WMBB
Encyclopedia
WMBB is the ABC
-affiliated television station
for the Florida Panhandle
that is licensed Panama City
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Youngstown
along the Bay
and Calhoun
County line. Owned by Hoak Media Corporation
, the station has studios on Harrison Avenue (U.S. 231
/FL 75) in Downtown Panama City. Syndicated
programming on WMBB includes: Entertainment Tonight
, Oprah
, Dr. Phil
, and The Dr. Oz Show
.
digital channel 133, and Comcast
digital channel 209 is This TV
which uses the fictional calls "NMBB-TV".
network affiliate. On February 28, 1977, WDTB was sold to Octagon Broadcasting an Atlanta-based outfit. Upon the change, Octagon changed the station's call sign to the current WMBB (which stands for "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches").
Originally, the station was positioned to be the NBC affiliate for Tallahassee as well since the market
did not have one until April 21, 1983, when WTWC began. At the time, its transmitter was in Frink
, Calhoun County, well over fifty miles (80 km) away from Tallahassee at approximately 30°22′9"N 85°12′29"W. In addition, many viewers in the capital city already received NBC from Albany, Georgia
's WALB
which provided a better signal to the area.
On January 4, 1982, WMBB made the affiliation switch to ABC swapping with crosstown rival WJHG, which had been the market's original NBC station prior to 1973. Then on December 5, 1986, Buford Television of Tyler, Texas
purchased the station and began investing in equipment and news talent in order to make the station more competitive, not only with WJHG, but also with Dothan, Alabama
's WTVY, the CBS
station serving the eastern part of the Northwestern Florida Panhandle region. It was also around this time that this station moved from its location in Downtown Panama City to its current location on Harrison Avenue that formerly housed a Buick
dealership. The new facilities offered three times the space of the previous location.
Unexpectedly at 2:03 p.m. Central Time
on May 18, 1989, an Air Force F-15
fighter jet clipped a wire at WMMB's Frink tower. This caused the tower, antenna, and transmitter to be completely destroyed. Not long after this incident, the channel was sold once again. This time, it joined Spartan Communications of Spartanburg, South Carolina
as construction of new transmission equipment got underway. The company completed the acquisition on April 12, 1990. On August 6 of that same year, WMBB began broadcasting from a new 1,500-foot (457 m) state-of-the-art antenna and transmitter tower now in Youngstown. This allowed for better viewing of the station in the western half of the market including the rapidly growing southern Walton County
area and Destin
.
In 1993, WMBB refused to air the ABC show NYPD Blue
due to its violence, harsh language, and partial nudity. Instead, it aired syndicated programming during the timeslot. It was one of several ABC affiliates across the country that refused clearance to the program. Then-General Manager Hugh Roche kept the show off the station until 1997 when the parental ratings system was adopted by the networks. By the time WMBB finally allowed the program to air, it was the last station in the country to lift its ban on the show.
In March 2000, this station became one of thirteen in a package acquired by Media General
worth $605 million. Later that year, Media General purchased the Jackson County Floridan newspaper. WMBB then established a Jackson County
Bureau and used the resources of the Floridan to cover Jackson County as well. This caught the eye of the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) because of the common ownership of a newspaper and television station in the same market. With the sale of WMBB to Hoak Media, this is no longer an issue. By the time Media General sold the station, Media General was granted a permanent waiver by the FCC to operate both properties in the same market. Even after the sale, both properties remain media partners.
WMBB made history during Hurricane Dennis
in July 2005 when it became the first station in Panama City to broadcast live storm coverage over the internet. It was one of the first stations in the country to use the Titan forecasting tool (a 3D
forecasting system which showed the collapse of the storm just before it struck Santa Rosa Island
). On March 14, 2008, it was announced that Media General would sell the station (and sister KALB-TV
in Alexandria, Louisiana
) to Hoak Media Corporation. The deal was closed on July 16. WMBB is Hoak's first television station east of the Mississippi River
.
As of January 2010, this station (who is across the street from Fox affiliate WPGX
) has begun to produce weather cut-ins for that channel. WMBB offers live streams of its newscasts regional weather radar
on its website. In July 2010, the station replaced its second digital subchannel broadcast of weather radar with This TV. That network originally aired on WBIF
after that channel stopped airing content from the Retro Television Network
(RTV). Its replacement was supposed to be WPGX-DT2 but this never made it to air. "NMBB-TV" will air collegiate games from the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) starting in the Fall.
In May 2011, WMBB debuted widescreen newscasts, becoming the second station in the Panama City area to do so. New graphics, music and a modified set design were a part of the upgrade. On July 21, 2011, WMBB announced on their Facebook page that they would add another newscast starting September 12th, "News 13 Midday" that will run from 11 a.m. until noon each day. This is actually a return to doing a news program at Midday since the station used to produce a midday program until the late 1990s.
