WFTX
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| WFTX | |
|---|---|
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| Cape Coral / Fort Myers / Naples, Florida | |
| City of license | Cape Coral |
| Branding | Fox 4 Fox 4 News |
| Slogan | In Your Corner |
| Channels | Analog: 36 (UHF) Digital: 35 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | Fox |
| Owner | Journal Communications (Journal Broadcast Corporation) |
| First air date | October 14, 1985 |
| Call letters’ meaning | disambiguation of WFTS-TV |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1985-1986) |
| Transmitter Power | 5,000 kW (analog) 930 kW (digital) |
| Height | 451 m (analog) 404 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 70649 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | fox4now.com |
WFTX, channel 36, is the Fox-affiliated television station for Southwest Florida, licensed to Cape Coral. Its transmitter located north of Fort Myers Shores near the Lee and Charlotte County line. Owned by the [[Journal Broadcast Group, the station has studios on Southwest Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. WFTX is seen on Comcast cable channel 4 and this is reflected on its on-air branding, Fox 4.
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[edit] History
WFTX began broadcasting on October 14, 1985 as an independent station owned and operated by Family Group Broadcasting. That company was the previous owner of WFTS-TV in Tampa. WFTX became a charter Fox affiliate in 1986. Family Group Broadcasting would sell WFTX to Wabash Valley Broadcasting of Terre Haute, Indiana by the end of the 1980s. The station would change hands again in 1997 when Emmis Communications purchased the assets of Wabash Valley Broadcasting.
Emmis would continue to own the station until August of 2005 when WFTX and two of its other stations were sold to the Journal Broadcast Group as a part of Emmis' departure from television ownership. WFTX redesigned its website with graphics created by Renderon Broadcast Design in late-May of 2006. The new layout featured more news and weather coverage. It also introduced a new logo. On March 30, 2007, WFTX redesigned its website again to feature flash video. It is now maintained by the Local Media Network division of World Now. Starting on August 13, WFTX began producing a lifestyle show called Fox 4 Morning Blend. Airing weekday mornings at 10, it is hosted by Tracy Edwards and Astrid Martinez.
[edit] News operation
Soon after acquisition of WFTX to the Journal Broadcast Group, weekday morning news (airing from 5 to 9) was added to complement the hour-long 10 o'clock news and compete against the big three stations. After that, WFTX launched a weeknight half-hour 11 o'clock newscast. The morning news now competes against WINK News Now This Morning which expanded to an additional two hours on WXCW. In August of 2006, MyNetworkTV affiliate "WNFM" announced that it would begin carrying a nightly 10 o'clock news produced by ABC affiliate WZVN-TV. This was the second 10 P.M. production established in the market after WFTX.
On March 26, 2007, CBS affiliate WINK-TV began producing a nightly 10 o'clock news on CW affiliate WXCW. This was now the third 10 o'clock news established in the market. It became ranked a solid number two within days of its debut. In early-May of 2007, it was announced that the WZVN-produced WNFM news would cease broadcasting on May 25. This move was a result of Comcast's frequent technical difficulties which hindered the show's ratings. It was also due in part due to the popularity of the WXCW news.
On September 17, it was announced on-air that weeknight co-anchor Krista Fogelsong would not be returning to the station. This was a result of Fogelsong and station managers being unable to come to terms on a new contract. Weekday morning co-anchor Amy Wegmann moved to the evening broadcasts to fill the vacancy. In addition to their main studios, WFTX operates a Collier County Bureau on Tamiami Trail North in Naples. The station does not maintain a sports department.
[edit] News team
- Amy Sedlacek - weekday mornings
- Patrick Nolan - weeknights
- Amy Wegmann - weeknights
- Rosemary Conners - weekends
- reporter
Sky Warn 4 Meteorologists
- Tom Johnston (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen on weeknights
- Sabrina Fein (AMS Seal of Approval) - weekday mornings
- Jeff Robbins - weekends
Reporters
- Marisa Mendelson - consumer
- Justine Waldman - Collier County Bureau
- "Wild" Bill Wood - weekday mornings
- Erica Pitzi
- Tyisha Fernandes
- Shannon Mulaire
- Fallon Silcox
- Renee Stoll
[edit] External links
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