WGRZ-TV
Encyclopedia
WGRZ, virtual channel
2 (digital channel 33), is the NBC
-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York
. Its studio is located at 259 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Its transmitter is located at 11530 Warner Hill Road in South Wales, New York
. The station is owned by Gannett Company, Inc., publisher of the national newspaper USA Today
, and owner of numerous television stations.
Digital channels>
Virtual
channel
Video
Format
Programming
2.1
1080i
16:9
Main WGRZ programming / NBC (HD)
2.2
480i
4:3
Universal Sports
WGRZ-DT2 was part of NBC Weather Plus
until December 2008, when that network shut down, and aired a locally originated "Weather Plus" channel between that time and June 2009. Incidentally, both of WGRZ's subchannel networks were originally on WKBW-TV
.
WGRZ ended analog broadcasts at 1:00 P.M. on June 12, 2009 and began a two week analog night light operation. The station's digital signal remained on channel 33. However, digital television with PSIP capability display WGRZ's virtual channel
as 2. WGRZ dropped the -TV suffix, like most Gannett stations just a week after the transition.
Retro Television Network
was previously seen on WGRZ-DT3. The 2.3 channel was removed in September 2011 with no replacement in order to provide better picture quality to both Universal Sports 2.2 and the main WGRZ signal; the DT3 signal had never gained significant cable carriage and by that time, much of the programming was being duplicated by WBBZ-TV. Although the DT2 subchannel has achieved significant cable penetration dating to its time as a Weather Plus outlet, Universal Sports itself is scheduled to cease terrestrial broadcasting in January 2012 as part of Comcast's overhaul of the NBC Sports
division and will be replaced by NBC Nonstop, which WGRZ has so far not agreed to carry.
. It was an NBC affiliate sharing the 140 Barton Street studios of UHF
outlet WBUF
/Channel 17. In 1955, WBUF, which was silent at the time, was sold to NBC. In January 1956, WGR became an ABC
affiliate after NBC moved its programming to WBUF. It was a bad move. All television reception at the time was via set top rabbit ears or roof top aerials. UHF television technology was in its infancy, and most people did not understand how to receive the signals, which are very different and subject to much greater degradations in strength than those of the other local stations, which transmitted on VHF. WGR switched back to NBC in September 1958 after NBC shut down the money-bleeding WBUF (which eventually was revived as a public broadcaster; the license is currently held by channel 23 WNLO while the channel 17 space is currently occupied by WNED
), although WGR continued to carry a secondary affiliation with ABC
for another two months until WKBW-TV
/Channel 7 signed on in November of that year. The abject failure of WBUF-TV in Buffalo actually gave UHF a bad name to the broadcasting industry and the viewing public, but served as a boon to WGR-TV locally. Viewers still wanted more choices, could easily receive the VHF channel 2 signal, and the station now had more syndicated and network program options. The station also carried programming from the now-defunct DuMont Television Network
.
During the 1960s, WGR-TV also operated a repeater station on VHF channel 6 in Jamestown, New York
; this continued until the channel 2 transmitter was moved from Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo to the South Wales transmitter site, which greatly improved signal coverage into the population center of the mountainous Chautauqua region south of Buffalo.
In 1959, WGR launched an FM radio station, WGR-FM 96.9 (now WGRF
). Over the years, WGR Corporation bought several other radio and television stations across the country, including WNEP-TV
in Scranton
/Wilkes-Barre
, WHAM-TV
in Rochester
(the call letters of which Transcontinent would change to WROC-TV
) and WDAF-AM
/FM
/TV
in Kansas City
, and eventually became known as Transcontinent Broadcasting. Transcontinent merged with Taft Broadcasting
in 1964.
In 1972 new studios were constructed at 259 Delaware Avenue.
On May 1, 1983, WGR added a Z to its callsign, thus becoming WGRZ. Less than two weeks later Taft Broadcasting and General Cinema Corporation (which operated the Coral Television division) completed the trade deal that was first announced in December 1982 in which Taft gave Channel 2 to General Cinema while in exchange Taft got Miami's WCIX
. (Taft held on to WGR-AM/FM until 1987, when it was were sold to Rich Communications. The AM station is now owned by Entercom Communications
, while its former FM sister is now owned by Cumulus Media
.)
In the years following the 1983 exchange deal, WGRZ changed hands several times. General Cinema exited the broadcasting business by selling Coral Television to WGRZ Acquisition Corp., a partnership between SJL Broadcast Management
, TA Associates
and Smith Broadcasting
, for $56 million in 1986. Native Buffalonian and current Newport Television
CEO Sandy DiPasquale
also held an ownership stake in WGRZ (through his stake in Smith Broadcasting) at this time. Two years later, Tak Communications purchased WGRZ from the SJL-led group for $100 million in 1988. Less than four years later, Tak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991, and a group of creditors seized the company's assets in 1994. Argyle Television Holdings II, a broadcasting holding company formed by a group of managers who had recently left Argyle I after that company sold all of its stations to New World Communications
, purchased the station (and then-sister KITV
in Honolulu, Hawaii
) from Tak's creditors for $91 million (on WGRZ's end) in 1995. Argyle II closed on WGRZ in April of that year, followed by KITV two months later.
