WPXI
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| WPXI-TV | |
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| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| Branding | Channel 11 (general) Channel 11 News HD (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Coverage You Can Count On (general) Live, Local, Late-Breaking (newscasts) |
| Channels | Analog: 11 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | NBC NBC Weather Plus (DT2) RTN (DT3) |
| Owner | Cox Enterprises, Inc. (WPXI, Inc.) |
| First air date | September 1, 1957 |
| Call letters’ meaning | We're Pittsburgh's XI = Roman numeral of 11 |
| Former callsigns | WIIC-TV (1957-1981) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 1000 kW (digital) |
| Height | 305 m (analog) 289 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 73910 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.wpxi.com |
WPXI Channel 11 is the NBC television affiliate based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. Its transmitter is located on the north side of Pittsburgh.
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[edit] History
On September 1, 1957, Channel 11 signed on as WIIC-TV, the second commercial VHF station in Pittsburgh. It was owned by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and immediately took NBC programming from KDKA-TV.
Bill Cardille (now a former Channel 11 host and weather forecaster) signed the station on the air. Some of the first original programming to air on WIIC included Studio Wrestling and Chiller Theatre, both hosted by Cardille.
In 1964, the station was sold to current owner Cox Enterprises.
In 1970, WIIC made Pittsburgh broadcasting history as Eleanor Schano became the first woman to anchor a newscast alone. Schano also hosted a weekly half-hour public affairs program called Face to Face.
During much of the 1970s, WIIC trailed in a distant third place in the ratings behind KDKA-TV and WTAE-TV. This coincided with much of the period where NBC also struggled in the ratings. About the mid-to late 1970's, Channel 11 used the 11 Alive moniker.
In 1981, the call signs were changed to WPXI-TV (Pittsburgh 11, with XI being the Roman numeral sign for 11). The WIIC calls still reside in Pittsburgh, but on a low-powered independent station airing music videos.
WPXI also has been airing the Jerry Lewis Telethon as the Pittsburgh affiliate of the annual event. The local portion of the telethon is still hosted by Bill Cardille.
In 2000, Cox Enterprises purchased WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio and WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania from Sunrise Television. These stations, also NBC affiliates often appear in channel lineups for the same viewers that watch WPXI, either by over-the-air signal or via cable provider. Cox changed the stations' on-air appearances to match WPXI's look.
Over the Labor Day weekend of 2007, WPXI introduced its new studio location in the city's Summer Hill neighborhood near the Parkway North. The move ended a 50-year tradition at Television Hill in the city's Fineview neighborhood. The station's tower is to remain in place atop the station's current location.[1] WPXI officially launched their 6 p.m. newscast from their new studio in Summer Hill on October 6. WPXI is now the first station in Pittsburgh broadcasting news in high definition, though not without criticism for technical glitches during the initial week of the new system run.[2][3] With the switch to HD came a new set, created by FX Group and new HD graphics.
As part of its 50th anniversary, WPXI announced it would air classic television programs on a digital subchannel from the Retro Television Network. The additional channel will begin October 15, 2007.[4]
[edit] Newscasts
WPXI occasionally pre-empts programming to report breaking news. Typically, WPXI offers four-and-a-half hours of live newscasts on Channel 11. It offers an hour-and-a-half on PCNC and one hour on WPGH. Previous branding for newscasts include WIIC-TV 11 News, News/Watch, Instant News, Steel City News and Newscenter 11.
[edit] Weekdays
WPXI was the first channel to offer a 5:30 PM newscast in Pittsburgh during the late 1980s. The newscast was named Channel 11 News First Edition. They were also the first station to offer a 5:00 PM newscast in the early 1990s. The newscast was named Channel 11 News First at 5.
[edit] Weekends
WPXI dropped the NBC Saturday morning cartoons in September, 1990 in favor of a newscast airing from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The success of the weekend morning news prompted NBC network officials to extend the Today show to weekends. WPXI, however, has since scaled back its weekend mornings news.
Pittsburgh native Jodi Applegate co-anchored NBC's Weekend Today, but was never seen locally due to WPXI's weekend morning news.
[edit] Pittsburgh Cable News Channel
The station went into cable television on January 1, 1994, with the launch of PCNC - the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel. PCNC brought the first 10 P.M. newscast to Pittsburgh. The final installment of PCNC's 10 P.M. news aired on January 26, 2006, as WPXI took over WPGH's news operation.
