WBTW
Encyclopedia
WBTW is the CBS
-affiliated television station
for the Pee Dee
and Grand Strand
areas of South Carolina
that is licensed to Florence
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter southeast of Dillon
on Pee Dee Church Road. Owned by Media General
, the station has studios on McDonald Court in the Socastee
section of Myrtle Beach
. Syndicated
programming on WBTW includes: Dr. Phil
, Ellen
, Inside Edition
, and Wheel of Fortune.
It operates the area's MyNetworkTV
affiliate on a second digital subchannel known as My TV. This can also be seen in most areas on Time Warner
digital channel 811, on HTC Cablevision
channel 99 in Conway
, and in Brunswick County, North Carolina
on ATMC
channel 13. During the daytime, the channel airs Antenna TV
. Media General also owns several area newspapers including: The Morning News
, Lake City
News and Post, Marion
Star and Mullins
Enterprise, and the Hemingway
Observer. A purchase agreement is also in the works with a Hartsville
-based paper called The Messenger.
in Charlotte
. WBTW's call sign was derived from "W" being the next letter in the alphabet after "V." The two stations were programmed separately, but shared a microwave system built in 1959. In 1963, it moved to VHF channel 13 and its previous location was re-allocated to High Point, North Carolina
as WGHP
.
In 1968, the station was sold to the Shott family of Bluefield, West Virginia
(publishers of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph
). The move came because WBTV and WBTW had a fairly significant grade B signal overlap, and neither station would have been able to expand its signal if Jefferson Standard had kept them both.
WBTW's current tower was built in rural Dillon County east of SC 57 in 1979. This more than doubled its coverage area giving it at least secondary coverage as far north as Fayetteville
, Raeford
and Pinehurst
; as far west as Polkton
and Pageland
; as far south as Georgetown
and Summerton
and as far east as Leland
and Elizabethtown
. Only Fayetteville and Pinehurst do not currently carry WBTW, but did until the 1980s and early-1990s. For many years, it was the only commercial television station located between Wilmington
and Charleston
. This was because of a quirk in the Federal Communications Commission
's allocation of VHF channels. Most markets got at least two VHF allocations. However, Florence/Myrtle Beach is sandwiched between Wilmington to the north, Charleston to the south and Columbia
to the west. This created a "doughnut" in northeastern South Carolina where there could be only one VHF license.
The station has always been a CBS affiliate, but carried some ABC
shows until WPDE-TV
signed-on in 1980. The Shotts sold most of their media holdings in 1984. Their two television stations, WBTW and KIMT
in Mason City, Iowa
; went to Spartan Radiocasting Corporation (later Spartan Communications) of Spartanburg
. In the late-1980s and early-1990s, it branded itself on-air as the "Best of Two Worlds" playing off the "BTW" in its call letters. In 2000, Spartan merged with current owner Media General.
From 1995 to 2000, WBTW served as the de facto CBS affiliate for parts of the Wilmington market because former affiliate WJKA-TV switched to Fox
and became WSFX-TV
. That market got another CBS affiliate in 2000 when WILM-LP (now WILM-LD) picked up the affiliation. However, WBTW still serves some parts of the Wilmington area that does not receive the low-powered WILM signal over-the-air or on cable. After being known as "TV 13" for most of its history, this station re-branded itself as "News 13" in 2002. In 2009, WBTW left digital channel 56 and moved to channel 13 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.
On May 2, 2011 a letter was submitted to the FCC requesting that WBTW be authorized to abandon its channel 13 frequency (213 MHz) and move to channel 41 (635 MHz), and transmit a non-directional signal with a strength of 1 million watts--equivalent to 5 million watts in analog (it is 31,600 watts on channel 13). The letter requests also that the height of the transmitter elements on the tower be the same as now on channel 13.
in Wilmington and WIS
in Columbia.
As of 2000, WBTW had a Doppler weather radar at U.S. 501
and S.C. 41 near Galivants Ferry, South Carolina
.
In 2004, WBTW established a news share agreement with Fox affiliate WFXB
. It then began producing a weeknight 10 o'clock newscast for that station known as Fox 43 News at 10. In 2006, the title switched to Fox News at 10.
During August 2007, WBTW moved the majority of its operations to new studios in Myrtle Beach. A smaller facility at that same site had been serving as a news bureau since 1989 and was demolished in 2007. The station continued to operate some news and operations at its old facilities in Florence. A physical Lumberton
Bureau closed in 2007. In March 2008, WBTW converted its news operation to all-digital. The revamp included new graphics, news set, robotic studio cameras, and newscasts in 16:9
standard definition
widescreen
. Local ABC affiliate WPDE also broadcasts its local news in standard definition 16.9, while NBC affiliate WMBF broadcasts its local news in High Definition
.
