WFTS-TV
Encyclopedia
WFTS, virtual channel
28, is the ABC
affiliate television station for the Tampa
-St. Petersburg, Florida
market, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 29. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida
.
. Being a flagship of the locally-based Family Group Broadcasting, the station programmed a family-oriented general entertainment format with cartoons, off-network dramas, old movies and religious shows. Its call letters originally stood for Family Television Station. An era of local ownership ended on April 22, 1984, when it was acquired by Capital Cities Communications
. It was Capital Cities' first station in Florida
, the group's first—and only—independent station, and was also the last station acquired by the group prior to its merger with ABC. The first incarnation of channel 28 was to have been WTSS-TV, an affiliate of the DuMont Television Network
in the 1950s. It is very likely that that station never made it to air.
Under Capital Cities, the station added more off-network sitcoms and reduced the number of religious shows and dramas on its schedule. In 1986, Capital Cities stunned the world with its purchase of ABC—the network was ten times bigger than CapCities was at the time. CapCities owned several ABC affiliates, and two CBS affiliates: KFSN-TV
(channel 30) in Fresno
and WTVD
(channel 11) in Durham, North Carolina
. The company's combined assets exceeded Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) ownership limits at the time, so CapCities decided to keep its CBS affiliates and change their affiliations to ABC, along with longtime ABC affiliates WPVI-TV
(channel 6) in Philadelphia and KTRK-TV
(channel 13) in Houston
, and sold WFTS and ABC owned-and operated station in Detroit, WXYZ-TV
(channel 7), to the E. W. Scripps Company
, while selling several other stations to minority-owned firms. WXYZ would figure in WFTS' history once again less than a decade later.
Scripps continued the format on WFTS, running cartoons, sitcoms, movies, and dramas. A 10 p.m. newscast was planned for the station, but did not come to fruition. WFTS picked up the Fox
affiliation in 1988 after WTOG
(channel 44) dropped it and the station began to identify on air as "Fox 28", and soon after briefly identified its call letters as standing for Fox Television Station.
On May 22, 1994, New World Communications
came to an agreement with Fox, and most of New World's stations, including WTVT
(channel 13), Tampa Bay's longtime CBS
affiliate, were to affiliate with Fox. Among the stations making the switch were longtime CBS affiliates WJBK
(channel 2) in Detroit and WJW (channel 8) in Cleveland. Not wanting to be relegated to the UHF band, CBS heavily wooed Detroit's longtime ABC affiliate, WXYZ, as well as Cleveland's longtime ABC affiliate, WEWS-TV
(channel 5); both stations were owned by Scripps. With this as leverage, Scripps told ABC that it would have to affiliate with four other stations owned by Scripps: WFTS, KNXV-TV
(channel 15) in Phoenix
(which was also due to lose its Fox affiliation to a New World station), WMAR-TV
(channel 2) in Baltimore
and WCPO-TV
(channel 9) in Cincinnati -- the latter had to wait for ABC's affiliation contract with WKRC-TV
(channel 12) to expire in June 1996 to switch. Scripps insisted on including WFTS and KNXV in the deal even though neither had a news department.
As a result in December 1994, WFTS assumed the ABC affiliation from longtime affiliate WTSP
(channel 10), which took over the CBS affiliation from WTVT. WFTS then sent most of its syndicated programming to WTTA
(channel 38), WTOG and/or WTMV (channel 32, now WMOR-TV
), which would also air Fox Kids
. A decade later, WFTS became one of three Florida television stations, and one of the many Scripps-owned ABC affiliates that preempted Saving Private Ryan
. In September 2007, both WFTS and WWSB
began to carry Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!
; previously WTSP
(channel 10) had aired the two game shows from 7-8 p.m.
Tampa-St. Petersburg is the fourth largest market with a major network appearing in the UHF channel range (14-51); although most digital television stations broadcast on a UHF frequency, most also identify through the use of a PSIP virtual channel as being on the VHF band, corresponding with the stations' former analog channel numbers. Because WFTS was formerly on UHF analog channel 28, it continues to identify as channel 28 through the use of PSIP. The larger markets with a major network in the UHF channel range are Phoenix (KNXV-TV
, virtual channel 15), Atlanta (WGCL-TV
, virtual channel 46) and Detroit (WWJ-TV
, virtual channel 62). KNXV is an ABC affiliate while WGCL is an CBS
affiliate and WWJ is a CBS owned and operated station.
