WXIX-TV
Encyclopedia
WXIX-TV channel 19 is the Fox Broadcasting Company
affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio
. The station's city of license
is Newport, Kentucky
, across the Ohio River
. WXIX is owned by Raycom Media
with studios and transmitter located in Cincinnati.
Syndicated programming on WXIX includes: The Simpsons
, and Family Guy
.
member WCET
). The FCC had allocated one full-power UHF station to Cincinnati—channel 65 (later 64). However, when Lang and his partners found out there was a channel 19 allocation available across the river in Newport, they sought it in order to provide more signal at less cost.
While WXIX was running test transmissions before its inaugural broadcast, the station intermittently aired "mini-shows" featuring The Larry Smith Puppets promoting the sale of UHF converters which can be used with pre-1964 television sets which were only equipped to receive VHF signals at the time. Larry Smith
and his puppets (a witch named "Battie Hattie from Cincinnati" and her dog "Snarfy" among other characters) later hosted a daytime children's program in the weekday afternoons for several years. Afterward, "The Cool Ghoul" http://www.larrysmithpuppets.com/coolghoul.html – played by Dick VonHoene, known for his weekend late night sci-fi/monster movie program "Scream-In" – also hosted a weekday children's show in the afternoons. There was an afternoon show called "Kim's Cartoon Caper's". It had a girl of about 13 hosting the afternoon cartoon show.
Channel 19 was sold to U.S. Communications in 1970 and then to Metromedia
in 1972. Metromedia's deep pockets helped WXIX develop as a strong-performing general entertainment independent station
, airing cartoons, off-network sitcoms, first-run talk shows, dramas, movies and talk shows. After nearly a decade on air, it finally received competition in 1980 with the launch of WBTI (channel 64, now WSTR-TV
), which ran general entertainment and religious programing before 7 p.m. and subscription TV at night. However, that competition was short-lived, ending when WBTI became a full-time subscription station by 1982. The over-air subscription TV phenomenon occurred in larger markets in the U.S. where cable
had yet to penetrate city centers before the late 1980s.
Malrite Communications bought channel 19 from Metromedia in December 1983. The station remained the leading independent station in the market, even after WBTI returned to full-time general entertainment programming in 1985. Also in 1986, WXIX became a charter affiliate of the Fox network (which, coincidentally was based around some of WXIX's former Metromedia sister stations). The station changed its on-air branding from "19XIX" to "Fox 19" in 1996. In 1998, Malrite merged with Raycom Media, which continues to own WXIX today.
Around 2000, WXIX operated a large open space inside Tri-County Mall
called the "FOX19 Station Break."
Digital channels>
Channel
Programming
19.1
Main WXIX-TV programming / FOX
19.2
This TV
and local sports
WXIX originally aired The Tube Music Network on channel 19.2 until the network's closure in 2007. This TV
has broadcast from this channel since January 2009. In turn, Bounce TV
will take its place in January 2012.
, and remained on its current pre-transition channel number, 29 PSIP is used to display its virtual channel
as 19.
basketball season. After basic cable systems in Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio dropped WBQC, these newscasts were moved to Insight Communications
channel 6 in Kentucky and Time Warner Cable
channel 2 in Ohio. WXIX no longer broadcasts Bearcat football or basketball games. In addition to its regular newscasts, WXIX provides one-to-two-minute cut-ins at the top of each hour on weekdays, as well as halftime cut-ins during network sportscasts.
Paul Horton became WXIX's chief meteorologist on January 31, 2007. He left channel 19 on August 7 that year to take the morning meteorologist position at CBS affiliate KPHO-TV
in Phoenix
. Steve Horstmeyer left his longtime morning and noon position at CBS affiliate WKRC-TV
to replace Horton as chief meteorologist on August 7, 2008. Horstmeyer traveled to Lake Charles, Louisiana
, to assist sister station KPLC
, as part of a Raycom effort to cover Hurricane Gustav
.
