WRBL
Encyclopedia
WRBL, virtual channel
3 (digital channel 15), is the CBS
-affiliated television station in Columbus, Georgia
. The station is owned by Media General
, with studios in Columbus. Its transmitter, located in Cusseta, Georgia
, once held the record as the tallest man-made structure on Earth.
WRBL 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 3.2 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.
affiliate WDAK-TV (channel 28, now WTVM
on channel 9). It is Georgia's second-oldest station outside of Atlanta (after Macon
's WMAZ-TV
) as well as the second-oldest in Columbus. It was owned by Jim Woodruff along with WRBL radio (AM 1420, now WRCG, and FM 102.9, now WVRK
). Originally on channel 4, it moved to channel 3 in 1960 as part of a three-city swap which saw WTVM move to channel 9 and WTVY in Dothan, Alabama
move to channel 4.
The station has always been a CBS affiliate owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with CBS Radio, but shared ABC
with WTVM until the channel switch of 1960, when WTVM switched to ABC to get in line with then co-owned WTVC
, also on channel 9. At that time, WRBL began sharing NBC with WTVM. WRBL is the only major station in Columbus that has never changed its original affiliation. Columbus was one of the very few two-station markets in the 1960s without its own primary NBC affiliate, although NBC affiliates in Albany
, Atlanta
and Montgomery
could be picked up with relative ease. WYEA (now WLTZ
) took over the NBC affiliation when it opened in October 1970.
Woodruff owned the station until his death in a car crash in the 1970s. After his death, banks controlled the station until it was bought by Malcolm Glazier's Avant Corporation of Rochester, New York
. He sold it to TCS Partners, who, in turn, sold it to Spartan Communications. Spartan merged with current owner Media General in 2000.
Because half of the station's viewing area is in the Central Time Zone
, programming that is normally delayed an hour in this time zone is aired live, and thus, airs an hour earlier for viewers in Alabama
.
News 3 First Alert Weather
3 On Your Side Sports
Reporters
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....
3 (digital channel 15), is the 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...
-affiliated television station in Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
. The station is owned by 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...
, with studios in Columbus. Its transmitter, located in Cusseta, Georgia
Cusseta, Georgia
Cusseta-Chattahoochee County is unified city-county in Georgia, United States. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 Census..-History:...
, once held the record as the tallest man-made structure on Earth.
Digital programming
WRBL-DT broadcasts on UHF digital channel 15.| Channel | Video | Format | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 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... |
16:9 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 ... |
Main WRBL programming / CBS |
| 3.2 | 480i 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... |
4:3 | Me-TV |
| 3.3 | First Alert Weather 24/7 The Local AccuWeather Channel The Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania.... |
||
WRBL 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 3.2 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.
History
WRBL first went on the air on November 15, 1953—just over a month after NBCNBC
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 WDAK-TV (channel 28, now WTVM
WTVM
WTVM is the ABC-affiliated television station for Columbus, Georgia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter in Cusseta. The station can also be seen on Charter, Knology, and Mediacom channel 10...
on channel 9). It is Georgia's second-oldest station outside of Atlanta (after Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
's WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV, channel 13, is the CBS affiliate television station in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Gannett.-History:The station signed on for the first time on September 27, 1953, owned by Southeastern Broadcasting Company along with WMAZ radio...
) as well as the second-oldest in Columbus. It was owned by Jim Woodruff along with WRBL radio (AM 1420, now WRCG, and FM 102.9, now WVRK
WVRK
WVRK is a radio station broadcasting a album-oriented rock format. Licensed to Columbus, Georgia, USA, the station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station had previously been owned by M&M Partners Inc...
). Originally on channel 4, it moved to channel 3 in 1960 as part of a three-city swap which saw WTVM move to channel 9 and 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...
move to channel 4.
The station has always been a CBS affiliate owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with CBS Radio, but shared 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...
with WTVM until the channel switch of 1960, when WTVM switched to ABC to get in line with then co-owned WTVC
WTVC
WTVC is the ABC television affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter on Signal Mountain in the community of Walden...
, also on channel 9. At that time, WRBL began sharing NBC with WTVM. WRBL is the only major station in Columbus that has never changed its original affiliation. Columbus was one of the very few two-station markets in the 1960s without its own primary NBC affiliate, although NBC affiliates in Albany
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...
, Atlanta
WSB-TV
WSB-TV, virtual channel 2.1 , is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship television station of Cox Enterprises and its Cox Media Group subsidiary...
and Montgomery
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...
could be picked up with relative ease. WYEA (now WLTZ
WLTZ
WLTZ is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Chattahoochee Valley of West-Central Georgia and East-Central Alabama. Licensed to Columbus, Georgia, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from its studios on NBC 38 Drive in the Vista Terrance section of South...
