WTAE-TV

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WTAE-TV
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Branding	Channel 4
Slogan	Where YOU come FIRST
Channels	4 (VHF) analog, 51 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	Hearst-Argyle Television
Founded	September 14, 1958
Call letters meaning	We're Taking Action Everywhere
Former affiliations	None
Website	www.thepittsburghchannel.com

WTAE-TV, "Channel 4" is the ABC affiliate serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston market areas. Its transmitter is located in Buena Vista, Pennsylvania.

Contents 1 History 2 Local Programming 2.1 Present 2.2 Past 3 Newscasts 3.1 Current On-Air Personalities 3.2 Former On-Air Personalities 4 Current Ratings 5 Trivia 6 External links

[edit] History

Channel 4, originally allocated to Irwin, Pennsylvania, was a late addition to the Pittsburgh market's TV channels, reportedly due to political pressure from Pittsburgh mayor David L. Lawrence, who is said to have petitioned the FCC relentlessly for a fourth VHF channel in the area. It is short-spaced to other Channel 4 stations in Columbus, Ohio (WCMH-TV, which is NBC) and Buffalo, New York (WIVB-TV, which is CBS), with the tower located southeast of the city as a result.

WTAE-TV signed on the air on September 14, 1958 as Pittsburgh's ABC affiliate. From the beginning, it has been owned by the Hearst Corporation (now Hearst-Argyle Television), which purchased the station's former sister radio station, WCAE/WTAE Radio, in 1931. The radio station is now WEAE, and is owned by ABC/Disney as part of the ESPN Radio network.

Along with Pittsburgh, WTAE has also served as the ABC affiliate for the Johnstown/Altoona, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia television markets (all of which could receive WTAE as a grade B signal). With WTAE having long been one of ABC's strongest affiliates, both parties reportedly resisted efforts by other TV stations in those cities to obtain a full-time ABC affiliation, although one was eventually granted to Altoona's channel 23. WTAE is still available on cable in Johnstown, Altoona, and throughout northern West Virginia today. In addition to those areas, WTAE can also be seen on several out-of-market cable systems throughout northwestern and central Pennsylvania.

Although they were the only ABC affiliate in the region when it signed on at the time, WTAE also pre-empted and/or delayed a handfull of ABC programs, most notably its daytime lineup, from the 1960s to the late 1990s. Today, WTAE runs nearly the entire ABC schedule. The station cut back its Saturday morning newscast to three hours, but it still runs a news-intensive schedule, alongside its top-rated syndicated first-run talk shows.

In June 1992, the station expanded its news production, adding a Saturday morning newscast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (matching WPXI's Saturday morning newscast of the same length which they began in 1990) and a three-hour Sunday morning newscast. The station also extended its weekday early evening newscast to begin at 5 p.m., and began to air a weekday morning newscast from 5 to 7 a.m. In 1997 , the station expanded its Sunday morning newscast by an hour and moved their Saturday morning newscast to 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

WTAE was also one of many ABC stations that pre-empted the special showing of Saving Private Ryan late in 2004 due to scares that the Federal Communications Commission would impose a fine on them if they had aired the World War II movie due to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy earlier that year; it was later determined that the movie showing was not a violation of FCC regulations. TNT currently has the United States broadcast and cable rights.

[edit] Local Programming

[edit] Present

• Action Sports Sunday- Sundays at 11:35 pm - sports talk show
• Steelers Primetime- extended Steelers coverage during NFL season

[edit] Past

• Pittsburgh's Talking
• AM Pittsburgh
• Bowling For Dollars
• Championship Bowling
• Romper Room
• Capelli & Co.
• The Johnny Majors Show
• The Bill Cowher Show
• Ricki & Copper
• Dialing for Dollars
• Paul Shannon's Adventure Time
• The Hank Stohl Show
• The Jean Connelly Show
• Junior High Quiz, sponsored by local bank Pittsburgh National (now PNC Bank)
• Community Outreach
• Community Perspective (later retitled Shalom Pittsburgh)

[edit] Newscasts

Weekdays

• Channel 4 Action News This Morning - 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.- Andrew Stockey and Kelly Frey with news, Demetrius Ivory with weather and Melaine Taylor with traffic
• Channel 4 Action News at Noon - 12 to 12:30 p.m.- Sally Wiggin and Michelle Wright with news and Don Schwenneker with weather
• Channel 4 Action News at 5 - 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.- Wendy Bell and Michelle Wright with news and Stephen Cropper at 5:00 p.m. and Don Schwenneker at 5:30 p.m. with weather
• Channel 4 Action News at 6 - 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.- Mike Clark and Sally Wiggin with news, Stephen Cropper with weather and Jon Burton with sports
• Channel 4 Action News at 11 - 11 p.m. to 11:35 p.m.- Mike Clark and Wendy Bell with news, Stephen Cropper with weather and Jon Burton with sports

