WTSP
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| WTSP | |
|---|---|
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| St. Petersburg / Tampa, Florida | |
| Branding | Tampa Bay's 10 |
| Slogan | Enjoy It. We Do. |
| Channels | Analog: 10 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | CBS (since 1994) |
| Owner | Gannett Company (Pacific and Southern Company, Inc.) |
| Founded | July 1965[1] |
| Call letters’ meaning | Tampa/St. Petersburg |
| Former callsigns | WLCY-TV (1965-1978) |
| Former affiliations | independent (1965) ABC (1965-1994) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 625 kW (digital) |
| Height | 458 m (analog) 440 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 11290 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.tampabays10.com |
WTSP, "Tampa Bay's 10" is a CBS-affiliate television station on the west coast of Florida (Tampa–St. Petersburg DMA 13). It broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 10, and its digital signal on UHF channel 24. Its transmitter is located in Holiday, Florida. The station is run by the Gannett Company and its studios are based in St. Petersburg. WTSP is one of two full-powered stations with studios located here instead of Tampa alongside nearby WTOG. It is also one of three full-powered stations based in Pinellas County, counting WCLF.
Because its transmitter location is further north than the other major stations in the market (in order to protect Miami's WPLG), WTSP's signal cannot be seen well in Sarasota, Hardee and Highlands Counties, and viewers without cable must rely on WINK-TV in Fort Myers for CBS programming. In addition, unlike the other Tampa network affiliates, WTSP's signal reaches as far north as Levy County and Marion County.
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[edit] History
The station began broadcasting on July 17, 1965, as WLCY-TV after a lengthy court battle that lasted nearly ten years between five prospective owners seeking the license. Rahall Communications, which also owned WLCY radio (AM 1380, now WWMI; and FM 94.9, now WWRM), was awarded the original license for Channel 10.[citation needed]
The station was granted affiliation with ABC, but the station spent the first month and a half as an independent station, as previous ABC affiliate WSUN-TV (channel 38, the frequency is now occupied by WTTA) went to court to keep the affiliation. WLCY ultimately won, and they formally switched to ABC in a special ceremony on September 1, 1965.
Early personalities included Dick Crippen, who originally presented weather and then sports; Marshall Cleaver, Al Stockmeyer, Art Johnson, and Karol Kelly, many of whom also hosted programs for WLCY radio. Cleaver was the original news anchor for much of the 1960s and early 1970s.
The station also aired such original children's programs as "Submarine 10", "Romper Room", "10 Ultimate" and "This Side Up" and original talk shows such as "The John Eastman Show", "The Liz Richards Show" and the popular "Murphy in the Morning".
[edit] The 1970s
In 1971, WXLT (now WWSB) signed on from Sarasota as WLCY's signal could not come in well in most of Sarasota County as WLCY's transmitter was (and still is) in Holiday.
In 1976, former WFLA-TV anchor Arch Deal became the news director and main anchor for Eyewitness News. WLCY also broadcast the first 5:30 newscast in the Bay Area during the late 1970s up until 1980 when the newscast was moved to 6pm. Ratings for the station during the early to mid 1970s were dismal, however, compared to longtime Bay Area stations WTVT and WFLA-TV and, as a result, the station nearly lost its ABC affiliation. Part of the problem was its transmitter location in Holiday, in the southwestern corner of Pasco County (all other stations broadcasted from Riverview, in Hillsborough County). It also operated at a lower power than the Tampa stations.[citation needed]
However, on September 12, 1978, WLCY-TV was purchased by Gulf Broadcasting. New owner Allen Henry (of WINS New York fame) and General Manager Larry Clamadge immediately began to turn the station around, changing the call letters to WTSP-TV that year and hiring several new personalities who would change the entire face of the station.[citation needed] WTSP, ironically, was originally the calls for AM 1380 when that station was owned by the St. Petersburg Times in the 1940s and 1950s. This was similar to what Roone Arledge had done for ABC News that same year. Beginning in 1979, Don Harrison (previously from KMSP-TV in Minneapolis-St. Paul), Liz Ayers, Wally Kinnan and Dick Crippen were the new anchors of the Channel 10 evening newscasts. Ratings surged, making the Tampa Bay market more competitive.[citation needed] In 1979, Channel 10 acquired the original, and famous, sunset logo (which was later duplicated by its sister station KTSP in Phoenix, Arizona) along with the "Action News" format.[citation needed] In April 1979, the station built a taller transmission tower, improving the station's broadcasting capabilities.