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
Digital channels>
Channel
Name
Programming
28.1
WFTS-HD
Main WFTS-TV programming / ABC
28.2
WFTS-SD
Live Well Network
. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 29 using PSIP
to display WFTS-TV's virtual channel
as 28.
) in audio only, over a slide that said News Check. Later on, News Checks began to feature newsreaders on camera at WFTS's studios. By the late 1980s, the newsbreaks became 28 Newsbreak or 28 Weatherbreak. These newsbreaks were discontinued in December 1994 after the station became an ABC affiliate and launched a full-scale news operation.
WFTS began airing full-scale newscasts in 1994, under the 28 Tampa Bay News handle. The newscasts initially originated from Telemation studios in Clearwater
, since WFTS's studios on Tampa's east side (at the corner of I-4
and Columbus Drive) didn't have enough room for a full-sized newsroom or set. The station's news operation then moved to its new studios on Himes Avenue across from Raymond James Stadium in 1996. The station gradually added a two-hour morning newscast from 5-7 a.m., a half-hour noon newscast, a 90-minute block of news from 5-6:30 p.m., and a nightly 11 p.m. newscast. Given the fact that many former Fox stations had switched to ABC, NBC or CBS at the time, WFTS did not falter with many stations of such that launched newscasts with no success at competing with long-standing (mostly VHF) news stations (some stations cancelled their newscasts as a result), WFTS manages to compete with rival stations in the Tampa market. However, the station is regularly in last place. In the May 2009 sweeps, the station placed last in all time slots except 6-7 am (where it placed third ahead of WTSP) in the key Adults 25-54 demographic http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2009/05/wtvtch-13-and-wtspch-10-score-major-wins-in-may-sweeps.html. But early in the November 2010 sweeps period, WFTS placed first in several key demographics, especially for its election coverage. This helped boost WFTS' performance in the November 2010 sweeps to a win at noon and a virtual tie for first at 11 p.m. with WTSP. The station also moved into a solid third place (ahead of WTSP) during the evening newscasts. May 2011 found WFTS winning the 11 p.m. race in the Adults 25-54 deomgraphic while remaining in third or fourth place in most other time slots.
The newscast title was changed to 28 News briefly in 2002, before being changed again to ABC Action News later that year due to viewer confusion with the "ABC28" branding. The Action News all day branding is also shared with sister station and NBC affiliate KSHB-TV
(channel 41) in Kansas City. In fall 2005, the station extended its weekday noon newscast to one hour, following the cancellation of ABC's soap Port Charles
. WFTS is one of ten television stations that air consumer reports from John Matarese of ABC affiliate (and sister station) WCPO in Cincinnati.
On July 28, 2007 beginning with the 6 p.m. newscast, WFTS-TV became the first broadcast station in the Tampa Bay market to produce and broadcast its local newscasts in high definition
; WFTS surprisingly beat out rivals WTVT
(channel 13) and WTSP who were both rumored to be competing to launch the first high definition newscast in Tampa Bay.
Until December 2009, WFTS was one of two stations to have two women regularly anchor an evening newscast. Wendy Ryan and Linda Hurtado anchored the 5 p.m. newscast. Denise White and Kathy Fountain anchored the 5 p.m. newscast on WTVT. Kathy Fountain retired on December 30, 2009, leaving Ryan and Hurtado as the only all-female anchor team in Tampa Bay; this changed again in the summer of 2010 when Jamison Uhler joined WFTS from WCAU-TV in Philadelphia as 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. co-anchor.
Five personalities have remained with the station since the launch of its news operation in 1994: Anchors Brendan McLaughlin and Linda Hurtado, meteorologists Denis Phillips and Wayne Shattuck, and reporter Don Germaise.
WFTS currently uses WSI
's Titan HD weather system. WFTS was the first to broadcast a true high definition
weathercast in the Tampa Bay area in October 2007, rival WFLA
soon followed. In early September 2007, WFTS introduced its 24-hour ABC Accu-Weather channel on Bright House
digital channel 629. It is also available over the air on channel 28.2.
ABC AccuWeather HD
Sports team
Traffic anchors
Reporters
, Pasco
, Pinellas, Hillsborough
, Manatee
, Hardee
, and Polk
Counties. WFTS can also be viewed in portions of Citrus
, Sumter
, Sarasota
, De Soto, Highlands
, Orange
, Osceola
and Lake
Counties.
