WWSB
Encyclopedia
WWSB Channel 40 is the ABC
-affiliated television station
for the Florida Suncoast
that is licensed to Sarasota
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter on Rutland Road (County Road 675) in the unincorporated Manatee County
community of Rye, about 5 miles ESE of Parrish
. Owned by Calkins Media
, the station has studios on 10th Street in the Rosemary District of Sarasota and a news bureau in Venice, FL. Its primary target area is Manatee
and Sarasota
Counties though they also cover to a lesser extent Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee counties. Due to this station's transmitter location and the changeover from analog to digital transmission, its coverage area expands as far north as Northern Hillsborough
and Polk
Counties, south to Punta Gorda, and east to Avon Park and Sebring giving some aerial viewers a choice of two or three ABC affiliates depending on location.
As a result, this station is technically a secondary ABC affiliate particularly for the eastern side of Tampa Bay
. The city of Tampa
itself is on the rim of WWSB's indoor DTV signal. On cable, the station is the sole ABC affiliate on Comcast
's Southern Sarasota County systems and it competes with Fort Myers
-based WZVN-TV
(also known on-air as "ABC 7") in Desoto
and Charlotte
Counties and Orlando
's WFTV
in Hardee County
. They have faced an uphill battle gaining carriage on cable and satellite television providers in some cases. While DirecTV
does carry WWSB, Dish Network
does not. Verizon FiOS
added the channel to its Hillsborough and Pasco
County systems in October 2006, greatly increasing WWSB's coverage area and its overlap with WFTS.
Syndicated
programming on WWSB includes Wheel of Fortune
and Jeopardy!
, both seen during the 7 pm hour, simultaneous with WFTS. On weekdays, WWSB runs miscellaneous courtroom shows and Better
, a syndicated lifestyle television program based on Better Homes and Gardens
magazine. In previous years, WWSB carried generally the same syndicated programs as the other Tampa Bay stations, despite the overlap in signals, such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show
(which was also held by WTVT
during its entire run), Extra
(also seen on WFLA-TV
) and M*A*S*H (seen over the years on many stations, most recently WTVT).
The station first went on-the-air as WXLT-TV (XL Television with "XL" representing 40, its former analog channel, in Roman numerals
) on October 23, 1971 as the first television affiliate in the area based neither in Tampa nor St. Petersburg. It signed-on to provide ABC programming in an area insufficiently covered by WLCY-TV (now WTSP
) because of that station's lower-powered transmitter location well north of the area's other televisions stations. Until WLCY upgraded its facilities in the late 1970s, both that station and WXLT competed for viewers in Hillsborough and Pinellas
Counties. It was not uncommon to see WXLT's billboards in Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Largo
. In the 1970s, WXLT also cleared some CBS
and NBC
programming passed on by WTVT and WFLA; in 1972, for example, when The Joker's Wild
debuted on CBS, it was pre-empted on WTVT but picked up by WXLT.
The call letters became WWSB in 1986. On cable, WFTS (now the area's primary ABC affiliate after a market
realignment triggered by the Fox Network's purchase of WTVT) was not carried south of the Sarasota area while WWSB was not largely available on cable north of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
until Verizon FiOS added WWSB to all of its area lineups. The latter was due to contractual conditions drawn up in the early 1990s by WTSP and later WFTS.
On September 27, 1994, WWSB received an affiliation termination notice from the ABC network, likely related to ABC's forced change to WFTS - had the station not petitioned the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) (and won, which it did) to keep its affiliation, the then-23-year-long ABC affiliation would have come to a close on 2 April 1995.
On November 5, 2001, the station changed its studio location to a new building in downtown Sarasota and switched logos in 2002. Until March 2004, the station's news department operated under the News 40 branding and the station as a whole branded as "Channel 40". This was changed to "ABC 7" because most viewers watch the station on Bright House Networks
or Comcast channel 7. However, not all cable systems carry WWSB on that channel. Comcast's Wauchula
system carries it on channel 2 and its Port Charlotte
system offers WWSB on channel 10 since its home-market station WZVN is seen on channel 7. The station discontinued its analog signal on February 1, 2009 about two weeks before the original national deadline of February 17.
