WINK-TV
Encyclopedia
WINK-TV, virtual channel
11, is the CBS
-affiliated television station
for Southwest Florida
that is licensed to Fort Myers
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter north of Fort Myers Shores
near the Lee
and Charlotte
County line in Punta Gorda
. The station can also be seen on Comcast
channel 5 and in high definition on digital channel 433. However, unlike other stations in the market
, it does not identify itself on-air using its cable channel location. It is locally owned by the McBride family and their Fort Myers Broadcasting Company along with several radio stations. It has studios on Palm Beach Boulevard (SR 80
) in Fort Myers.
Its coverage area includes Lee, Collier
, Sarasota
, Hendry
, Glades
, Charlotte, DeSoto
, Highlands
, and Hardee
Counties. In the Tampa Bay
market, WINK-TV is one of two Fort Myers stations carried by Comcast in Venice
and Wauchula
. It is the only Southwest Florida-based station on Comcast in Sebring
. This is due in part because Tampa Bay's CBS affiliate WTSP
has a signal that cannot be seen that well in Sarasota, Hardee, and Highlands Counties (all part of the Tampa Bay DMA) because that station's transmitter is in Holiday
in the northern part of the Tampa Bay area. In general, WINK-TV's aerial coverage area extends as far north as southern Polk County
.
; and 96.9 FM
). The station aired an analog signal on VHF channel 11. It was the first television station in Southwest Florida
and is currently the fifth-oldest surviving station in the state (behind Miami's WTVJ
, Jacksonville
's WJXT
, Orlando
's WKMG-TV
, and West Palm Beach's WPTV
). At the time of its beginning, Southwest Florida was underpopulated and people had to rely on television stations from Miami and Tampa Bay. Stations from these markets were and continued to be obtainable with large outdoor antennas. WINK-TV was the only station in the area for 14 years and is still the only full-powered VHF station in the market even after the analog to digital switch.
Due to Fort Myers being sandwiched between Miami to the east and Tampa Bay to the north, WINK-TV was fortunate to gain the only VHF license allocated to the area. As such, it originally carried programming from NBC
, ABC
, and DuMont
along with CBS. DuMont folded in 1956 and it lost NBC when WBBH-TV
signed-on in 1968 but continued to share ABC with WBBH until WEVU-TV (now WZVN-TV
) signed-on in 1974. WINK-TV's broadcasts became digital-only at noon on February 17, 2009. The station has a construction permit to move to channel 50 on the UHF dial because of viewer reception issues on channel 9.
programming on the station includes: Inside Edition
, Oprah
, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
. The station clears almost the entire CBS schedule. Due to an hour-long newscast at noon during the week, it airs both of CBS's remaining soap operas out of pattern: The Bold and the Beautiful
airs at 10:30 a.m. local time (normally airs at 1:30 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone) and The Young and the Restless
airs at 1 p.m., half an hour later than most CBS affiliates.
came to the area in the 1970s, it was the only station that put a clear signal to much of the area. Due to the duopoly of WBBH and WZVN, WINK-TV primarily competes with WBBH. Starting on March 26, 2007, WINK-TV established a news share agreement with Sun Broadcasting (owner of CW affiliate WXCW) and began producing a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on that station.
On October 20, WINK-TV became the first station in Southwest Florida to broadcast local news in high definition. It purchased new high definition studio cameras, field cameras, weather computers, and graphics to complete the launch. The newscasts on WXCW were included in the upgrade. Back on July 12, WZVN began to broadcast its local news in 16x9 widescreen standard definition calling it "enhanced digital definition". However, this was not true high definition compared to WINK-TV. WBBH followed soon after with its own launch of news in the format. On January 7, 2008, several programming changes were made on WINK-TV. It started showing The Early Show
in its entirety because CBS now requires all of its affiliates to do that. The Early Show received a makeover and hopes to compete against its rivals, NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America
. Originally, WINK-TV had preempted the first hour of that show to air an extra hour of local news known as Hello Southwest Florida. The station moved this broadcast to WXCW and expanded it to two hours. In addition, WINK-TV launched a 7 o'clock newscast. To coincide with all of these changes, it began branding its newscasts as WINK News Now.
