WTVG
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| WTVG | |
|---|---|
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| Toledo, Ohio | |
| Branding | 13ABC 13ABC Action News (news branding) |
| Slogan | The News Leader |
| Channels | Analog: 13 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | ABC |
| Owner | Disney/ABC (WTVG, Inc.) |
| Founded | July 21, 1948 |
| Call letters’ meaning | TeleVision Great Lakes |
| Former callsigns | WSPD-TV (1948-1979) |
| Former affiliations | NBC (1948-1995) CBS (secondary, 1948-1958) ABC (secondary 1948-1970) DuMont (secondary, 1948-1955) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 795 kW (digital) |
| Height | 305.4 m (analog) 221.5 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 74150 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.13abc.com |
- For the former Newark, New Jersey television station that was named WTVG see WFUT-TV.
WTVG, known on air as 13ABC, is the ABC owned and operated television station in Toledo, Ohio with a coverage area serving northwestern Ohio, Southeastern Michigan and Essex County, Ontario. Its transmitter is located in Oregon, Ohio. The station broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 13, and its digital signal on UHF channel 19.
WTVG is referred to as "13ABC" while their Houston sister station is KTRK-TV, known as "ABC13". Both use logos similar to each other.
Contents |
[edit] History
The station signed on the air on July 21, 1948 as WSPD-TV, owned by Storer Broadcasting along with WSPD radio (AM 1370 and FM 101.5, now WRVF). WSPD-TV was the first television station in the Storer Broadcasting chain. Originally, the station carried programming from all four television networks: NBC (primary affiliation), ABC, CBS and DuMont. With DuMont shutting down in 1955, the CBS affiliation moving to WTOL in 1958 and the ABC affiliation moving to WDHO (now WNWO-TV) in 1970, WSPD-TV became an exclusive NBC affiliate.
Storer also owned WJBK-AM-FM-TV in Detroit and WJW-AM-FM-TV in Cleveland. WSPD-TV's city-grade signal could be seen in the Detroit suburbs, while its grade B signal could be seen in Detroit and Cleveland. The FCC grandfathered this situation under its "one-to-a-market" rule in the 1970s. Storer sold off WSPD-FM in the early 70s and WSPD-AM in 1979, and channel 13 became WTVG.
The Storer stations were taken over by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) in 1985. As a result, WTVG lost its grandfathered protection and was not sold to Gillett Communications along with the other Storer stations in 1987. Instead, it was sold to a local employee/investor group called "Toledo Television, Inc." Toledo Television, in turn, was bought out by SJL Broadcast Management in 1991.
In 1994, New World Communications, the owner of most of WTVG's former sister stations, signed an affiliation deal with Fox Broadcasting Company, resulting in most of New World's stations switching affiliation to Fox. Among the stations due to switch was WJBK, Detroit's longtime CBS affiliate. To avoid being consigned to UHF in the 11th-largest market, CBS heavily wooed Detroit's longtime ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV. WXYZ's owner, E.W. Scripps Company, then told ABC that unless it agreed to affiliate with Scripps-owned stations in four smaller markets, it would switch WXYZ to CBS. As a contingency, ABC approached SJL about buying WTVG and WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan. Both stations' city-grade signals reached portions of the Detroit area, which would come in handy if ABC lost WXYZ to CBS. The deal closed on August 29, 1995. However, WTVG's affiliation contract didn't run out until November, and WJRT has already been an ABC affiliate, so ABC had to run WTVG as an NBC affiliate for two months while NBC looked for a new affiliate in the area. On November 5, 1995, WTVG began airing ABC programming, sending the NBC affiliation to WNWO-TV. In 1996, Capital Cities/ABC was acquired by Disney. As it turned out, ABC had agreed to the affiliation deal with Scripps as well, and WXYZ retained its ABC affiliation. To date, WTVG is the only network owned and operated station in Toledo.
[edit] Digital Channels
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 13.1 | Main WTVG Programming |
| 13.2 | News / Alternate Programming |
| 13.3 | Doppler 13000 Weather Radar/The AccuWeather Channel |
[edit] I-Team
The I-Team is WTVG's investigative reporting unit. The I-Team also produces the "Restaurant Report Card" segment, which has been one of Action News's most popular segments.
[edit] Restaurant Report Card
On Thursdays during the 6pm newscast, the Restaurant Report Card segment highlights the results of health inspections at Toledo-area restaurants. The segment also features restaurants that have done well in their inspections.
[edit] Ask the Expert
During the 12pm Newscast, local experts in different fields answer questions sent in by viewers on WTVG's website. One of 5 different experts is featured every day.
[edit] Weather & Traffic
13ABC has a team of four meteorologists:
- Stan Stachak: Chief Meteorologist/Weekday Evenings
- Jay Berschback: Mornings and Noon
- Kristin Emery: Weekend Mornings
- Blizzard Bill Spencer: Weekend Evenings
- Susan Ware: Fill-in Meteorologist
Resources
- 13ABC owns and operates a 350,000 Watt Doppler Radar named Live Doppler 13000
- Systems from Baron Services:
- VIPIR (Volumetric Imaging and Processing of Integrated Radar)
- FasTrac
- StormWarn
- Neighborhood IRIS (Internet Radar Imaging Server)
Traffic
- Shown every 10 minutes along with weather in the mornings 5am-7am
Time Saver Traffic Team:
- Andi McKay
[edit] Sports
13ABC Action News Sports Rob Powers and the Powers Pack
- Rob Powers: Weekday Evenings
- Joe Nugent: Weekend Evenings
- Dave Holmes: Weekend mornings
Football Friday-During Regular Season
- Showcases Northwest Ohio High school Football Games
Basketball Friday-During Regular Seasons
- Showcases Northwest Ohio Girls & Boys Basketball
[edit] The 13th Frame
Every year, WTVG holds a 35-week long bowling series called "The 13th Frame", hosted by Rob Powers, aired on Thursdays during the 11PM newscast. Players are given two balls, and win $1 for each pin knocked down. If the player gets 2 strikes, the player can go for a Turkey to win a $250 jackpot. During times when there have been losing streaks, the jackpot has been known to become progressive.
