WDSU
Encyclopedia
WDSU, virtual channel
6, is the NBC
-affiliated television station for the New Orleans, Louisiana
television market. It is owned by Hearst Television, which in turn is wholly owned by the Hearst Corporation
. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 43. Its transmitter is located in Chalmette, Louisiana
; while its studios are located in downtown New Orleans.
The station's current tagline is "6 On Your Side." On cable, WDSU is carried on Cox Communications
channel 7 in standard definition and digital channel 1007 in high definition in the New Orleans market.
Digital channels
This station's digital signal is multiplexed:>
Virtual
channel
Video
Aspect
Programming
6.1
1080i
16:9
Main WDSU programming / NBC HD
6.2
480i
4:3
6 eXact Weather
(To be replaced by Me-TV)
Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display WDSU's virtual channel as "6".
WDSU broadcasts "6 WDSU eXact Weather: News & Traffic" on channel 6.2, with weather shots provided by AccuWeather.com's national feed. Channel 6.2 can be seen on digital cable channel 108 for Cox Communications customers in the New Orleans viewing area, on channel 115 for Charter Communications customers on the Northshore, and on channel 136 for Charter Communications customers on the Southshore.
caused WDSU's HDTV signal to be pulled from New Orleans area cable TV systems. As a result, no high-definition television
content was available from WDSU via any medium (over the air, cable, or satellite), forcing New Orleans viewers looking for high-definition NBC programming to attempt to pull in a signal from Baton Rouge
affiliate WVLA
. In April 2007, WDSU-DT was added to DirecTV's lineup, after which local cable carriers one-by-one began to add it also.
On September 27, 2007, Cox Communications and Hearst-Argyle announced an agreement to restore WDSU-DT to Cox's New Orleans area cable systems http://www.wdsu.com/news/14213060/detail.html; WDSU-DT and WDSU's WeatherPlus channel were added to Cox's channel lineup the next day.http://www.cox.com/louisiana/promotions/WDSUHD_Weatherscan.asp
. It was owned by New Orleans businessman Edgar B. Stern, Jr. along with WDSU radio (1280 AM, now WODT
; and 93.3 FM, now WQUE-FM).
The station initially carried programming from NBC
, CBS
, ABC
and DuMont
. Even after WJMR-TV on channel 61 (now Fox
affiliate WVUE
on channel 8) signed on in 1953 as a primary CBS and secondary ABC affiliate, WDSU continued to "cherry-pick" a few of the higher-rated CBS and ABC programs until 1957, when WWL-TV
signed on as a full-time CBS affiliate. At that time, WJMR took the ABC affiliation full-time, leaving WDSU as an exclusive NBC affiliate. It lost DuMont when that network ceased operations in 1956.
The radio station was originally located at the DeSoto Hotel (now Le Pavillon Hotel
) on Baronne St. WDSU-TV began operations in the Hibernia Bank Building, at that time the tallest building in New Orleans. It moved into the historic Brulatour Mansion on Royal Street in the French Quarter
in April 1950. At that point, Stern reorganized his broadcast holdings as the Royal Street Corporation. The transmitter site remained at the Hibernia Bank Building until 1955 when the new transmitter facilities were completed in Chalmette, LA, where the tower remains today.
In the 1950s WDSU-TV became the springboard for the career of Dick Van Dyke, first as a single comedian and later as emcee of a comedy program.
WDSU was the ratings leader in New Orleans for over a quarter century, largely because of its strong commitment to local coverage. It originated the first live broadcasts of the Sugar Bowl
and Mardi Gras
, and was the first area station to have extensive local coverage of a hurricane
.
Royal Street merged with Cosmos Broadcasting of Columbia, South Carolina
in 1972. Cosmos had to sell off the radio stations because it was over the Federal Communications Commission
's ownership limit of the time. Cosmos eliminated much of the local flavor that had been the station's hallmark, opting to concentrate on its already strong news operation (it had been saluted by Time
as a news pioneer in 1966). By the early 1980s, rival WWL-TV had overtaken WDSU as the ratings leader. WDSU has been a solid runner-up to WWL for most of the last quarter-century, though in recent years it has had to fend off a strong challenge from a resurgent WVUE.
