WAMI-TV
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| WAMI-TV | |
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| Hollywood/Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Florida | |
| Branding | TeleFutura 69 |
| Channels | Analog: 69 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | TeleFutura |
| Owner | Univision Communications, Inc. (TeleFutura Miami, LLC) |
| First air date | August 10, 1988 |
| Call letters’ meaning | We Are MIami or "Whammy" |
| Sister station(s) | WLTV |
| Former callsigns | WYHS (1988-1992) WYHS-TV (1992-1998) |
| Former affiliations | HSN (1988-1998) independent (1998-2002) |
| Transmitter Power | 5000 kW (analog) 575 kW (digital) |
| Height | 264 m (analog) 297 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 60536 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | (analog) (digital) |
| Website | TeleFutura |
WAMI-TV is the TeleFutura Network-Owned station for the Miami / Fort Lauderdale market. This station is currently owned by Univision and transmits on channel 69.
Contents |
[edit] History
WAMI-TV signed on August 10, 1988 as WYHS-TV, airing Home Shopping Network programming, owned by HSN's broadcasting arm, Silver King Communications. Silver King would eventually own interest in the USA Network and later became USA Broadcasting.
In the fall of 1997, WDZL dropped Fox Kids from its line-up and so channel 69 picked it up.
 WAMI Logo |
 USA Broadcasting Logo |
On June 1, 1998 at 6:00am, the station changed to WAMI-TV (USA), and began running a general entertainment format with a strong focus on locally produced shows such as; the Times (news), SportsTown (sports), Generation ñ (Latin), Ocean Drive (lifestyle) -based on the magazine, Ten's (lifestyle), Barcode (dj/dance show), and the controversial, Kenneth's Frequency (alternative lifestyles), mostly aimed at the age 16-34 demographic.
WAMI re-packaged the Fox Kids programming block, incorporating it into the live, locally produced, interactive, kids show "Wami on Miami," which became very popular with children in Miami. "Wami on Miami," was so popular, that kids around miami would flash the WAMI hand sign, holding up both hands, making "L' shapes and pulling their hands together to form a "W," and then yelling; "Wami!" at WAMI sponsored Fox Kids/Power Ranger events held at the malls around Miami.
WAMI-TV separated itself from other independents with its heavy use of live local remote interstitials. WAMI-TV often shot its interstitials, live at remote locations all over Miami-Dade and Broward counties, with the WAMI interstitial host often pulling passers by, literally, right off the streets to read the cue cards announcing the next hour's viewing line-up on WAMI-TV. One WAMI-TV, eye catcher, was a topical program called; "Lips," featuring a pair of ruby red lips in front of a black background, teasing the days stories or issues, no doubt inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
One interesting WAMI-TV innovation was the use of the on-air station "bug" or WAMI station i.d. logo, a variation of the WAMI "thought bubble," the station i.d. graphic that would flash on the lower part of the television screen, at the top and bottom of the hour, or each time the station programming returned from a commercial break, and then fade out. The WAMI Promotions VP ordered that the station logo "bug" be left up on the television screen, around the clock, and to "ghost it," making it transparent. So that it was seen constantly as you watched WAMI-TV. Another interesting innovation was WAMI's use of the "WAMI-cam." WAMI-cams were :03 to :05 second on-air spots used to fill air time, usually catching a glimpse of South Beach street life, or scenic views, or interesting goings on in Miami, followed a "pop" sound and the appearance of the WAMI "thought bubble" graphic. The rest of WAMI-TV's block of programming was supplemented with some first run syndicated reality and talk shows, syndicated network sitcoms, movies, other cartoons and a few religious programs.
At the 1998 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards, WAMI-TV garnered 7 Suncoast Regional Emmys, after just 7 weeks on the air, under the creative direction of WAMI-TV Promotions Department VP Chris Sloan. At the 1999 Promax Awards Competition, WAMI-TV earned 10 Promax nominations, double the number of nominations received by any other television station in the nation. [1]
By December of 1998, after only six months on air, WAMI-TV outbid the local UPN and WB affiliates, landing an exclusive six year contract, to the local broadcasting rights to air and produce, the 1997 World Series Championship franchise Florida Marlins broadcasts. WAMI had already landed the NBA's Miami Heat, from UPN-33 (WBFS-TV, now my33), for which it bought five-year rights in late 1997, prior to the station's launch.[2]
In 1999, at the Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards, WAMI-TV garnered another 6 Suncoast Regional Emmys. This time proving, that WAMI was no fluke! It also, sent a message to WAMI's critics, that the staff at WAMI-TV were the real deal, when it came to television!
By late 1999, WAMI-TV, had evolved in its role as the "flagship station" of what was becoming, a unique, USA Broadcasting Network, comprised of the twelve former HSN broadcasting affiliates scattered around the country and the Atlanta station, all of which were to be converted one by one to follow WAMI's format. Barry Diller's inspired "City Vision" concept was off to a thrilling roller coaster start. [3]
 The USA Broadcasting family of launched stations |
The station's "City Vision' format was spread throughout the USA Broadcasting Network to its new affiliates in Dallas' KSTR-TV "K-Star 49" -formerly KHSX-TV, Boston's WHUB-TV "Hub 66" -formerly WHSH-TV (now WUTF-TV), and Atlanta's WHOT-TV "Hotlanta 34" (now WUVG-TV). The rest of the former HSN broadcast affiliates to be converted were WHSE-TV New York, WEHS-TV Chicago (call was to be changed to WNDE "Windy" upon format change), WQHS-TV Cleveland, KHSC-TV Los Angeles (call was to be changed to KLIK "Click" upon format change), WHSP-TV Philadelphia, WHSW-TV Baltimore, WHSI-TV Long Island, KHSH-TV Houston, and WBHS-TV Tampa.
