WFLA-TV
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| WFLA-TV | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida | |
| Branding | NewsChannel 8 |
| Slogan | On Your Side |
| Channels | Analog: 8 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | NBC NBC Weather Plus (DT2) |
| Owner | Media General, Inc. (Media General Communications Holdings, LLC) |
| First air date | February 14, 1955 |
| Call letters’ meaning | FLoridA |
| Former callsigns | WFLA-TV (1955-1983) WXFL (1983-1988) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 19 kW (digital) |
| Height | 471 m (analog) 465 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 64592 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.wfla.com |
WFLA-TV is the NBC affiliate television station on the west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg market. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be affiliated with the same network (NBC) since signing on.
The station shares the "News Center" building in Tampa with co-owned The Tampa Tribune and TBO.com.
The station is the home of Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason games, primarily called by Chris Myers and Chris Davis.
Contents |
[edit] History
WFLA-TV signed on Valentine's Day 1955 with a live broadcast of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which it has aired live every year since then. The station was owned by the Tribune along with WFLA radio (AM 970 and FM 93.3, now WFLZ). Largely because of its newspaper background, it was the early ratings leader in Tampa until WTVT passed it in 1962.
In 1966, Richmond Newspapers, publishers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and part-owner of the Tribune, acquired full control of the paper and WFLA-AM-FM-TV. Three years later, Richmond Newspapers renamed itself Media General, and WFLA-TV, the first television station owned and operated by Media General, has been its flagship television station since then. Reporters from the Tribune often appear on WFLA.
The station was renamed WXFL-TV in 1983 after the WFLA radio stations were sold but regained its original call letters in 1989. (Both radio stations are currently owned by Clear Channel Communications--WFLA-AM and WFLA-FM, now WFLZ-FM.) That same year, it surged to first place in the Tampa Bay ratings and has stayed there for most of that time, led by one of the most popular anchor teams in the country.
In the midst of a market shake-up in 1994 which saw many of the Tampa area stations swapping network affiliations, WFLA was one of the few major stations in the market that did not change networks. As a result it became number 1 in the market, a position formerly held by WTVT, which saw its ratings drop from first to last after switching from CBS to FOX.
Bill Ratliff and Gayle Guyardo have hosted the station's coverage of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in recent years.
Following Bob Hite's November 2007 retirement after 30 years, Keith Cate assumed anchor duties of the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts along with veteran anchor Gayle Sierens.
[edit] News department
[edit] Newscast Lineup
Weekdays
- NewsChannel 8 Today - 5:00AM-7:00AM
- NewsChannel 8 Midday - 11:00AM-12:00PM
- NewsChannel 8 at 5PM - 5:00PM-5:30PM
- NewsChannel 8 at 5:30PM - 5:30PM-6:00PM
- NewsChannel 8 at 6PM - 6:00PM-6:30PM
- NewsChannel 8 at 10 - 10:00PM-10:35PM (on WTTA)
- NewsChannel 8 at 11PM - 11:00PM-11:35PM
Weekends
- NewsChannel 8 Weekend Morning Edition - 9:00AM-10:00AM
- NewsChannel 8 The Midday Report - 12:00PM-1:00PM
- NewsChannel 8 at 6PM - 6:00PM-6:30PM
- NewsChannel 8 at 11PM - 11:00PM-11:35PM
[edit] Current News Personalities
News Anchors
- Gayle Sierens, weekday evenings (1977-1985, sports; 1985- news)
- Keith Cate, weekday evenings and investigative reporter (since 2000)
- Stacie Schaible, weekday evenings investigative reporter (since 2000)
- Bill Ratliff, weekday mornings (since 1982)
- Gayle Guyardo, weekday mornings (since 1993)
- Yolanda Fernandez, weekend mornings (since 1989)
- Josh Thomas, weekend evenings (since 2003)
- Jennifer Leigh, weekend evenings (since 2006)
- Peter Bernard, weekdays at 10PM and general assignment reporter (reporter since 2002, anchor since 2007)
- Katie Coronado, weekdays at 10PM and general assignment reporter (since 2007)
Meteorologists
- Steve Jerve (AMS Certified), weekday evening chief meteorologist (since 1999)
- Jennifer Hill (AMS Seal of Approval), weekday morning meteorologist (since 2002)
- Mace Michaels (AMS Seal of Approval), weekend meteorologist (2000-August 2008, budget cuts)
- Leigh Spann (AMS Seal of Approval, NWA Seal of Approval), weekend morning meteorologist (since 2007)
- Megan Hatton, weather producer, fill-in meteorologist
Sports Anchors
- Dave Reynolds, weekdays and weekends (since 2003)
- Dan Lucas, sports producer, fill-in sports anchor (since ?)