WGRZ nearly lost its NBC affiliation in 1994 when NBC's parent company, General Electric
, announced plans to purchase King World Productions
, the then-owner of CBS
affiliate WIVB-TV
. Had it occurred, WIVB would have become an NBC owned-and-operated station
. However, the deal fell through, and WIVB was sold to the LIN TV Corporation (who entered into a long-term affiliation renewal with CBS for that station) instead (coincidentally, King World would eventually be acquired by CBS, who merged the company into CBS Television Distribution
in 2007). However, they did lose the local rights to the Buffalo Bills
to WIVB when the NFL on CBS
returned in 1998 with the rights to the American Football Conference
package.
Gannett acquired WGRZ and WZZM-TV
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
from Argyle II in a 1996 swap deal (with KOCO-TV
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
and WLWT
in Cincinnati, Ohio
going from Gannett to Argyle II). The deal closed in January 1997, seven months prior to Argyle II's merger with the broadcasting unit of the Hearst Corporation
to form what then became Hearst-Argyle Television (which Hearst now wholly owns under a new name, Hearst Television).
, Dr. Phil, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, Entertainment Tonight
, and The Insider
on weekdays, and The Closer
on weekends.
Previous local programs include the talk show Your Today in WNY (2007–2008), a local version of It's Academic
(2008), the talk show Nearly Noon (hosted by Dan Neaverth
, 1980s), a local version of Bowling for Dollars
(hosted by Ed Kilgore, two runs—one in the 1970s and a second shorter run in 2008), and the classic television anthology series Lunchtime with the Classics (September 7, 2010 to September 6, 2011).
In 2000, WGRZ took over the live broadcast rights of the state lottery from its long-time home on WKBW-TV when that station's contract with the lottery ran out.
," dates to the 1980s and early 1990s. In the early 1990s, WGRZ used the "24 Hour News Source
" format. Historically, Channel 2 was a distant third in the three-way news race for most of its existence, with the exception of a brief period in the 1970s when Ron Hunter anchored the evening newscast, when the channel beat then-leader WBEN-TV and the rising WKBW. WGRZ's return to respectability in the ratings began in 2001. In the May ratings "sweeps," the 11 p.m. newscast finished in first place over longtime news leaders WKBW-TV and WIVB-TV. It was WGRZ's first ratings win in decades.
From 2001 to 2003, WGRZ (as part of an NBC initiative, as well as an effort to preempt WNLO
and WIVB's plans to launch its own 10 p.m. news) produced a 10 p.m. newscast for PAX TV affiliate WPXJ-TV
. In 2006, WGRZ began producing a new 10 p.m. newscast for local WB (now MyNetworkTV
) affiliate WNYO
, known as 2 On Your Side at 10 (formerly known as 2 News on 49 - 10 at 10, which originally featured ten minutes of news and the rest dedicated to sports).
WGRZ was the last of the three Buffalo television news outlets to produce a noon newscast, having launched it in February 2008. In June 2009, it dropped its noon newscast in favor of an 11:00 a.m. "midday" news, the first of its kind in the Buffalo market. Unlike most television stations, WGRZ takes an openly activist "watchdog journalism
" approach to its news coverage, with its commitment to "Holding People In Power Accountable" and being "On Your Side." To do this, WGRZ has the largest staff in the Buffalo market with more general assignment/feature story reporters and sports reporters than either WIVB or WKBW.
As of February 17, 2010, WGRZ became the first Buffalo station to broadcast its newscasts in upconverted widescreen SD
. The news video is produced entirely in 4:3 SD, which is then cropped to a 16:9 aspect ratio and upconverted to 1080i
in the master control
room, before HD graphics and pictures are added for broadcast. On January 7, 2011, WGRZ mentioned that they will be receiving a brand new news set during a short segment. During the 10 day construction period, one of their interview areas was used as a temporary news set.
WGRZ's new set debuted during Daybreak on January 17, 2011. The set which was designed for the transition to high definition newscasts now features extensive use of steel, glass and wood in combination with HD flat panel displays, blue lighting, and a background of several local landmarks. The landmarks are Buffalo City Hall, Niagara Falls, Erie Community College City Campus, and Old Erie County Hall. The new set complements the HD weather set that debuted in February 2010. After rival WKBW-TV
upgraded its newscasts to true high definition in August 2011, , WGRZ announced its plans to do the same with true HD broadcasts beginning with the November 2011 sweeps. The first HD broadcast took place on October 29, 2011 with the 11pm newscast.
from its broadcast tower in South Wales, New York
. This is branded as "Precision Doppler 2" (formerly known as "Doppler 2000" prior to 2000). Precision Doppler 2 radar has street-level mapping and storm-tracking capabilities.
In February 2010, WGRZ unveiled a new weather set. Changes with the new set include HD flat panel displays, improved lighting, and graphics and technology upgrades which would be phased in throughout Spring 2010. Storm Team 2 Interactive Radar was introduced in February 2010 as an enhancement to the main website.
Starting April 15, 2010, the upgraded "Storm Team 2" weather graphics, radar system, and weather alert systems debuted on air. The new systems include: WSI TruVu MAX for standard graphics, WSI TruVu TITAN for Live Precision Doppler 2, and WSI TruVu Alert for weather alerts. All radar and graphics systems are now in full High Definition (the first Buffalo station to have High Definition systems on-air; WKBW followed in November 2010) and provide enhanced capabilities compared to previous systems used.
