WAVE (TV)
Encyclopedia
WAVE aka "WAVE 3" is the NBC
television station in Louisville, Kentucky
. Owned by Raycom Media
, the station broadcasts from its main studio in downtown Louisville. Their digital transmitter and antenna (over the air channel 47) are co-located with the digital antenna and transmitter of WLKY near Floyds Knobs in New Albany, Indiana
.
WAVE referred to its coverage area as WAVE Country in the past, echoing a popular jingle
and image campaign the station launched in the early 1970s. In fact, that very jingle was the image campaign of the news music theme Home Country composed by Al Ham
. WAVE currently uses the Working for You slogan for promotion. It currently operates its digital signal on digital channel 3 (UHF 47). WAVE also carries This TV
on digital subchannel 3.2.
) in 1932. At first, it carried programming from all four networks, but was a primary NBC affiliate. WAVE-TV lost CBS
in 1950 when WHAS-TV
signed on, and lost DuMont
programming in 1956 when that network folded, but shared ABC
with WHAS-TV until 1961 (when WLKY-TV
signed on). It is the only commercial station in Louisville that has never changed its affiliation.
In 1949, it was the first in the nation to present a live telecast of the Kentucky Derby. The station shipped a canned newsreel to NBC for national broadcast.
In 1953, WAVE-TV moved to channel 3 due to interference from WLWT
in Cincinnati and was beginning to outgrow its first studio at 334 E. Broadway (the current home for Metro United Way). WAVE made history again in 1954 as it became the first local station to broadcast in color. Viewers were treated to a vivid image of the new NBC Peacock.
In 1956, WAVE-TV moved into its current studio at 725 S. Floyd in Louisville. Three years later it became the first station to transmit live local color in the region and by 1966, it was the only Kentucky station processing its own news film on color. In 1969, WAVE-TV was first to employ a certified meteorologist and operate its own weather-forecasting system.
Over the years, the Nortons acquired three other television stations and two other radio stations, including WFRV-TV
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
(and semi-satellite WJMN-TV
in Marquette, Michigan
); WMT-AM
-FM
-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
and WFIE
in Evansville, Indiana
. Eventually, the Norton holdings became known as Orion Broadcasting, headquartered in Louisville with WAVE-AM-TV as the flagship station.
Orion merged with The Liberty Corporation in 1981. WAVE-TV became part of Liberty's broadcast arm, Cosmos Broadcasting, while WAVE-AM was sold off. In 1991, the station unveiled a new broadcast tower in Oldham County, KY. Costing $5 million and standing at 1,739 ft, the tower is the tallest structure in the state. Its height, which is 70% taller than average TV towers, increased WAVE’s coverage area and improved the broadcast signal.
When Liberty bowed out of the insurance business in 2000, WAVE came directly under the Liberty banner and in August 2005, Liberty announced that it was being purchased by Raycom Media of Montgomery, Alabama
. This sale was completed January 31, 2006.
, digital television receivers display WAVE-TV's virtual channel
as 3.
On July 9, 1990, WAVE debuted the first local 5:00 PM newscast. Titled "FirstNews", the newscast was anchored by veteran broadcaster Jackie Hays, the longest-serving female anchor ever at WAVE. She and co-anchor Don Shroeder were voted "Best TV news Anchor Team" and the station was chosen as "Best Source for Local News" by readers of Louisville Magazine.
As of 2008, Chief Meteorologist Tom Wills holds the record as the station's longest-tenured on-air personality, having forecast the weather at WAVE since 1969. Wills retired in July 2009 after 40 years. Wills said he would be a vacation fill-in and may return to the University of Louisville to teach meteorology as he did for several years. The station honored him by having a special two-hour edition of its local talk show "WAVE 3 Listens Live". His family and co-workers were the guests.
Meteorologist John Belski, who left the station in September 2010, received numerous awards during his 20+ years at WAVE, including being named named "Best Of Louisville" by the readers of Louisville Magazine for a number of years and was named "Best of Kentucky" by the readers of Kentucky Monthly
magazine. Belski also received LEO's Readers' Choice Award. He received a "Best of the Best" award from Louisville Magazine. This award is given to people and organizations that have won the "Best of Louisville" award more than 10 times. He anchored Emmy Award-winning severe weather coverage. John was also presented the Mark Trail Award for public awareness of NOAA weather radios. This prestigious national award was presented on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
Sports Director Kent Taylor was voted Kentucky TV Sportscaster of the Year by the Associated Press in both 2008 and 2009.