Reporters
- Irene Maher, medical reporter (since 1985)
- Jackie Barron, Sarasota/Manatee counties reporter / fill-in anchor
- Rod Challenger, Pinellas County reporter
- Jennifer Leigh, Polk County reporter
- Steve Andrews, investigative reporter / fill-in anchor (since 1985)
- Samara Sodos, general assignment reporter / fill-in anchor (since 2000)
- Lynn Carson, general assignment reporter / fill-in anchor (since 2004)
- Judd Chapin, Eagle 8 pilot/reporter (since 1985)
- Mark Douglas, investigative reporter
- Chip Osowski, general assignment reporter (since 1999)
- Jeff Patterson, general assignment reporter (since 1988)
- Claudia DoCampo, Citrus/Hernando/Pasco counties reporter (since 2005)
- Alicia Roberts, weekday mornings TBO Traffic (since 2006)
- Krista Klaus, general assignment reporter (since 2007)
- Natalie Shepherd, general assignment reporter (since 2007)
[edit] Former news, weather and sports personalities
- Sam Latimer (1955-1972) (Deceased)
- Walt Swihart (1955-1974) (Deceased)
- Roger Early, weatherman (1955-1966) (Deceased)
- Capt. Marty Foster, fishing correspondent (1955-1970) (Deceased)
- Bobby Hicks, fishing and hunting studio anchor (1956-1966) Deceased)
- Jack Stir, relief weatherman (1959-1963) (Deceased)
- Jerry Harper, anchor, News Director (1960-1961)
- Guy Bagli, sports director (1960-1970) (Deceased)
- Bill Henry, 6p.m. anchor, (1961-64), News Director (1961-1975), (Deceased)
- Burt Livingston, Horticulture reporter (1962-1968) (Deceased)
- Don Starr, Pinellas County anchor (1962-1967)
- Ray Blush, Pinellas County correspondent (1964-1967)
- Arch Deal, 6p.m & 11p.m. anchor (1964-1975)
- Bud Parmer, weekend anchor (1964-1967) (Retired)
- Al Duckworth, chief meteorologist (1964-1968)
- Gordon Barnes, meteorologist (1964-1967) (Retired)
- Tony Zappone, news correspondent (1965-1977)
- Tom McEwen, weekend sports analyst (1965-1968)
- Merril Stebbins (1965-1970) (Weekend anchor 1968-1970)
- Dr. Stephen L. Speronis, UT Professor, News Analyst (1965-1968)
- Joe Mannion (1966-1983) (producer and news director, 1975-1983)
- Karol Kelly, weather person (1967-68)
- Paul Catoe, chief meteorologist (1967-1979)
- Archie Blunt, weekend outdoors reporter (1967-69)
- Milt Spencer, sports director (1970-1979)
- Gordon Alderman, Today Show cut-ins, 1p.m. anchor (1974-1979) (Deceased)
- George Wooten, meteorologist (1973-1978)
- Phil Dean, weekend anchor (1974-1977)
- Paul Fischer, weekend anchor (1976-78)
- John Mainelli, 11p.m. anchor (1976)
- Mike Randall and Jan Morris, 6p.m. co-anchors (1976-77), 11p.m. anchor (1977-78)
- Bob Koop, anchor (1977-78) (Deceased)
- Don Paul, meteorologist (1978-1979)
- Jerry Fiore (1977-1989, Morning Edition and Noon Report)
- Suzanne Bates, anchor (1981-1984)
- Randy Scott, sports director (1979-1981)
- Dick Crippen, sports director (1981-2001)
- David Grant, chief meteorologist (1986-1999)
- Dennis Roper, weekend/fill-in anchor (1984-1989)
- Wendy Ross, weathercaster (1983-1989)
- Barbara Callahan, anchor (1986-1992)
- Wes Sarginson, "Live at 5" (1988-1997)
- Marissa Morris, "Live at 5" (1988-1993)
- Tom Korun, sports anchor (1987-1997)
- Ren Scott, reporter/anchor (1989-1990)
- Bob Baron, chief meteorologist (1979-1986)
- Lance Williams, reporter (1987-2005)
- Chris Thomas, sports director (1988-2002) (Deceased)