WTSP is also a station of firsts. In October of 1979, the station acquired "Sky 10," Tampa Bay's first television news helicopter. This stunned the local news community and showed that Channel 10 was serious about local news coverage. It was the only local news helicopter to broadcast the infamous Skyway Bridge disaster on live television in May 1980. Another technological advance was Tampa Bay's first satellite news truck called "Star 10" that beamed signals from far away locations to WTSP's Gandy Blvd. headquarters. WTSP also acquired Tampa Bay's first Doppler weather radar in the Southeastern United States in 1980 and was one of the first television stations in the country to use a computer in weather forecasting.[citation needed]
[edit] The 1980s
In late 1982, news anchor Don Harrison left the WTSP to become an anchor at upstart cable channel CNN2, now CNN Headline News. John Wilson replaced Harrison as anchor. On January 9, 1983, Sheryl Browne, from WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio joined Wilson at the anchor desk on "Action News," rounding out the station's main anchor team.
Longtime WTSP chief meteorologist Dick Fletcher joined the station in March 1980 and became famous for his forecasting during Hurricane Elena in 1985.[citation needed] Award-winning reporter Mike Deeson and legendary sports anchor Ken Broo also bolstered the station in the early 1980s.[citation needed]
WTSP was the second television station in the Bay Area to launch an hour long 6 PM newscast in 1986.[citation needed] Rival WTVT had been the first to do so many years earlier and WTSP attempted it in an effort to pass WTVT to the top of the local news ratings. The effort only lasted until 1987, however.[citation needed]
Taft Broadcasting purchased the station along with four other Gulf properties in 1985. Then, in 1988, Taft sold its independent stations and Fox affiliates to TVX, and sold most of its network affiliates, including WTSP, to Great American Broadcasting (which became known as Citicasters by 1995).[citation needed]
In March 1989, one of the first computer espionage scandals in the nation broke, when news director Terry Cole hired Michael Shapiro away from rival WTVT where he was a news manager and computer security officer. Shapiro repeatedly broke into the newsroom computer system of his former employer using a modem at his home - apparently with Cole's knowledge.[citation needed] Both were fired and were sentenced by Florida court to probation for the incident.[citation needed]
In June of 1989, "Action 10 News" became "NewsCenter 10" and a 5 p.m. newscast was launched. Although in third place, ratings did recover to be competitive with WFLA.[citation needed]
[edit] The 1990s
In 1994, Scripps Howard arranged for several of its stations (including WFTS, which was about to lose its Fox affiliation to WTVT due to the corporate deal between New World Communications, WTVT's owner at the time, and Fox) to affiliate with ABC. As a result, WTSP was to lose its ABC affiliation, and gain the CBS affiliation instead. CBS's programming moved to WTSP in December 1994, in a 3-way affiliation switch that caused much viewer confusion. The change to CBS occurred on December 12, 1994, and resulted in the station moving from third to second place in the local news ratings although a later resurgent WTVT and competition from newly started WFTS would make second place a toss up for the rest of the 1990s. WFLA would serve as the market leader.[citation needed]
Citicasters (which held on to WTSP and WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio after it sold its other television stations to New World and Fox Television Stations) merged with Jacor in September 1996. Three months later, in December 1996, Gannett acquired WTSP in a swap deal, selling six of its radio stations — KIIS-AM (now KTLK) and KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, California, KSDO-AM and KSDO-FM (now KLQV) in San Diego, California and WDAE and WUSA-FM (now WMTX) in Tampa, Florida — to Jacor in return.
In January of 1998, Reginald Roundtree replaced Pat Minarcin as the lead male anchor of "10 News". Minarcin later sued the station for age discrimination.[citation needed] On October 14, 2002, the station launched a new news format and image. A new, state of the art digital newsroom was also constructed for WTSP's news staff.[citation needed]
[edit] Newscast Line-up
[edit] Weekdays
- Tampa Bay's 10 News This Morning - 5:00AM-7:00AM
Anchor: Ginger Gadsden
Weather: Anna Allen
Traffic: Meredyth Censullo
- Tampa Bay's 10 News at Noon - 12:00PM-12:30PM
Anchor: Ginger Gadsden
Weather: Anna Allen
- Tampa Bay's 10 News at 4:00 - 4:00PM-5:00PM
Anchors: Dave Wirth, Marty Matthews
Weather: (TBD)¹
- Tampa Bay's 10 News at 6:00 - 6:00PM-6:30PM
Anchors: Reginald Roundtree, Heather Van Nest
Weather: (TBD)¹
Sports: Justin Allen
- Tampa Bay's 10 News at 11:00 - 11:00PM-11:35PM
Anchors: Reginald Roundtree, Heather Van Nest
Weather: (TBD)¹
Sports: Justin Allen
¹Longtime chief meteorologist Dick Fletcher passed away from complications due to a stroke on February 26, 2008.
