| Lansing/Jackson, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Fox 47 (general) Fox 47 News |
| Slogan | News First |
| Channels | Digital: 38 (UHF) Virtual: 47 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 47.1 Fox 47.2 Me-TV |
| Owner | Journal Communications |
| First air date | December 1, 1982 |
| Call letters' meaning | We Say Yes to Michigan |
| Former callsigns | WFSL-TV (1982-1985) |
| Former channel number(s) | 47 (UHF analog, 1982-2009) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1982-1990) |
| Transmitter power | 933 kW |
| Height | 281 m |
| Facility ID | 74094 |
| Website | fox47news.com |
WSYM-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Central Michigan licensed to Lansing. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 38 (or virtual channel 47.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter along M-50/M-99 in Eaton Rapids. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 7 and in high definition on digital channel 234. Owned by Journal Communications, WSYM has studios on West Saint Joseph Street in Downtown Lansing along I-496. Syndicated programming on the station includes How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons and Family Guy among others.
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Previously, WSYM-DT2 featured programming from TheCoolTV. Me-TV was added on October 1, 2011 on 47.2 and is available on Comcast digital channel 296.[1][2] A lawsuit filed by Journal Communications for "non-payment of broadcast operations" against TheCoolTV's parent company and the oncoming removal of TheCoolTV from Journal's stations in Wisconsin, resulted in Me-TV replacing TheCoolTV on 47.2[3][4][5].
| Channels | Nane | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.1 | FOX47HD | 720p | 16:9 | Main WSYM programming / FOX |
| 47.2 | FOX 47 | 480i | 4:3 | Me-TV |
On December 1, 1982, the station began operations on analog UHF channel 47 with the calls WFSL-TV. It was owned by Lansing businessman Joel Ferguson and his company, F&S Development Company. WFSL was the first new commercial station in the area since WILX-TV signed-on 23 years earlier. Conventional wisdom suggested it should have debuted as an ABC affiliate since Lansing was one of the largest markets in the United States without full service from all three major networks. However, it was an Independent from the start instead.
During its pre-sign-on test pattern, an on-screen crawl thanked numerous people and companies for their help including "All the people who said 'No way will that station get on-the-air by December 1st'". [6] WFSL was a typical UHF Independent airing syndicated cartoons, game shows, movies, and off-network sitcoms. For a time, the station also simulcasted the ABC game show Family Feud and soap opera The Edge Of Night from WXYZ-TV in Detroit in hopes of eventually landing a full-time ABC affiliation. Ferguson sold the station to the Journal Company, now the Journal Broadcast Group, in 1985. The new owners changed the call sign to WSYM-TV. The call letters once belonged to a ship but that registration was cancelled by the United States Coast Guard to allow this television station to use them. The call sign serves as an acronym meaning We Say Yes to Michigan. [7]
Five years later, Ferguson used the proceeds from the sale of this station to start Lansing's first ABC affiliate, WLAJ. WSYM affiliated with Fox in 1990. Previously, Detroit's WKBD (which had been available on Lansing cable systems for decades) provided programming from the "forth" network to the area. Some parts of the market could also receive Fox from WXMI in Grand Rapids and WSMH in Flint. WSYM is also part of the Detroit Lions Television Network which airs Detroit Lions pre-season games and the syndicated Ford Lions Report during the regular season. It airs Lions games during the regular season as part of the NFL on Fox contract. Since portions of the Lansing area are within 75 miles of Ford Field (home of the Lions), WSYM is part of the team's blackout area. The Detroit Tigers also appear on this station during Fox Saturday Baseball.
In its early days of operation, the station produced three live news updates throughout the day. This included one in the morning, another during the afternoon, and late at night. The updates ranged from five to ten minutes in length. Under pressure from Fox to start a full newscast or face disaffiliation, WSYM launched a news department in September 1997. It produced local news weeknights at 5:30 and every night at 10 along with a Sunday night sports highlight show. In 2004 due to financial reasons, the station shut down its news operation. In order to still offer broadcasts, WSYM entered into a news share agreement with NBC affiliate WILX (owned by Gray Television).
Under the arrangement, WILX produces local news for WSYM weeknights at 5:30 (for a half-hour) and every night at 10 (for an hour). On weekday mornings at 9 and weekend mornings at 6, the previous late-night's prime time show is replayed on WSYM branded as Fox 47 Morning News Rewind. Since there is a 5:30 broadcast airing on WSYM, there is no show seen at the same time on WILX. Although the two stations share most personnel, WILX and WSYM maintain separate weeknight meteorologists and a news anchor although the latter does general assignment reporting on WILX. On occasion such as severe weather, WSYM may carry the primary feed from WILX where its meteorologists appear on this station. Other personnel from that station fill-in on WSYM as necessary.
From September 24, 2007 until September 25, 2009, WLAJ produced a weeknight prime time newscast on its CW-affiliated second digital subchannel competing with WSYM. On November 2, 2009, this station began airing a live simulcast of Michael Patrick Shiels in the Morning from the Michigan Talk Network weekday mornings from 6 until 8. On January 28, 2011, WILX became the first outlet in Central Michigan to upgrade local newscasts to high definition. [8] On June 13, 2011, WSYM became the second station in the market to transition to high definition broadcasts.
Anchors
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