On June 30, 2008, WAVE became the first television station in the Louisville market to broadcast its local news in high definition
. Currently, although all of Louisville's major news stations broadcast local news in 16:9
widescreen, WAVE is one of the two (along with WDRB
) to broadcast local news at least partially in HD. WAVE's live local field video, however, is still in widescreen standard definition
.
period.
WAVE 3 Storm Center Weather Team
Sports team
Reporters
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television station in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Owned by Raycom Media
Raycom Media
- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....
, the station broadcasts from its main studio in downtown Louisville. Their digital transmitter and antenna (over the air channel 47) are co-located with the digital antenna and transmitter of WLKY near Floyds Knobs in New Albany, Indiana
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...
.
WAVE referred to its coverage area as WAVE Country in the past, echoing a popular jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
and image campaign the station launched in the early 1970s. In fact, that very jingle was the image campaign of the news music theme Home Country composed by Al Ham
Al Ham
Albert W. Ham was an American composer and jingle writer. He was notable as the composer of the Move Closer to Your World music package used since the 1970s on WPVI-TV's Action News broadcasts in Philadelphia, as well as many on many other newscasts in the United States throughout the 1970s and...
. WAVE currently uses the Working for You slogan for promotion. It currently operates its digital signal on digital channel 3 (UHF 47). WAVE also carries This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
on digital subchannel 3.2.
History
WAVE began broadcasting on November 24, 1948, originally on channel 5 using 24,100 watts of power. It was Kentucky's first television station, the 41st in the United States, and was owned by the Norton family, who had begun WAVE (970 kHz, now WGTKWGTK
WGTK is a News/Talk radio formatted radio station in the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Salem Communications. It was once WAVE-AM, the sister station of WAVE 3 television, and later, WLKY 's sister operation.It is an affiliate for Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher,...
) in 1932. At first, it carried programming from all four networks, but was a primary NBC affiliate. WAVE-TV lost CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1950 when WHAS-TV
WHAS-TV
WHAS-TV channel 11 is the ABC affiliated television station in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by Belo Corporation, the station's transmitter is located in Floyd County, Indiana, near the community of Floyds Knobs...
signed on, and lost DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
programming in 1956 when that network folded, but shared ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
with WHAS-TV until 1961 (when WLKY-TV
WLKY-TV
WLKY-TV is a television station located in Louisville, Kentucky USA, and serves the Louisville area and southeastern Indiana. The station is owned by the Hearst Corporation, and is an affiliate of the CBS television network. WLKY's transmitter is located north of Louisville in Floyds Knobs,...
signed on). It is the only commercial station in Louisville that has never changed its affiliation.
In 1949, it was the first in the nation to present a live telecast of the Kentucky Derby. The station shipped a canned newsreel to NBC for national broadcast.
In 1953, WAVE-TV moved to channel 3 due to interference from WLWT
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
in Cincinnati and was beginning to outgrow its first studio at 334 E. Broadway (the current home for Metro United Way). WAVE made history again in 1954 as it became the first local station to broadcast in color. Viewers were treated to a vivid image of the new NBC Peacock.
In 1956, WAVE-TV moved into its current studio at 725 S. Floyd in Louisville. Three years later it became the first station to transmit live local color in the region and by 1966, it was the only Kentucky station processing its own news film on color. In 1969, WAVE-TV was first to employ a certified meteorologist and operate its own weather-forecasting system.
Over the years, the Nortons acquired three other television stations and two other radio stations, including WFRV-TV
WFRV-TV
WFRV-TV is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and serving Green Bay, the Fox Valley, and Northeastern Wisconsin. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter north of the Brown County town of Morrison...
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
(and semi-satellite WJMN-TV
WJMN-TV
WJMN-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula licensed to Escanaba. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter in unincorporated Northern Delta County south of the Alger County line. The station can also be seen on...
in Marquette, Michigan
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
); WMT-AM
WMT (AM)
WMT is a news/talk radio station broadcasting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the United States. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station's signal reaches most of Iowa and portions of neighboring states during daylight hours. -History:...
-FM
WMT-FM
WMT-FM is a 100,000 watt radio station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is a Hot Adult Contemporary music formatted station owned by Clear Channel Communications...
