WBOC-TV

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WBOC-TV
Salisbury, Maryland
Branding	WBOC-TV: WBOC 16 WBOC-DT2: Fox 21 Delmarva
Slogan	Delmarva's News Leader
Channels	16 (UHF) analog, 21 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	CBS (Fox on Digital subchannel 21.2)
Owner	Draper Holdings Business Trust
Founded	July 15, 1954
Call letters meaning	W Between Ocean and Chesapeake
Former affiliations	WBOC-TV: DuMont (secondary, 1954-56) NBC (secondary, 1954-80) ABC (secondary, 1954-80) WBOC-DT2: UPN (2003-06)
Transmitter Power	4070 kW/302 m (analog) 635 kW/279 m (digital)
Website	WBOC-TV 16 Fox 21 Delmarva

WBOC-TV, channel 16, is a CBS affiliate based in Salisbury, Maryland. WBOC-TV is owned by the Draper Holdings Business Trust, with its main studios in Salisbury, secondary studios/office facilities in Dover and Milton, Delaware, and transmitter in Laurel, Delaware. The station's signal covers the areas of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia which make up the region known as the Delmarva Peninsula.

WBOC-TV also carries an affiliation with the Fox Broadcasting Company on its second digital subchannel. This station is branded as Fox 21 Delmarva, and is also available on local cable systems.

Contents 1 History 2 Fox 21 Delmarva 3 Personalities 4 External links

[edit] History

WBOC Television began operations on July 15, 1954, owned originally by Peninsula Broadcasting, which started Salisbury's WBOC-AM (960 kHz, now WTGM) in 1940. As the only television station serving the Delmarva Peninsula, channel 16 carried programming from all four networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, and DuMont) during its early years. The station also featured local programming consisting of variety shows, talent contests, and children's programs.

In 1961, Peninsula Broadcasting sold the WBOC stations to the A.S. Abell Company, which published the Baltimore Sun and owned Baltimore's then-CBS affiliate, WMAR-TV. WBOC-TV also evolved into a primary affiliate of CBS, though it continued to carry various programs from ABC and NBC through a unique method called "cherry-picking": the highest-rated programs from all three networks would be shown on the station, sometimes either in-pattern (on schedule with the rest of the network) or on a tape-delayed basis.

For example, channel 16 regularly carried the Today Show and the Tonight Show from NBC, and Monday Night Football from ABC. Primetime programming consisted of at least one night of all CBS; other evenings with programs from both CBS and ABC; and others with shows from CBS and NBC. Select CBS programs displaced by the scheduling method would air in times outside of primetime. Despite carrying NBC's morning show (which pre-empted CBS's morning news and Captain Kangaroo), WBOC-TV aired all of CBS's other newscasts, as well as most of CBS's daytime programming and Saturday morning cartoons. The cherry-picking arrangement also affected network sports coverage.

In 1980, WBOC-TV received competition for the first time when WMDT-TV (channel 47) signed on. The new station also took a dual ABC/NBC affiliation, allowing channel 16 to become a full-time CBS station.

Local ownership of channel 16 resumed in November 1980 when local entrepreneur Thomas H. Draper purchased the station. Since Draper took over, local news coverage increased, as well as local advertising revenue which allowed for technical upgrades, such as a new 4-million watt transmitter and tower located near Laurel, Delaware.

In 2005, the station became the first in the market to own a news helicopter. The helicopter, used frequently in news programs, is known as "Chopper 16."

[edit] Fox 21 Delmarva

In March 2003, WBOC-TV began carrying UPN programming on its digital subchannel 16.2 (or 21.2), known as UPN 21 Total TV. In January 2006, the UPN and WB networks announced they would merge into a single network called the CW. WBOC-TV did not seek the CW affiliation, and on May 9, 2006, announced that UPN 21 would become a Fox affiliate, beginning on August 21, 2006. WBOC-TV produces a newscast for the station, currently known as Fox 21 Delmarva News at 10.

For viewers unable to receive the digital-only signal, both Salisbury-area cable systems, operated by Comcast and Mediacom, carry Fox 21 Delmarva on channel 5 and 10.

[edit] Personalities

Current :

