WRCB
 | |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Branding |
Channel 3 Channel 3 Eyewitness News |
| Slogan |
Channel 3, More Colorful (general) Coverage You Can Count On (newscasts) |
| Channels |
Digital: 13 (VHF) Virtual: 3 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels |
3.1 NBC 3.2 Antenna TV |
| Affiliations | NBC |
| Owner | Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. |
| First air date | May 6, 1956 |
| Call letters' meaning |
Rust Craft Broadcasting (former owners) |
| Former callsigns | WRGP-TV (1956-1963) |
| Former channel number(s) |
Analog: 3 (1956-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 111 kW (digital) |
| Height | 335 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 59137 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 35°9′40″N 85°18′51″W / 35.16111°N 85.31417°W |
| Website | www.wrcbtv.com |
WRCB, virtual channel 3, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Chattanooga, serving southeastern Tennessee, northwestern Georgia, northeastern Alabama and extreme southwestern North Carolina. Its transmitter and tower are located in the unincorporated town of Walden, Tennessee on Signal Mountain. The station is carried on Comcast cable channels 4 and 432 in the Chattanooga area.
Syndicated programming on WRCB includes: Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Ellen, Katie Couric, and Rachael Ray.
Digital television
On November 1, 2008, WRCB added Retro Television Network (RTV) on its second digital subchannel; the station had previously aired NBC Weather Plus on the subchannel, but that network was shut down by the end of the year.[1] On January 1, 2012, WRCB replaced RTV with Antenna TV.[2]
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | Main WRCB programming / NBC |
| 3.2 | 480i | 4:3 | Antenna TV |
On June 12, 2009, WRCB's digital signal remained on channel 13 when the analog to digital conversion completed.[3]
History
The station began broadcasting on May 6, 1956 on analog Channel 3 as WRGP-TV. The call letters came from its founder, Ramon G. Patterson. It picked up the NBC affiliation from WROM-TV in Rome, Georgia (now WTVC, located today in Chattanooga proper). Its studios were first located at 1214 McCallie Avenue, between downtown and Missionary Ridge.
The station has belonged to several owners over the years. In 1959, Friendly Broadcasting, owner of WSTV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio (now WTOV-TV) bought WRGP from Patterson's group. In 1961 WSTV and WRGP were sold to the Massachusetts-based United Printers And Publishers, who later became Rust Craft Broadcasting, named after its greeting card line, which has since been acquired by American Greetings. These owners changed the station's call letters to WRCB-TV in 1963, to reflect the initials of the licensee. In 1968 the station moved to new facilities on Whitehall Road, on Chattanooga's north side, across the Tennessee River from downtown. Those new studios and equipment enabled channel 3 to begin broadcasting in color. In 1979, Rust Craft merged with magazine publisher Ziff Davis, who, in turn, sold WRCB to current owner Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. of Bloomington, Indiana, in 1982.
News operation
WRCB produces four hours of news a day weekdays, and an hour of news on weekends. The station is known for its School Patrol and Crimestoppers reports, which have been popular features on its newscasts for more than twenty years. On September 28, 2012, WRCB made the on-air transition from standard definition (4:3) to high definition (16:9).[4]
News/station presentation
Newscast titles
- Bulletin (1960s-1970s)
- News 3 (1970s)
- NewsCenter 3 (1970s)
- TV-3 News (1970s–1984)
- (Channel 3) Eyewitness News (1984–present)[5]
Station slogans
- "Making a Difference" (1989–1995)
- "Coverage You Can Count On" (1995–present)
News team[6]
Anchors
- David Carroll - weeknights at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.; also "School Patrol" reporter
- Latrice Currie - weekday mornings (4:30-7:00 a.m.); also "Eye On Health" reporter
- Greg Glover - weeknights at 5:30 and 11:00 p.m.
- Antwan Harris - weekends at 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.
- Jessica Lauren - weekends at 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.
- Jed Mescon - weekday mornings (4:30-7:00 a.m.)
- Cindy Sexton - weeknights at 5:00, 5:30 and 6:00 p.m.
- Callie Starnes - weeknights at 11:00 p.m.; also reporter
- Jonquil Newland - weekend mornings (7:00-8:00 a.m.)
Channel 3 Eyewitness News Storm Alert Weather
- Paul Barys (AMS Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.
- Nick Austin (NWA Seal of Approval; member, AMS) - meteorologist; weekend mornings (7:00-8:00 a.m.) and weekends at 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.
- David Karnes (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings (4:30-7:00 a.m.)
Sports team
- Keith Cawley - sports director; weeknights at 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.
- Paul Shahen - weekends at 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.; also sports reporter
- Lindsay Murray - sports reporter
- Brittany Jackson - sports analyst, Friday Night Football
- Jordan Tippit - sports analyst, Friday Night Football
- Mark Tipton - sports analyst, Friday Night Football
Reporters
- Matt Barbour
- Kimberly Barbour
- Karilynn Galiotos
- Dan Kennedy
- MEGAN BRANTLEY
- MELYDIA CLEWELL - Investigative Reporter
Local program hosts
- Julie Edwards - host of "3 Plus You" (weekdays at 11:00 a.m.)
- Donna Elle - host of "Trends On 3" (Saturday mornings at 6:00 a.m.)
References
- ↑ "Television Network Moves to Chattanooga". wrcbtv.com. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ↑ "Antenna TV Affiliation:WRCB". Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ↑ http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-138A2.pdf
- ↑ "Channel 3 Eyewitness News now fully HD".
- ↑ WRCB Live at 5:30 Open - 1994
- ↑ Eyewitness News Team
External links
- WRCB website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WRCB
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WRCB-TV
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