[edit] Weekends
- Tampa Bay's 10 News This Morning Saturday - 6:00AM-8:00AM (Saturday only)
Anchor: Angela Atalla
Weather: Sherry Ray
- Tampa Bay's 10 News at 6:00 - 6:00PM-6:30PM
Anchor: Jennifer Howe
Weather: Randy Rauch
Sports: Angela Jacobs
- Tampa Bay's 10 News at 11:00 - 11:00PM-11:35PM
Anchor: Jennifer Howe
Weather: Randy Rauch
Sports: Angela Jacobs
[edit] Current Personalities
Anchors
- Reginald Roundtree, Weekday 6PM and 11PM anchor
- Heather Van Nest, Weekday 6PM and 11PM anchor
- Dave Wirth, Weekday 4PM anchor
- Marty Matthews, Weekday 4PM anchor
- Ginger Gadsden, Weekday morning and noon anchor
- Jennifer Howe, Weekend 6PM and 11PM anchor/reporter
- Angela Atalla, Saturday morning anchor/reporter
Meteorologists
- Anna Allen, (AMS Seal of Approval) Morning and noon neteorologist
- Randy Rauch, (AMS Seal of Approval) Weekend meteorologist/reporter
- Sherry Ray, (AMS Seal of Approval) Saturday morning meteorologist/4PM reporter
- Stephanie Roberts, (NWA Seal of Approval) freelance meteorologist
Sports
- Justin Allen, Sports anchor
- Angela Jacobs, Sports anchor/reporter
- Chris Tilley, Sports director
- Travis Bell, Sports reporter
Reporters
- Dave Balut, Investigative reporter
- Valerie Boey, General assignment reporter
- Kathryn Bursch, General assignment reporter
- Meredyth Censullo, Traffic reporter
- Mike Deeson, General assignment reporter
- Sara Dorsey, General assignment reporter
- Tammie Fields, General assignment reporter (also fills in for anchors)
- Alexandra Hackett, General assignment reporter
- Isabel Mascareñas, Education reporter
- Preston Rudie, General assignment reporter
- Beau Zimmer, General assignment reporter
- Mario Diaz, 11PM reporter
- Janie Porter, General assignment reporter
- David Leonard, General assignment reporter
- Brittany Benner, General assignment reporter
[edit] Past Personalities
- John Wilson, 6 and 11pm anchor (1981–1993) (at WTVT)
- Sheryl Browne, 6 and 11pm anchor (1983–1992)
- Don Harrison, 6 and 11pm anchor (1979-1982)
- Liz Ayers, 6 and 11pm anchor (1979-1983)
- Arch Deal, evening anchor/news director (1976–1978)
- R.A. Campbell, anchor (1976)
- Marshall Cleaver, anchor (1965-1977)
- Bob Bates, anchor (1978–1980)
- Gary Rebstock, anchor (1978–1979)
- John Favole, reporter "(1979–1982)" (now at WPTV)
- Francie Murphy, anchor (1978–1979)
- Dennis Roper, anchor (1979–1984)
- Mark Feldstein, I-Team (1980–1985)
- Kevin Kalwary, I-Team investigative reporter (1980s-early 1990s) (now Investigator/Media Liaison for Tampa law firm Cohen, Jayson, & Foster)
- Sue Zelenko, 6/11pm anchor (1991–2004)
- Pat Minarcin, 6 and 11pm anchor (1994–1998)
- Al Ruechel, morning/noon anchor (1986–1996) (at Bay News 9, Tampa, FL)
- Marlene Schneider, anchor (1985–1992)
- Jane Akre, anchor (1991–1995)
- Dave Wagner, anchor (1987–1999) (at WCNC-TV in Charlotte, NC)
- Miles O'Brien, reporter (1984–1986) (at CNN)
- Rod Challenger, news director/anchor (1978–1979) (at WFLA-TV)
- Jule McGee, reporter (1965–1967)
- Stan Grams, first WLCY-TV weatherman (1965-1969)
- Sonny Daye, weather personality (1969-1976)
- Wally "The Weatherman" Kinnan (1978–1980)
- Dennis Feltgen, meteorologist (1989–1999) (now at NOAA)
- Jim Wegner, meteorologist (1980s)
- Jim Brihan, meteorologist (1980s)
- Mike Ferell, meteorologist (1987–1993)
- Dick Crippen, sports director (1965–1981) (at Catch 47)
- Ken Broo, sports director (1981–1987) (at WLWT Ch. 5, Cincinnati, OH)
