WMAZ-TV

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WMAZ-TV (Channel 13) is the CBS affiliate in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Gannett.

History

The station signed on for the first time on September 27, 1953, owned by Southeastern Broadcasting Company along with WMAZ radio (AM 940, now WMAC; and FM 99.1, now WDEN). It is the fourth-oldest station in the state and the oldest outside of Atlanta, beating WDAK-TV (now WTVM) in Columbus by only a day. Southeastern Broadcasting won a television license on its second try; it had previously made an unsuccessful bid for channel 7 a year earlier. The new station was one of the most powerful VHF stations in the country, providing at least secondary coverage from the southern Atlanta suburbs to the western suburbs of Savannah. It carried programming from all three major networks, but has always been a primary CBS affiliate owing to WMAZ-AM's long affiliation with CBS Radio.

WMAZ's callsign comes from its AM sister's roots as a physics project at Mercer University. The call letters stand for Watch Mercer Attain Zenith.

Southeastern Broadcasting sold WMAZ-AM-FM-TV to Southern Broadcasting Corporation in 1963, earning a healthy return on its 1935 purchase of WMAZ-AM. Southern Broadcasting merged with the News-Piedmont Company of Greenville, South Carolina to form Multimedia, Inc. in 1967. In 1974, WMAZ-AM-FM-TV moved to a new studio on Gray Highway in Macon.

Multimedia merged with Gannett in 1995, making WMAZ-TV a sister station to Georgia's third-oldest station, WXIA-TV in Atlanta.

WMAZ was the only station in town until 1968, when WCWB-TV (now WMGT-TV) signed on and took the NBC affiliation. WMAZ continued to carry selected ABC shows until WGXA signed on in 1982.

It is still the only VHF station in the market, in part because Macon is sandwiched between Atlanta to the north, Columbus to the west and Savannah to the east. In part due to this, it has dominated the Macon ratings for most of its history.

Its current image campaign, "Straight from the Heart," dates to 1983, based on Bryan Adams' song of the same name.

Current Personalities

• Mike Fuller, Fill-In Meteorologist
• Grant Gilmore, Mornin' and Midday Meteorologist
• Leah Johnson, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter
• Ben Jones, Chief Meteorologist/"Scene 13" Host
• Suzanne Lawler, Weekend Mornin' Anchor/Sports Anchor/Reporter
• Lorra Lynch, Warner Robins Anchor/5 p.m. Anchor/Reporter
• Frank Malloy, 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter
• Drew McCombs, Weekend Meteorologist
• Carly Flynn Morgan, News Reporter/Videojournalist
• Tyler Pearson, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter
• Marilyn Peguero, General Assignment Reporter
• Evan Pinsonnault, News Reporter/Videojournalist
• Chris Porter, Sports Anchor/Reporter
• Kandace Raymond, "Middle Georgia Moms" Reporter
• Charles Reid, Traffic Reporter
• Randall Savage, Special Assignment Editor/"Close Up" Host
• Sheeka Strickland, Sunday 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter
• Tami Tesch-Jerles, Fill-In Meteorologist/Reporter
• Yenu Wodajo, Saturday 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter

