WTAE-TV
Encyclopedia
WTAE-TV is the 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...

 affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 that is licensed to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

, broadcasting on UHF channel 51 and identifying via PSIP as channel 4 (its historic analog allocation). It also serves as an ABC affiliate for the Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...

/Steubenville
Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and Clarksburg
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...

/Weston, West Virginia
Weston, West Virginia
Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County, and home to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.-History:...

 market areas. Its transmitter is located in Buena Vista, Pennsylvania
Buena Vista, Pennsylvania
Buena Vista is an unincorporated community in Elizabeth Township Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located just outside of Pittsburgh. Its ZIP code is 15018. For a time, Buena Vista served as a mining town....

 and its studios are located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States adjacent to the city of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,930 at the 2010 census, having lost more than 13,000 in the 70 years since 1940, when 29,853 people were enumerated...

.

History

Channel 4, originally allocated to Irwin, Pennsylvania
Irwin, Pennsylvania
Irwin is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. Some of the most extensive bituminous coal deposits in the State are located here. In the past, iron foundries, flour mills, car shops, facing and planing mills, electrical goods, and mirror factories provided...

 (in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...

), was moved to Pittsburgh in the mid 1950s. This came about because Pittsburgh mayor David L. Lawrence
David L. Lawrence
David Leo Lawrence was an American politician who served as the 37th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963. He is to date the only mayor of Pittsburgh to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania. Previously, he had been the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1946 through 1959...

 had petitioned the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 relentlessly for a fourth VHF channel in the area. In the analog age, WTAE was thus short-spaced to other channel 4 stations in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 (WCMH-TV
WCMH-TV
WCMH-TV, channel 4, is a television station in Columbus, Ohio, affiliated with the NBC television network and owned by Media General. The station's studios and transmitter are located in Columbus. NBC-4 broadcasts from its studio and office complex near the Ohio State University on Olentangy River...

, which is 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...

), 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...

 (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...

, which is 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...

), and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 (WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...

, an NBC owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...

), with the tower located southeast of the city as a result.
WTAE-TV signed on the air on September 14, 1958 as Pittsburgh's ABC affiliate. From the beginning, it has been owned by the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...

, which purchased the station's former sister radio station, WCAE/WTAE Radio, in 1931. (The radio station is now WDDZ, and is owned by ABC/Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

 as part of the Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...

 network.) WTAE is the only TV station affiliated with a major network in Pittsburgh to have not changed hands in ownership: Hearst owned 50 percent of the television station when it was launched and became its sole owner in 1962. The station itself is now run by Hearst's wholly owned subsidiary television unit Hearst Television, of which it serves as one of the three flagship stations for the unit, alongside WBAL-TV
WBAL-TV
WBAL-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station in Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11. It is one of the flagship stations of Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation, which also owns sister radio stations WBAL and...

 in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

 and WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...

 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

.

In the early years, Channel 4 was best known in the market for its locally originated entertainment programming, most notably the after-school children's shows:
  • Ricki & Copper
    Ricki & Copper
    Ricki & Copper was a popular local children's program that ran weekday mornings on WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was one of two locally-produced children's shows that aired on WTAE, the other being Paul Shannon's Adventure Time, which aired in the afternoon...

    ;
  • Paul Shannon
    Paul Shannon
    Paul V. Shannon was a veteran Pittsburgh radio announcer in the days before commercial television...

    's Adventure Time; and
  • Hank Stohl's Rodney 'n' Knish (Knish being a mop-shaped puppet with a light-bulb for a nose).


In 1958, Shock Theatre premiered late at night on WTAE. The show was locally produced and hosted by Bob Drews who portrayed Sir Rodger (often misspelled as Sir Roger). Drews was a former Pittsburgh radio disc jockey who also wrote a satire magazine called Thimk. Shock Theatre featured monster movies such as The Invisible Man and Frankenstein. Drews interspersed comedic live-action skits within the movie and also was famous for his haircut, the Sir Rodger Clip. (Little is known of what became of Drews after the show left the air in the early 1960s.)

On April 24, 1980, WTAE personality Nick Perry, who hosted Bowling for Dollars and also called the lottery drawings for the Pennsylvania Lottery
Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director...