In early 2009, the station shifted to the "digital journalism" model. It reduced the use of 2 person newsgathering teams. Now each reporter must shoot the majority of their own video. While sounding like something new, it is actually a return to the days of yesteryear for WBTW, which often used "one-man-band" reporters in the 1980s and 1990s.
On December 1, 2011, WBTW will begin producing an hour-long weekday morning show on WFXB. Known as Fox Morning News, the broadcast will be seen from 7 until 8 offering a local alternative to the big three network
morning shows.
Storm Tracker 13 Meteorologists
Sports
Digital journalists
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...
-affiliated television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for the Pee Dee
Pee Dee
The Pee Dee region of South Carolina is the northeastern corner of the state. It is the area of the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, named after the Pee Dee Native American tribe. Its center is Florence...
and Grand Strand
Grand Strand
The Grand Strand refers to a large stretch of beaches on the East Coast of the United States extending from Little River to Georgetown in the U.S. State of South Carolina. It consists of 60+ miles along an essentially uninterrupted arc of beach land, beginning around the Little River and...
areas of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
that is licensed to Florence
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
. It broadcasts a 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...
digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter southeast of Dillon
Dillon, South Carolina
Dillon, South Carolina, the county seat of Dillon County, was established on December 22, 1888. The name of the city came from James W. Dillon, who was a key component in bringing a railroad through this area of the state, which led to development and formation of the County. Dillon’s population...
on Pee Dee Church Road. Owned by Media General
Media General
Media General, Inc. is a media company based in the Southeastern United States. Its major properties include newspapers such as The Tampa Tribune, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as numerous television stations, such as flagship station WFLA-TV.The company was...
, the station has studios on McDonald Court in the Socastee
Socastee, South Carolina
Socastee is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,295 at the 2000 census.-History:...
section of Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on WBTW includes: Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
, Ellen
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, and Wheel of Fortune.
It operates the area's MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate on a second digital subchannel known as My TV. This can also be seen in most areas on Time Warner
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
digital channel 811, on HTC Cablevision
Horry Telephone Cooperative
Horry Telephone Cooperative is America's largest telephone cooperative and the 25th largest telecommunications company in America. The cooperative was incorporated on June 16, 1952 to serve the rural areas of Horry County, South Carolina where it was cost prohibitive for national telephone...
channel 99 in Conway
Conway, South Carolina
Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....
, and in Brunswick County, North Carolina
Brunswick County, North Carolina
-External links:*******....
on ATMC
ATMC - Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative
Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative . is a member-owned nonprofit cooperative organized in 1955 by the citizens of Brunswick County, North Carolina who did not have telephone service and had not been able to secure this service from existing telephone companies...
channel 13. During the daytime, the channel airs Antenna TV
Antenna TV
Antenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
. Media General also owns several area newspapers including: The Morning News
The Morning News (American newspaper)
The Morning News is a daily newspaper with a circulation of about 35,000, based in Florence, South Carolina. It is owned by Media General.It was founded as the Farmers' Friend in 1887, and was part of several mergers and name changes...
, Lake City
Lake City, South Carolina
Lake City is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,478 at the 2000 census...
News and Post, Marion
Marion, South Carolina
Marion is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,042 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County...
Star and Mullins
Mullins, South Carolina
Mullins is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,029.Incorporated on March 4, 1872, Mullins was named after Col. William S...
Enterprise, and the Hemingway
Hemingway, South Carolina
Hemingway is a town in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. The population was 573 at the 2000 census.- Historical Sketch :Hemingway was created from a crossroads community named Lamberts in 1911 by Dr. W. C. Hemingway, in an effort to secure a depot for the proposed Seaboard Air Line Railroad,...
Observer. A purchase agreement is also in the works with a Hartsville
Hartsville, South Carolina
Hartsville is a small city in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,764 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsville is located at ....
-based paper called The Messenger.
Digital programming
| Channel | Video | Format | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.1 | 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... |
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 ... |
13-News | Main WBTW programming / CBS |
| 13.2 | 480i 480i 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC... |
4:3 | 13-myTV | MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation... (weeknights 8-10 p.m.) Antenna TV Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company... (all other times, except weeknights 10-11 p.m.) |
History
The station went on-the-air October 18, 1954 on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter at its original studios on TV Road in the Back Swamp section of Florence. It was owned by Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company (later becoming Jefferson-Pilot, now part of Lincoln Financial Group). It was Jefferson Standard's second television station behind WBTVWBTV
WBTV, channel 3 , is the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is one of two flagship stations of Raycom Media. WBTV's studios are located off Morehead Street just west of Uptown Charlotte, and its transmitter is located in north-central Gaston County, North Carolina...
in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
. WBTW's call sign was derived from "W" being the next letter in the alphabet after "V." The two stations were programmed separately, but shared a microwave system built in 1959. In 1963, it moved to VHF channel 13 and its previous location was re-allocated to High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
as WGHP
WGHP
WGHP, channel 8, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area...
