WJHG-TV
Encyclopedia
WJHG-TV, channel 7 is the NBC
affiliate for Panama City, Florida
. Owned by Gray Television
, its studios are located in Panama City Beach while its transmitter is located in Youngstown
.
and ABC
. Mel Wheeler purchased the station in 1957, and in 1960, James Harrison Gray, the founder of Gray Communications, bought the station and changed the call letters to the current WJHG-TV, after his initials.
WJHG dropped CBS in the 1960s after WTVY in Dothan, Alabama
became the default CBS affiliate for Panama City as well. In 1973, WJHG became an exclusive ABC affiliate when WDTB (channel 13, now WMBB
) began, taking the NBC affiliation. In 1982, WMBB and WJHG switched networks.
In 1998, WJHG was almost sold when the Phipps family sold WCTV
to Gray Communications. This would have violated the pre-1996 ownership rules because WJHG's grade B signal covers the extreme western parts of the Tallahassee market. The 1996 Telecommunications Act
allowed for overlapping fringe signals, so Gray kept WJHG. Instead, Gray ended up selling its flagship station, WALB
in Albany, Georgia
, because its city-grade signal overlapped that of WCTV's in the Georgia portion of the Tallahassee market, still protected under Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) rules.
Then in 2002, Gray bought most of Benedek Broadcasting's stations, including WTVY, whose tower is located in Bonifay, Florida
, providing a signal that covers all the way from Fort Walton Beach, Florida
to Troy, Alabama
. By this time, signal contours were no longer an issue and Gray could keep both stations.
Since both stations are available on cable in both Dothan and Panama City, WJHG will run WTVY stories that take place in those parts of northwestern Florida that are in northern part of the Panama City market, and WTVY will run WJHG stories on Panama City and the coast. Sometimes, WTVY will run its own stories on Panama City, but WJHG does not cover Dothan at all (southeastern Alabama's default NBC affiliate is Montgomery's
WSFA
).
On June 28, 2010, WJHG began broadcasting their newscasts in 16:9 widescreen SD format.
However, non-ABC stations still use designs similar to the Circle 7 logo including Ed Ansin's WHDH (NBC) in Boston, and WSVN
(FOX) in Miami.
Reporters
VIPIR 7 Weather Team
Sports Team
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate for Panama City, Florida
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. Owned by Gray Television
Gray Television
Gray Television, Inc. is a communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with administrative offices in Albany, Georgia.Established in 1946 by James H...
, its studios are located in Panama City Beach while its transmitter is located in Youngstown
Youngstown, Florida
Youngstown is an unincorporated community in Bay County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
History
WJHG was founded in 1953 as WJDM-TV, owned by businessman J.D. Manley. The station aired local programming such as church services and wrestling, and went as an independent for a period of time before securing a primary affiliation with NBC and secondary affiliations with CBSCBS
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...
and 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...
. Mel Wheeler purchased the station in 1957, and in 1960, James Harrison Gray, the founder of Gray Communications, bought the station and changed the call letters to the current WJHG-TV, after his initials.
WJHG dropped CBS in the 1960s after WTVY in Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
became the default CBS affiliate for Panama City as well. In 1973, WJHG became an exclusive ABC affiliate when WDTB (channel 13, now WMBB
WMBB
WMBB is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Florida Panhandle that is licensed Panama City. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Youngstown along the Bay and Calhoun County line. Owned by Hoak Media Corporation, the station has studios on...
) began, taking the NBC affiliation. In 1982, WMBB and WJHG switched networks.
In 1998, WJHG was almost sold when the Phipps family sold WCTV
WCTV
WCTV is the CBS-affiliated television station for southwest Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida that is licensed to Thomasville, Georgia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter in Metcalf along the Georgia and Florida state line. This is 609.6 meters high...
to Gray Communications. This would have violated the pre-1996 ownership rules because WJHG's grade B signal covers the extreme western parts of the Tallahassee market. The 1996 Telecommunications Act
Telecommunications Act
There are several pieces of legislation named the Telecommunications Act* Telecommunications Act 1997, Australia* Telecommunications Act * Telecommunications Act 1984, United Kingdom* Telecommunications Act of 1996, United States...
allowed for overlapping fringe signals, so Gray kept WJHG. Instead, Gray ended up selling its flagship station, WALB
WALB
WALB is the NBC- and ABC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Georgia licensed to Albany. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter in Doerun along the Colquitt and Worth County line...
in Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, because its city-grade signal overlapped that of WCTV's in the Georgia portion of the Tallahassee market, still protected under 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) rules.
