WFLA-TV
Encyclopedia
WFLA-TV, virtual channel
8, is the NBC
-affiliated television station
in Tampa
/St. Petersburg, Florida
. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General
. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida
. WFLA is the only station in the market to be affiliated with the same network (NBC) since signing on. The station shares the "News Center" building in Tampa with co-owned The Tampa Tribune
and TBO.com.
Digital channels
>
Channel
Video
Format
Name
Programming
8.1
1080i
16:9
WFLA-HD
Main WFLA-TV programming / NBC
8.2
480i
4:3
8 Prime
Me-TV
WFLA replaced RTV with Me-TV, a digital broadcast network owned by Weigel Broadcasting
and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, featuring sitcoms and dramas from the 1950s to the 1980s, which took the place of RTV on digital subchannel 8.2 on September 26, 2011, as part of a groupwide affiliation agreement with Media General; the channel replaced RTV on some Media General-owned stations in other markets.
. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 7 using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel
as 8.
1955 with a live broadcast of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival
. The station was owned by the Tribune along with WFLA radio (AM 970
and FM 93.3, now WFLZ
). Largely because of its newspaper background, it was the early ratings leader in Tampa until WTVT
passed it in 1962.
Arch Deal and Bill Henry were the prominent faces of WFLA's newscasts in the 1960s. Arch Deal's tenure was abruptly cut short in 1975, when he suffered injuries during a parachute accident. Bob Koop served as the evening anchor from 1977–1979. Longtime anchorman Bob Hite came to the anchor desk in 1979.
In 1966, Richmond Newspapers, publishers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
and part-owner of the Tribune, acquired full control of the paper and WFLA-AM-FM-TV. Three years later, Richmond Newspapers renamed itself Media General, and WFLA-TV, the first television station owned and operated by Media General, has been its flagship television station since then. Reporters from the Tribune often appear on WFLA.
The station was renamed WXFL on January 19, 1983 after the WFLA radio stations were sold. (Both radio stations are currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
.) At the time, Federal Communications Commission
cross-ownership
regulations forced Media General to sell the radio stations; however, the company was granted a permanent waiver permitting it to keep the Tribune and the television station. Channel 8 regained its original call letters on January 1, 1989. That same year, it surged to first place in the Tampa Bay ratings and has stayed there for most of that time, led by one of the most popular anchor teams in the country. "Eagle 8" made its debut in October 1985.
In the midst of a market shake-up in 1994 which saw many of the Tampa area stations swapping network affiliations, WFLA was one of the few major stations in the market that did not change networks. As a result it became number 1 in the market, a position formerly held by WTVT
, which saw its ratings drop after switching from CBS
to Fox
. However, since NBC's ill-fated experiment with The Jay Leno Show
in primetime in late 2009 and early 2010, WTVT regained its number 1 status. In the November 2010 sweeps period, WFLA failed to win a single time slot outright, and even fell to third or fourth place in some time slots.
preseason games. Their current broadcast team for the games is Chris Myers
and John Lynch, the former Buccaneer All Pro Safety, with Sports Anchor Dan Lucas on the sidelines. In recent years Myers has also teamed with Ron Jaworski
, Merrill Hoge, Doug Graber and Charles Davis.
assumed anchor duties of the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts along with veteran anchor Gayle Sierens
.
Bill Ratliff, who was brought in to anchor the evening newscasts in 1982 and had been morning and noon anchor since 1985, retired from WFLA on June 25, 2009. Ratliff is now at rival WTSP
as a political contributor.
Storm Team 8
Sports team
Reporters
Daytime
reported of its "pay for play" practices. The article revealed that businesses were charged several thousand dollars to appear on the show, effectively making their segments "paid segments". Many people saw this as payola
, a practice that is illegal under a Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) ruling. After much dispute, WFLA agreed to ID each paid segment as such to avoid an intervention from Congress.
Host Debra Schrills and original host Brian Fasulo left the show in 2005. The current hosts are Cyndi Edwards and former Extra
host Dave Nemeth. From 2008 until late September 2011, the show aired nationally over RTV as part of Media General's carriage deal of the network, but was discontinued when Media General affiliated their stations with Weigel's Me-TV.
position of condemning homosexuality
as a sin, and claims of the gay community's drive to make all criticism of homosexuality as hate speech
, in the name of political correctness
. The documentary, presented as a paid program
from the American Family Association
, was televised at 7PM, on the same day St. Petersburg held their pride parade, St. Pete Pride, on the weekend of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots
. Prior to the telecast, the station was swamped with numerous phone calls and e-mails against the station showing the program; however, the station decided to present the documentary anyway. After the program ended, the station logged hundreds of phone calls and over 1000 e-mails, all in protest against the show. General Manager Mike Pumo refused to elaborate on the decision, other than the show's content did not "raise the red flag" during pre-screening. Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director of Equality Florida, considered the show as hate speech, saying, "I think this program is a piece of homophobic propaganda and it has no place on a major network like NBC."
On Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 70 to 100 protesters gathered outside of WFLA's studios to protest against the special and the station's attitude towards the community—the station, however, remained firm on its decision to show the program.
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....
8, 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
Network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
/St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General
Media General
Media General, Inc. is a media company based in the Southeastern United States. Its major properties include newspapers such as The Tampa Tribune, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as numerous television stations, such as flagship station WFLA-TV.The company was...
. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida
Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida
Riverview is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. It is located near Brandon. The population was 71,050 at the 2010 census....
. WFLA is the only station in the market to be affiliated with the same network (NBC) since signing on. The station shares the "News Center" building in Tampa with co-owned The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune, published in Tampa, Florida, is one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area, second in circulation and readership to the St. Petersburg Times. The paper's tagline is "Life...
and TBO.com.
Digital television
>
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...
WFLA replaced RTV with Me-TV, a digital broadcast network owned by Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting is an American locally based television broadcasting company. The company is based in downtown Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV , at the apt address of 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood.- History :The company was founded by Chicago...
and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, featuring sitcoms and dramas from the 1950s to the 1980s, which took the place of RTV on digital subchannel 8.2 on September 26, 2011, as part of a groupwide affiliation agreement with Media General; the channel replaced RTV on some Media General-owned stations in other markets.
Analog-to-digital conversion
WFLA-TV shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United StatesDTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 7 using PSIP to display the station's 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....
as 8.
History
WFLA-TV signed on Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
1955 with a live broadcast of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival
Gasparilla Pirate Festival
The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa, Florida. Held each year in late January and hosted by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the City of Tampa, it celebrates the apocryphal legend of José Gaspar , supposedly a Spanish pirate captain who operated in...
. The station was owned by the Tribune along with WFLA radio (AM 970
WFLA (AM)
WFLA is an AM radio station in Tampa, Florida, serving the Arbitron Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater market with additional listenership to the east in the adjacent Lakeland-Winter Haven market and to the south in the adjacent Sarasota-Bradenton market...
and FM 93.3, now WFLZ
WFLZ-FM
WFLZ-FM is a CHR/Pop station broadcasting in the Tampa Bay area, Florida, USA. Before the 1990s, the station played the oldies format before switching to Top 40 to compete against local CHR Q105. The station became 93.3 , and later was re-imaged to 93.3 FLZ...
). Largely because of its newspaper background, it was the early ratings leader in Tampa until WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
passed it in 1962.
Arch Deal and Bill Henry were the prominent faces of WFLA's newscasts in the 1960s. Arch Deal's tenure was abruptly cut short in 1975, when he suffered injuries during a parachute accident. Bob Koop served as the evening anchor from 1977–1979. Longtime anchorman Bob Hite came to the anchor desk in 1979.
In 1966, Richmond Newspapers, publishers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
and part-owner of the Tribune, acquired full control of the paper and WFLA-AM-FM-TV. Three years later, Richmond Newspapers renamed itself Media General, and WFLA-TV, the first television station owned and operated by Media General, has been its flagship television station since then. Reporters from the Tribune often appear on WFLA.
The station was renamed WXFL on January 19, 1983 after the WFLA radio stations were sold. (Both radio stations are currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.) At the time, 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...
cross-ownership
Concentration of media ownership
Concentration of media ownership refers to a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media...
regulations forced Media General to sell the radio stations; however, the company was granted a permanent waiver permitting it to keep the Tribune and the television station. Channel 8 regained its original call letters on January 1, 1989. That same year, it surged to first place in the Tampa Bay ratings and has stayed there for most of that time, led by one of the most popular anchor teams in the country. "Eagle 8" made its debut in October 1985.
In the midst of a market shake-up in 1994 which saw many of the Tampa area stations swapping network affiliations, WFLA was one of the few major stations in the market that did not change networks. As a result it became number 1 in the market, a position formerly held by WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
, which saw its ratings drop after switching from 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...
to 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...