, fixed the PA Lottery's Daily Number so that the drawing could come up as "666". Perry served jail time, and the drawings were moved from WTAE to WHP-TV
WHP-TV
WHP-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania licensed to Harrisburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21. Its transmitter on a ridge north of Linglestown Road in Susquehanna Township...

 in Harrisburg a year later. This resulted in lotteries now being audited and monitored with "witnesses" from the government and/or accounting firms hired by them, and also inspired the movie Lucky Numbers. KDKA aired the PA Lottery drawings in the Pittsburgh market after this incident until 2009 when they moved back to WTAE, which now has a two year contract with the Pennsylvania Lottery.

In June 2011, a WTAE staff photographer was charged with a sexual crime when an alleged victim stated that the photographer had inappropriate physical contact with her. The photographer arrived in a company news vehicle with company equipment and claimed he was doing an interview. Although management at WTAE claims that he was not on duty at the time - even though he was using company resources.

In 1986, WTAE partnered with the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

 and started Project Bundle Up, an operation to make sure that children and seniors get warm clothing. WTAE has run the Project Bundle Up Auction which is an auction where local businesses donate products to be auctioned off, and the Project Bundle Up Telethon a traditional telethon where viewers call in to donate money, businesses donate money and all of the proceeds from the auction and telethon benefit the Salvation Army. In 2007, WTAE moved the auction to the Internet.

Although it was the only ABC affiliate in the region when it signed on at the time, WTAE also pre-empted and/or delayed a handful of ABC programs, most notably its daytime lineup from the 1960s to the late 1990s. One of these shows was One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...

, which it passed on from its 1968 debut up until 1978, when the serial went to an hour-long format. Those that did not air on channel 4 ended up on either WPGH-TV
WPGH-TV
WPGH-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter at its studios on Ivory Avenue in the city's Summer Hill section. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS and Comcast channel 7...

 or WPTT
WPMY
WPMY is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, WPMY is the sister station of...

. Today, WTAE runs nearly the entire ABC schedule. The station cut back its Saturday morning newscast to three hours, but it still runs a news-intensive schedule, alongside its top-rated syndicated first-run talk shows. WTAE has carried Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...

(and Kathie Lee) since its national debut in 1988 and 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...

since 1989. For an ABC affiliate that is owned by a company that does not own a network, WTAE has the local rights to CBS Television Distribution's
CBS Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television was an American television distribution company/production that was formed on January 17, 2006 and owned by CBS Corporation...

 The Rachael Ray Show, ET, Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....

,
and Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...

instead 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...

 O&O KDKA
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....

, which is rare in several television markets where a network O&O would air shows produced by its sister company, since WTAE's parent company had made long-term contract deals for these programs before CBS took over syndication rights.

At various times, WTAE has also served as the ABC affiliate for the Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...

/Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...

, Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...

/Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, and Clarksburg
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...

/Weston
Weston, West Virginia
Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County, and home to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.-History:...

, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 television markets (all of which could receive WTAE as a grade B signal). With WTAE having long been one of ABC's strongest affiliates, both parties reportedly resisted efforts by other TV stations in those cities to obtain a full-time ABC affiliation. Since then, one station was eventually granted affiliation in Altoona (WATM-TV
WATM-TV
WATM-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Allegheny area of Pennsylvania that is licensed to Altoona. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter on Wopsy Mountain east of Dysart. Owned by Palm Television, the station is operated by Peak Media...

), while WBOY-TV
WBOY-TV
WBOY-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for North-Central West Virginia that is licensed to Clarksburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter east of downtown and U.S. 50. Owned by West Virginia Media Holdings, the station has studios on West...

 in Clarksburg and WTRF-TV
WTRF-TV
WTRF-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and the Allegheny Plateau of Eastern Ohio that is licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Bridgeport, Ohio. Owned by West...

 in Wheeling (both owned by West Virginia Media Holdings
West Virginia Media Holdings
West Virginia Media Holdings is a media chain in West Virginia. It owns television stations in each of the four main media markets in the state, as well as a weekly newspaper....

, the former briefly being a sister station to WTAE in 2001) launched ABC stations on one of their digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...

s in August 2008 on Your ABC
WBOY-DT2
WBOY-DT2 is the ABC-affiliated television station for Clarksburg, West Virginia. It is a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WBOY-TV which is owned by West Virginia Media Holdings. Over-the-air, the station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 12.2 from WBOY's transmitter east of...

 and ABC Ohio Valley, respectively. WTAE is still available on cable in all of those markets today. In addition to those areas, WTAE can also be seen on several out-of-market cable systems throughout northwestern and central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, and several locations in eastern and northeast Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

.

