WJXX
Encyclopedia
WJXX is the ABC
-affiliated television station television for Jacksonville, Florida
. The station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 10, identifying via PSIP as virtual channel 25 (after its original analog channel number). The station is owned by Gannett
as part of a duopoly with the area's NBC
affiliate, WTLV
(digital 13/virtual 12). The two stations share studios located on East Adams Street in downtown near EverBank Field; WJXX and WTLV share a transmitter that is located in Kilarney Shores. The station is licensed to Orange Park
. The station serves all of northeast Florida (more specifically, the First Coast
) and southeast Georgia
. The station is available on channel 5 on Comcast
cable in the Jacksonville area. U-Verse
carries WJXX on channel 25 and an HD feed on channel 1025.
under a local marketing agreement
(LMA). While at one point WJXX was slated to be an independent, Allbritton had, in 1996, signed an LMA with Brunswick, Georgia
-based WBSG-TV (channel 21); it also signed a long-term groupwide affiliation deal with ABC, and announced that WBSG would replace WJKS (channel 17) as Jacksonville's ABC affiliate. Allbritton subsequently planned to sign WJXX on April 1 to serve as the ABC affiliate for the Florida side of the market (with WBSG serving the Georgia side); however, it was rushed on the air two months in advance after WJKS began phasing out ABC programming in favor of becoming WB
affiliate WJWB (it is now WCWJ
), forcing the station to broadcast at low-power for several months. In September 1997, Allbritton bought WJXX outright.
Allbritton heavily invested in WJXX, including building studios on A.C. Skinner Parkway in Jacksonville. It was the first station in the country designed for digital television
, a medium which was then fairly new. However, WJXX failed to gain significant traction in the market; in addition to lingering confusion from the early announcement of WBSG being the ABC affiliate for Jacksonville and the subsequent early launch, the station never had full signal parity with VHF competitors WJXT
(channel 4; then a CBS
affiliate) and WTLV, even with the help from WBSG. Not helping matters was WJXX's early placement on MediaOne
channel 7, which suffered from interference from WJCT
, the area's broadcast channel 7. After the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) legalized duopolies on November 15, 1999, Allbritton announced the sale of WJXX to WTLV owner Gannett Company
the next day. Normally, duopolies between two "big four" affiliates or even "big three" affiliates would not be allowed because they usually constituted the top four stations in a market. FCC regulations do not allow common ownership of any two of the four biggest stations in a market. However, WJXX was ranked as the fifth-watched station in the market, often trailing WJWB (which had gone from one of ABC's weakest affiliates to becoming one of The WB's strongest affiliates) and Fox
affiliate WAWS
(channel 30) in addition to WJXT and WTLV.
Once the sale was final on March 17, 2000, Gannett moved WJXX into WTLV's facilities and kept only a handful of the original staff. This created First Coast News which airs on both stations today. However, most of the news personnel are veterans of WTLV. (The deal did not include WBSG, which then joined Pax and was soon acquired by Paxson Communications
, becoming WPXC-TV
.)
First Coast News adopted the "Global Village" theme by Stephen Arnold Music in 2000 shortly after acquiring WJXX (the package used before then was "The NBC Collection"). This package stayed until December 2006, when the station switched to "Seize The Day" by 615 Music
. Earlier that year, First Coast News renovated its studios and changed their graphics after long-time anchor Alan Gionet
departed.
On September 10, 2007, First Coast News stopped simulcasting the 5 and 5:30 p.m. weekday broadcasts on WJXX. The Ellen DeGeneres Show
replaced the broadcasts at 5 p.m. on WJXX instead. Since NBC's Today expanded to four hours, the station moved Live with Regis and Kelly
, which had previously aired at 10 a.m. on WTLV, to WJXX at 9 a.m. Divorce Court
was also moved from WJXX (where it had aired at Noon) to 2 p.m. on WTLV. Joy Purdy (who previously worked at WFOR-TV
, the CBS
affiliate in Miami
) also debuted as the new anchor of First Coast News at 7. On October 29, 2007, First Coast News once again debuted new graphics in time for the November sweeps. Along with new graphics, Donna Hicken officially identified herself on-air as Donna Deegan
.