Titan 13 Weather Team
Sports
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 station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
that is licensed Panama City
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. It broadcasts a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Youngstown
Youngstown, Florida
Youngstown is an unincorporated community in Bay County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area....
along the Bay
Bay County, Florida
Bay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 163,505 . Its county seat is Panama City, Florida. The county is best known for its white sand beaches and crystal blue water, where large pods of dolphins swim year-round...
and Calhoun
Calhoun County, Florida
Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,017. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 13,410 . Its county seat is Blountstown, Florida.- History :...
County line. Owned by Hoak Media Corporation
Hoak Media Corporation
Hoak Media Corporation is a United States broadcasting media company based in Dallas, Texas. Hoak owns eighteen television stations , all in medium and small-markets, mostly in the Great Plains states and Colorado....
, the station has studios on Harrison Avenue (U.S. 231
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 912 miles from St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 to south of U.S. Route 98 in Downtown Panama City, Florida.One of its most notable landmarks is the William H...
/FL 75) in Downtown Panama City. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on WMBB includes: Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, 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....
, Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
, and The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show is an American syndicated television talk show, hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and teaching professor at Columbia University who became famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 until 2009....
.
Digital programming
On WMBB-DT2, KnologyKnology
Knology Inc. is a cable company that formed in 1994 by ITC Holding Company, Inc, a telecommunications holding company in West Point, Georgia that also founded Internet service provider Mindspring. In late 1994, shortly after Knology's inception, two employees made a $600,000 investment to make...
digital channel 133, and 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...
digital channel 209 is This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
which uses the fictional calls "NMBB-TV".
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 13.1 | main WMBB programming/ABC HD |
| 13.2 | "NMBB-TV" "This TV Panama City" |
History
It first began broadcast operations on October 4, 1973 as WDTB-TV started by Panhandle Broadcasting Corporation (run by attorney Denver T. Brannen), financed by local businessman/car dealer Tommy Thomas, and attorneys Julian Bennett and Dick Arnold. When it first took to the air, the channel was originally an NBCNBC
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...
network affiliate. On February 28, 1977, WDTB was sold to Octagon Broadcasting an Atlanta-based outfit. Upon the change, Octagon changed the station's call sign to the current WMBB (which stands for "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches").
Originally, the station was positioned to be the NBC affiliate for Tallahassee as well since 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...
did not have one until April 21, 1983, when WTWC began. At the time, its transmitter was in Frink
Frink, Florida
Frink is an unincorporated community in Calhoun County, Florida, United States. It is located on State Road 73.-Geography:Frink is located at ....
, Calhoun County, well over fifty miles (80 km) away from Tallahassee at approximately 30°22′9"N 85°12′29"W. In addition, many viewers in the capital city already received NBC from Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
's WALB
WALB
WALB is the NBC- and ABC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Georgia licensed to Albany. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter in Doerun along the Colquitt and Worth County line...
which provided a better signal to the area.
On January 4, 1982, WMBB made the affiliation switch to ABC swapping with crosstown rival WJHG, which had been the market's original NBC station prior to 1973. Then on December 5, 1986, Buford Television of Tyler, Texas
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
purchased the station and began investing in equipment and news talent in order to make the station more competitive, not only with WJHG, but also with Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
's WTVY, 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...
station serving the eastern part of the Northwestern Florida Panhandle region. It was also around this time that this station moved from its location in Downtown Panama City to its current location on Harrison Avenue that formerly housed a Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
dealership. The new facilities offered three times the space of the previous location.
Unexpectedly at 2:03 p.m. Central Time
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
on May 18, 1989, an Air Force F-15
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighter jet clipped a wire at WMMB's Frink tower. This caused the tower, antenna, and transmitter to be completely destroyed. Not long after this incident, the channel was sold once again. This time, it joined Spartan Communications of Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
as construction of new transmission equipment got underway. The company completed the acquisition on April 12, 1990. On August 6 of that same year, WMBB began broadcasting from a new 1,500-foot (457 m) state-of-the-art antenna and transmitter tower now in Youngstown. This allowed for better viewing of the station in the western half of the market including the rapidly growing southern Walton County
Walton County, Florida
Walton County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 40,601. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 50,324. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at .- History...
area and Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
.
In 1993, WMBB refused to air the ABC show NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
due to its violence, harsh language, and partial nudity. Instead, it aired syndicated programming during the timeslot. It was one of several ABC affiliates across the country that refused clearance to the program. Then-General Manager Hugh Roche kept the show off the station until 1997 when the parental ratings system was adopted by the networks. By the time WMBB finally allowed the program to air, it was the last station in the country to lift its ban on the show.