The station is not available on Comcast
cable in Venice (Southern Sarasota County) due to the presence of WWSB
(channel 40), an ABC station formed after WTSP's coverage of the Sarasota area was insufficient when WTSP was an ABC affiliate. This means WFTS is not available to over 91,000 cable subscribers. http://research.backchannelmedia.com/providers/Comcast_Venice/FL09432/Digital/2007-04-26_11%3A00
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....
28, is the 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...
affiliate television station for the Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
-St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
market, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 29. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida
Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida
Riverview is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. It is located near Brandon. The population was 71,050 at the 2010 census....
.
History
WFTS-TV first went on the air on December 14, 1981 as an independent stationIndependent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
. Being a flagship of the locally-based Family Group Broadcasting, the station programmed a family-oriented general entertainment format with cartoons, off-network dramas, old movies and religious shows. Its call letters originally stood for Family Television Station. An era of local ownership ended on April 22, 1984, when it was acquired by Capital Cities Communications
Capital Cities Communications
Capital Cities redirects here. For the article about the seat of a government, see Capital .Capital Cities Communications was an American media company best known for its surprise purchase of the much larger American Broadcasting Company in 1985...
. It was Capital Cities' first station in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the group's first—and only—independent station, and was also the last station acquired by the group prior to its merger with ABC. The first incarnation of channel 28 was to have been WTSS-TV, an affiliate of the DuMont Television Network
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...
in the 1950s. It is very likely that that station never made it to air.
Under Capital Cities, the station added more off-network sitcoms and reduced the number of religious shows and dramas on its schedule. In 1986, Capital Cities stunned the world with its purchase of ABC—the network was ten times bigger than CapCities was at the time. CapCities owned several ABC affiliates, and two CBS affiliates: KFSN-TV
KFSN-TV
KFSN-TV, UHF channel 30, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Fresno, California. The station's transmitter is located in Meadow Lakes, California. Its signal covers the Central San Joaquin Valley and the mountain...
(channel 30) in Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
and WTVD
WTVD
WTVD, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Durham, North Carolina. The station serves the areas of Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Fayetteville, known as the Triangle...
(channel 11) in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
. The company's combined assets exceeded 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...
(FCC) ownership limits at the time, so CapCities decided to keep its CBS affiliates and change their affiliations to ABC, along with longtime ABC affiliates WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
(channel 6) in Philadelphia and KTRK-TV
KTRK-TV
KTRK-TV, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Houston, Texas...
(channel 13) in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and sold WFTS and ABC owned-and operated station in Detroit, WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV, channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, Michigan, USA. WXYZ-TV is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and is the media company's largest-market TV station property...
(channel 7), to the E. W. Scripps Company
E. W. Scripps Company
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American media conglomerate founded by Edward W. Scripps on November 2, 1878. The company is headquartered inside the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its corporate motto is "Give light and the people will find their own way."On October 16, 2007, the company...
, while selling several other stations to minority-owned firms. WXYZ would figure in WFTS' history once again less than a decade later.
Scripps continued the format on WFTS, running cartoons, sitcoms, movies, and dramas. A 10 p.m. newscast was planned for the station, but did not come to fruition. WFTS picked up the 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...
affiliation in 1988 after WTOG
WTOG
WTOG, channel 44, is a television station in St. Petersburg, Florida. Owned by the CBS Corporation, WTOG serves as the Tampa Bay Area station for the co-owned The CW Television Network. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida.-Early years:...
(channel 44) dropped it and the station began to identify on air as "Fox 28", and soon after briefly identified its call letters as standing for Fox Television Station.
On May 22, 1994, New World Communications
New World Communications
New World Pictures was an independent motion picture and television production company, and later television station owner in the United States from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s...
came to an agreement with Fox, and most of New World's stations, including WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
(channel 13), Tampa Bay's longtime 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...
affiliate, were to affiliate with Fox. Among the stations making the switch were longtime CBS affiliates WJBK
WJBK
WJBK is the Fox–owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
(channel 2) in Detroit and WJW (channel 8) in Cleveland. Not wanting to be relegated to the UHF band, CBS heavily wooed Detroit's longtime ABC affiliate, WXYZ, as well as Cleveland's longtime ABC affiliate, WEWS-TV
WEWS-TV
WEWS-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio. WEWS has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception, and is an affiliate of the ABC television network...
