Bay News 9

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Bay News 9
(Bright House cable only)
St. Petersburg, Florida
Branding Bay News 9
Slogan Your News Channel
Channels cable 9 analog
Affiliations
Owner Bright House Networks
Founded September 8, 1997
Website www.baynews9.com

Bay News 9 is a cable-based news station located in St Petersburg, Florida. It currently serves the Tampa Bay Area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Pasco Counties, and surrounding areas.

It was originally created by cable service operator Time Warner, which owned the system at the time, to make local news available continuously throughout this fast-growing region. Former WTSP news anchor Al Ruechel was one of its first anchors and remains with the operation.

The station began operating on September 24, 1997 and gives weather updates every ten minutes "on the nines" and more frequently during unusual weather conditions. In 2002, it was first in the area to provide a VIPIR Doppler radar system.

The service is on Channel Nine on cable systems now operated by Bright House Networks in the Tampa Bay area. Many of the newscasts are recorded for repeat broadcasts with breaking news manually inserted as needed by technicians. Frequent weather reports are always live.

The station has been criticized by viewers for the "Miss America look" of its female anchors, who achieve a similar "look" because they are required to dress and apply make-up uniformly as prescribed by management. Though many of its anchors and reporters have remained over the years, others have jumped ship for broadcast stations that offer greater exposure.

Contents

[edit] Slogans/Logos

  • Bay News 9's Logo, designed by J.C. Burns of Atlanta, has remained the same since 1997.
  • Bay News 9 has had one slogan change since 1997, which occurred in 2002 just before the first graphics/music overhaul. Originally the slogan was "Your News All The Time." Today, it's "Your News Channel."

[edit] Programming Information

[edit] Newscasts and Segments

Bay News 9 provides the following newscasts and segments as part of its 24-hour news cycle.

[edit] "Your Morning News"

Your Morning News began airing in 2000 and provides up-to-the-minute news, traffic, and weather from 5 to 9am on weekdays.

[edit] "The 7:00 News"

In 2003, Bay News 9 introduced "The 7:00 News," a prime-time newscast that provides breaking news, the day's top stories and a national news segment called 'The Nightly News Digest'.

[edit] "The 10:00 News"

The 10:00 News was part of a short-lived primetime lineup that aired from 2000 to 2003. The hour-long newscast was originally preceded by another one-hour counterpart called "9 at Nine," which fizzled out in 2002.

[edit] "Health Team 9"

In 1999, Bay News 9 introduced a team of experts who report on a variety of medical issues. Six of the "Health Team 9" members are licensed physicians who report the latest medical news on "Health Team 9 Health Watch" every morning. The seventh member is a health reporter who reports on late-breaking medical headlines during "Health Team 9 Medical Beat" during the primetime news. One of the original "Health Team 9" members, Dr. Joette Giovinco, now works for WTVT.

[edit] "EXTRAS"

These short, four to five minute reports have long since been a staple of Bay News 9. They are primarily geared towards an array of lifestyle topics (except the "Extra on Special Assignment" report, which is directed towards investigative reports).

