WDFX-TV
Encyclopedia
WDFX-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station
for Southeastern Alabama
's Wiregrass Region
licensed to Ozark
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 33 (or virtual channel
34.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Wicksburg
. The station can also be seen on Knology
channel 5 as well as Comcast
and Time Warner Cable
channel 13. There is a high definition feed offered on Time Warner
Cable digital channel 213, Comcast digital channel 434 and Knology digital channel 501. Owned by Raycom Media
, WDFX has studios on Ross Clark Circle/AL 210/U.S. 231
in Dothan
. Syndicated
programming on the station includes 30 Rock
, Two and a Half Men
, The Big Bang Theory
and The Dr. Oz Show
among others.
signal on UHF channel 34, it was the market
's fourth television outlet to sign-on and has been with Fox since the very beginning. It was established after a small group of Ozark investors saw the market as being undeserved with the network and the need for a locally-based affiliate in the area. The call sign had been previously used on what is now CBS
affiliate WYOU
in Scranton
/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
(ironically a sister station to rival ABC
affiliate WDHN
in Dothan).
The call letters changed to WDFX-TV on August 31, 1995 while owned by the Woods Communications Corporation
of nearby Montgomery
(controller of that market's Fox affiliate WCOV-TV
). Interestingly, that company operated rival CBS
affiliate WTVY in Dothan until 1995 when it was sold to Benedek Broadcasting
. As a part of Woods Television, WDFX quickly grew in popularity. It was bought out by Waitt Media in June 1999 and, under the company's ownership, moved to its current facility on Ross Clark Circle. This change resulted in its advertising sales and traffic departments being held together under the same room for the first time. On December 15, 2003, Raycom Media bought the station; two years later, WDFX became a sister station to NBC
affiliate WSFA
in Montgomery after Raycom acquired The Liberty Corporation. The big three outlet
currently serves the Wiregrass Region as its de-facto NBC affiliate. However, low-powered station WDON-LP will join the network in the very near future.
Since WDFX and WCOV both aired Fox News at 9, there was regional coverage of the Montgomery and Dothan areas provided. Reporters and photojournalists based at WDFX's facility (referred to on-air as the Wiregrass Newsroom) were also featured in the show. After WCOV's outsourcing contract with WSFA expired at the end of 2010, the former entered into a new agreement with CBS affiliate WAKA
(owned by Bahakel Communications
) to produce a nightly 35 minute prime time newscast at 9 specifically covering Montgomery. On January 1, 2011, WSFA transitioned its prime time show (renamed The News at 9) to its second digital subchannel
(then affiliated with the Retro Television Network
).
The show's format remains mostly unchanged except for originating from WSFA's primary set while continuing to be simulcasted on WDFX. This station provides some coverage of its home territory, Dothan and Ozark, as well as the surrounding areas in the Wiregrass. Every night, it inserts a short news update during Fox News at 9 (known as "Wiregrass Wrap") featuring anchor Hannah Lane (weeknights) and Kim Smith (weekends) as well as photojournalist Doug Gooden who are all based out of WDFX's studios. There is also a short high school football highlight cut-in on Friday nights (known as "Sports Overtime") anchored by sports reporter Kim Smith. Although not a full news department, this is the market's third source of local newscasts on television in Dothan besides CBS affiliate WTVY and ABC affiliate WDHN.
In more recent times, a regional news network has developed between Raycom's stations in Alabama. The Raycom News Network a system designed to rapidly share information among the company's channels and websites. WSFA along with WDFX, WTVM
/WXTX
, WAFF-TV, and WBRC
share equipment such as satellite trucks or even stories and video footage from various reporters. Between them, these stations cover almost the entire state except for the Gulf Coast
. The four stations also comprise the Raycom Weather Network and blog where meteorologists from all of the outlets post forecasts and storm reports as well as live feeds from all of the cameras operated by the television stations. As of October 2011, a similar regional network has developed among Raycom's outlets
serving Southeastern Georgia
and South Carolina
's Lowcountry
.
Anchors
Reporters
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for Southeastern Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
's Wiregrass Region
Wiregrass Region
The Wiregrass Region or Wiregrass Country is an area of the Southern United States encompassing parts of southern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle...
licensed to Ozark
Ozark, Alabama
Ozark is a city in and the county seat of Dale County, Alabama, United States. In 1990 the city population was 12,922. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 15,119....