On May 15, 2008, First Coast News released an email to all subscribers about their new website set to debut on May 21. It was announced by Online Manager Linda Mock that the new site was to have a new forum system known as 'Pluck' and would require everyone to sign up, unlike their existing system 'Topix'. A new banner that will change with the weather conditions replaced the old banner that showed the current on-air anchors. Also started was ads for every newscast at the top of the screen, that cycles through with previous ads. The new website was also announced via a breaking news alert at the top of the existing website.
On May 21, 2008, as expected, First Coast News debuted its new website.
First Coast News now offers a "Weather Call" service that will call your telephone in the event of severe weather near your specific location. It utilizes National Weather Service
data to place the call.
On October 23, 2008, First Coast News debuted new graphics and music, the same standardized packages as on every other Gannett television station. The new uniformed graphics were created by G3 (or the Gannett Graphics Group) based near sister station KUSA-TV
in Denver; the music was composed by Rampage Music New York.
In January, 2009, First Coast News fired weekend meteorologist Dave Vanore. Michelle Jacobs returned to First Coast News to anchor weather and traffic in the mornings. The entire weather team shifted, with Steve Smith moving from mornings to 7 p.m. weekdays, and Mark Collins moving to weekend newscasts.
On June 12, 2009, WJXX shut down its analog transmitter in Clay County, Florida
. This caused viewers in areas such as Gainesville
to lose programming from WJXX, but viewers in Flagler County, Florida
and on the Colonial Coast
of Georgia
gained programming.
In July 2009, First Coast News yet again shuffled anchors around. Joy Purdy and Deanna Fene departed First Coast News at 7, with Purdy switching places with Patty Crosby and joining Phil Amato on Good Morning Jacksonville, and Fene replacing departing Victor Blackwell on weekend evenings. Crosby moved to 7 p.m. broadcasts anchoring news, with Steve Smith anchoring weather, and Dan Hicken anchoring sports. Corrine Hautala was hired to anchor weekend morning newscasts.
On February 1, 2010, First Coast News began broadcasting local newscasts in high definition, becoming the third television news operation in Jacksonville to do so. Coincidentally, Action News on WTEV-TV
(channel 47) and WAWS began broadcasting in that format the day before. The entire on-air appearance was revamped, with differently stylized versions of Gannett's standardized graphics being introduced, as well as a brand new set being unveiled, designed by FX Group
. With the premiere of high definition newscasts, First Coast News completed the transition to high definition broadcasts on Jacksonville's television newscasts.
Digital channels>
Virtual
Channel
Physical
RF Channel
Video
Aspect
Programming
25.1
10.1
720p
16:9
Main WJXX programming / ABC HD
25.2
10.2
480i
4:3
First Coast News Weather Plus
In 2009, WJXX left channel 25 and kept its digital TV on channel 10 when the analog shutdown occurred.
In September 1997, WJXX launched a 7 p.m. newscast called ABC 25 Tonight. When the station's brand new building was finally constructed, WJXX moved in and on December 15, 1997 started broadcasting 4½ hours of local news programming each and every weekday.
Monday through Friday there was news from 5:30 a.m.-7 a.m. (ABC 25 Today), at noon, from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m., ABC 25 Tonight at 7 p.m., and then the 11 p.m. Nightcast. On weekends there was either a 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. news and then the 11 p.m. Nightcast. There was no morning show on weekends. (Before the full-scale launch of ABC 25 News, WJXX showed M*A*S*H reruns at 6 and 11 p.m., while then-satellite WBSG broke off to show its own Georgia-targeted newscasts that had predated the ABC affiliation.)
In the May 2007 Nielsen ratings
, WTLV and WJXX had a powerful lead. They won the weekday morning, Noon, 5:30, and 6 p.m. slots. Also, at 11 p.m., more people watched WTLV and WJXX than any other local station combined. However, as of the November 2007 Nielsen Ratings, WTLV and WJXX only won the weekday morning, Noon, and 11 p.m. news slot. The 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m. slots went to WJXT.
WJXX is the only television station in Jacksonville to have a weeknight 7 p.m. newscast known as First Coast News at 7 and airs Good Morning Jacksonville Sunday as well.
In addition to their main studios, WJXX and WTLV operate a "Southern Bureau" that covers St. Johns
, Clay
, and Putnam
Counties.
