WSB-TV
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| WSB-TV | |
|---|---|
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| Atlanta, Georgia | |
| Branding | WSB-TV, Channel 2 (general) Channel 2 Action News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | "Coverage you can count on" |
| Channels | |
| Subchannels | 2.1 - ABC (720p60) 2.2 - RTN (480i60) |
| Translators | 46 Gainesville, 31 Athens (applications) |
| Owner | Cox Enterprises, Inc. (Georgia Television Company) |
| First air date | September 29, 1948 |
| Call letters’ meaning | Welcome South Brother (taken from AM sister station) |
| Sister station(s) | WSB AM, WSB-FM, WBTS FM, WSRV FM, WALR-FM |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 8 (1948-1950) 2 (1950-2009) |
| Former affiliations | Primary: NBC (1948-1980) Secondary: ABC (1948-1951) |
| Transmitter Power | 1000 kW (digital) |
| Height | 301 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 23960 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 33°45′51″N 84°21′42″W / 33.76417°N 84.36167°WCoordinates: 33°45′51″N 84°21′42″W / 33.76417°N 84.36167°W |
| Website | www.wsbtv.com |
WSB-TV 2.1 is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia, formerly broadcasting on analog channel 2 and now only on digital channel 39. It is the flagship television station of Cox Enterprises and is co-owned alongside the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the WSB radio stations (although all three entities are operated independent of each other). Its offices and studios are located in midtown Atlanta at 1601 West Peachtree Street, along with the offices and studios of sister radio stations WSB AM 750, WSB-FM 98.5, WBTS FM 95.5, WSRV FM 97.1, and WALR-FM 104.1 (all of which transmit from other sites). Its TV tower is located east of downtown just off of Freedom Parkway, carrying both analog and digital, but having no other FM or TV tenants of any kind.
WSB-TV is also available across Georgia to Cox Cable subscribers in the Macon area, although ABC programming is usually blacked-out by another local ABC affiliate, WPGA-TV 58.1. WSB-TV is also available on cable TV systems in South Georgia (as far south as the Florida border) due to a lack of an ABC affiliate in the Albany media market covering southwest Georgia. This is possible because WSB-TV is uplinked to the AMC-10 TV satellite.
The station is also the flagship of the Mega Millions multi-state lottery.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early history
WSB-TV first began broadcasting on September 29, 1948. It is the second-oldest station south of Washington, D.C.; only Richmond, Virginia's WTVR-TV is older. James M. Cox, publisher of the Atlanta Journal, started the station; he also owned WSB radio (AM 750 and 104.5 FM, now on 98.5 FM). Cox owned WSB AM/FM/TV under the banner of Miami Valley Broadcasting Inc., which later on changed its name to the modern-day Cox Enterprises.
WSB-TV originally broadcast on channel 8. At that time, its present channel 2 allocation was licensed to the Journal's rival newspaper, the Atlanta Constitution, who had plans to start WCON-TV there. In 1950, the two newspapers merged. At the time, the Federal Communications Commission did not allow one entity to own two television stations in the same market. Accordingly, WCON-TV and WSB-TV merged, operating under WSB-TV's license but using the stronger channel 2. The channel 8 allocation was eventually reserved as non-commercial educational by the FCC, and is now WGTV, the flagship TV station of Georgia Public Broadcasting.
In 1955, the WSB stations moved into the noted "White Columns" building. They would remain there for 43 years, until a modern new facility was built adjacent to it on the same property in 1998. The new building, which has been called "Digital White Columns" by some, is located just off Atlanta's famed Peachtree Street, on the dead-end northern portion of West Peachtree Street which is actually east of Peachtree Street. This is near the Brookwood Hills area, and just east of the "Brookwood split", the well-known highway interchange where the Downtown Connector splits into I-75 and I-85. The older building was razed shortly after the new building was occupied. The original columns that stood on the front portico of the old building were placed in a garden area alongside the new building. Brand new white columns have been placed inside the glass-enclosed lobby of the newer building.