. It broadcasts a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on UHF channel 33 (or virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
34.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Wicksburg
Houston County, Alabama
Houston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 101,547. Its county seat is Dothan.Houston County is part of the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. The station can also be seen on Knology
Knology
Knology Inc. is a cable company that formed in 1994 by ITC Holding Company, Inc, a telecommunications holding company in West Point, Georgia that also founded Internet service provider Mindspring. In late 1994, shortly after Knology's inception, two employees made a $600,000 investment to make...
channel 5 as well as Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
channel 13. There is a high definition feed offered on Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
Cable digital channel 213, Comcast digital channel 434 and Knology digital channel 501. Owned by Raycom Media
Raycom Media
- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....
, WDFX has studios on Ross Clark Circle/AL 210/U.S. 231
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 912 miles from St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 to south of U.S. Route 98 in Downtown Panama City, Florida.One of its most notable landmarks is the William H...
in Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on the station includes 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
and The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show is an American syndicated television talk show, hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and teaching professor at Columbia University who became famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 until 2009....
among others.
History
The station launched as WDAU in February 1991. Airing an analogAnalog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
signal on UHF channel 34, it was the market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
's fourth television outlet to sign-on and has been with Fox since the very beginning. It was established after a small group of Ozark investors saw the market as being undeserved with the network and the need for a locally-based affiliate in the area. The call sign had been previously used on what is now CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WYOU
WYOU
WYOU is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northeastern Pennsylvania that is licensed to Scranton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter at the Penobscot Knob tower farm near Mountain Top...
in Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
(ironically a sister station to rival ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WDHN
WDHN
WDHN is the ABC-affiliated television station for Southeastern Alabama's Wiregrass Region. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group and licensed to Dothan, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter at its studios on AL 52 in Webb. The station can also be...
in Dothan).
The call letters changed to WDFX-TV on August 31, 1995 while owned by the Woods Communications Corporation
Charles Woods
Charles Woods was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II...
of nearby Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
(controller of that market's Fox affiliate WCOV-TV
WCOV-TV
WCOV-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt area licensed to Montgomery. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 from a transmitter southeast of Grady along the Montgomery and Crenshaw County line. The station can also be seen on...
). Interestingly, that company operated rival CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WTVY in Dothan until 1995 when it was sold to Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting is a former television broadcaster, who owned and operated 22 network-affiliated television stations throughout the United States, all affiliated with major television networks, serving mainly small and medium-size markets. The company was founded in the late 1970s by A...
. As a part of Woods Television, WDFX quickly grew in popularity. It was bought out by Waitt Media in June 1999 and, under the company's ownership, moved to its current facility on Ross Clark Circle. This change resulted in its advertising sales and traffic departments being held together under the same room for the first time. On December 15, 2003, Raycom Media bought the station; two years later, WDFX became a sister station to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WSFA
WSFA
WSFA is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt region licensed to Montgomery. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Grady along the Montgomery and Pike County line. The station can also be seen on Knology and Charter...
in Montgomery after Raycom acquired The Liberty Corporation. The big three outlet
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
currently serves the Wiregrass Region as its de-facto NBC affiliate. However, low-powered station WDON-LP will join the network in the very near future.
News operation
On January 7, 2008, the Woods Communications Corporation (current owner of WCOV) contracted with WSFA to air a prime time broadcast on the Fox affiliate in Montgomery in conjunction with WDFX in Dothan. Originally airing for 35 minutes on weeknights, a weekend half-hour edition of Fox News at 9 began in Summer 2008. On August 3 of that year, WSFA upgraded its newscasts to high definition becoming the first station in Montgomery to do so. The primary news set and graphics were redesigned in the transition. Initially, the 9 p.m. production on WDFX and WCOV was not included because it originated from an older secondary set at WSFA's studios on East Delano Avenue. However, in Spring 2010, the broadcasts began airing in HD with updated graphics in a color scheme separate from programs seen on WSFA.Since WDFX and WCOV both aired Fox News at 9, there was regional coverage of the Montgomery and Dothan areas provided. Reporters and photojournalists based at WDFX's facility (referred to on-air as the Wiregrass Newsroom) were also featured in the show. After WCOV's outsourcing contract with WSFA expired at the end of 2010, the former entered into a new agreement with CBS affiliate WAKA
WAKA
WAKA is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt region licensed to Selma. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter in Gordonville. The station can also be seen on Knology and Charter channel 8...