WTAE was also one of many ABC stations that pre-empted the special showing of Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....

late in 2004 because they were concerned that the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 (FCC) would impose a fine on them if they had aired the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 movie due to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
Super Bowl XXXVIII, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004 from Houston, Texas on the CBS television network in the United States, was noted for a controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a...

 earlier that year. It was later determined that the movie showing was not a violation of FCC regulations.

Over the years, WTAE has aired Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 games that air nationally on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment 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....

, since due to NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 broadcasting rules all cable games must air on a broadcast network in the home markets of the teams participating (WTAE's parent Hearst owns a 20% stake in ESPN), though the broadcast in the home team's primary market may be blacked out if the game doesn't sell out 72 hours before kick-off (this has not been a problem for the Steelers, who have a sell-out streak dating to 1972 - the last year that even sold-out home games could not be locally televised). Since 2006, ABC has not had NFL broadcasting rights, and with local games airing mostly on KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....

 (via 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:...

 and occasionally the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...

) as well as on occasion WPGH-TV
WPGH-TV
WPGH-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter at its studios on Ivory Avenue in the city's Summer Hill section. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS and Comcast channel 7...

 (via the NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...

) and WPXI
WPXI
WPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...

 (via NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...

), this is the only way in the foreseeable future of WTAE airing Steelers games.

Digital programming

Channel Video Aspect
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...

Programming
4.1 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 WTAE-TV programming / ABC
4.2 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  This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....



In March 2009, WTAE applied for FCC authorization to build a 9250-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...

 digital broadcast translator on channel 22 to cover portions of the northern Pittsburgh area which are currently unable to receive channel 4's digital signal. WTAE must wait for WPMY
WPMY
WPMY is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, WPMY is the sister station of...

, which had been operating in analog nightlight
Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act
The Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act, or SAFER Act, is a U.S. law to require the Federal Communications Commission to allow the continuation of full-power analog TV transmissions in 2009 for 30 more days, for the purpose of broadcasting public service announcements regarding the...

 mode after terminating regular analogue UHF 22 programming on the original February 17 deadline, to leave the channel entirely on March 19.

On August 3, 2009, WTAE converted its traffic/weather digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...

 into a This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....

 affiliate due to the success of 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...

 airing on WPXI-DT2
WPXI
WPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...

. The channel is known as This TV Pittsburgh.

WTAE is one of a handful of ABC-affiliated stations and one of four Hearst-owned ABC affiliates (the other three are WCVB-TV in Boston, KMBC-TV in Kansas City and KETV in Omaha) that broadcast their HDTV signals in 1080i rather than the 720p format of most other ABC stations.

Local

  • Channel 4 Action Sports Sunday (sports wrap-up show Sundays at 11:30 p.m. - midnight)
  • Steelers Primetime - extended Steelers coverage during NFL season
  • Project Bundle-Up Telethon, seasonal partnership with Salvation Army

Syndicated/first-run

Aside from local news and ABC lineup, WTAE's other offerings include Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...

, 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 Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...

.

Past programming

  • Adventure Time
  • AM Pittsburgh
  • Bingo Mania
  • Black Chronicle
  • 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....

  • Cappelli & Company
    Cappelli & Company
    Cappelli & Company is an American children's television series created by, and starring, children's songwriter/composer Frank Cappelli. The series was in production for four and a half seasons, from 1989 to 1992, originating from Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE-TV...

  • Championship Bowling
    Championship Bowling
    Championship Bowling is a bowling video game developed by Romstar in 1989 for the arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System. It was one of the few games that supported the Four Score accessory for the NES, allowing for four people to play....

  • Community Outreach
  • Community Perspective (later retitled Shalom Pittsburgh)
  • The Bill Cowher Show
  • Dialing for Dollars
  • Faith and Today's World
  • Good Day Pittsburgh, hosted by Ann Devlin

  • Inside Pittsburgh, hosted by Sheldon Ingram
  • The Hank Stohl Show
  • The Jean Connelly Show
  • The Johnny Majors Show
  • Junior High Quiz, sponsored by local bank Pittsburgh National (now PNC Bank)
  • Panther Pride
  • Pittsburgh Sports Showdown
  • Pittsburgh's Talking
    Pittsburgh's Talking
    Pittsburgh's Talking was a live, hour-long talk show that aired on WTAE, the ABC station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from January 4, 1988 until 1991. Ann Devlin served as the host.-Format:...