WSB-TV was originally a primary NBC affiliate, owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with NBC Radio. It also carried some ABC programming (from 1949 shared with WAGA-TV) until WLWA-TV (channel 8, now WXIA-TV 11) signed on in 1951.
The station was the original home to the relocated Atlanta Braves baseball team, carrying the games from 1966 to 1970 until the Braves moved to their current longtime home of what is now WPCH-TV, in 1971. Its sister AM station, was the longtime radio flagship of the Braves, carrying the broadcasts for a total of 38 of the 43 years that the franchise has been in Atlanta, dating back to 1966. Ernie Johnson, Sr., a former Braves pitcher and father of his namesake Turner Sports broadcaster, with future Hall of Fame announcer Milo Hamilton (who simutaneously pulled double-duty anchoring Channel 2's sportscasts during this time) were the main announcers for what was then the largest television network in baseball.
[edit] As an ABC affiliate
ABC was the highest-rated network for most of the late 1970s and, at that time, was looking for stronger affiliates across the country, including Atlanta. ABC's longtime Atlanta outlet, WXIA, frequently traded second place with WAGA. However, WSB-TV was the far-and-away market leader despite being affiliated with last-place NBC. So during the summer of 1980, both stations conducted an experiment unusual for a large market: WXIA aired NBC daytime shows in the morning and ABC daytime shows in the afternoon, while WSB aired ABC shows in the morning and NBC shows in the afternoons. By the time it was over in September 1980, WSB-TV finally swapped affiliations with WXIA, and joined ABC.
[edit] News operations
Appropriately for a station with roots in a newspaper, WSB-TV has a strong TV news tradition. It has led the news TV ratings in Atlanta for as long as records have been kept.
One factor behind its dominance is talent continuity. Many of the station's personalities have been on the air for 15 years or more. Monica Pearson (known as Monica Kaufman until 2005) has been the station's top anchorwoman since 1975. Glenn Burns has been the main weatherman since 1981. Chuck Dowdle (previously in TV in Miami) has been sports director since 1985. WSB-TV's weeknight news team – anchors Pearson and John Pruitt, weatherman Burns and sportscaster Dowdle – has been together since 1994, longer than any news team in Atlanta. Pruitt started at WSB and then spent several years at WXIA before returning.
WSB-TV debuted local newscasts in high definition during its noon broadcast on September 27, 2006. It was the second in the Atlanta market to do so, behind WXIA-TV. It is also the second Cox station behind WFTV in Orlando to switch to HD. With the switch to HD came a new HD set and HD graphics from Giant Octopus, which are similar to those seen on WFTV.
[edit] Newscast title
- The Esso Reporter (1948-1959)
- Newsroom (1959-1965)
- Channel 2 News (1965-1972, except for 11pm newscast)
- The World Tonight (1965-1968, 11pm newscast)
- 24 Hours (1968-1972, 11pm newscast)
- Action News (1972-present)
[edit] Digital television
WSB-DT went on the air on April 17, 1998, making it one of the first regular-service digital TV stations in the country. (The -DT suffix is not mandated by the FCC, thus it is WSB-TV even for digital.)
WSB-TV transmits digital TV on channel 39, but like other stations is remapped via virtual channels.
| Channel | Label | Format | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | WSB-DT | 720p60 | main WSB-TV/ABC programming |
| 2.2 | WSB-DT | 480i60 | Retro Television Network |
WSB-DT passes-through network programming featuring 5.1 surround sound. It also uses 720p60, the same high-motion HDTV used by ABC.
The over-the-air digital subchannel 2.2 started carrying the Retro Television Network on January 28, 2008[1]. Prior to this, the channel was blank, or later with a small station ID in the lower corner, and finally with the test pattern pictured at right.
[edit] Analog shutdown
For the 2009 analog television shutdown, Don McClellan, celebrating 50 years at WSB-TV, turned off the station's analog transmitter for last time at 12:30 PM on June 12, live from the station's transmitter room on the noon newscast.
WSB-TV permanenly remains on digital channel 39. [2] Receivers use PSIP to display WSB-TV's virtual channels as 2.1 and 2.2.
