Bay News 9

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Bay News 9 is a cable-based news station located in Tampa, Florida. It currently serves the Tampa Bay Area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Pasco Counties, and surrounding areas.

The station began operating on September 8, 1997. Bay News 9 quickly gained a reputation for its frequent weather updates during the 1997-1998 El Niño that caused heavy rains, severe thunderstorms and tornadic activity in the Tampa Bay area. In 2002, Bay News 9 was the first Tampa Bay news station to provide a VIPIR doppler radar system. Former longtime WTSP news anchor Al Ruechel was one of Bay News 9's first anchors. Alan Winfield was chief meteorologist since its inception. Mike Clay has since taken over as chief meteorologist.

It airs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (with a brief break every Christmas Eve evening for a yule log), exclusively on a commercial cable company that serves the area, Bright House Networks. Bright House is the current carrier, previously Time Warner Cable. It is seen on channel 9 on all systems, except for western Pasco County, where it's seen on channel 6 (WTSP is on channel 9, due to its transmitter location).

Contents

Slogans/Logos/

Bay News 9's Logo has always remained the same since 1997.
Bay News 9 has seen one slogan change since 1997, that change occurred in 2002, just before the first graphics/music overhaul. Originally the slogan was "Your News All The Time". Today, the slogan is "Your News Channel".

Programming Information

Bay News 9 provides these segments and newscasts as part of its 24-hour news cycle.

\"Health Team 9\"

In 1999, Bay News 9 became the only Tampa Bay Area station to have a team of medical experts who report on a variety of medical issues. Six of the "Health Team 9" members are actual doctors who report the latest medical news on "Health Team 9 Health Watch" every morning. The seventh member is a health reporter who reports on late-breaking medical headlines during "Health Team 9 Medical Beat" during the primetime news. One of the original "Health Team 9" members, Dr. Joette Giovinco, now works for WTVT.

\"EXTRAS\"

These short, four to five minute reports have long since been a staple of Bay News 9. Other 24-hour news channels have similar reports. These reports are primarily geared towards an array of lifestyle topics (except the "Extra on Special Assignment" report, which is geared towards investigative reports). Originally, EXTRAS only aired on the weekdays, but were then expanded to weekends after additional reports were created.

Current EXTRAS

Multi-day reports.
*Health Team 9 Health Watch - Health Issues - Reported by the Health Team 9 team of doctors - Airs Monday-Friday at :23/hour, 5am-5pm.
*Health Team 9 Medical Beat - Late-Breaking Medical Headlines - Reported by Melissa Eichman - Airs Monday-Friday at :53/hour, 5pm-5am.
*EXTRA on Special Assignment - Investigative reports - Airs Monday-Thusday at :23/hour, 5pm-5am.

Weekly reports
*EXTRA on Getting There - Componenet to "EXTRA on Special Assignment" and mainly focuses on Transportation-related issues - Airs Wednesdsay evenings at :23/hour.
*EXTRA on Everyday Heroes - People who make a difference in the community - Reported by Leigh Moody - Airs Monday mornings at :53/hour.
*EXTRA on the Web - Website profiles/reviews - Reported by Al Ruechel - Airs Tuesday mornings at :53/hour.
*EXTRA on Your Plate - Delectable cusines and recipies - Hosted by Floyd the Food Guy - Airs Wednesday and Saturday mornings at :53/hour.
*Mrs. Fixit - Home Improvement Tips - Hosted by Mrs Fixit (Terri McGraw) - Airs Thursday mornings and Sunday evenings at :53/hour.
*EXTRA on the Town - Weekend event calendar - Reported by Jen Holloway - Airs Friday mornings at :53/hour.
*EXTRA on Demand - A look at new services on Bright House's interactive local guide (Bright House Digital Channel 340). - Airs Friday evenings at :23/hour.
*Health Team 9 on Fitness - Fitness/Exercise/Dieting tips - Airs Saturday mornings at :53/hour.
*EXTRA on the Water - Fishing tips - Airs Saturday evenings at :23/hour.
*Florida on a Tankful - Similar to WTVT's One Tank Trips - Airs Saturday evenings at :53/hour.
*Health Team 9 Headlines (Commonly known as Health Team 9 Health Watch ) - Melissa Eichman looks at the past week in health - Airs Sunday mornings at :23/hour.
*EXTRA on Dining - A longtime component of "EXTRA on the Town", which profiles Bay Area eateries - Airs Sunday mornings at :53/hour.
*Bay News 9 Business Week - Although not classified as an EXTRA, it is a four-five minute report on the past week in business. Typically includes an interview with someone in the business field - Hosted by Terry O'Grady - Airs Sunday evenings at :23/hour.