Even though the national turn-off date was changed to June 12, WWSB announced that its analog signal would not be reactivated. The station broadcasts its digital signal on channel 24.
The station and its sports director, Don Brennan, have been featured on a "webisode", along with an actual episode, of the ABC show Cougar Town
, which is set in a fictional community in Sarasota County.
committed suicide
by shooting herself in the head on-the-air making reference to the station's "blood and guts" policies in her final monologue. Her suicide occurred the day after a story she filed was cut for a story on a shootout at an area restaurant.
A second mobile newsroom was added in 1996 giving the station the ability to cover live news from multiple locations during newscasts.
In October 2002, it expanded its weekday morning news to an hour starting at 6. WWSB's conversion to "ABC 7" involved a redress of the station's news set
, a new logo to a unique version and color scheme of the well-known circle 7 logo, a new slogan
, and a major local promotion
and advertising campaign
.
The station's news department focuses its coverage Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee
Counties. In addition to its main studios, WWSB operates a South Bureau (covering Southern Sarasota and Charlotte Counties) and Manatee Bureau (for Manatee County). Unlike most ABC affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone
, this station does not air local news on weekday mornings in the 5 o'clock hour.
s face in the community. The program has aired since 1972 making it the longest running locally-produced public affairs program in the Southeastern United States
.
ABC 7 Storm Center Weather Team
Sports
Reporters
Contributors
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 Suncoast
Florida Suncoast
The Florida Suncoast is a colloquial name for the west-central and southwest peninsular Florida coastal area between Tarpon Springs to the north, and Naples to the south, and includes the Tampa Bay Area. This region is sometimes also referred to as the Sun Coast...
that is licensed to Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
. 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 24 from a transmitter on Rutland Road (County Road 675) in the unincorporated Manatee County
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
community of Rye, about 5 miles ESE of Parrish
Parrish, Florida
Parrish is an unincorporated community in Manatee County, Florida, United States. It is located near the intersection of US 301 and State Road 62...
. Owned by Calkins Media
Calkins Media
Calkins Media is a media company based in Levittown, Pennsylvania, which owns 8 newspapers and 3 television stations, all of them are ABC affiliates. It was established in 1937 as Calkins Newspapers, Inc...
, the station has studios on 10th Street in the Rosemary District of Sarasota and a news bureau in Venice, FL. Its primary target area is Manatee
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Sarasota
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
Counties though they also cover to a lesser extent Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee counties. Due to this station's transmitter location and the changeover from analog to digital transmission, its coverage area expands as far north as Northern Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
and Polk
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
Counties, south to Punta Gorda, and east to Avon Park and Sebring giving some aerial viewers a choice of two or three ABC affiliates depending on location.
As a result, this station is technically a secondary ABC affiliate particularly for the eastern side of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
. The city of Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
itself is on the rim of WWSB's indoor DTV signal. On cable, the station is the sole ABC affiliate 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...
's Southern Sarasota County systems and it competes with Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
-based 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...
(also known on-air as "ABC 7") in Desoto
DeSoto County, Florida
DeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 32,209. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 35,406 . Its county seat is Arcadia, Florida. The county comprises the Arcadia, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :DeSoto...
and Charlotte
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...
Counties and Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
's WFTV
WFTV
WFTV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Florida that is licensed to Orlando. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter between Bithlo and Christmas. Owned by Cox Enterprises, WFTV is sister to Independent WRDQ. The two stations...
in Hardee County
Hardee County, Florida
Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...
. They have faced an uphill battle gaining carriage on cable and satellite television providers in some cases. While DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
does carry WWSB, Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
does not. Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service which operates over a fiber-optic communications network. It is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon Communications. Verizon was one of the first major U.S...
added the channel to its Hillsborough and Pasco
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
County systems in October 2006, greatly increasing WWSB's coverage area and its overlap with WFTS.
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 WWSB includes Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
and Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
, both seen during the 7 pm hour, simultaneous with WFTS. On weekdays, WWSB runs miscellaneous courtroom shows and Better
Better (TV series)
Better is a syndicated lifestyle television show. It airs weekdays on 80 stations across the United States. The program is produced and distributed by Meredith Corporation which was first founded as a publishing company back in 1902. Better gets its name from Meredith's flagship publication, Better...
