WSYM-TV

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WSYM-TV
Lansing, Michigan
Branding	Fox 47
Slogan	"Live, Local"
Channels	47 (UHF) analog, 38 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	Fox
Owner	Journal Broadcast Group
Founded	December 1, 1982
Call letters meaning	We Say Yes to Michigan
Website	fox47news.com

WSYM-TV (Fox 47) is the Fox network affiliate in Lansing, Michigan. It transmits its analog signal on UHF channel 47 and its digital signal on UHF channel 38. Its 1004-foot transmitter is located 5 miles south of Eaton Rapids in Eaton County along M-99. The station is owned by the Journal Broadcast Group, and its studios and offices are located in downtown Lansing.

Contents 1 History 2 News Staff 3 Previous Logos 4 External links

[edit] History

The station began operations on December 1, 1982 as WFSL TV47, owned by F&S Development Company of Lansing, under the name F&S Comm/News Inc. As an independent station, WFSL primarily aired syndicated programming. For a time, the station also aired the ABC game show Family Feud (simulcast from Detroit's WXYZ-TV), in hopes of eventually landing a full-time ABC affiliation. However, ABC chose to affiliate with WLAJ instead.

The station was sold to WTMJ-TV Inc. of Milwaukee (predecessor to the Journal Broadcast Group) in 1985, and its call letters were changed to WSYM-TV (for "We Say Yes to Michigan"). The station affiliated with the Fox network in 1990.

In its early days of operation, the station produced three live news updates throughout the day: one in the morning, the other during the afternoon hours and one late at night. Those updates ranged from five to ten minutes in length.

Under pressure from the Fox network to start a full newscast or face disaffiliation, WSYM launched a news operation in the late 1990s, with newscasts at 5:30pm and 10pm, as well as a Sunday sports show. Due to financial reasons, the station began to outsource the production of its newscasts to Lansing's NBC affiliate WILX-TV in 2004. Its former studio is still used as an interview site for the Fox News Channel.

In June 2006, WSYM unveiled their new logo, similar to what most other Fox affiliates use, along with a new graphics scheme similar in some ways to other Journal stations. This new logo is already in use on WILX/WSYM news vehicles, promotional ads, the station's logo bug, and their redesigned website.

[edit] News Staff

Fox 47 News @ 5:30

Anchor Jason Colthorp

Todd Klaassen - Fox 47 Meteorologist

Fox 47 News @ 10:00

Anchor Jason Colthorp

Anchor Beth Shayne

Todd Klaassen - Fox 47 Meteorologist

Tim Staudt - Sports Anchor

Fox 47 News @ 10:00 Weekends

Anchor currently vacant

Dennis Drummond - Fox 47 Meteorologist

Jeremy Sampson - Weekend Sports Anchor

Fox 47 Reporters

Jessica Aspiras - Medical Reporter

Tony Tagliavia - Reporter

Beth Shayne - Reporter

Lori Dougovito - Reporter

Lauren Zakalik - Reporter

John Tramontana - Reporter

AJ Hilton - Reporter

Dan Hedman - Sports Reporter

[edit] Previous Logos

The previous Fox 47 logo, used from the early-1990s to 2006.

[edit] External links

• WSYM Fox 47 Homepage
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WSYM

Broadcast Television in the Lansing/Jackson market  (Nielsen DMA #110)
WLNS 6 (CBS) - WILX 10 (NBC) - WHTV 18 (MyNetworkTV) - WKAR 23 (PBS) - W27CN 27 (TBN / TCT) - WPXD 31 (ION) - WZPX 43 (ION) - WSYM 47 (Fox) - WLAJ 53 (ABC/The CW on DT2)
Local cable television channels JTV 21 (Jackson) - WBL 5 (The CW)