WPMI-TV
Encyclopedia
WPMI is the NBC
-affiliated television station for South Alabama
and much of the Emerald Coast
of Florida
. Licensed to Mobile
, the station broadcasts on digital UHF
channel 15. WPMI's transmitter is located near Robertsdale
. The station is owned by Newport Television, LLC as part of a duopoly with independent station WJTC
. Its studios are located on Azalea Road near Interstate 65
in Mobile. WPMI is known on air as "Local 15".
In 1985, WPMI was sold to Michigan Energy Resources; however, the sale did not affect programming practices. By that time WPMI was getting stronger programming, such as more recent cartoons and more recent network sitcom reruns. In 1987, WPMI became a charter Fox
affiliate.
In January 1989 MER sold WPMI to Clear Channel Communications
, now known to the public for its ownership of well over 1000 radio stations, however at the time Clear Channel owned only a dozen radio stations. WPMI became Clear Channel's first entry into the television business. Clear Channel bought several more television stations later in other similarly sized markets in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Clear Channel purchased all the assets of rival WJTC
Channel 44 except for its broadcast license. The company began buying time on WJTC and running shows that it could not fit onto WPMI's schedule. This deal became known as a local marketing agreement
, which became a common practice at that time.
In 1995, Fox formed SF Broadcasting
with Savoy
and bought three NBC
affiliates and an ABC
affiliate; one of the NBC stations was local rival WALA
. On January 1, 1996, the FOX and NBC networks switched stations in the market: WALA became a Fox affiliate, and WPMI became an NBC affiliate.
Syndicated cartoons and most of the off-network sitcoms moved to LMA partner WJTC
, which became a UPN affiliate in January 1995. WPMI began to place more first-run syndicated programs in its off-network and non-newscast slots. It also added early morning, midday, evening, and late newscasts; the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts sandwich NBC News.
On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Providence Equity Partners
. On March 15, 2008 WPMI, as well as all of the other Clear Channel Television properties, were sold to Newport Television LLC, the company that Providence Equity created to run the newly acquired television stations.
and the Florida Panhandle
including Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. In 2006, the station gained considerable notoriety for a dubious report about leprechaun sightings in the Crichton area of Mobile, AL. The report quickly went viral on YouTube. In 2010, it was even referenced in an episode of South Park.
On August 24, 2009, WPMI unveiled its new "Local 15" branding for its 5:00pm newscast. It also rebranded its weather operations as "The Weather Authority." Both slogans are a nod to sister station WKRC-TV
in Cincinnati, Ohio
, which has been known as "Local 12" since 2004 and "The Weather Authority" since the late 1980s.
Weather team
Sports team
Reporters
feeds on digital billboard
s within its viewing area—displaying Greg Peterson, Kym Thurman and Derek Beasley on a billboard, along with a Twitter headline. However, at one point, one of the Twitter headlines displayed was "3 Accused of Gang Rape in Monroeville
", which was displayed next to the anchors' pictures. A motorist shot a picture of this billboard and sent it to a South Carolina-based blog
, "The Palmetto Scoop". The picture would later appear on the Mashable
news blog site, where from there would become distributed worldwide in e-mails and other blogs, becoming an internet meme
. WPMI's general manager Shea Grandquest and news director Wes Finley would later be suspended over this incident, though station executives have yet to officially confirm this.
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...
-affiliated television station for South Alabama
South Alabama
South Alabama is a term used to describe various parts of southern Alabama. Its usage does not however reflect a strictly defined geographic region...
and much of the Emerald Coast
Emerald Coast
The Emerald Coast is an area in the US state of Florida on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico which stretches about 100 miles through four counties, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay, from Gulf Breeze on the east side of Pensacola Bay to Panama City on the east side of the St...
of 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...
. Licensed to Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, the station broadcasts on digital UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel 15. WPMI's transmitter is located near Robertsdale
Robertsdale, Alabama
Robertsdale is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,782. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The station is owned by Newport Television, LLC as part of a duopoly with independent station WJTC
WJTC
WJTC is an independent television station in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida and is owned by Newport Television, LLC, which also owns WPMI in Mobile. WJTC's transmitter is located in Robertsdale, Alabama.-History:...
. Its studios are located on Azalea Road near Interstate 65
Interstate 65 in Alabama
Interstate 65, beginning in Mobile at an interchange with Interstate 10, meanders across of the Alabama countryside linking six of the state's ten largest cities. The highway links together many important roadways that make commerce inside and outside of the state's boundaries possible...
in Mobile. WPMI is known on air as "Local 15".
History
WPMI began operation on March 12, 1982 as Alabama's first independent station. It was owned by Hess Broadcasting and ran a general entertainment format consisting of cartoons, westerns, classic sitcoms, old movies, drama shows, and religious programming.In 1985, WPMI was sold to Michigan Energy Resources; however, the sale did not affect programming practices. By that time WPMI was getting stronger programming, such as more recent cartoons and more recent network sitcom reruns. In 1987, WPMI became a charter 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.