Today, WDSU generally clears NBC's entire lineup; however, in the early 1980s, the station underwent local controversy when it preempted Late Night with David Letterman
in favor of Thicke of the Night
and the short-lived NBC News Overnight
in favor of old movies. When Letterman returned, the station underwent another controversy when it aired the show later than most NBC stations, in favor of reruns of The Love Boat
.
Cosmos sold WDSU to Pulitzer
in 1989. Pulitzer sold its entire television division, including WDSU, to Hearst-Argyle Television (predecessor to the present-day Hearst Television) in 1999. The station moved into a new facility on Howard Avenue and Baronne Street in March 1996.
WDSU became the first station in the market to provide color telecasts in 1955, and the first New Orleans station with its own doppler weather radar
in the 1990s (Super Doppler 6000).
On November 11, 2006, after a remarkable 51 years in New Orleans broadcast television—nearly all of them with WDSU—anchor and former news director Alec Gifford officially announced his retirement. His retirement became effective in December 2006. WDSU looked back on six decades of broadcasting on December 18, 2008.
The station contracts with Citadel Broadcasting
's(Now Part of Cumulus Media
as of September16Th,2011)New Orleans FM cluster (KKND
, KMEZ
, WRKN
& WMTI) to provide additional channels of audio simulcast
ing during hurricane coverage.
WDSU also airs any ESPN Monday Night Football games the New Orleans Saints
play and have added analysis from former Saints coach Jim E. Mora
.
affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi
, to which some WDSU on-air staff had already evacuated. Sister station WESH
, the NBC
affiliate in Orlando, Florida
, also originated some on-air weather content. In the immediate weeks following the hurricane, WDSU's news content originated from WAPT with a hybrid team of WAPT and WDSU meteorologists and anchors, with programs simulcast in Jackson and New Orleans.
WDSU's analog and digital transmitters were both destroyed in the hurricane. WDSU arranged to transmit via Ion Television affiliate WPXL
channel 49 through the end of December 2005; reduced-power service was restored on channel 6 in October 2005.http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=451263 WDSU replaced its transmitter building with an elevated and rugged hurricane resistant building to house its analog and digital transmitters. Construction of this building was completed in early February 2008.http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=433097http://wdsu.portspaces.com/Behind_The_Scenes On August 1, 2007 WDSU's digital signal was restored, temporarily sharing a frequency with WHNO
's digital channel 21. In late February 2008 its analog signal was restored to full power and their digital signal on channel 6.1 was restored on March 6, 2008.
channel 361. Coverage was also available on the station's website, and its audio was carried by the Citadel group of radio stations in New Orleans. C-SPAN 2, and ABC affiliate WBRZ (channel 2) in Baton Rouge made portions of live coverage available as well.
WDSU tapped the resources of its parent company, Hearst-Argyle Television, and brought in personnel from across the country to assist in various capacities. Some WDSU news team members were relocated to support studios in Baton Rouge and Orlando and provided reports via satellite. All three locations stayed operational throughout the storm. One of WDSU's sister stations, ABC affiliate KOCO-TV (channel 5) in Oklahoma City, also provided coverage of Hurricane Gustav via its second digital subchannel for evacuees who came to Oklahoma City.
On September 14, 2009, WDSU dropped its noon newscast in favor of a new hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, making it the only TV station in the New Orleans market to offer a newscast at that timeslot.
On July 10, 2010, WDSU started broadcasting local news in 16:9 widescreen
standard definition
along with updated graphics. On August 16, 2010, WDSU expanded its weekday morning newscast to 2½ hours, by adding a 4:30 a.m. newscast entitled "WDSU News First Edition".
WDSU Exact Weather
Sports team
Reporters
Hearst Television Washington Bureau
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....
6, is the 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...
-affiliated television station for the New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
television market. It is owned by Hearst Television, which in turn is wholly owned by the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 43. Its transmitter is located in Chalmette, Louisiana
Chalmette, Louisiana
Chalmette is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 32,069 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
; while its studios are located in downtown New Orleans.
The station's current tagline is "6 On Your Side." On cable, WDSU is carried on Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
channel 7 in standard definition and digital channel 1007 in high definition in the New Orleans market.