In March 2000, this station became one of thirteen in a package acquired by Media General
Media General
Media General, Inc. is a media company based in the Southeastern United States. Its major properties include newspapers such as The Tampa Tribune, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as numerous television stations, such as flagship station WFLA-TV.The company was...
worth $605 million. Later that year, Media General purchased the Jackson County Floridan newspaper. WMBB then established a Jackson County
Jackson County, Florida
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The population as of the 2000 census was 46,755. As of 2005, the population was estimated to be 48,985 . Its county seat is Marianna, Florida.- History :...
Bureau and used the resources of the Floridan to cover Jackson County as well. This caught the eye of 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) because of the common ownership of a newspaper and television station in the same market. With the sale of WMBB to Hoak Media, this is no longer an issue. By the time Media General sold the station, Media General was granted a permanent waiver by the FCC to operate both properties in the same market. Even after the sale, both properties remain media partners.
WMBB made history during Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis was an early-forming major hurricane in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico during the very active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Dennis was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season...
in July 2005 when it became the first station in Panama City to broadcast live storm coverage over the internet. It was one of the first stations in the country to use the Titan forecasting tool (a 3D
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
forecasting system which showed the collapse of the storm just before it struck Santa Rosa Island
Santa Rosa Island, Florida
Santa Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
). On March 14, 2008, it was announced that Media General would sell the station (and sister KALB-TV
KALB-TV
KALB-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Louisiana licensed to Alexandria. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from a transmitter in Forest Hill. The station can also be seen on Suddenlink channel 5 and in high definition on digital channel 730...
in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
) to Hoak Media Corporation. The deal was closed on July 16. WMBB is Hoak's first television station east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
As of January 2010, this station (who is across the street from Fox affiliate WPGX
WPGX
WPGX is the Fox Network-affiliated television station for the Florida Panhandle that is licensed Panama City. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter in the Bennett section of Youngstown. Owned by Raycom Media, the station has studios known as the "Fox...
) has begun to produce weather cut-ins for that channel. WMBB offers live streams of its newscasts regional 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...
on its website. In July 2010, the station replaced its second digital subchannel broadcast of weather radar with This TV. That network originally aired on WBIF
WBIF
WBIF is a television station licensed to Marianna, Florida, serving the Panama City, Florida market on channel 51. The station is owned by the Daystar Television Network.-History:Founded in 2001, the station was originally owned by Equity Media Holdings...
after that channel stopped airing content from the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
(RTV). Its replacement was supposed to be WPGX-DT2 but this never made it to air. "NMBB-TV" will air collegiate games from the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) starting in the Fall.
In May 2011, WMBB debuted widescreen newscasts, becoming the second station in the Panama City area to do so. New graphics, music and a modified set design were a part of the upgrade. On July 21, 2011, WMBB announced on their Facebook page that they would add another newscast starting September 12th, "News 13 Midday" that will run from 11 a.m. until noon each day. This is actually a return to doing a news program at Midday since the station used to produce a midday program until the late 1990s.
Newscast titles
- Newscope 13 (1973–1976)
- 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...
13 (1976–1981) - NewsCenter 13 (1981–1987)
- 13 Eyewitness NewsEyewitness NewsEyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
(1987–1996) - News 13 (1996–2006)
- WMBB News 13 (2006–present)
Station slogans
- "TV-13, 13 Strong" (1990–1994, general slogan)
- "Coverage You Can Count On" (1990–1996, news slogan)
- "Your News Station" (1996–2001)
- "On Your Side" (2001–2011)
- The station no longer uses a defining brand, instead, creating subbrands.
- "Sports. Done Right."
- "The Most Experienced Weather Team in the Panhandle"
News team
Anchors- Greg Sherrod - weekday mornings
- Jessica Foster - weekday mornings and "Modern Medicine" segment producer
- Amy Hoyt - Assistant News Director seen weeknights and "The Wheel" segment producer
- Jerry Brown - weeknights and "Problem Solver" segment producer
- J. Michael Brown - Weekends
Titan 13 Weather Team
- Justin Kiefer (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 seen weeknights at 6 and 10 - Jerry Tabatt - Senior Forecaster, seen weekday mornings.
- Elissia Wilson (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) - Seen on weekends.
Sports
- Chris Marchand - Sports Director
- Alison Posey - Sports Reporter \ Weekend Anchor
Reporters
- Jay Granberg - photographer
- Jason Hackett
- Alyssa Hyman
- Marc McAfee
- Andrew Ruiz
- Allyson Walker
- Nadeen Yanes