WGBA

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WGBA
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Branding	NBC26
Slogan	See for Yourself and You Ask, We Investigate
Channels	26 (UHF) analog, 41 (UHF) digital
Translators	22 W22BW Sturgeon Bay/Door County 31 W31BK Menominee, Michigan/SE UP
Affiliations	NBC (since 1995)
Owner	Journal Broadcast Group
Founded	December 31, 1980
Call letters meaning	Green Bay and Appleton
Former callsigns	WLRE (1980-1985)
Former affiliations	Independent (1980-1992), Fox (1992-1995)
Website	NBC26.com

WGBA is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a transmitter in nearby rural Glenmore. The station's signal covers the area commonly called the Fox Valley (for the Fox River) and the Lakeshore (for Lake Michigan)', which includes Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc-Two Rivers, and Sheboygan.

The station also has translator stations in Sturgeon Bay on Channel 22, W22BW, which serves the Door County area, and another in Menominee, Michigan on Channel 31, W31BK, which serves the northern reaches of the Green Bay market, and the southeastern portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In addition, WGBA maintains a local marketing agreement with UPN affiliate WACY (Channel 32), with both stations sharing studios located in suburban Ashwaubenon. WGBA-TV was once rebroadcast in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on translator stations W49AF Crystal Falls, W09BA Felch, W02AM Gwinn, and W56BF Iron Mountain. The W56BF signal was encrypted and part of the now-defunct Iron Mountain over-the-air cable system.

NBC26 weather updates can be heard on local Midwest Communications radio stations.

Contents 1 Early history 2 Affiliation with Fox (1992-1995) 3 Affiliation with NBC (1995-) 4 Ownership 5 Station Logo History 6 NBC26 News Team 6.1 News Director 6.2 Anchors & Reporters 6.3 NBC26 Precision Forecast Team 6.4 Sports Team 7 External links

[edit] Early history

WGBA, originally with the call letters WLRE, began as an independent station on analog channel 26 on December 31, 1980. The call letters were for station co-founder Lyle R. Evans. The station was the first commercial UHF station and the first independent station in the Green Bay-Appleton market.

In 1985, the station was bought by Family Group Broadcasting, Inc.. On October 3 of that year, the call letters were changed to WGBA[1]. The station (then known as 'TV-26') was well known in its early years for children's programming host Cuddles the Clown, who would stay with the station up until they acquired the NBC affiliation (when he would move to WACY before retiring).

However, the ownership of Family Media, led by Jerold R. Newman, a local investment agent, fell apart after Newman was convicted of fraud. The new owners were a family group, Aries Telecommunications.

[edit] Affiliation with Fox (1992-1995)

In the wake of a bankruptcy, WXGZ (the original operation on Channel 32) went off the air February 14, 1992. WGBA then became the new Fox affiliate the following day, changing its identification to 'Fox 26'.

The station was handicapped by not having a local news operation. In 1994, the first year of Fox coverage of the NFL, the station had to contract with WBAY to do a pregame show before Packers games.

WGBA would end up relaunching WXGZ Channel 32 with Ace TV, Inc. under a local marketing agreement in June 1994. WXGZ would become a charter affiliate of the UPN network (and change their call letters to WACY) in 1995. WGBA provides weather warnings and staff for WACY's coverage of high school football games.

[edit] Affiliation with NBC (1995-)

WGBA became an NBC affiliate in August 1995 in the wake of WLUK (Channel 11) changing from NBC to Fox after an ownership change and Fox's acquisition of the NFL's NFC contract, enabling WLUK to be the Green Bay Packers home station. The station then became 'NBC26' and struggled to find a constant identity to compete with Green Bay's other three stations, which were all established in the 1950s and had loyal audiences.

During NBC coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics, WGBA began newscasts, at first only at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. every evening. Eventually as the news department grew, the station added newscasts in other dayparts. Currently the station runs newscasts in the morning (a local version of Today), at 5 p.m, 6 p.m., and 10 p.m., all under the banner of 'NBC26 Live at [Time of Day]'.

[edit] Ownership

In October 2004, Journal Broadcast Group bought WGBA for $43.2 million after Aries Telecommunications sold the station. Journal has owned market-leading NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) in Milwaukee since the beginning days of television, and had always been looking to expand into Northeastern Wisconsin. Journal continues to maintain the WACY LMA, and is looking to buy the station outright to form a true duopoly in the area.

Since the purchase, Channel 26 and Channel 4 have become close sister stations to each other, and now share the same news themes, promotions, and graphics packages. WGBA promotes its connections with Journal Broadcast Group heavily, including the opening of its newscasts. The stations also share resources, allowing WGBA use of WTMJ's resources for breaking news, live events, and sports coverage. There is also a more professional polish to the newscasts, and Journal's marketing is now trying to position WGBA as a strong alternative to the older station newscasts in Green Bay.

[edit] Station Logo History

WLRE's first logo, used from sign-on until September 1986. The station also used The Great Entertainer logo and slogan from Philadelphia's WPHL-TV.	Logo used from September 1986 to February 1992, featuring a blue '26' inside of a red diamond with the station call letters below the numbers. This was the standard logo type used by Family Group Broadcasting's stations. Replaced when WGBA gained Fox affiliation.	Logo used during Fox affiliation from February 1992-August 1995, containing the Fox logo above a gold Helvetica '26' in bold.	First NBC26 logo, used from August 1995-September 1999, continuing the 'network logo above the 26' design with the NBC Peacock.
The logo design used during WGBA's newscasts from the start of news in July 1996 until the logo change in September 1999.	Second NBC logo for the station, used from September 1999-August 2003.	August 2003-January 2005 logo, the last one used under Aries management before the sale to Journal in October 2004. The station's news tag and theme at this time was "going places>>". This is the only logo in this station's history where the numbers overlap to give the logo more of a high-tech feel.	Current station logo, used since January 2005, with many similarities to graphics and logos used on sister stations WTMJ in Milwaukee, and Las Vegas' KTNV.

[edit] NBC26 News Team

[edit] News Director

• WGBA is currently in the process of recruiting a new News Director

[edit] Anchors & Reporters

• Stacy Engebretson, weeknight anchor
• Bob Healey, weeknight anchor
• Jennifer Boden, morning anchor
• Dean Leisgang, morning anchor
• Aaron Keller, weekend anchor, reporter
• Diana Alvear, weekend anchor, reporter
• Michael Benner, reporter
• Owen Jensen, reporter
• Bonnie Kirschman, reporter
• Kendra Oestreich, reporter
• Jesse Wells, reporter
• Kyler Burgi, reporter

[edit] NBC26 Precision Forecast Team

• Cameron Moreland, weeknights
• Steve Frazier, mornings
• Steve Brown, weekends

[edit] Sports Team

• Ted Stefaniak, weeknights
• John Burton
• Jill Wunrow

[edit] External links

• NBC26 Website
• Journal Broadcasting Website
• http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/biz_15907516.shtml
• Information on Cuddles the Clown
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WGBA
• Query the FCC's TV station database for W22BW
• Query the FCC's TV station database for W31BK