On May 3, 2010 during daybreak, Precision Doppler 2 was shown in 3D for the first time in showing storms going through the Buffalo area. The Live Lightning indicator was also introduced. WGRZ is the second station in Buffalo to have these capabilities; WIVB was the first in 2007. Also, the new weather crawl system called "Storm Team 2 Alert" debuted. Enhanced features include the ability to display both county maps and doppler radar with any warnings being issued.
The Storm Team 2 Weather app
was introduced in July 2010 providing new mobile capabilities.
, has begun to challenge WIVB's dominance in news ratings, specifically in the 5 and 5:30 p.m. newscasts according to Nielsen's May 2007 sweeps data. By July 2007, WGRZ's morning show, Daybreak, was soundly beating WIVB's morning show in the ratings. Channel 2's 11 p.m. newscasts have also returned to the #1 position, and have among the highest-rated in the entire United States. However, in the May 2009 sweeps, WGRZ lost significant ground to WIVB and a resurgent WKBW
, and fell to a distant second, closer to third-place WKBW than it was to WIVB.
In the November 2009 sweeps, WGRZ was one of many NBC affiliates to fall victim to the so-called "Leno Effect" (referring to NBC's airing of The Jay Leno Show
, which leads into the late-night newscasts of NBC affiliates including WGRZ): As in many of the affected markets, WGRZ's 11 p.m. newscast fell to a distant third, behind both WIVB and WKBW (although WGRZ's weekday morning news show regained the lead over WIVB's morning show, thanks in large part to the return of John Beard to the Buffalo market). With NBC moving Leno back to late-night in February 2010, WGRZ rebounded to a much closer second place behind WIVB in the July 2010 sweeps; however, WGRZ lost ground with Daybreak, once again falling behind WIVB. In 2011, Daybreak has regained its #1 morning show status. Also, early indications with rival WIVB losing Oprah have led to WGRZ becoming #1 for their 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts. In addition, their broadcast of NBC Nightly News now leads in local ratings.All three Buffalo stations have been among the highest rated local stations in the country and they are fiercely competitive.
Storm Team 2 Weather
Sports team
Traffic Tracker 2 Live Traffic
Reporters
Local program hosts
, named Earis and Iris, as part of its logo. In 1983, to coincide with the new call letters WGRZ, the "futuristic" logo consisted of two lines, making an outline of the number two. In 1988, the station's logo consisted of simply a large number "2" in a common Avant Garde
font, with a yellow triangle over blue added in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, the logo changed to a blue-on-red box with the bottom reading WGRZ-TV Buffalo. The NBC logo is placed to the left of the numeral "2"; however, "NBC" is not mentioned in the station's on-air brand (which is simply "Channel 2"). With the upgrade of its newscasts to high definition on October 29, 2011, the station introduced a updated version of the logo. This was determined by viewer voting on the station's website.
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
on September 26, 1981. The station went to an Army
training film as scheduled at 5 p.m. that afternoon. As a result, local baseball
fans missed Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan
's record fifth no-hitter.
WGRZ was one of the founding members of the "Love Network" that carried the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
; WGRZ carries the telethon to this day. WGRZ also carries its own "Kids Escaping Drugs" telethon.
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....
2 (digital channel 33), 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 in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Its studio is located at 259 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Its transmitter is located at 11530 Warner Hill Road in South Wales, New York
South Wales, New York
South Wales, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the towns of Aurora and Wales in Erie County, New York, USA. WGRZ's broadcast tower and in-house weather radar are based in the hamlet.-References:...
. The station is owned by Gannett Company, Inc., publisher of the national newspaper USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and owner of numerous television stations.
Digital television
The station's digital signal, broadcasting on UHF channel 33, is multiplexed.channel
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...
Universal Sports
Universal Sports is an American television network that airs various sports, primarily those contested in the Olympic Games, including swimming, gymnastics, cycling, track and field, figure skating, skiing, bobsledding and triathlon.-Programming:...
WGRZ-DT2 was part of NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus was a 24-hour, commercially sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC network. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and shut down on December 31, 2008...
until December 2008, when that network shut down, and aired a locally originated "Weather Plus" channel between that time and June 2009. Incidentally, both of WGRZ's subchannel networks were originally on WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
.
WGRZ ended analog broadcasts at 1:00 P.M. on June 12, 2009 and began a two week analog night light operation. The station's digital signal remained on channel 33. However, digital television with PSIP capability display WGRZ'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 2. WGRZ dropped the -TV suffix, like most Gannett stations just a week after the transition.
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...
was previously seen on WGRZ-DT3. The 2.3 channel was removed in September 2011 with no replacement in order to provide better picture quality to both Universal Sports 2.2 and the main WGRZ signal; the DT3 signal had never gained significant cable carriage and by that time, much of the programming was being duplicated by WBBZ-TV. Although the DT2 subchannel has achieved significant cable penetration dating to its time as a Weather Plus outlet, Universal Sports itself is scheduled to cease terrestrial broadcasting in January 2012 as part of Comcast's overhaul of the NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
division and will be replaced by NBC Nonstop, which WGRZ has so far not agreed to carry.