On August 11, 2008, WXIX began airing a 6:30 p.m. newscast aimed at the 18–54-year-old demographic. The broadcast competes with national newscasts airing at 6:30 on WLWT-TV, WCPO-TV
, and WKRC-TV
. On September 21, 2009 the program was extended to a full hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. On September 19, 2011 Fox 19 moved the 6:00 p.m. newscast to 6:30 p.m.
On November 4, 2008, WXIX became the second Cincinnati station to broadcast its news in high definition
, after WCPO. However, the station continued to broadcast most field reports and weather radar in standard definition. By mid-December, nearly everything was in HD. In December 2009, WXIX reached an agreement with local ABC affiliate WCPO-TV
(channel 9) to pool videographers at press conferences. On March 31, 2010, it was announced that WXIX reached an agreement with Clear Channel
to have hourly news and weather updates heard on WLW
. These updates began on WLW on April 1.
On September 20, 2010 WXIX expanded its weekday morning newscast to 4½ hours, from 4:30-10 a.m. with the 9-10 a.m. extension of the newscast called Fox 19 Morning Xtra. On July 25, 2011, WXIX debuted a half-hour weather-focused newscast called Fox 19 First Weather, which airs weekday mornings at 4 a.m.; the program will be hosted by meteorologists Frank Marzullo and Katy Morgan, with news headlines read by weekday morning anchor Rob Williams.
Fox 19 StormTracker Weather
Sports team
Reporters
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 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The station's city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
is Newport, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
, across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. WXIX is 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....
with studios and transmitter located in Cincinnati.
Syndicated programming on WXIX includes: The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
.
History
The station began operation on August 1, 1968, owned by a group headed by Cincinnati businessman James Lang. It was the first new commercial station in the market since 1949, and the second UHF station in the area (behind PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
member WCET
WCET (TV)
WCET is the PBS member public television station serving Cincinnati, Ohio. It broadcasts digitally on channel 34 but is displayed on-screen as channel 48, its former analog and present virtual channel, via the PSIP protocol. Its signal is multiplexed, broadcasting one high-definition channel, CET...
). The FCC had allocated one full-power UHF station to Cincinnati—channel 65 (later 64). However, when Lang and his partners found out there was a channel 19 allocation available across the river in Newport, they sought it in order to provide more signal at less cost.
While WXIX was running test transmissions before its inaugural broadcast, the station intermittently aired "mini-shows" featuring The Larry Smith Puppets promoting the sale of UHF converters which can be used with pre-1964 television sets which were only equipped to receive VHF signals at the time. Larry Smith
Larry Smith (puppeteer)
Larry Smith is a puppeteer and producer of children's programming in the Cincinnati area since 1957. His most notable work was a popular afternoon puppet/cartoon show airing on WXIX Television....
and his puppets (a witch named "Battie Hattie from Cincinnati" and her dog "Snarfy" among other characters) later hosted a daytime children's program in the weekday afternoons for several years. Afterward, "The Cool Ghoul" http://www.larrysmithpuppets.com/coolghoul.html – played by Dick VonHoene, known for his weekend late night sci-fi/monster movie program "Scream-In" – also hosted a weekday children's show in the afternoons. There was an afternoon show called "Kim's Cartoon Caper's". It had a girl of about 13 hosting the afternoon cartoon show.
Channel 19 was sold to U.S. Communications in 1970 and then to Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
in 1972. Metromedia's deep pockets helped WXIX develop as a strong-performing general entertainment independent station
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
, airing cartoons, off-network sitcoms, first-run talk shows, dramas, movies and talk shows. After nearly a decade on air, it finally received competition in 1980 with the launch of WBTI (channel 64, now WSTR-TV
WSTR-TV
WSTR-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southwestern Ohio, Southeastern Indiana, and Northern Kentucky. Licensed to Cincinnati, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter in the College Hill section of the...
), which ran general entertainment and religious programing before 7 p.m. and subscription TV at night. However, that competition was short-lived, ending when WBTI became a full-time subscription station by 1982. The over-air subscription TV phenomenon occurred in larger markets in the U.S. where cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
had yet to penetrate city centers before the late 1980s.
