WTNZ is the Fox-affiliated television station

Television station

A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...

 for Eastern

East Tennessee

East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...

 Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

 licensed to Knoxville

Knoxville, Tennessee

Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...

. It broadcasts a 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...

 digital signal on UHF channel 34 (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....

 43.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Sharp's Ridge

Sharp's Ridge

Sharp's Ridge is a steep limestone ridge in Knoxville, Tennessee, north of the city's downtown. A area of the ridge is maintained as Sharp's Ridge Memorial Park, a city park dedicated to the honor of the area's war dead. The ridge also is the site of a transmitting antenna farm that serves most...

 in the city's Arlington section. The station can also be seen on Comcast

Comcast

Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...

 channel 11 and in high definition on digital channel 434. Owned by Raycom Media

Raycom Media

- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....

, WTNZ has studios on Executive Park Drive (along I-75

Interstate 75 in Tennessee

In the U.S. state of Tennessee, Interstate 75 runs from Chattanooga to Jellico by way of Knoxville. Interstate 75 enters the East Tennessee region following the Tennessee Valley from Georgia, all the way through Knoxville to near Lake City, then climbs into the Cumberland Mountains before crossing...

/I-40

Interstate 40 in Tennessee

In the state of Tennessee, Interstate 40 traverses the entirety of the state from west to east, running from the Mississippi River at the Arkansas border to the northern base of the Great Smoky Mountains at the North Carolina border...

) in Knoxville's Green Valley section. Syndicated

Television syndication

In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...

 programming on the station includes Two and a Half Men

Two and a Half Men

Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...

, My Name Is Earl

My Name Is Earl

My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...

, Everybody Loves Raymond

Everybody Loves Raymond

Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...

, and The New Adventures of Old Christine

The New Adventures of Old Christine

The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus which ran for five seasons on CBS from March 13, 2006, to May 12, 2010...

among others.

Digital programming

Channels	Video Display resolution The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...	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
43.1	720p 720p 720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...	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 WTNZ programming / FOX
43.2	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

History

The station signed-on December 31, 1983 with the calls WKCH-TV. It was known on-air as "Catch 43" and aired an analog signal on UHF channel 43. It was locally owned by Knoxville Television, LP. There had been another independent in the area, WINT-TV

WCPT-TV

WCPT-TV was a UHF commercial independent television station licensed to Crossville, Tennessee, broadcast over channel 55 from 1977 to 1982 and over channel 20 from 1982 to 1983.-History:...

, but it went dark about a month after WKCH signed on. On October 6, 1986, WKCH became a charter Fox affiliate and became known on-air as "Catch Fox 43".

Knoxville Television, LP declared bankruptcy in the late 1980s, and WKCH was sold to FCVS Communications (the owner of WACH

WACH

WACH is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Midlands of South Carolina. It is licensed to Columbia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter along SC 12 in Southwestern Kershaw County. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting, the station has studios on...

 in Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

) in 1990. FCVS sold all three of its stations (WKCH and WACH, plus WEVU-TV (now WZVN-TV

WZVN-TV

WZVN-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Southwest Florida licensed to Naples. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from a transmitter in Southeastern Punta Gorda along SR 31. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 7 and in high definition on...

) in Naples, Florida

Naples, Florida

Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...

) to Ellis Communications in 1993.

In 1994, it changed call letters

Call sign

In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...

 to the current WTNZ. Ellis Communications was folded into current owner Raycom Media in late 1996. Despite the network musical chairs which have occurred in Knoxville over the years, the station has been the area's only Fox affiliate during the network's history. After the DTV transition

DTV transition in the United States

The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...

 on June 12, 2009, WTNZ remained on its pre-transition digital channel (34). However through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as 43.

Currently, none of WTNZ's syndicated programming is broadcast in HD.

News operation

In the mid-1980s, it produced a news break each day called WKCH News. The brief news and weather update was anchored by one of the station's staff announcers, Phil Rainey. In 1998, a news share agreement was established 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...

 affiliate WATE-TV

WATE-TV

WATE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Eastern Tennessee licensed to Knoxville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 6 as well as Comcast and Knology...

