WYMT-TV
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| WYMT-TV (semi-satellite of WKYT Lexington, Kentucky) |
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| Hazard, Kentucky | |
| Branding | Your Mountain Television WYMT (general) WYMT Mountain News (newscasts) WKYT / KYT (on DT2) |
| Channel | Digital: 12 (VHF) |
| Subchannels | 57.1 CBS HD 57.2 CBS SD (WKYT feed) |
| Affiliations | CBS (since 1985) |
| Owner | Gray Television (Gray Television Licensee, Inc.) |
| First air date | October 20, 1969 |
| Callsign meaning | We're Your Mountain Television |
| Sister station(s) | WKYT |
| Former callsigns | WKYH-TV (1969-1985) |
| Former channels | 57 (UHF analog, 1969-2009) |
| Former affiliations | NBC (1969-1985) |
| Effective power | 50 kW |
| Height | 397.6 m |
| Facility ID | 24915 |
| Antenna coordinates | 37°11′36.4″N 83°10′52.8″W / 37.193444°N 83.181333°W |
| Website | wymtnews.com |
WYMT-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Hazard, Kentucky. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter south of the city in Perry County. Owned by Gray Television, the station is sister to Lexington's CBS affiliate WKYT. Although it identifies as a station in its own right, WYMT is considered a semi-satellite of WKYT. They have their own studios on Black Gold Boulevard in Hazard but some internal operations are based at WKYT's studios on Winchester Road (a.k.a. U.S. 60) near the Brighton section of Lexington.
WYMT airs its own identifications, commercials, and syndicated programming such as The King of Queens, The Andy Griffith Show, and Family Feud. This station clears all CBS programming except CBS News Sunday Morning and Face the Nation in order to air paid religious programming and college basketball games. However, WKYT clears both shows. One noticeable difference in the stations' schedules is that The Young and the Restless airs on WYMT at the same time as most other affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone at 12:30. WKYT airs it at 9 in the morning due to having an hour-long Noon newscast.
WYMT primarily serves the far eastern part of the Lexington market but also portions of neighboring Virginia and West Virginia. It also appears on cable television in Claiborne County, Tennessee. Although they are officially part of the Lexington market, its stated coverage area includes portions of four different DMAs. The easternmost counties (Pike, Floyd, Martin, Johnson, and Lawrence) are in the Huntington / Charleston, West Virginia market (home territory for sister station and NBC affiliate WSAZ-TV). Letcher and Leslie Counties in Kentucky and Wise County, Virginia are in the Tri-Cities DMA. Bell, Harlan, and McCreary Counties are part of the Knoxville market. All other counties in WYMT's viewing area are considered part of the Lexington DMA.
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[edit] History
It began broadcasting on analog UHF channel 57 as WKYH-TV (meaning KentuckY Hazard) on October 20, 1969 as an NBC affiliate. Prior to its inception, some counties in southeastern Kentucky were among the last remaining parts of the country unable to clearly receive a commercial television signal over-the-air. Kentucky Educational Television had begun transmitting from a local channel the year before. Although this area is considered part of the Lexington market, none of that city's television signals covered the area at the time. This area has long been one of the poorest in the nation, and many people still couldn't afford to buy a television set. Such conditions also made the region also very undesirable for potential outside corporate broadcasters to start a station. Instead, WKYH was founded by local businessman Bill Gorman who has served eight terms as mayor of Hazard. Not surprisingly, given the region's strong musical traditions, country, bluegrass, and Southern Gospel music constituted a good part of WKYH's early local programs. These shows lasted well into the 1980s after country-music programs had fallen out of favor even on other Southern stations.
In 1985, Gorman sold the station to Kentucky Central Life Insurance Company then owner of WKYT. The new owner changed the calls to the current WYMT (meaning We're Your Mountain Television). Around the same time, Kentucky Central had its affiliation changed to CBS to match its new sister station. When Kentucky Central went bankrupt in 1993, WYMT and WKYT were bought by Gray Communications (now Gray Television). WYMT was assigned VHF channel 12 as its final transmission frequency as part of the FCC-mandated transition to digital broadcasting. One benefit to viewers in the area is that VHF signals "bend" over mountainous terrain better than UHF making reception available over a larger area than was previously available. As of February 17, 2009, WYMT broadcasts are exclusively in digital.