[edit] Broadcast translators
In March 2009, the station filed applications for two digital fill-in broadcast translators, due to expected loss of signal toward the east and northeast because of the digital transition. One is to be on channel 46, which is being vacated by analog WGCL-TV on June 26 after two extra weeks as an analog nightlight station. It will be located on the same radio tower as Cox's WSRV/WBTS FM, having Gainesville, Georgia as its city of license, but reaching as far into the north-northeastern Atlanta suburbs as Lilburn. The other is for channel 31, licensed to Athens, Georgia, but located only about halfway to there from Atlanta on a tower southwest of Winder, and again reaching as far west as Lilburn. It has also requested special temporary authority to begin operating these stations immediately, pending approval of its regular applications. Most of both stations' broadcast range will overlap with each other, and are almost entirely within the predicted coverage area of the main station, however distributed transmission (on-channel boosters) will not be used. In late June 2009, it also applied for a translator on channel 14 just southwest of Rome, vacated by analog WPXA TV 14. This will cover a significant portion of northwest Georgia with only 1000 watts. There is no request for STA with this station, however.
[edit] Current news personalities
[edit] Anchors
- John Pruitt - weekdays 5pm, 6pm and 11pm
- Monica Pearson - weekdays 6pm and 11pm
- Jovita Moore - weekdays 5pm
- Pam Martin - weekdays noon
- Fred Blankenship - weekdays 5am-7am and noon
- Carol Sbarge - weekdays 5am-7am
- John Bachman - weekends 6pm and 11pm and weekday reporter(son of John Bachman, anchor at WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa)
- Anissa Centers - weekends noon and weekday reporter
- Amanda Rosseter - weekends 5am-9am and weekday reporter
[edit] Severe Weather Team 2
- Glenn Burns - chief meteorologist seen weekdays 6pm and 11pm (CBM Certified Broadcast Meteorologist); Mega Millions lottery drawings
- David Chandley - weekdays 5pm (CBM Certified Broadcast Meteorologist)
- Karen Minton - weekdays 5am-7am and noon (AMS Seal of Approval)
- Brad Nitz - weekends 5am-9am, noon, 6pm and 11pm (CBM Certified Broadcast Meteorologist)
[edit] Sports
- Chuck Dowdle sports director seen weekdays 6pm and 11pm and host of High Q
- Zach Klein weekends 6pm and 11pm and sports reporter
- Autumn Sam
[edit] Hosts
- Jocelyn Dorsey - community affairs director/People 2 People
- Kimberly Kennedy - Hot Topics and The Daily 2
- John Crow - Georgia Lottery
[edit] Reporters
Consumer
- Clark Howard - consumer advisor
- Jim Strickland - consumer investigator
Investigative
Health
Triple Team Traffic
- Mark Arum Weekday mornings
- Captain Herb Emory
- Naki Frierson Weekends
- Chris Lucas Weekends
Additional reporters
- Manuel Bojorquez
- Ross Cavitt
- Jason Durden - News Chopper 2
- Jeff Dore
- Richard Elliot
- Justin Farmer *
- Jodie Fleischer
- Lori Geary *
- Ashley Hayes
- George Howell
- Tom Jones
- Darren Lyn
- Don McClellan
- Darryn Moore'
- Joyce Oscar
- Eric Philips*
- Tom Regan*
- Tiffani Reynolds
- Sally Sears (freelance journalist)
- Linda Stouffer[1]
- Ryan Young
* - substitute anchors
[edit] Former personalities
- John Alston - weekend anchor/reporter (1986-1995, now at KGO ABC 7 in San Francisco)
- Elenora Andrews - reporter (2005-2008)
- Dan Atkinson - meteorologist, (now on WAVE-TV in Louisville, Kentucky)
- Peter Bannon - entertainment editor (1985-1991)
- Steve Bartkowski - sports reporter (1976-1977). Now retired from NFL career. Board of directors of Atlanta Falcons.