Then in 2002, Gray bought most of Benedek Broadcasting's stations, including WTVY, whose tower is located in Bonifay, Florida
Bonifay, Florida
Bonifay is a city in Holmes County, Florida, United States. Bonifay was given its name from a prominent family that had a brick making factory in Pensacola, FL. Frank Bonifay, the man behind the town's name, bought a stake in the L%N, now CSX, Railroad. As W. D...
, providing a signal that covers all the way from Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
to Troy, Alabama
Troy, Alabama
Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
. By this time, signal contours were no longer an issue and Gray could keep both stations.
Since both stations are available on cable in both Dothan and Panama City, WJHG will run WTVY stories that take place in those parts of northwestern Florida that are in northern part of the Panama City market, and WTVY will run WJHG stories on Panama City and the coast. Sometimes, WTVY will run its own stories on Panama City, but WJHG does not cover Dothan at all (southeastern Alabama's default NBC affiliate is Montgomery's
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
WSFA
WSFA
WSFA is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt region licensed to Montgomery. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Grady along the Montgomery and Pike County line. The station can also be seen on Knology and Charter...
).
On June 28, 2010, WJHG began broadcasting their newscasts in 16:9 widescreen SD format.
Digital TV
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 7.1 | Main WJHG-TV programming / 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... |
| 7.2 | The CW The CW Television Network The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB... Panama City |
| 7.3 | My7 (MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation... ) |
| 7.4 | VIPIR Weather |
Circle 7 logo & affiliation changes
The station used the "Circle 7" logo as far back as the 1950s without objection from the ABC television network. At some point ABC had trademarked the logo for use by its owned and operated stations that shared the dial position (Channel 7) in several major television markets across the nation. In 1982 when Gray Communications switched the WJHG-TV network affiliation to NBC the rival ABC network ordered WJHG to cease using the logo. Station manager Ray H. Holloway produced archival film and still photographs that showed the local station had been using the "Circle 7" logo longer than the network, but in order to bring the matter to a quick and satisfactory end the station elected to modify the logo. The modification was minor (the bottom of the circle was left open) but enough to pacify executives at ABC in New York who were upset over the station's decision to "defect" to NBC.However, non-ABC stations still use designs similar to the Circle 7 logo including Ed Ansin's WHDH (NBC) in Boston, and WSVN
WSVN
WSVN, channel 7, is a television station located in Miami, Florida, USA. WSVN is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is an affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company. The station has its studio facilities located in North Bay Village and transmitter based in north Miami-Dade County.WSVN operates a Key...
(FOX) in Miami.
Current
Anchors- Donna Bell - Morning & Noon Anchor
- Paris Janos - Morning Field Anchor
- Tom Lewis - 6pm & 10pm Anchor/Executive Producer
- Joe Moore - Noon & 5pm Anchor
- Meredith TerHaar - Morning Anchor/Reporter
- Neysa Wilkins - 6pm & 10pm Anchor
Reporters
- Bryan Anderson - Reporter/Marianna Bureau
- Chad Mira - Reporter/Producer
- Meagan O'Halloran - Weekend Anchor/Reporter
- Erica Rakow - Weekend Anchor/Reporter
- Whitney Ray - Reporter/Tallahassee Bureau (through Capitol News Service)
- Kavontae Smalls - Reporter/Web Producer
- Amber Southard - Reporter
- Mike Vasilinda - Reporter/Tallahassee Bureau (through Capitol News Service)
VIPIR 7 Weather Team
- Jim Loznicka - Morning Meteorologist
- Sandra Osborne - Weekend Weather Anchor/Reporter
- Chris Smith - Chief Meteorologist
Sports Team
- Scott Rossman - Sports Director
- Mark Vaughn - Sports Anchor/Reporter
Newscast titles
- The World Today/Panama City Today (1960s-1970s)
- Channel 7 Spotlight News (1960s, with the patriotic "Guadalcanal March" as the theme music")
- TV-7 News (1980s-1990)
- NewsChannel 7 (1990–present)
Station slogans
- Let`s Get Together on Channel 7 (1970-1971; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- Hello Northwest Florida, Hello Channel 7 (1974-1975; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- Welcome to the Bright New World on Channel 7 (1975-1976; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- Let Us Be The One on Channel 7 (1976-1977; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- Channel 7's The One You Can Turn To, We're The One (1978-1979; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- You and Me and Channel 7 (1980-1981; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- Now is the Time, Channel 7 is the Place (1981-1982; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- Working for You (1990–1997)
- Northwest Florida's News Leader (1994–1997; news slogan)
- Spirit of the Panhandle (1997–2007)
- Coverage You Can Count On (2007–present)