WTKR

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WTKR
Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, Virginia
Branding	NewsChannel 3
Slogan	Taking Action
Channels	Analog: 3 (VHF) Digital: 40 (UHF)
Affiliations	CBS
Owner	Local TV, LLC (Local TV Virginia License, LLC)
First air date	April 2, 1950
Former callsigns	WTAR-TV (1950-1981)
Former channel number(s)	4 (1950-1952)
Former affiliations	Primary: NBC (1950-1953) Secondary: CBS (1950-1953) DuMont (1950-1955) ABC (1950-1957)
Transmitter Power	100 kW (analog) 950 kW (digital)
Height	299 m (analog) 377 m (digital)
Facility ID	47401
Transmitter Coordinates	36°48′58.1″N, 76°27′55.4″W (analog) 36°48′31.8″N, 76°30′11.3″W (digital)
Website	www.wtkr.com

WTKR is the CBS affiliate serving the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, officially known as the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News DMA. The station is licensed to Norfolk and broadcasts on channel 3. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia. WTKR is owned by Local TV, LLC.

[edit] History

The station began operation on channel 4 on April 2, 1950 as WTAR-TV, Virginia's second television station. It was a primary NBC affiliate, with secondary affiliations with CBS, ABC, and DuMont. It was owned by the Virginian-Pilot along with WTAR-AM, Virginia's first radio station. It moved to channel 3 in 1952. When WVEC-TV signed on a year later as an NBC affiliate, WTAR became a primary CBS affliliate, retaining its secondary ABC and DuMont affiliations (DuMont folded two years later). WTAR became solely affiliated with CBS in 1957, when WAVY-TV signed on as the NBC affiliate and WVEC became solely an ABC station. When the Virginian-Pilot reorganized its various holdings as Landmark Communications in 1969, WTAR-AM-FM-TV became the flagship stations.

WTKR logo from 1998 to 2002. This logo kept the 3 from the previous 1995-98 logo, but revised the "NewsChannel" branding.

Over the years, the station expanded its news operation to include about 30 hours of local news production per week. It also produced PM Magazine from the late 1970s to mid-1980s.

After the FCC tightened its ownership restrictions, Landmark sold its Hampton Roads television holdings. WTAR-TV went to Knight-Ridder in 1981. WTAR AM radio was still owned by Landmark, so Knight-Ridder changed the station's calls to WTKR. The new calls reflected the new ownership and also sounded similar to the old ones. WTKR was purchased by Narragansett Television in 1989, and by The New York Times Company in 1995. WTKR's current owner, Local TV, acquired the station on May 7, 2007.

[edit] Branding and Image

The current WTKR title card, as seen on the newscasts

[edit] Weather Titles

• TV-3 WeatherVision/TV-3 Forecast Center (1994-1995)
• Live Neighborhood Radar (1995-1998)
• Storm Team 3 (1995-1998)
• Triple Doppler Radar/Triple Doppler Forecast Center (1998-2007)
• Live VIPIR Radar/Live VIPIR Forecast Center (2007-Present)

[edit] News Personalities

[edit] Anchors

• Domonique Benn, 5:30 pm
• Juliet Bickford, weekday morning
• Barbara Ciara, noon
• Bianca Martinez, 5:00pm, 6:00pm and 11:00pm
• Sara Morris, weekend 6:00pm and 11:00pm
• Pat McReynolds, 5:00pm, 6:00pm, and 11:00pm
• Laila Muhammad, weekend mornings
• Kurt Williams, weekday morning and noon
• Les Smith, 5:30 pm^[1]

[edit] Weather

• Mike Harvey, chief meteorologist, weekday evening
• Vanessa Murdock, Saturday morning & weekend evening
• Patrick Rockey, morning and noon
• Dave Parker, Sunday morning & fill-in

[edit] Sports

• Jason Barr, weekend sports anchor, reporter

NOTE: No sports on weekdays.