History
The station premiered in 1954 as WGR-TV, owned by the WGR Corporation along with WGR-AM 550WGR
WGR, or WGR Sports Radio 550, is an all sports radio station in Buffalo, New York that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits, and is currently the only full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst,...
. It was an NBC affiliate sharing the 140 Barton Street studios of UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
outlet WBUF
WNED-TV
WNED-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation in Buffalo, New York. Owned by the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association, it broadcasts on digital channel 43 from studios in downtown Buffalo and a transmitter located in Grand Island, New York...
/Channel 17. In 1955, WBUF, which was silent at the time, was sold to NBC. In January 1956, WGR became an 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 after NBC moved its programming to WBUF. It was a bad move. All television reception at the time was via set top rabbit ears or roof top aerials. UHF television technology was in its infancy, and most people did not understand how to receive the signals, which are very different and subject to much greater degradations in strength than those of the other local stations, which transmitted on VHF. WGR switched back to NBC in September 1958 after NBC shut down the money-bleeding WBUF (which eventually was revived as a public broadcaster; the license is currently held by channel 23 WNLO while the channel 17 space is currently occupied by WNED
WNED-TV
WNED-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation in Buffalo, New York. Owned by the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association, it broadcasts on digital channel 43 from studios in downtown Buffalo and a transmitter located in Grand Island, New York...
), although WGR continued to carry a secondary affiliation with 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...
for another two months until WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
/Channel 7 signed on in November of that year. The abject failure of WBUF-TV in Buffalo actually gave UHF a bad name to the broadcasting industry and the viewing public, but served as a boon to WGR-TV locally. Viewers still wanted more choices, could easily receive the VHF channel 2 signal, and the station now had more syndicated and network program options. The station also carried programming from the now-defunct DuMont Television Network
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...
.
During the 1960s, WGR-TV also operated a repeater station on VHF channel 6 in Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
; this continued until the channel 2 transmitter was moved from Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo to the South Wales transmitter site, which greatly improved signal coverage into the population center of the mountainous Chautauqua region south of Buffalo.
In 1959, WGR launched an FM radio station, WGR-FM 96.9 (now WGRF
WGRF
WGRF is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "97 Rock". The station mostly plays Classic rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
). Over the years, WGR Corporation bought several other radio and television stations across the country, including WNEP-TV
WNEP-TV
WNEP-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for northeastern Pennsylvania licensed to Scranton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter on Penobscot Knob in 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
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...
, WHAM-TV
WHAM-TV
WHAM-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Rochester, New York. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Pinnacle Hill on the border between Rochester and Brighton. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 13 and in high definition...
in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
(the call letters of which Transcontinent would change to WROC-TV
WROC-TV
WROC-TV, virtual channel 8, is a CBS affiliate based in Rochester, New York, USA, owned and operated by Nexstar Broadcasting Group. WROC-TV operates Fox affiliate WUHF through a shared services agreement. The two share studios on Humboldt Street in Rochester...
) and WDAF-AM
KCSP (AM)
KCSP is a sports/talk radio station located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel....
/FM
KCKC-FM
KCKC is an adult album alternative station based in Kansas City, Missouri that operates at 102.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. The station is licensed to and operated by Wilks Broadcasting. Its transmitter is located in Independence, Missouri...
/TV
WDAF-TV
WDAF-TV, virtual channel 4.1, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Its studios and transmitter are located in the Signal Hill...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and eventually became known as Transcontinent Broadcasting. Transcontinent merged with Taft Broadcasting
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio....
in 1964.
In 1972 new studios were constructed at 259 Delaware Avenue.
On May 1, 1983, WGR added a Z to its callsign, thus becoming WGRZ. Less than two weeks later Taft Broadcasting and General Cinema Corporation (which operated the Coral Television division) completed the trade deal that was first announced in December 1982 in which Taft gave Channel 2 to General Cinema while in exchange Taft got Miami's WCIX
WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
. (Taft held on to WGR-AM/FM until 1987, when it was were sold to Rich Communications. The AM station is now owned by Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
, while its former FM sister is now owned by 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...
.)
In the years following the 1983 exchange deal, WGRZ changed hands several times. General Cinema exited the broadcasting business by selling Coral Television to WGRZ Acquisition Corp., a partnership between SJL Broadcast Management
Montecito Broadcast Group
Lilly Broadcasting, L.L.C. is a privately owned American broadcasting company owned and operated by the father-and-son team of George Lilly and Brian Lilly ....
, TA Associates
TA Associates
TA Associates, founded in 1968, is one of the oldest private equity firms in the United States. The firm employs a hybrid strategy making growth capital investments in developing companies and acquiring mature companies through leveraged buyout and recapitalization transactions...
and Smith Broadcasting
Smith Media, LLC
Smith Media, LLC, successor to Smith Television, is a broadcasting group co-based in Los Angeles, California and St. Petersburg, Florida, that owns and operates seven television stations across the United States....