[edit] Personalities & Trivia
- Kristen Brown is on maternity leave after giving birth to twin girls Laila and Lauren on April 22nd. She filed a story self-defense, even for pregnant women.
- Kristin Emery was recently hired by WTVG. She started June 1st. She takes the places of Meteorologist Susan Ware, who went on maternity leave in February. Ware said that she wanted to work on a fill in basis. Earlier this year, Leslie LoBue from WJRT-TV in Flint helped fill in for Ware, then Jim Madaus from WXYZ-TV came in April.
- Alexis Means won an Ohio Associated Press award for best spot news coverage for "Gunmen in the School," a breaking news story in which a gunman was allegedly seen walking into a Toledo Public School.
- On June 21, 2006, Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan was under a moderate risk for severe weather. A massive complex of thunderstorms moved into Michigan and took a turn to the southeast. A tornado warning was later issued for Lucas County. During this, Jeff Smith was with his wife, Lisa, who had gone into labor at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. Later that night, she gave birth to a boy — Dugan Jeffrey Smith. Efrem Graham and Sashem Brey have been filling in for Smith in the mornings, while Rebecca Regnier fills in at Noon.
- On January 15, 2007, Stan Stachak returned to Action News. He had been off for several weeks to have knee replacement surgery.
- All Toledo stations (WTVG, WTOL, WNWO, and WUPW) use the Jeep Liberty as an ENG vehicle, due to the fact that they are made locally by Chrysler.
[edit] Personalities
--Anchors--
- Melissa Andrews: Weekend Mornings Anchor/Reporter
- Sashem Brey: Morning Anchor
- Kristian Brown: Weekend Anchor/Reporter
- Lee Conklin: Weekday Evening Anchor at 5, 6, and 11
- Efrem Graham: Weekend morning Anchor/ Reporter
- Bill Hormann: Weekend Anchor/Reporter
- Diane Larson: Evening Anchor 5, 6, and 11
- Rob Powers: 5:30 Anchor/ Sports Director
- Rebecca Regnier: Morning Anchor
- Susan Ross-Wells: Noon and 5:30 Anchor/ Health Reporter
- Jeff Smith: Morning and Noon Anchor
--Reporters--
- Greg Bilazarian: General Assignment Reporter
- Tony Geftos: General Assignment Reporter
- Lissa Guyton: General Assignment Reporter
- Jennifer Jarrell: General Assignment Reporter
- Christine Long: General Assignment Reporter
- Alexis Means: General Assignment Reporter
- Ashley Olmstead: General Assignment Reporter
- Sanaa Orra: General Assignment Reporter
- Zack Ottenstein: General Assignment Reporter
- Christina Williams: General Assignment Reporter
--Weather Team--
- Jay Berschback: Weekday Mornings and Noon Meteorologist
- Kristin Emery: Weekday Morning Meteorologist/ Reporter
- Bill Spencer: Weekend Evening Meteorologist
- Stan Stachak: Chief Meteorologist
- Susan Ware: Fill-in Meteorologist
--Sports--
- Rob Powers: 5:30 Anchor/ Sports Director
- Dave Holmes: Weekend Morning Sports Anchor
- Joe Nugent: Weekend Sports Anchor
[edit] Past Personalities
- Elisa Amigo (WJW-TV)
- Jala Anderson
- Gordon Boyd (WVLT-TV)
- Jeff Blanzy (WLS-TV)
- Sarah Bloomquist (WPVI-TV)
- Ryan Burr (ESPN)
- Anthony Cabrera (KVOA-TV)
- Jim Carey
- Dave Chudowsky (WKYC-TV)
- Ronnie Dahl (WJBK)
- Hakem Dermish (WRC-TV)
- Tim Gerber (KSAT-TV)
- Katrina Hancock (WDIV-TV)
- Jim Hill
- Erica Hurtt (Owens Illinois)
- Greg Jones (auto parts salesman)
- Jason Knowles (producer at WLS-TV)
- Sam Louie
- Jason Martinez (KFSN-TV)
- Jim Madaus (WWJ-TV)
- Sarah Oehler
- Theresa Pollick (Ohio Department of Transportation)
- Christa Quinn (WPSG-TV)
- Jim Rudes (retired)
- Adora Udoji (Court TV)
- Frank Venner (retired)
- Kelli Wiese (KYTX-TV, unknown)
- Diane Wilson (WTVD-TV)
- Kareen Wynter (CNN)
[edit] See also
- Circle 7 logo - WTVG's Circle 13 logo is a derivative of the Circle 7 logo
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- WTVG homepage
- Michiguide.com's listing for WTVG
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WTVG
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WTVG-TV
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