Malrite Communications bought channel 19 from Metromedia in December 1983. The station remained the leading independent station in the market, even after WBTI returned to full-time general entertainment programming in 1985. Also in 1986, WXIX became a charter affiliate of the Fox network (which, coincidentally was based around some of WXIX's former Metromedia sister stations). The station changed its on-air branding from "19XIX" to "Fox 19" in 1996. In 1998, Malrite merged with Raycom Media, which continues to own WXIX today.
Around 2000, WXIX operated a large open space inside Tri-County Mall
Tri-County Mall
Tri-County Mall is located at the interchange of Ohio Route 747 and Interstate 275 in the city of Springdale, Ohio, a northern suburb of Cincinnati...
called the "FOX19 Station Break."
Digital television
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
and local sports
WXIX originally aired The Tube Music Network on channel 19.2 until the network's closure in 2007. This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
has broadcast from this channel since January 2009. In turn, Bounce TV
Bounce TV
Bounce TV is a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks in...
will take its place in January 2012.
Post-analog shutdown
WXIX-TV ended programming on its analog signal, on UHF channel 19, on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United StatesDTV 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...
, and remained on its current pre-transition channel number, 29 PSIP is used to display its 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 19.
News operation
The station launched a 10 p.m. newscast in 1993 and a morning newscast in 1997. It also aired a newscast at the late timeslot of midnight in the mid-1990s and an 11:30 a.m. midday newscast during the late 1990s. WXIX partnered with WBQC-TV to air channel 19's evening newscast during the Cincinnati BearcatsCincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
basketball season. After basic cable systems in Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio dropped WBQC, these newscasts were moved to Insight Communications
Insight Communications
Insight Communications is the 13th largest multiple system operator in the United States with approximately 692,000 customers in the three contiguous states of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio...
channel 6 in Kentucky and Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
channel 2 in Ohio. WXIX no longer broadcasts Bearcat football or basketball games. In addition to its regular newscasts, WXIX provides one-to-two-minute cut-ins at the top of each hour on weekdays, as well as halftime cut-ins during network sportscasts.
Paul Horton became WXIX's chief meteorologist on January 31, 2007. He left channel 19 on August 7 that year to take the morning meteorologist position at CBS affiliate KPHO-TV
KPHO-TV
KPHO-TV, channel 5, is a CBS-affiliate television station located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. KPHO-TV is owned by the Meredith Corporation, and has its studios located on Black Canyon Highway in the Alhambra Village section of Phoenix, with its transmitter located on South Mountain in Phoenix...
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. Steve Horstmeyer left his longtime morning and noon position at CBS affiliate WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
to replace Horton as chief meteorologist on August 7, 2008. Horstmeyer traveled to Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, to assist sister station KPLC
KPLC
KPLC, channel 7, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Lake Charles, Louisiana broadcasting on digital channel 7. It is owned by Raycom Media, and has transmitter facilities located in Fenton, Louisiana....
, as part of a Raycom effort to cover Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
.
On August 11, 2008, WXIX began airing a 6:30 p.m. newscast aimed at the 18–54-year-old demographic. The broadcast competes with national newscasts airing at 6:30 on WLWT-TV, WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV, virtual channel 9 , is an ABC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. WCPO's studio is located in the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, just outside of Eden Park. Its transmitter is located along Symmes Street, just south of East McMillan Street in Cincinnati.The station...
, and WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
. On September 21, 2009 the program was extended to a full hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. On September 19, 2011 Fox 19 moved the 6:00 p.m. newscast to 6:30 p.m.
On November 4, 2008, WXIX became the second Cincinnati station to broadcast its news in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, after WCPO. However, the station continued to broadcast most field reports and weather radar in standard definition. By mid-December, nearly everything was in HD. In December 2009, WXIX reached an agreement with local ABC affiliate WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV, virtual channel 9 , is an ABC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. WCPO's studio is located in the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, just outside of Eden Park. Its transmitter is located along Symmes Street, just south of East McMillan Street in Cincinnati.The station...
(channel 9) to pool videographers at press conferences. On March 31, 2010, it was announced that WXIX reached an agreement with Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
to have hourly news and weather updates heard on WLW
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
. These updates began on WLW on April 1.
