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WSOC-TV

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WSOC-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 (virtual channel 9.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in the Newell-Hickory Grove area, just outside Charlotte's northeastern city limits. Owned by Cox Enterprises, WSOC-TV is sister to independent station WAXN-TV, and both stations share studios on North Tryon and 23rd Streets, just north of Uptown Charlotte. Syndicated programming on WSOC-TV includes Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight.

History

WSOC-TV signed on April 28, 1957.[1] It was Charlotte's third television station, after WBTV and WAYS-TV, which broadcast on channel 36 from 1954 to 1955. WSOC was Charlotte's second station on the VHF band, and is now Charlotte's second-oldest continuously operating station.

It was originally locally owned by the Jones family and their company, Carolina Broadcasting, along with WSOC radio (AM 1240, later on AM 930 and now WYFQ; and FM 103.7). WSOC-AM was Charlotte's second radio station, having signed on the air in 1929, seven years after WBT. Originally, Channel 9 was a primary NBC affiliate, and shared ABC programs with WBTV. Cox Enterprises bought WSOC AM-FM-TV in 1959.

Channel 36 returned to the air in 1964 as WCCB. WCCB moved to the stronger channel 18 in 1966, but it continued to be at a competitive disadvantage because many Charlotte-area homes did not yet have sets with UHF tuning capability. As a result, ABC retained a secondary affiliation with WSOC and WBTV, while WCCB aired programs from all three networks that the other two stations declined.

In 1967, NBC, which at the time had an extremely low tolerance of local pre-emptions, told WSOC to start clearing all of NBC's programming or they would pull their affiliation. WSOC then dropped all remaining ABC programming and became a sole NBC affiliate, while WCCB became a full-time ABC affiliate.

By 1978 ABC had become the country's highest-rated network for the first time, and wanted a stronger outlet in Charlotte than WCCB. WSOC switched back to ABC on July 1, 1978, this time as a full time affiliate. NBC was sent over to former independent station WRET (now WCNC-TV), and WCCB became an independent station for nine years, until its affiliation with Fox at that new network's launch. The radio stations were sold off in the early 1990s; the AM station is now owned by Bible Broadcasting Network, and WSOC-FM by CBS Radio.

In 1996, WSOC-TV entered into a joint sales agreement with WKAY-TV, channel 64. As part of the deal, WKAY moved its operations to WSOC-TV's studios and changed its calls to WAXN-TV. WSOC-TV owned the rights to a large amount of first-run syndicated programming, but no longer had enough time in its broadcast day to air it all. Under the JSA, WAXN picked up much of this programming. Cox bought WAXN outright in 2001. WSOC-TV was Charlotte's home of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon from 1974 to 2001; the program now airs on WAXN.

On December 21, 2010, a distraught 51-year-old woman armed with a gun entered the WSOC-TV studios, forcing the station to go off air just after the weekday 5 p.m. newscast began. After a one hour standoff, the woman was taken into custody and it was determined that the gun was unloaded. No injuries were reported in the incident.[2]

Digital television

Digital channels

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
9.1 WSOC-TV 720p 16:9 Main WSOC-TV programming / ABC
9.2 WSOC-WX 480i 4:3 Severe Weather Center 9 Now / Occasional SEC games

Mobile DTV channel

Channel PSIP Short Name Programming
9.1 WSOC-MH Mobile DTV simulcast of WSOC-DT1

Analog to digital conversion

WSOC-TV ended analog operations on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United States. The station continued broadcasting on channel 34. However, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as 9.

Translators

The station has some digital translators to improve coverage in areas where service was lost after the DTV conversion: W42DR-D in Valdese signed on in May 28, 2009 with WSOC on 6.1 and WAXN on 6.2 (in 480i 16:9). This is to serve the Unifour Region of the state. WSOC-LD is a replacement translator on RF channel 30 (PSIP 9.5) broadcast from Crowders Mountain to serve Shelby,[3] signed on in January 15, 2010. WSOC-LD3, Statesville went on the air June 23, 2012 at 5:58pm. It is on RF channel 46 (PSIP 9.9) [3] Previously, in China Grove, on WAXNTV1, a displacement translator for WAXN-TV(RF 36) also carried WSOC in 16x9, SD on PSIP channel 9.7 until October 15, 2012.[4] WSOC also has a construction permit to build a station licensed to Lancaster which will cover areas south of Charlotte, including Rock Hill, South Carolina. [3]

Digital channels

W42DR-D Marion
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
6.1 720p 16:9 WSOC-TR Simulcast of WSOC-TV
6.2 480i WAXN-TR Simulcast of WAXN-TV
WSOC-CR Shelby
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
9.5 720p 16:9 WSOC-CR Simulcast of WSOC-TV
64.5 480i WAXN-CR Simulcast of WAXN-TV
WSOC-ST Statesville
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
9.9 720p 16:9 WSOC-ST Simulcast of WSOC-TV
64.9 480i WAXN-ST Simulcast of WAXN-TV

News operation

File:New WSOC-TV open.png
WSOC 12 p.m. newscast title card

Since the early 1970s, WSOC-TV has used the Eyewitness News moniker for its newscasts. However, its style is very similar to the Action News format at sister station WSB-TV. For many years, WSOC's news was a very distant second in the Charlotte market, behind the older WBTV. However, in 1981 it scored a major coup when longtime WBTV anchorman Doug Mayes moved there after Channel 3 declined to renew his contract. The move quickly paid off; in 1982 it overtook WBTV for the lead at 11 p.m., a lead it held for almost 25 years. It surpassed WBTV in most other time slots beginning in 1990, but lost the lead at noon to WBTV in 1994. It has dominated the early news timeslots largely because of the presence of Oprah as a lead-in; the show aired on channel 9 throughout its national run. In the February 2011 ratings, the station's newscasts won in every time slot except noon and 11 p.m., which were won by WBTV.[5]