. However, since NBC's ill-fated experiment with The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
in primetime in late 2009 and early 2010, WTVT regained its number 1 status. In the November 2010 sweeps period, WFLA failed to win a single time slot outright, and even fell to third or fourth place in some time slots.
Local programming
The station is the home of Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
preseason games. Their current broadcast team for the games is Chris Myers
Chris Myers
Christopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
and John Lynch, the former Buccaneer All Pro Safety, with Sports Anchor Dan Lucas on the sidelines. In recent years Myers has also teamed with Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
, Merrill Hoge, Doug Graber and Charles Davis.
News operation
WFLA has been broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition since early 2007. Following Bob Hite's November 2007 retirement after 30 years, Keith CateKeith Cate
Keith Alvin Cate is a main anchor for WFLA-TV in Tampa Bay, Florida since 2000.Cate has won 12 Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences along with four Edward R. Murrow awards and other journalism-related recognitions. Cate is one of the main reporters for both WFLA...
assumed anchor duties of the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts along with veteran anchor Gayle Sierens
Gayle Sierens
Gayle Sierens is a news anchor on WFLA-TV. She joined the Tampa NBC affiliate in 1977 as a weekend sports anchor and reporter after working with WFSU in Tallahassee while she was attending Florida State University...
.
Bill Ratliff, who was brought in to anchor the evening newscasts in 1982 and had been morning and noon anchor since 1985, retired from WFLA on June 25, 2009. Ratliff is now at rival WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
as a political contributor.
Newscast titles
- Channel 8 News (1950s–1960s)
- The Big News/TV-8 News (1960s)
- Channel 8 Reports (1960s–1970s)
- Newswatch 8 (1975–1993)
- NewsChannel 8 (1993–present)
Station slogans
- 8 Country (1970s)
- Part Of Your Life (1975–1979)
- The Look. Alive. (1981–1982)
- The Spirit of Tampa Bay (general slogan)/Newswatching Out for You (news slogan; 1982–1985)
- Helping You Win! (1985–1989)
- Tampa Bay's Fastest Growing News (1987–1992)
- In Touch with Tampa Bay (1989–1992)
- On Your Side (1992–present)
News music packages
- Home Country (early 1970s)
- Part of Your Life (1975–1981)
- Hello News (1981–1982)
- Spirit of Tampa Bay (1982–1985)
- Power News (1985–1992)
- On Your Side (1992–1995)
- Bold Horizons (1995–2000)
- Metropolis (2000–2006)
- The Ticket (2003–present)
- Media General Station Group Package (2006–present)
Current on-air staff
Current anchors- Rod Carter – weekday mornings "News Channel 8 Today"; also fill-in anchor (reporter 2000-2007, anchor since 2010)
- Keith CateKeith CateKeith Alvin Cate is a main anchor for WFLA-TV in Tampa Bay, Florida since 2000.Cate has won 12 Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences along with four Edward R. Murrow awards and other journalism-related recognitions. Cate is one of the main reporters for both WFLA...
– weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.; also investigative reporter (since 2000) - Yolanda Fernandez – weekend mornings "News Channel 8 Today" (since 1989)
- Gayle Guyardo - weekday mornings "News Channel 8 Today" (from 1993-2/2010 and since 11/2010)
- Jennifer Leigh – weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. (since 2006)
- Stacie Schaible – weeknights at 5:30 p.m.; also investigative reporter (since 2000)
- Gayle SierensGayle SierensGayle Sierens is a news anchor on WFLA-TV. She joined the Tampa NBC affiliate in 1977 as a weekend sports anchor and reporter after working with WFSU in Tallahassee while she was attending Florida State University...
– weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. (since 1985, sports anchor from 1977–1985) - Josh Thomas – weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. (since 2003)
Storm Team 8
- Steve Jerve (AMSAmerican 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...
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) – chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. (since 1999) - Megan Hatton – meteorologist; weekend mornings "News Channel 8 Today" and noon (since 2008)
- Brooks Garner (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) – meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. (since 2010)
- Leigh Spann (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and NWA Seals of Approval) – meteorologist; weekday mornings "News Channel 8 Today" (since 2007)
Sports team
- Dan Lucas – sports anchor; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m. (since ?)
- Joline Roberts – sports producer (since ?)