Currently this station, two Christian television stations–WLJC-TV in Beattyville and WAGV in Harlan (a satellite of WLFG in Grundy, Virginia)–along with Kentucky Educational Television satellites WKHA in Hazard and WKPI in Pikeville are the only full-power stations that can be received over-the-air in much of this region. In addition, WOBZ-LP is a low-power station serving the London area. There are also several public access cable channels that serve the region.
[edit] Newscasts
In the 1970s as WKYH, its newscasts were known as 57 NewsService. Currently during the week, WYMT produces separate morning, 4, 6, and 11 o'clock newscasts on weekdays. It simulcasts WKYT's weekday Noon (though only the first half hour), 5, and 5:30 broadcasts. This station simulcasts all weekend newscasts from WKYT. Although that station has been airing newscasts in high definition since April 11, 2007, WYMT simulcasts them in standard definition. In addition to their main studios, they operate two news bureaus and share one with WKYT. This includes the Cumberland Valley Bureau on North 12th Street in Middlesboro and the Big Sandy Bureau on Church Road in Harold. The shared Southern Kentucky Bureau is in Somerset. There are additional WKYT reporters seen on this station.
In WYMT weather segments, they use regional National Weather Service radar data presented on-screen in a system called "Live Pinpoint Doppler". WKYT operates their own weather radar called "Live First Alert Defender".[1] Sports Overtime is WYMT's weekly sports show that airs on Friday nights from August to April which covers high school athletics. A Saturday edition focusing on college sports was started in 2006 and ran until the station dropped weekend newscasts at the end of October 2008. To replace the loss of the Saturday show, WYMT now airs Sports Overtime Pregame on Thursday nights.
[edit] Current personalities
+ denotes personnel based at WKYT
Anchors
- Michel Mason - weekday mornings
- + Bill Bryant - weekdays at Noon
- + Barbara Bailey - weekdays at Noon
- Neil Middleton - News Director and First at Four
- Steve Hensley - weeknights at 6 and Nightwatch
- + Sam Dick - weeknights at 5 and 5:30
- + Amber Philpott - weeknights at 5 and 5:30
- + Mark Kennedy - weekends and reporter
WYMT Sky Alert / WKYT First Alert Meteorologists
- Brandon Robinson - seen weekday mornings
- Jim Caldwell - Chief seen weeknights at 4, 6, 11
- + Todd Borek (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) - weekdays at Noon
- + T.G. Shuck (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and NWA Seal of Approval) - weeknights at 5 and 5:30
- + Lauren Raymer - weekends
Sports (all WYMT personnel are seen on Sports Overtime and Sports Overtime Pregame)
- MacKenzie Bates - seen Monday mornings
- Jeff Archer - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 11
- + Brandon Fisher - weekends
- Derek Forrest - reporter
- Brian Milam - reporter
Reporters
- Angela Sparkman - Big Sandy Bureau
- Ashley Reynolds - Cumberland Valley Bureau
- Phil Pendleton - Southern Kentucky Bureau
- Angela Beavin
- Morgan Shutters
- Mackenzie Bates
- Marcus Conroy
[edit] Past personalities
- Tony Turner (WYMT news director and anchor) - Died in a 2002 car accident while returning from a news story.
- Jay Crawford (Creator of "Sports Overtime" on WYMT) - Currently the host of ESPN2's "First Take".
- Steve Crabtree (first WYMT news anchor) - Now VP News-Station Operations at co-owned WVLT-TV in Knoxville.
- Darwin Singleton - Now host of "Here's Darwin" at Mobile, AL's WPMI.[1]
- Roger Fannin (Former WYMT Big Sandy Bureau Chief), later Station Manager and News Anchor for TV-12 (local access) in Hindman, Kentucky, currently the Agency Manager for Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance in Harlan County.
- Dave Shuffett (Last WKYH News Anchor) - Now host of KET's "Kentucky Life". [2]
- Joey Kesler (First Full-Time WKYH Weatherman) - Co-Owner of WOBZ-LP and WJJA-FM.