- Jill Becker - anchor/reporter (1981-1987), now at WXIA-TV
- Johnny Beckman - meteorologist (1962-1982, retired)
- Sandra Bookman - weekend anchor/reporter (1988-1998, now at WABC-TV in New York)
- Bruce Bartley - anchor/reporter (1965-?, deceased)
- David Bodden - reporter (2001-2005)
- Fred Briggs - anchor/reporter (1959-1965)
- Tom Brokaw - anchor/reporter (1965-1966); the man who later became the longtime NBC Nightly News anchor began his journalism career at this station.
- Marion Brooks - noon anchor/reporter (1996-1997, now at WMAQ-TV in Chicago). Called to testify in the 2006 federal curruption trial of former mayor of Atlanta Bill Campbell after it was revealed that she had an affair with Campbell while working at WSB-TV.
- Steve Buckhantz - sports anchor/reporter currently play by play broadcaster for Washington Wizards
- John Buren - sports anchor/reporter (1980-1984)
- Dale Cardwell - investigative reporter (1996-2007), 2008 Democratic candidate for U.S. senator from Georgia [2][3]
- Vic Carter - morning and noon anchor/reporter (1982-1995, now at WJZ-TV in Baltimore)
- John Cater - general assignment reporter (2007-2009, now at WXIA-TV in Atlanta)
- Roby Chavez - general assignment reporter (2000-2001, now at WTTG-TV)
- Shaunya Chavis - weekend anchor/reporter (News Director & Anchor, FGTV/Atlanta)
- Chris Clark - reporter (1962-1965, retired from WTVF-TV in Nashville)
- Patrick Crosby - consumer and business Reporter (?, now in media relations for the Atlanta office of the U.S. Attorney)
- Chris Curle Farmer - Noon and 5 PM anchor/reporter (1987-1997, retired in Florida married to Don Farmer)
- Gulstan Dart - 5 PM anchor/reporter (1999-2003, was at KIRO-TV in Seattle (2003-2008), now at KCRA in Sacramento)
- Amanda Davis - anchor/reporter (1981-1986, now at WAGA-TV)
- Kristy Deer - sports anchor/reporter (1989-2002, now at Anderson University in Indiana)
- Tony Dorsey - general assignment reporter (1993-1998, left WRC-TV; now a communications director for the Washington, D.C. Metro Transit Association)
- John Doyle - Meteorologist (?, retired from broadcasting; currently doing voiceovers, working part-time as balliff at the Gwinnett County Courthouse)
- Deidra Dukes - general assignment reporter / weekend noon anchor (1998-2005, now weekend anchor at WAGA-TV)
- Carrie Edwards Sharbo - Weekend Noon Anchor/Reporter (2003-2006)
- Bebe Emerman - Consumer Reporter (1975-1991)
- Don Farmer - 5/6/11 PM anchor/reporter, (1987-1997, now a free-lance Florida newspaper columnist). Father of WSB-TV anchor/reporter Justin Farmer. In 2009, turned off analog station's analog transmitter for last time at 12:30 PM on June 12 line on noon newscast.