Digital television
WDSU-DT broadcasts on digital channel 43.Digital channels
channel
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania....
(To be replaced by Me-TV)
Through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display WDSU's virtual channel as "6".
WDSU broadcasts "6 WDSU eXact Weather: News & Traffic" on channel 6.2, with weather shots provided by AccuWeather.com's national feed. Channel 6.2 can be seen on digital cable channel 108 for Cox Communications customers in the New Orleans viewing area, on channel 115 for Charter Communications customers on the Northshore, and on channel 136 for Charter Communications customers on the Southshore.
Digital retransmission disputes
In October 2006, a dispute between WDSU's owner, Hearst-Argyle, and Cox CommunicationsCox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
caused WDSU's HDTV signal to be pulled from New Orleans area cable TV systems. As a result, no high-definition television
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...
content was available from WDSU via any medium (over the air, cable, or satellite), forcing New Orleans viewers looking for high-definition NBC programming to attempt to pull in a signal from Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
affiliate WVLA
WVLA
WVLA-TV, virtual channel 33, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It transmits its digital signal on UHF channel 34. It is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, but it is controlled by ComCorp. and is sister station to the area's Retro Television Network affiliate,...
. In April 2007, WDSU-DT was added to DirecTV's lineup, after which local cable carriers one-by-one began to add it also.
On September 27, 2007, Cox Communications and Hearst-Argyle announced an agreement to restore WDSU-DT to Cox's New Orleans area cable systems http://www.wdsu.com/news/14213060/detail.html; WDSU-DT and WDSU's WeatherPlus channel were added to Cox's channel lineup the next day.http://www.cox.com/louisiana/promotions/WDSUHD_Weatherscan.asp
History
WDSU-TV signed on the air on Saturday, December 18, 1948 as the first television station in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. It was owned by New Orleans businessman Edgar B. Stern, Jr. along with WDSU radio (1280 AM, now WODT
WODT
WODT is an Urban Contemporary Gospel outlet based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Clear Channel Communications station broadcasts at 1280 kHz with 5 kW-Unlimited power.-History:...
; and 93.3 FM, now WQUE-FM).
The station initially carried programming from 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...
, 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...
, 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...
and DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
. Even after WJMR-TV on channel 61 (now Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate WVUE
WVUE
WVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
on channel 8) signed on in 1953 as a primary CBS and secondary ABC affiliate, WDSU continued to "cherry-pick" a few of the higher-rated CBS and ABC programs until 1957, when WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
signed on as a full-time CBS affiliate. At that time, WJMR took the ABC affiliation full-time, leaving WDSU as an exclusive NBC affiliate. It lost DuMont when that network ceased operations in 1956.
The radio station was originally located at the DeSoto Hotel (now Le Pavillon Hotel
Le Pavillon Hotel
The Le Pavillon Hotel is a luxury hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was originally named the Denechaud, then for generations was the De Soto Hotel.Le Pavillon was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1991....
) on Baronne St. WDSU-TV began operations in the Hibernia Bank Building, at that time the tallest building in New Orleans. It moved into the historic Brulatour Mansion on Royal Street in the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
in April 1950. At that point, Stern reorganized his broadcast holdings as the Royal Street Corporation. The transmitter site remained at the Hibernia Bank Building until 1955 when the new transmitter facilities were completed in Chalmette, LA, where the tower remains today.
In the 1950s WDSU-TV became the springboard for the career of Dick Van Dyke, first as a single comedian and later as emcee of a comedy program.
WDSU was the ratings leader in New Orleans for over a quarter century, largely because of its strong commitment to local coverage. It originated the first live broadcasts of the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
and Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
, and was the first area station to have extensive local coverage of a hurricane
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
.
Royal Street merged with Cosmos Broadcasting of Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
in 1972. Cosmos had to sell off the radio stations because it was over the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
's ownership limit of the time. Cosmos eliminated much of the local flavor that had been the station's hallmark, opting to concentrate on its already strong news operation (it had been saluted by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
as a news pioneer in 1966). By the early 1980s, rival WWL-TV had overtaken WDSU as the ratings leader. WDSU has been a solid runner-up to WWL for most of the last quarter-century, though in recent years it has had to fend off a strong challenge from a resurgent WVUE.