• Brooke Hawkins, "Scene 13" Co-Host
• Del Ward, "Personal Profile" Interviewer

Past Personalities

• Hugh Zeitlin, Sports Anchor/Reporter (2004-2008 - See here for more info.)
• Karen Acar, Weekend/Mornin'/Midday Anchor/Reporter (late 1980s-1994)
• Lou Antoine, Sports Anchor (1994-1996)
• Brittany Bailey, Weekend 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (2004-2006, now at WBIR-TV)
• Brad Bibb, Sports Director/Reporter (1982-1994)
• Brandyn Briley, Anchor/Reporter (1977-1979, 1983-1986)
• Jerry Brown, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at WMBB-TV)
• Stan Carey, Anchor (1960-1972, deceased)
• Kyle Collins, Reporter/Webmaster (?)
• Paul Chambers, Anchor/Reporter 1999-2001
• David Chandley, Reporter/Meteorologist (1983-1986, now at WSB-TV)
• Trevor Chatfield, Fill-In Meteorologist
• Susan Christopher, Consumer Reporter (?)
• Draymon Clark, Weekend 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (?)
• Kimberly Daniel, Health Reporter (?)
• Tim Dobbs, Political Editor/Reporter (1964-1977 deceased.)
• Stacy Ellison, Weekend 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (?, now at WKYT-TV)
• Rachel English, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter (1996-2001)
• Chuck Englund, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Mornin' Anchor (1985-1993)
• Shannon Espinosa, Weekend 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (?)
• Liz Fabian, (formerly Liz Jarvis), Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter (?, now with The Macon Telegraph)
• John Favole, Anchor (1989-1992, now with WPTV-TV)
• Nicole Foerschler, General Assignment Reporter (?)
• Bill Gaines, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter (1993-1994, now at WGCL-TV)
• Jenny Geer, General Assignment Reporter/Fill-In Anchor (?-2004)
• Scott Hartman, Sports Director (2000-2002, now with Atlanta PR firm Jackson Spalding)
• Yolanda Hawkins, General Assignment Reporter (?, now at WPXI-TV)
• Jennifer Hazelton, General Assignment Reporter (?)
• Karla Heath-Sands, Weathercaster/Community Service Director (1989-1997, now at WALB-TV)
• Tina Taylor Hicks, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (1972-1999)
• Chris Holcomb, Reporter/Meteorologist (1985-1990, now at WXIA-TV)
• Ben Hoover, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter (2003-2006, now at WHNS-TV)
• Telly Hughes, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter (?-2003, now at KPLR-TV)
• George Jobin, News/Sports Director/Production Manager (1973-1990, now manager WMUM-FM Ga Public Broadcasting)
• Ernie Johnson, Jr., News/Sports (1979-1981, now with Turner Sports)
• Lori Johnson, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (1999-2005)
• Tom Johnston, Meteorologist (?, now at WFTX)
• Ken Jones, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter (2002-2003, incarcerated)
• Phil Keating, General Assignment Reporter (1991-1993, now at FOX News)
• Arch Kennedy, Meteorologist (1994-1995, later worked for The Weather Channel, and CNN, now at WZTV)
• Aaron Lawrence, Meteorologist (?)
• John Marshall, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter/Weathercaster (?, now at WNBC-TV)
• Doris Martin, Anchor/Reporter/Interviewer (1959-1990, deceased)
• Edward McDonald, Sports Director (1996-2000)
• Lawrence Mink, Mornin and Midday Anchor (Early 1980s-1989 when he became Public Relations Officer for Macon Mayor Lee Robinson and again 1992-1993
• Carol Minn, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter (2001-2003, now at Bay News 9 in St. Petersburg, Florida)
• Adam Murphy, General Assignment Reporter (?, now at WGCL-TV)
• Maureen O'Boyle, Mornin' Anchor/Reporter (?, later anchored A Current Affair, and Extra, now at WBTV-TV)
• Autumn O'Neill, Weekend Meteorologist (2005-2007)
• Chris Paul (Pisano), Wake-Up Call Team Reporter/Fill-in Anchor/Weathercaster (1996-1998, now at KCTV-TV)
• Bobby Pope, Sports Director/Sales Dept. (1968-1984, now Athletic Director Mercer University)
• Helen Farmer Popejoy, Presenter/Interviewer (1953-?, deceased)
• Bill Powell, Chief Weather Forecaster (1958-1998, deceased)
• Aungelique Proctor, General Assignment Reporter (?, now at WAGA-TV)
• Jim Ragonese, General Assignment Reporter (?)
• Elise Roberts, Assistant Producer and Anchor of "Entertainment Scene" (2004-2006, now at WLOX-TV)
• Anne Marie Rogers, General Assignment Reporter (?)
• Steve Russell, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter (?)
• Ben Sandifer, Sports Reporter/Anchor, (1977-1980, now owner of GMS Productions)
• Chris Smith, Chief Meteorologist (1997-2005, now at WGCL-TV)
• Tenikka Smith, General Assignment Reporter/Fill-In Anchor (2004-2006, Now at WPTY-TV/WLTM-TV)
• David Solano, Sports Director (2002-2006, now at WZZM-TV)
• Leigh Spann, Weekend Meteorologist (2001-2004, now at WFLA-TV)
• Annette St. Clair, General Assignment Reporter (2000-2005)
• Rob Still (known as Chris Still to WBTW viewers), Meteorologist (2000-2005, now at WBTW-TV)
• Robin Straws, Associate Producer (2004-2005, now Motivational Speaker at The RGLynn Group)
• Allison Swann, Mornin' Anchor (1994-1997)
• Mary Therese, Warner Robins Anchor/5 p.m. Anchor/Reporter (1988-2006)
• Pesh Thomas, General Assignment Reporter (?)
• Jim Thomas, Noon and 6pm Anchor 1979-1980. Retired from broadcasting 2001.
• Bill Tribble, Managing Editor/Host of "Close-Up" (?)
• Thanh Truong, General Assignment Reporter (2002-2003, now at WWL-TV)
• Raymond Tubb, General Assignment Reporter/Assignment Editor/Managing Editor (1989-2005)
• Tiffanie Wallace, General Assignment Reporter (2003-2006)
• Del Ward Napier, Interviewer (1958-1990's)
• James Wieland, Meteorologist (?), now at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida
• Derek Wing, General Assignment Reporter (?, now at KCPQ-TV)
• Andy Wood, Meteorologist (2004-2006, now at WHNS-TV)
• Calandra Wright, Mornin' and Midday Anchor/Reporter (2003-2005)
• Mike Maze, Meteorologist (1991-1994, now at WRAL-TV)
• Al Zimmerman, General Assignment Reporter (1990-1996, later KENS-TV San Antonio then Bay News 9 in St. Petersburg, Florida). In 2008, Al Zimmerman was arrested on Child Pornography charges in Florida.
• Bob Toy
• Steve Cohen
• Ken Hill (1970s-1988)
• Michael Hockey
• Rodney Mull (2004)
• Gary Wilson
• Vanessa Echols
• Scott McGrew 1991-1993, now at KNTV
• Karen Eisle
• Bessie Swint
• Ron Wildman
• Steve Jefferson
• John Trout
• Laura Minter
• Jenny Ray
• Matt Miller 1992-1995 now at WCPO

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

• WMAZ-TV News (1960s-Early 1970s)
• News Watch 13 (Mid-Late 1970s)
• 13 News (Early 1980s)
• 13 Eyewitness News (Mid 1980s-present)

Station Slogans

• 13 Loves You (1985-1996)
• Coverage You Can Count On (1996-2003)
• Straight From the Heart (2003-present)

External links

• WMAZ website
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