- Steve Gasque - General Assignment Reporter (1992-1997)
- Vince Gerasole - General Assignment Reporter (1999-2001) now at WBBM-TV CBS 2 in Chicago, Illinois
- Lynn Harasin Johnson - Reporter (1974-2007)
- Tracy Haynes - General Assignment Reporter (?, now at WBMA-TV in Birmingham, AL)
- Dick Horner - Reporter (1965-1975)
- Summer Jackson - Reporter (?-2008)
- David Johnson - Reporter/Anchor (mid 1980's, now at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh)
- Ernie Johnson - Sports Anchor/Reporter (1982-1989, now at Turner Sports Broadcasting)
- Tara Jones - Reporter
- Arch Kennedy - Meteorologist (2004-2006, now at WZTV in Nashville)
- Don Kennedy - Atlanta's "Officer Don" on WSB-TV's classic Popeye Club children's show (1957-1970)
- Rachel Kim - Reporter/Gwinnett County Bureau Chief (2006-2009)
- Clennon King - General Assignment Reporter (1992-1993) since at WSVN-TV, WTLV-TV/WJXX-TV, now a fundraiser in Vermont
- Stu Klitenic - Sports Anchor/Reporter (1989-1996, now at Atlanta Braves Radio Network as Post Game Anchor)
- Terry Mann - General Assignment Reporter (2001-2006) husband of B 98.5 FM midday personality Jordan Graye
- Tracy Martinez - General Assignment Reporter (2003-2006, now an Atlanta based Physical Trainer)
- Bob McClain - Sports Anchor/Reporter (1983-1985)
- Jerry McClellan - Noon News Weather/Booth announcer (1963-1972, now free-lance voice artist)
- John McKnight - Anchor/Reporter (?-1988)
- Paul Miller (1979-1981)
- Russ Minshew - Meteorologist (1982-1986, deceased)
- Ray Moore - Meteorologist and local news anchor (1952-1969)
- Toni Neal - Traffic Reporter (2003-2005) now at Microsoft
- Vickie Newton - Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2000-2001, now at KMOV-TV in St. Louis)
- Bill Nigut - Political Reporter (1983-2003, now Southeast Regional Director of Anti-Defamation League)
- John Palmer - Anchor/Reporter (1960-1962, retired from NBC News in 2002)
- Marc Pickard - Reporter (1976-1988, now at WXIA-TV)
- Byron Pitts - General Assignment Reporter (1994-1996, now at CBS News)
- Gary Reaves - Reporter (1979-1982, now at WFAA-TV in Dallas)
- Bob Richards - Meteorologist (?, deceased)
- Hank Phillipi Ryan - Reporter (1978-1983, now at WHDH-TV in Boston)
- Jan Ryan, Reporter (1974-1977) now Pres/CEO of NewsPowerOnline.com
- Ron Sailor - Anchor/Reporter (?) Now a minister in Dacula, GA,son. His son Walter Ronnie Sailor, Jr. is a former Georgia State Legislator.
- Wes Sarginson - Anchor (1978-1984, last seen at WXIA-TV; retired from broadcasting)
- Warren Savage - Morning and Noon Anchor/Reporter (1995-2005)
- Carl Sell - Weekend Sports (1968)
- Collins Spencer - Morning and Noon Anchor (2005-2007)
- Carolyn Sawyer - Reporter (1986-1987)
- Jonathan Serrie - Reporter (1994-1999, now Atlanta-based reporter for Fox News Channel)
- Guy Sharpe - Weather Man (1957-1968,retired from WXIA in 1996 deceased)
- Tyler Sieswerda - Reporter/Fill-In Anchor (?-2005, now at KVUE-TV in Austin, TX)
- Don Stewart - Reporter/Anchor (1950's-?)
- Gary Stromberg - Reporter (1973-1977, now at WJW-TV in Cleveland)
- Lester Strong - Anchor/Reporter (1980-1984)
- Hal Suit - Anchor/News Director (1948-1978) and Republican candidate for Governor of Georgia in 1970 [4]
- Rob Sweeting - Anchor/Reporter (1983-1985, now at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, FL)
- Lisa Tutman - Weekend Morning Anchor/Reporter (1990-95, last seen at WMAQ-TV in Chicago)
- Jim Viondi - Sports Anchor/Reporter (?)
- Matt Wallace - NewsChopper 2 Pilot/Reporter (1997-2003)
- Shannon Walshe - Reporter/Substitute anchor (2002-2007)
- Alan Wang - General Assignment Reporter (1999-2005) now at KGO-TV in San Francisco
- Ukee (Ulysses) Washington - Sports Anchor/Reporter, now morning/noon news anchor at KYW-TV
- Jim Wilkerson, Anchor/Reporter (?)
- JaQuitta Williams, Anchor/Reporter (2004-2008)
- Terry Wood, Anchor/Reporter (1984-1987, now at KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City)
[edit] References
- ^ Atlanta Business Chronicle (2007-11-20). "TV classics come to WSB with RTN". American City Business Journals, Inc.. http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2007/11/19/daily13.html?t=printable. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ CDBS Print
[edit] External links
- WSB-TV homepage
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WSB-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WSB-TV
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