WTVK
Encyclopedia
WXCW is the CW
-affiliated television station
for Southwest Florida
licensed to Naples
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 45 from a transmitter near the Charlotte
and Lee County
line. The station can also be seen on Comcast
channel 6 (hence the TV 6 branding) and in high definition on Comcast digital channel 236. It is owned by Sun Broadcasting, but shares technical facility with Fort Myers Broadcasting Company-owned CBS
affiliate WINK-TV
, even having its newscasts produced by the station — the two stations cannot have the same license-holder because the Southwest Florida market does not have enough full-powered station allocations to allow a duopoly
.
Syndicated programming on the station includes: Two and a Half Men
, How I Met Your Mother
, The New Adventures of Old Christine
, and King of Queens. Along with ABC
affiliate WZVN-TV
, WXCW is one of two Fort Myers-based stations licensed to Naples.
four years earlier. The station was beset with problems early on, particularly with regard to finding programming. As late as 1993, station personnel were going to a local video store and renting public domain videos to play on the station. Often, its graphics were misplaced, and the status of WNPL was constantly in doubt. From 1993 until 1998, the station carried Florida Marlins
baseball games from WBFS-TV
in Miami. It also aired Orlando Magic
basketball during much of this time.
The situation changed on January 16, 1995 when the station joined UPN
as a charter affiliate. It changed its call letters to WTVK in September of that year. Those calls were previously used on what is now WVLT-TV
in Knoxville, Tennessee
. The WNPL call sign was brought back in 2009 when a new radio station at AM 1460 signed-on to improve coverage of WPTK (1200 AM, now WINK
). With a network backing it up, WTVK was able to change program content and strengthen its signal. In 1998, the station's original local owners sold the station to ACME Communications
, who swapped affiliations with the area's cable-only WB
affiliate WSWF (now WNFM). It then adopted the on-air moniker "WB 6", after its channel location on cable.
On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced that the networks would end broadcasting and merge to form The CW. On March 9, ACME announced that all of its WB stations, including WTVK, would affiliate with The CW. However, it was likely that the station would receive the CW affiliation in any event, since WNFM is a cable-only station (that station ultimately joined MyNetworkTV
). On May 15, 2006, ACME announced that it would sell WTVK to Sun Broadcasting. The sale completed February 16, 2007 with the new owner changing the call sign
to WXCW on March 2. On February 17, 2009, it ceased analog broadcasting and became an all-digital station transmitting its signal on channel 45 (re-routed to channel 46.1 through PSIP).
along South Tamiami Trail
(U.S. 41/SR 45). Due to low ratings and financial reasons, the broadcast was dropped and its news department was shut down.
On March 26, 2007, WINK-TV began producing a prime time newscast on WXCW. Initially, it aired every night at 10 for a half-hour. This was the third show established in the time slot, competing with Fox affiliate WFTX and MyNetworkTV
affiliate WNFM. Right from the start, it emerged as a strong second place ranked broadcast, aided by WINK-TV's longtime status as the highest rated station in Southwest Florida, as well as Comcast's frequent technical difficulties in airing WNFM's newscast (the cable company operates the station), which was produced by WZVN-TV
and left the air May 25.
On October 20, 2007, WINK-TV was the first station in the area to begin offering newscasts in high definition. It purchased new HD studio cameras, field cameras, weather computers, and graphics to complete the launch. The WXCW broadcasts were included in the upgrade.
On January 7, 2008, WINK-TV started showing The Early Show
in its entirety because CBS now requires all of its affiliates to do that. Originally, the station had preempted the first hour of the show to air an extra hour of local news. It moved this broadcast to WXCW and expanded it to two hours. For a time afterward, WXCW also rebroadcast WINK's noon news at 1 in the afternoon on WXCW. Later, to compete with NBC
affiliate WBBH-TV
, a live hour-long newscast was added to WXCW weekday mornings at 11, which has since been cancelled. As of October 31, the first 21 minutes of the nightly prime time show is commercial free. On August 24, 2009, WINK-TV expanded the 10 o'clock broadcast to an hour.
Anchors
SkyTracker Meteorologists
Sports
Reporters
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
-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...
licensed to Naples
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
. 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 45 from a transmitter near the 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...
and Lee County
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...
line. 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 6 (hence the TV 6 branding) and in high definition on Comcast digital channel 236. It is owned by Sun Broadcasting, but shares technical facility with Fort Myers Broadcasting Company-owned 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 WINK-TV
WINK-TV
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...
, even having its newscasts produced by the station — the two stations cannot have the same license-holder because the Southwest Florida market does not have enough full-powered station allocations to allow a duopoly
Duopoly (broadcasting)
In United States broadcast television and radio, duopoly is a term used to describe a single company which owns two or more stations in the same city or community....
.
Syndicated programming on the station includes: Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus which ran for five seasons on CBS from March 13, 2006, to May 12, 2010...
, and King of Queens. Along with 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 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...
, WXCW is one of two Fort Myers-based stations licensed to Naples.