Reporters
- Steve Andrews – investigative reporter; also fill-in anchor (since 1985)
- Jackie Barron – Sarasota/Manatee counties reporter; also fill-in anchor
- Peter Bernard – general assignment reporter (since 2002)
- Judd Chapin – Eagle 8 pilot/reporter (since 1985)
- Mark Douglas – investigative reporter
- Krista Klaus – general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor (since 2007)
- Leslee Lacey - weekday morning traffic reporter (since 2010)
- Jennifer Leigh – Polk County reporter
- Chip Osowski – general assignment reporter (since 1999)
- Jeff Patterson – general assignment reporter (since 1988)
- Natalie Shepherd – general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor (since 2007)
- Samara Sodos – general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor (since 2000)
Daytime
- Cyndi Edwards – co-host
- Dave Nemeth – co-host
- Lindsay MacDonald – co-host
Notable former on-air staff
- Suzanne BatesSuzanne BatesSuzanne Bates is an American business owner, speaker, television personality, and writer on business communications.- Biography :Bates was born in Danville, Illinois on January 11, 1956...
– anchor (1981–1984) - Dick CrippenDick CrippenDick Crippen is a popular former sports anchor in the Tampa Bay, Florida television market. Crippen began his career at ABC affiliate WLCY-TV Channel 10 in 1965 as one of the station's first on-air personalities. In 1981, he left for rival WFLA-TV...
– sports director (1981–1999) - Rich FieldsRich FieldsRichard Wayne "Rich" Fields is an American broadcaster, spokesman, announcer and meteorologist, best known for being the announcer of the American version of The Price Is Right from 2004–2010....
– meteorology intern (2000–2002; now at KCBSKCBS-TVKCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
/KCALKCAL-TVKCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; previously an announcer for The Price is RightThe Price Is Right (U.S. game show)The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
) - Paul FischerPaul FischerPaul Fischer was a German athlete and gymnast. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.In the 100 metres, Fischer did not finish his first round heat....
– weekend anchor (1976–1978) - David GrantDavid GrantDavid Grant CBE, FREng, FIET is the Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University in Wales. Since his appointment in 2001, Dr Grant has overseen the merger between Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine, which was completed in 2004, and the awarding of University Status to...
– chief meteorologist (1986–1999) - Jack HarrisJack Harris (broadcaster)Jack Harris is an American radio and television personality based in Tampa, Florida who co-hosts the morning drive time program on 970 WFLA and is a broadcaster with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tampa Bay Storm and the Outback Bowl...
– noon host (1989–1992); "Harris and Company Live" (1992–2000) - Chris HansenChris HansenChristopher Edward "Chris" Hansen is an American television infotainment personality. He is known for his work on Dateline NBC, in particular the former segment known as To Catch a Predator, which revolved around catching potential Internet sex predators using a sting operation.-Career:Hansen...
- reporter (1981-1983) (Now at NBC News) - Bobby HicksBobby HicksBobby Hicks is a Grammy Award bluegrass fiddler and a professional musician with more than fifty years of experience.Hicks was born in Newton, North Carolina and learned to play the fiddle before he was 9 years old. He attended several fiddlers conventions and at the age of eleven, he won the...
– fishing and hunting studio anchor (1956–1966; deceased) - Bob HiteBob HiteRobert Ernest "Bob" "The Bear" Hite was the American lead singer of the blues-rock band, Canned Heat, from 1965 to his death in 1981....
- news anchor (1977–2007, now retired) - Tom KorunTom KorunTom Korun is sports anchor at WFTS-TV. He also hosts the show Sports Zone on Sundays. Korun is an award winning sportscaster, 1990-1995 by the Florida Sportscasters Association...
– sports anchor (1987–1997; now at WFTS-TVWFTS-TVWFTS, virtual channel 28, is the ABC affiliate television station for the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida market, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 29. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida.-History:...
) - Tom McEwenTom McEwenTom McEwen, is an American drag racer, who won the U.S. Nationals during part of his 45 year career. He is listed as number 16 of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA’s first 50 years. He received the nickname "the Mongoose" in 1964 from engine builder Ed Donovan. It was largely originally used...
– weekend sports analyst (1965–1968) - John MullerJohn MullerJohn Muller is best known as the anchor/host of New York City's innovative and Emmy award winning PIX 11 Morning News. He is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who worked in Georgia and Florida before returning home to New York City as a reporter/anchor at WNBC-TV. Muller the founding male...