[edit] Reporters and Other Current Personalities

• Ted Alexander (general assignment/The Locker Room Host)
• Domonique Benn (anchor/general assignment)
• Juliet Bickford (anchor/Consumer Affairs Reporter)
• Barbara Ciara (anchor/reports for evening shows)
• Marie Coronel (general assignment)
• Kristen Crowley (traffic)
• Jeremy Crider (general assignment)
• Stacy Davis (military reporter)
• Bonnie Johnson (traffic)
• Mike Mather (Investigative)
• Bob Matthews (Virginia Beach)
• Sara Morris (general assignment)
• Vanessa Murdock (features)
• Laila Muhammad (general assignment)
• Jummy Olabanji (general assignment)
• Dan Rubin (general assignment)
• Blaine Stewart (general assignment/weather fill-in)

WTKR also uses reporters from Tribune's Washington, DC bureau, as part of a new management sharing agreement between Tribune and WTKR's parent company, Local TV, LLC.

[edit] Past Personalities

Ed Hughes and Jane Gardner from a 1996 news promo

Tom Randles and LeAnne Rains in 1996.

• Stacey Baca, weekend morning anchor from 1996 until 1998. Now at WLS-TV in Chicago.^[2]
• Giovanna Bechard, Peninsula reporter until 2007, now at WGME in Portland, ME.
• Betty Anne Bowser, reporter, co-anchor in the 1960s and 70s. Later a correspondent for CBS News (1973-86) and PBS's NewsHour (1986-present). Former co-anchor of 30 Minutes, a news magazine program that won four Emmys, a DuPont-Columbia Award and a Peabody Award.^[3]
• Troy Brettson, sports director from 2005 until 2006.
• Cynthia Brooks, morning co-anchor from 2002 until 2005.
• Wally Bruckner, sports anchor in summer 1985. Later worked in Richmond and at WRC-TV in Washington, DC.
• John Castleberry, sports anchor during the mid-late 1990s, previously weekend sports anchor at WAVY during the 1980s. Now hosts a daily radio show on 102.1 The Game WXTG. Husband of former WAVY anchor and Living the Life co-host Carolyn Castleberry.
• Glenn "Corey" Corillo, anchor during the late-80s to the mid-90s. Unsuccessfully ran against Virginia Beach mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf in spring 2000.
• Cory Curtis, sports director from 2006 to 2007, now at WKRN in Nashville.
• Nate Custer, longtime reporter from 1966 until 2005.
• Kelli Durand, weekend meteorologist from 2003 until 2006.
• Brian Farrell, reporter, weekend morning anchor, now at WVEC.
• Joe Flanagan, host of WTKR's PM Magazine from 1980 to 1985, now at WVEC.
• Betty Francis, weekend news anchor during the 1980s.
• Jane Gardner, main co-anchor during the early-mid 1990s. Also co-hosted WTKR's "Live at 9" program in the mid-late 90s.
• Stan Garfin, sports anchor during 1970s and early 80s.
• Dale Gauding, investigative reporter until leaving for WVEC in 1998.
• Lisa Godley, reporter from 1997 until 2007
• Pete Grigsby, meteorologist from 1995 to 1999, now at KMBC in Kansas City.
• Jim Hale, sports reporter, anchor from late 80s to mid 90s. Was morning and noon anchor at WTVR in Richmond from the late 90s until 2000.
• Dr. Duane Harding, chief weathercaster from 1990 until 1996; when he was fired.^[4]
• Kelly Harvey Jones, weekend anchor from 1999-2002, later went to WVEC.
• Michelle Harvey, evening news anchor during late 1980s.
• Brian Hill, meterologist in the 1980s-1990s, later went to WVEC.
• Rick Holmes, reporter from 1999 until 2007. Now at News 12 New Jersey.
• Chris Hopkins, morning and noon co-anchor from 2002 until 2005.
• Ed Hughes, often called the Walter Cronkite of Hampton Roads, from 1967 (as WTAR) to his death from cancer in 2004.
• George Johnson, weekend sports anchor from 1998 until 2001. Now at WISC-TV in Madison, WI.
• Gene Kapp, started as a reporter in 1983, became 11pm co-anchor in 1987 until 1992, later a spokesman for CBN.
• Sandra Kelly, anchor in the early 1980s. Previously at WAVY. Now associate rector at Tampa's St. John Episcopal Church.^[5]
• Matt Keller, morning anchor from 2005 to 2007. Now at KGO-TV in San Francisco.