WSOC-TV produces a 10 p.m. newscast which airs on its sister station, WAXN-TV. The program aired on WCCB until that station launched its own local news operation in 2000. In the February 2011 ratings, WAXN's 10 p.m. news came in second to WCCB's; it led the WBTV-produced newscast on WJZY, as well as the 11 p.m. news on WCNC.[5] Bill Walker was WSOC's main anchor from 1971 until his retirement in 2005, longer than anyone in Charlotte television history.[citation needed]

WSOC-TV started producing local high definition newscasts on April 22, 2007.[1] That made WSOC the first television station in Charlotte and the second station in North Carolina (behind Raleigh's WRAL-TV) to do newscasts in HD.

In September 2010, WSOC extended its morning newscast to air a 7-9 a.m. local news block on sister station WAXN.[6] This is in line with a growing trend across the country involving many other "Big 3" affiliates that make up duopolies with smaller stations.

On August 26, 2012, starting with their 6 p.m. newscast, WSOC-TV debuted a brand new news set and a new graphics package.[7] It also rolled out a slightly updated version of the station's logo, which has been in use since 1984.

News/station presentation

Station slogans

  • We Send Our Best To You (c. 1982-c. 1990)
  • Covering the Carolinas (circa 1990–present)

On-air staff

Current on-air staff[8]

Anchors
  • Erica Bryant - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
  • Peter Daut - weekday mornings (4:30-7 on WSOC and 7-9 a.m. on WAXN) and weekdays at noon
  • Allison Latos - weekday mornings (4:30-7 a.m.) and weekdays at noon
  • Blair Miller - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
  • Natalie Pasquarella - weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m. (on WAXN)
  • Sarah Rosario - weekend mornings and weekends at noon
  • Tennika Smith - weekday mornings (7-9 a.m. on WAXN)
  • Scott Wickersham - reports daily news/investigations and anchors weeknights at 5:30pm


Severe Weather Center 9

(All WSOC meteorologists have the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval)

  • Steve Udelson - chief meteorologist; weeknights
  • John Ahrens - meteorologist; weekend evenings
  • Keith Monday - meteorologist; weekend mornings and noon
  • Vicki Graf - meteorologist; weekday mornings (4:30-7 on WSOC and 7-9 on WAXN) and weekdays at noon
Sports team;
  • Tiffany Wright - sports anchor; weeknights at 6, 10 (on WAXN) and 11 p.m.
Traffic
  • Mark Taylor - traffic reporter; weekday mornings (4:30-7 on WSOC and 7-9 a.m. on WAXN)
Reporters
  • Mark Becker - general assignment and special projects reporter
  • Catherine Bilkey - general assignment reporter
  • Jim Bradley - general assignment, financial industry beat and special projects reporter
  • Kathryn Burcham - general assignment reporter
  • Andrew Doud - weekday morning reporter
  • Dave Faherty - Hickory Bureau reporter
  • Don Griffin - consumer and business reporter
  • Ken Lemon - Western Bureau reporter (Gaston County)
  • Linzi Sheldon - general assignment and airport/ airline industry reporter
  • Jason Stoogenke - general assignment reporter
  • Nate Stewart - general assignment reporter
  • Greg Suskin - South Carolina reporter (Rock Hill)
  • Tina Terry - general assignment reporter
  • Trish Williford - general assignment reporter
  • Torie Wells -general assignment and education beat reporter

Former on-air staff

  • Terri Bennett - meteorologist (1991–1996, later at WCNC-TV from 1997–2007)
  • Tim Captuo - anchor/reporter (now at WHDH-TV in Boston)
  • Doreen Gentzler - anchor/reporter (1979–1983, now at WRC-TV Washington)
  • Harold Johnson - sports director (1979–2006, retired; 2010 Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, 8th District of North Carolina)
  • Robyn McGlohn (now Robyn Ezzell) -news anchor (Now in Greenville,SC)
  • Jeremy Reiner - meteorologist (now at WHDH-TV in Boston)
  • Susan Tran - anchor/reporter (now at WHDH-TV in Boston)
  • Diana Williams - reporter (1979–1982; now at WABC-TV in New York City)
  • Katie Virtue -meteorologist (now at a local news station is Philadelphia)
  • Ken Ward -Reporter (Now Deceased day before new job in Tampa)

Out-of-market cable and DirecTV carriage

In recent years, WSOC has been carried on cable in multiple areas outside of the Charlotte media market. That includes cable systems within the Greensboro market in North Carolina, the Greenville and Myrtle Beach markets in South Carolina, and the Tri-Cities market in Tennessee. On DirecTV, WSOC has been carried in multiple counties within the Greensboro market in North Carolina.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Channel 9 Eyewitness News Is Now In High Definition!". 22 April 2007. WSOC-TV. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Woman With Gun At WSOC In Custody" from TV News Check (December 22, 2010)
  3. ^ a b c http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1321792&Service=LD&Form_id=346&Facility_id=74070 Cite error: The named reference "license" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ http://www.avsforum.com/t/486246/charlotte-nc-ota/5190#post_22494644
  5. ^ a b http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/03/12/2132045/classics-rolling-on-little-known.html
  6. ^ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/06/12/1494501/more-news-shows-coming-in-the.html
  7. ^ Channel 9 launches new look on Sunday, Charlotte Observer, August 24, 2012.
  8. ^ About Us
  9. ^ http://svtvstations.webs.com/svtvstations.htm

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WSOC-TV&oldid=562381344"