(channel 5); both stations were owned by Scripps. With this as leverage, Scripps told ABC that it would have to affiliate with four other stations owned by Scripps: WFTS, KNXV-TV
KNXV-TV
KNXV-TV, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting in digital on UHF channel 15. Owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, its transmitter is located on South Mountain in Phoenix....
(channel 15) in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
(which was also due to lose its Fox affiliation to a New World station), WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV, channel 2, is the ABC affiliate television station in Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the broadcasting division of the E.W. Scripps Company...
(channel 2) in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV, virtual channel 9 , is an ABC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. WCPO's studio is located in the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, just outside of Eden Park. Its transmitter is located along Symmes Street, just south of East McMillan Street in Cincinnati.The station...
(channel 9) in Cincinnati -- the latter had to wait for ABC's affiliation contract with WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
(channel 12) to expire in June 1996 to switch. Scripps insisted on including WFTS and KNXV in the deal even though neither had a news department.
As a result in December 1994, WFTS assumed the ABC affiliation from longtime affiliate WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
(channel 10), which took over the CBS affiliation from WTVT. WFTS then sent most of its syndicated programming to WTTA
WTTA
WTTA is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Tampa Bay Area of Florida that is licensed to St. Petersburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Riverview. Owned by Bay Television, the station is operated by the Sinclair Broadcast...
(channel 38), WTOG and/or WTMV (channel 32, now WMOR-TV
WMOR-TV
WMOR-TV is an independent television station in the Tampa Bay television market . It is licensed to Lakeland, with studios in Tampa. The station is owned by the Hearst Corporation.-History:...
), which would also air Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
. A decade later, WFTS became one of three Florida television stations, and one of the many Scripps-owned ABC affiliates that preempted Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
. In September 2007, both WFTS and WWSB
WWSB
WWSB Channel 40 is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Florida Suncoast that is licensed to Sarasota. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter on Rutland Road in the unincorporated Manatee County community of Rye, about 5 miles ESE of Parrish...
began to carry Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
; previously WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
(channel 10) had aired the two game shows from 7-8 p.m.
Tampa-St. Petersburg is the fourth largest market with a major network appearing in the UHF channel range (14-51); although most digital television stations broadcast on a UHF frequency, most also identify through the use of a PSIP virtual channel as being on the VHF band, corresponding with the stations' former analog channel numbers. Because WFTS was formerly on UHF analog channel 28, it continues to identify as channel 28 through the use of PSIP. The larger markets with a major network in the UHF channel range are Phoenix (KNXV-TV
KNXV-TV
KNXV-TV, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting in digital on UHF channel 15. Owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, its transmitter is located on South Mountain in Phoenix....
, virtual channel 15), Atlanta (WGCL-TV
WGCL-TV
WGCL-TV, virtual channel 46.1 is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Atlanta, Georgia area. Its city of license is Atlanta, and the station is owned by Meredith Corporation, making it the largest-market CBS station not owned by the network...
, virtual channel 46) and Detroit (WWJ-TV
WWJ-TV
WWJ-TV, virtual channel 62 , is the CBS-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan. It is co-owned with Detroit's CW station, WKBD-TV , and the two stations share a studio in Southfield, Michigan, a Detroit suburb....
, virtual channel 62). KNXV is an ABC affiliate while WGCL is an 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...
affiliate and WWJ is a CBS owned and operated station.
Digital television
WFTS-TV broadcasts on digital channel 29.The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
Analog-to-digital conversion
WFTS-TV shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United StatesDTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 29 using PSIP
Program 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...
to display WFTS-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 28.
News operation
During its days as an independent station and Fox affiliate, WFTS presented hourly newsbreaks and weatherbreaks, featuring a person reading the day's headlines or the current forecast. During the station's first few months on the air, the newsbreaks were provided by WNSI-AM (1380 kHz., now WWMIWWMI
WWMI is a radio station broadcasting a children's radio format. Licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, the station serves the Tampa Bay area. The station is owned by The Walt Disney Company.-History:...
) in audio only, over a slide that said News Check. Later on, News Checks began to feature newsreaders on camera at WFTS's studios. By the late 1980s, the newsbreaks became 28 Newsbreak or 28 Weatherbreak. These newsbreaks were discontinued in December 1994 after the station became an ABC affiliate and launched a full-scale news operation.