PCNC offers two newscasts: "Pittsburgh This Morning", a 7:00 to 8:00 A.M. weekday newscast, and a 7 P.M. weeknight newscast.
[edit] Channel 11 News on Fox 53
As of January 12, 2006, Sinclair Broadcast Group (owner of Fox affiliate WPGH-TV) and Cox entered into an agreement where WPXI began producing a newscast specifically for WPGH. This agreement, called a "news share", began January 30, 2006. All of WPGH's former news staff, except for sportscaster Alby Oxenreiter, were laid off. The 10 p.m. newscast became Channel 11 News on Fox 53 at Ten. Oxenreiter's "Ox on Fox Sports Extra" fills the final 15 minutes of the newscast.
[edit] Ratings
Pittsburgh is a tough market for local news, with the news station ratings usually differing by a tenth of a point.
In May 2007, WPXI produced the most-watched 10 P.M. newscast, Channel 11 News on Fox 53.[5]
[edit] Slogans
WPXI has had a plethora of slogans focusing on their news-driven product, including More News, More Often and Live, Local, Late-Breaking News, both of which were used during the 1990s.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, WPXI was known as the 24-Hour News Source, providing news and weather updates every hour on Channel 11.
Channel 11's current slogan is "Coverage You Can Count On." In 2004, the station expanded the slogan to include various news-oriented services (i.e. "Weather Coverage You Can Count On" and "News Coverage You Can Count On").
In the station's news openings, the words "Live, Local and Late-breaking" were added in 2007.
WPXI did some custom versions of NBC slogans back in the '80s. Slogans include "Channel 11, Let's All Be There," "Come Home to 11," "Channel Ele-ven, Be There" and "WPXI-TV, the Place to Be!"
[edit] Logo
WPXI currently uses the number 11 drawn into a circle, which debuted in 1987. The 11 symbol is colored gold, while the box around it is dark blue. WPXI previously used the NBC Peacock in its logo, which was copied by sister stations WTOV and WJAC and is still used by those stations, but revamped its look in October 2004. WPXI's current look uses the circle 11 logo with stylized "WPXI" below it.
[edit] Music
WPXI is known to commission for its own theme music from companies, although it has previously used the famous Move Closer to Your World theme. It has commissioned both "Total Coverage" (its previous package still used by WJAC and WTOV), and after WPXI moved to there new Summer Hill Television Building, they started using the Tower V2. ending the NBC collection all together.
[edit] Local Programming
Channel 11 has had only one major foray into producing local programming. From 1963 - 1984, the station produced and broadcast "Chiller Theater," a late Saturday evening horror film show hosted by Bill Cardille, or as he was referred to, "Chilly Billy." Cardille and a cast of characters would introduce the film being shown, as well as perform skits during breaks in the film. Cardille became well-known for hosting the show, and the shows themselves became part of local yore. The final program aired on January 1, 1984. Cardille remained on-air at Channel 11 through the early- to mid-1990s as the morning and noon weather forecaster. Cardille remains in Pittsburgh as midday personality on WJAS radio, and occasional Chiller Theater reunions have been held over the years.
The show was part of a trend during the 1960s and 1970s for television stations to produce local programming. Local stations often created their own children's shows as well. Horror theater shows, such as Shock Theatre, hosted by Ghoulardi and Big Chuck and Little John in Cleveland, as well as Chiller Theater, were not only easy to produce, but popular with the local audience.
For its part, WPXI (known then as WIIC) produced "Cartoon Colorama", which aired old-time cartoons produced in color format (hence the name), hosted by Willie the Duck, a hand-puppet with a Donald Duck type of voice, speaking to off-camera announcer Don Riggs (who served as Willie's comedy foil) in between the cartoons. The show had been previously hosted by a character called "Captain Jim".
[edit] Present
- Our Region's Business
- Talkin' Pittsburgh
- Impact
- Celebrate the Season Parade
- Carol Sing
- Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
- A Star Spangled Salute
- The Jerome Bettis Show
[edit] Past
- Chiller Theater
- H.S. Sports Saturday with Mark Malone
- Studio Wrestling
- Cartoon Colorama with Captain Jim
- Luncheon at the Ones
- Jackpot Bingo
[edit] Digital
WPXI Broadcasts its digital signals (HD if programming permits) over the airwaves and on cable. Standard channel 11 (e.g. NBC) programming is broadcast on 11.1
WPXI was the first channel in Pittsburgh to make use of additional programming on its digital channels.