[edit] Current EXTRAS
  • Multi-day reports.
    • Health Team 9 Health Watch - Health Issues - Reported by the Health Team 9 team of doctors - Airs Monday-Friday at :23/hour, 5am-5pm.
    • Health Team 9 Medical Beat - Late-Breaking Medical Headlines - Reported by Melissa Eichman - Airs Monday-Friday at :53/hour, 5pm-5am.
    • EXTRA on Special Assignment - Investigative reports - Airs Monday-Thursday at :23/hour, 5pm-5am.
  • Weekly reports
    • EXTRA on Getting There - Component to "EXTRA on Special Assignment" and mainly focuses on Transportation-related issues - Airs Wednesday evenings at :23/hour.
    • EXTRA on Everyday Heroes - People who make a difference in the community - Reported by Leigh Moody - Airs Monday mornings at :53/hour.
    • EXTRA on the Web - Website profiles/reviews - Reported by Al Ruechel - Airs Tuesday mornings at :53/hour.
    • The Chef's Kitchen - Delectable cuisines and recipes - Hosted by Roy DeJesus - Airs Wednesday mornings at :53/hour. Note: Floyd the Food Guy recipes are still available on Tampa Bay On Demand.
    • Mrs. Fixit - Home Improvement Tips - Hosted by Mrs Fixit (Terri McGraw) - Airs Thursday mornings and Sunday evenings at :53/hour.
    • EXTRA on the Town - Weekend event calendar - Reported by Jen Holloway - Airs Friday mornings at :53/hour.
    • EXTRA on Demand - A look at new services on Bright House's interactive local guides (B.H. Channels 340/341/342) - Airs Friday evenings at :23/hour.
    • Health Team 9 on Fitness - Fitness/Exercise/Dieting tips - Airs Saturday mornings at :53/hour.
    • Florida on a Tankful - Similar to WTVT's One Tank Trips - Airs Saturday mornings at :53/hour.
    • EXTRA on the Water - Fishing tips - Airs Saturday evenings at :23/hour.
    • EXTRA on Gardening - After sitting on hiatus since 2004, this EXTRA report has recently made a comeback. Hosted by Tom MacCubbin - Airs Saturday evenings at :53/hour.
    • Health Team 9 Headlines (Commonly known as Health Team 9 Health Watch (report)) - Melissa Eichman looks at the past week in health - Airs Sunday mornings at :23/hour.
    • Dining Out with Mike Reeves - Revamped from its former form, EXTRA on the Town Dining, This EXTRA still profiles Bay Area eateries - Hosted by Mike Reeves from Q105 - Airs Sunday mornings at :53/hour.
    • Bay News 9 Business Week - Although not classified as an EXTRA, it is a five minute report on the past week in business. Typically includes an interview with someone in the business field - Hosted by Terry O'Grady - Airs Sunday evenings at :23/hour.

Please note that :##/hour means :## past the hour. Example: :23/hour means :23 past the hour.

[edit] Past EXTRAS
This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
    • EXTRA on Your Health - 1997-1999 - Cancelled after "Health Team 9" was formed.
    • EXTRA on Today's Woman - 2000-2004
    • EXTRA on Gardening (1st Incarnation) - 1999-2004
    • EXTRA on Your Home - 1998-2002
    • EXTRA on Your Kids - 1997-2004
    • EXTRA on Your Plate - 2002-2007

[edit] Other Programs

In addition, Bay News 9 provides two content-exclusive programs which air regularly.

[edit] "Toyota Sports Connection"

The long-running sports-theme program airs every night at 11 p.m. The show focuses mainly on local sports but also big national sports stories. Its original host was former Tampa Bay Buccaneer David Logan, but Rock Riley took over when Logan died in 1999.

[edit] "Political Connections"

In 2005, as part of a partnership between Bay News 9 and the St. Petersburg Times, a new, half-hour, political themed show, "Political Connections", was introduced. The show is hosted by Al Ruechel and airs every Sunday at 11am. St. Pete Times contributor, Adam Smith, serves as a co-host and regularly introduces the lead guest on the show. In addition, there is also a commentary entitled "On the Soapbox", a weekly Viewer Center question (where viewers can voice their opinions), and the week's political headlines. There are also two political analysts who make regular appearances on the show. Former Florida Governor, Bob Martinez serves as Bay News 9's Republican Analyst, while former Tampa City Council member, Bob Buckhorn serves as the Democratic analyst.

[edit] Affiliated Stations

Bay News 9 offers an HD channel and several content-exclusive and On Demand channels available only to cable subscribers.

[edit] Bay News 9 HD (Channel 609)

The HD counterpart of the 24-hour news channel rolled out in spring 2006, along with a round of graphics changes.