WFTS began airing full-scale newscasts in 1994, under the 28 Tampa Bay News handle. The newscasts initially originated from Telemation studios in Clearwater
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, since WFTS's studios on Tampa's east side (at the corner of I-4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
and Columbus Drive) didn't have enough room for a full-sized newsroom or set. The station's news operation then moved to its new studios on Himes Avenue across from Raymond James Stadium in 1996. The station gradually added a two-hour morning newscast from 5-7 a.m., a half-hour noon newscast, a 90-minute block of news from 5-6:30 p.m., and a nightly 11 p.m. newscast. Given the fact that many former Fox stations had switched to ABC, NBC or CBS at the time, WFTS did not falter with many stations of such that launched newscasts with no success at competing with long-standing (mostly VHF) news stations (some stations cancelled their newscasts as a result), WFTS manages to compete with rival stations in the Tampa market. However, the station is regularly in last place. In the May 2009 sweeps, the station placed last in all time slots except 6-7 am (where it placed third ahead of WTSP) in the key Adults 25-54 demographic http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2009/05/wtvtch-13-and-wtspch-10-score-major-wins-in-may-sweeps.html. But early in the November 2010 sweeps period, WFTS placed first in several key demographics, especially for its election coverage. This helped boost WFTS' performance in the November 2010 sweeps to a win at noon and a virtual tie for first at 11 p.m. with WTSP. The station also moved into a solid third place (ahead of WTSP) during the evening newscasts. May 2011 found WFTS winning the 11 p.m. race in the Adults 25-54 deomgraphic while remaining in third or fourth place in most other time slots.
The newscast title was changed to 28 News briefly in 2002, before being changed again to ABC Action News later that year due to viewer confusion with the "ABC28" branding. The Action News all day branding is also shared with sister station and NBC affiliate KSHB-TV
KSHB-TV
KSHB-TV, virtual channel 41, is the NBC-affiliated television station serving the entire Kansas City metropolitan area; the station is commonly known by its branding NBC Action News. It is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, alongside independent station KMCI as the company's only existing duopoly...
(channel 41) in Kansas City. In fall 2005, the station extended its weekday noon newscast to one hour, following the cancellation of ABC's soap Port Charles
Port Charles
Port Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
. WFTS is one of ten television stations that air consumer reports from John Matarese of ABC affiliate (and sister station) WCPO in Cincinnati.
On July 28, 2007 beginning with the 6 p.m. newscast, WFTS-TV became the first broadcast station in the Tampa Bay market to produce and broadcast its local newscasts 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...
; WFTS surprisingly beat out rivals WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
(channel 13) and WTSP who were both rumored to be competing to launch the first high definition newscast in Tampa Bay.
Until December 2009, WFTS was one of two stations to have two women regularly anchor an evening newscast. Wendy Ryan and Linda Hurtado anchored the 5 p.m. newscast. Denise White and Kathy Fountain anchored the 5 p.m. newscast on WTVT. Kathy Fountain retired on December 30, 2009, leaving Ryan and Hurtado as the only all-female anchor team in Tampa Bay; this changed again in the summer of 2010 when Jamison Uhler joined WFTS from WCAU-TV in Philadelphia as 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. co-anchor.
Five personalities have remained with the station since the launch of its news operation in 1994: Anchors Brendan McLaughlin and Linda Hurtado, meteorologists Denis Phillips and Wayne Shattuck, and reporter Don Germaise.
Weather coverage
WSI
The acronym WSI may refer to:* World Sindhi Institute - a human rights organization based in Washington DC, United States* Wafer-scale integration - a future silicon chip design for super computers...
's Titan HD weather system. WFTS was the first to broadcast a true 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...
weathercast in the Tampa Bay area in October 2007, rival WFLA
WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
soon followed. In early September 2007, WFTS introduced its 24-hour ABC Accu-Weather channel on Bright House
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
digital channel 629. It is also available over the air on channel 28.2.
Newscast titles
- 28 Newsbreak / 28 Weatherbreak (1988–1994)
- 28 Tampa Bay News (1994–2002)
- 28 News (2002)
- ABC Action NewsAction NewsAction News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
(2002–present)
Station slogans
- Catch Familyvision on Channel 28 (1981–1984)
- Tampa Bay's Independent (ca. 1986-1988)
- Your Fox Television Station/Tampa Bay's Fox Television Station (early 1990s; coincidentally, this term was trademarked by Fox Television Stations GroupFox Television Stations GroupFox Television Stations, Inc. is a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation...
