WTVJ
Encyclopedia
WTVJ, virtual channel
6 (physical
31), is an owned-and-operated
television station
of the NBC
television network
, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned
Telemundo
station WSCV
(channel 51.1) in Miramar, Florida
, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north Miami-Dade County
. It is a television station in the South Florida metropolitan area
(also known as the Miami metropolitan area) market in the three counties: Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.
Formerly the audio signal of analog TV channel 6 was located at 87.75 MHz, and the audio signal could be heard on 87.7 MHz on the FM dial in most parts of South Florida. This frequency assignment applies to all channel 6 television stations in countries using the NTSC-M
standard. During the year, WTVJ promoted the use of 87.7 MHz for those listening in their automobiles, and during hurricanes as an emergency conduit of information for viewers unable to view on a television. With the June 12, 2009 digital mandate, the analog signal is no longer available, and it is likely that WTVJ will instead air their newscast audio over a traditional radio station in emergency situations.
ed:
On Wednesday February 25, 2009, WTVJ became the last O&O station to have Universal Sports on its digital subchannel
. WTVJ currently has Universal Sports on 6.3.
At noon on June 12, 2009, WTVJ terminated its normal programming on analog channel 6 and began transmitting the "Analog Nightlight
" educational video produced by the National Association of Broadcasters
. Regular programming continued on the station's post-transition digital frequency, channel 31. Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display WTVJ's virtual channel
as "6". After the digital transition, the station moved its main transmitter from WCIX's old site in Homestead to the Broward-Dade line, bringing WTVJ's transmission on par with the other Miami TV stations for the first time in fourteen years.
On June 26 WTVJ ended its "Analog Nightlight" service. After the programming loop completed, the station ran a pre-recorded video of news anchor Bob Mayer introducing a black-and-white film clip of Ralph Renick
uttering his closing phrase, "Good night... and may the good news be yours." The playing of the NBC chimes
was heard just as engineers shut down the analog channel 6 transmitter for the final time.
, which is owned by Miranda Broadcasting Company of Key West, LLC.
WTVJ was previously seen on two other translators, W58BU channel 58 in Hallandale (from a transmitter in Pembroke Park
) and W52BB channel 52 in Big Pine Key
. Prior to the analog shutdown and digital conversion, W58BU (originally W61AA until late 1992) was necessary because of WTVJ's former analog transmitter location in Redland
, which is 20 miles (32.2 km) southwest of downtown Miami
. This location is farther south than other Miami television stations. As a result, Fort Lauderdale
and the rest of Broward County received a grade-B signal from the analog tower. WTVJ shut off the analog transmitter for the last time on June 26, 2009, though W58BU remained on the air for nearly two years afterward; however, with WTVJ's digital transmitter now located in the same area as other major Miami television stations, the need for W58BU was diminished, and by April 5, 2011 the translator was closed down and NBC surrendered its license, with the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) formally deleting it on June 2. W52BB remains in operation as a separate station, WGZT-LP channel 27 in Key West.
's first television station and the 16th in the country. Originally broadcasting on channel 4, WTVJ was owned by Wometco Enterprises
, a national movie theater
chain headquartered in Miami. The original studios were located in the former Capitol Theater in Downtown Miami, which was Wometco's first theater when the company was founded in 1926. The station carried programming from all four major networks of that era (ABC
, NBC, CBS
, and DuMont
), but was a primary CBS affiliate. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network
.
WTVJ was the only commercial station in Miami until December 24, 1954, when WFTL-TV signed on from Fort Lauderdale as an NBC affiliate. However, WFTL had no success whatsoever against WTVJ, in part because television sets were not required to have UHF tuning until 1964. NBC continued to allow WTVJ to cherry-pick NBC programming until WCKT (now WSVN
) signed on in 1956 and WFTL went dark. (By this time, WFTL had been purchased by Storer Broadcasting
and changed its call letters to WGBS-TV in honor of George B. Storer, the company's president. Storer owned the station as an independent until it went dark sometime in 1956. The frequency which was used by WFTL-TV/WGBS-TV is now occupied by WLTV
, whose only common tie to the earlier station is the fact that it was launched by the same company that took the earlier station off the air years before.) It continued to share ABC
with WCKT until 1957 when WPST (now WPLG
) signed on. It also doubled as the CBS affiliate for West Palm Beach until WTVX
(now a CW
affiliate) signed on in 1966.
WTVJ served as the producing station for CBS's Jackie Gleason Show
after the comedian moved the program from New York City
to Miami Beach in 1964.
took over Wometco in 1984 in a deal worth $1 billion, the largest corporate buyout ever to that date. In 1985, the FCC raised the television station ownership limit from seven stations with no more than five on VHF to twelve stations regardless of frequency. KKR sold most of Wometco's entertainment assets to Wometco chief operating officer Arthur Hertz in 1985. With the cash from this sale, KKR bought Storer Broadcasting. It bought the stations because values were rising rapidly and the goal was to sell the stations in a few years.
In 1986, KKR opted to put WTVJ and the Storer stations on the market. It had plans to sell WTVJ for a record price of close to half a billion dollars (as part of a $1.85 billion group deal with six of the Storer stations), although the station was actually worth far less. CBS saw a chance to get an owned and operated television station in the fast-growing Miami market. However, it lost a bidding war to television syndication
firm Telepictures
(now part of Warner Bros. Television
). CBS then suggested that it intended to purchase WCIX, South Florida's Fox
affiliate owned by Taft Broadcasting
of Cincinnati. Such a deal would have made WTVJ the area's Fox affiliate. Although CBS only made a half-hearted bid for WCIX, Telepictures realized that the value of its purchase would be significantly depreciated with the loss of CBS. Also, while it was a major force in television syndication in its own right, Telepictures did not anticipate having to buy an additional 15 hours per day of programming (Fox had just debuted and would not air a full week's worth of programming for seven years). It walked away from the group deal in May 1986, and sold off its only other television station, WPGH-TV
in Pittsburgh, to Renaissance Broadcasting
.
, Pappas Telecasting Companies
, and Chris-Craft Industries
/United Television. These and other companies wanted to make WTVJ an independent station, or a Fox affiliate, for a price far lower than KKR's asking price. The only way that KKR could make such a large profit was to sell WTVJ to another network, as the only potential buyers who had no interest in keeping CBS while paying the asking price were ABC and NBC. A major network had never bought a VHF station affiliated with another network.
