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WABC-TV

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WABC-TV, channel seven, is the flagship station of the Walt Disney Company-owned ABC television network, located in New York City. WABC-TV is best known in broadcasting circles for the its highly successful version of the Eyewitness News format, and for its morning show Live with Regis and Kelly, syndicated nationally by corporate cousin Buena Vista Distribution.

In the few areas of the eastern United States where ABC programming is not available over-the-air, WABC-TV is seen via satellite through Dish Network and DirecTV, which also distributes the station's signal to Latin America.

Contents

History

The station signed on August 10, 1948 as WJZ-TV, the first of three television stations signed-on by the American Broadcasting Company during that same year, with WENR-TV (now WLS-TV) in Chicago and WXYZ-TV in Detroit being the other two. Channel seven's call letters came from its sister radio station, WJZ (770 kHz., now WABC). In its early years, WJZ-TV was programmed like an independent station, as the ABC television network was still, for the most part, in the planning stages; the ABC-owned stations did air common programming during this period. The call letters were changed to WABC-TV in February 1953, after ABC merged its operations with United Paramount Theaters, a firm which was broken-off from former parent company Paramount Pictures by decree of the U.S. government.

On September 11, 2001, the transmitter facilities of WABC-TV, as well as eight other local television stations and several radio stations, were destroyed when two hijacked airplanes crashed into and destroyed the World Trade Center towers. In the immediate aftermath, WABC-TV fed its signal to several UHF stations that were still broadcasting before establishing temporary facilities in Alpine, New Jersey, notably WNYE-TV. The station eventually established transmission facilities at the Empire State Building.

Logos

Image:wabc-id-77-new.jpg|WABC-TV logo from 1977 to 1979 Image:wabc-ewn79.jpg|WABC-TV logo from 1979 to 1980 Image:abc7_80.jpg|WABC-TV logo from 1980 to 1981 Image:abc7_81.jpg|WABC-TV logo from 1981 to 1982 Image:wabc_werewithyou2.jpg|WABC-TV logo from 1984 to 1985 Image:WABCTVABC7.png|The present WABC-TV logo, used since 1997 Image:Wabc-ident.jpg|WABC-TV ident from 2002 to 2005

News operations

The 11 PM Eyewitness News team, c. 1992. Diana Williams, currently the station's longest-tenured anchor, is second from left.
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The 11 PM Eyewitness News team, c. 1992. Diana Williams, currently the station's longest-tenured anchor, is second from left.

WABC-TV is best known for popularizing the Eyewitness News format, in which reporters present their stories directly to the viewers. News director Al Primo brought the format to WABC-TV from KYW-TV in Philadelphia, but added a twist -- chatter among the anchors, known as "happy talk." Primo used the "Tar Sequence" cue from the musical score from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, composed by Lalo Schifrin, as the theme music. The score included a telegraphic-like melody appropriate for a newscast. It was quickly adopted by three of ABC's other large market owned-and-operated stations, WLS-TV in Chicago, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, and KGO-TV in San Francisco.

The format quickly rejuvenated a station that had long been an also-ran to WCBS-TV and WNBC-TV. Within a year, channel seven had shot to first place in the ratings for the first time in its history, displacing longtime leader WCBS-TV. It spent most of the decade going back and forth with WCBS-TV for first place. For a time in the 1980s, it fell into last place, but still fought with WNBC-TV for second place. In 1985, the station lured WLS-TV's news director, Bill Applegate, from Chicago to New York. Applegate had taken WLS from last to first in just two years, and ABC hoped he could work the same magic at WABC. Their hopes were rewarded in 1987, when WABC surged to first place. It has been the ratings leader in New York since then.

In 1984, it started using News Series 2000, an updated version of the original Schifrin theme by Frank Gari that had been originally commissioned by WLS. The original Cool Hand Luke scores returned for a time from 1986-1988. In 1993, Schifrin raised his royalties for using his theme and its variations to a level that effectively priced it out of the local news market (though Australia's Nine Network still uses cuts from that theme). Gari was commissioned by WABC to compose a new music package called "." This package, based slightly on Cool Hand Luke, has been updated several times. WABC currently uses the "Series 4" version, which was specifically updated for the station.

For eighteen years, Roger Grimsby was the face of Eyewitness News. He was known for his opening tagline, "Good Evening, I'm Roger Grimsby, here now the news" and his closing line, "Hoping your news is good news, I'm Roger Grimsby." His April 16, 1986 firing by Applegate drew considerable fire, and he was quickly hired by rival WNBC. His most famous partner at the anchor desk was Bill Beutel, who had previously worked at WABC from 1962 to 1968 before spending two years as the network's London bureau chief. Beutel stepped down from the anchor desk in 2001, two years before his retirement, which concluded the longest tenure for a main anchor in New York television history.

WABC-TV's Diana Williams on WPVI-TV's joint coverage of a New Jersey gubernatorial debate in 2005.
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WABC-TV's Diana Williams on WPVI-TV's joint coverage of a New Jersey gubernatorial debate in 2005.

While banter between anchors is still part of the 5 a.m. and Noon weekday broadcasts (currently anchored by Steve Bartelstein and Lori Stokes), the modern-day Eyewitness News has abandoned much of the chattiness of their predecessors. WABC's news department is respected for its straight-forward presentation (especially during breaking news). For the last decade, it has waged a spirited battle for first place with WNBC, but for most of the time has held onto the lead, helped in part by lead-ins from strong talk and entertainment shows -- since December 1986 it has been The Oprah Winfrey Show, whose strong ratings helps the 5 p.m. newscast.

