WTVJ

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
WTVJ-TV
)

Not to be confused with WJTV.
WTVJ
kW
HAAT311 m (1,020 ft)
Transmitter coordinates25°58′8″N 80°13′19″W / 25.96889°N 80.22194°W / 25.96889; -80.22194
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.nbcmiami.com

WTVJ (channel 6) is a

flagship station of Telemundo. The two stations share studios on Southwest 27th Street in Miramar; WTVJ's transmitter is located in Andover, Florida
.

History

Florida's first television station

Archived WTVJ news tape as seen from the Florida Moving Image Archive. The logo shown was adopted shortly before the switch to NBC in 1989 (before the station officially switched to NBC, the "4" was used by itself).

The station first signed on the air on March 21, 1949, at 12 noon. WTVJ was the first television station to sign on in the state of Florida, and the 16th station in the United States.

VHF channel 4,[citation needed] WTVJ was founded by Wometco Enterprises (founded by Mitchell Wolfson and Sidney Meyer), a national movie theater chain that was headquartered in Miami. The station's original studio facilities were located in a room of the former Capitol Theater's 3rd floor on North Miami Avenue in Downtown Miami, which was built by Wometco in 1926, while its initial broadcast tower at 306 feet (93 m) was built on top of the Everglades Hotel along Biscayne Boulevard.[4] The station was a primary CBS affiliate, but also carried programming from the other three major broadcast networks of that era (ABC, NBC and DuMont).[citation needed] During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.[5]

WTVJ was the only commercial television station in the Miami market until Fort Lauderdale-based WFTL-TV (channel 23) signed on the air on

West Palm Beach, until WTVX (channel 34, now a CW affiliate) signed on in 1966.[citation needed
]

WTVJ served as the producing station for CBS'

Miami Beach
in 1964.

Acquisition by KKR

Wometco founder and president Mitchell Wolfson died in 1983. Though it had been theorized that a proper

vulture capitalism strategy of flipping
the stations to a new owner after several years, not intending to run them as long-term investments.

In 1986, KKR opted to put WTVJ and the Storer stations on the market. The firm had plans to sell channel 4 for a record price of close to $500 million (as part of a $1.85 billion group deal with six of the Storer stations), although the station was actually worth far less. CBS saw a chance to acquire an owned-and-operated station in the fast-growing Miami market. However, it lost a bidding war to

television syndication company Lorimar-Telepictures.[6] CBS, however, tried to block the deal; Lorimar produced Dallas, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, and other shows for the network and did not want them controlling the clearance rights of those particular programs. Thus, CBS threatened to pull its affiliation with WTVJ if the Lorimar deal went through, which would force the station to become an independent.[7] Lorimar then walked away from the group deal in May 1986.[7][8] CBS then made an offer to buy WTVJ for $170 million, which was far below KKR's asking price of at least $270 million.[7]

WTVJ's former newsroom.

Acquisition by NBC

Further information: 1989 South Florida television affiliation switch

Over the next few months, the only offers to buy WTVJ came from companies that owned large groups of independent stations, such as

United Television. These and other companies wanted to convert WTVJ into an independent station or a Fox affiliate, for a price far lower than KKR's asking price. The only way that KKR could make such a large profit was to sell WTVJ to another network, as some potential buyers had no interest in keeping CBS while the only ones that could purchase the station for the asking price were ABC and NBC.[7]

CBS did not believe that KKR would sell WTVJ to another network, so it returned with a very low offer. KKR turned CBS's offer down almost out of hand and then approached the other networks. ABC was not interested, since it was more than satisfied with its longtime affiliate, WPLG. However, NBC was very interested because its longtime affiliate, WSVN, heavily preempted the network's daytime lineup—including programs that the network aired in the noon timeslot, in favor of running a local newscast—as well as an occasional prime time show. NBC was far less tolerant of preemptions than CBS and ABC at the time and was particularly annoyed at losing valuable advertising in such a fast-growing market. This had not been a problem at first since most of the programs that were preempted by WSVN aired on West Palm Beach-based

WPTV, which provided at least grade B signal coverage to nearly the entire Miami–Fort Lauderdale market, and had been available on cable in the area for decades. In the few cases where WPTV and WSVN both turned down an NBC program, the network usually arranged for other stations in the area to carry its programming. However, by 1985, WPTV had been dropped from most Miami cable systems to make way for new cable channels (partly due to limited headend channel capacity), resulting in some NBC programs that were preempted by WSVN being unavailable to some viewers. NBC realized that purchasing its own station with less restrictive ownership laws would guarantee that its entire network schedule would be cleared. Hence, it made an offer almost as high as Telepictures did a few months before, and in 1987, KKR agreed to sell WTVJ to NBC for $270 million.[9]