, a syndicated lifestyle television program based on Better Homes and Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)
Better Homes and Gardens is the fourth best selling magazine in the United States. The editor in Chief is Gayle Butler. Better Homes and Gardens focuses on interests regarding homes, cooking, gardening, crafts, healthy living, decorating, and entertaining. The magazine is published 12 times per...
magazine. In previous years, WWSB carried generally the same syndicated programs as the other Tampa Bay stations, despite the overlap in signals, such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
(which was also held by WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
during its entire run), Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
(also seen on WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
) and M*A*S*H (seen over the years on many stations, most recently WTVT).
History
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
) on October 23, 1971 as the first television affiliate in the area based neither in Tampa nor St. Petersburg. It signed-on to provide ABC programming in an area insufficiently covered by WLCY-TV (now WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
) because of that station's lower-powered transmitter location well north of the area's other televisions stations. Until WLCY upgraded its facilities in the late 1970s, both that station and WXLT competed for viewers in Hillsborough and Pinellas
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
Counties. It was not uncommon to see WXLT's billboards in Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Largo
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
. In the 1970s, WXLT also cleared some 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...
and 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...
programming passed on by WTVT and WFLA; in 1972, for example, when The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s. Contestants answered questions based on categories that were determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine....
debuted on CBS, it was pre-empted on WTVT but picked up by WXLT.
The call letters became WWSB in 1986. On cable, WFTS (now the area's primary ABC affiliate after a 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...
realignment triggered by the Fox Network's purchase of WTVT) was not carried south of the Sarasota area while WWSB was not largely available on cable north of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayed main span, and a total length of 21,877 feet . It is part of I-275 and US 19 , connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough...
until Verizon FiOS added WWSB to all of its area lineups. The latter was due to contractual conditions drawn up in the early 1990s by WTSP and later WFTS.
On September 27, 1994, WWSB received an affiliation termination notice from the ABC network, likely related to ABC's forced change to WFTS - had the station not petitioned 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) (and won, which it did) to keep its affiliation, the then-23-year-long ABC affiliation would have come to a close on 2 April 1995.
On November 5, 2001, the station changed its studio location to a new building in downtown Sarasota and switched logos in 2002. Until March 2004, the station's news department operated under the News 40 branding and the station as a whole branded as "Channel 40". This was changed to "ABC 7" because most viewers watch the station on Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
or Comcast channel 7. However, not all cable systems carry WWSB on that channel. Comcast's Wauchula
Wauchula, Florida
Wauchula is a city located in Hardee County, Florida, United States, and had a population of 4,368 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 4,441.It is the county seat of Hardee County...
system carries it on channel 2 and its Port Charlotte
Port Charlotte, Florida
Port Charlotte is a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 46,451 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
system offers WWSB on channel 10 since its home-market station WZVN is seen on channel 7. The station discontinued its analog signal on February 1, 2009 about two weeks before the original national deadline of February 17.
Even though the national turn-off date was changed to June 12, WWSB announced that its analog signal would not be reactivated. The station broadcasts its digital signal on channel 24.
The station and its sports director, Don Brennan, have been featured on a "webisode", along with an actual episode, of the ABC show Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
, which is set in a fictional community in Sarasota County.
News operation
The early days of WXLT's news coverage focused on local news and events, but to improve ratings, later expanded to "blood and guts" journalism focusing mainly on crime stories. The station became notorious in 1974 when news anchor and talk-show host Christine ChubbuckChristine Chubbuck
Christine Chubbuck was an American television news reporter who committed suicide during a live television broadcast.-Early life and education:...
committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by shooting herself in the head on-the-air making reference to the station's "blood and guts" policies in her final monologue. Her suicide occurred the day after a story she filed was cut for a story on a shootout at an area restaurant.
A second mobile newsroom was added in 1996 giving the station the ability to cover live news from multiple locations during newscasts.
In October 2002, it expanded its weekday morning news to an hour starting at 6. WWSB's conversion to "ABC 7" involved a redress of the station's news set
Set construction
Set construction is the process by which a set designer works in collaboration with the director of a production to create the set for a theatrical, film or television production...