• Steve Hammond- Is a staple of television on Delmarva. As Lead Anchor and Managing Editor at the station, Steve has covered countless stories around the peninsula and leads the station's politcal coverage. He also frequently moderates televised debates. Hammond joined WBOC in 1987. He celebrated his 20th year anniversary with the stations in March of 2007 with an on-air tribute. He is the Lead Anchor for the WBOC News at 6pm and 7pm, and rotates with Kelley Rouse to Anchor the WBOC News at Noon.
• Don Elkins, Jr. - Joined WBOC in January 2007 as an Anchor and Managing Editor. Formerly of KNWA-TV (NBC) of Fayetteville, AR. He can be seen Weeknights Co-Anchoring on the WBOC News at 6pm and 11pm, as well as the Fox 21 News at 10pm.
• Alice Bavis- Has been with WBOC since 2003, and a full-time Anchor since 2005. She can be seen weeknights on the WBOC News at 7pm and 11pm, as well as the Fox 21 News at 10pm.
• Dennis Ketterer- Joined WBOC in 2005 and shortly became the station's Chief Meteorologist. His past experience in TV included Washington D.C. and Baltimore. He can be seen Forecasting the Weather on Delmarva weeknights on the WBOC News at 6pm, 7pm, and 11pm, as well as the Fox 21 News at 10pm.
• Paul Butler returned to WBOC in July, 2005 as Sports Director. Originally from the Salisbury area, he spent 12 years in radio before switching to television. He worked for stations WPMI-TV in Mobile, AL; KTBS-TV in Sheveport, LA; and WCCB in Charlotte NC. Then for 3 years he worked for the NFL On Fox as a sideline reporter, interviewing many sports celebrities. Paul can be seen weeknights on the WBOC News at 6pm, 7pm, and 11pm, as well as the Fox 21 News at 10pm.
• Jimmy Hoppa - Joined WBOC in the Fall of 2005 as Co-Anchor of "WBOC News This Morning", after over 25 years as Morning Show Host in radio. He can be seen weekday mornings starting at 5:30am.
• Kelley Rouse- Came to WBOC in 2006 after working 20 years at crosstown WMDT. She currently can be seen Weekday mornings Co-Anchoring "WBOC News This Morning" starting at 5:30am, and rotates with Steve Hammond to Anchor the WBOC News at Noon.
• Brian Keane- Joined the WBOC staff in September 2005 as the Morning Meteorologist. He came to Delmarva from Shreveport, La. He can be seen Weekday mornings on "WBOC News This Morning" starting at 5:30am.
• Danielle Vollmar- She came to WBOC in early 2007 and is the Meteorologist for the WBOC News at Noon each Weekday.
• Bob Burnett-Kurie- He has worked at WBOC since 1995. He was the Chief Meteorologist until 2005. Now he can be seen regularly forecasting the Weather on the WBOC News at 6pm, 7pm, and 11pm on Saturdays, and the WBOC News at 6pm and 11pm on Sundays. He also is usually the Meteorologist on weekend editions of the "WBOC News This Morning."
• Lisa Bryant- She has worked with WBOC since 1999. She is the former Lead-Anchor of "WBOC News This Morning" during the week. Now she is weekend Anchor of "WBOC News This Morning."
• Dan Lee Dan Lee was the Chief Meteorologist at WBOC from 1993 to 1995. He left Delmarva to become the morning and noon meteorologist at WWTV in Cadillac, Mich. for 11 years. Then he changed careers that led him to Georgetown, Delaware, and he rejoined the WBOC Weather Team in July 2006 as the Fill-in Meteorologist.

Former :

• Mike Seidel worked as a chief meteorologist at the station just before beginning his current position at The Weather Channel. He was born in Salisbury, and started his career at rival station WMDT in 1980.
• Scorchy Tawes a 25-Year Veteran of WBOC, retired in 1998. His Monday night segment "Scorchy's Corner" is fondly remembered by viewers as a glimpse of the simple lifestyle of Delmarva. Scorchy, a Delmarva legend in his own right, passed away Jan. 29, 2007, just nine days after his 86th birthday.
• Steve Summers - Former 6pm and 11pm lead anchor, left the station in February 2006, after 17 years. He now works in Dayton, Ohio For WHIO-TV and is their weekend Anchor and Weekday Reporter.
• Jason Newton- Worked at WBOC from 2001-February 2007. He started out as a reporter and ended up as a Anchor on the WBOC News at 6pm and 11pm, and the Fox 21 News at 10pm. He was the Original Anchor on the former UPN 21. He now works for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
• Chris Thomas - Sports Anchor at WBOC in the 1970s.
• Melanie Lawson former noon and 7pm anchor is now with independent station WJXT in Jacksonville, FL.
• Bob Laun served as sports reporter, and later director from 1993 to June 2005, left to work in Pharmaceutical Sales.
• Mark Hubbard longtime lead anchor throughout the 1980s at WBOC, left to work at WWBT NBC12 in Richmond, now works for Virginia Credit Union.
• Amy Alligham formerly from CNNSI & WBAL-TV served as Weekend Sports Anchor through March 2006.
• Brian Olson worked for WBOC for 4 years where he earned a 3 regional Emmy awards for his dry-witted 'The Weather Detective'. He is now with WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Kerry Cavanaugh served as a weekend anchor as well as a general assignment reporter until her departure in 2002 for WVUE in New Orleans. She stayed at WVUE in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina destroyed the station. She left WVUE and landed a position at WBAL-TV in Baltimore, MD as a reporter.
• Justin Cavey left WBOC in February 2007 for WCYB in Bristol, TN to be their weekend sports anchor.
• Amber Theoharis left WBOC in 2004 to join WBFF-TV in Baltimore as sports anchor/reporter. She is currently in talks with MASN to be in-game reporter for Baltimore Orioles games.

[edit] External links

• WBOC-TV 16
• Fox 21 Delmarva
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WBOC