WVII-TV
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| WVII-TV | |
|---|---|
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| Bangor, Maine | |
| Branding | ABC 7 Your Bangor News FOX Bangor (on DT2) |
| Channels | |
| Subchannels | 7.1 ABC Jewelry Television (overnight) 7.2 FOX (primary) MyNetworkTV (secondary) |
| Owner | Rockfleet Broadcasting (Bangor Communications, LLC) |
| First air date | October 15, 1965 |
| Call letters’ meaning | TeleVIsIon |
| Sister station(s) | WFVX-LP |
| Former callsigns | WEMT (1965-1976) |
| Former channel number(s) | 7 (analog VHF, 1965-2009) |
| Transmitter Power | 79 kW |
| Height | 229 m |
| Facility ID | 3667 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 44°45′43.2″N 68°33′56.2″W / 44.762°N 68.565611°W |
| Website | wvii.com |
WVII-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Bangor, Maine. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 14 (identifying as 7.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter south of East Eddington near the Penobscot and Hancock County line. Although WVII no longer broadcasts in analog over-the-air, it can be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 8 and in high definition on digital channel 708. Owned by Rockfleet Broadcasting, the station is sister to primary FOX and secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate WFVX-LP. The two stations share studios on Target Industrial Circle in Bangor. On cable, WVII serves as the default ABC affiliate for the Presque Isle market since that area does not have an affiliate of its own. Syndicated programming on the station includes: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Friends, and Judge Judy. Overnight, it airs Jewelry Television.
Contents |
[edit] Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed. Due to it low-powered status, WFVX does not broadcast a digital signal of its own but is carried on WVII's second digital subchannel.
| Channel | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | WVII-DT | Main WVII programming/ABC HD |
| 7.2 | WVII-DT2 | WFVX-LP "FOX Bangor" |
[edit] History
The station first took to the air on October 15, 1965 under the call sign of WEMT. Before it launched, ABC maintained secondary affiliations with WABI-TV and WLBZ. The current call letters, WVII-TV, were adopted in 1976. It is the only television station in Bangor to have never switched its network affiliation. It is also one of only two stations in Bangor to broadcast in stereo. During the mid-1990s, the station suffered a failure of its transmitter due to a fire. This knocked the station off-the-air during a Bangor Hydro-Electric advertisement. It would not return to full power broadcasting for several months. However, the station was available on cable through a temporary transmitter.
TCI Cable and WVII had facilities that shared a rear property line on Target Industrial Circle. The cable company ran a line from their building to channel 7 allowing the station to continue normal operations while purchasing a replacement transmitter. WVII became the first station to broadcast in stereo in the mid-1990s as a result of the new transmitter. Cause of the fire was later determined to be a snake seeking winter warmth which caused a short circuit. In 2000, Rockfleet Broadcasting made its first venture into UHF broadcasting by leasing channel 30, a former secondary PBS station. The station changed its call letters to WCKD and network affiliation to UPN. In 2003, after an attempt to affiliate WCKD with FOX failed, Rockfleet purchased a new station. It was assigned the call letters WFVX-LP, was set up to broadcast on channel 22, and received the FOX affiliation. In October 2006, WVII made national news in a New York Times article that quoted General Manager Michael Palmer as saying that "when bar Harbor is underwater, then we can do global warming stories." "Until then," he added. "No more."
Mr. Palmer said he wanted no more stories broadcast on global warming because: "a) we do local news, b) the issue evolved from hard science into hard politics and c) despite what you may have heard from the mainstream media, this science is far from conclusive." Mr. Palmer said in his e-mail message to his operations manager and two women who served as a news anchor and a reporter that he placed "global warming stories in the same category as 'the killer African bee scare' from the 1970s or, more recently, the Y2K scare when everyone’s computer was going to self-destruct." WVII's contract with Time Warner cable to offer ABC programming in high definition was established at the start of September 2007 and will expire in 2011. In addition to being offered for free over-the-air, WVII-DT can be seen on Time Warner digital channel 708. In August 2008, the station aired three New England Patriots pre-season games. On February 17, 2009 after its 11 o'clock newscast, WVII turned off its analog signal and began broadcasting exclusively in digital.
[edit] Newscasts
WVII has always had local newscasts but they have never had the same level of success as the two older stations in the market, CBS affiliate WABI-TV and NBC affiliate WLBZ. Due to this fact, it has long been ranked at a distant third in the ratings. Originally, the station's newscasts were known as News 7. At some point in time, the title switched to ABC 7 News and then to the current Your Bangor News. Currently, the station produces local newscasts weeknights at 6, 10, and 11. All three broadcasts are simulcasted on conservative talk radio station WNZS-1340 AM. Except for the sports reports, WFVX's 10 o'clock and WVII's 11 o'clock newscasts are taped earlier in the evening. There are also local weather cut-ins during the weekday editions of Good Morning America. WVII outsources weather forecasts to AccuWeather in State College, Pennsylvania. The station recently aired local news video to its website. When covering news that happens between Bangor and Portland, WVII and CBS affiliate WGME share content.
[edit] News team
- Tony Consiglio - weeknights at 6 and 11
- producer
- Cindy Michaels - weeknights at 6 and 10
- reporter and producer
- weekly "For Your Health" and "Cindy at the Cinema" segments producer
- Brian Sullivan - sports anchor
- Carolyn Callahan - reporter and fill-in anchor
- Aaron Jackson - reporter and fill-in sports anchor
- Katie Hoffmann - registered dietitian and weekly "Eat Well Live Well" segment producer
AccuWeather Meteorologists
- Jim Kosek (AMS Seal of Approval) - weeknights
- Jack Boston - weekday morning cut-ins
- Bernie Rayno - fill-in
[edit] Former personalities
- Amy (McHugh) Erickson - anchor and reporter
- now weekend anchor and reporter at WABI-TV
- Jan Smith - News Director seen weeknights at 6
- Steve Lacy - anchor
- now weekend morning anchor and reporter at WCVB-TV
- Rick Douglas - anchor, reporter, producer, and editor
- Ali Carlson - weekend anchor and reporter
- Sean Cryan - Sports Director
- Chris White - producer, reporter, and anchor
- now producer at WRGB
- Ted Shapiro - Chief Meteorologist
- now same position at WAGM-TV
- Charlie Lopresti - meteorologist and reporter
- now Chief Meteorologist at WGME
- Erin Coakley - meteorologist
- Rob Nucatola - meteorologist
- Chuck Whitney - Sports Director
- Ted Lombardi - Sports Director
- Eric Frede - Sports Director
- now at NESN
- Tim Baier - Sports Director
- now sports reporter at News 14 Carolina
- Nate Long - Sports Director
- now sports producer in Boston at FOX Sports Net
- Rich Chrampanis - sports
- now Sports Director in Myrtle Beach
- Ryan Welch - weekend sports anchor
- now weekday sports reporter at News 14 Carolina
- Elgin Traylor - sports reporter
- Adam Shub - reporter
- Kate (Barker) Shub - reporter
- now at WGME
- Marci Natale - now at WRGB
- Mike Avery
[edit] External links
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