On September 20, 2010 WXIX expanded its weekday morning newscast to 4½ hours, from 4:30-10 a.m. with the 9-10 a.m. extension of the newscast called Fox 19 Morning Xtra. On July 25, 2011, WXIX debuted a half-hour weather-focused newscast called Fox 19 First Weather, which airs weekday mornings at 4 a.m.; the program will be hosted by meteorologists Frank Marzullo and Katy Morgan, with news headlines read by weekday morning anchor Rob Williams.
News/station presentation
Newscast titles
- 19XIX News (1993–1996)
- 19 News (1996–2001)
- Fox 19 News (2001–present)
Station slogans
- Don't Let Fox 19 Weekends Pass You By (1987–1988; localized version of Fox ad campaign)
- First. Live. Local. (2001–2009)
- Your Home For News (2009–present)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Sheila Gray - weekday mornings "Fox 19 Morning News" (5-9 a.m.)
- Kimberly Holmes Wiggins - weekends at 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
- Tracey Johnson - weekday mornings "Fox 19 Morning News Xtra" (9-10 a.m.)
- Tricia Macke - weeknights at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
- Ben Swann - weeknights at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
- Dan Wells - weekday mornings "Fox 19 Morning News" (4:30-5 a.m.); also weekday reporter
- Rob Williams - weekday mornings "Fox 19 Morning News" (5-9 a.m.)
Fox 19 StormTracker Weather
- Steve Horstmeyer (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...
Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m. - Jeff Creighton - weather anchor; weekends at 10 p.m.
- Frank MarzulloFrank MarzulloFrank Marzullo is a AMS seal meteorologist for WXIX-TV, the Fox network affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio. He presently appears every weekday on the Fox 19 Morning News, which airs from 4:30–9:00 am Monday through Friday. It was recently announced that starting in September FOX19 will be expanding its...
(AMS Seal of Approval; 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...
Member) - meteorologist; weekday mornings "Fox 19 Morning News" (4:30-9 a.m.), also anchor of "Fox 19 Morning News Xtra" (9-10 a.m.) - Katy Morgan - meteorologist; weekday mornings "Fox 19 Morning News Xtra" (9-10 a.m.)
Sports team
- Brian Gisenschlag - sports director; weeknights at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
- Ron Millennor - sports anchor; weekends at 10 p.m.
- Joe Danneman - sports reporter
Reporters
- Jennifer Grove - general assignment reporter
- Kimberly Holmes-Wiggins - general assignment reporter
- Corey McConnell - general assignment reporter
- Mike Schell - general assignment reporter
- Cory Stark - general assignment reporter
- Tiffany Teasley - general assignment reporter
- Anne Thompson - general assignment reporter
- Brad Underwood - general assignment reporter
- Emily Wood - general assignment reporter
- Stephanie Woods - weekday morning traffic reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Rich ApuzzoRich ApuzzoRichard Edmund Apuzzo Jr. is an American meteorologist and broadcaster, currently the Chief Meteorologist and Chief Operating Officer at Skyeye Weather LLC, a national weather entertainment, education and consulting firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rich Apuzzo received a bachelor's degree in...
- meteorologist (now owner/operator/meteorologist at http://skyeyeweather.com) - Kevin FrazierKevin FrazierKevin Timothy Frazier is currently host of The Insider. Formerly, Frazier worked as an anchor at Fox Sports Net, later ESPN, where he hosted SportsCenter as well as a multitude of NBA themed programming and from 2004–2011, was a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight as well as...
- sports reporter/anchor (now weekend host for 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...
) - Greg HoardGreg HoardGreg Hoard is a former newspaper journalist and television sports broadcaster and the author of the Joe Nuxhall biography, JOE: Rounding Third And Heading For Home ....
- sports writer and commentator - Chris RoseChris RoseChristopher Rose is an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Rose attended University School in Hunting Valley during high school. Rose attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated in 1993...
- sports intern (host on MLB NetworkMLB NetworkMLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
, and Fox SportsFox Sports (USA)Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
) - Dick VonHoene - news anchor and news director in the early days of WXIX; also known as the "Cool Ghoul", host of a late night weekend horror movie show (early 1970s)