WJXX and WTLV operate their own weather radar
. It is located next to WTLV's transmitter. They also broadcast a weather radar that is operated by the National Weather Service
and is located at its Local Forecast Office near Jacksonville International Airport
.
Weather team
Sports team
Reporters
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...
-affiliated television station television for Jacksonville, Florida
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...
. The station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 10, identifying via PSIP as virtual channel 25 (after its original analog channel number). The station is owned by Gannett
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
as part of a duopoly with the area's 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...
affiliate, WTLV
WTLV
WTLV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Jacksonville, Florida. The station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 13. The station is owned by Gannett as part of a duopoly with the area's ABC affiliate, WJXX. The two stations share studios located on East Adams Street in downtown near...
(digital 13/virtual 12). The two stations share studios located on East Adams Street in downtown near EverBank Field; WJXX and WTLV share a transmitter that is located in Kilarney Shores. The station is licensed to Orange Park
Orange Park, Florida
Orange Park is a town in Clay County, Florida, USA, and a suburb of Jacksonville. The population was 8,412 at the 2010 census. The name "Orange Park" is additionally applied to a wider area of northern Clay County outside the town limits, covering such communities as Fleming Island, Lakeside, and...
. The station serves all of northeast Florida (more specifically, the First Coast
First Coast
The First Coast is a region of Florida, in the United States. It extends along the Atlantic, or eastern, coast of the state, from the Georgia border, past the southern end of Anastasia Island, to Marineland....
) and southeast Georgia
Colonial Coast
Southeastern Georgia's Lower Coastal Plain is a subregion that encompasses the lowest lying areas of the Atlantic coastal plain in the state, containing barrier islands, marshes, and swampy lowlands, as well as flat plains and low terraces. It differs from Georgia's Upper Coastal Plain in that it...
. The station is available on channel 5 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 the Jacksonville area. U-Verse
U-Verse
AT&T U-verse is a registered service mark under which AT&T offers Internet access, television, and telephone services in various parts of the United States. It began in 2008 to serve mostly residences and small businesses in urban and suburban areas.-Services:...
carries WJXX on channel 25 and an HD feed on channel 1025.
History
WJXX first went on the air on February 9, 1997 owned by WPR, L.P. and operated by Allbritton CommunicationsAllbritton Communications Company
The Allbritton Communications Company is an owner of television stations and other media, based in Arlington, Virginia. All of its stations are affiliated with ABC after signing an affiliation agreement in 1997.-Currently owned:...
under a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
(LMA). While at one point WJXX was slated to be an independent, Allbritton had, in 1996, signed an LMA with Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
-based WBSG-TV (channel 21); it also signed a long-term groupwide affiliation deal with ABC, and announced that WBSG would replace WJKS (channel 17) as Jacksonville's ABC affiliate. Allbritton subsequently planned to sign WJXX on April 1 to serve as the ABC affiliate for the Florida side of the market (with WBSG serving the Georgia side); however, it was rushed on the air two months in advance after WJKS began phasing out ABC programming in favor of becoming WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
affiliate WJWB (it is now WCWJ
WCWJ
WCWJ is the CW-affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida and Brunswick, Georgia. The station is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.. Its transmitter is located in Jacksonville.-History:...
), forcing the station to broadcast at low-power for several months. In September 1997, Allbritton bought WJXX outright.
Allbritton heavily invested in WJXX, including building studios on A.C. Skinner Parkway in Jacksonville. It was the first station in the country designed for digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
, a medium which was then fairly new. However, WJXX failed to gain significant traction in the market; in addition to lingering confusion from the early announcement of WBSG being the ABC affiliate for Jacksonville and the subsequent early launch, the station never had full signal parity with VHF competitors 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...
(channel 4; then a 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 WTLV, even with the help from WBSG. Not helping matters was WJXX's early placement on MediaOne
MediaOne
MediaOne was a cable company created by US West in 1995 where the cable service started as a division of US West Media Group.US West founded MediaOne , through the combination of GCTV serving Atlanta, Georgia and Dekalb County, Georgia and Wometco Cable's assets in the suburbs of Georgia.In time...
channel 7, which suffered from interference from WJCT
WJCT (TV)
WJCT is a community-supported PBS member station serving Jacksonville, Florida, broadcasting on digital channel 7. Its studio is located near Jacksonville's Sports Complex and adjacent to Metropolitan Park....