Today, WDSU generally clears NBC's entire lineup; however, in the early 1980s, the station underwent local controversy when it preempted Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
in favor of Thicke of the Night
Thicke of the Night
Thicke of the Night is an American late night talk show produced by MGM Television, distributed in syndication by Metromedia and broadcast in first-run syndication during the 1983-1984 TV season....
and the short-lived NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight was a television news program on the NBC television network airing weekday mornings from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. from July 5, 1982 to December 3, 1983 for 367 telecasts...
in favor of old movies. When Letterman returned, the station underwent another controversy when it aired the show later than most NBC stations, in favor of reruns of The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
.
Pulitzer, Inc.
Founded by Joseph Pulitzer , Pulitzer Inc., owned 14 daily newspapers across the United States, and one weekly chain. Its papers included the St...
in 1989. Pulitzer sold its entire television division, including WDSU, to Hearst-Argyle Television (predecessor to the present-day Hearst Television) in 1999. The station moved into a new facility on Howard Avenue and Baronne Street in March 1996.
WDSU became the first station in the market to provide color telecasts in 1955, and the first New Orleans station with its own doppler weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
in the 1990s (Super Doppler 6000).
On November 11, 2006, after a remarkable 51 years in New Orleans broadcast television—nearly all of them with WDSU—anchor and former news director Alec Gifford officially announced his retirement. His retirement became effective in December 2006. WDSU looked back on six decades of broadcasting on December 18, 2008.
The station contracts with Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
's(Now Part of Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
as of September16Th,2011)New Orleans FM cluster (KKND
KKND
KKND better known as "Power 102.9" is a Rhythmic Contemporary outlet serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media station is licensed to Belle Chasse, Louisiana and broadcasts its format at 102.9 MHz with an ERP of 4.7 kW...
, KMEZ
KMEZ
KMEZ, is a radio station serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media station is licensed to Port Sulphur, Louisiana and broadcasts at 106.7 MHz with an ERP of 98 kW...
, WRKN
WRKN
WTKE-FM is a radio station broadcasting a sports/talk format. Licensed to Niceville, Florida, USA, the station serves the Fort Walton Beach area. WTKE-FM is owned by Qantum Communications and the station's broadcast license is currently held by Ft...
& WMTI) to provide additional channels of audio simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing during hurricane coverage.
WDSU also airs any ESPN Monday Night Football games the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
play and have added analysis from former Saints coach Jim E. Mora
Jim E. Mora
James Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...
.
Hurricane Katrina
WDSU's New Orleans studios ceased operations around 9:30pm Sunday, August 28, 2005, allowing staff at the station to take shelter. At that point, WDSU broadcasts began originating from sister Hearst-Argyle station WAPT-TV, the ABCAmerican 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 in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, to which some WDSU on-air staff had already evacuated. Sister station WESH
WESH
WESH is the NBC affiliate in Orlando, Florida. It is licensed to Daytona Beach, with studio facilities in Winter Park. It transmits its digital signal on VHF channel 11, which redirects to virtual channel 2.1, reflecting its former analog channel assignment, through PSIP. It is currently owned by...
, the 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 in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, also originated some on-air weather content. In the immediate weeks following the hurricane, WDSU's news content originated from WAPT with a hybrid team of WAPT and WDSU meteorologists and anchors, with programs simulcast in Jackson and New Orleans.
WDSU's analog and digital transmitters were both destroyed in the hurricane. WDSU arranged to transmit via Ion Television affiliate WPXL
WPXL
WPXL-TV is the local Ion Television affiliate in New Orleans, Louisiana, owned by Ion Media Networks. It broadcasts on virtual channel 49....
channel 49 through the end of December 2005; reduced-power service was restored on channel 6 in October 2005.http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=451263 WDSU replaced its transmitter building with an elevated and rugged hurricane resistant building to house its analog and digital transmitters. Construction of this building was completed in early February 2008.http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=433097http://wdsu.portspaces.com/Behind_The_Scenes On August 1, 2007 WDSU's digital signal was restored, temporarily sharing a frequency with WHNO
WHNO
WHNO is a television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, broadcasting locally on virtual channel 20 as a LeSEA owned-and-operated station. As an affiliate of LeSEA, the station airs mostly Christian programming along with a small amount of secular family programming.-Digital television:WHNO-DT...