NBC assumed control of WTVJ in mid-September 1987, and two months later, control has been transferred from

Broward County. In August 1988, CBS announced that it would purchase WCIX from the TVX Broadcast Group, which itself had purchased the station from Taft in 1987.[11]

WTVJ ended its 40-year affiliation with CBS on

cartoons and sitcoms—with exceptions such as I Love Lucy, Family Ties, Star Trek: The Next Generation and a few others—went to WDZL (channel 39, now CW affiliate WSFL-TV). In a bit of irony, WTVJ also continued to preempt NBC's noon offerings in favor of carrying a local newscast. That timeslot would be given back to the network's affiliates in 1991. Shortly after the switch, the station debuted an image campaign based on the Bobby McFerrin song "Don't Worry, Be Happy", that lasted until 1993.[12]

WTVJ's former set.

Move to channel 6

Main article:
1994–1996 United States broadcast TV realignment

On July 14, 1994, after the

WCAU-TV, but later discovered that an outright sale of that station would have forced it to pay taxes on the proceeds from the deal.[15] This led to a deal that was struck on November 21, 1994, between CBS and NBC, in which CBS sold the channel 6 transmitter facility and license to NBC as compensation for the loss of KYW-TV and Westinghouse's other NBC affiliate, WBZ-TV in Boston. In return, CBS received the stronger channel 4 transmitter facility, license, and cash as compensation for the loss of WCAU (KCNC-TV in Denver and KUTV in Salt Lake City [which was acquired by NBC earlier that year] were both purchased by, and ended up switching to CBS as a result of this deal).[16]

In April 1995, WTVJ dropped all references to its channel 4 allocation outside of news programming in preparation for the channel swap. Newscasts continued to be branded as Channel 4 News until the move to channel 6; however, it rebranded as "WTVJ NBC" for all other purposes, using a logo that featured only the

NBC peacock logo with the WTVJ call letters (rendered in the Univers
typeface) placed below it.

At 1 a.m. on Sunday, September 10, 1995, WTVJ and WCIX swapped channels. WTVJ's entire intellectual unit (calls, shows, NBC network, and staff) moved from channel 4 to channel 6, while the intellectual unit of WCIX, which changed its calls accordingly to

Hallandale, and a third, W19BJ in Sunrise, was activated alongside the switch.[17]

In April 1998, WTVJ sold its Capitol Theatre studios to the General Services Administration for $11.6 million, which planned to build a courthouse on the space where the building was located. Three months later, it was announced that the station had purchased a plot of land located off the intersection of I-75 and Miramar Parkway in Miramar, with plans to build a 64,000 square foot studio facility for the station; WTVJ moved into the newly constructed complex in 2000.[18]

Aborted sale to Post-Newsweek

On March 19, 2008,

Nielsen
, WPLG ranked in first place and WTVJ ranked sixth overall in total-day viewership during the May 2008 sweeps period, allowing the possibility of a purchase (WTVJ's sixth-place ranking was due to several factors including the station's own programming weaknesses at the time and the strong ratings performance of WLTV). Incidentally, this would have resulted in a rare instance in which the senior partner in one duopoly became the junior partner in another, as NBC had owned both WTVJ and WSCV.

Had the sale gone through, WTVJ would have consolidated its operations with WPLG at that station's Hallandale Beach Boulevard studios in

Pembroke Park.[20] Post-Newsweek would have also acquired all of WTVJ and WSCV's new high definition production equipment that was installed in the stations' Miramar studios. Despite a formal petition that was filed with the FCC against the proposed sale, the sale was approved by the Federal Trade Commission on October 6, 2008.[citation needed] However, the sale was canceled on December 23, 2008, citing poor economic conditions and the lack of FCC approval.[21]

WTVJ today

On March 21, 2009, WTVJ celebrated its 60th anniversary and aired a half-hour special called WTVJ: The First 60 Years, which highlighted the station's history since its March 21, 1949, sign-on.[22]

On January 6, 2017, WTVJ and fellow NBC stations

political advertising rules. The stations were cited for such violations as not identifying the officials of the sponsoring organizations, not noting the issue that non-candidate spots addressed, and identifying a sponsor by an acronym rather than its full name.[23]