• Ann Keffer, anchor in the 1980s-1990s. Now hosts ExploreHealth with Sentara, a 30-minute health show shown on WTKR Saturdays at 7:00pm ^[6] (the program is not produced by WTKR)
• Beverly Kidd, joined station in 1993 and was morning co-anchor from 1997 until 2001. Now at KTVK in Phoenix.
• Janice Lee, weather anchor in the early 1990s.
• Antwan Lewis, hired as a college intern in 1996, worked way up to reporter. Left in 2002 for KTVK in Phoenix. Now at WGN/Superstation WGN in Chicago.
• Becky Livas, newscaster and talk show hostess/producer "People Places & Things", "3 In The Morning", 1971-1980 (then WTAR-TV). Now middle school teacher in Suffolk and cabaret/jazz singer at venues throughout Hampton Roads. Mother of WAVY & WVBT anchor Nicole Livas.
• Ross MacCallum, news and sports anchor from 1985 to 1992. Also worked at WAVY from 1993 to 1995.
• Lee Mahaffey, morning anchor from 2000 until 2002. Now anchor at WTVR-TV in Richmond.
• Karen May, weekend anchor from 2002 until 2006.
• Paula Miller, reporter from 1984 until 1999. Now representative in the Virginia House of Delegates.^[7]
• Regina Mobley, reporter from 1985 to 1992, now at WVEC.
• Priscilla Monti, reporter from 1999 until 2007.
• Carol Novotny, weather anchor from 1992-1995.
• Gerald Owens, political reporter and anchor from 1995 until 1998. Now at WRAL-TV in Raleigh.
• Greg Padgett, meterologist from 1995 to 1998.
• Lou Paris, reporter and news director from 1976-1987. Returned to active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Now retired, living in Germantown, TN.
• Pat Paris, sports director from 2000 to 2001.
• Eric Philips, reporter from 1996-2002. Left for CNN.
• Jeffrey Prier, meteorologist from 2001 until 2003.
• Ben "Sonny" Pulliam, news photographer from 1953 to 1996 (died in 2006).
• LeAnne Rains, main co-anchor from 1995 until 2001. Now known as LeAnne Rains-Benedetto.
• Tom Randles, main co-anchor from 1993 until 2005. Now weekend anchor at WSMV-TV in Nashville.
• Mike Rasnick, sports reporter during 70s and early 80s. Later at CBN.
• Bob Rathbun, sports anchor from 1990 until 1991. Now play-by-play announcer for Atlanta Hawks.
• Andy Roberts, chief weathercaster/announcer for over 35 years until 1990, continued to forecast on noon and 5pm newscasts until his retirement in 1992.
• Jeff Rucker, meteorologist on various newscasts from 1995 until 1999, now chief meteorologist at WAGT in Augusta, GA.
• Mike Simon, noon and 5:30pm meteorologist until 2003. Known as Mike Cuevas as chief meteorologist at WLOS in Asheville.
• Yvonne Simons, reporter. Now news director at KBCI-TV in Boise, ID.
• Brian Sinkoff, weekend sports anchor from 2001 until 2005.
• Stephanie Sy, fill-in anchor and military reporter from 2001 until 2003. Now reporter for ABC News.
• Cathleen Trigg, anchor/reporter from 1997-1999. Left for WPIX in New York.
• Sal Urbano, sports anchor from 1985 to 1988.
• Lyn Vaughn, evening co-anchor from July 1999 until 2001 after 14 years with CNN Headline News.
• Bob West, "Point's West" host 1980s-1990s. Retired after 34 years at WTKR. Now lives in Isle of Wight County, Va
• Tal White, Weekend weathercaster from 1994-1995, 1999-2002, Fill-in forecaster from 2003-2005, worked at WWBT in Richmond in between stints.
• Stacy Wiggins, reporter until 2006.

[edit] Tower

WTKR-TV transmission tower is located in northwest part of Suffolk, Virginia. WTKR (analog ch. 3) transmits with 100 kilowatts of power from an antenna located at a height of 981 feet (299 m). WTKR-DT (digital ch. 40) transmits with 950 kilowatts of power at a height of 1,250 feet (380 m) on a tower owned by ATC and co-located with WHRO, WTVZ and WPXV. It is the tallest antenna in southeastern Virginia.

[edit] External links

• WTKR Homepage
• WTKR MySpace Page
• 3onthego.com
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WTKR
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WTKR-TV

[edit] References