  • Project Bundle-Up Auction, moved to internet
  • Ricki & Copper
    Ricki & Copper
    Ricki & Copper was a popular local children's program that ran weekday mornings on WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was one of two locally-produced children's shows that aired on WTAE, the other being Paul Shannon's Adventure Time, which aired in the afternoon...

  • Romper Room
    Romper Room
    Romper Room is a children's television series that ran in the United States from 1953 to 1994 as well as at various times in Australia, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom...

  • Shock Theatre
  • Tri-State Farmer


News operation

Like its NBC rival, WIIC-TV, Channel 4 was not a major player in terms of news coverage in those early years, as the Pittsburgh market was dominated by KDKA-TV and anchor Bill Burns
Bill Burns (anchor)
William M. "Bill" Burns was an American journalist and news anchor.Burns anchored the news for over three decades in Pittsburgh for KDKA, which was the largest station in the market.- Career :...

. That changed, however, in 1969, when longtime KDKA radio-and-TV newscaster Paul Long was brought in, along with his KDKA meteorologist-sidekick Joe DeNardo. From then on the market was competitive, and Long would continue to be Channel 4's lead news presence well into the 1980s before easing into a more "senior" role. WTAE was also known for the "legendary" news crew of Paul Long and Don Cannon
Don Cannon (news anchor)
Don Cannon was a prominent television news anchor in Pittsburgh.He worked at WTAE-TV from 1969-94. During that time, he became a "fixture of Pittsburgh broadcasting," and was partner with Paul Long and meteorologist Joe DeNardo. Later, he was teamed with Sally Wiggin. In 1999, he returned to...

 from the late 1960s into the 1990s.

Sports has also been a major division at WTAE. One big memory in Pittsburgh was in 1972, WTAE sportscaster Myron Cope
Myron Cope
Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...

 coined the phrase "The Immaculate Reception" to describe Franco Harris' miraculous, running shoestring catch that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a 13-7 playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders. WTAE and its channel 4 logo was immortalized in the 1979 basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 comedy film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is an American sports/fantasy comedy film that was released in 1979. The movie was directed by Gilbert Moses and co-produced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists. The rights to the film are currently owned by...

,
whose fictional sportscaster "Murray Sports" (played by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...

) was also patterned after Cope. The last sports director was Andrew Stockey, who left the position in 2006 to become a news anchor. The sports department is currently headed by Guy Junker and John Meyer with Tim Benz of ESPN radio filling in occasionally.

In June 1992, the station expanded its news production, adding a Saturday morning newscast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (matching WPXI
WPXI
WPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...

's Saturday morning newscast of the same length which began in 1990) and a three-hour Sunday morning newscast. The station also extended its weekday early evening newscast to begin at 5 p.m., and began to air a weekday morning newscast from 5 to 7 a.m. In 1997, the station expanded its Sunday morning newscast by an hour and began to air its Saturday morning newscast from 6 to 10 a.m. Today, WTAE offers four-and-a-half hours of live news each day.

In 2002, Jean Connelly became the first woman from Western PA to be inducted into the Pennsylvania Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In doing so, she joined ranks with Paul Long, David Crantz, and Fred Young. Connelly is famous for producing and hosting her own talk show, The Jean Connelly Show.

WTAE unveiled a new set designed by FX Group
FX Group
FX Group is a set design, fabrication and lighting design company based in Ocoee, Florida.FX Group has designed and built sets for broadcast programs across the country, mostly in the area of live news...

 during the 5 p.m. newscast on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. Also in 2007, WTAE started its own channel on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

.

On Monday, September 15, 2008, WTAE became the second station in the market to launch local news and weather in High Definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...

; however, as of August 2010, field reports are still in 4:3.

Ratings

Over the past decade, Pittsburgh has been a perennially competitive market for local news, with news ratings usually differing by less than a full ratings point. During the May 2008 Nielsen
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...

 ratings period, WTAE had the largest audience at 5 a.m, maintained a strong lead a 5 and 6 p.m., and has also tied WPXI at 11.