CBS did not believe that KKR would sell WTVJ to another network, so it returned with a very low offer. KKR turned the CBS offer down almost out of hand and then approached the other networks. ABC was not interested, since it was more than satisfied with its longtime affiliate, WPLG. However, NBC was very interested because its longtime affiliate, WSVN, pre-empted whatever shows NBC aired weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon, as well as an occasional primetime show. NBC was far less tolerant of preemptions than CBS and ABC at the time, and was particularly annoyed at losing valuable advertising in such a fast-growing market. This was not a problem at first since NBC was able to find alternate stations in the area to carry any programs that WSVN didn't air, plus, any programs pre-empted by WSVN aired on NBC's affiliate in West Palm Beach, WPTV
, and WPTV's signal covered most of the Miami area, and was available on every cable system in the area. However, by 1985, WPTV had disappeared from most Miami cable systems to make way for new cable channels, resulting in some NBC programming preempted by WSVN being unavailable to some viewers. NBC realized that buying its own station with less restrictive ownership laws would guarantee that all of its shows would air. Hence, it made an offer almost as high as Telepictures did a few months before, and in 1987, KKR agreed to sell WTVJ to NBC.
NBC assumed control of WTVJ in mid-September 1987. However, both WTVJ's and WSVN's existing affiliation contracts lasted until December 31, 1988. As a result, NBC faced the prospect of having to run WTVJ as a CBS affiliate for over a year. This did not sit well with either NBC or CBS, and both approached WSVN's owner, Ed Ansin (Sunbeam Television
), about ending his station's NBC affiliation early. However, Ansin refused because he wanted to air NBC's strong lineup that year, which included the Summer Olympics
, the MLB
World Series
, along with the many hit shows airing on NBC at that time. He also wanted to take the CBS affiliation at the beginning of 1989. NBC did strip nearly all CBS branding from the station, and began airing all NBC programming preempted by WSVN. In turn, this resulted in some CBS shows being preempted on WTVJ, with those shows airing on WCIX.
CBS then formally approached WCIX, despite the fact that it would have provided a much weaker signal to Fort Lauderdale than that provided by WTVJ or WSVN. WCIX's transmitter was located near Homestead
, 20 miles southwest of Downtown Miami. This gave Fort Lauderdale only a Grade B signal, which was weaker than all of the other television stations in the market. Accordingly, CBS persuaded West Palm Beach's longtime ABC affiliate, WPEC
, in West Palm Beach to change its affiliation to CBS, so that it could continue to get a city-grade signal in Broward County. In the spring of 1988, CBS announced that it was purchasing WCIX from the TVX Broadcast Group
(which would become ironic more than 10 years later when Viacom, the parent company of TVX's successor Paramount Stations Group
, purchased CBS), who had purchased the station in 1987 as Taft was restructuring to become Great American Broadcasting. The changeover occurred on January 1, 1989, when WTVJ ended its 40-year affiliation with CBS and became the third station in Miami to carry NBC, as well as the first of two network-owned stations in Florida, the other being WCIX. CBS moved the rest of its programming over to WCIX, while WSVN became the new Fox affiliate for South Florida, and most of WCIX's syndicated programming – with the exception of Star Trek: The Next Generation
– went to WDZL (channel 39, now WSFL-TV
).
With the network switch, WTVJ became the primary station for the Miami Dolphins
, as the American Football Conference
of the National Football League
(which the Dolphins were part of) aired its games on NBC
. As a CBS affiliate, WTVJ carried sold-out afternoon home games against National Football Conference
opponents starting in 1973. WTVJ would air Dolphins games through the end of the 1997 season.
signed a long-term deal with CBS, in which the three Group W stations not already affiliated with CBS would become CBS affiliates; the other two stations had already been CBS affiliates. Westinghouse and CBS would merge later that year, making all the Group W stations CBS O&Os. One of the stations was Philadelphia's longtime NBC affiliate, KYW-TV
. CBS decided to sell off its longtime owned and operated television station in that same market, WCAU-TV
. This led to a deal in 1995 between CBS and NBC, where CBS sold the channel 6 facility to NBC as compensation for the loss of KYW-TV and Westinghouse's other NBC affiliate, WBZ-TV
in Boston
. In return, CBS received the stronger channel 4 facility and cash as compensation for the loss of WCAU (KCNC-TV
in Denver and KUTV in Salt Lake City ended up switching to CBS in this deal, causing NBC to find new homes in both markets on KUSA-TV
and KSL-TV
respectively).
On September 10, 1995, WTVJ and WCIX swapped dial positions. WTVJ's entire intellectual unit (calls, shows, NBC network, and staff) moved from channel 4 to channel 6, while the WCIX intellectual unit moved to channel 4 as WFOR-TV
. However, both stations' studios remained the same. Due to the way the transfer was structured, the two stations were required to swap licenses in addition to the transmitting facilities. As a result, the FCC considers WTVJ to be legally the same station as the old WCIX. This move led to WPTV picking up NBC market share in Broward County from WTVJ, as WTVJ moved its transmitter from its longtime home on the Broward-Dade line to WCIX's old transmitter in Homestead. WPTV's signal in Fort Lauderale is actually closer to city-grade than WTVJ's (though still Grade B). In the months prior to the swap, WTVJ dropped all references to its then-channel 4 position outside of news programming (newscasts continued to be titled Channel 4 News until the move to channel 6), instead branding as "WTVJ NBC", using a logo featuring only the NBC peacock logo with the callsign underneath rendered in Univers typeface.
In April 1998, WTVJ sold its longtime studios located at 316 N. Miami Ave. in downtown Miami for to the General Services Administration
for $11.6 million, which planned to build a courthouse on the space. Three months later, it was announced that the station purchased land located off the intersection of Interstate 75 and Miramar Parkway in the Broward County community of Miramar, with plans to build the present-day 64,000 square foot studio facility housing the station, which opened in 2000.
On March 19, 2008, NBC Universal
announced that it was putting WTVJ on the market for an estimated $350 million. On March 21, 2008, WTVJ celebrated its 59th anniversary and began its 60th year of continuous broadcasting. On July 18, long-time WTVJ anchor Bob Mayer made the official announcement live on the station's mid-day talk show
(South Florida Today) that the station was being sold to Post-Newsweek Stations
. The purchase would have created a duopoly
between WTVJ and WPLG (currently owned by Post-Newsweek). An FCC rule allows the purchase of a station in the same market if "at least 1 of the stations in the combination is not ranked among the top 4 stations in terms of audience share". As of May 2008 ratings period, WTVJ ranked 6th overall in total-day Nielsen ratings
and WPLG
rated number one which allowed the possibility of a purchase. A TV Newsday published report indicates that in a July 25 FCC filing, Post-Newsweek bought WTVJ for $205 million. Industry experts had estimated the station would bring in up to $350 million. However, the sale did not include real estate. In this deal, the two stations would have merged their operations at WPLG's new studios on Hallandale Beach Boulevard in Pembroke Park. As part of this purchase, Post-Newsweek would have acquired all of WTVJ's new high definition
production equipment that was installed in its Miramar sudios (including WSCV). Despite a formal petition having been filed with the FCC against the proposed sale, the sale was cleared by the Federal Trade Commission
October 6.