On July 19, 2008, WBBH and WZVN started broadcasting their local newscasts in full high definition becoming the second and third stations respectively in Fort Myers to do so. In addition to its main studios, WINK-TV operates two news bureaus. The Charlotte County Bureau is in the Charlotte Sun newsroom in Charlotte Harbor
while the Collier County Bureau is on 8th Street South in downtown Naples. The station's weather radar
, called "SKY Tracker Doppler HD", is located next to the its studios. During the spring training season for the Boston Red Sox
, WINK-TV shares its coverage of the team with fellow CBS affiliate WBZ-TV
in Boston
. It also cooperates with FOX affiliate WFLX
in West Palm Beach on some occasions. On September 8, 2009, WZVN began airing a weeknight broadcast at 7 known as The 7 O'Clock News to compete with WINK-TV's prime time show. Both news departments of WZVN and WBBH contribute to this show. At some point in time, this station began airing a weekday 11 a.m. show on WXCW to compete with WBBH, which has since been cancelled.
On May 26, 2011, WINK-TV debuted an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, one of many added on television stations around the United States on that date to replace The Oprah Winfrey Show
, which ended its 25-year run the day before. On June 11, 2011 WINK-TV will debut a 90-minute morning newscast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. WINK-TV also added a half-hour broadcast at 10 a.m. on September 6, 2011.
WINK-TV's 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts are simulcast on WINK radio
(1200 AM) and WNPL (1460 AM); both stations carry a news radio
format that utilizes WINK-TV's resources, as well as those of The News-Press and the Naples Daily News
, for local news.
WINK-TV SKY Tracker Weather Team
Sports team
Reporters
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....
11, is the 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...
-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 Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is a region of Florida , United States located along its gulf coast, south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of the Everglades...
that is licensed to Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
. 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 UHF channel 50 from a transmitter north of Fort Myers Shores
Fort Myers Shores, Florida
Fort Myers Shores is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida. The population was 5,793 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
near the Lee
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
and Charlotte
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...
County line in Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda, Florida
Punta Gorda is a city in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2007, the city had a population of 16,762. It is the county seat of Charlotte County and the only incorporated municipality in the county...
. The station can also be seen 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...
channel 5 and in high definition on digital channel 433. However, unlike other stations in the market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
, it does not identify itself on-air using its cable channel location. It is locally owned by the McBride family and their Fort Myers Broadcasting Company along with several radio stations. It has studios on Palm Beach Boulevard (SR 80
Florida State Road 80
Florida State Road 80 is a route linking US 41 in Fort Myers and Florida State Road A1A in Palm Beach. The road is the northernmost of three linking Southwest Florida to South Florida via the Everglades...
) in Fort Myers.
Its coverage area includes Lee, Collier
Collier County, Florida
Collier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 251,377. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 315,839...
, 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....
, Hendry
Hendry County, Florida
Hendry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 36,210. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 39,611 . Its county seat is La Belle. The county comprises the Clewiston, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Hendry County...
, Glades
Glades County, Florida
Glades County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 10,576. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 11,252 . Its county seat is Moore Haven, Florida.- History :...
, Charlotte, DeSoto
DeSoto County, Florida
DeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 32,209. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 35,406 . Its county seat is Arcadia, Florida. The county comprises the Arcadia, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :DeSoto...
, 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 :...
, and 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...
Counties. In the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
market, WINK-TV is one of two Fort Myers stations carried by Comcast in Venice
Venice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
and Wauchula
Wauchula, Florida
Wauchula is a city located in Hardee County, Florida, United States, and had a population of 4,368 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 4,441.It is the county seat of Hardee County...
. It is the only Southwest Florida-based station on Comcast in Sebring
Sebring, Florida
Sebring is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States, nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District...
. This is due in part because Tampa Bay's CBS affiliate WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
has a signal that cannot be seen that well in Sarasota, Hardee, and Highlands Counties (all part of the Tampa Bay DMA) because that station's transmitter is in Holiday
Holiday, Florida
Holiday , is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 21,904 at the 2000 census.The name Holiday, like the names of many towns, comes from a spark...
in the northern part of the Tampa Bay area. In general, WINK-TV's aerial coverage area extends as far north as southern Polk County
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...
.
History
WINK-TV was founded in March 1954 as sister to WINK radio (1240 AM, now at 1200 AMWINK (AM)
WFSX is a News/Talk radio station Licensed to Fort Myers, Florida, USA. The station is owned by Meridian Broadcasting.- History :In recent years, the 1240khz frequency was known as WINK...
; and 96.9 FM
WINK-FM
WINK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Fort Myers, Florida, USA, the station is owned by the Fort Myers Broadcasting Company . WINK-FM has studios located on Palm Beach Boulevard WINK-FM (96.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult...