[edit] Bay News 9 en Español (Channel 139)

A 24-hour Spanish news channel that was launched in 2002. Unlike its English counterpart, the station reports on exclusive stories that meet the needs of Tampa's Spanish-speaking population. Segments and format both Bay News 9 and Bay News 9 en Español are similar.

[edit] Key Personalities (BN9 en Español)

[edit] Current Personalities
  • Lydia Guzmán - Anchor
  • Sandra Pinto - Reporter
  • Roy De Jesús - Sports Anchor/Reporter

[edit] Past Personalities
  • Gloria Montoya - Anchor - 2002-2003
  • Lourdes Stefen - Reporter - 2002-2003
  • Paola Stefan - Anchor/Reporter - 2003-2005
  • Enrique Pantera - Reporter - 2004-2005
  • Gissele Mariano - Anchor - 2004-2005
  • Keyla Concepción - Anchor/Reporter - 2005-2006
  • Carleth Keys - Anchor/Managing Editor - 2002-2006

[edit] Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now (Channel 109)

The 24-hour weather network was originally conceived as "Bay News 9 Weather Now", and only provided a 24-hour local forecast after its initial launch in 1999. The network was revamped in 2004 and re-launched as "Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now", a 24-hour weather network geared primarily towards business travelers.

[edit] Bay News 9 On Demand (Channel 342)

Originally part of Tampa Bay On Demand, the news archive reports were consolidated into their own channel in mid 2006. In addition to the news archive (which includes archived video news reports and long-form programming {such as Suncoast Tiger Bay Club's political events}), other news programming and resources have been added to the new channel.

[edit] Local Partnerships

Bay News 9 has partnerships with various local newspapers and radio stations, including:

[edit] Studio

[edit] Main Studio

In June 2005, Bay News 9 moved from its original studios in Pinellas Park to a larger facility at the Carillon Office Complex in St. Petersburg (where Bright House Networks has its main St. Pete offices.) The new studio houses the latest in broadcasting technology, including large display screens in the main newsroom that show the latest breaking news headlines from various sources at one time (similar to CNN's The Situation Room.) The facility also houses four studios, a web center, and a large master control room, complemented by two smaller control rooms. The newsroom also features a large faux balcony wall with images of the Tampa area on it.

Most notably, the station was able to transition to the new facility without going off the air, thanks to the studio's new technologies. The final newscast in the old studio aired on the morning of June 27, 2005. The new facility became fully operational at 3:00pm the same day, with the airing of its first afternoon newscast.

In April 2006, Bay News 9 received a Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award in the category of station automation for its streamlined newscasts and the technology that makes those newscasts possible.

[edit] County Bureaus

[edit] References

[edit] Main Studio Articles

[edit] Tallahassee Bureau Articles

[edit] Key Personalities

[edit] Current

  • Jen Holloway, weekday morning anchor
  • Al Ruechel, weekday afternoon/primetime anchor, host of "Political Connections"
  • Leigh Moody, weekday primetime co-anchor, overnight anchor
  • Erica Riggins, weekend morning/afternoon anchor, reporter
  • Rick Elmhorst, weekend primetime/overnight anchor, reporter
  • Mike Clay, chief meteorologist (AMS Broadcast Seal)
  • Juli Marquez, morning meteorologist (AMS Broadcast Seal)
  • Josh Linker, morning/evening meteorologist
  • Brian McClure, evening meteorologist
  • Diane Kacmarik, fill-in meteorologist (also appears on-air during severe weather events)
  • Alan Winfield, fill-in meteorologist (also appears on-air during severe weather events)
  • Russ Handler, traffic director/anchor
  • Chuck Henson, traffic reporter
  • Denise Moore, traffic reporter
  • Barbara A. Hart, traffic reporter
  • Tucker James, traffic reporter
  • Rock Riley, sports director/anchor
  • Joe Girvan, sports anchor/reporter
  • Terry O'Grady, business/financial reporter and a certified financial planner (also fills in for anchors)
  • Mellissa Eichman, health reporter

