNG
North Augusta, South Carolina
City of license Augusta, Georgia
Branding News 12
My 12
Slogan On Your Side
Channels

Digital: 12 (VHF) [1]
Subchannels 12.1 CBS
12.2 MyNetworkTV
12.3 AccuWeather
Affiliations CBS Television Network
Owner Gray Television, Inc.
(Gray Television Licensee, Inc.)
First air date February 14, 1954
Former channel number(s) Analog:
12 (1954-2009)
Former affiliations Secondary:
NBC (1954-1968, 1970-1974)
DT2:
UPN (until 2006)
Transmitter Power 20.2 kW (digital VHF)
Height 485 m (VHF)
Facility ID 73937
Transmitter Coordinates 33°24′36.6″N 81°50′36.1″W / 33.410167°N 81.843361°W / 33.410167; -81.843361
Website www.wrdw.com

WRDW-TV is the CBS television affiliate for the Augusta, Georgia (United States) television market. In addition to CBS, WRDW provides digital subchannels for MyNetworkTV on DT2 ("12.2") and AccuWeather on DT3 ("12.3"). The station's studios are located in North Augusta, South Carolina. Its transmitter is in Beech Island, South Carolina, where it broadcasts in digital on VHF channel 12. WRDW is currently owned by Gray Television and is the local affiliate for the South Carolina Education Lottery.

WRDW-TV shares call letters with local AM station WRDW (AM) and Philadelphia hip hop station WRDW-FM, both owned by Beasley Broadcasting and unrelated to the television station.

Contents

[edit] Digital TV

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Digital channels

Channel Programming
12.1 News 12 (CBS)
12.2 My 12 (MyNetworkTV)
12.3 AccuWeather

[edit] History

WRDW current logo, in use since 1994 with updates and different variations.
WRDW-DT2 former logo as "UPN Augusta", UPN Augusta ran from 2004-2006.
WRDW-DT2 current logo as "My 12", My12 has been running since the WB/UPN merger.

The station started broadcasting on February 14, 1954 as the second television station in Augusta. It has always been a primary CBS affiliate. However, the station also carried a secondary affiliation with NBC, airing whatever NBC shows WJBF turned down in order to air ABC programming. This was very unusual for a (then) two-station market, especially one of Augusta's size. In most two-station markets, ABC, as the smallest and weakest network at the time, was usually relegated to secondary status on the two existing stations.

When WATU-TV (now WAGT) appeared as the market's third TV station in late 1968, NBC allowed WRDW and WJBF to keep their secondary NBC affiliations. This situation mostly shut WATU out of access to network programming, thereby forcing it to go dark in 1970. WRDW continued to split NBC with WJBF until WATU resumed broadcasting in 1974 with a primary NBC affiliation. At that time, WRDW finally became a full-time CBS station.

The station was originally owned by the Morris family (whose holdings eventually became Morris Communications) along with the Augusta Chronicle and the original WRDW radio (AM 1480, now WGUS). From the mid-1960s to 1979, the station was owned by Rust Craft, whose station group was acquired by Ziff Davis in 1979. ([1]) The station was sold along with then sister stations WEYI-TV in Saginaw, Michigan, WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and WTOV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio to Television Station Partners in 1983. Television Station Partners sold off all of its stations in early January 1996, with WRDW going to Gray Communications Systems (now Gray Television).

WRDW was one of the first CBS affiliates to broadcast network programming in HDTV in early 2000. Prior to UPN's shutdown, WRDW-DT carried the network on its DT2 subchannel.

News 12 was updated in 2004 with brand new graphics from graphics company Cinemagic design. A brand new state-of-the-art news set soon followed in early 2005, built by set designer Gil Jiminez.