Saturdays

• Channel 4 Action News This Morning - 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.- Janelle Hall with news and Erin Kienzle with weather
• Channel 4 Action News at Noon - 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.- Janelle Hall with news and Erin Kienzle with weather
• Channel 4 Action News at 6 - 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.- Jake Ploeger and Shannon Perrine with news, Erin Kienzle with weather and Guy Junker with sports
• Channel 4 Action News at 11 - 11 p.m. to 11:35 p.m.- Jake Ploeger and Shannon Perrine with news, Erin Kienzle with weather and Guy Junker with sports

Sundays

• Channel 4 Action News This Morning - 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.- Janelle Hall with news and Erin Kienzle with weather
• Channel 4 Action News at 6 - 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.- Jake Ploeger and Shannon Perrine with news, Erin Kienzle with weather and Guy Junker with sports
• Channel 4 Action News at 11 - 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.- Jake Ploeger and Shannon Perrine with news, Erin Kienzle with weather and Guy Junker with sports
• Channel 4 Action Sports Sunday - 11:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.- Hosted by Jon Burton or Guy Junker

[edit] Current On-Air Personalities

Anchors:

• Sally Wiggin - Channel 4 Action News at Noon and 6
• Mike Clark - Channel 4 Action News at 6 and 11
• Michelle Wright - Channel 4 Action News at Noon and 5
• Wendy Bell - Channel 4 Action News at 5 and 11
• Kelly Frey - Channel Action News This Morning
• Andrew Stockey - Channel 4 Action News This Morning
• Janelle Hall - Channel 4 Action News This Morning (weekends)
• Jake Ploeger - Channel 4 Action News at 6 and 11 (weekends)
• Shannon Perrine - Channel 4 Action News at 6 and 11 (weekends)

Weather Watch 4:

• Stephen Cropper(5,6,11)
• Demetrius Ivory(morning)
• Erin Kienzle(weekend)
• Don Schwenneker (noon and 5:30)
• Joe DenardoPart Time Only

Channel 4 Action Sports:

• Jon Burton
• Guy Junker
• Bill Hillgrove (Steeler Reporter)

Reporters:

• Marylin Brooks (Medical Editor)
• Marcie Cipriani
• Ashley DiParlo (Plugged In)
• Tara Edwards
• Jon Greiner
• Ari Hait
• Sheldon Ingram
• Bob Mayo
• Jennifer Miele (Westmoreland County Reporter)
• Jim Parsons (Team 4 Investigations)
• Gus Rosendale
• Melanie Taylor (Traffic Watch 4)
• Paul Van Osdol (Team 4 Investigations)
• Aaron Saykin (Call 4 Action)

[edit] Former On-Air Personalities

• Don Cannon (1969-1994) (anchor)
• Paul Long (1969-1994) (anchor)
• Ed Conway (1969-1974) (sports)
• Joe DeNardo (1969-2004) (meteorologist) (considered the "dean of Pittsburgh weather")
• Bill Hillgrove (1978-1995) (sports)
• Scott Baker (1993-2006) (anchor)
• Sheila Hyland (1988-1998) (weekend anchor/reporter)
• Susan Koeppen (2000-2004) (call 4 action reporter/weekend morning anchor)
• Ken Rice (1988-1994) (reporter/anchor)
• Alby Oxenreiter (1988-1996) (sports)
• Mike Stone (1998-2000) (meteorologist)
• Ted Koppy (1999-2002) (weekend anchor/reporter)
• Tonia Caruso (1997-2001) (reporter)
• Sam Merrill (1999-2002) (anchor/reporter) (returned to WNEM-TV in Michigan)
• Ellen Gamble (1998-2004) (traffic reporter)
• Mike Brookins (2000-2005) (meteorologist)
• Chris Glorioso (2001-2004) (reporter)
• Whitney Drolen (2002-2004) (reporter)
• Shiba Russell (2002-2006) (weekend anchor/reporter/ 11 pm news anchor)
• Meghan Jones (2001-2006) (reporter/call 4 action reporter)
• Jerry Martz (1997-2005) (meteorologist)
• Baron James (1995-1999) (weekend anchor/reporter)
• Nina Pineda ( -2000) (reporter)
• Melanie Shafer (1996-2000) (anchor/reporter)
• Shawn Yancy (1996-2001) (weekend anchor/reporter)
• Alan Jennings (1989-1997) (reporter)
• Yvonne Zanos ( -1997) (consumer reporter)
• Mike Schneider ( ) (reporter)
• Faith Daniels ( ) (reporter)
• Christina Arangio (1997-2000) (weekend morning anchor/reporter)
• Melinda Basara (1995-1998) (westmoreland county reporter)
• Beth Dolinar (1986-1994) (weekend anchor/reporter)
• Kristine Sorensen (1998-2001) (reporter)
• John Steigerwald (1978-1985) (sports)
• Stan Savran (1980-1991) (sports)
• Susan Davies (1986-1995) (meteorologist)
• Cathy Caldwell (2005) (traffic watch 4 reporter)
• Tony Zarella (1990-1992) (sports)
• Angie Moreschi (1992-1995) (anchor/reporter)
• Adam Lynch (1980-1994) (anchor)
• Emily Ryan (2001-2004) (reporter)
• Tom Randles (1986-1990) (weekend anchor/reporter)
• Liz Miles (1990-1999) (reporter)
• Jack Martin (1992-1996) (weekend morning anchor/reporter)
• Mark Johnson (1995-1996) (sports)
• Stu Emry (1980-1989) (reporter)
• Rod Rassman ( ) (reporter)
• Ed Conway ( ) (sports)
• Andy Pearson (1995-1998) (anchor)
• Vince Gerasole ( ) (reporter)
• T.J. Winick (1998-2000) (Westmoreland county reporter)
• Susan Brozek (1988-1994) (reporter)
• Steve Zabriskie ( -1978) (sports)
• Gina Redmond ( ) (reporter)
• Lynn Hinds ( ) (AM Pittsburgh Host)
• Al McDowell ( ) (AM Pittsburgh Host)
• Cathy Milton ( ) (AM Pittsburgh Host/anchor/reporter)
• Myron Cope ( ) (sports)
• Jim Scott ( ) (anchor/reporter)
• Timyka Artist (2004-2006) (reporter)
• Brandon Lenoir (2006) (reporter)
• Eleanor Schano (c.1960) (weather forecaster)
• Ricki Wertz (1958-1982) (children's television show host)
• Miss Jan (Bohna) () (children's television show host, Romper Room) (Passed away in 2005)

