WDAY-TV
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WDAY-TV, channel 6, is the ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Fargo, North Dakota. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 (or virtual channel 6.1 via PSIP) from a 1,000-foot (300 m) tall transmitter tower near Amenia. On cable, the station can be seen on channel 6 in most areas.
The station is owned by Forum Communications of Fargo, which also owns WDAY radio and The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. The facilities for WDAY-AM-TV and Radio are on South 8th Street in downtown Fargo.
Syndicated programming on WDAY includes The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, Entertainment Tonight, omg! Insider, Judge Judy, Rachael Ray, among others.
Although operated as a separate station in its own right, WDAZ-TV in Grand Forks is actually considered a semi-satellite of WDAY-TV. It clears all network and syndicated programming as provided through its parent but airs separate newscasts, station identifications, and commercial inserts. WDAY-TV serves the southern portion of the Fargo/Grand Forks market while WDAZ serves the northern portion. Through WDAZ, WDAY-TV has significant viewership in southern Manitoba, Canada, including Winnipeg, which has double the population of WDAY-TV/WDAZ's American coverage area. The two stations often share news stories. Master control and some internal operations for WDAZ are based at WDAY's facilities in Fargo. The two stations are counted as a single unit for ratings purposes. DirecTV and Dish Network offer both WDAY and WDAZ.
Digital television
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WDAYABC | Main WDAY-TV programming / ABC |
| 6.2 | 720p | WDAY-CW | Fargo CW | |
| 6.3 | 720p | WDAY-WX | Storm Tracker/WDAY Radio-High Definition | |
| 6.4 | 480i | WDAY-WX | Storm Tracker/WDAY Radio-Standard Definition |
Fargo CW was a cable-only station with WB affiliation, and branded as "WBFG", a designation going back to its launch as a station transmitting the The WB 100+ distant network schedule to the area over cable exclusively. When The CW launched in September 2006, WBFG switched over to the distant The CW Plus schedule and eventually moved onto WDAY-DT2 and WDAZ-DT2 to provide all viewers CW service in the area.
Fargo CW is offered on Cable One cable channel 8 in the Fargo-Moorhead area. It can be seen on Midcontinent cable channel 14 in Fargo, Moorhead and most other areas. It can be seen on Midcontinent cable channel 7 in the Grand Forks area.
Analog-to-digital conversion
WDAY began broadcasting in a digital-only format, effective June 12, 2009.[1]
History
WDAY-TV went on the air for the first time in 1953 as the third television station in North Dakota, and the first in the eastern part of the state. It was owned by a group of Fargo investors, the largest of which was Norman Black, owner and publisher of The Forum. Black bought the remaining shares in 1958.
It was originally an NBC affiliate, but shared ABC programming with KXJB-TV until KXGO-TV (channel 11, later KTHI-TV and now KVLY-TV) signed on in 1959. It swapped affiliations with KTHI and became an ABC affiliate in 1983, a year after former sister station KSFY-TV switched from NBC to ABC.
Unlike rivals KXJB and KVLY, WDAY-TV's signal does not cover the northern portion of this vast market very well. It must conform its signal to protect CBC Television's Winnipeg station, CBWT, which took to the air on channel 6 a year after WDAY-TV signed on. As a result, it was barely viewable in northern Grand Forks and could not be seen at all in much of the northern part of the market. To solve this problem, it signed on semi-satellite WDAZ-TV in 1967. WDAZ-TV identifies as a station in its own right, producing its own newscasts and airing its own commercials. However, it rebroadcasts most of WDAY-TV's syndicated programming, and the two stations often share news stories. WDAZ serves the northern part of the Fargo-Grand Forks market, while WDAY-TV serves the southern portion.
WDAY/WDAZ began operating cable-only WB affiliate "WBFG" in 1998. This was on channel 8, 7 or 14 on most systems in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. WDAY/WDAZ replaced "WBFG" with new digital broadcast subchannels WDAY 6.2 and WDAZ 8.2 simulcasting The CW after the new network launched in the fall of 2006. The CW was only available over the air on WDAY until WDAZ switched to digital in 2009. Fargo CW also carries programming from The CW Plus.
WDAY-TV is one of the westernmost stations in the country whose callsign begins with W. Most stations west of the Mississippi begin with K, however WDAY radio licensed its call letters before the U.S. government moved the K-W boundary in 1923 from the state borders between 102 and 104 degrees West longitude (including the North Dakota-Montana border) to the Mississippi River.
Programming
WDAY-TV is one of the few stations in the country that still signs off at night. It goes off the air at 3:43 am and signs on again at 4:27 am to broadcast America This Morning.
NBA Countdown is frequently declined by the station to air additional paid programming on Sunday mornings. One of these paid programs is "The Hour of Worship", a Christian service broadcast from Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church located in Fargo, North Dakota. It has been airing in its time slot since 1967, making it one of the longest running worship service broadcasts in the United States, broadcasting throughout the entire state of North Dakota.[2]
News operation
WDAY-TV produces local newscasts Monday through Friday at 5 am, 5, 6 and 10 pm, Saturdays at 6 and 10 pm, and a Sunday newscast at 10 pm. The morning newscast, First News, at 5 am Monday through Fridays, and all weekend newscasts are simulcast on WDAZ-TV. Unlike most ABC affiliates, WDAY does not air midday news during the week.
On January 15, 2012, WDAY became the first local TV station in the market to present its newscasts in 16:9 widescreen standard definition. Then on February 22, 2012, WDAY took it one step further to become the first station in the Fargo-Valley City market to launch local news in high definition.
News/station presentation
Newscast titles
- WDAY News (1970s–1980s)
- WDAY NewsCenter 6 (1980s–1999)
- WDAY News (1999–2010)
- WDAY 6 News (2010–present)
Station slogans
- "Your News Leader" (1996–present)
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News team
Current on-air staff[3]
Anchors
- Travis Skonseng – weekday mornings First News
- Rebecca Lebak- weekday mornings First News
- Robin Heubner – weeknights at 5 pm
- Dana Mogck – weeknights at 5, 6, and 10 pm
- Kerstin Kealy – weeknights at 6 and 10 pm
- Drew Trafton- weekend evenings; also weeknight reporter
- Katie Lange – weekend evenings; also weeknight reporter
StormTRACKER Weather
- John Wheeler – chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 pm
- Daryl Ritchison – First News Meteorologist
- Aaron White- weekend Meteorologist
Sports team
- Dom Izzo – sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 pm
- Jody Norstedt – sports anchor; weekend evenings
- Trevor Peterson – sports reporter; also photographer
- Eric Manlove – sports reporter; also photographer
Reporters
- Kevin Wallevand – feature reporter
- Danielle Miller
- Becky Parker
- Kay Cooley
- Andrea Hubbell
Current Production Staff
Technical Directors
- Jason Geir
- Jeremy Ness
- Erin Wencl
- Michael Ferris
- Scott Sailer
- Eric Bolin
Past on-air staff
- Ed Schultz (now host of MSNBC's The Ed Show)
Translators
WDAY is broadcast on the following translators (low-powered rebroadcasters):
- K02DD Channel 2 Jamestown, ND
- K02MM Channel 2 Fergus Falls, MN