[edit] Station Slogans

  • Channel 12, the Color Station (early 1970s)
  • Action News: Where the Action Is (mid 1970s)
  • The Best is Here on Channel 12 (late 1970s)
  • Keep Your Eye on Eyewitness News (early 1980s)
  • We've Got the Touch, You and Channel 12 (1983-1985; local version of CBS campaign)
  • The Look is Channel 12 (1990-1991; local version of CBS campaign)
  • Where the News Comes First (1992-1998)
  • Your News Station (1998-2002)
  • On Your Side (2002-present)

[edit] Current news personalities

News 12 opening graphics

[edit] Anchors

[edit] Reporters

[edit] Weather

Chief Meteorologist Bob Smith has been forecasting for the Central Savannah River Area since 1977[2]. Smith will be retiring in September 2009 after more than 30 years on air.[3] His replacement has not been announced.

[edit] Sports

[edit] Contributors

  • Neil Gordon, "Buzz on Biz" local business news segment
  • Laurie Ott, contributor (former anchor)
  • Will Nunley, traffic content (Will Nunley Broadcasting, WNRR-AM)

[edit] Past news personalities

WRDW-TV had the longest-running anchor team in the Augusta market with Richard Rogers and Laurie Ott anchoring the 6 pm and 11 pm weekday news. They were co-anchors together from the mid 1990's until September 2007, when Laurie Ott left.

  • Ken Allen, sports anchor/reporter (?-2005)
  • Stephanie Baker, general assignment reporter (2005-2007, now at WNCN)
  • Domonique Benn (2000-2007, now at WTKR)
  • Troy Bridges (1997-2001, morning meteorologist/news anchor, now weekday 4pm & 5:30pm Meteorologist WKMG-TV (CBS) Orlando)
  • Charlie Britt, anchor
  • Diane Cho, general assignment reporter (2005-2007, now at WJXT)
  • Adam Clark, weekend meteorologist (2005-2007, now chief meteorologist at KOHD, Bend, Oregon)
  • Dave Conrady, weekend anchor/reporter (?-2002)
  • Kristin Cosby, general assignment reporter (2004-2006, now at WAWS/WTEV-TV)
  • Paul Davis, sports director (Associate Director of Development at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa)
  • Jason Dollard, weekend meteorologist (2003-2005)
  • Ryan Duffy, consumer reporter (2002-2006, now at WTLV/WJXX)
  • Prentice Elliot, weekend sportscaster/sports director (2003-2008)
  • Jessica Floyd, general assignment reporter (2007-2008)
  • Julia Harding, weekend anchor/reporter (1997-2003, now at WAGA, Atlanta)
  • Scott Harbaugh, weekend meteorologist (?-2001, now at WPXI)
  • Samantha Hayes, morning anchor/reporter (?-2003, now at KSL-TV)
  • Chick Hernandez, sports director/anchor (1990-1993, now with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
  • Jay Jefferies, morning weather anchor (?-2005, now at WAGT)
  • Nisha Jindal, general assignment reporter (2003-2006, now at WHNS)
  • Kelly Klien, sports anchor/reporter (now a professional photographer in New York City)
  • Johanne Lochard, anchor/reporter (2000-2004, now at KSAT-TV)
  • Jonathan Martin, general assignment reporter (2005-2007, now at WSMV-TV)
  • Jill McNeal, weekend anchor/reporter (2003-2005, now at WFMY-TV)
  • Jay Miller, sports anchor/reporter (2000-2003)
  • Jason Newsome, sports reporter (2000-2007)
  • Don Reeve, weekend meteorologist (2001-2003)
  • Traci Richardson, consumer reporter (?-2002)
  • Erich Spivey, general assignment reporter (2004-2006, now at WTLV/WJXX)
  • Meredith Taylor, morning anchor/reporter (2004-2007, now at WHIO-TV)
  • Kate Tillotson, weekend anchor/reporter (2005-2007, now at WWMT)
  • Marc Willis, general assignment reporter (?-2003, now at WPXI-TV)
  • Kisha Foster, weekend anchor/reporter (now at WYFF)
  • Lachlan McLean, weekend sports anchor (1996-1999, now at WHAS-AM)
  • Carolyn Gaeta, "12 On Your Side" reporter (1995-1999, now public relations director for Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom)

[edit] See also

Television portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ WRDW - Digital
  2. ^ http://www.wrdw.com/station/bios/weather/1718732.html
  3. ^ http://www.wrdw.com/station/headlines/38565002.html

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WRDW-TV"
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