, for $56 million in 1986. Native Buffalonian and current Newport Television
Newport Television
Newport Television, LLC is a television station holding company founded by Providence Equity Partners and Sandy DiPasquale in 2007 to acquire the television stations owned by Clear Channel Communications. In September 2007, Newport agreed to sell KFTY and KVOS-TV to LK Station Group LLC for $26.6...
CEO Sandy DiPasquale
Sandy DiPasquale
Sandy DiPasquale is the owner of Newport Television. DiPasquale has also held ownership positions in such broadcast companies as WGRZ Acquisition Group, Smith Broadcasting , Sunrise Television and BlueStone Television. A native of Buffalo, New York, DiPasquale spent almost 20 years in Wichita,...
also held an ownership stake in WGRZ (through his stake in Smith Broadcasting) at this time. Two years later, Tak Communications purchased WGRZ from the SJL-led group for $100 million in 1988. Less than four years later, Tak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991, and a group of creditors seized the company's assets in 1994. Argyle Television Holdings II, a broadcasting holding company formed by a group of managers who had recently left Argyle I after that company sold all of its stations to New World Communications
New World Communications
New World Pictures was an independent motion picture and television production company, and later television station owner in the United States from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s...
, purchased the station (and then-sister KITV
KITV
KITV is the American Broadcasting Company television station affiliate licensed to Honolulu, Hawaii. Based in Honolulu and broadcasting on digital channel 40, displayed as channel 4 the station is owned by Hearst Television and operates several satellites and translators on all the major Hawaiian...
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
) from Tak's creditors for $91 million (on WGRZ's end) in 1995. Argyle II closed on WGRZ in April of that year, followed by KITV two months later.
WGRZ nearly lost its NBC affiliation in 1994 when NBC's parent company, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, announced plans to purchase King World Productions
King World Productions
King World Productions, Inc. was a production company and a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
, the then-owner of 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 WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
. Had it occurred, WIVB would have become an NBC owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States
In the United States, owned-and-operated television stations constitute only a portion of their parent television networks, due to an ownership limit imposed by the Federal Communications Commission...
. However, the deal fell through, and WIVB was sold to the LIN TV Corporation (who entered into a long-term affiliation renewal with CBS for that station) instead (coincidentally, King World would eventually be acquired by CBS, who merged the company into CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
in 2007). However, they did lose the local rights to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to WIVB when the NFL on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
returned in 1998 with the rights to the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
package.
Gannett acquired WGRZ and WZZM-TV
WZZM-TV
WZZM channel 13 is the Western Michigan affiliate television station for the American Broadcasting Company. It's based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, broadcasting at 16.5 kilowatts of power from a tower located in Newaygo County, near Grant...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
from Argyle II in a 1996 swap deal (with KOCO-TV
KOCO-TV
KOCO-TV, virtual channel 5 , is the ABC affiliate in the Oklahoma City television market. The station is owned by Hearst Television, Inc., but uses "Ohio/Oklahoma Hearst Television, Inc." as their end tag during their newscasts, the same licensing purpose corporation as sister Cincinnati, Ohio...
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
and WLWT
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
going from Gannett to Argyle II). The deal closed in January 1997, seven months prior to Argyle II's merger with the broadcasting unit of 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...
to form what then became Hearst-Argyle Television (which Hearst now wholly owns under a new name, Hearst Television).
Syndicated programs
Syndicated programs currently featured on WGRZ include Rachael RayRachael Ray (TV series)
Rachael Ray, also known as The Rachael Ray Show, is a talk show starring Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006....
, Dr. Phil, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, and The Insider
The Insider (TV series)
The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
on weekdays, and The Closer
The Closer
The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods...
on weekends.
Local shows
- 2 Your Home - housing show about renovation of homes throughout Western New York, formerly known as DIYDIY NetworkDIY Network is a channel owned by Scripps Networks Interactive that focuses on do it yourself projects at home.Television stations air local versions with local hosts with segments produced by the network. Branded DIY Network programming is also broadcast in Japan and the Philippines...
Western New York - Tee 2 Green - A golfing program hosted by Kevin SylvesterKevin Sylvester (broadcaster)Kevin Sylvester is the alternate television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network...
. - WNY Living - A weekly Saturday morning lifestyle show hosted by Janet Snyder from Kiss 98.5WKSEWKSE is a Contemporary Hit Radio/Top 40 Mainstream station serving the Buffalo and Niagara Falls region of Western New York. The station's transmitter is located on Grand Island, New York...
. It highlights local attractions, upcoming events and businesses. http://www.wnyliving.tv/ - The Healthy Zone - A weekday show hosted by Janet Snyder from Kiss 98.5WKSEWKSE is a Contemporary Hit Radio/Top 40 Mainstream station serving the Buffalo and Niagara Falls region of Western New York. The station's transmitter is located on Grand Island, New York...
and Dr. Derek Alessi, which focuses on physical, emotional, and financial health and wellness. This show debuted in December 2010 and follows Channel 2 News Midday. http://www.wgrz.com/life/programming/healthyzone/default.aspx http://stilltalkintv.com/2010/12/ch-2-plans-healthy-show/ - The Bill O'Loughlin Show. Formerly a WECKWECKWECK is a radio station located in the Buffalo, New York, area. Founded in 1956 as WNIA, the station currently is owned by Culver Communications...
radio show, O'Loughlin moved this show to WGRZ in May 2011. After a successful summer run in a Sunday late night slot, it moved to weekdays at noon on September 6, 2011 to accommodate Sunday Night Football. Bill O'Loughlin co-hosts the show with Lydia Dominick. - Spiel the Wine - A self-described "wine-tasting show for people who don't know anything about wine," hosted by Kevin LoVullo. Originally scheduled to air on WBBZ-TV, WGRZ picked up the show after WBBZ had difficulties landing a local studio.