Eventually, the sale of WTVJ was canceled on December 23, 2008, with NBC and Post-Newsweek parent The Washington Post Company citing poor economic conditions and the lack of FCC approval as the reasons for the cancellation.
Due to the sale attempt, WTVJ was the final NBC-owned station (other than its Telemundo stations) to continue to use the old format (powered by Internet Broadcasting
) for its Web site. With NBC retaining ownership of WTVJ, this changed on March 16, 2009, when nbcmiami.com was launched.
On March 21, 2009, WTVJ celebrated its 60th anniversary and aired a half-hour special "WTVJ: The First 60 Years", which highlighted the station's history from its beginning on March 21, 1949 to the present http://www.nbcmiami.com/station/nbc6/60th_Anniversary.html.
Currently, WTVJ broadcasts a total of 31 hours of local newscasts each week (with five hours on weekdays and three hours on weekends). Unlike most NBC stations, WTVJ does not air a midday newscast on weekdays; instead, it airs a local talk/lifestyle program at 11 a.m. called Live Miami at 11 a.m. During weather segments, WTVJ uses two weather radar
systems, "Weather Plus TITAN Radar" and "Weather Plus VIPIR Radar". The station offered NBC Weather Plus
on its second digital subchannel and on Comcast
and Atlantic Broadband digital cable, but in conjunction with NBC/Comcast Universal's new campaign, it has been reformatted into a 24-hour local content channel, "NBC Miami Nonstop"; the subchannel also carries a weeknight 9 p.m. newscast.
Soon after WTVJ signed on, it hired Ralph Renick
, who had just graduated from the University of Miami
, as its first anchorman and News Director. Renick would be the face of WTVJ for nearly 36 years best known for his catchphrase at the end of every newscast, "Good night, and may the good news be yours". At the same time, the station also hired Bernie Rosen and Bob Weaver
. One of the nation's first ever television news meteorologists, Weaver reported weather for the station for more than five decades. Rosen, who went on to run the station's award winning sports department for more than three decades, is the only remaining original employee still working at the station, and is currently in his 60th consecutive year at WTVJ. On February 6, 2008, Rosen was presented with the prestigious Golden Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The Academy honored Rosen for his more than 50 years of service to the South Florida television community. While many of South Florida's veteran television personalities have received the Silver Circle Award for marking 25 years in the business, the Golden Circle Award has been given only once before in South Florida, in 2004 when it went to Bob Weaver, also a lifelong WTVJ employee.
In 1992, when Hurricane Andrew
struck South Florida, WTVJ was the only station to give complete coverage of the story non-stop with meteorologist Bryan Norcross
. WTVJ won local Emmys for its coverage of Hurricane Andrew. Most of WTVJ's archive from 1949 through 2004 (as well as other Florida television stations) are stored at the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives in downtown Miami.
In 1997, WTVJ and the Sun-Sentinel began co-producing a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on WB affiliate WDZL known as WB 39 News at 10. After the station (by then renamed WBZL) became a CW affiliate on September 18, 2006 and became WSFL-TV
, the newscast title changed to CW News at 10. The newscast was broadcast from a secondary set at WTVJ's studios and was a similar operation to other Tribune
-outsourced newscasts that were (and still are) seen on KRCW-TV
and WPHL-TV
. The final WSFL newscast aired on August 31, 2008, as Tribune did not renew the partnership because of the then-pending sale of WTVJ to Post-Newsweek, a newspaper competitor to Tribune.
On September 10, 2007, in hopes of catching a new audience, WTVJ launched the market's first weeknight 7 o'clock news, a format NBC liked, and used with several other NBC owned stations including WNBC
and KNSD
. At the same time, WTVJ dropped its 5 p.m. newscast, opting to show The Ellen DeGeneres Show
instead (this lasted until May 2011, when they reinstated the 5 p.m. newscast, canceling the 7 p.m. program).
On March 5, 2008, WTVJ began broadcasting its local news in high definition. It was the first television station in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market and the fourth station in South Florida to have made the upgrade. On October 1, 2011, WTVJ debuted weekend morning newscasts, airing from 6-7 and 8-9 a.m. on Saturdays and 6-8 a.m. on Sundays.
NBC 6 Weather Channel Team
Sports team
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....
6 (physical
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
31), is an owned-and-operated
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...
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...
of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned
Duopoly (broadcasting)
In United States broadcast television and radio, duopoly is a term used to describe a single company which owns two or more stations in the same city or community....
Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
station WSCV
WSCV
WSCV Telemundo 51 is the Telemundo O&O that serves the Miami - Fort Lauderdale area and licensed to Fort Lauderdale. The transmitter is located in Miramar. The station also serves as the de facto Telemundo affiliate for the West Palm Beach market. The station is owned by NBCUniversal along with NBC...
(channel 51.1) in Miramar, Florida
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...
, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
. It is a television station in the South Florida metropolitan area
South Florida metropolitan area
The South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
(also known as the Miami metropolitan area) market in the three counties: Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.
Formerly the audio signal of analog TV channel 6 was located at 87.75 MHz, and the audio signal could be heard on 87.7 MHz on the FM dial in most parts of South Florida. This frequency assignment applies to all channel 6 television stations in countries using the NTSC-M
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
standard. During the year, WTVJ promoted the use of 87.7 MHz for those listening in their automobiles, and during hurricanes as an emergency conduit of information for viewers unable to view on a television. With the June 12, 2009 digital mandate, the analog signal is no longer available, and it is likely that WTVJ will instead air their newscast audio over a traditional radio station in emergency situations.
Digital programming
WTVJ's digital signal, which has been operating at a maximum legal power of 1,000 kW since its sign-on in July 2003, is multiplexMultiplex (TV)
A multiplex or mux is a group of TV channels that are mixed together for broadcast over a digital TV channel and separated out again by the receiver...
ed:
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 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 WTVJ programming / NBC |
| 6.2 | 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... |
NBC Miami Nonstop | |
| 6.3 | 4:3 | Universal Sports Universal Sports Universal Sports is an American television network that airs various sports, primarily those contested in the Olympic Games, including swimming, gymnastics, cycling, track and field, figure skating, skiing, bobsledding and triathlon.-Programming:... |
On Wednesday February 25, 2009, WTVJ became the last O&O station to have Universal Sports on its 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...
. WTVJ currently has Universal Sports on 6.3.
At noon on June 12, 2009, WTVJ terminated its normal programming on analog channel 6 and began transmitting the "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...
" educational video produced by the National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
. Regular programming continued on the station's post-transition digital frequency, channel 31. Through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display WTVJ's virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
as "6". After the digital transition, the station moved its main transmitter from WCIX's old site in Homestead to the Broward-Dade line, bringing WTVJ's transmission on par with the other Miami TV stations for the first time in fourteen years.