-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
and WFIE
WFIE
WFIE is the NBC-afifliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southwestern Indiana, Northwestern Kentucky and Southeastern Illinois that's licensed to Evansville, Indiana. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter in the Wolf Hills section of...
in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
. Eventually, the Norton holdings became known as Orion Broadcasting, headquartered in Louisville with WAVE-AM-TV as the flagship station.
Orion merged with The Liberty Corporation in 1981. WAVE-TV became part of Liberty's broadcast arm, Cosmos Broadcasting, while WAVE-AM was sold off. In 1991, the station unveiled a new broadcast tower in Oldham County, KY. Costing $5 million and standing at 1,739 ft, the tower is the tallest structure in the state. Its height, which is 70% taller than average TV towers, increased WAVE’s coverage area and improved the broadcast signal.
When Liberty bowed out of the insurance business in 2000, WAVE came directly under the Liberty banner and in August 2005, Liberty announced that it was being purchased by Raycom Media of Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. This sale was completed January 31, 2006.
Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:| Subchannel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 3.1 | main WAVE-TV programming / NBC |
| 3.2 | This TV This TV This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies.... |
| 3.3 | Bounce TV Bounce TV Bounce TV is a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks in... |
Analog-to-digital conversion
WAVE-TV shut down analog transmissions on June 12, 2009. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 47. Through the use of PSIPProgram and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display WAVE-TV's virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
as 3.
News operation
WAVE broadcasts five hours of news over seven newscasts each weekday. On weekends, the station presents an additional two hours of news.On July 9, 1990, WAVE debuted the first local 5:00 PM newscast. Titled "FirstNews", the newscast was anchored by veteran broadcaster Jackie Hays, the longest-serving female anchor ever at WAVE. She and co-anchor Don Shroeder were voted "Best TV news Anchor Team" and the station was chosen as "Best Source for Local News" by readers of Louisville Magazine.
As of 2008, Chief Meteorologist Tom Wills holds the record as the station's longest-tenured on-air personality, having forecast the weather at WAVE since 1969. Wills retired in July 2009 after 40 years. Wills said he would be a vacation fill-in and may return to the University of Louisville to teach meteorology as he did for several years. The station honored him by having a special two-hour edition of its local talk show "WAVE 3 Listens Live". His family and co-workers were the guests.
Meteorologist John Belski, who left the station in September 2010, received numerous awards during his 20+ years at WAVE, including being named named "Best Of Louisville" by the readers of Louisville Magazine for a number of years and was named "Best of Kentucky" by the readers of Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly is a general interest regional magazine about the U.S. state of Kentucky and Kentuckians. Founded in 1998 by Stephen M. Vest, publisher, Michael Embry, editor, and business manager Kay Vest, it featured actor George Clooney on its first cover and has featured such Kentucky...
magazine. Belski also received LEO's Readers' Choice Award. He received a "Best of the Best" award from Louisville Magazine. This award is given to people and organizations that have won the "Best of Louisville" award more than 10 times. He anchored Emmy Award-winning severe weather coverage. John was also presented the Mark Trail Award for public awareness of NOAA weather radios. This prestigious national award was presented on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
Sports Director Kent Taylor was voted Kentucky TV Sportscaster of the Year by the Associated Press in both 2008 and 2009.
On June 30, 2008, WAVE became the first television station in the Louisville market to broadcast its local news in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. Currently, although all of Louisville's major news stations broadcast local news in 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
widescreen, WAVE is one of the two (along with WDRB
WDRB
WDRB is a television station in Louisville, Kentucky, broadcasting locally on channel 41 as a Fox affiliate. Owned by Block Communications, the station's transmitter is located in Floyds Knobs, Indiana alongside sister-station WMYO...
) to broadcast local news at least partially in HD. WAVE's live local field video, however, is still in widescreen standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
.
Ratings
WAVE was the ratings leader in Louisville for over 20 years before WHAS overtook it in the 1970s. It has spent most of the last four decades as runner-up to WHAS, though in recent years it has had to fend off a spirited challenge from WLKY. Louisville is also one of the few markets in the country where all four of the major network affiliated stations have roughly equal ratings in recent years although WLKY pulled ahead of the rest in the May 2011 Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
period.