In January 1989 MER sold WPMI to Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, now known to the public for its ownership of well over 1000 radio stations, however at the time Clear Channel owned only a dozen radio stations. WPMI became Clear Channel's first entry into the television business. Clear Channel bought several more television stations later in other similarly sized markets in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Clear Channel purchased all the assets of rival WJTC
WJTC
WJTC is an independent television station in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida and is owned by Newport Television, LLC, which also owns WPMI in Mobile. WJTC's transmitter is located in Robertsdale, Alabama.-History:...
Channel 44 except for its broadcast license. The company began buying time on WJTC and running shows that it could not fit onto WPMI's schedule. This deal became known as 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...
, which became a common practice at that time.
In 1995, Fox formed SF Broadcasting
SF Broadcasting
SF Broadcasting was an owner and operator of American television stations from March 1994, when it was created to 1997. It was formed from the purchase of Burnham Broadcasting.-Ownership structure:...
with Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and bought three 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...
affiliates and an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate; one of the NBC stations was local rival WALA
Wala
Wala can refer to:Places* Wala , a small island in Vanuatu, and a popular destination for cruise ships*Wala , a volcano in Papua New GuineaPeople*Wala of Corbie , an advisor to the Frankish kings including Charlemagne...
. On January 1, 1996, the FOX and NBC networks switched stations in the market: WALA became a Fox affiliate, and WPMI became an NBC affiliate.
Syndicated cartoons and most of the off-network sitcoms moved to LMA partner WJTC
WJTC
WJTC is an independent television station in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida and is owned by Newport Television, LLC, which also owns WPMI in Mobile. WJTC's transmitter is located in Robertsdale, Alabama.-History:...
, which became a UPN affiliate in January 1995. WPMI began to place more first-run syndicated programs in its off-network and non-newscast slots. It also added early morning, midday, evening, and late newscasts; the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts sandwich NBC News.
On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Providence Equity Partners
Providence Equity Partners
Providence Equity Partners is a global private equity investment firm focused on media, entertainment, communications and information investments...
. On March 15, 2008 WPMI, as well as all of the other Clear Channel Television properties, were sold to Newport Television LLC, the company that Providence Equity created to run the newly acquired television stations.
Digital television
On June 13, 2009, WPMI-TV remained on channel 15 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.News operation
WPMI covers news for Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
and 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...
including Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. In 2006, the station gained considerable notoriety for a dubious report about leprechaun sightings in the Crichton area of Mobile, AL. The report quickly went viral on YouTube. In 2010, it was even referenced in an episode of South Park.
On August 24, 2009, WPMI unveiled its new "Local 15" branding for its 5:00pm newscast. It also rebranded its weather operations as "The Weather Authority." Both slogans are a nod to sister station WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, which has been known as "Local 12" since 2004 and "The Weather Authority" since the late 1980s.
Newscast titles
- NewsChannel 15 (1996–1998)
- NBC 15 News (1998–2009)
- Local 15 News (2009–present)
Station slogans
- Covering the Coast (2000–2005)
- Close to Home (2005–2007)
- Breaking News. Breaking Weather. (2007–present; news slogan)
- The Weather Authority (2009–present; weather slogan)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Angela Martin - weekday mornings and noon
- Pat Greenwood - weekday mornings and noon
- Greg Peterson - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Jenna Susko - weekend evenings (also weekday reporter)
- Andrea Ramey - weekend evenings (also weekday reporter)
- Kym Thurman - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
Weather team
- Derek Beasley (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,...
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) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. - Kelly Foster (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon
- Deitra Tate (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; weekend evenings
Sports team
- Lance Crawford - sports director; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Clement Townsend - sports anchor; weekend evenings, also sports reporter
Reporters
- Tami Brehse - general assignment reporter
- John Dzenitis - general assignment reporter
- James Gordon - general assignment reporter
- Frank Morales - general assignment reporter
- Andrea Ramey - general assignment reporter
- Darwin Singleton - "Here's Darwin" feature reporter
- Jenna Susko - general assignment reporter
- Trish Williford - genetral assignment reporter
Twitter internet meme
In 2009, WPMI began to display real-time TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
feeds on digital billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s within its viewing area—displaying Greg Peterson, Kym Thurman and Derek Beasley on a billboard, along with a Twitter headline. However, at one point, one of the Twitter headlines displayed was "3 Accused of Gang Rape in Monroeville
Monroeville, Alabama
Monroeville is a city in Monroe County, Alabama, United States, the county seat of Monroe County. At the 2000 census its population was 6,862. It is known as the home town of two prominent writers of the post World War II period, Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who were childhood friends in the...
", which was displayed next to the anchors' pictures. A motorist shot a picture of this billboard and sent it to a South Carolina-based blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, "The Palmetto Scoop". The picture would later appear on the Mashable
Mashable
Mashable is an American news website and Internet news blog founded by Pete Cashmore. The website's primary focus is social media news, but also covers news and developments in mobile, entertainment, online video, business, web development, technology, memes and gadgets...
news blog site, where from there would become distributed worldwide in e-mails and other blogs, becoming an internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
. WPMI's general manager Shea Grandquest and news director Wes Finley would later be suspended over this incident, though station executives have yet to officially confirm this.