On June 26 WTVJ ended its "Analog Nightlight" service. After the programming loop completed, the station ran a pre-recorded video of news anchor Bob Mayer introducing a black-and-white film clip of Ralph Renick
Ralph Renick
Ralph Apperson Renick was a pioneer television news journalist for Miami's WTVJ, channel 4 , Florida's first television station...
uttering his closing phrase, "Good night... and may the good news be yours." The playing of the NBC chimes
NBC chimes
The NBC chimes, named for the radio and television network on which they have been used, consists of a succession of three distinct pitches: G3, E4, and C4 , sounded in that order, creating an arpeggiated C-major chord in the second inversion, within about two seconds time, and reverberating for...
was heard just as engineers shut down the analog channel 6 transmitter for the final time.
Repeaters
In addition to its main signals, WTVJ is also carried on repeater W44AC channel 44 in Key WestKey West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, which is owned by Miranda Broadcasting Company of Key West, LLC.
WTVJ was previously seen on two other translators, W58BU channel 58 in Hallandale (from a transmitter in Pembroke Park
Pembroke Park, Florida
Pembroke Park is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town took its name from its location along Pembroke Road. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,102. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010 census. Close to half...
) and W52BB channel 52 in Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key, Florida
Big Pine Key is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an island of the same name in the Florida Keys. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,032.-Geography:...
. Prior to the analog shutdown and digital conversion, W58BU (originally W61AA until late 1992) was necessary because of WTVJ's former analog transmitter location in Redland
Redland, Florida
Redland, sometimes pluralized The Redlands, is an agricultural community in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States, about southwest of Downtown Miami. Many farms, original clapboard homes of early settlers, u-pick'em fields and coral rock walls dot the landscape. It is named for the red clay...
, which is 20 miles (32.2 km) southwest of downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
. This location is farther south than other Miami television stations. As a result, Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
and the rest of Broward County received a grade-B signal from the analog tower. WTVJ shut off the analog transmitter for the last time on June 26, 2009, though W58BU remained on the air for nearly two years afterward; however, with WTVJ's digital transmitter now located in the same area as other major Miami television stations, the need for W58BU was diminished, and by April 5, 2011 the translator was closed down and NBC surrendered its license, with 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) formally deleting it on June 2. W52BB remains in operation as a separate station, WGZT-LP channel 27 in Key West.
Florida's first television station
WTVJ went on the air at noon on March 21, 1949. It was FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's first television station and the 16th in the country. Originally broadcasting on channel 4, WTVJ was owned by Wometco Enterprises
Wometco Enterprises
Wometco Enterprises is a company headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida; a suburb of Miami. It was a large media company but today it is known only as the owner of the Miami Seaquarium.- History :...
, a national movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
chain headquartered in Miami. The original studios were located in the former Capitol Theater in Downtown Miami, which was Wometco's first theater when the company was founded in 1926. The station carried programming from all four major networks of that era (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...
, NBC, 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 DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
), but was a primary CBS affiliate. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network
NTA Film Network
The NTA Film Network was an early American television network founded by Ely Landau in 1956. The network was not a full-time television network like CBS, NBC, or ABC. Rather, it operated on a part-time basis, broadcasting films and several first-run television programs from major Hollywood studios...
.
WTVJ was the only commercial station in Miami until December 24, 1954, when WFTL-TV signed on from Fort Lauderdale as an NBC affiliate. However, WFTL had no success whatsoever against WTVJ, in part because television sets were not required to have UHF tuning until 1964. NBC continued to allow WTVJ to cherry-pick NBC programming until WCKT (now 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...
) signed on in 1956 and WFTL went dark. (By this time, WFTL had been purchased by Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting, Inc. was an American company which owned several television and radio stations in the northeast United States. It was incorporated in Ohio in 1927, and sold its broadcasting properties in 1983.-1920s—1940s:...
and changed its call letters to WGBS-TV in honor of George B. Storer, the company's president. Storer owned the station as an independent until it went dark sometime in 1956. The frequency which was used by WFTL-TV/WGBS-TV is now occupied by WLTV
WLTV
WLTV-DT is a Univision owned and operated station serving Spanish-speaking viewers in South Florida. The station is located in Doral, where Univision's production facilities are also located. The transmitter is located in Miami Gardens...
, whose only common tie to the earlier station is the fact that it was launched by the same company that took the earlier station off the air years before.) It continued to share 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 WCKT until 1957 when WPST (now WPLG
WPLG
WPLG, channel 10, is an ABC network affiliated television station located in Miami, Florida. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. The station's studios are located in Pembroke Park, and its transmitter is located at the massive broadcast...
) signed on. It also doubled as the CBS affiliate for West Palm Beach until WTVX
WTVX
WTVX is the CW-affiliated television station for West Palm Beach, Florida that is licensed to Fort Pierce. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter southwest of Palm City and I-95 in Martin County...
(now a 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...
affiliate) signed on in 1966.
WTVJ served as the producing station for CBS's Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
after the comedian moved the program from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Miami Beach in 1964.
Acquisition by KKR
Wometco founder and president Mitchell Wolfson died in 1983 and a long-rumored secret plan to run the company after his death was never found. Remaining Wolfson heirs had no desire to keep the company in the family, and it quickly unraveled, making it a ripe takeover target. Investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
KKR & Co. L.P. is an American-based global private equity firm, specializing in leveraged buyouts, based in New York. The firm sponsors and manages private equity investment funds. Since its inception, the firm has completed over $400 billion of private equity transactions and was a pioneer in...
took over Wometco in 1984 in a deal worth $1 billion, the largest corporate buyout ever to that date. In 1985, the FCC raised the television station ownership limit from seven stations with no more than five on VHF to twelve stations regardless of frequency. KKR sold most of Wometco's entertainment assets to Wometco chief operating officer Arthur Hertz in 1985. With the cash from this sale, KKR bought Storer Broadcasting. It bought the stations because values were rising rapidly and the goal was to sell the stations in a few years.
In 1986, KKR opted to put WTVJ and the Storer stations on the market. It had plans to sell WTVJ for a record price of close to half a billion dollars (as part of a $1.85 billion group deal with six of the Storer stations), although the station was actually worth far less. CBS saw a chance to get an owned and operated television station in the fast-growing Miami market. However, it lost a bidding war to television syndication
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...
firm Telepictures
Telepictures
Telepictures is an American production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television, with Hilary Estey McLoughlin currently serving as President...
(now part of Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
). CBS then suggested that it intended to purchase WCIX, South Florida's Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate owned by Taft Broadcasting
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio....
of Cincinnati. Such a deal would have made WTVJ the area's Fox affiliate. Although CBS only made a half-hearted bid for WCIX, Telepictures realized that the value of its purchase would be significantly depreciated with the loss of CBS. Also, while it was a major force in television syndication in its own right, Telepictures did not anticipate having to buy an additional 15 hours per day of programming (Fox had just debuted and would not air a full week's worth of programming for seven years). It walked away from the group deal in May 1986, and sold off its only other television station, 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...
in Pittsburgh, to Renaissance Broadcasting
Renaissance Broadcasting
Renaissance Broadcasting, founded in 1982 by Michael Finkelstien, was a company that owned several UHF television stations, it was sold to Tribune Broadcasting in 1997...