Please note that :##/hour means :## past the hour. Example: :23/hour means :23 past the hour.

Past EXTRAS

*EXTRA on Your Health - 1997-2000 - Cancelled after "Health Team 9" was formed.
*EXTRA on Gardening - 1999-2004
*EXTRA on Today's Woman - 2000-2004
*EXTRA on Your Home - 1998-2002
*EXTRA on Your Kids - 1997-2004

\"The 7:00 News\"

In 2003, Bay News 9 introduced "The 7:00 News". A primetime newscast that is unlike the typical 5 and 6pm newscasts on other stations. The newscast provides up-to-the-minute breaking news, the day's top stories, and a national news segment called 'The Nightly News Digest', in addition to the normal weather forecasts.

\"The 10:00 News\"

The 10:00 News was part of a new primetime lineup that aired from 2000 to 2003. The hour-long newscast was originally preceded by another one-hour counterpart called "9 at Nine", which fizzled out in 2002. The 10:00 program followed its own regular format that would start with "The Big Story", or the main headline of the day. Followed by the other top stories of the day. A revamped version of the program still airs today, but it is not as heavily promoted as its newer 7:00 counterpart.

In addition, Bay News 9 provides two content-exclusive programs which air regularly.

\"Toyota Sports Connection\"

The long-running sports-theme program airs every night at 11 p.m. (From the station's inception in 1997 to 2000, the show aired at 10:30pm) and focuses mainly on local sports but also big national sports stories. Its original host was former Tampa Bay Buccaneer David Logan, but Rock Riley took over as host when Logan died in 1999. The show replays every night at 1 and 4am.

\"Political Connections\"

In 2005, as part of a partnership between Bay News 9 and the St Petersburg Times, a new, half-hour, political themed show, "Political Connections", was introduced. The show is hosted by Al Ruechel and airs every Sunday at 11am. St. Pete Times contributor, Adam Smith, serves as a co-host and regularly introduces the lead guest on the show. In addition, there is also a commentary entitled "On the Soapbox", a weekly Viewer Center question (where viewers can voice their opinions), and the week's political headlines. There are also two political analysts who make regular appearances on the show. Former Florida Governor, Bob Martinez serves as Bay News 9's Republican Analyst, while former Tampa City Council member, Bob Buckhorn serves as the Democratic analyst.

Affiliated Stations

Bay News 9 offers an HD channel and three content-exclusive channels. All are only available to Bright House Networks Digital Cable subscribers.

Bay News 9 HD (Channel 609)

The HD counterpart of the 24-hour news channel rolled out in spring 2006, along with a second round of graphics changes (the first graphics revamp occurred in 2004).

Bay News 9 en Español (Channel 139)

A 24-hour spanish news channel that was launched in 2002. Unlike its English counterpart, the station reports on exclusive stories that meet the needs of Tampa's spanish-speaking population. Segments and format both Bay News 9 and Bay News 9 en Español are similar.

Key Personalities (BN9 en Español)

Current Personalities

Carleth Keys - Anchor
Sandra Pinto - Reporter
Roy DeJesus - Sports Anchor/Reporter

Past Personalities

Gloria Montoya - Anchor - 2002-2003
Paola Stefan - Anchor/Reporter - 2003-2004
Gissele Mariano - Anchor - 2004-2005
Keyla Conceptcion - Anchor/Reporter - 2005-2006

Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now (Channel 109)

The 24-hour weather network was originally conceived as "Bay News 9 Weather Now" and only provided a 24-hour local forecast after its initial launch in 2001. The network was revamped in 2004 and re-launched as "Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now", a 24-hour weather network geared primarily towards business travelers. The network provides worldwide forecasts and travel/airport delays, as well as local forecasts and Pinpoint Doppler 9000, featuring LIVE VIPIR wevery 10 minutes. some graphics and forecasts are provided by WSI Corporation.