's digital channel 21. In late February 2008 its analog signal was restored to full power and their digital signal on channel 6.1 was restored on March 6, 2008.
Hurricane Gustav
In 2008, WDSU broadcast nonstop coverage of the approach, landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Gustav for five consecutive days. The storm prompted a massive evacuation of much of the station's viewing area. On September 1, 2008 WDSU's coverage of Hurricane Gustav aired nationally on DirecTVDirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
channel 361. Coverage was also available on the station's website, and its audio was carried by the Citadel group of radio stations in New Orleans. C-SPAN 2, and ABC affiliate WBRZ (channel 2) in Baton Rouge made portions of live coverage available as well.
WDSU tapped the resources of its parent company, Hearst-Argyle Television, and brought in personnel from across the country to assist in various capacities. Some WDSU news team members were relocated to support studios in Baton Rouge and Orlando and provided reports via satellite. All three locations stayed operational throughout the storm. One of WDSU's sister stations, ABC affiliate KOCO-TV (channel 5) in Oklahoma City, also provided coverage of Hurricane Gustav via its second digital subchannel for evacuees who came to Oklahoma City.
News operation
Currently, WDSU broadcasts a total of 32.5 hours of local newscasts each week (with five hours on weekdays, three hours on Saturday and four and a half hours on Sunday). On December 14, 2008, the Sun Herald, a local newspaper on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, partnered with WDSU-TV to give more news and weather coverage for South Mississippi.On September 14, 2009, WDSU dropped its noon newscast in favor of a new hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, making it the only TV station in the New Orleans market to offer a newscast at that timeslot.
On July 10, 2010, WDSU started broadcasting local news in 16:9 widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
along with updated graphics. On August 16, 2010, WDSU expanded its weekday morning newscast to 2½ hours, by adding a 4:30 a.m. newscast entitled "WDSU News First Edition".
Ratings
In July 2011, WDSU claimed ratings wins in key demographics at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. -- the first time in a quarter-century that a station other than WWL-TV placed first among viewers most sought by advertisers. Newscasts in less competitive time periods of 4:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. also scored wins in key demographic categories, as well as household ratings.Newscast titles
- Your Esso Reporter (1948–1956)
- WDSU-TV News (1956–1962)
- The Six O'Clock Report/The Eleventh Hour Report (1962–1966)
- Channel 6 News (1966–1974)
- Newswatch 6 (1974–1982)
- NewsCenter 6 (1982–1987)
- 6 News (1987–1994)
- Channel 6 News (1994–2000)
- NewsChannel 6 (2000–2006)
- WDSU NewsChannel 6 (2006–2009)
- WDSU News (2009–present)
Station slogans
- Comin' on TV-6 (1980–1987)
- Channel 6, Our Pride Is Showing (1981–1982; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- We're Channel 6, Just Watch Us Now (1982–1983; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Channel 6 There, Be There (1983–1984; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Channel 6, Let's All Be There (1984–1986; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- You're What Makes New Orleans Great! (1985–1987; used during period station used Frank Gari's "Turn to News")
- Come Home to Channel 6 (1986–1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Come on Home to Channel 6 (1987–1988; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Come Home To The Best, Only On Channel 6 (1988–1990; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Your 24-Hour News Source24 Hour News SourceThe 24 Hour News Source brand was a common name used by American television stations starting in the early 1990s for brief hourly news updates, usually running 30 seconds to a minute in length. At its peak, dozens of stations across the U.S. were producing these brief news updates...
(1990–1994) - WDSU, The Place To Be! (1990–1992; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- It's A Whole New Channel 6 (1992–1993; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- The Stars Are Back on Channel 6 (1993–1994; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- We're Building WDSU Around You (1994–2004)
- Local. Live. Latebreaking. (2004–2006)
- On Your Side (2006–present; reporters also often use "We're on Your Side" as tags at the end of reports just before identifying the newscast title)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- LaTonya Norton - weekend mornings "WDSU News This Morning"; also weekday reporter
- Norman RobinsonNorman Robinson (television news reporter)Norman Hollis Robinson is news anchor for WDSU-TV New Orleans Channel 6 , where he has worked in the news department since 1992...
- weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m. - Randi Rousseau - weekday mornings "WDSU News This Morning" (4:30-7 a.m.); also reporter
- Scott Walker - weekdays at 4, 5, and 10 p.m.; also reporter
- Camille Whitworth - weeknights at 4, 5, and 6 p.m.; also reporter
- Rachel Wulff - weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.; also weekday reporter
WDSU Exact Weather
- Margaret Orr (NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
member; AMS member) - chief meteorologist; weekdays at 4, weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. - Damon Singleton - meteorologist; weekend mornings "WDSU News This Morning"
- Patrick Crawford (AMSAMS-Companies:*AMS *Auxiliary Medical Services* Austria Mikro Systeme, the old name of austriamicrosystems*American Management Systems*AMS Pictures*Arbiter Modeling Systems Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia*Association of Muslim Schools...
Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified 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) - meteorologist; weekends at 5 and 10 p.m. - Jay Galle (American Meteorological SocietyAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings "WDSU News This Morning" (4:30-7 a.m.)
Sports team
- Fletcher Mackel - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
- Chris Miles - sports anchor; weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.
Reporters
- Heath Allen - Northshore Bureau Chief/general assignment reporter (married to former WWL-TVWWL-TVWWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
/WVUEWVUEWVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
-TV reporter Janet Gross) - Tiffaney Bradley - general assignment reporter
- Rosa Flores - general assignment reporter
- Dr. Corey Hebert - medical editor ("On Call")
- Lisamarie Luminais - weekday morning traffic reporter
- Travers Mackel - investigative reporter; twin brother of Fletcher Mackel
- Howard Robertson - crime and safety specialist
- Gina Swanson - general assignment reporter
Hearst Television Washington Bureau
- Sally Kidd - Washington bureau reporter
- Nikole Killion - Washington bureau reporter
- Laurie Kinney - Washington bureau reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Bernard "Buddy" Diliberto - sportscaster (1981–1990; later worked for WWL Radio; deceased)
- Bill MonroeBill Monroe (journalist)William Blanc "Bill" Monroe Jr. was an American television journalist for NBC News. He was the executive producer and fourth moderator of the NBC public affairs program Meet the Press , succeeding Lawrence E...
- first News Director; later Meet the PressMeet the PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
moderator; deceased - Helena MorenoHelena MorenoHelena Nancy Moreno is a state representative in Louisiana, representing Louisiana House District 93. She was elected on 2010 May 29. She entered office on 2010 June 8...
- weekday mornings and consumer reporter (2000–2008; defeated in Democratic primary race for CongressLouisiana's 2nd congressional districtLouisiana's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district contains nearly all of the city of New Orleans , and some of its suburbs, including the West Bank portion of Jefferson Parish and South South Kenner.The district is currently represented...
, but later won state representative of District 93) - Nash RobertsNash RobertsNash Charles Roberts Jr. was a New Orleans, Louisiana-based meteorologist widely known for the accuracy of his hurricane forecasts....
- meteorologist (1948–1973; later at WVUEWVUEWVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
and WWL-TVWWL-TVWWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
; deceased) - Susan E. RobertsSusan E. RobertsSusan E. Roberts is a news anchor for WPRI, the CBS affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island, where she co-anchors the station's 5 PM, 6 PM, and 11 PM newscasts...
- anchor/reporter (now at WPRI) - Susan RoesgenSusan RoesgenSusan Roesgen is an American television reporter. She has worked in radio and television broadcasting for more than two decades, including prime time news anchor positions at several TV stations...
- anchor/reporter (2000–2001) - Dick Van DykeDick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
- Charles ZeweCharles ZeweCharles Fredrick Zewe II is a former anchor for CNN Headline News in the 90s, and also a reporter for CNN, where he was Dallas bureau chief. Zewe had his start in the New Orleans market, first reporting for The State's Item and then anchoring and executive-producing for stations WWL-TV and...
- anchor/reporter (1976-1987; previously with WWL-TVWWL-TVWWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
; formerly at CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
; now Vice President of Communications for the Louisiana State University System)