, the area's broadcast channel 7. After 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...
(FCC) legalized duopolies on November 15, 1999, Allbritton announced the sale of WJXX to WTLV owner Gannett Company
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
the next day. Normally, duopolies between two "big four" affiliates or even "big three" affiliates would not be allowed because they usually constituted the top four stations in a market. FCC regulations do not allow common ownership of any two of the four biggest stations in a market. However, WJXX was ranked as the fifth-watched station in the market, often trailing WJWB (which had gone from one of ABC's weakest affiliates to becoming one of The WB's strongest affiliates) and 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...
affiliate WAWS
WAWS
WAWS is the Fox-affiliated television station for Florida's First Coast licensed to Jacksonville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter on Hogan Road in the city's Southside section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 10 and in high...
(channel 30) in addition to WJXT and WTLV.
Once the sale was final on March 17, 2000, Gannett moved WJXX into WTLV's facilities and kept only a handful of the original staff. This created First Coast News which airs on both stations today. However, most of the news personnel are veterans of WTLV. (The deal did not include WBSG, which then joined Pax and was soon acquired by Paxson Communications
ION Media Networks
ION Media Networks is an American television broadcasting company that owns and operates over 60 television stations in most major American markets. It is now a privately owned company.-History:...
, becoming WPXC-TV
WPXC-TV
WPXC-TV is the Ion Television television station in the Jacksonville, Florida, market, but licenced to serve Brunswick, Georgia. Owned by Ion Media Networks, the station broadcasts on digital channel 24. In addition, the station has a low power repeater in Jacksonville, WPXJ-LP, on channel...
.)
First Coast News adopted the "Global Village" theme by Stephen Arnold Music in 2000 shortly after acquiring WJXX (the package used before then was "The NBC Collection"). This package stayed until December 2006, when the station switched to "Seize The Day" by 615 Music
615 Music
615 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...
. Earlier that year, First Coast News renovated its studios and changed their graphics after long-time anchor Alan Gionet
Alan Gionet
Alan Gionet is currently a reporter and weekend anchor, alongside Kathy Walsh, at KCNC in Denver, Colorado. Gionet co-anchors the weekend 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts of CBS 4 Denver....
departed.
On September 10, 2007, First Coast News stopped simulcasting the 5 and 5:30 p.m. weekday broadcasts on WJXX. The Ellen DeGeneres Show
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...
replaced the broadcasts at 5 p.m. on WJXX instead. Since NBC's Today expanded to four hours, the station moved Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, which had previously aired at 10 a.m. on WTLV, to WJXX at 9 a.m. Divorce Court
Divorce Court
Divorce Court is a judge show about cases which only involve divorcing couples. Out of the shows currently airing in the court-themed genre, Divorce Court is the oldest...
was also moved from WJXX (where it had aired at Noon) to 2 p.m. on WTLV. Joy Purdy (who previously worked at WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
, 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...
affiliate in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) also debuted as the new anchor of First Coast News at 7. On October 29, 2007, First Coast News once again debuted new graphics in time for the November sweeps. Along with new graphics, Donna Hicken officially identified herself on-air as Donna Deegan
Donna Deegan
Donna Deegan is currently an author, breast cancer awareness advocate, and weekday television anchor, alongside Jeff Marcu and Shannon Ogden, on First Coast News at WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Deegan co-anchors the weeknight 5:30 and 11 p.m...
.
On May 21, 2008, as expected, First Coast News debuted its new website.
First Coast News now offers a "Weather Call" service that will call your telephone in the event of severe weather near your specific location. It utilizes National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
data to place the call.
On October 23, 2008, First Coast News debuted new graphics and music, the same standardized packages as on every other Gannett television station. The new uniformed graphics were created by G3 (or the Gannett Graphics Group) based near sister station KUSA-TV
KUSA-TV
KUSA, 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; the music was composed by Rampage Music New York.
In January, 2009, First Coast News fired weekend meteorologist Dave Vanore. Michelle Jacobs returned to First Coast News to anchor weather and traffic in the mornings. The entire weather team shifted, with Steve Smith moving from mornings to 7 p.m. weekdays, and Mark Collins moving to weekend newscasts.