- George Michelle, noon sports anchor (Deceased)
- Rick Mellum, weather (1980s)
- Frank Migliore, reporter (1980s)
- Greg Fields, weather (1992-1995)
- Jim Smith, weather (1979-1993) (Deceased)
- Mark Strassmann, reporter (1987-1995)
- Steve Udelson, meteorologist (1992-1999)
- Laura York, weekend weather (1988-1995)
- Steve Overton, morning/weekend anchor/consumer reporter (1983-2000)
- Mike Walter, morning anchor (1998-2000), audio (2000-2003)
- Nerissa Prest, weekend anchor (2000-2006)
- Frank Fraboni, weekend anchor (1989-1993)
- Jack Harris, noon host (1989-1992); "Harris and Company Live" (1992-2000)
- Mary Kay Kleist, meteorologist (1995-1999)
- Anne Dwyer, reporter/anchor (1980s)
- John Winter, morning meteorologist (1994-2007) (Deceased)
- John Muller, reporter (1989-2001)
- Rod Carter, reporter (2000-2007)
- Victoria Lim, consumer reporter (1997-2007)
- Bob Hite, weekday 6PM and 11PM anchor (1977-2007) (Retired)
- Alan Archer, meteorologist (1976-1979)(currently w/Continental Weather Corp.)
- JP Peterson, sports director (1999-2008)
[edit] Controversy and criticism
[edit] Daytime
In 2003, WFLA and its morning show "Daytime" caused a controversy after the New York Times reported of its "pay for play" practices. The article revealed that businesses were charged several thousand dollars to appear on the show, effectively making their segments "paid segments". Many people saw this as "Payola", a practice that is illegal under FCC ruling. After much dispute, WFLA agreed to ID each paid segment as such to avoid an intervention from Congress.
Since then, WFLA launched two more similar programs, The Spot (2004-), which featured entertainment items; and Star Watch (2005-), a movie preview program.
In addition, Media General has plans on rolling Daytime out to all its stations sometime in 2006, with each station providing its own local segments for its viewers.
Original hosts Debra Schrills and Brian Fasulo left the show after 2005. [1]
The current hosts are Cyndi Edwards and former Extra host Dave Nemeth.
[edit] References
[edit] Gayle Guyardo parade controversy
Anchor Gayle Guyardo was briefly removed from her Gasparilla parade hosting duties in January 2008 after numerous calls by viewers complaining about her slurred speech and seemingly disoriented comments. The station responded by saying the anchor was sick with the flu.[5], but blog posts and a picture of Guyardo visibly upset was posted on the St. Petersburg Times website.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Hosts leaving WFLA'S 'Daytime'
- ^ http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asplayout=story_stocks&promocode=SUPP&articleid=CA334642 WFLA will ID Paid Segments.
- ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1529647 TV's Version of Payola Draws FCC Interest
- ^ http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117895168?categoryid=1236&cs=1 McCain, FCC seek input on payola
- ^ Guyardo Says She Had Fever During Parade Broadcast
- ^ The Feed | tampabay.com - St. Petersburg Times and tbt*
[edit] External links
- WFLA Web site
- Photos of WFLA's news set
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WFLA
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WFLA-TV
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