WAKA

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WAKA

Selma/Montgomery, Alabama
Branding	CBS 8
Slogan	Coverage You Can Count On
Channels	8 (VHF) analog, 55 (UHF) (planned move to 42) digital
Affiliations	CBS
Owner	Bahakel Communications
Founded	March 17, 1960
Former callsigns	WSLA-TV (1960-84)
Former affiliations	None
Website	www.waka.com

WAKA is a CBS-affiliated television station on channel 8 in central Alabama. The station is licensed to Selma but its main studios are in Montgomery. WAKA's transmitter is located at Gordonsville in Lowndes County.

1 History
2 Programming
3 Current News Personalities
4 External links

[edit] History

Channel 8 debuted on March 17, 1960 as WSLA-TV (call meaning: SeLmA). The station has always been a CBS affiliate, even though Montgomery already had a CBS affiliate, WCOV-TV. WSLA applied on several occasions to increase its coverage area in order to cover Montgomery. However, the FCC blocked this move each time due to protests from WCOV and ABC affiliate WKAB-TV. Both stations mentioned were on the UHF dial and were unwilling to lose out on the growth of UHF stations in the city; and WCOV wanted its CBS affiliation protected.

Due to intense competition from the Montgomery stations, especially WSFA, WSLA was taken off the air due to lack of financial viability between 1968 and 1972, when Charles Grisham of Huntsville purchased the station. The callsign changed to WAKA in 1984, shortly after it won a construction permit for the current transmitter. Bahakel Communications bought WAKA from Grisham in 1985 and remains the owner today. That same year, WAKA signed on for the first time from its current transmitter. WAKA officially became Montgomery's CBS affiliate when today's Fox affiliate WCOV lost it at the same time.

[edit] Programming

WAKA's CBS 8 News consistently ranks as the second-highest rated in the market, behind WSFA. Newscasts air on weekdays from 5:30-7 AM, 12-12:30 PM, 5-5:30 PM, 6-6:30 PM and 10-10:30 PM; and Saturdays from 6-6:30 PM and 10-10:30 PM and Sunday's from 5-5:30 PM and 10-10:30 PM.

Syndicated programming on WAKA includes Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, The Montel Williams Show, and Inside Edition.

[edit] Current News Personalities

News Anchors: Ashley Paige, Jeff Sanders, Glenn Halbrooks, Stefanie Hicks, Monica Allen, Kristie Welch

Reporters: Trish Williford, Lauren Bethune, George McDonald, David Hagood, Elizabeth Pitts

Weather: David Baxley, Karli Ritter

Sports: Dee Jackson, Robert O'Shields, Kayla Anderson

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Montgomery / Selma market (Nielsen DMA #116)
WAKA 8 (CBS) - WSFA 12 (NBC) - WCOV 20 (FOX) - WBMM 22 (The CW) - WJMY-LP 25 (i/A1/ShopNBC) - WAIQ 26 / WIIQ 41 (PBS/APT) - WNCF 32 (ABC) - WFRZ-LP 34 (CTVN) - WETU 39 (i) - WMCF 45 (TBN) - WRJM 67 (MNTV)
Local digital television channels
WBIH 29 (Ind.)

CBS Network Affiliates in the state of Alabama

WTVY 4 (Dothan) - WKRG 5 (Mobile) - WAKA 8 (Selma) - WHNT 19 (Huntsville) - WIAT 42 (Birmingham)

See also: ABC, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS, and Other stations in Alabama