 (owned by Young Broadcasting

Young Broadcasting

New Young Broadcasting Holding Co, Inc. is an owner of 14 television stations in 11 United States media markets. The company was formerly known as Young Broadcasting Inc. and was the outgrowth of the ad representation/invest firm Adam Young, Inc. which was founded in 1944 by Adam Young and is...

). This resulted in a nightly prime time newscast debuting on WTNZ known as Fox 43 Ten O'Clock News. The show originated from WATE's studios in Camp House

Camp House

Greystone, also called the Camp House, is a prominent historic home in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is an imposing structure, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion is located at 1306 Broadway....

 on North Broadway Northeast/SR 33/SR 71

Tennessee State Route 71

State Route 71 is a north–south state highway in Tennessee. For most of the length it is a "hidden" route, as it coincides with U.S. Route 441 in all but a short section in Knoxville. The road begins at the North Carolina state line in Sevier County within the Great Smoky Mountains National...

/US 441

U.S. Route 441

U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...

 in the city's Old North Knoxville

Old North Knoxville

Old North Knoxville is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, located just north of the city's downtown area. Initially established as the town of North Knoxville in the late-19th century, the area was a prominent suburb for Knoxville's upper middle and professional classes until the 1950s...

 section. It competed with another nightly broadcast seen in the time slot on CW affiliate WBXX-TV

WBXX-TV

WBXX-TV is the CW-affiliated television station for Eastern Tennessee licensed to Crossville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 from a transmitter in unincorporated Southwestern Anderson County. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Knology channel 7 as well as...

.

In March 2011, WTNZ terminated its agreement with WATE and entered into a new arrangement with WBIR (owned by the Gannett Company

Gannett Company

Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...

). At the same time, that station stopped producing the WBXX update. On March 28, WBIR took over production of the nightly half-hour newscast which is still known as Fox 43 Ten O'Clock News.

Starting June 2, a two-hour weekday morning show (airing from 7 until 9) was added to WTNZ and is known as Mornings with Fox 43. In addition, the weeknight prime time news at 10 was expanded to an hour. All shows now originate in high definition from WBIR's facilities on Hutchinson Avenue in Knoxville's Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park, Knoxville

Lincoln Park, sometimes referred to as Oakwood-Lincoln Park, is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee. It extends from Interstate 275 North to Broadway and from Sharp's Ridge to Woodlawn Avenue. This neighborhood also includes the Oakwood neighborhood...

 section (official address is Bill Williams Avenue). Although existing personnel from that station is featured on WTNZ, WBIR's on-air staff will eventually increase by less than a dozen.

Station slogans

• "East Tennessee's First 10 O'Clock News" (1998-2004)
• "East Tennessee's Only 10 O'Clock News" (news, 2004-2011)
• "Something For Everyone" (general, 2008-present)

News team

Anchors

• Abby Ham - weekday mornings
• Moira Kaye - weekday mornings
• John Becker - weeknights and "Service and Sacrifice" segment producer
• Robin Wilhoit - weeknights and "Live Green at Heart" segment producer
• Sean Dreher - weekends

Meteorologists

• Todd Howell - Chief seen weeknights
• Mike Witcher (CBM
  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
  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) - weekday mornings
• Cheryl Scott - weekends

Sports

• Steve Phillips - Director
  Sports Director
  A sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
  
  seen weeknights
• Kris Budden - weekends and sports reporter

Reporters

• Bill Williams - "Monday's Child" and "Our Stories" segments producer
• Erin Donovan - photojournalist and "Live a Little" segment producer
• Ken Schwall - "Positively Schwall" segment producer
• Brittany Bailey - backpack journalist
• Ed Rupp - weekday morning traffic
• Anthony Welsch
• Stoney Sharp
• Emily Stroud
• Steve Butera
• Jim Matheny
• Hillary Lake

External links

• WTNZ "Fox 43" (can be entered in mobile device for wireless access)
• WTNZ-DT2 This TV
• WBIR-TV "Channel 10"