Newscast titles
- Daily News (1950s)
- WAVE News Report (1960s-mid 1974)
- WAVE Newswatch (late 1974-mid 1983)
- WAVE-TV News (late 1983-mid 1987)
- WAVE 3 News (umbrella title; 1987-present)
- Today in WAVE Country
- WAVE 3 Sunrise
- WAVE 3 News Midday
- WAVE 3 FirstNews
- WAVE 3 News Extra
- WAVE 3 News NightCast
- WAVE 3 News at Noon
- WAVE 3 News at 5:00
- WAVE 3 News at 5:30
- WAVE 3 News at 6:00
- WAVE 3 News at 7:00
- WAVE 3 News at 11:00
- Touchdown Friday Night
Station slogans
- WAVE..part of it all (Early 1970's)
- WAVE Country and you (Mid 1970's-early 1980s)
- We're WAVE-3, Just Watch Us Now (1982-1983)
- WAVE-TV There, Be There (1983-1984; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- The Spirit of WAVE Country (1987-2000)
- Come Home To The Best, Only on WAVE-TV
- Variations: Working in the Spirit of WAVE Country
- Dedicated. Determined. Dependable. (1991-1992; news slogan, also used by WAGA-TVWAGA-TVWAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
in Atlanta) - Where Coverage Comes First (1992-1997; news slogan)
- WAVE Country's News Leader (1997-2000; news slogan)
- Coverage. Community. Commitment. (2000-2006)
- Investigating the Problem. Getting Results. (2006-2010)
- Working For You. (2010-present)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Scott Adkins - weekend mornings "WAVE 3 Sunrise"
- Maira Ansari - weekends at 6p and 11p; also weeknight reporter
- Dawne Gee - weeknights at 5p, 5:30p, 7:30p and 11p
- Connie Leonard - weeknights at 7p; also 11p investigative reporter
- Lori Lyle - weekdays at noon; also health reporter
- Janelle MacDonald - weeknights at 5p and 6p
- Scott Reynolds - weeknights at 5:30p, 6p, 7p, and 11p
- Cindi Sullivan - host of "WAVE 3 Listens"; also "Garden Talk" feature reporter
- Jean West - weekday mornings "WAVE 3 Sunrise"
WAVE 3 Storm Center Weather Team
- Kevin Harned (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5p, 5:30p, 6p and 11p - Christie Dutton (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
and NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
Seals of Approval - meteorologist; weekday mornings "WAVE 3 Sunrise" - Brian Goode - meteorologist; weekdays at noon and 7p, 7:30p
- Lauren Jones - meteorologist; weekend mornings "WAVE 3 Sunrise"
- Andy Weingarten (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekends at 6p and 11p
Sports team
- Kent Taylor - sports director; weeknights at 6p and 11p
- Mike Hartnett - sports anchor; Sundays at 6p and 11p; also sports reporter
- Kendrick Haskins - sports anchor/reporter
Reporters
- Katie Bauer - general assignment reporter
- Elizabeth Donatelli - general assignment reporter
- Eric Flack - "Troubleshooter" investigative reporter
- Matt McCutcheon - general assignment reporter
- Chris McGill - traffic and general assignment reporter
- Shayla Reaves - general assignment reporter
- Jaimie Weiss - general assignment reporter
- David Williams - general assignment reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Allen DentonAllen DentonAllen Denton is an American Television Journalist. He was a news co-anchor of San Jose, CA-based NBC11's flagship news program, The Bay Area at 11...
- anchor (later with KNTVKNTVKNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
in San Jose, now with KUSI-TVKUSI-TVKUSI-TV, virtual channel 51.1, is an independent television station based in San Diego, California. The station is owned and operated by Channel 51 of San Diego, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of McKinnon Broadcasting...
in San Diego) - Steve KmetkoSteve KmetkoSteven Kmetko is an American entertainment television host and reporter.Kmetko was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. His most prominent job was on the E! cable network. He had previously worked as an entertainment reporter for CBS's Los Angeles affiliate . The television station replaced him with...
- anchor - Carrie Sharp - WAVE 3 Sunrise anchor (2002-2010; now at WNEMWNEM-TVWNEM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market in Michigan. It is licensed to Bay City, and broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 . Owned by the Meredith Corporation, the station has studios on North Franklin Street in downtown Saginaw, as...
in Saginaw, MI) - Tom Wills - one of the first sealed television meteorologists in the country (1969-2009)
Owners
- 1948–1981: Orion Broadcasting (Norton family)
- 1981–2006: The Liberty Corporation
- 2006–present: Raycom MediaRaycom Media- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....