On June 12, 2009, WJXX shut down its analog transmitter in Clay County, Florida
Clay County, Florida
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 190,895. Its county seat is Green Cove Springs, Florida. Clay County is part of the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan area.- History :...
. This caused viewers in areas such as Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
to lose programming from WJXX, but viewers in Flagler County, Florida
Flagler County, Florida
Flagler County was created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia counties. It was named for Henry Morrison Flagler, a famous railroad builder who built the Florida East Coast Railway. Bunnell is the county seat of Flagler County....
and on the Colonial Coast
Colonial Coast
Southeastern Georgia's Lower Coastal Plain is a subregion that encompasses the lowest lying areas of the Atlantic coastal plain in the state, containing barrier islands, marshes, and swampy lowlands, as well as flat plains and low terraces. It differs from Georgia's Upper Coastal Plain in that it...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
gained programming.
In July 2009, First Coast News yet again shuffled anchors around. Joy Purdy and Deanna Fene departed First Coast News at 7, with Purdy switching places with Patty Crosby and joining Phil Amato on Good Morning Jacksonville, and Fene replacing departing Victor Blackwell on weekend evenings. Crosby moved to 7 p.m. broadcasts anchoring news, with Steve Smith anchoring weather, and Dan Hicken anchoring sports. Corrine Hautala was hired to anchor weekend morning newscasts.
On February 1, 2010, First Coast News began broadcasting local newscasts in high definition, becoming the third television news operation in Jacksonville to do so. Coincidentally, Action News on WTEV-TV
WTEV-TV
WTEV-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Florida's First Coast licensed to Jacksonville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on Hogan Road in the city's Southside section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 6 and in high...
(channel 47) and WAWS began broadcasting in that format the day before. The entire on-air appearance was revamped, with differently stylized versions of Gannett's standardized graphics being introduced, as well as a brand new set being unveiled, designed by FX Group
FX Group
FX Group is a set design, fabrication and lighting design company based in Ocoee, Florida.FX Group has designed and built sets for broadcast programs across the country, mostly in the area of live news...
. With the premiere of high definition newscasts, First Coast News completed the transition to high definition broadcasts on Jacksonville's television newscasts.
Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:Channel
RF Channel
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
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 ...
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...
In 2009, WJXX left channel 25 and kept its digital TV on channel 10 when the analog shutdown occurred.
News operation
Monday through Friday there was news from 5:30 a.m.-7 a.m. (ABC 25 Today), at noon, from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m., ABC 25 Tonight at 7 p.m., and then the 11 p.m. Nightcast. On weekends there was either a 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. news and then the 11 p.m. Nightcast. There was no morning show on weekends. (Before the full-scale launch of ABC 25 News, WJXX showed M*A*S*H reruns at 6 and 11 p.m., while then-satellite WBSG broke off to show its own Georgia-targeted newscasts that had predated the ABC affiliation.)
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, WTLV and WJXX had a powerful lead. They won the weekday morning, Noon, 5:30, and 6 p.m. slots. Also, at 11 p.m., more people watched WTLV and WJXX than any other local station combined. However, as of the November 2007 Nielsen Ratings, WTLV and WJXX only won the weekday morning, Noon, and 11 p.m. news slot. The 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m. slots went to WJXT.
WJXX is the only television station in Jacksonville to have a weeknight 7 p.m. newscast known as First Coast News at 7 and airs Good Morning Jacksonville Sunday as well.
In addition to their main studios, WJXX and WTLV operate a "Southern Bureau" that covers St. Johns
St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County is a county located in northeastern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,039. The county seat is St. Augustine. Due to the inclusion of Ponte Vedra Beach, it is one of the highest-income counties in the United States....
, Clay
Clay County, Florida
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 190,895. Its county seat is Green Cove Springs, Florida. Clay County is part of the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan area.- History :...
, and Putnam
Putnam County, Florida
Putnam County is a county located in the state of Florida. The entire county makes up the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 70,423. The U.S. Census Bureau 2009 estimate for the county was 72,893 . Its county seat is Palatka, Florida. The county is centrally...
Counties.
WJXX and WTLV operate their own 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...
. It is located next to WTLV's transmitter. They also broadcast a weather radar that is operated by the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
and is located at its Local Forecast Office near Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located 13 miles north of downtown Jacksonville, a city in Duval County, Florida...
.