Previous local programs include the talk show Your Today in WNY (2007–2008), a local version of It's Academic
It's Academic
It's Academic is a televised academic quiz competition for high school students, currently airing on two NBC affiliates in Washington, D.C. and Central Virginia and one CBS affiliate Baltimore, Maryland . The show has been on the air since October 7, 1961, making it the longest...
(2008), the talk show Nearly Noon (hosted by Dan Neaverth
Danny Neaverth
Dan "Danny" Neaverth is an American disc jockey and television personality from Buffalo, New York. He is best known for a run of over 25 years as the morning disc jockey at heritage top-40 and oldies station WKBW-AM/WWKB in Buffalo....
, 1980s), a local version of Bowling for Dollars
Bowling for Dollars
Bowling for Dollars is a television game show on which people could play the sport of bowling to win cash and sometimes prizes based on how well they bowled....
(hosted by Ed Kilgore, two runs—one in the 1970s and a second shorter run in 2008), and the classic television anthology series Lunchtime with the Classics (September 7, 2010 to September 6, 2011).
In 2000, WGRZ took over the live broadcast rights of the state lottery from its long-time home on WKBW-TV when that station's contract with the lottery ran out.
News operation
The station used the NewsCenter brand in the 1970s. The current brand, "Channel 2 NewsChannel 4 News (United States)
Channel 4 News is the name shared by various local newscasts - primarily NBC affiliates - throughout the United States. The branding is a successor to the NewsCenter brand.-History:...
," dates to the 1980s and early 1990s. In the early 1990s, WGRZ used the "24 Hour News Source
24 Hour News Source
The 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...
" format. Historically, Channel 2 was a distant third in the three-way news race for most of its existence, with the exception of a brief period in the 1970s when Ron Hunter anchored the evening newscast, when the channel beat then-leader WBEN-TV and the rising WKBW. WGRZ's return to respectability in the ratings began in 2001. In the May ratings "sweeps," the 11 p.m. newscast finished in first place over longtime news leaders WKBW-TV and WIVB-TV. It was WGRZ's first ratings win in decades.
From 2001 to 2003, WGRZ (as part of an NBC initiative, as well as an effort to preempt WNLO
WNLO
WNLO is the CW-affiliated television station for Western New York licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter on the eastern side of Grand Island. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 11 and Verizon FiOS channel 23...
and WIVB's plans to launch its own 10 p.m. news) produced a 10 p.m. newscast for PAX TV affiliate WPXJ-TV
WPXJ-TV
WPXJ-TV is the Ion Television affiliate in the Buffalo, New York market, but can also be seen in the Rochester market and is licensed to Batavia. The station is owned by Ion Media Networks , acting as an owned-and-operated station of the group's Ion Television network, and airs programming on...
. In 2006, WGRZ began producing a new 10 p.m. newscast for local WB (now MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
) affiliate WNYO
WNYO-TV
WNYO-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York, serving the western region of New York state. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 49 from a transmitter at Ironwood Golf Course in Bennington's Cowlesville section. The station can also be seen...
, known as 2 On Your Side at 10 (formerly known as 2 News on 49 - 10 at 10, which originally featured ten minutes of news and the rest dedicated to sports).
WGRZ was the last of the three Buffalo television news outlets to produce a noon newscast, having launched it in February 2008. In June 2009, it dropped its noon newscast in favor of an 11:00 a.m. "midday" news, the first of its kind in the Buffalo market. Unlike most television stations, WGRZ takes an openly activist "watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism aims to hold accountable public personalities and institutions, whose functions impact social and political life. The term "lapdog journalism", for journalism biased in favour of personalities and institutions, is sometimes used as a conceptual opposite to watchdog...
" approach to its news coverage, with its commitment to "Holding People In Power Accountable" and being "On Your Side." To do this, WGRZ has the largest staff in the Buffalo market with more general assignment/feature story reporters and sports reporters than either WIVB or WKBW.
As of February 17, 2010, WGRZ became the first Buffalo station to broadcast its newscasts in upconverted widescreen SD
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...
. The news video is produced entirely in 4:3 SD, which is then cropped to a 16:9 aspect ratio and upconverted to 1080i
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...
in the master control
Master control
Master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations and television networks. It is distinct from a production control room in television studios where the activities such as switching from camera to camera are coordinated...
room, before HD graphics and pictures are added for broadcast. On January 7, 2011, WGRZ mentioned that they will be receiving a brand new news set during a short segment. During the 10 day construction period, one of their interview areas was used as a temporary news set.