.
Acquisition by NBC
Over the next few months, the only offers for WTVJ came from companies that owned large groups of independent stations, such as Tribune BroadcastingTribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
, Pappas Telecasting Companies
Pappas Telecasting Companies
Pappas Telecasting Companies was a diversely organized broadcasting company headquartered in Visalia, California, United States. Founded in 1971, it was one of the largest privately held broadcasting companies in the country, with its stations reaching over 15% of all U.S. households and over 32%...
, and Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., formerly National Automotive Fibers, Inc., was a publicly-held American corporation traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It later took on the name of one of its acquisitions, Chris-Craft Boats...
/United Television. These and other companies wanted to make WTVJ an independent station, or a Fox affiliate, for a price far lower than KKR's asking price. The only way that KKR could make such a large profit was to sell WTVJ to another network, as the only potential buyers who had no interest in keeping CBS while paying the asking price were ABC and NBC. A major network had never bought a VHF station affiliated with another network.
CBS did not believe that KKR would sell WTVJ to another network, so it returned with a very low offer. KKR turned the CBS offer down almost out of hand and then approached the other networks. ABC was not interested, since it was more than satisfied with its longtime affiliate, WPLG. However, NBC was very interested because its longtime affiliate, WSVN, pre-empted whatever shows NBC aired weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon, as well as an occasional primetime show. NBC was far less tolerant of preemptions than CBS and ABC at the time, and was particularly annoyed at losing valuable advertising in such a fast-growing market. This was not a problem at first since NBC was able to find alternate stations in the area to carry any programs that WSVN didn't air, plus, any programs pre-empted by WSVN aired on NBC's affiliate in West Palm Beach, WPTV
WPTV
WPTV-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Florida's Gold and Treasure Coasts. Licensed to West Palm Beach, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Lake Worth along U.S. 441/SR 7. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 3...
, and WPTV's signal covered most of the Miami area, and was available on every cable system in the area. However, by 1985, WPTV had disappeared from most Miami cable systems to make way for new cable channels, resulting in some NBC programming preempted by WSVN being unavailable to some viewers. NBC realized that buying its own station with less restrictive ownership laws would guarantee that all of its shows would air. Hence, it made an offer almost as high as Telepictures did a few months before, and in 1987, KKR agreed to sell WTVJ to NBC.
NBC assumed control of WTVJ in mid-September 1987. However, both WTVJ's and WSVN's existing affiliation contracts lasted until December 31, 1988. As a result, NBC faced the prospect of having to run WTVJ as a CBS affiliate for over a year. This did not sit well with either NBC or CBS, and both approached WSVN's owner, Ed Ansin (Sunbeam Television
Sunbeam Television
Sunbeam Television Corporation is a broadcasting company based in Miami, Florida, and owns three television stations in the United States.-History:...
), about ending his station's NBC affiliation early. However, Ansin refused because he wanted to air NBC's strong lineup that year, which included the Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
, along with the many hit shows airing on NBC at that time. He also wanted to take the CBS affiliation at the beginning of 1989. NBC did strip nearly all CBS branding from the station, and began airing all NBC programming preempted by WSVN. In turn, this resulted in some CBS shows being preempted on WTVJ, with those shows airing on WCIX.
CBS then formally approached WCIX, despite the fact that it would have provided a much weaker signal to Fort Lauderdale than that provided by WTVJ or WSVN. WCIX's transmitter was located near Homestead
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
, 20 miles southwest of Downtown Miami. This gave Fort Lauderdale only a Grade B signal, which was weaker than all of the other television stations in the market. Accordingly, CBS persuaded West Palm Beach's longtime ABC affiliate, WPEC
WPEC
WPEC is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Gold and Treasure Coasts of South Florida. Licensed to West Palm Beach, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Lake Worth along U.S. 441/SR 7. The station is the flagship of Freedom Communications...
, in West Palm Beach to change its affiliation to CBS, so that it could continue to get a city-grade signal in Broward County. In the spring of 1988, CBS announced that it was purchasing WCIX from the TVX Broadcast Group
TVX Broadcast Group
The TVX Broadcast Group was an American media company that owned a group of UHF television stations during the 1980s. Originally known as the Television Corporation, the company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, and was founded by a group of Norfolk-area businessmen led by Timothy McDonald...
(which would become ironic more than 10 years later when Viacom, the parent company of TVX's successor Paramount Stations Group
Paramount Stations Group
Paramount Stations Group was a television broadcasting company that was renamed from the TVX Broadcast Group in 1991 after Paramount Pictures gained full ownership of the group. At the time, it owned several Fox affiliates and independent stations...
, purchased CBS), who had purchased the station in 1987 as Taft was restructuring to become Great American Broadcasting. The changeover occurred on January 1, 1989, when WTVJ ended its 40-year affiliation with CBS and became the third station in Miami to carry NBC, as well as the first of two network-owned stations in Florida, the other being WCIX. CBS moved the rest of its programming over to WCIX, while WSVN became the new Fox affiliate for South Florida, and most of WCIX's syndicated programming – with the exception of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
– went to WDZL (channel 39, now WSFL-TV
WSFL-TV
WSFL-TV, channel 39, is a The CW Television Network-affiliated television station located in Miami. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station shares studios with co-owned newspaper the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, and has its transmitter based in Miramar, Florida.It is a television station in...
).
With the network switch, WTVJ became the primary station for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, as the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
of the National Football League
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...
(which the Dolphins were part of) aired its games on NBC
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
. As a CBS affiliate, WTVJ carried sold-out afternoon home games against National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
opponents starting in 1973. WTVJ would air Dolphins games through the end of the 1997 season.
Changing channels
In 1994, Westinghouse and its broadcasting division Group WWestinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication....
signed a long-term deal with CBS, in which the three Group W stations not already affiliated with CBS would become CBS affiliates; the other two stations had already been CBS affiliates. Westinghouse and CBS would merge later that year, making all the Group W stations CBS O&Os. One of the stations was Philadelphia's longtime NBC affiliate, KYW-TV
KYW-TV
KYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
. CBS decided to sell off its longtime owned and operated television station in that same market, WCAU-TV
WCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
. This led to a deal in 1995 between CBS and NBC, where CBS sold the channel 6 facility to NBC as compensation for the loss of KYW-TV and Westinghouse's other NBC affiliate, WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
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 return, CBS received the stronger channel 4 facility and cash as compensation for the loss of WCAU (KCNC-TV
KCNC-TV
KCNC-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated station television station in Denver, Colorado, owned by CBS Television Stations, Inc. KCNC broadcasts on UHF channel 35 from Lookout Mountain near Golden, Colorado.- Digital programming :...
in Denver and KUTV in Salt Lake City ended up switching to CBS in this deal, causing NBC to find new homes in both markets on KUSA-TV
KUSA-TV
KUSA, channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado. KUSA is owned by the Gannett Company, and is a sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate KTVD...
and KSL-TV
KSL-TV
KSL-TV, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. KSL-TV is owned by Bonneville International Corporation, which is in turn owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
respectively).
