WJHG-TV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WJHG-TV | |
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| Panama City, Florida | |
| City of license | Panama City, Florida |
| Branding | NewsChannel 7 The CW Panama City (DT2) My7 (DT3) |
| Slogan | Coverage you can count on! |
| Channels | Analog: 7 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | NBC (1953-1973 and since 1982) The CW (DT2) MyNetworkTV (DT3) |
| Owner | Gray Television, Inc. (Gray Television Licensee, Inc.) |
| First air date | December 1, 1953 |
| Call letters’ meaning | James Harrison Gray (founder of Gray Communications) |
| Former callsigns | WJDM-TV (1953-1960) |
| Former affiliations | ABC (secondary 1953-1973; primary 1973-1982) DuMont (secondary 1953-1955) CBS (secondary 1953-196?) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 52 kW (digital) |
| Height | 265 m (analog) 244 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 73136 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.wjhg.com |
WJHG-TV, channel 7 is the NBC affiliate for Panama City, Florida. Owned by Gray Television, its studios are located in Panama City Beach while its transmitter is located in Youngstown.
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[edit] History
WJHG was founded in 1953 as WJDM-TV, owned by businessman J.D. Manley. The station aired local programming such as church services and wrestling, and went as an independent for a period of time before securing a primary affiliation with NBC and secondary affiliations with CBS and ABC. Mel Wheeler purchased the station in 1957, and in 1960, James Harrison Gray, the founder of Gray Communications, bought the station and changed the call letters to the current WJHG-TV, after his initials.
WJHG dropped CBS in the 1960s after WTVY in Dothan, Alabama became the default CBS affiliate for Panama City as well. In 1973, WJHG became an exclusive ABC affiliate upon WDTB (channel 13, now WMBB) signed on and took the NBC affiliation. In 1982, WMBB and WJHG switched networks.
In 1998, WJHG was almost sold when the Phipps family sold WCTV to Gray Communications. This would have violated the pre-1996 ownership rules because WJHG's grade B signal covers the extreme western parts of the Tallahassee market. The 1996 Telecommunications Act allowed for overlapping fringe signals, so Gray kept WJHG. Instead, Gray ended up selling its flagship station, WALB in Albany, Georgia, because its city-grade signal overlapped that of WCTV's in the Georgia portion of the Tallahassee market, still protected under FCC Rules.
Then in 2002, Gray bought most of Benedek Broadcasting's stations, including WTVY, whose tower is located in Bonifay, Florida, providing a signal that covers all the way from Fort Walton Beach, Florida to Troy, Alabama. By this time, signal contours were no longer an issue and Gray could keep both stations.
Since both stations are available on cable in both Dothan and Panama City, WJHG will run WTVY stories that take place in those parts of northwestern Florida that are in northern part of the Panama City market, and WTVY will run WJHG stories on Panama City and the coast. Sometimes, WTVY will run its own stories on Panama City, but WJHG does not cover Dothan at all.
[edit] Digital & Cable Channels
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
Digital channels
| Ch | Programming |
|---|---|
| 7.1 | WJHG-DT (NBC) |
| 7.2 | The CW Panama City |
| 7.3 | My7 (MyNetworkTV) |
| 7.4 | VIPIR Weather |
CW Panama City is available on Knology Channel 9, Comcast Channel 99 and Mediacom Channel 60. My7 is available on Knology channel 13,Comcast digital channel 245 and Mediacom Channel 78.
WJHG's analog signal will cease broadcasting on February 17, 2009 and their digital channel will move from channel 8 to channel 7 on the same day.
[edit] Weather Coverage
WJHG uses the VIPIR Doppler system, and the chief meteorologist helped develop the technology while an employee of Baron Services.
[edit] Circle 7 Logo & Affiliation Changes
The station used the "Circle 7" logo as far back as the 1950s without objection from the ABC television network. At some point ABC had trademarked the logo for use by its owned and operated stations that shared the dial position (Channel 7) in several major television markets across the nation. In 1982 when Gray Communications switched the WJHG-TV network affiliation to NBC the rival ABC network ordered WJHG to cease using the logo. Station manager Ray H. Holloway produced archival film and still photographs that showed the local station had been using the "Circle 7" logo longer than the network, but in order to bring the matter to a quick and satisfactory end the station elected to modify the logo. The modification was minor (the bottom of the circle was left open) but enough to pacify executives at ABC in New York who were upset over the station's decision to "defect" to NBC. However, non-ABC stations still use designs similar to the Circle 7 logo including Ed Ansin's WHDH (NBC) in Boston, and WSVN (FOX) in Miami.
When WJHG switched its network affiliation in 1982 NBC was at the bottom of the network rankings and ABC was at the top. The decision to switch was puzzling to many and the true reasons behind the switch were not publicized. However, shortly after the switch NBC enjoyed a resurgence in the ratings and displaced ABC as America's most watched television network. The ratings rally provided something of a vindication for WJHG and parent company Gray Communications.