WGRZ's new set debuted during Daybreak on January 17, 2011. The set which was designed for the transition to high definition newscasts now features extensive use of steel, glass and wood in combination with HD flat panel displays, blue lighting, and a background of several local landmarks. The landmarks are Buffalo City Hall, Niagara Falls, Erie Community College City Campus, and Old Erie County Hall. The new set complements the HD weather set that debuted in February 2010. After rival WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
upgraded its newscasts to true high definition in August 2011, , WGRZ announced its plans to do the same with true HD broadcasts beginning with the November 2011 sweeps. The first HD broadcast took place on October 29, 2011 with the 11pm newscast.
Storm Team 2 Weather
"Storm Team 2" is WGRZ's weather team, which currently features a staff of two meteorologists, two weather anchors, and a fill-in meteorologist. WGRZ is the only broadcast station in Western New York to operate an in-house weather radarWeather 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...
from its broadcast tower in South Wales, New York
South Wales, New York
South Wales, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the towns of Aurora and Wales in Erie County, New York, USA. WGRZ's broadcast tower and in-house weather radar are based in the hamlet.-References:...
. This is branded as "Precision Doppler 2" (formerly known as "Doppler 2000" prior to 2000). Precision Doppler 2 radar has street-level mapping and storm-tracking capabilities.
In February 2010, WGRZ unveiled a new weather set. Changes with the new set include HD flat panel displays, improved lighting, and graphics and technology upgrades which would be phased in throughout Spring 2010. Storm Team 2 Interactive Radar was introduced in February 2010 as an enhancement to the main website.
Starting April 15, 2010, the upgraded "Storm Team 2" weather graphics, radar system, and weather alert systems debuted on air. The new systems include: WSI TruVu MAX for standard graphics, WSI TruVu TITAN for Live Precision Doppler 2, and WSI TruVu Alert for weather alerts. All radar and graphics systems are now in full High Definition (the first Buffalo station to have High Definition systems on-air; WKBW followed in November 2010) and provide enhanced capabilities compared to previous systems used.
On May 3, 2010 during daybreak, Precision Doppler 2 was shown in 3D for the first time in showing storms going through the Buffalo area. The Live Lightning indicator was also introduced. WGRZ is the second station in Buffalo to have these capabilities; WIVB was the first in 2007. Also, the new weather crawl system called "Storm Team 2 Alert" debuted. Enhanced features include the ability to display both county maps and doppler radar with any warnings being issued.
The Storm Team 2 Weather app
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
was introduced in July 2010 providing new mobile capabilities.
Ratings
WGRZ's newscasts, which have performed a strong second in recent years to rival WIVBWIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
, has begun to challenge WIVB's dominance in news ratings, specifically in the 5 and 5:30 p.m. newscasts according to Nielsen's May 2007 sweeps data. By July 2007, WGRZ's morning show, Daybreak, was soundly beating WIVB's morning show in the ratings. Channel 2's 11 p.m. newscasts have also returned to the #1 position, and have among the highest-rated in the entire United States. However, in the May 2009 sweeps, WGRZ lost significant ground to WIVB and a resurgent WKBW
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
, and fell to a distant second, closer to third-place WKBW than it was to WIVB.
In the November 2009 sweeps, WGRZ was one of many NBC affiliates to fall victim to the so-called "Leno Effect" (referring to NBC's airing of 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...
, which leads into the late-night newscasts of NBC affiliates including WGRZ): As in many of the affected markets, WGRZ's 11 p.m. newscast fell to a distant third, behind both WIVB and WKBW (although WGRZ's weekday morning news show regained the lead over WIVB's morning show, thanks in large part to the return of John Beard to the Buffalo market). With NBC moving Leno back to late-night in February 2010, WGRZ rebounded to a much closer second place behind WIVB in the July 2010 sweeps; however, WGRZ lost ground with Daybreak, once again falling behind WIVB. In 2011, Daybreak has regained its #1 morning show status. Also, early indications with rival WIVB losing Oprah have led to WGRZ becoming #1 for their 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts. In addition, their broadcast of NBC Nightly News now leads in local ratings.All three Buffalo stations have been among the highest rated local stations in the country and they are fiercely competitive.
Newscast titles
- TV-2 NewsCenter (early–mid 1970s)
- NewsCenter 2 (late 1970s–1989)
- Channel 2 News (1989–present)
Station slogans
- Buffalo's Leading News Station (1970s)
- Working Harder to Be Buffalo's Best (1980s)
- Your 24-Hour News Station (1989–early 1990s)
- It Takes 2 (1995–1999)
- On Your Side (1999–present; primary news slogan)
- Western New York's Information Center (2008–2010; secondary news slogan)
- Turn to 2 (2009–2010; general slogan)
- NBC in Western New York (used on station identificationStation identificationStation identification is the practice of radio or television stations or networks identifying themselves on air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name...
) - No One But 2. (2010–present, general slogan)
- Not HD. HD, On Your Side. (October 2011-present; secondary news slogan and station identification used with HD debut)
News music packages
- WGR News
- Part Of Your Life
- NewsCenter Theme
- We Know What Matters
- Broadcast NewsBroadcast NewsBroadcast News may refer to:*News*Broadcast News , the 1987 movie*Broadcast journalism, the field of news and journals which are published by electrical methods...
- We're 4 New York
- Image News
- Gannett News Music Package
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Scott Levin: weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m.