, which currently owns WTVTWTVTWTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
) - Working Hard To Be Your Favorite (1994–1995)
- Real People, Real News (1996–1999)
- You Need to Know (2002)
- Taking Action for You (2002–present)
News music packages
- News One - Version 1 by 615 Music615 Music615 Music is a broadcast production music company based in Nashville, Tennessee. 615 Music composes television news music packages and custom image campaigns for many television networks around the world. 615 Music also operates out of Los Angeles...
(1994–2002) - Elevation by Stephen Arnold MusicStephen Arnold MusicFounded in 1993 by Stephen Arnold, Stephen Arnold Music is a Dallas-based music production company, specializing in Television news music. With additional offices in San Diego, California and a studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the company services television networks, cable channels, TV stations,...
(2002) - News Matrix - Versions 1 & 2 by Stephen Arnold MusicStephen Arnold MusicFounded in 1993 by Stephen Arnold, Stephen Arnold Music is a Dallas-based music production company, specializing in Television news music. With additional offices in San Diego, California and a studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the company services television networks, cable channels, TV stations,...
(2002–2006) - Eyewitness News - Series 1, 4, & 6 by Gari CommunicationsFrank GariFrank Gari is a popular singer and songwriter from the late 1950s and early 1960s. His best known songs as a performer are "Utopia" , "Lullaby of Love" and "Princess" , all of which hit the U.S. Top 40 in 1961. He co-wrote with Roger McGuinn the song Beach Ball for Bobby Darin...
(2007–2009) - Scripps TV Station Group Package by MusikvergnuegenMusikvergnuegenMusikvergnuegen , sometimes abbreviated to MusikV, is a music and sound design production company located in Los Angeles, California. The company name translates into English as "enjoyment of music". It was founded by Austrian-born composer Walter Werzowa.Werzowa founded the company after achieving...
(2009–present)
Current on-air staff
Current anchors- Sarina Fazan – weekends at 6 and 11 p.m., also weekday reporter (since 1999)
- Linda Hurtado – weeknights at 5 and 5:30 p.m.; also health reporter (since 1994)
- Brendan McLaughlin – weeknights at 5:30 and 6 p.m.; also host of Flashpoint (since 1994)
- Ellen McNamara – weekend mornings "Your Tampa Bay Weekend" (since 2009)
- Deiah Riley – weekday mornings and noon (since 2003)
- Wendy Ryan – weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m. (since 2003)
- Dan Shaffer – weekday mornings and noon (since 1996)
- John Thomas – weekend mornings "Your Tampa Bay Weekend"; also weekday reporter (since 1999)
- Jamison Uhler – weeknights at 5 and 11 p.m. (since 2010)
ABC AccuWeather HD
- Denis Phillips (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 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. (since 1994) - Bill Logan – weather anchor; weekend mornings "Your Tampa Bay Weekend", also weekday reporter (since 2004)
- Stephanie Roberts (AMS Seal of Approval) – meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon (since 2008)
- Wayne Shattuck (AMS Seal of Approval) – meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. (since 1994)
Sports team
- Tom KorunTom KorunTom Korun is sports anchor at WFTS-TV. He also hosts the show Sports Zone on Sundays. Korun is an award winning sportscaster, 1990-1995 by the Florida Sportscasters Association...
– sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m., also host of "SportsZone" (since 1997) - Andrew Luria – sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. (since 2010)
- Erik Waxler – sports and general assignment reporter/multimedia journalist and fill-in sports anchor (since 2009)
Traffic anchors
- Meredyth Censullo – morning traffic anchor (since 2008)
Reporters
- Jeff Butera – general assignment reporter (since 2009)
- Jackie Callaway – consumer advocate (Taking Action For You) (since 2002)
- Lissette Campos – "Community Calendar"/"Positively Tampa Bay" segments, also director of community affairs (morning anchor 2001-2005, since 2008)
- Carson Chambers – general assignment reporter (since 2007)
- Alan Cohn – chief investigative reporter (since 2009)
- Don Germaise – general assignment reporter (since 1994)
- John Matarese – consumer reporter (based out of WCPO in Cincinnati; since 2003)
- Chris Martinez – 11 p.m. reporter (since 2003)
- Alan "Captain Al" Taylor – Action Air One pilot and traffic reporter (since 2002)
Former on-air staff
- Jay CrawfordJay CrawfordJason "Jay" Crawford is the co-host of ESPN2's morning TV show First Take.-Early life and career:Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Crawford graduated from Perkins High School in Sandusky, Ohio in 1983...