On September 10, 1995, WTVJ and WCIX swapped dial positions. WTVJ's entire intellectual unit (calls, shows, NBC network, and staff) moved from channel 4 to channel 6, while the WCIX intellectual unit moved to channel 4 as WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
. However, both stations' studios remained the same. Due to the way the transfer was structured, the two stations were required to swap licenses in addition to the transmitting facilities. As a result, the FCC considers WTVJ to be legally the same station as the old WCIX. This move led to WPTV picking up NBC market share in Broward County from WTVJ, as WTVJ moved its transmitter from its longtime home on the Broward-Dade line to WCIX's old transmitter in Homestead. WPTV's signal in Fort Lauderale is actually closer to city-grade than WTVJ's (though still Grade B). In the months prior to the swap, WTVJ dropped all references to its then-channel 4 position outside of news programming (newscasts continued to be titled Channel 4 News until the move to channel 6), instead branding as "WTVJ NBC", using a logo featuring only the NBC peacock logo with the callsign underneath rendered in Univers typeface.
In April 1998, WTVJ sold its longtime studios located at 316 N. Miami Ave. in downtown Miami for to the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
for $11.6 million, which planned to build a courthouse on the space. Three months later, it was announced that the station purchased land located off the intersection of Interstate 75 and Miramar Parkway in the Broward County community of Miramar, with plans to build the present-day 64,000 square foot studio facility housing the station, which opened in 2000.
On March 19, 2008, NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
announced that it was putting WTVJ on the market for an estimated $350 million. On March 21, 2008, WTVJ celebrated its 59th anniversary and began its 60th year of continuous broadcasting. On July 18, long-time WTVJ anchor Bob Mayer made the official announcement live on the station's mid-day talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
(South Florida Today) that the station was being sold to Post-Newsweek Stations
Post-Newsweek Stations
Post-Newsweek Stations is the official name of the broadcasting division of the Washington Post Company and is a self-contained corporation within that company...
. The purchase would have created a duopoly
Duopoly (broadcasting)
In United States broadcast television and radio, duopoly is a term used to describe a single company which owns two or more stations in the same city or community....
between WTVJ and WPLG (currently owned by Post-Newsweek). An FCC rule allows the purchase of a station in the same market if "at least 1 of the stations in the combination is not ranked among the top 4 stations in terms of audience share". As of May 2008 ratings period, WTVJ ranked 6th overall in total-day Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
and WPLG
WPLG
WPLG, channel 10, is an ABC network affiliated television station located in Miami, Florida. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. The station's studios are located in Pembroke Park, and its transmitter is located at the massive broadcast...
rated number one which allowed the possibility of a purchase. A TV Newsday published report indicates that in a July 25 FCC filing, Post-Newsweek bought WTVJ for $205 million. Industry experts had estimated the station would bring in up to $350 million. However, the sale did not include real estate. In this deal, the two stations would have merged their operations at WPLG's new studios on Hallandale Beach Boulevard in Pembroke Park. As part of this purchase, Post-Newsweek would have acquired all of WTVJ's new 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...
production equipment that was installed in its Miramar sudios (including WSCV). Despite a formal petition having been filed with the FCC against the proposed sale, the sale was cleared by the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
October 6.
Eventually, the sale of WTVJ was canceled on December 23, 2008, with NBC and Post-Newsweek parent The Washington Post Company citing poor economic conditions and the lack of FCC approval as the reasons for the cancellation.
Due to the sale attempt, WTVJ was the final NBC-owned station (other than its Telemundo stations) to continue to use the old format (powered by Internet Broadcasting
Internet Broadcasting
Internet Broadcasting , or IB, is a provider of Websites, content and advertising revenue solution to the largest and most successful media companies in the world. IB hosts over 70 local stations' sites, and co-produced NBCOlympics.com for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 2006...
) for its Web site. With NBC retaining ownership of WTVJ, this changed on March 16, 2009, when nbcmiami.com was launched.
On March 21, 2009, WTVJ celebrated its 60th anniversary and aired a half-hour special "WTVJ: The First 60 Years", which highlighted the station's history from its beginning on March 21, 1949 to the present http://www.nbcmiami.com/station/nbc6/60th_Anniversary.html.
News operation
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
systems, "Weather Plus TITAN Radar" and "Weather Plus VIPIR Radar". The station offered NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus was a 24-hour, commercially sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC network. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and shut down on December 31, 2008...
on its second digital subchannel and 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...
and Atlantic Broadband digital cable, but in conjunction with NBC/Comcast Universal's new campaign, it has been reformatted into a 24-hour local content channel, "NBC Miami Nonstop"; the subchannel also carries a weeknight 9 p.m. newscast.
Soon after WTVJ signed on, it hired Ralph Renick
Ralph Renick
Ralph Apperson Renick was a pioneer television news journalist for Miami's WTVJ, channel 4 , Florida's first television station...
, who had just graduated from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, as its first anchorman and News Director. Renick would be the face of WTVJ for nearly 36 years best known for his catchphrase at the end of every newscast, "Good night, and may the good news be yours". At the same time, the station also hired Bernie Rosen and Bob Weaver
Bob Weaver
Bob Weaver was one of the USA's first TV weathermen.-Biography:Weaver was born in New York City. He moved to Florida to attend the University of Miami...
. One of the nation's first ever television news meteorologists, Weaver reported weather for the station for more than five decades. Rosen, who went on to run the station's award winning sports department for more than three decades, is the only remaining original employee still working at the station, and is currently in his 60th consecutive year at WTVJ. On February 6, 2008, Rosen was presented with the prestigious Golden Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The Academy honored Rosen for his more than 50 years of service to the South Florida television community. While many of South Florida's veteran television personalities have received the Silver Circle Award for marking 25 years in the business, the Golden Circle Award has been given only once before in South Florida, in 2004 when it went to Bob Weaver, also a lifelong WTVJ employee.
In 1992, when Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
struck South Florida, WTVJ was the only station to give complete coverage of the story non-stop with meteorologist Bryan Norcross
Bryan Norcross
Bryan Norcross is a former television meteorologist and hurricane specialist for WFOR-TV and the chief hurricane analyst for CBS News in New York...
. WTVJ won local Emmys for its coverage of Hurricane Andrew. Most of WTVJ's archive from 1949 through 2004 (as well as other Florida television stations) are stored at the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives in downtown Miami.