On June 21, 2007, WPXI's Weather Plus began on Channel 11.2 and is also available on digital cable.[6] Weather Plus offers local and national weather information 24 hours a day. Locally, WPXI's Scott Harbaugh serves as the main meteorologist on Channel 11 Weather Plus.
WPXI added an airwave digital channel on 11.3 in late October 2007 when it began an affiliation with Retro Television Network, a channel that airs classic television programming.
[edit] Digital 48
When analog signals sign off on February 17, 2009, in favor of digital, WPXI will remain on its current signal of channel 48 instead of moving to channel 11. This is a highly unusual move, as most digital signals right now are on different channels until they sign off the of the analog signals to not interfere with the current analog signals that they own.
The move is being done because of CW station WPCW-TV, currently on analog signal 19, can have better coverage of the Pittsburgh DMA without interfering with CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland. In addition, that station's current digital signal 49 would eventually interfere with low-power WLLS-LP in Indiana, Pennsylvania and PBS station WEAO in Akron.
As a result, WPCW will be allotted the channel 11 signal while WPXI will use its current digital signal 48 permanently.[7]
All other Pittsburgh TV stations will switch to their traditional channel numbers when the switch is made.
However, due to WPXI's strong brand recognition on channel 11 after over half a century, the on-air channel 11 moniker will most likely remain.
[edit] Personalities
[edit] Anchors
[edit] Anchors/Reporters
[edit] Severe Weather Team
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[edit] Sports
[edit] Reporters
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[edit] Former Personalities
- Asa Aarons (19xx-19xx) (consumer reporter) - now a consumer reporter for WNBC New York
- Mal Alberts (late 50's-early 60's) (sports director)
- Jennifer Antkowiak (19xx-1993) (reporter) - also worked at KDKA-TV as an anchor, and now hosts jennifer, a talk show on WTAE, also she edits the magizine At Home With Jennifer
- Caroline Avedesian (19xx-2000) (reporter) -
- Hank Baughman (19xx-1987) (anchor) - now morning news anchor at WSHH "Wish 99.7" in Pittsburgh, also worked at KQV, WTAE-AM, WHTX
- Rocky Bleier (1980-19xx) (sports) - former Pittsburgh Steeler
- Mike Boguslowski (19xx-19xx) (consumer reporter); also worked at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles
- Julie Bologna (2000-2004) (weather) - native of Aliquippa; now at KTVT in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Dennis Bowman (1984-2000) (weather) - after 16 years he moved on to Topeka, Kansas, but returned to Pittsburgh in 2005; now serves as a freelance meteorologist at KDKA-TV
- Jim Brinson (19xx-19xx) (sports) -
- Natasha Brown (2000-2002) (reporter) - now at KYW-TV and WPSG in Philadelphia
- Beverly Byer (19xx-19xx) (anchor) - was an anchor at KION-TV in Monterey, Calif.; now at KRXA 540 AM
- Bill Cardille (1957-2000) (weather) - was the first personality on air at WIIC, now a radio DJ at WJAS
- Darryl Carver (1997-2000) (reporter) - now a reporter at WAGA in Atlanta
- Reg Chapman (2000-2002) (reporter) - now a reporter at WNBC New York
- Steve Chenevey (2000-2002) (reporter) - now co-anchors WTTG morning news from 5 to 7 A.M.
- Bob Cochran (1957-1975) (anchor/reporter)
- Jane Crawford (1980-1984) (anchor/reporter)
- Della Crews (1985-1998) (anchor/reporter) - now at News 12 in the New York/New Jersey area
- John Cross (1980-1984) - (economics editor)
- Vince DeLisi (19xx-19xx) (reporter)
- Red Donley (1961-1970) (sports) - previously worked at WTOV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio / Wheeling, West Virginia-died in 1998
- Tim Earl (1984-1986) (weather anchor/science reporter) - lives in Dallas, TX
- Jack Etzel (1974-1996) (feature reporter) "Etzel at Large" and "Jack of All Trades".