). The station aired an analog signal on VHF channel 11. It was the first television station in Southwest 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...
and is currently the fifth-oldest surviving station in the state (behind Miami's WTVJ
WTVJ
WTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
, Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
's WJXT
WJXT
WJXT, channel 4 , is an independent television station serving Jacksonville, Florida, and surrounding communities. Its transmitter is in the Kilarney Shores section of Jacksonville, with the WTLV transmitter. The station originally broadcast an analog signal on VHF channel 4 and a digital signal...
, Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
's WKMG-TV
WKMG-TV
WKMG-TV channel 6 is the CBS network affiliate for Central Florida . WKMG is licensed to Orlando and is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc., a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. The station refers to itself as "Local6". WKMG's transmitter is located in Bithlo, Florida...
, and West Palm Beach's WPTV
WPTV
WPTV-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Florida's Gold and Treasure Coasts. Licensed to West Palm Beach, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Lake Worth along U.S. 441/SR 7. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 3...
). At the time of its beginning, Southwest Florida was underpopulated and people had to rely on television stations from Miami and Tampa Bay. Stations from these markets were and continued to be obtainable with large outdoor antennas. WINK-TV was the only station in the area for 14 years and is still the only full-powered VHF station in the market even after the analog to digital switch.
Due to Fort Myers being sandwiched between Miami to the east and Tampa Bay to the north, WINK-TV was fortunate to gain the only VHF license allocated to the area. As such, it originally carried programming from NBC
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...
, 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...
, and 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...
along with CBS. DuMont folded in 1956 and it lost NBC when WBBH-TV
WBBH-TV
WBBH-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwest Florida licensed to Fort Myers. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 15 from a transmitter in Southeastern Punta Gorda along SR 31. Owned by the Waterman Broadcasting Corporation, WBBH operates ABC affiliate...
signed-on in 1968 but continued to share ABC with WBBH until WEVU-TV (now WZVN-TV
WZVN-TV
WZVN-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Southwest Florida licensed to Naples. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from a transmitter in Southeastern Punta Gorda along SR 31. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 7 and in high definition on...
) signed-on in 1974. WINK-TV's broadcasts became digital-only at noon on February 17, 2009. The station has a construction permit to move to channel 50 on the UHF dial because of viewer reception issues on channel 9.
Programming
SyndicatedTelevision 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 the station includes: 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...
, Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
. The station clears almost the entire CBS schedule. Due to an hour-long newscast at noon during the week, it airs both of CBS's remaining soap operas out of pattern: The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
airs at 10:30 a.m. local time (normally airs at 1:30 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone) and The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
airs at 1 p.m., half an hour later than most CBS affiliates.
News operation
WINK-TV has been the dominant news station in Fort Myers for nearly all of its history. This is largely because its status as the area's only VHF station. Until cable televisionCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
came to the area in the 1970s, it was the only station that put a clear signal to much of the area. Due to the duopoly of WBBH and WZVN, WINK-TV primarily competes with WBBH. Starting on March 26, 2007, WINK-TV established a news share agreement with Sun Broadcasting (owner of CW affiliate WXCW) and began producing a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on that station.
On October 20, WINK-TV became the first station in Southwest Florida to broadcast local news in high definition. It purchased new high definition studio cameras, field cameras, weather computers, and graphics to complete the launch. The newscasts on WXCW were included in the upgrade. Back on July 12, WZVN began to broadcast its local news in 16x9 widescreen standard definition calling it "enhanced digital definition". However, this was not true high definition compared to WINK-TV. WBBH followed soon after with its own launch of news in the format. On January 7, 2008, several programming changes were made on WINK-TV. It started showing The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
in its entirety because CBS now requires all of its affiliates to do that. The Early Show received a makeover and hopes to compete against its rivals, NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. Originally, WINK-TV had preempted the first hour of that show to air an extra hour of local news known as Hello Southwest Florida. The station moved this broadcast to WXCW and expanded it to two hours. In addition, WINK-TV launched a 7 o'clock newscast. To coincide with all of these changes, it began branding its newscasts as WINK News Now.