Programming

Sports programming

In

Joe Robbie Stadium. This continued until 1997 when WFOR-TV gained the rights to most games thanks to CBS' acquisition of the AFC broadcast package. The station now airs Dolphins games when they appear on NBC's Sunday Night Football. WTVJ also aired the Florida Marlins' (now the Miami Marlins) first World Series triumph in 1997, when NBC had limited broadcast rights to Major League Baseball's postseason. The station also broadcast all Miami Heat games aired through NBC's broadcast contract with the NBA from 1990 to 2002, and all Florida Panthers games aired through NBC's broadcast contract with the NHL
from 2006 to 2021.

News operation

WTVJ presently broadcasts 38 hours, 25 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with 6 hours, 35 minutes each weekday; three hours on Saturdays and 2½ hours on Sundays). During weather segments, WTVJ uses two

Doppler weather radar systems, "TITAN" and "VIPIR
". The VIPIR Radar is branded on-air as "Live First Alert Doppler."

Founding years

Soon after WTVJ signed on, the station hired Ralph Renick, who had just graduated from the University of Miami, as its first anchor and news director. Renick would serve as the face of WTVJ for nearly 36 years and became best known for his catchphrase at the end of every newscast, "Good night, and may the good news be yours." At the same time, the station also hired Bernie Rosen and Bob Weaver. One of the nation's first-ever television news meteorologists, Weaver reported the weather for the station for more than five decades. Rosen, who went on to run the station's award-winning sports department for more than three decades, was the last original employee still working at the station. On February 6, 2008, Rosen was presented with the prestigious Golden Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, honoring Rosen for his more than 50 years of service to the South Florida television community. While many of South Florida's veteran television personalities have received the Silver Circle Award for marking 25 years in the business, the Golden Circle Award has been given only once before in South Florida, in 2004 when it went to Bob Weaver, also a lifelong WTVJ employee. After retiring in 2013, Rosen he remained with the station on a part time basis until his death in 2020.

1990s

During the early 1990s, WTVJ tried several different formats to accompany or add to their existing newscasts; these included a news/lifestyle hybrid show called South Florida at 4:30, anchored by Ana Azcuy and Ed O'Dell; a 5:30 newscast with separate anchors (Teresa Rodriguez and Steve Abrams) at both the main studio and a Fort Lauderdale studio for news coverage from that part of the area; and an hour-long 5 p.m. show called 4 News Now anchored by Tony Segreto that was focused on breaking news and long-form stories; 4 News Now was the longest-lived of these efforts, lasting until the spring of 1994 when the 5 p.m. hour was reverted to a normal newscast and a half-hour 4:30 broadcast was added. In August 1992, when

South Florida Sun-Sentinel began co-producing a nightly 10 p.m. newscast on then-WB
affiliate WDZL. The program was broadcast from a secondary set at WTVJ's studio facility. The program ended its run after eleven years on August 31, 2008, as the now-WSFL's owner Tribune Broadcasting opted not to renew its news share agreement with the station.

2000s

On September 10, 2007, WTVJ debuted the first 7 p.m. newscast in the market (airing only on weeknights), a format that NBC extended to several of its other owned-and-operated stations including WNBC in New York and KNSD in San Diego. At the same time, WTVJ dropped its 5 p.m. newscast, opting to fill the timeslot with The Ellen DeGeneres Show instead (this lasted until May 2011, when the station reinstated the 5 p.m. newscast, while concurrently canceling the 7 p.m. program). On March 5, 2008, WTVJ became the first television station in the Miami–Fort Lauderdale market and the fourth station in South Florida to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition. On October 1, 2011, WTVJ debuted weekend morning newscasts, airing from 6–7 and 9–10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, restoring newscasts in that daypart after its previous weekend morning newscasts were canceled in the late 2000s as part of the NBCU 2.0 budget cuts.[24]

Recent years

On May 14, 2012, WTVJ debuted a half-hour midday newscast at 11 a.m.; it also launched a new entertainment and lifestyle program called NBC 6 in the Mix that follows the newscast, which is similar in format to sister station WSCV's Acceso Total, which airs in the same timeslot; both programs replaced an hour-long local talk/lifestyle program called Live Miami at 11 a.m. On July 18, 2012, WTVJ debuted a brand new set designed by Clickspring Design, and the new "Look F" graphics package designed by NBC ArtWorks that is used by the other NBC-owned stations. Additionally, WTVJ dropped most references to Miami in its branding, rebranding itself "NBC 6 South Florida".[25]

On June 13, 2016, WTVJ debuted its 4 p.m. newscast, becoming the third station in Miami–Fort Lauderdale to do so, which competes against WPLG, who began airing its 4 p.m. newscast in January 2014, and WSVN, who began airing a 4 p.m. newscast in September 2006.[26] In addition, WTVJ began using "Look N" graphics designed by NBC ArtWorks that is used by the other NBC-owned stations. The station also dropped the South Florida name and rebranding it as NBC 6 once again.