(owned by Bahakel Communications
Bahakel Communications
Bahakel Communications is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based communications company that owns radio and television stations in the United States...
) to produce a nightly 35 minute prime time newscast at 9 specifically covering Montgomery. On January 1, 2011, WSFA transitioned its prime time show (renamed The News at 9) to its second digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
(then affiliated with the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
).
The show's format remains mostly unchanged except for originating from WSFA's primary set while continuing to be simulcasted on WDFX. This station provides some coverage of its home territory, Dothan and Ozark, as well as the surrounding areas in the Wiregrass. Every night, it inserts a short news update during Fox News at 9 (known as "Wiregrass Wrap") featuring anchor Hannah Lane (weeknights) and Kim Smith (weekends) as well as photojournalist Doug Gooden who are all based out of WDFX's studios. There is also a short high school football highlight cut-in on Friday nights (known as "Sports Overtime") anchored by sports reporter Kim Smith. Although not a full news department, this is the market's third source of local newscasts on television in Dothan besides CBS affiliate WTVY and ABC affiliate WDHN.
In more recent times, a regional news network has developed between Raycom's stations in Alabama. The Raycom News Network a system designed to rapidly share information among the company's channels and websites. WSFA along with WDFX, WTVM
WTVM
WTVM is the ABC-affiliated television station for Columbus, Georgia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter in Cusseta. The station can also be seen on Charter, Knology, and Mediacom channel 10...
/WXTX
WXTX
WXTX is the primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Chattahoochee Valley of West Central Georgia and East Central Alabama. Licensed to Columbus, Georgia, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 49 from a transmitter in the Vista Terrance...
, WAFF-TV, and WBRC
WBRC
WBRC, virtual channel 6, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Birmingham, Alabama designated market area. The station is owned by Raycom Media, and its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham...
share equipment such as satellite trucks or even stories and video footage from various reporters. Between them, these stations cover almost the entire state except for the Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
. The four stations also comprise the Raycom Weather Network and blog where meteorologists from all of the outlets post forecasts and storm reports as well as live feeds from all of the cameras operated by the television stations. As of October 2011, a similar regional network has developed among Raycom's outlets
WFXG
WFXG is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Central Savannah River Area of East-Central Georgia and West-Central South Carolina. Licensed to Augusta, Georgia, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter in Beech Island, South Carolina's Spiderweb...
serving Southeastern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
's Lowcountry
South Carolina Lowcountry
The Lowcountry is a geographic and cultural region located along South Carolina's coast. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...
.
News team
+ denotes personnel based at Wiregrass Newsroom/WDFXAnchors
- Mark Bullock - weeknight news
- Samuel King - Saturday news and investigative reporter
- Jennifer Oravet - Sunday news and "CrimeStoppers" segment producer
- + Hannah Lane - weeknight Wiregrass Wrap and Wiregrass Newsroom reporter
- + Kim Smith - weekend Wiregrass Wrap and Sports Overtime (also Wiregrass Newsroom sports reporter)
- Jeff Jumper (CBMCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
Seal of Approval) - Sunday through Thursday meteorologist - Eric Snitil - Friday and Saturday meteorologist
- Jeff Shearer - Sports DirectorSports DirectorA sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
seen weeknights - Derek Steyer - Assistant Sports Director seen weekends and sports reporter
- Leeza GibbonsLeeza GibbonsLeeza Kim Gibbons is an American talk show host. Gibbons is the host of her own radio show, Hollywood Confidential, part of the United Stations radio syndication company.-Early life:...
- AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Now host - Bill Rancic - America Now host
Reporters
- + Doug Gooden - Wiregrass Newsroom photojournalist
- Andre Morgan - Chief Photographer
- Matt Bamberg - photojournalist
- Darren Gilley - photojournalist
- Tametria Conner - weeknights
- Sally Pitts - weeknights
- Max Reiss - politics
- Melissa McKinney
- Melissa Johnson
- Bethany Wales