.
In 1968, the station was sold to the Shott family of Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
(publishers of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
The Bluefield Daily Telegraph is seven-day morning daily newspaper based in Bluefield, West Virginia, and also covering surrounding communities in McDowell, Mercer and Monroe counties, West Virginia; and Bland, Buchanan, Giles and Tazewell counties, Virginia .The weekly Princeton Times, covering...
). The move came because WBTV and WBTW had a fairly significant grade B signal overlap, and neither station would have been able to expand its signal if Jefferson Standard had kept them both.
WBTW's current tower was built in rural Dillon County east of SC 57 in 1979. This more than doubled its coverage area giving it at least secondary coverage as far north as Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, Raeford
Raeford, North Carolina
Raeford is a city in Hoke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,386 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hoke County. The county was named after Confederate General Robert F. Hoke, as Tar Heel native....
and Pinehurst
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,706 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the Pinehurst Resort, venue of the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup. The host site for the 1999, 2005,& 2014 U.S. Open Golf Championships, the 2008 U.S....
; as far west as Polkton
Polkton, North Carolina
Polkton is a town in Anson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,195.The town is named after its founder, Leonidas L...
and Pageland
Pageland, South Carolina
Pageland is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,521 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pageland is located at ....
; as far south as Georgetown
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
and Summerton
Summerton, South Carolina
Summerton is a town in Clarendon County, South Carolina, in the United States. The population was 1,061 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Summerton is at ....
and as far east as Leland
Leland, North Carolina
Leland is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,938 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, North Carolina
Elizabethtown is a town in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,698 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bladen County.-Geography:Elizabethtown is located at ....
. Only Fayetteville and Pinehurst do not currently carry WBTW, but did until the 1980s and early-1990s. For many years, it was the only commercial television station located between Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
and Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. This was because of a quirk in the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
's allocation of VHF channels. Most markets got at least two VHF allocations. However, Florence/Myrtle Beach is sandwiched between Wilmington to the north, Charleston to the south and Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
to the west. This created a "doughnut" in northeastern South Carolina where there could be only one VHF license.
The station has always been a CBS affiliate, but carried some 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...
shows until WPDE-TV
WPDE-TV
WPDE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas licensed to Florence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a transmitter on Pee Dee Church Road in Dillon...
signed-on in 1980. The Shotts sold most of their media holdings in 1984. Their two television stations, WBTW and KIMT
KIMT
KIMT is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Driftless Area of North Central Iowa and Southeastern Minnesota. Licensed to Mason City, Iowa, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter near Meyer, Iowa south of the Minnesota state line...
in Mason City, Iowa
Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
; went to Spartan Radiocasting Corporation (later Spartan Communications) of Spartanburg
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
. In the late-1980s and early-1990s, it branded itself on-air as the "Best of Two Worlds" playing off the "BTW" in its call letters. In 2000, Spartan merged with current owner Media General.
From 1995 to 2000, WBTW served as the de facto CBS affiliate for parts of the Wilmington market because former affiliate WJKA-TV switched to Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
and became WSFX-TV
WSFX-TV
WSFX-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for North Carolina's Cape Fear region licensed to Wilmington. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 30 from a transmitter in Town Creek Township. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable, Charter, and ATMC channel 9...
. That market got another CBS affiliate in 2000 when WILM-LP (now WILM-LD) picked up the affiliation. However, WBTW still serves some parts of the Wilmington area that does not receive the low-powered WILM signal over-the-air or on cable. After being known as "TV 13" for most of its history, this station re-branded itself as "News 13" in 2002. In 2009, WBTW left digital channel 56 and moved to channel 13 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.
On May 2, 2011 a letter was submitted to the FCC requesting that WBTW be authorized to abandon its channel 13 frequency (213 MHz) and move to channel 41 (635 MHz), and transmit a non-directional signal with a strength of 1 million watts--equivalent to 5 million watts in analog (it is 31,600 watts on channel 13). The letter requests also that the height of the transmitter elements on the tower be the same as now on channel 13.