Tampa Bay On Demand (Channel 340)

An interactive local guide channel that was launched in 2004. The channel features a wide variety of archived news reports and specials, an event calendar, aerial views of the Tampa Bay Area, and more. WMTX host and former WTVT reporter, Nancy Alexander makes an appearance on the network, through her new segment entitled "In Orbit".

Studio

On June 27, 2005. Bay News 9 moved from its original studios in Pinellas Park to a larger facility at the Carillon Office Complex in St. Petersburg (where Bright House Networks has its main St. Pete offices.) The new studio houses the latest in broadcasting technology, including large display screens in the main newsroom that show the latest breaking news headlines from various sources at one time (similar to CNN's The Situation Room.) The facility also houses four studios, a web center, and a large master control room, complemented by two smaller control rooms.

Most notably, the station was able to transition to the new facility without going off the air, thanks to the studio's new technologies. The final newscast in the old studio aired on the morning of June 27, 2005. The new facility became fully operational at 3pm the same day, with the airing of its first afternoon newscast.

In April 2006, Bay News 9 received a Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award in the category of station automation. For its streamlined newscasts and the technology that makes those newscasts possible.

In addition to its studio, Bay News 9 also has seven county bureaus in the Tampa Bay Area, and a bureau in Tallahassee that it shares with Orlando's Central Florida News 13.

References

Main Studio Articles

Tallahassee Bureau Articles

1> [Bay News 9 opening Tallahassee bureau]

Key Personalities

Jen Holloway, weekday morning anchor
Al Ruechel, weekday afternoon/primetime anchor, host of "Political Connections"
Leigh Moody, weekday primetime co-anchor, overnight anchor
Erica Riggins, weekend morning/afternoon anchor, reporter
Rick Elmhorst, weekend primetime/overnight anchor, reporter
Mike Clay, chief meteorologist
Juli Marquez, morning meteorologist
Josh Linker, morning/evening meteorologist
Brian McClure, evening meteorologist
Diane Kachmirck, fill-in meteorologist (also appears on-air during severe weather events)
Alan Winfield, fill-in meteorologist (also appears on-air during severe weather events)
Russ Handler, traffic director/anchor
Chuck Henson, traffic reporter
Rock Riley, sports director/anchor
Chris O'Connell, sports anchor/reporter
Terry O'Grady, business/financial reporter and a certified financial planner
Mellissa Eichman, health reporter

Miscellaneous

Former sister station, Capital News 9 in New York has a similar logo style.

Bright House also has a similar news operation in Orlando known as Central Florida News 13.

In the Sarasota area, another similar channel, called SNN 6, can be seen on Comcast cable.

External links

[Original Bay News 9 Screenshots] Contains a screenshot gallery of the livery Bay News 9 used from its launch in 1997 to about 2003/2004 (when a graphics and music overhaul occurred).
[Bay News 9 video/images @ Florida News Center] Contains an image and video archive of the intros, teasers, and other on-air segments that Bay News 9 uses both past and present.

Broadcast television in the Tampa / St. Petersburg / Sarasota market [(Nielsen DMA #12)]
WEDU 3 (PBS) - WFLA 8 (NBC) - WTSP 10 (CBS) - WINK 11 (CBS) - WTVT 13 (Fox) - WLWA-LP 14 (TBN) - WPDS-LP 14 (Edu.) - W15CM 15 (AS) - WUSF 16 (PBS) WHRT-CA 17 (Ind) - WSVT-LP 18 (DS) - WARP-CA 20 (MTV2) - WCLF 22 (CTN) - WXAX-LP 26 (AZA) - WFTS 28 (ABC) - WTAM-LP 30 (TV Informa) - WMOR 32 (Ind) W33CC 33 (Ind) - W34AW 34 (3ABN) - WSPF-CA 35 (St. Pete city access) - W36CO 36 (TBN) - WTTA 38 (The WB/MNTV) - WWSB 40 (ABC) - W43CE 43 (Ind) WTOG 44 (UPN/The CW) - WYKE-LP 47 (FN) - W48CN 48 (TBN) - WZRA-CA 48 (Ethnic/A1/NTV/CTV) - WRMD-LP 49 (TEL) - WFTT 50 (TFU) - W56EB 56 (TBN) W60CE 60 (TBN) - WVEA 62 (UNI) - WXPX 66 (i)
Local cable television channels
Bay News 9 - SNN 6 - Catch 47 - FSN Florida - Sun Sports

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