WRGT-TV

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WRGT-TV
Dayton, Ohio
Branding	FOX 45
Slogan	Dayton's News Source
Channels	45 (UHF) analog, 30 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	Fox (Since 1987) My Network TV (DT2)
Owner	Cunningham Broadcasting (local marketing agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Founded	September 17, 1984
Call letters meaning	The WRiGhT Brothers (who were from Dayton)
Former affiliations	Independent (1984-1987)
Website	FOX 45 Website

WRGT-TV is a broadcast television station in Dayton, Ohio affiliated with the Fox network. It broadcasts on channel 45. WRGT is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting Corporation, but operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group under a local marketing agreement with Dayton's ABC affiliate, WKEF-TV. However, Sinclair effectively owns WRGT due to Cunningham's ownership structure (see below).

Contents 1 History 2 My Network TV Dayton 3 Previous Logo 4 Newscasts 5 External links

[edit] History

WRGT signed on as an independent station on September 17, 1984. The station was owned by Act III Broadcasting. The station ran a general entertainment format consisting of cartoons, classic sitcoms, recent off network sitcoms, old movies, drama shows and sports. It was Act III's second station, following WVAH-TV in Charleston, West Virginia two years earlier.

Prior to WRGT's sign-on, the only source of non-network programming in Dayton (aside from WXIX-TV and WIII-TV [now WSTR-TV in Cincinnati and WTTE in Columbus; which all reach portions of the Dayton market) was WTJC (channel 26, now WBDT), a mostly religious station. However, Act III persuaded WTJC's owner, Miami Valley Christian Television, to sell most of WTJC's non-religious programming to WRGT. For all intents and purposes, WRGT was now the only general-entertainment station in Dayton.

Despite the competition from larger-market stations (WXIX and WSTR were both available on cable), WRGT prospered. It would not have any real competition in Dayton until 1999, when channel 26 became a WB affiliate as WBDT (it was briefly a Pax affiliate before then). After Fox launched in 1986, Act III signed an affiliation deal with Fox. All of Act III's stations, including WRGT, became charter affiliates of the fledgling network.

Act III merged with Abry in 1994. A few months later, Abry merged with Sinclair, but sold WRGT to Sullivan Broadcasting. However, Sullivan outsourced WRGT's operations to Sinclair. By 1999 more reality and talk shows would be in Fox 45's mix.

In 1998 Sullivan's managing partner, Sinclair, bought WKEF, then an NBC affiliate. In 2001, Sinclair purchased most of Sullivan's other stations, but could not buy WRGT for two reasons. The Dayton market has only seven full-power stations-—not enough to legally permit a duopoly. Also, the FCC does not allow common ownership of two of the four highest-rated stations in a single market. With this in mind, WRGT was sold to Glencairn, Ltd.. However, nearly all of Glencairn's stock was controlled by trusts in the name of the Smith family, founding owners of Sinclair. This effectively gave Sinclair a duopoly in Dayton. Glencairn later changed its name to Cunningham Broadcasting. There is nearly uncontestable evidence that Glencairn/Cunningham is merely a shell corporation which Sinclair uses to circumvent FCC ownership rules.

Also in 1998, WRGT started their 10pm newscast, using WKEF's newsteam. In the 2006 February Sweeps period, Fox 45's 10pm newscast was the fastest growing newscast out of any in the Dayton market, sometimes winning the 10pm timeslot on certain nights.

In 2006, Fox 45 started the Dayton market's first all local morning news program from 7-9am.

Sinclair and Fox recently finalized a six-year affiliation contract extension for Sinclair's 19 Fox affiliates, including WRGT. WRGT's affiliation contract now expires in March 2012.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] My Network TV Dayton

In August of 2006, it was confirmed that My Network TV would air on WRGT-DT2.[1] Additionally, FOX 45 is now airing My Network TV's two programs on its main station in the early morning hours (1 A.M. and 2 A.M.)

On September 16, 2006 Time Warner Cable added My Network TV to its digital cable lineup on channel 746. The channel has been branded as "My TV Dayton" and airs the My Network TV primetime block from 8:00PM - 10:00PM, paid programming from 2:00AM - 3:00PM with a break at 9:00AM for "Fox 45 In the Morning", and airing syndicated shows the rest of the day.

[edit] Previous Logo

WRGT logo from 1986. The fonts in this logo were very similar to the ones used by stations owned by Meredith Corporation; however, Meredith never owned WRGT.

[edit] Newscasts

• Weekdays

Fox 45 In the Morning anchored by Kathy Hart, Nathan Baker and Asa George 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m

Fox 45 Dayton's News Source at 10 anchored by Mark Pompilio and Michelle Kingsfield Monday through Thursday; anchored by Don Hammond Friday 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

• Weekends

Fox 45 Dayton's News Source at 10 anchored Saturday by Don Hammond; anchored Sunday by Mark Pompilio and Michelle Kingsfield 10:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

Fox 45 replays its morning newscast 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and replays its 10:00 p.m. news at midnight on its secondary digital channel MyTV Dayton.

[edit] External links

• DaytonsNewsSource.com
• My TV Dayton
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WRGT

Broadcast television in the Dayton market  (Nielsen DMA #58)
WDTN 2 (NBC) - WHIO 7 (CBS) (Accuweather on DT2) - WPTO 14 (PBS) - WPTD 16 (PBS) - WKEF 22 (ABC) - WBDT 26 (The CW) - WRCX-LP 40 (BFC) - WKOI 43 (TBN) - WRGT 45 (Fox) (MNTV on DT2) - WWRD-LP 55 (HSN) - W66AQ 66 (MNTV)
Defunct cable television channels
Miami Valley Channel / UPN 17 (UPN)
See also: Broadcast television in the Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, and Lima markets

Fox Network Affiliates in the state of Ohio
WJW 8 (Cleveland) - WXIX 19 (Cincinnati) - WOHL-CA 25 (Lima) - WTTE 28 (Columbus) - WUPW 36 (Toledo) - WRGT 45 (Dayton) - WYFX-LP 62 (Youngstown)
See also: ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, MyNetworkTV, CW and Other stations in Ohio