, a new logo to a unique version and color scheme of the well-known circle 7 logo, a new slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
, and a major local promotion
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
and advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
.
The station's news department focuses its coverage Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee
Hardee County, Florida
Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...
Counties. In addition to its main studios, WWSB operates a South Bureau (covering Southern Sarasota and Charlotte Counties) and Manatee Bureau (for Manatee County). Unlike most ABC affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, this station does not air local news on weekday mornings in the 5 o'clock hour.
Black Almanac
Black Almanac is a locally-produced public affairs program that airs on Sunday mornings 7:30. It is hosted by Ed James who is a longtime anchor and personality of the station since just after their sign-on as WXLT. The show focuses on the issues that African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s face in the community. The program has aired since 1972 making it the longest running locally-produced public affairs program in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
ABC 7 News Team
Anchors- Lauren Dorsett - weeknights at 5 pm, 5:30 pm, 6 pm & 11pm
- Scott Dennis - weeknights at 5pm, 5:30pm and 6 pm
- "Living Green" segment producer
- Hayley Wielgus - weekday mornings at sunrise and noon
- "Suncoast Scene" Reporter
- John McQuiston - weekends and reporter
ABC 7 Storm Center Weather Team
- Bob Harrigan - Chief Meteorologist seen weeknights at 5 pm, 5:30 pm, 6 pm and 11 pm and "Fishin' with Bob and Captain Jonnie" segment producer
- John Scalzi (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,...
) - weekday sunrise and noon - Meredith Garofalo - weekend meteorologist / reporter
- Wendy Ross - fill-in forecaster
Sports
- Don Brennan - weeknights at 5 pm, 6 pm and 11 pm
- Bill Wagy - fill-in
Reporters
- Josh Taylor - "7 South Newsroom" Bureau
- Jennifer Schwan - General
- Fallon Silcox - General
- Max Winitz - General
- Linda Carson - General; fill-in anchor
Contributors
- Dr. Ed James - producer and host of Black Almanac
- Richard Stern - Business Commentator seen weeknights at 5:30 pm and Mondays at noon
- Chef Judi Gallagher - Culinary Director seen weekdays at noon
- Captain Johnny Walker - seen on "Fishin' with Bob and Captain Jonnie"
- Frank Alcock - Political Commentator
- Anne L. Weintraub - Law Consultant seen Fridays at noon and at 5:30 pm
- Chuck Whitaker - Sunrise Traffic (via phone)
Former staff
- Christine ChubbuckChristine ChubbuckChristine Chubbuck was an American television news reporter who committed suicide during a live television broadcast.-Early life and education:...
(1971–1974) (anchor, shot self live on air) - Brad GiffenBrad GiffenBrad Giffen is a Canadian news anchor who has worked on television in both Canada and the United States.Over his broadcasting career he has also worked as a radio personality, disc jockey, VJ, television reporter and television producer....
(2003–2008) (5:30 pm anchor/reporter) (currently at CFTO-DT and CTV News Channel) - John HillJohn Hill-Politics:*John Hill , MP for Dorchester *John Hill , United States Representative from Virginia...
(1986–1995) (5, 6 and 11 pm anchor) (currently at SNN Local News 6) - Kevin NegandhiKevin NegandhiKevin Negandhi is a current ESPN SportsCenter anchor. He also hosts Baseball Tonight, College Football Live and Outside the Lines on ESPN and is a fill-in Anchor on NFL Live and Cold Pizza. He's the first Anchor of Indian-American descent to be on a national sports network in American Television...
(1999–2002, 2004–2006) (weekday sports anchor) (currently at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) - Craig SagerCraig SagerCraig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
(1970s) (reporter)
Newscast titles
- TV-40 NewsWatch (1970s)
- News 40 (1994–2004)
- ABC 7 News (2004–present)
Station slogans
- 40 Is Yours (1982–1986)
- The Home Team (1986-1994)
- ABC for the Suncoast (1994–2004)
- Local News. Everyday. Every Newscast. (2004–2007)
- Your Suncoast News (2007–present)