History
The station began broadcasting on January 1, 1990 as WNPL-TV. As an Independent, it filled a void after WFTX-TV joined FoxFox 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...
four years earlier. The station was beset with problems early on, particularly with regard to finding programming. As late as 1993, station personnel were going to a local video store and renting public domain videos to play on the station. Often, its graphics were misplaced, and the status of WNPL was constantly in doubt. From 1993 until 1998, the station carried Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
baseball games from WBFS-TV
WBFS-TV
WBFS-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for South Florida that is licensed to Miami. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Miramar. Owned by the CBS Corporation, the station is sister to CBS affiliate WFOR-TV and the two share...
in Miami. It also aired Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
basketball during much of this time.
The situation changed on January 16, 1995 when the station joined UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
as a charter affiliate. It changed its call letters to WTVK in September of that year. Those calls were previously used on what is now WVLT-TV
WVLT-TV
WVLT-TV is the CBS television network affiliate station serving Knoxville, Tennessee, the 58th DMA in America according to Nielsen Media Research...
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. The WNPL call sign was brought back in 2009 when a new radio station at AM 1460 signed-on to improve coverage of WPTK (1200 AM, now WINK
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...
). With a network backing it up, WTVK was able to change program content and strengthen its signal. In 1998, the station's original local owners sold the station to ACME Communications
ACME Communications
ACME Communications is a United States-based television broadcasting company. The company was co-founded by current Chairman and former CEO Jamie Kellner, who previously served as a Fox Television Network executive and was founding CEO of The WB Television Network. Kellner used the name Acme as a...
, who swapped affiliations with the area's cable-only 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 WSWF (now WNFM). It then adopted the on-air moniker "WB 6", after its channel location on cable.
On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced that the networks would end broadcasting and merge to form The CW. On March 9, ACME announced that all of its WB stations, including WTVK, would affiliate with The CW. However, it was likely that the station would receive the CW affiliation in any event, since WNFM is a cable-only station (that station ultimately joined MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
). On May 15, 2006, ACME announced that it would sell WTVK to Sun Broadcasting. The sale completed February 16, 2007 with the new owner changing the call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
to WXCW on March 2. On February 17, 2009, it ceased analog broadcasting and became an all-digital station transmitting its signal on channel 45 (re-routed to channel 46.1 through PSIP).
News operation
As an independent station, WNPL operated a news department, producing a weeknight prime time show entitled Channel 46 Ten O'Clock News. This originated from its original studios on Bonita Bay Boulevard in Bonita SpringsBonita Springs, Florida
Bonita Springs is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,914 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located on the southwest coast of the state....
along South Tamiami Trail
Tamiami Trail
The Tamiami Trail is the southernmost of U.S. Highway 41 from State Road 60 in Tampa to U.S. Route 1 in Miami. The road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90....
(U.S. 41/SR 45). Due to low ratings and financial reasons, the broadcast was dropped and its news department was shut down.
On March 26, 2007, WINK-TV began producing a prime time newscast on WXCW. Initially, it aired every night at 10 for a half-hour. This was the third show established in the time slot, competing with Fox affiliate WFTX and MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate WNFM. Right from the start, it emerged as a strong second place ranked broadcast, aided by WINK-TV's longtime status as the highest rated station in Southwest Florida, as well as Comcast's frequent technical difficulties in airing WNFM's newscast (the cable company operates the station), which was produced by 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...
and left the air May 25.
On October 20, 2007, WINK-TV was the first station in the area to begin offering newscasts in high definition. It purchased new HD studio cameras, field cameras, weather computers, and graphics to complete the launch. The WXCW broadcasts were included in the upgrade.
On January 7, 2008, WINK-TV 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. Originally, the station had preempted the first hour of the show to air an extra hour of local news. It moved this broadcast to WXCW and expanded it to two hours. For a time afterward, WXCW also rebroadcast WINK's noon news at 1 in the afternoon on WXCW. Later, to compete with 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 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...
, a live hour-long newscast was added to WXCW weekday mornings at 11, which has since been cancelled. As of October 31, the first 21 minutes of the nightly prime time show is commercial free. On August 24, 2009, WINK-TV expanded the 10 o'clock broadcast to an hour.
News team
All on-air staff on WXCW is provided by WINK-TV.Anchors
- Stacey Adams - weeknights at 10
- Chris Cifatte - weeknights at 10
- Haley Hinds - weekends at 10 and reporter
- Jeremiah Jacobsen - weekends at 10 and reporter
- Lindsay Liepman - weekday mornings 7 - 9
- Rob Spicker - weekday mornings 7 - 9
SkyTracker Meteorologists
- Kira Miner - weekends at 10
- Scott Zedeker - weeknights at 10
Sports
- Clayton Ferraro - Director seen weeknights
Reporters
- David Bodden
- Robert Burns
- Maite De La Rosa
- Howie Grace - Charlotte County bureau
- Genevieve Judge
- Amber Lindke - Web editor and reporter
- Anjuli Lohn
- Erin Maloney
- Lauren Pastrana - morning traffic anchor and reporter
- Sarah Pusateri
- Nick Spinetto
- Renee Stoll - Collier County bureau
- Carlos Suarez
- Mike Walcher - Senior reporter
- Melissa Yeager - Call For Action