In March 2019, WTVJ canceled its half-hour 9 a.m. newscast on Sundays; two public affairs programs, Voices with Jawan Strader and Impact with Jackie Nespral replaced it in that period but they included a quick news update in between both shows. On August 31, 2020, WTVJ moved its midday newscast and its lifestyle/talk show 6 in the Mix to noon and 12:30 p.m. respectively, while Access Daily moved to 11 a.m. Days of Our Lives meanwhile retained its network recommended slot at 1 p.m.

On July 22, 2021, WTVJ debuting its brand new set for first time in nine years, and they also switched the graphics and music themes respectively; the "Look N" package had replaced it with the "Look S" graphics package designed by NBC ArtWorks that is used by the other NBC-owned and Telemundo-owned stations, and the music theme had replaced them with "NBC 2021 News Theme", which is commissioned for sister station KNBC in Los Angeles.

On January 20, 2022, WTVJ launched a new 24-hour streaming channel made exclusively for NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock, dubbed "NBC South Florida News" featuring the simulcasts and encores of the station's newscasts as well as the station's original content made for the channel. The new streaming channel comes following the announcement they would have a simultaneous rollout of streaming news channels with its sister stations in Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia beginning on that date, with channels in New York and Los Angeles following suit on March 17. Prior to the launch of the streaming channel, the station had a curated playlist made available on the streaming service since its April 2020 launch.[27]

Notable current on-air staff
Notable former on-air staff

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's ATSC 1.0 channels are carried on the

multiplexed
digital signals of other Miami-Fort Lauderdale television stations:

Subchannels provided by WTVJ (ATSC 1.0)[28][29]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming ATSC 1.0 host
6.1 1080i
16:9
 WTVJ Main WTVJ programming / NBC WSCV
6.2 480i COZI TV Cozi TV
6.3 LocalX
LX News
6.4 Oxygen Oxygen WAMI-DT

The station carried NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel from 2004 to 2008, when the network began winding down operations and became an automated local weather channel known as NBC Plus. On February 25, 2009, WTVJ became the last NBC O&O to carry Universal Sports, airing it on digital subchannel 6.3; it was removed on January 1, 2012, when Universal Sports transitioned into a cable and satellite-only network. In early 2011, WTVJ's 4.2 digital subchannel switched its programming from NBC Plus to a 24-hour news and lifestyle network carried only on NBC's O&Os called NBC Nonstop (under the branding "NBC Miami Nonstop"; NBC Nonstop relaunched as Cozi TV on December 20, 2012);[30] the subchannel also carried a weeknight 9 p.m. newscast, which was eventually cancelled.[31]

Analog-to-digital conversion

WTVJ ended programming on its analog signal, on VHF channel 6, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States

PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel
as its former VHF analog channel 6. After the transition, the station moved its main transmitter from the former WCIX tower site in Homestead to a facility on the Broward–Dade county line, bringing WTVJ's signal on par with the other Miami television stations for the first time in fourteen years.

As part of the

SAFER Act,[33] WTVJ kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters. After the programming loop was completed on June 26, the station ran a pre-recorded video of long time news anchor Bob Mayer introducing a black-and-white film clip of Ralph Renick uttering his closing phrase, "Good night... and may the good news be yours." marking the end of analog television on WTVJ.[34]

ATSC 3.0 lighthouse

Subchannels of WTVJ (ATSC 3.0)[35]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
2.1 1080p
16:9
 WPBT-HD PBS (WPBT)
2.5 PBSWRLD World Channel
4.1 1080p 16:9 WFOR-TV CBS (WFOR-TV) DRM
6.1 WTVJ-DT NBC DRM
23.1 WLTV-DT Univision (WLTV-DT) DRM
51.1 WSCV-DT Telemundo (WSCV) DRM
  Subchannel broadcast with digital rights management
  Subchannel streamed via the Internet[36]

Former translators

The WTVJ signal was previously relayed on three other translators, W44AC (channel 44) in

downtown Miami, was located farther south than other Miami area television stations. As a result, Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Broward County received a grade-B signal from the station's analog transmitter. After WTVJ discontinued its analog signal on June 26, 2009, W58BU remained on the air for nearly two years afterward; however, with WTVJ's digital transmitter now located in the same area as other major television stations in the market, the need for W58BU was diminished. The translator was shut down on April 5, 2011; NBC surrendered its license,[37]
with the FCC formally deleting it on June 2.