Awards and honors

In March 2008, the station won a "Freedom of Information Award" and an IRE Medal from Investigative Reporters and Editors
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the quality of investigative reporting. Formed in 1975, it presents the IRE Awards and holds conferences and training classes for journalists. Its headquarters is in Columbia, Missouri, at the University of...

 for "pushing open the front door" of the state-run student loan agency.

In April 2008, that same effort resulted in a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...

 for the station, in recognition of "station's relentless legal campaign to obtain public records of a state-run student loan program" which "netted evidence of financial misconduct and pushed the state to rewrite an antiquated right-to-know law."

Newscast titles

  • News & Views with John B. Hughes (1950s-1960s)
  • The Channel 4 News (1970s)
  • Channel 4 Action News
    Action News
    Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...

    (1970s-1989 and 1995–present)
  • WTAE 4 News (1989–1995)

Station Slogans

  • Four's-A-Poppin (1964–1965)
  • Catch 4 (1975–1977; during period station used Frank Gari's "Catch 5")
  • Hello Pittsburgh (1977–1982; during period station used Frank Gari's "Hello News")
  • You and Me and Channel 4 (1980–1981; localized version of the ABC ad campaign; also incorporated with Frank Gari's Hello Pittsburgh campaign)
  • Now is the Time, Channel 4 is The Place (1981–1982; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
  • Come on Along with Channel 4 (1982–1983; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
  • We're With You on Channel 4 (1984–1985; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
  • You'll Love It on Channel 4 (1985–1986; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
  • Action News
    Action News
    Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...

     is Everywhere
    (mid 1980s-1989)
  • Joe Said it Would (1986–1995; used in weather promos for former chief meteorologist Joe DeNardo)
  • News 4 People (1989–1992)
  • Action News
    Action News
    Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...

     is Everywhere
    (1995–2001)
  • Taking Action for You (2001–2004)
  • Where the News Comes First (2004–2006 and 2008–2010)
  • Where YOU Come First (2006–2008)
  • WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, in HD (2008–2010)
  • Taking Action For You (2010–present)

Anchors
  • Wendy Bell - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. (1998–present)
  • Mike Clark - weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m. (1995–present)
  • Kelly Frey - weekday mornings (4:30-7 a.m.); also weeknight reporter (2000–present)
  • Janelle Hall - weekend mornings; also weeknight reporter (2004–present)
  • Shannon Perrine - weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also weeknight reporter (1999–present)
  • Andrew Stockey - weeknights at 5; also 6 and 11 p.m. sports anchor (1995–present)
  • Sally Wiggin
    Sally Wiggin
    Sarah Wiggin is a prominent television news anchor and personality in Pittsburgh.A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, her family moved to Alabama at the age of 7. She attended Emory University for a year before transferring to the University of Alabama, where she studied East Asian history and...

     - weekdays at noon (1980–present)
  • Michelle Wright - weekday mornings (4:30-7 a.m) and noon (1994–present)

Weather Watch 4
  • Mike Harvey (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist
    Certified Broadcast Meteorologist
    Certified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...

     and NWA Seals of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. (2010–present)
  • Demetrius Ivory - Meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon (2005–present)
  • Erin Kienzle (AMS and NWA
    National Weather Association
    The National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...

     Seals of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekend mornings (2006–present)
  • Ray Petelin (AMS and NWA
    National Weather Association
    The National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...

     Seals of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekend evenings (2011-present)

Action Sports
  • Guy Junker - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. (1984–1990; 2006–present)
  • John Meyer - sports anchor; weekday mornings (4:30-7 a.m) (2009–present)
  • Tim Benz - fill-in sports anchor (2007–present)
  • Bill Hillgrove - "Steelers Insider" reporter

Traffic Watch 4
  • Scott Stiller - morning traffic reporter (2000–present)
  • Sam Hall - "Sky 4" reporter (2008–present)

Reporters
  • Sarah Arbogast - general assignment reporter (2011-present)
  • Marcie Cipriani - general assignment reporter (2000–present)
  • Ari Hait - general assignment reporter (2006–present)
  • Ashlie Hardway - Westmoreland County Bureau Chief (2009–present)
  • Sheldon Ingram - general assignment reporter (1992–present)
  • Keith Jones - general assignment reporter (2010–present)
  • Bob Mayo - general assignment reporter (1994–present)
  • Amber Nicotra - general assignment reporter (2008–present)
  • Jim Parsons - "Team 4" investigative reporter (1998–present)
  • Paul Van Osdol - "Team 4" investigative reporter (1999–present)

Hearst Television Washington Bureau

  • Sally Kidd - Washington bureau reporter
  • Nikole Killion - Washington bureau reporter
  • Kate Amara - Washington bureau reporter

Former on-air staff

  • Scott Baker
    Scott Baker (journalist)
    Scott Baker is an American journalist, commentator, blogger, online talk show host, educator, and political campaign worker...