- Jim Freeman (Former Co-Anchor/ Weather Anchor of the WYMT Mountain News This Morning) - Now Morning Meteorologist for sister station WVLT-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- DeAnn Stephens (Past Mountain News This Morning Anchor) - Formerly a Reporter/Anchor at WKYT, now with WBUL-FM in Lexington, Kentucky
- Scott Dimmich (Former Morning Meteorologist) - Now working as a morning meteorologist at WEHT-TV in Evansville, Indiana
- Scott Burchett (Former Fill-In Weather Anchor) - Now working in the medical field
- Susan Nicholas (former WYMT News Anchor) - Now a weekend anchor for sister station WSAZ in Huntington, West Virginia.
- Bill Taylor, First weekend sports anchor. Eastern Kentucky Native.
- Wes Shirley (Wallace), Former Morning Anchor, now anchor at KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
- Tony Hensley, Former Reporter, Formerly worked for WTVQ-TV in Lexington
- Casey (Pigman) Kurtis, Former Reporter & Anchor WYMT, WKYT, Now media consultant & continuing education.
- Hershena Hanshaw, Former Morning Producer and Weather Anchor
- MK Combs, Former Morning Weather Anchor, now with WDXC-FM in Pound, Virginia
- Tony Brown, Former Chief Weathercaster - Now a full-time fireman and DJ
- Susannah (Walters) Sizemore - Former Anchor
- Jill (Fraley) Hammond - Former Anchor
- Lindsay Wolfgang Mast - Former Big Sandy Bureau Chief - previously worked as a producer at WGCL-TV in Atlanta. Lindsay Mast now co-owns Sublime Photography and SweetSnaps Portrait Parties in Atlanta.
- Michael Goins - Former Big Sandy Bureau Chief - previously served as a spokesperson for former Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky Education Cabinet and Kentucky Office of State Budget Director. In 2009 Goins co-founded Blue Sky Communications, LLC, a full service marketing, public relations and social media firm based in Georgetown.
- Beth (Hudson) Goins - Former part-time reporter - now works as a Senior PR Specialist with the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.
- Melissa (Wireman) Houshell - Former 6 p.m. producer - now works in the Public Relations department with the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.
- Keith Farmer - Former sports anchor/reporter - now works as a sports reporter for WLKY-TV, Louisville.
- John Lewis - Former sports anchor/reporter - now works as a sports reporter for WDRB-TV, Louisville.
- Julie (Stewart) Lewis - Former 6 & 11 p.m. anchor - now resides in Louisville.
- Shawn Ley - Former reporter - now works as a reporter for WKRC-TV, Cincinnati.
- Doug Korstanje - Former Big Sandy Bureau Chief - now Director of Marketing and Community Relations for St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia.
- Drew Deener - Former sports anchor/reporter
- Jennifer (Nime) Palumbo - Former reporter/morning show anchor - now co-anchors 10pm newscast for WDKY-TV, Lexington.
- Amber Philpot - Former morning anchor - now co-anchors WKYT 27 Newsfirst @ 5, 5:30, 6, and 11pm
- Brandon Hensley - Former Sports Director/anchor/reporter - now working on an under-graduate degree at the University of the Cumberlands and working in the school's Sports Information Department. Also doing radio work for WSGS-FM in Hazard.
- Cassie Safrit - Former 11 p.m. anchor/reporter - now weekend anchor/reporter at News 14 Carolina.
- Heather Haley - Former anchor/reporter - now a Weather Specialist and reporter for WVLT-TV in Knoxville.
- Matt Barbour - Former reporter
- Marie Luby - Former 6 p.m. anchor and reporter-now a reporter at WTEN-TV Albany, NY.
- Kimberly Burcham - Former weekday mornings and reporter
- Dara Rees - Former reporter - now working in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- Rob Hopkins - Former weekend and weekday mornings meteorologist
- Jeff Allen - Former Cumberland Valley Bureau Chief - now Multimedia Reporter at WLEX-18 in Lexington
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Titles
- 57 News Service (1970s)
- 57 Mountain News (1980s-2001)
- WYMT Mountain News (2001-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- 57, Proud as a Peacock! (1979-1981, localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Sharing the News at Home (1991-2001)
- Eastern and Southern Kentucky's #1 Source for News (2006-present)
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.[edit] References
- ^ "First Alert Defender". WKYT-TV. http://www.wkyt.com/home/misc/59358732.html. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
[edit] External links
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