[edit] News Department
[edit] Notable Personalities
CURRENT PERSONALITIES
- Donna Bell, Morning & Noon Anchor/Reporter
- Kristen Berset, 5pm Anchor/Producer
- Luciana Da Silva, Featured Reporter
- Alex Denis, Walton/Okaloosa County Bureau Reporter
- Travis Feltner, Weekend Weather Anchor/Weekday Reporter
- Josh Gauntt, Reporter
- Kristina Hamilton, Weekend Anchor/Reporter
- Paris Janos, Morning Co-Anchor/Art Director
- Jason Kelley, Chief Meteorologist
- Tom Lewis, 6 & 10 Anchor/News Director
- Joe Moore, Noon & 5pm Anchor/Vice President of News & Operations
- Tim Owens, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter
- Whitney Ray, Reporter/Tallahassee Bureau (through Capitol News Service)
- Scott Rossman, Sports Director
- Stacey Sawyer, Morning Meteorologist
- Mike Vasilinda, Reporter/Tallahassee Bureau (through Capitol News Service)
- Mark Vaughn, Reporter
- Neysa Wilkins, 6 & 10 Anchor
- Kristy Wolski, Reporter
- Bobeth Yates, Reporter
PAST PERSONALITIES
- Dana Arquilla, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2006) (now at WTVO-TV)
- Glenn Austin, Reporter (formerly with WKRG-TV, now with Escambia County Florida Sheriff's Office)
- Jake Bell, Sports Anchor/Reporter, Feature Reporter (2000-2002)
- Tyler Berkley, Morning Meteorologist (2005-2007)
- Caroline Brady, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2005-2006) (now at WIFR-TV)
- Donnell Brookins, News Reporter (1950s-1960s, retired as Bay County tax collector, now deceased)
- Jason Davis, General Assignment Reporter (?-2006)
- Kate Eckman, Weekend Anchor (2006-2007) (now at WBBH-TV)
- Jennifer Elmore, Anchor/Reporter (1997-1999, 2003-2005, now owns local franchise "Pump It Up")
- Wayne Gentry, Morning Meteorologist (Now doing weather updates on WBPC)
- Craig Gold, Weekend Meteorologist (2004-2005, now at KTKA-TV)
- Mike Gurspan, News/Sports Anchor-Reporter (1981-1986, now with WTVY-TV)
- Earl Hadaway, News Anchor/Program Director (1950s-1980s, retired)
- Courtney Hayes, General Assignment Reporter (2001-2005)
- Tom Hipps, Morning Show Host (1970s-1990s, retired)
- Ray H. Holloway, Station Manager/Editorialist (1960s-1980s, retired as a Gray Communications vice president, now deceased)
- Elizabeth Holmes, Weekend Meteorologist (2005-2007)
- Amy Hoyt, Anchor/Reporter (1980-1994, now at WMBB-TV)
- Al Hubbard, Outdoor Reporter (2000-2004, deceased)
- Earl Hutto, News/Sports Anchor (1960s/70s, retired U.S. Congressman)
- Red Holland, Host, "The Red Holland Show" (1998-2004, now owns "Red's Rusty Rooster" store)
- Karin Johnson, General Assignment Reporter (2000-2003, now at WLWT/Cincinnati)
- Melissa Keeney, General Assignment Reporter (2000-2003, went to WINK-TV, now at WSPA-TV)
- Carla Kneeland, 6pm Anchor/Reporter (2001-2006)
- Adam Kramer, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2005-2006)
- Doug Luciani, Marianna Bureau Chief, (1994-1995)
- Greg Majewski, Morning Meteorologist (2001-2005, now at WGCL-TV)
- Paul Matadeen, Weekend Anchor (Sept 2006- Feb 2007, now at WNCN-TV in Raleigh/Durham, NC)
- Amy Morris, General Assignment Reporter (2001-2005)
- Stan Pamfilis, News/Sports Anchor (late 1970s, now with WLOS-TV Asheville, NC)
- Jeremy Pate, Morning Anchor, Reporter (1999-2006)(Now working in Public Relations)
- Jay Prater, Morning Meteorologist (2003-2004, now at KAKE-TV)
- Mike Sasser, Sports Anchor (early 1980s, now President of The Ventura Consulting Group, Inc., a corporate communications firm)
- Bill Schubert, Chief Meteorologist (1992-1996) (last at WTOV-TV Steubenville, OH)
- Greg Sherrod, Reporter (now at WMBB-TV)
- Krislyn Smith, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2006)
- Shepard Smith, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at FOX News)
- David Steele, Sports Anchor (mid 1970s, now with Sunshine Network and the NBA's Orlando Magic)
- "Rob" Chris Still, Meteorologist (1996-1997, now at WBTW-TV)
- Mike Tolbert, Anchor/Reporter (2003-2005, now at WTEV/WAWS)
- Glen Walker, Weekend Sports Anchor, (early 1980s, now at KCBS-TV Los Angeles)
- Buddy Wilkes, News/Weather (1960s-1970s, novelist)
- Candace White, Reporter (2006-2007, now morning producer/reporter at WPMI-TV Mobile, AL)
- Sabrina Zimring, Anchor/Reporter (2005-2007, now at WTVD-TV ABC O&O Raleigh/Durham, NC)
[edit] External links
- WJHG Website
- WJHG-DT2, "The CW Panama City" Website
- WJHG-DT3, "My 7" Website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WJHG
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WJHG-TV
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