Cable and Satellite Coverage outside of the DMA
During the CATV period of the 1970s and 1980s, WBTW had even more significant coverage in North Carolina. It was once carried in Anson (Wadesboro system), Montgomery, Moore and Lee counties. As of 2011, it is only carried in Polkton (Anson County), the counties of Richmond, Hoke, Columbus, Bladen, Brunswick and New Hanover. WBTW is not carried on Satellite outside of the market.News operation
Historically, WBTW has been one of the most dominant stations in the country. This is in part because it essentially had the market to itself for over a quarter-century, with its only real competition being Grade B signals from WECTWECT
WECT is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Cape Fear and Sandhills areas of North Carolina that is licensed to Wilmington. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter southwest of Winnabow. The station can also be seen on Time Warner and Charter...
in Wilmington and WIS
WIS
WIS, channel 10, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Owned by Raycom Media, WIS has studios on Bull Street in downtown Columbia, and transmitter located in Lugoff, South Carolina.-History:...
in Columbia.
As of 2000, WBTW had a Doppler weather radar at U.S. 501
U.S. Route 501
-North Carolina business loops:-Virginia business loop:-External links:*...
and S.C. 41 near Galivants Ferry, South Carolina
Galivants Ferry, South Carolina
Galivants Ferry is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It lies on the Little Pee Dee River west of Aynor, South Carolina on U.S. Route 501.-History:...
.
In 2004, WBTW established a news share agreement with Fox affiliate WFXB
WFXB
WFXB is the Fox-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Grand Strand and Pee Dee areas licensed to Myrtle Beach. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 18 from a transmitter in Mullins. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable and HTC Cablevision channel 7...
. It then began producing a weeknight 10 o'clock newscast for that station known as Fox 43 News at 10. In 2006, the title switched to Fox News at 10.
During August 2007, WBTW moved the majority of its operations to new studios in Myrtle Beach. A smaller facility at that same site had been serving as a news bureau since 1989 and was demolished in 2007. The station continued to operate some news and operations at its old facilities in Florence. A physical Lumberton
Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,795 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Robeson County. Lumberton, located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, is located on the Lumber River...
Bureau closed in 2007. In March 2008, WBTW converted its news operation to all-digital. The revamp included new graphics, news set, robotic studio cameras, and newscasts 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 ...
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...
widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
. Local ABC affiliate WPDE also broadcasts its local news in standard definition 16.9, while NBC affiliate WMBF broadcasts 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...
.
In early 2009, the station shifted to the "digital journalism" model. It reduced the use of 2 person newsgathering teams. Now each reporter must shoot the majority of their own video. While sounding like something new, it is actually a return to the days of yesteryear for WBTW, which often used "one-man-band" reporters in the 1980s and 1990s.
On December 1, 2011, WBTW will begin producing an hour-long weekday morning show on WFXB. Known as Fox Morning News, the broadcast will be seen from 7 until 8 offering a local alternative to the big three network
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
morning shows.
Newscast titles
- Your Esso Reporter (1954-1961)
- The Six O'Clock News/The Eleven O'Clock News (1961-1967)
- Eyewitness NewsEyewitness NewsEyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
(1967-1976) - Newswatch 13 (1976-1983)
- Channel 13 News (1983-1991)
- 13 Eyewitness NewsEyewitness NewsEyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
(1991-1997) - TV-13 News (1997-2002)
- News 13 (2002-present)
News team
Anchors- Rusty Ray - weekday mornings at 5 to 7 a.m. and Positively Carolina reporter
- Nicole Boone - weekdays at noon, 5, and 6 also "Count on Health" reporter
- Bob Juback - weeknights at 6 and 11
- Wendi Redman - weeknights at 10 and 11 and reporter
- Mason Snyder - weekends at 6 and 11 and reporter
- Erika Hayes - weekdays mornings at 5 to 8 a.m. and reporter
Storm Tracker 13 Meteorologists
- Frank Johnson (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 seen weeknights at 5, 6, 10 and 11 - Chris Still (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...
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) - weekday mornings and noon - Lindsay Milbourne - weekends and Living Green reporter
Sports
- Jeff Zell - Sports Director seen weeknights at 6, 10 and 11
- Conan Gasque - Weekend Sports anchor and Pee Dee reporter
Digital journalists
- Patricia Burkett - Pee Dee and fill-in news anchor
- Elizabeth Lamb - Pee Dee
- Steffani Nolte - Pee Dee
- Libba Holland - Grand Strand
- Curtis Graham - photographer
- Marshall Staton - photographer
- Drew Smith - Grand Strand
- Amy Vitrano - Grand Strand
- Brie Jackson - Grand Strand
Notable former staff
- Darby Mullany DunnDarby DunnDarby Dunn is an American journalist and reporter, known for appearing on the Fox News Channel, CNBC and CNN networks. She has also worked for CNNfn....
, Anchor, 1993-1997. Currently a reporter at CNBCCNBCCNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
. After leaving WBTW she went on to CNN. - Keith Reid, Noon/5pm/Sunday Morning Anchor 1993-1998. Died on July 31, 2006.http://obituaries.news-record.com/News-Record/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=18734326