- Ralph G. Fallert (1957-1974) - (weather forecaster)
- Pat Finn (1979-1984) (weather forecater/reporter) later a host of various game shows
- Katina Forte (19xx-2002) (traffic reporter) - was host of 'QVC @ The Mall', now at ShopNBC
- Alan Frio (1979-1981) (anchor) - later original anchor of Hard Copy
- Vince Gerasole (19xx-19xx) (reporter) - now at WBBM-TV, is a native of Pittsburgh
- Derrick Gunn (1987-1997) (sports) - now at Comcast SportsNet
- Mike Hambrick (1986-1989) (anchor) - now with the National Association of Manufacturers [1]
- Yolanda Hawkins (2003-2006) (reporter) - recently posed for the cover of Maniac Magazine's September 2006 issue
- Midge Hill (1981-1984) (weekend anchor/reporter)
- Dagny Hultgreen (19xx-19xx) (anchor/reporter) - sister of Kara Hultgreen, first female US Navy fighter pilot; appeared in the film 'Speed' as a reporter; spent time as a reporter for E! News and Good Day L.A.
- Ron Jaye (19xx-2000) (anchor/reporter) - retired
- Mary Robb Jackson (late 1970's) - (reporter)
- Keith Jones (2000-2003) (anchor/reporter) now at KDKA-TV
- C.S. Keys (1995-2000) (weather) now at XETV-TV in San Diego
- Pat Kiley (early 1970's) (anchor) - formerly of KDKA-TV
- Barry Lillis (1981-1983) (weather forecaster)
- Kris Long (1993-1998) (anchor) - now at KPSP-LP in Palm Springs, Calif.
- Adam Lynch (1962-1978) (anchor/reporter) -retired
- Mark Malone (1990-1993) (sports) - now with WBBM-TV
- P.J. Maloney (mid-1970's to mid 1980's) (reporter/weather forecaster) now at KQV
- Loran Mann (1976-1996) (reporter) - now a minister in Pittsburgh
- Kelly Mitchell (1987-1989) (anchor) -
- Russ Montgomery (early-mid 1970's) - (weather forecaster)
- Sam Nover (1970-2001) (sports) - retired
- Katrina Owens (2006-2007) (reporter)
- Ken Phillips (1974-1979) (chief meteorologist)
- Bruce Pompeani (1993-1996) (anchor/reporter) - worked at KDKA-TV
- Gina Redmond (2001-2003) (anchor) - now at WVTM-TV in Birmingham
- Don Riggs (1970-1990) (weather/reporter)
- Dr. Mike Rosen (1997-2001) (medical reporter) - now the senior medical correspondent at WCBS-TV and also files reports for CBS Newspath
- Lori Savitch (1990-19xx) (anchor/reporter) - now an award-winning freelance producer for Nickelodeon, Lifetime and the History Channel and contributor to WQED Pittsburgh's 'OnQ'
- Eleanor Schano (19xx-19xx) (anchor) - host of WQED's 'LifeQuest'
- Pat Shingleton (1979-1981) (chief meteorologist)
- Margaret Shortridge (1992-2000) (reporter/anchor) - now at WFLD
- Roxanne Stein (19xx-1987) (anchor) - now at WPTV
- Dave Sullivan (late 1970's-early 1980's) - (sports)
- Ray Tannehill (1970-1976) (anchor) - died in 2007
- Edye Tarbox (1987-1989) (anchor) - now with Fox News Channel
- Steve Teeling (2000-2006) (Chief Meteorologist) - now with WXXA in Albany, New York
- Becky Thompson (19xx-2006) (consumer reporter) - relocated to Texas
- Estha Trouw (1995-19xx) (anchor/reporter) - Now anchorwoman with San Diego Fox 6[2] News at 10pm.
- Wayne Van Dine (1969-1978) (consumer reporter) "Action Line" on WIIC.
- Randy Waters (1981-1984) (sports) - now at WXIA-TV in Atlanta
- Alice Weston co-host "Luncheon at the Ones."
- By Williams co-host "Luncheon at the Ones."
[edit] Trivia
- WPXI was the only Pittsburgh TV station that aired uncensored footage of Pennsylvania treasurer Budd Dwyer's suicide in 1987.
- Most of the news reports in Night of the Living Dead aired on WIIC within the film.
- Since at least the late 1980s, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have aired on WPXI. Before that, KDKA aired the two game shows in a late afternoon slot.
[edit] External links
- WPXI Web site
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WPXI
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WPXI-TV
[edit] References
- ^ WPXI tunes in to Summer Hill folks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- ^ Tuned In: WPXI moves to sleek, new digs
- ^ TUNED IN JOURNAL: WPXI's major malfunctions
- ^ WPXI to air old shows as Retro TV affiliate
- ^ TV Ratings: May 2007. post-gazette.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-25.
- ^ Tuned In: TV news pranksters try to 'bust' WPXI
- ^ FR Doc E7-17643
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