     (1993–2006) (anchor)
  • Myron Cope
    Myron Cope
    Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...

     (1970–1995) (sports commentary) (died 2008)
  • Stephen Cropper (1995–2011) (meteorologist), now at WPXI
    WPXI
    WPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...

     http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11104/1139163-67.stm
  • Faith Daniels
    Faith Daniels
    Faith Daniels became nationally known for her role in anchoring some of America's most popular news and talk show programs....

     ( -1986) (anchor/reporter)
  • Joe DeNardo
    Joe DeNardo
    Joseph William DeNardo is a Pittsburgh meteorologist. He is known for his 1994 Campaign "Joe Said It Would" the first "Said It Would" slogan in the nation...

     (1969–2004) (chief meteorologist, retired) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/photo_91656.html?TB_iframe=true&height=460&width=720
  • Debra Fox
    Debra Fox
    Debra Fox is the founder and CEO of Fox Learning Systems. She was previously a television reporter and anchor with WTAE-TV Pittsburgh .- WTAE television career :...

     (1976–1986) (reporter/anchor)
  • Bill Hillgrove
    Bill Hillgrove
    Bill Hillgrove is an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sports broadcaster.He is currently the lead play-by-play broadcaster for the steelers football network and for the University of Pittsburgh Img sports network he calls the Pitt games with former Pitt quarterback Pat...

     (1978–1995) (sports), now the "voice" of Steelers football & Pitt men's basketball and football; also Steelers Insider on WTAE
  • Susan Koeppen (2000-2004) (consumer reporter/anchor), formerly on the Early Show on CBS, now at KDKA-TV
    KDKA-TV
    KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....

  • Jennifer Miele (2004-2011) (Westmoreland County Bureau chief)
  • Joe Negri
    Joe Negri
    Joseph Harold Negri is a jazz guitarist and educator from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During his years as Musical Director at WTAE-TV, he appeared on the former children's television show Paul Shannon's Adventure Time and other locally-produced shows on the station...

     (co-host/musician)
  • Nina Pineda
    Nina Pineda
    Nina Pineda is a reporter for WABC-TV in New York City. Pineda can be seen faithfully on the evening editions of ‘’Eyewitness News’’....

      (1996–2000) (reporter), now at WABC-TV
    WABC-TV
    WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...

     in New York
    New York
    New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

    )
  • Jake Ploeger
    Jake Ploeger
    Jake Ploeger was a weekend anchor for Channel 4, WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, PA from 2002 to 2009. Ploeger started with the station in sports in 2000 and moved to news in 2002. In 2009, Ploeger was offered the sports position, recently vacated by Jon Burton but Ploeger was already leaving...

     (2000–2009) (sports; anchor/reporter)
  • Ken Rice (1988–1994) (anchor/reporter), now 5 and 11 o'clock anchor at KDKA-TV
    KDKA-TV
    KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....

  • Stan Savran
    Stan Savran
    Stan Savran is an American sports media personality based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Current work:...

     (1980–1991) (sports)
  • Aaron Saykin (2006–2009) (Call 4 Action reporter), returned to WGRZ-TV
    WGRZ-TV
    WGRZ, virtual channel 2 , 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...

     in Buffalo, NY.
  • Mike Schneider (1977–1982) (reporter/anchor), now at Bloomberg Television
  • Paul Shannon
    Paul Shannon
    Paul V. Shannon was a veteran Pittsburgh radio announcer in the days before commercial television...

     (1959–1975) (host of Adventure Time)
  • Ricki Wertz
    Ricki Wertz
    Ricki Wertz is a television personality from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is an alumna of La Roche College. In 1958 she hosted a popular children's morning program, Comedy Time. In 1959 that show was renamed Ricki & Copper when Ricki's dog, Copper, joined the cast. The show continued to be...

    (1958–1982) (children's television show host)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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