In 2000, it was another banner year for WAMI-TV! At the 2000 Promax Awards Competition, WAMI-TV repeated the staggering 10 Promax nominations, it had earned the year before. Also, in 2000, WAMI-TV earned 5 more Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards. And, although ABC/Disney offered to purchase USA Broadcasting that year, Barry Diller refused to sell as it was an all stock deal.
In 2001, despite coming up empty at the Suncoast Regional Emmy's, WAMI-TV still managed to walk away with 2 more Promax nominations at Promax Awards Competition that year.
In 2002, due to financial woes, USA Networks, Inc. began wanting to divest, and USA Broadcasting was one of its units, making up the rest of the company. So, the remaining entertainment units were sold to Vivendi Universal, and all $10.3 billion worth of them under Barry Diller were sold as well. So, on January 3, 2002 at 6PM, the plug was pulled on USA Broadcasting as it was sold to Univision.
The history of WAMI-TV as a USA Broadcasting affiliate can be viewed at http://ke4qpf.com/wami, a site set up by an employee who worked for the station pre-launch through its takeover. He also is the only employee of USAB to see the launch and the eventual "pulling of the plug" from within the Miami Beach flagship facility. The site contains many elements of the actual shows, behind the scenes pictures, many links to the stories mentioned above, and general nostalgia on the station's nearly 4 year run. Although unofficial, it does contain links to the old WAMI-TV website through the Internet Wayback Machine as well as official station graphics.
Under Univision, as of January 14, 2002, WAMI-TV became a TeleFutura affiliate. WPXM and sister station WPXP in West Palm Beach picked up the Marlins telecasts (currently produced by Fox Sports), which are aired on the Florida Marlins Television Network, eventually dropping them in 2005 after the Pax Network's rebranding as i. Sun Sports (formerly Sunshine Network) and FSN Florida currently air the Marlins telecasts. The Miami Heat telecasts are now primarily cable-only on Sun Sports and carried over-the-air occasionally on local CBS affiliate WFOR.
[edit] Notable WAMI-TV (USA Broadcasting) Alums
- Alan Cohn ("The Times" Investigative Reporter) Investigative Reporter at WTNH, in New Haven, CT; recipient of the 2007 George Foster Peabody Award, one of journalism's highest honors, for report that defective parts were installed on Black Hawk helicopters.
- John Mattes ("The Times" Investigative Reporter) Investigative Journalist for FOX affiliate XETV, based in Tijuana and San Diego
- Ben Mankiewicz ("The TImes" News Anchor) now on TMZ; Air America Radio personality as Co-Host of "The Young Turks Radio Show"
- Cenk Uygur (WAMI-TV legal staff); Air America Radio personality also as Co-Host of "The Young Turks Radio Show"
- Daniel Tosh ("Tens" Co-Host) Standup Comedian who has appeared on The Tonight Show and Comedy Central's Premium Blend
- Jennifer Cole ("Tens" Co-Host) Co-Host of "Strip Poker" on USA Network; Host of "Sex Wars" game show, and has appeared on "House of Style"
- Mark Jones ("SportsTown" Co-Anchor) Sportscaster on ESPN and for ABC
- Stephanie Lydecker ("WAMI Interrstitials" Live On-Air Host) Host on the DIY Network
- Chris McWatt ("SportsTown" Co-Host) Correspondent/Co-Host of "Home Matters" and "Road Trip"(segments) on Discovery Home Channel
- Hunter Reno ("Ocean Drive" Host) -niece of Janet Reno and Host of "New Florida" -Florida's Weekly Television News Magazine [4]
- Ray “Fajita” Trujillo (WAMI Promotions Sound Designer & Audio Engineer) since 2004, with Discovery Channel Latin America/Iberia
- Tim Ring ("SportsTown" Co-Anchor) Sports Anchor on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain
- Jim Altman ("The Times" Reporter) Emmy Award winning Reporter at Fox 61, WTIC-TV in Hartford, CT
- Brad Steinke ("SportsTown" Co-Anchor) Sports Anchor on Fox Sports Network AZ.
- Dave Benz ("SportsTown" Co-Anchor) Sports Anchor on Fox Sports Network CO.
- Lisa Cabrera ("The Times" Entertainment Reporter) Reporter and fill-in Anchor for WNYW-TV in New York City.
- Veronica Puleo ("WAMI Interstitials" Live On-Air Host) Indie/Acoustic/Folk Rock singer in Los Angeles
- Bill Teck ("Generation nˆ" Producer) in 2000, Newsweek named him one of the top 20 young Latinos to watch.
- Donald Hansen ("Kenneth's Freakquency" Television Engineer) appeared on WAMI-TV programs; now at Comcast South Florida Productions in Miramar, FL; was a 2007 Emmy Award nominee
[edit] References
- ^ BNet USA_Broadcasting_Appoints_Chris_Sloan_to_Senior_Vice_President_Creative_Director_in_Charge_of_Promotions (English). BNet (3). Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
- ^ Variety Business WAMI_nabs_Marlins_rights (English). Variety Business (3). Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
- ^ The New York Times Business Diller's_Latest_Tele-Vision;_First,_a_Network_of_Cubic_Zirconium._Now,_a_Station_of_Lips_and_Hardbodies. (English). The New York TImes Business (3). Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
- ^ New Florida-Florida's_Weekly_Television_News_Magazine_Hosts Hunter_Reno_Host (English). New Florida .Org (21). Retrieved on May 21, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Variety Business
- TeleFutura
- Classic WAMI website (unofficial)
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WAMI
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WAMI-TV
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