[edit] Former

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Tanya Arja - general assignment reporter. Serving as a reporter for WTVT
  • Susan Casper - afternoon anchor/general assignment reporter (1997-2003). Serving as a freelance reporter for WFTS as of April 2006.
  • Greg Davis - general assignment reporter (1998-2000); sports reporter/producer (2000-2002)
  • Jenny Dean - anchor (various times) (2000-2005). Serving as a co-host for WTBT/103.5 FM (US 103.5) in Tampa as of January 2006.
  • Brenda Fazzini - traffic director/general assignment reporter (1997-2003)
  • Sondra Guffey - business reporter (2000-2002)
  • Jack Harris - Extra on Dining (2002-2005). Now at WFTS.
  • Bob Hunt - Reporter, Now On Air Electronics Expert at HSN, Magazine Publisher - GO GOLFING
  • Cheryl Keck - education reporter (2000-2002 (deceased))
  • April Kellogg - general assignment reporter (2000-2003), serving as a reporter for WTVT
  • Gina Maravilla - anchor/reporter
  • Susanna Martinez- Polk County Bureau Chief (1997-1999) General Assignment Reporter/Senior Political Reporter, Tampa Bureau (1999-2003) Now working in Media Relations.
  • Chris O'Connell, sports anchor/reporter, now reporter for KSTP-TV Minneapolis
  • Nadia Osman - general assignment reporter (2003-2005)
  • Tammy Robiconti - health reporter (2001-2006)
  • Debra Schrils - meteorologist (1999-2001)
  • Patricia Scott - evening/overnight anchor (1997-2001)
  • Shawn Sherlock - general assignment reporter (2001-2003)
  • Tyriney Sims - sports reporter (2002-2005)
  • Trey Thomas - general assignment reporter (2003-2006)
  • Doug Tobin- weekend anchor (2000-2002)
  • Susan Vessell - meteorologist (2001-2003); now at KEYE-TV
  • Lynn Wright - general assignment reporter (2003-2005)

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • In the Sarasota area, another similar channel, called SNN 6, can be seen on Comcast cable.

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Tampa / St. Petersburg / Sarasota market  (Nielsen DMA #12)

WEDU 3 (PBS) - WFLA 8 (NBC) - WTSP 10 (CBS) - WTVT 13 (Fox) - WLWA-LP 14 (Ind/Rel) - WPDS-LP 14 (Edu.) - W15CM 15 (AS) - WUSF 16 (PBS) - WHRT-CA 17 (Ind) - WSVT-CA 18 (DS) - WARP-CA 20 (MTV2) - WCLF 22 (CTN) - WXAX-LP 26 (AZA) - WFTS 28 (ABC) - WTAM-LP 30 (Multimedios)  - WMOR 32 (Ind) - W33CC 33 (AS) - W34AW 34 (3ABN) - WSPF-CA 35 (St. Pete city access) - W36CO 36 (TBN) - WTTA 38 (MNTV) - WWSB 40 (ABC) - W43CE 43 (Ind) - WTOG 44 (The CW) - W48CN 48 (TBN) - WZRA-CA 48 (Ethnic/A1/NTV/CTV/DW) - WRMD-LP 49 (TEL) - WFTT 50 (TFU) - W56EB 56 (TBN) - W60CE 60 (TBN) - WVEA 62 (UNI) - WXPX 66 (ION)
Local digital television channels

WYKE-LP 47 (FN)
Local cable television channels

Bay News 9  -  SNN News 6  -  Catch 47  -  FSN Florida  -  Sun Sports
Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations
Reception may vary by geographical location

Fort Myers: WINK 11 (CBS) - WFTX 36 (Fox)
Orlando: WKMG 6 (CBS) - WFTV 9 (ABC) - WOFL 35 (Fox)
Gainesville: WUFT 5 (PBS)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/a/y/Bay_News_9_d721.html"