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WJBF, channel 6, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Augusta, Georgia, USA. WJBF is owned by the broadcast division of Media General, and has its studios on Reynolds Street in downtown Augusta and transmitter in Beech Island, South Carolina.

Through joint sales and shared services agreements, WJBF operates NBC affiliate WAGT (channel 26), which is owned by Schurz Communications.

Digital programming

Its signal is multiplexed. It offers the Retro Television Network (RTV) on a second digital subchannel as well as Knology and Comcast digital channel 246.

Subchannel Programming
6.1 main WJBF programming / ABC HD
6.2 WJBF-DT2/ RTV

History

Augusta's first television station, WJBF-TV began operations on November 23, 1953. The station was founded by local entrepreneur J.B. Fuqua. [1] It originally picked up programs from all four networks at the time, but was a primary NBC affiliate. Channel 6 lost CBS programming when WRDW-TV (channel 12) signed on in 1954, but continued to shared ABC with that station.

On October 1, 1966 WJBF became a primary ABC affiliate. The move relegated NBC to a shared secondary affiliation with WRDW-TV. For a two-station television market such as Augusta was at the time, this was an unusual move. But owner J.B. Fuqua had recently purchased two primary ABC affiliates, in Evansville, Indiana and Fargo, North Dakota, and wanted to get his other stations in line with the new acquisitions. In 1969, Fuqua branched out into the movie theater business when he purchased Martin Theaters of Georgia, also the owner and licensee of WTVM in Columbus, Georgia, and WTVC in Chattanooga, Tennessee, also ABC affiliates.

When WATU (channel 26, now WAGT) began operations in December 1968, it was assumed that the NBC affiliation would fully go to the new station. However, NBC allowed WJBF and WRDW-TV to continue to cherry-pick most of its programs (WJBF kept airing both the Today and Tonight shows, among others). The failure of WATU to secure a full-time network affiliation caused that station to go dark in 1970. Channel 6 became a full-time ABC affiliate when WATU returned to the air in 1974, this time with a primary NBC affiliation. Fuqua sold off his stations in 1980, with WJBF going to Spartan Radiocasting of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Spartan was renamed Spartan Communications in 1995, and merged with Media General in 2000.

Merger with WAGT

In October 2009, the parent companies of WJBF and WAGT announced that they would enter into joint sales and shared services agreements in January 2010. This resulted in the two combining their news operations, sales and other operational services.[2] It was later announced that WJBF would control all of WAGT's news and advertising operations while that station handles programming and the maintaining of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. Most of WAGT's managerial staff was dismissed, and other employees were reassigned to different positions. [3]

Media General had initially intended to move WAGT into an expanded wing of the WJBF building in downtown Augusta. Both WJBF and WAGT have had a strong presence in the downtown area, however each station's current buildings are unable to sustain the much needed expansion to house both stations. Channel 6's facility on Reynolds Street was built around 1956, and channel 26 moved into their Broad Street building, a converted theatre, in the 1970s. Media General instead chose to construct a new building for the stations. The new facility, to be located at the Augusta West Shopping Center, is expected to be completed by April 2011.[4]

Local programming

Since 1954 WJBF has produced and aired the Sunday morning gospel music program Parade of Quartets, one of the longest-running local programs of any kind on American television. The program has been a showcase for regionally- and nationally-known African-American gospel performers, and has also featured appearances from political and social figures. Augusta native James Brown, Shirley Caesar, Al Green, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dorothy Norwood and Jesse Jackson are among those who have appeared on the program.

The station also produces a urban music video program, Power Hitz, which airs on Sunday evenings. Power Hitz has been on the air since 2001.[5]

News operation

File:Wjbf open 2010.png
The WJBF news open seen nightly at 6.

In the 1980s, its newscasts were branded NewsWatch 6. After being acquired by Spartan Radiocasting in 1992, WJBF and some other stations acquired by the company changed their branding to NewsChannel. This station and most of its sister affiliates still use this branding today after being acquired by Media General. In the 1990s, WJBF reached an agreement with the Augusta Mall to run a closed-circuit "Mall TV" feed on television screens throughout the mall featuring the day's news and coverage of some local special events. WJBF operated this service until the late-1990s. They also had a local agreement with Comcast to air a rebroadcast of the 6 p.m. show on the cable provider's channel 66. This arrangement ended in 2004 with the launch of a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on Fox affiliate WFXG (channel 54). The production uses different graphics and duratrans concealing the WJBF logos. The launch came after its studios were renovated.

In December of 2009, WAGT and WJBF partnered under a shared services agreement, with WJBF producing WAGT's news, sales, and other prgramming. Schurz Communications still owns WAGT in part. Current WJBF reporter Paige Tucker is the face of WAGT's 6, 7, and 11pm newscasts.

Newscast titles

  • WJBF-TV News (1953-1964)
  • Newscope (1964-1971)
  • Eyewitness News (1971-1977)
  • Action 6 News (1977-1982)
  • NewsWatch 6 (1982-1990)
  • Channel 6 News (1990-1994)
  • WJBF NewsChannel 6 (1994-present)

Station slogans

  • "Coverage You Can Count On" (1992-2008)
  • "The Station You Count On" (2008-present)

News team

Anchors

  • Mary Morrison - weekday mornings and Noon
  • Jennie Montgomery - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
  • Brad Means - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11; also anchors "The Means Report" on Sunday afternoons
  • John Hart - weeknights at 10 on WFXG and reporter
  • Kimberely Scott - weeknights at 10 on WFXG and reporter
  • Jillian Benfield -- weekend anchor and weekday reporter

Live VIPIR 6 Meteorologists

  • George Myers - Chief Meteorologist - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 on WJBF; 10 p.m. weeknights on WFXG
  • Matt Monroe - weekday mornings and Noon
  • Jenan Lee Thomas -- weekend weather and weekday features reporter

Sports

  • Chris Kane - Director seen weeknights at 6, 10, and 11
    • rotating weekday mornings (pre-recorded) and Football Friday Night host
  • Merissa Lynn - weekend sports anchor, rotating weekday mornings (pre-recorded)

Reporters

  • Jennie Montgomery - "Giving Your Best" segment producer
  • George Eskola - senior reporter known for his "Out There Somewhere" reports
  • Archith Seshadri -- Columbia County and morning reporter
  • Kait Rayner -- Aiken County reporter
  • Brett Buffington -- McDuffie County reporter
  • Cory McGinnis -- reporter

Notable former staff

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ http://www2.wjbf.com/jbf/news/special_reports/article/wjbf_wagt_enter_into_partnership/28655/
  3. ^ Emerson, LaTina (2009-12-30). "WJBF, WAGT still negotiating with on-air personnel". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  4. ^ Emerson, LaTina (2010-12-02). "WBBQ, other stations to move to new locations". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  5. ^ DeMao, Alisa (2001-09-13). "Radio personalities add camera to mike". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-05.

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