Out of market coverage

WTVJ is one of two NBC stations carried by REV TV, a cable system serving The Bahamas; the other being KING-TV in Seattle.[38]

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WTVJ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Miami's first television station aired its first broadcast". Florida Historical Society. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  3. ISBN 9780813047041
    . Retrieved December 16, 2023 – via Google Books.
  4. ^
    ISBN 9781635053517
    – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films". Boxoffice: 13. November 10, 1956.
  6. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original
    on July 14, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d "Alan Perris". Television Academy Interviews. October 23, 2017.
  8. ^ Channel 4 Purchase Called Off Archived September 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, October 23, 1986.
  9. ^ NBC To Buy Miami's Channel 4 Archived June 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, January 17, 1987.
  10. ^ "Coming home to NBC" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 16, 1987. p. 152. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  11. ^ "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; CBS to Buy TV Station In Miami". The New York Times. August 9, 1988.
  12. ^ WTVJ Does Worry, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, September 28, 1993.[page not found]
  13. ^ Carter, Bill (July 15, 1994). "CBS to Add Three Affiliates in Deal With Westinghouse". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  14. ^ Hofmeister, Sallie (August 2, 1995). "CBS Agrees to Buyout Bid by Westinghouse : Entertainment: $5.4-billion merger would create biggest TV, radio empire. But the deal faces obstacles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  15. ^ "Ken Matz". The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Retrieved September 2, 2012.[clarification needed]
  16. South Florida Sun-Sentinel
    , November 22, 1994.
  17. ^ Jicha, Tom (September 9, 1995). "Reprogram the VCRs—channels 4, 6 about to swap". Sun-Sentinel. pp. 1A, 5A. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  18. ^ WTVJ Moving Headquarters To Miramar, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 31, 1998.
  19. ^ Harry A Jessell. "NBC Nets $205 Million for WTVJ Miami". tvnewsday.com.
  20. ^ "Miami News, Local News, Politics, Tech, and Breaking News". NBC 6 South Florida.
  21. ^ "Sale Of WTVJ To The Washington Post Company Terminated". NBC6.net. December 23, 2008. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2008.
  22. ^ "WTVJ The First 60 Years". April 1, 2009.
  23. ^ Harry A. Jessell (January 9, 2017). "10 Stations Warned For Disclosure Infractions". TVNewsCheck. TVNewsCheck LLC. Retrieved January 9, 2017.[page not found]
  24. ^ "NBC Miami Adds 4 Hours of Weekend News". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheckMedia. September 29, 2011. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "NBC South Florida debuts new set, graphics, brand". NewscastStudio. July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  26. ^ "4 NBC Stations to Launch Afternoon Newscast". January 4, 2016.
  27. ^ "Peacock to Launch 24/7 Local News Channels from NBC Owned Television Stations" (Press release). NBC Owned Television Stations/Peacock. January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via The Futon Critic. Beginning today, all users have 24/7 free access to the award-winning coverage from NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ), NBC 10 Philadelphia (WCAU), NBC10 Boston (WBTS) and New England Cable News (NECN), and NBC 6 Miami (WTVJ).
  28. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WSCV". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  29. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WAMI-DT". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  30. ^ Munzenrieder, Kyle (October 22, 2010). "NBC 6 To Launch 24/7 Local News Channel". Miami New Times. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  31. ^ NBC Miami: Nonstop News at 9p. YouTube. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  32. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  33. ^ "UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  34. ^ WTVJ's Last Analog Broadcast – June 26, 2009 – part two. YouTube. June 29, 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  35. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WTVJ". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  36. RabbitEars.info
    . Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  37. ^ Tobey, Margaret L. (April 5, 2011). "Re: W58BU Hallandale, Florida (FIN 63151)..." CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  38. ^ "TV Channel listings | TV Guide | REVTV". REV. Retrieved August 13, 2022.

External links