– reporter (1989–2001) - Steve OvertonSteve OvertonBorn on July 21, 1958, Steve Overton is best known in the Tampa Bay area for his 17 years as spokesman for the WFLA-TV signature consumer feature "Eight On Your Side," in which Steve grilled Central Florida businesses over poor customer service and fraud. Steve was a leader in WFLA's attempt to...
– morning/weekend anchor/consumer reporter (1983–2000) - Don PaulDon PaulDon Paul may refer to:*Don Paul , former linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams*Don Paul , former cornerback for the Chicago Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns...
– meteorologist (1978–1979) - Byron PittsByron PittsByron Pitts is an American journalist and author, who is currently a chief national correspondent for The CBS Evening News and a contributor to the newsmagazine 60 Minutes. He has covered the September 11, 2001 attacks and Iraq....
- reporter (1988-1990) - Bill RatliffBill RatliffWilliam Roark Ratliff, known as Bill Ratliff , is a Texas politician who served as a member of the Texas State Senate from 1988 to 2004. Between 2000 and 2003 he served as Lieutenant Governor of Texas, after former lieutenant governor Rick Perry succeeded to the governorship to replace George W...
- morning and midday anchor (1982–2009), now Political Contrtibutor with rival WTSP-TV - Randy ScottRandy ScottRandy Scott is a Seattle radio personality currently working on the Ichabod Caine Morning Show heard weekday mornings 5 AM - 10 AM on 94.1 FM KMPS ....
– sports director (1979–1981) - Don StarrDon StarrDon Starr was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of oil baron "Jordan Lee" in the television series Dallas. Other TV credits include: The High Chaparral, Little House on the Prairie, The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, The Incredible Hulk, Knots Landing, V: The Final Battle, Hill...
– Pinellas County anchor (1962–1967) - Mike Walter – morning anchor (1998–2000)
- Lance WilliamsLance WilliamsLance J. Williams is a prominent graphics researcher who made major contributions to texture map prefiltering, shadow rendering algorithms, facial animation, and antialiasing techniques...
– reporter (1987–2005) - John WinterJohn Winter (meteorologist)John Winter was a meteorologist for NBC affiliate WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida.A native of Seminole, Florida and an alum of Seminole Senior High School, Winter was a Bachelor of Arts graduate in the field of meteorology at the University of Kansas...
– morning meteorologist (1994–2007; deceased) - Tony ZapponeTony ZapponeTony Zappone , became at age 16 the youngest credentialed journalist to lend press coverage to a major national political convention. He was also the youngest contributor of evidence during the Warren Commission hearings into the slaying of President John F. Kennedy...
– news correspondent (1965–1977)
Daytime
In 2003, WFLA and its morning show Daytime caused a controversy after The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported of its "pay for play" practices. The article revealed that businesses were charged several thousand dollars to appear on the show, effectively making their segments "paid segments". Many people saw this as payola
Payola
Payola, in the American music industry, is the illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on music radio, in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day's broadcast. Under U.S...
, a practice that is illegal under a 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...
(FCC) ruling. After much dispute, WFLA agreed to ID each paid segment as such to avoid an intervention from Congress.
Host Debra Schrills and original host Brian Fasulo left the show in 2005. The current hosts are Cyndi Edwards and former Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
host Dave Nemeth. From 2008 until late September 2011, the show aired nationally over RTV as part of Media General's carriage deal of the network, but was discontinued when Media General affiliated their stations with Weigel's Me-TV.
Silencing Christians
On June 27, 2009, WFLA aired a one-hour documentary, Silencing Christians, which dealt with the ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
position of condemning homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
as a sin, and claims of the gay community's drive to make all criticism of homosexuality as hate speech
Hate speech
Hate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or other characteristic....
, in the name of political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
. The documentary, presented as a paid program
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
from the American Family Association
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
, was televised at 7PM, on the same day St. Petersburg held their pride parade, St. Pete Pride, on the weekend of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots
Stonewall riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
. Prior to the telecast, the station was swamped with numerous phone calls and e-mails against the station showing the program; however, the station decided to present the documentary anyway. After the program ended, the station logged hundreds of phone calls and over 1000 e-mails, all in protest against the show. General Manager Mike Pumo refused to elaborate on the decision, other than the show's content did not "raise the red flag" during pre-screening. Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director of Equality Florida, considered the show as hate speech, saying, "I think this program is a piece of homophobic propaganda and it has no place on a major network like NBC."
On Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 70 to 100 protesters gathered outside of WFLA's studios to protest against the special and the station's attitude towards the community—the station, however, remained firm on its decision to show the program.