) took over the NBC affiliation when it opened in October 1970.
Woodruff owned the station until his death in a car crash in the 1970s. After his death, banks controlled the station until it was bought by Malcolm Glazier's Avant Corporation of Rochester, New York
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...
. He sold it to TCS Partners, who, in turn, sold it to Spartan Communications. Spartan merged with current owner Media General in 2000.
Because half of the station's viewing area is in the Central Time Zone
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
, programming that is normally delayed an hour in this time zone is aired live, and thus, airs an hour earlier for viewers in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
News operation
Due to economic conditions from 2008 through 2009, WRBL's owner Media General enacted a series of staff reductions that noticeably affected the amount of news that WRBL offered. First, 6 p.m. weekend newscasts were eliminated in Fall 2008, and the remaining weekend newscasts were eliminated in early 2009. Soon after, the 5 p.m. and noon newscasts were dropped. However, as of August 2010, the noon newscast has been added back to the WRBL lineup. On October 17, 2010, WRBL revived the Sunday night edition of News 3 Nightwatch. Unlike the previous newscasts that were cancelled, the duties of these newscasts are spread throughout remaining staff members, including the anchor team. On September 12, 2011, the station revived News 3 First Edition weekdays at 5 p.m.Newscast titles
- TV-3 News
- 3 Eyewitness NewsEyewitness NewsEyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
(1980s–early 1990s) - NewsCenter 3
- Channel 3 News
- NewsChannel 3 (early 1990s–2001)
- News 3 (2001–present)
Station slogans
- Your 24-Hour News Source (early 1990s)
- On Your Side (1995–present)
News team
Anchors- Phil Scoggins - News 3 Evening Edition at 6 and News 3 Nightwatch, Monday-Fridays at 11 p.m.
- Tammy Terry - News 3 This Morning (5-7 am) and News 3 Midday
- Teresa Whitaker - News 3 Evening Edition at 6 and News 3 Nightwatch, Sunday-Fridays at 11pm
- Sarah Panko - News 3 First Edition, weekdays at 5 p.m.
News 3 First Alert Weather
- Bob Jeswald - Chief Meteorologist; seen on News 3 First Edition, Evening Edition and Nightwatch, weekdays
- David Reese - Meteorologist; seen on News 3 This Morning and Midday, weekdays
- {http://www2.wrbl.com/staff/116085/ Kurt Schmitz] - (CBM Seal of Approval) Senior Meteorologist; News 3 Nightwatch, Sundays
3 On Your Side Sports
- Stuart Webber - sports director; weeknights at 5 and 6, and Sunday-Fridays at 11 p.m., also host of The PrepZone
Reporters
- Meredith Armstrong - digital journalist
- Raquel Rodriguez - digital journalist
- Steve Grimes - digital journalist
- Brandice Hudson - digital journalist
Former on-air staff
- Rece DavisRece DavisRece Davis is a sports television journalist for ESPN. Davis works as an anchor on SportsCenter, and host of various other programs on the network.-Early life and career:...
- sports director (now at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) - Janice HuffJanice HuffJanice Huff is chief meteorologist for WNBC in New York City.-Early years:As she has sometimes noted on her newscast, though born in New York City, at an early age she moved to her grandparents in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated from Eau Claire High School with honors, where she was a...
- meteorologist/science reporter (now meteorologist at WNBC-TV in New York City and Weekend Today) - Anne MontgomeryAnne MontgomeryAnne Butler Montgomery is an American female sportscaster, sports official, author and teacher. She was among the first women sportscasters on television, and is reported to be the only woman high school football referee in the state of Arizona....
- sports reporter (early-mid 1980s; later at KTSPKSAZ-TVKSAZ-TV, virtual channel 10.1, is the Fox owned-and-operated station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Fox Television Stations in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV station KUTP ....
and then ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, now a teacher at South Mountain High SchoolSouth Mountain High SchoolSouth Mountain High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 5401 South 7th Street in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. South Mountain’s enrollment is 2000 students...
in Phoenix, Arizona) - Blaine StewartBlaine Stewart-Career:Blaine Stewart is currently a morning and noon news anchor and fill-in weather anchor at WTKR "NewsChannel 3" in Norfolk, VA, the city's CBS television affiliate. He joined the station in January 2007...
, anchor/reporter 2001-2006 (now anchor/weathercaster at WTKR-TV) - Alison Flowers - digital journalist 2009-2011