- Maryalice Demler: weeknights at 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m.
- Marissa Bailey: weeknights at 10 p.m. (on WNYO); also reporter
- John Beard: weekday mornings Daybreak
- Jodi Johnston: weekday mornings Daybreak and weeknights at 5 p.m.
- Mary Friona: weekdays at 11 a.m.; also weekend morning reporter and host of "As Seen On TV" segments
- Josh Boose: weekend mornings Daybreak; also weeknight reporter
- Ron Plants: weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
Storm Team 2 Weather
- Kevin O'Connell (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...
Seal of Approval): chief weather anchor; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, 10 (on WNYO) and 11 p.m. - Maria Genero: weather anchor; weekend mornings Daybreak
- Autumn Lewandowski: meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
- Andy Parker (AMS Seal of Approval): meteorologist; weekday mornings Daybreak and 11 a.m.
- Mary Beth Wrobel (AMS Seal of Approval): meteorologist; fill-in
Sports team
- Ed Kilgore: sports director; weeknights at 6 p.m.
- Adam Benigni: sports anchor; Sunday-Thursdays at 10 (on WNYO) and 11 p.m.
- Stu Boyar: sports anchor; Fridays at 10 (on WNYO) and Friday-Saturdays at 11 p.m.
- Ben Hayes: sports anchor; Fridays at 10 (on WNYO) and Friday-Saturdays at 11 p.m.
Traffic Tracker 2 Live Traffic
- Christie Witt: weekday mornings Daybreak traffic reporter
Reporters
- Scott Brown: general assignment reporter
- Claudine Ewing: general assignment reporter
- Pete Gallivan: chief investigative reporter; fill-in anchor
- Matt Granite: web and "Ways 2 Save" consumer reporter; consumer reports also seen on sister station WKYC in Cleveland
- Sarah Hopkins: general assignment reporter
- Rich Kellman: special assignment senior correspondent
- Heather Ly: weekday morning reporter
- Kevin O'Neill: "The Why Guy" feature reporter
- Dave McKinley: general assignment reporter
- Patrick Moussignac: general assignment reporter
- Aaron Saykin: general assignment reporter
- Michael Wooten: general assignment reporter
- Jackie Albarella: "2 The Garden" feature reporter; seen Saturday mornings on Daybreak
- Christie Jablonski: "Unique Eats" feature reporter; seen Saturday mornings on Daybreak
Local program hosts
- Bill O'Loughlin: co-host of The Bill O'Laughlin Show
- Lydia Dominick: co-host of the "Bill O'Laughlin Show"; also feature reporter
- Kevin LoVullo: host of Spiel the Wine
- Janet Snyder: co-host of "The Healthy Zone"; Kiss 98.5 radio host
- Derek Alessi, Ph.D.: co-host of "The Healthy Zone"; owner of Alessi Fitness
Notable former on-air staff
- Nick ClooneyNick ClooneyNicholas Joseph "Nick" Clooney is an American journalist, anchorman, and television host. He is the brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, and father of actor and film director George Clooney.-Early life:...
- anchor (1994) - Danny NeaverthDanny NeaverthDan "Danny" Neaverth is an American disc jockey and television personality from Buffalo, New York. He is best known for a run of over 25 years as the morning disc jockey at heritage top-40 and oldies station WKBW-AM/WWKB in Buffalo....
- host of Nearly Noon with Dan Neaverth (retired) - Gary PapaGary PapaGary Papa was a sportscaster with WPVI-TV in Philadelphia from April 1981 to June 2009 and was the 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. sportcaster. He joined the station as a weekend sportscaster and was promoted to the 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. newscasts in 1991, and was named sports director one...
- sports anchor (left in 1981; went to WPVI-TVWPVI-TVWPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
in Philadelphia, died in 2009)
Logo
In the 1960s, the station used two cartoon elvesElf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
, named Earis and Iris, as part of its logo. In 1983, to coincide with the new call letters WGRZ, the "futuristic" logo consisted of two lines, making an outline of the number two. In 1988, the station's logo consisted of simply a large number "2" in a common Avant Garde
ITC Avant Garde
ITC Avant Garde Gothic is a font family based on the logo font used in the Avant Garde magazine. Herb Lubalin devised the logo concept and its companion headline typeface, then he and Tom Carnase, a partner in Lubalin's design firm, worked together to transform the idea into a full-fledged...
font, with a yellow triangle over blue added in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, the logo changed to a blue-on-red box with the bottom reading WGRZ-TV Buffalo. The NBC logo is placed to the left of the numeral "2"; however, "NBC" is not mentioned in the station's on-air brand (which is simply "Channel 2"). With the upgrade of its newscasts to high definition on October 29, 2011, the station introduced a updated version of the logo. This was determined by viewer voting on the station's website.
Additional facts
According to the Baseball Hall of Shame book series by Joe and Al Zullo, WGR-TV did not complete the telecast of the game between the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on September 26, 1981. The station went to an Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
training film as scheduled at 5 p.m. that afternoon. As a result, local baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fans missed Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
's record fifth no-hitter.
WGRZ was one of the founding members of the "Love Network" that carried the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
; WGRZ carries the telethon to this day. WGRZ also carries its own "Kids Escaping Drugs" telethon.