In 1997, WTVJ and the Sun-Sentinel began co-producing a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on WB affiliate WDZL known as WB 39 News at 10. After the station (by then renamed WBZL) became a CW affiliate on September 18, 2006 and became WSFL-TV
WSFL-TV
WSFL-TV, channel 39, is a The CW Television Network-affiliated television station located in Miami. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station shares studios with co-owned newspaper the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, and has its transmitter based in Miramar, Florida.It is a television station in...
, the newscast title changed to CW News at 10. The newscast was broadcast from a secondary set at WTVJ's studios and was a similar operation to other Tribune
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
-outsourced newscasts that were (and still are) seen on KRCW-TV
KRCW-TV
KRCW-TV is the CW-affiliated television station for Portland, Oregon that is licensed to Salem. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter in the Sylvan-Highlands section of Portland. Owned by the Tribune Company, KRCW has studios on Southwest Arctic Drive...
and WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV, channel 17, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the Tribune Company and currently affiliated with the News Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV television network. This makes it the largest non-O&O station of the network...
. The final WSFL newscast aired on August 31, 2008, as Tribune did not renew the partnership because of the then-pending sale of WTVJ to Post-Newsweek, a newspaper competitor to Tribune.
On September 10, 2007, in hopes of catching a new audience, WTVJ launched the market's first weeknight 7 o'clock news, a format NBC liked, and used with several other NBC owned stations including WNBC
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
and KNSD
KNSD
KNSD is the NBC television station based in San Diego, California. It is owned by a joint venture of NBCUniversal and LIN TV . However, because NBCUniversal has majority control, KNSD is run as an NBC owned and operated station...
. At the same time, WTVJ dropped its 5 p.m. newscast, opting to show The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
instead (this lasted until May 2011, when they reinstated the 5 p.m. newscast, canceling the 7 p.m. program).
On March 5, 2008, WTVJ began broadcasting its local news in high definition. It was the first television station in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market and the fourth station in South Florida to have made the upgrade. On October 1, 2011, WTVJ debuted weekend morning newscasts, airing from 6-7 and 8-9 a.m. on Saturdays and 6-8 a.m. on Sundays.
Newscast titles
- Televiews of the News (6:15 p.m. newscast; 1949–1951)
- The Ralph Renick Report (6 p.m. newscast; 1953–1984)
- Newsnight with Dick Bate (11 p.m. newscast; 1965–1967)
- News at Noon with Del Frank (1965–1985)
- Twenty-Four Hours (11 p.m. newscast; 1967–1969)
- The Prescott Robinson Report (11 p.m. newscast; 1969–1973)
- The World Tonight With Jim Brosemer (11 p.m. newscast; 1973–1983)
- Channel 4 NewsChannel 4 News (United States)Channel 4 News is the name shared by various local newscasts - primarily NBC affiliates - throughout the United States. The branding is a successor to the NewsCenter brand.-History:...
(mid 1970s–early 1980s and 1989–1995, shortened to "4 News" in graphics during latter period) - News Weekend With Bob Mayer (6 and 11 p.m. newscasts; 1974–1982)
- News 4 (1983–1989; WFOR-TV returned title as News 4 South Florida in 1995)
- News 4 With Ralph Renick (6 p.m. newscast; 1984–1985)
- Today in South Florida (morning newscast; 1989–2011; WSVN uses similar title, Today in Florida, for its morning newscast)
- Live at Eleven (11 a.m. news, talk and interview show; 1992)
- Channel 6 News (1995–present; used when the station moved to channel 6, still used locally)
- NBC 6 News (1997–2011)
- NBC Miami News (2009–present)
- South Florida Today (11 a.m. news/talk program; 2004–2011)
- South Florida Nightly News (7 p.m. newscast; 2007–2011)
- South Florida Tonight (11 p.m. newscast; 2006–2011)
- NBC Miami Today (morning newscast; 2011–present)
- Live Miami at 11 a.m. (news/talk program; 2011–present)
- NBC Miami at 5 (5 p.m. newscast; 2011–present)
- NBC Miami at 6 (6 p.m. newscast; 2011–present)
- NBC Miami at 11 (11 p.m. newscast; 2011–present)
Station slogans
- On the Spot Coverage of Florida (1949–mid 1960s)
- South Florida's Largest Daily Circulation (mid 1960s–early 1970s)
- Friends You Can Turn To (early 1970s–1984)
- We're 4 for You, Friends You Can Turn To (1984–1986; used in image campaign using Tuesday Productions' "Tuesday16")
- South Florida's News Leader (1984–1986; 2005–present)
- We're on Your Side (1986–1988)
- The Heart of South Florida (1988–1990)
- Don't Worry, Be HappyDon't Worry, Be Happy"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 2 during its fifth week on the chart...
(1990–1993; used in image campaign based on song by Bobby McFerrinBobby McFerrinRobert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
) - Watch Our Teamwork (1990–1992; used in image campaign using news theme of the same name)
- Your 24-Hour News Source24 Hour News SourceThe 24 Hour News Source brand was a common name used by American television stations starting in the early 1990s for brief hourly news updates, usually running 30 seconds to a minute in length. At its peak, dozens of stations across the U.S. were producing these brief news updates...
(1990–1992; news slogan) - Stay with Us (1992–1995)
- Where The News Comes First (1995–2005)
- We are Miami (2010–present)
News team
Anchors- Kevin CorkeKevin CorkeKevin Corke is a news anchor at WTVJ-TV NBC in Miami. Previously, Corke was a national news correspondent based in Washington D.C. for NBC from 2004-2008. Most of his work there involved coverage of the Bush administration, where he traveled with the White House Press Corps. He also did some...
– weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. - Pam Giganti – weekday mornings NBC Miami Today (5-7 a.m.)
- Sharon Lawson – weekend mornings NBC Miami Today, and weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also weeknight reporter and fill-in anchor
- Jackie NespralJackie NespralJackie Nespral is an American television anchor for WTVJ-TV, the NBC owned and operated station in Miramar, Florida.-Early years and education:Nespral grew up in the Little Havana area of Miami, attended St...
– weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. - Nathalie Pozo – co-host of Live Miami at 11 a.m.; also weekday morning traffic reporter
- Trina Robinson – co-host of Live Miami at 11 a.m.; also fill-in meteorologist and weather reporter
- Amara Sohn – weeknights at 9 p.m. (on NBC Miami Nonstop); also weekday reporter
- Roxanne Vargas – co-host of Live Miami at 11 a.m.; also weekday morning features reporter/fill-in anchor
NBC 6 Weather Channel Team
- John Morales (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
and NWANational Weather AssociationThe 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) – chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. - Ryan Phillips (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) – meteorologist; weekend evenings
- Jennifer Reeves – meteorologist; weekend mornings NBC Miami Today (used to work at the station for Today in South Florida)
- Trina Robinson – meteorologist; weekdays Live Miami at 11 a.m.; also fill-in meteorologist and weather reporter
- Shiri Spear (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) – meteorologist; weekday mornings NBC Miami Today (5-7 a.m.)