- Steve Talbot, sports director (1987–1988)
- Al Keck, sports director (1988–2001) (at WFTS Ch. 28, Tampa, FL)
- John Nugent, sports director (2001–2006) (now at WCIV in Charleston, SC)
- Bill Campbell,"Campbell's Corner"/reporter (1975–1993)
- Bill Murphy, "Murphy in the Morning" (1985–1991) (later went to WTVT, now retired)
- Myrtle Smith-Carroll, reporter, host "Youth & You"(1978–1983)
- Julie Brannon, "PM Magazine" (1986–1989)
- Andrea McDaniel, reporter (1982–1985)
- Madeleine Holland, morning anchor (1991–1995)
- John O'Connor, "PM Magazine"/anchor (1986–1989) (now primary anchor at WTEV in Jacksonville, FL)
- Laura York, weather (1996-2001)
- Mary Beth Byrd, morning anchor (1996-2001)
- David Klugh, morning/noon anchor (1991-1999)
- Paul Morill, freelance weather (2004-2005)
- Gemma Gaudette, morning anchor (2004-2006) (at KBCI)
- Jeff Berardelli, meteorologist (1999-2003) (at WFOR)
- Darryl David, 5pm anchor (1989-1991)
- Jineane Ford, 5pm anchor (1989-1991)
- Lisa Foronda, weekend anchor (1992-1997)
- Lynna Lai, morning reporter/anchor (mid 1990s) (currently at WOIO in Cleveland, OH and married to noted attorney Phillip C. Kosla, Esq.)
- John Harding, morning anchor (2000-2004) (at KKTV)
- Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, reporter (1994-1998) (at CNBC)
- Debra Becker, reporter (1990s)
- David Snepp, reporter (1980s)
- Mark Douglas, reporter (1980s-90s) (at WFLA-TV)
- Brian Goff, reporter (1980s-90s)
- Jerry Johnson, sports anchor/reporter (1982-2001)
- Bill McGinty, reporter/anchor (1994-2007) (at KFFX)
- Vince Meloy, sports anchor (1960s)
- Herb Hunt, Tampa reporter (1960s)
- Phil Hunter, reporter (1960s)
- DeAnna Sheffield, reporter (2002-2007)
- Cliff Michaelsen, meteorologist (2003-2005)
- Linda Gialanella, meteorologist (1992-2001) (at WFTS)
- Craig Sager, sportscaster, (1970's) (Now at TBS)
- Dick Fletcher, chief meteorologist (1980-2008) (deceased)
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Titles
- WLCY-TV News (1965-1968)
- 24 Hours (1968-1974)
- Eyewitness News (1974-1980)
- Action News (1980-1989)
- NewsCenter 10 (1989-1992)
- 10 News (1992-2002)
- Tampa Bay's 10 News (2002-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- "WLCY-TV: Where The Action Is!" (1965)
- "Take A Look (at Channel 10)" (1979-1981)
- "Follow the New Leader" (1984)
- "Count On the Action News Team!" (1980s)
- "Stay In Touch With 10" (mid-1980s)
- "NewsCenter 10: In the Center of it All" (1989–1992)
- "10 News: News You Can Use" (1992–1994)
- "Where News Comes First" (1994–1995)
- "The Next Generation of News" (1994–1996)
- "Keep Your Eye on Tampa Bay's 10" (1994–1996; used to promote CBS's move to WTSP)
- "We've Got You Covered" (1996–1998)
- "People You Can Count On" (1998–2001)
- "Covering Tampa Bay" (2001–2002)
- "Enjoy It. We Do." (2002—present)
- "You'll Be Seeing Red" promo for the revamped Channel 10 (2002)
[edit] External links
- WTSP Homepage
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WTSP
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WTSP-TV
- mcsittel.com: 1990s DX screengrabs from Tallahassee -- includes a 1992 WTSP ABC schedule screengrab
- WTSP images/video @ Florida News Center Contains an image and video archive of the intros, teasers, and other on-air segments that WTSP uses; both past and present.
[edit] References
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