[edit] Current Ratings

Pittsburgh is a tough market for local news, with the news station ratings usually differing by a tenth of a point.

As of February 2007, WTAE is the most-watched news station at 5 a.m. It leads at 6 a.m. by a tenth of a point over WPXI.^[1]

[edit] Trivia

• In 1972, WTAE sportscaster Myron Cope coined the phrase "The Immaculate Reception" to describe Franco Harris' miraculous, running shoestring catch that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a 13-7 playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders.

• WTAE's distinct channel 4 logo has been in use since 1973.

• WTAE and its channel 4 logo was immortalized in the 1979 basketball comedy film "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh", whose fictional sportscaster "Murray Sports" (Played by Harry Shearer) was also patterned after Cope.

• On April 24th, 1980, WTAE personality Nick Perry, who hosted Bowling for Dollars and also called the lottery drawings for the Pennsylvania Lottery, fixed the PA Lottery's Daily Number so that the drawing could come up as "666". Perry would eventually serve jail time, and the drawings were moved from WTAE to WHP-TV in Harrisburg a year later. This resulted in lotteries now being audited and monitored with "witnesses" from the government and/or accounting firms hired by them, and also inspired the movie Lucky Numbers. In addition, KDKA now airs the PA Lottery drawings in the Pittsburgh market instead of WTAE.

• During the 1980s, WTAE adopted Hello News, which gave it the most elaborate commercial of any Pittsburgh tv channel and access to the Hello News jingle, which was tailored to the Pittsburgh market as it had been for other markets. The promotional material included an elaborate montage of clips interspersing station personalities with local celebrities, the city's winning sports teams, and well-known local images and landscapes. As with other Hello News sites, this was an effort to capitalize on the strong locale identity. ^[1][2]

[edit] External links

• ThePittsburghChannel.com - WTAE Homepage
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WTAE-TV

v • d • e

Broadcast television in the Johnstown / Altoona / State College market (Nielsen DMA #98)

Local television stations WPSU 3 (PBS) - WJAC 6 (NBC) - WWCP 8 (FOX) - WTAJ 10 (CBS) - W13BY 13 {IND} - WPCW 19 (The CW)1 - WATM 23 (ABC) - WHVL 29 (MNTV) - W36BE 36 / W39BE 39 (ABC) - WKBS 47 (CSTV) - WLLS 49 (A1) 1 Technically a Pittsburgh market station. See article.

Local cable television channels WIUP 20 (Ind)

Significantly Viewed Out-of-Market Broadcast Stations Reception may vary by geographical location Pittsburgh: KDKA 2 (CBS) - WTAE 4 (ABC) - WPXI 11 (NBC) - WPMY 22 (MNTV) - WPGH 53 (FOX) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: WNEP 16 (ABC) - WSWB 38 (The CW) Harrisburg: WLYH 15 (The CW) New York City: WPIX 11 (The CW)