Sports team
- Joe RoseJoe Rose (football player)Joseph Harold Rose is a former American football tight end who played six seasons for the Miami Dolphins from 1980 to 1985 and one game for the Los Angeles Rams in 1987 in the National Football League.-Football career:...
– sports director; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.; also heard on WQAM-AM 560 - Adam Kuperstein – sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also host of Fins TV; also heard on WQAM-AM 560's coverage of Miami Dolphins football
Reporters
- Jeff Burnside – special projects reporter
- Julia Bagg – general assignment reporter
- Diana Gonzalez – health reporter
- Steve Litz – general assignment reporter
- Ari Odzer – general assignment reporter
- Mariza Reyes – general assignment reporter
- Willard Shepard – investigative reporter; also fill-in anchor
- Brent Solomon – general assignment reporter
- Hank Tester – general assignment reporter
Notable former Airstaff
- David BloomDavid BloomDavid Bloom was an NBC journalist until his sudden death in 2003 at the age of 39 from deep vein thrombosis...
(1991–1993; promoted to NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
, died in March 2003 of deep vein thrombosis while covering the start of the Iraq War) - Joel ConnableJoel ConnableJoel Connable is an American television host, news anchor and reporter. He is a former 6pm and 7pm news anchor at NBC6 in Miami. He was named "Best News Anchor," by the New Times Magazine in 2009...
(2005–2009; now president of Travel TV News Inc.) - Katie CouricKatie CouricKatherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
(1984–1986; later co-anchor of NBC's Today, anchor of the CBS Evening NewsCBS Evening NewsCBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
until 2011) - Paul DeannoPaul DeannoPaul Deanno is the morning and mid-day meteorologist for KOMO-TV in Seattle, WA. Previously, Paul worked as the Chief Meteorologist for WTVJ-TV in Miami, FL, and also worked as a meteorologist in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Spokane, and Medford....
– chief meteorologist (2003–2009; now morning and midday meteorologist at KOMO-TVKOMO-TVKOMO-TV, virtual channel 4, is a television station in Seattle, Washington. It is an affiliate of ABC and broadcasts on digital channel 38. KOMO-TV is the flagship station of Fisher Communications, and its studios and offices are co-located with sister radio stations KOMO , KVI , and KPLZ-FM ...
in Seattle} - Jose Diaz-BalartJose Diaz-BalartJosé Díaz-Balart is a Cuban-American journalist and television anchorman. He is currently the anchor for Noticiero Telemundo, the network's news program as well as the network's Washington DC-based public affairs Sunday morning program Enfoque...
– anchor (early 1990s; now at TelemundoTelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
) - John HambrickJohn HambrickJohn Hambrick is an American broadcast journalist, reporter, actor, and voice over announcer.-Broadcast journalist:Hambrick began his television career in 1963, at a station in Abilene, Texas. By 1967 he was working at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati when he was recruited by its sister station in...
– (1985–1990; later went to rival WCIXWFOR-TVWFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
, now retired to Texas - doing commercials and movies) - Larry KingLarry KingLawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
– (now at CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
as host of Larry King LiveLarry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, retired but will produce specials for CNN) - Alycia LaneAlycia LaneAlycia Lane is an American television journalist. She serves as weekday morning anchor at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. Until January 2008, she was co-anchor of the weekday evening newscasts on KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
– (previously with rival WSVNWSVNWSVN, 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...
2000-2001); weekend anchor/reporter (2001–2003; later 6 and 11 p.m. anchor at KYW-TVKYW-TVKYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia; now weekday morning anchor for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles) - Tom LlamasTom Llamas-Early career:Llamas began his career in New York with the NBC News Specials Unit during the 2000 presidential election and then moved to MSNBC. In his first two years at MSNBC, he worked on coverage of the September 11 attacks and the war with Afghanistan. He later became an embedded political...
(2005–2009; now a reporter at WNBCWNBCWNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
) - Chris MyersChris MyersChristopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
(1980–1982; now a Fox SportsFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
sportscaster) - Bryan NorcrossBryan NorcrossBryan Norcross is a former television meteorologist and hurricane specialist for WFOR-TV and the chief hurricane analyst for CBS News in New York...
– meteorologist (1990–1996; moved to WFOR-TVWFOR-TVWFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
and CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, retired; now storm specialist for The Weather ChannelThe Weather ChannelThe Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
) - Nancy Humphries (O'Dell) (1993–1995; co-host of Access HollywoodAccess HollywoodAccess Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
until 2009, now with Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment 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...
) - Jerry PenacoliJerry PenacoliJerry Penacoli is an American actor and entertainment reporter.-Reporting career:Before going national, Penacoli served as a newscaster and talk-show host in several markets, starting with Jacksonville, Florida, then, WTVJ, Miami, where Jerry served as host of PM Magazine in the early 1980s, then...
(host of PM MagazinePM MagazinePM/Evening Magazine was a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States...
; now correspondent for the syndicated news-magazine ExtraExtra (TV series)Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
) - Lonnie QuinnLonnie QuinnLonnie William Quinn was born on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut and is the chief weathercaster on WCBS-TV in New York City. Quinn also serves as weather anchor for weekday edition of The Early Show and weather anchor for The Saturday Early Show.-Career:Ten-time Emmy Award recipient,...
(now weekday meteorologist at WCBS-TVWCBS-TVWCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York City and weather anchor for CBS's Saturday Early Show) - Ralph RenickRalph RenickRalph Apperson Renick was a pioneer television news journalist for Miami's WTVJ, channel 4 , Florida's first television station...
– anchor (1949–1985; later with WCIXWFOR-TVWFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
from 1987–1990; died July 11, 1991) - Rick SanchezRick SanchezRicardo León "Rick" Sánchez de Reinaldo , known professionally as Rick Sanchez, is a Cuban-American journalist, author and former TV news anchor...
(2003–2006; later at CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
) - Charlie Van DykeCharlie Van DykeCharlie Van Dyke is a former radio disc jockey who is best known for the voice work he has done for numerous radio and television stations....
(now a radio and television announcer) - Jennifer ValoppiJennifer ValoppiJennifer Valoppi is a multi-Emmy Award winning journalist who has been recognized four times on the floor of the United States Congress and is a 2006 recipient of Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s Points of Light Award, the highest honor in the state....
(1994–2006; founder of Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program) - Bob WeaverBob WeaverBob Weaver was one of the USA's first TV weathermen.-Biography:Weaver was born in New York City. He moved to Florida to attend the University of Miami...
– weather anchor, known as "Weaver the Weatherman" (1949–2003; died of cancer in June 2006)