Newscast titles
- ABC 25 News (1997–2000)
- 12 News on ABC 25 (2000)
- First Coast News (April 2000–present; with WTLV)
Station slogans
- TV is Good, on ABC-25 (1997–1998; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- We Love TV, on ABC-25 (1998–1999; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- The Spirit of The First Coast (2000–2002)
- Your News Leader (2002–present)
Newscast music
- Impact by 615 Music (1997–2000; when WJXX had its own news department)
- Global Village by Stephen Arnold Music (2000–2006; with WTLV)
- Seize The Day by 615 Music (2006–present; with WTLV)
- Gannett News Music Package by Rampage Music New York (2008–present; with WTLV)
Current on-air staff
Current Anchors- Phil AmatoPhil AmatoPhil Amato is currently a weekday anchor on First Coast News at WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida. Amato co-anchors Good Morning Jacksonville Sunrise and Good Morning Jacksonville, the weekday broadcasts from 5 to 7 a.m., with Joy Purdy...
— weekday mornings "Good Morning Jacksonville" (5–7 a.m.) - Jeannie BlaylockJeannie BlaylockJeannie Blaylock is a weekday anchor, alongside Shannon Ogden, on First Coast News at WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. She is also the "Healthwatch" reporter. Blaylock co-anchors the weeknight 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts of First Coast News.Jeannie graduated valedictorian from Cape...
— weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m. - Patty Crosby — weeknights at 7 p.m.
- Donna DeeganDonna DeeganDonna Deegan is currently an author, breast cancer awareness advocate, and weekday television anchor, alongside Jeff Marcu and Shannon Ogden, on First Coast News at WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Deegan co-anchors the weeknight 5:30 and 11 p.m...
— weeknights at 5:30 and 11 p.m. - Jessica Clark — weekends at 6, 6:30, and 11 p.m.
- Jeff Marcu — weeknights at 5:30 p.m.
- Shannon OgdenShannon OgdenShannon Ogden is currently a weekday anchor, alongside Jeannie Blaylock and Donna Deegan, on First Coast News at WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida. Ogden co-anchors the weeknight 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts of First Coast News....
— weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. - Joy Purdy — weekday mornings "Good Morning Jacksonville" (5–7 a.m.) and noon
Weather team
- Tim Deegan (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, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7 (Monday through Wednesday) and 11 p.m. - Steve Smith (AMS Seal of Approval) — Meteorologist; weekday mornings
- Mike Prangley - Meteorologist; weekends, weekdays at 12 p.m. (Thursday and Friday)
- Lewis Turner - Forecaster/reporter; weekdays at 7 p.m.
Sports team
- Dan HickenDan HickenDaniel Patrick "Dan" Hicken is currently the sports director and weeknight sports anchor for First Coast News on television stations WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Florida...
— Sports Director, weeknights at 6, 7, and 11 p.m., Sundays at 6, 6:30, and 11 p.m. - Chris Porter — Sports Anchor; Saturdays at 6, 6:30, and 11 p.m.
Reporters
- Ken Amaro — 5 and 6 p.m. consumer reporter
- Jackelyn Barnard — general assignment reporter
- Erin Hawley — general assignment reporter
- Len Kiese — general assignment reporter
- Kaitlyn Ross - general assignment reporter
- Claire Simms - southern bureau reporter
- Erich Spivey — general assignment reporter (mornings)
- Roger Weeder — general assignment reporter (mornings)
- Amanda Zitzman - traffic reporter
Notable former employees
- Donna SavareseDonna SavareseDonna Savarese is a two-time Emmy Award winning television journalist and news anchor most recently with KMOV in St. Louis, Missouri, the CBS affiliate. She anchored the 6pm newscast Monday-Friday. Prior to KMOV, Savarese was the weekend anchor and reporter at KIAH in Houston, Texas...
– Anchor - Alan GionetAlan GionetAlan Gionet is currently a reporter and weekend anchor, alongside Kathy Walsh, at KCNC in Denver, Colorado. Gionet co-anchors the weekend 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts of CBS 4 Denver....
, now at KCNC - Lee WebbLee Webb (newscaster)Lee Webb is the anchor of The 700 Club, the flagship program of The Christian Broadcasting Network , and Newswatch, a half-hour daily news program also on CBN. He was born in Pompano Beach, Florida.-Career:...