On July 19, 2008, WBBH and WZVN started broadcasting their local newscasts in full high definition becoming the second and third stations respectively in Fort Myers to do so. In addition to its main studios, WINK-TV operates two news bureaus. The Charlotte County Bureau is in the Charlotte Sun newsroom in Charlotte Harbor
Charlotte Harbor, Florida
Charlotte Harbor is a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,647 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
while the Collier County Bureau is on 8th Street South in downtown Naples. The station's weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
, called "SKY Tracker Doppler HD", is located next to the its studios. During the spring training season for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, WINK-TV shares its coverage of the team with fellow CBS affiliate WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. It also cooperates with FOX affiliate WFLX
WFLX
WFLX is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Gold and Treasure Coasts of South Florida. Licensed to West Palm Beach, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 28 from a transmitter in Lake Worth west of US 441/SR 7. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
in West Palm Beach on some occasions. On September 8, 2009, WZVN began airing a weeknight broadcast at 7 known as The 7 O'Clock News to compete with WINK-TV's prime time show. Both news departments of WZVN and WBBH contribute to this show. At some point in time, this station began airing a weekday 11 a.m. show on WXCW to compete with WBBH, which has since been cancelled.
On May 26, 2011, WINK-TV debuted an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, one of many added on television stations around the United States on that date to replace The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, which ended its 25-year run the day before. On June 11, 2011 WINK-TV will debut a 90-minute morning newscast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. WINK-TV also added a half-hour broadcast at 10 a.m. on September 6, 2011.
WINK-TV's 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts are simulcast on WINK radio
WINK (AM)
WFSX is a News/Talk radio station Licensed to Fort Myers, Florida, USA. The station is owned by Meridian Broadcasting.- History :In recent years, the 1240khz frequency was known as WINK...
(1200 AM) and WNPL (1460 AM); both stations carry a news radio
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
format that utilizes WINK-TV's resources, as well as those of The News-Press and the Naples Daily News
Naples Daily News
The Naples Daily News is the main daily newspaper of Naples, Florida, and Collier County. Its main competitor in this region is the Fort Myers-based News-Press, out of neighboring Lee County to the north. It is owned by Ohio-based Edward W. Scripps Company, who bought it from the founding Collier...
, for local news.
Newscast titles
- WINK-TV News (1960s–1980s)
- WINK News (1980s–2007)
- WINK News Now (2007–present)
Station slogans
- Turn to the Leader (1986–1995)
- The Spirit of Southwest Florida (mid 1990s)
- Southwest Florida's News Leader (1995–present)
- We've Got You Covered (early 2000s)
News team
Anchors- Stacey Adams - weekdays at 4, and weeknights at 10 (on WXCW) and 11 p.m.
- Chris Cifatte - weeknights at 5, 6, 10 (on WXCW), and 11 p.m.
- Haley Hinds - weekend evenings; also weekday reporter
- Jeremiah Jacobsen - weekend evenings; also weekday reporter
- Kyle Jordan - weekdays at 10 a.m. and Noon; also weekday morning reporter
- Lindsay Liepman - weekday mornings WINK News Now Morning
- Erin Maloney - weekend mornings; also weekday reporter
- Lois Thome - weeknights at 5, 6 and 7 p.m.
- Cayle Thompson - weekdays at 4, and weeknights at 7 p.m.
- Rob Spicker - weekday mornings WINK News Now Morning
- Jennifer Stacy - weekdays at 10 a.m. and Noon; also weekday morning reporter
WINK-TV SKY Tracker Weather Team
- Jim Farrell (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,...
Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. - Joey Sovine - meteorologist; weekday mornings
- Katie Walls (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) - meteorologist; weekend mornings
- Scott Zedeker (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) - meteorologist; weekdays at 4, and weeknights at 7 and 10 p.m. (on WXCW)
- Janine Albert (AMS 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; fill-in and hurricane landfall coverage
Sports team
- Clayton Ferraro - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
Reporters
- David Bodden - general assignment reporter
- Robert Burns - general assignment reporter
- Haley Hinds - video journalist
- Genevieve Judge - general assignment reporter
- Amber Lindke - general assignment reporter; also web editor
- Anjuli Lohn - general assignment reporter
- Lauren Pastrana - morning traffic & general assignment reporter
- Sarah Pusateri - general assignment reporter
- Rachael Rafanelli - general assignment reporter
- Alissa Reitmeier - general assignment reporter
- Colby Robertson - general assignment reporter
- Nick Spinetto - general assignment reporter
- Carlos Suarez - general assignment reporter
- Mike Walcher - senior reporter
- Melissa Yeager - "Call for Action" consumer reporter