– sports director (1998–2003; now at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and WCBS-TVWCBS-TVWCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) - Linda GialanellaLinda GialanellaGialanella held the Miss New Jersey 1972 title and competed in the Miss America 1973 pageant, but did not place. The pageant was won by Terry Anne Meeuwsen of Wisconsin....
– weekend meteorologist/fill-in meteorologist (2003–2009) - Al Keck - sports director (2001-2009)
- Nannette MirandaNannette MirandaNannette Miranda is the Sacramento Bureau Chief for KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco, and KFSN-TV in Fresno. She joined the three ABC-owned stations in December 2003 after they decided to share resources to establish a full-time presence in California's state capitalPrior coming back...
– reporter (2000–2003; now Sacramento Bureau Chief for KABC-TVKABC-TVKABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and KGO-TVKGO-TVKGO-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, based in San Francisco, California...
In San Francisco and KGTVKGTVKGTV, digital channel 10, is the ABC television affiliate in San Diego, California. The station can be seen on Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T U-verse on cable channel 10 in standard definition. Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable carry its high definition signal on cable...
in San Diego) - Drew SoicherDrew SoicherDrew Soicher , the evening sports reporter for KUSA-TV, joined KUSA in January 2000. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has a bobblehead doll museum in his basement. In fact, he owns more than 500 of the spring-loaded figures. He also coaches The Mighty Bobbleheads Little League baseball team. ...
– sports director (1994–1998; now at KUSA-TVKUSA-TVKUSA, channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado. KUSA is owned by the Gannett Company, and is a sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate KTVD...
in Denver) - Kelly Swoope - weekend anchor (now main anchor at WMAR-TVWMAR-TVWMAR-TV, channel 2, is the ABC affiliate television station in Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the broadcasting division of the E.W. Scripps Company...
in Baltimore) - Martie (Salt) Tucker - news anchor (1994-2003; went back to WFTVWFTVWFTV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Florida that is licensed to Orlando. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter between Bithlo and Christmas. Owned by Cox Enterprises, WFTV is sister to Independent WRDQ. The two stations...
in Orlando) - Bob Kendrick - 5pm weekday and weekday morning anchor (1994-2003); now main anchor at WSYX / WTTE in Columbus, OH
Broadcast, cable and satellite carriage
WFTS can be seen mainly in HernandoHernando County, Florida
Hernando County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 130,802. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 165,409 . Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida. The majority of the county's population is in Spring Hill, west portion of Hernando...
, Pasco
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
, Pinellas, Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
, Manatee
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Hardee
Hardee County, Florida
Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...
, and Polk
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
Counties. WFTS can also be viewed in portions of Citrus
Citrus County, Florida
Citrus County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 118,085. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 141,416 . Its county seat is Inverness, Florida...
, Sumter
Sumter County, Florida
Sumter County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 53,345. The 2006 Census estimate puts its population at 68,768 . Its county seat is Bushnell, Florida and the largest incorporated municipality is Wildwood, Florida. The Villages,...
, Sarasota
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
, De Soto, Highlands
Highlands County, Florida
Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346. Its county seat is Sebring, Florida. The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Orange
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, Osceola
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
and Lake
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...
Counties.
The station is not available on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
cable in Venice (Southern Sarasota County) due to the presence of WWSB
WWSB
WWSB Channel 40 is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Florida Suncoast that is licensed to Sarasota. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter on Rutland Road in the unincorporated Manatee County community of Rye, about 5 miles ESE of Parrish...
(channel 40), an ABC station formed after WTSP's coverage of the Sarasota area was insufficient when WTSP was an ABC affiliate. This means WFTS is not available to over 91,000 cable subscribers. http://research.backchannelmedia.com/providers/Comcast_Venice/FL09432/Digital/2007-04-26_11%3A00
Trivia
- Extreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
has been to the Tampa Bay area twice. During the first visit, host Ty PenningtonTy PenningtonTygert Bruton "Ty" Pennington is an American television host, model, philanthropist and carpenter. He is most notable for being the host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition which currently airs on ABC in the US and Ty's Great British Adventure, which airs on UKTV home in the UK and TV LAND...
came to WFTS's studios during a commercial break and took sports director Al Keck in Stormchaser to do a play-by-play version of the family's house when it was being destroyed to make way for the new one. - A clip from a WFTS newscast was shown on Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
in early November 2006. In the clip, was reporter Susan Casper. - WFTS has produced two local versions of Extreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
which asked viewers to nominate someone.