WABC-TV cooperates with sister station WPVI-TV in Philadelphia -- popularizer of the Action News format -- in the production and broadcast of statewide New Jersey political debates. When the two stations broadcast a statewide office debate, such as for Governor or U.S. Senate, they will pool resources and have anchors or reporters from both stations participate in the debate. Additionally, the two stations cooperate in coverage of news from New Jersey.

WABC-TV's website has a link for live streaming video of "Eyewitness News Now", which offers live local and national weather updated from AccuWeather. Local news headlines and updates are also provided. The format of "Eyewitness News Now" is similar to NBC Weather Plus.

Newscasts

WABC-TV's current Eyewitness News at Noon screencap, 2005.
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WABC-TV's current Eyewitness News at Noon screencap, 2005.

Weekdays

Saturdays Sundays

Anchors

Diana Williams (left) with Sade Baderinwa on Eyewitness News at 5 PM, in 2006.
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Diana Williams (left) with Sade Baderinwa on Eyewitness News at 5 PM, in 2006.

Weather

Sports

Reporters

Nora Muchanic on Eyewitness News in 2006.
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Nora Muchanic on Eyewitness News in 2006.

Former personalities, anchors, and reporters

Larry Mendte, now of KYW-TV in Philadelphia, on WABC's Eyewitness News in 1985.
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Larry Mendte, now of KYW-TV in Philadelphia, on WABC's Eyewitness News in 1985.

News Directors

Weather presenter Sam Champion on Eyewitness News in 2006.
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Weather presenter Sam Champion on Eyewitness News in 2006.

Newscast titles

Live with Regis and Kelly

WABC-TV also produces the successful nationally syndicated morning talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, broadcast live at 9 a.m. The program originates in the same studio as Eyewitness News. This situation forces the local news updates during Good Morning America and Live to be produced from the WABC newsroom and also limits the size of the Eyewitness News set (WNBC-TV and WCBS-TV have comparatively large sets).

The show began as a local morning show in 1983, aptly titled The Morning Show (using the circle-7 logo in the actual text for one of the "o"s) and was originally hosted by Regis Philbin and Cyndy Garvey. In 1985, Kathie Lee Johnson (who would marry Frank Gifford a year later) became Philbin's co-host. Buena Vista Television (which is now co-owned with WABC-TV) began syndicating the show in 1988 as Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. Kathie Lee left the show in 2000 and was eventually replaced by current host Kelly Ripa.

The copyright at the end of the broadcast reads "WABC-TV". Live with Regis and Kelly remains a WABC-TV production.

Office locations

Trivia

References

See also

External links

Coordinates: [40° 42' 43" N 74° 0' 49" W]
Terrestrial television>Broadcast television in the New York City market  [(Nielsen DMA #1)]
WCBS 2 (CBS)  -  WNBC 4 (NBC)  -  WNYW 5 (Fox)  -  WABC 7 (ABC)  -  WWOR 9 (UPN-to be MNTV in 09/06)  -  WPIX 11 (The WB-to be The CW in 09/06) (The Tube on DT2)  -  WNET 13 (PBS)  -  WEBR-CA 17 (GCN)  -  WLIW 21 (PBS)  -  WMBQ-CA 22 (MTV2)  -  WNYE 25 (NYC)  -  WPXN 31 (i)  -  W36AZ 36 (Ind)  -  WDVB-CA 39 (ImaginAsian)  -  WNYN-LP 39 (Azteca América)  -  WXTV 41 (UNI)  -  WSAH 43 (S@H/JTV)  -  WNJU 47 (TMD)  -  WEDW 49 (PBS/CPTV)  -  WNJN 50 / WNJB 58 (PBS/NJN)  -  WVVH-LP 50 (A1) - WKOB-LP 53 (Ind)  -  WTBY 54 (TBN)  -  WRNN-LP 57 (Ind)  -  W60AI 60 (HSN)  -  WMBC 63 (Ind)  -  WFME 66 (Religious)  -  WFTY 67 (TFR)  -  WFUT 68 (TFR)
Local digital-only channels
WRNN 48 (Ind) - WLNY 57 (Ind)
(Both stations also have low-powered repeaters in analog.)
Local cable television channels
MSG Network  -  News 12  -  NY1  -  NYCTV  -  SportsNet New York  -  YES Network
ABC Network Affiliates in the state of New York
WABC 7 () - WKBW 7 () - WSYR 9 () - WTEN 10 () - WHAM 13 () - WUTR 20 () - WIVT 34 () - WENY 36 () - WWTI 50 ()
'''See also: , , , , , and stations in New York

The Walt Disney Company
Board of directors: John Bryson | John S. Chen | Judith Estrin | Robert Iger (President, CEO) | Steve Jobs | Fred Langhammer | Aylwin Lewis | Monica Lozano | Robert Matschullat | George J. Mitchell (Chairman) | Leo O'Donovan | | John E. Pepper, Jr. | Gary L. Wilson
Publishing Assets: Disney Adventures | ESPN The Magazine | Hyperion
Buena Vista Music Group: Walt Disney Records | Lyric Street Records | Hollywood Records | Mammoth Records
Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group: Buena Vista Distribution | The Walt Disney Studios | Walt Disney Feature Animation | Touchstone Pictures | Pixar Animation Studios | Miramax Films | Hollywood Pictures
ABC O&O Television Stations: KABC | KFSN | KGO | KTRK | WABC | WJRT | WLS | WPVI | WTVD | WTVG
American Broadcasting Company: ABC1 | ABC Family | ABC News | ABC News Now | ABC Sports
ESPN Networks (80% owned): ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPNEWS | ESPN Classic | ESPNU | ESPN Deportes | ESPN HD | ESPN2 HD | ESPN Now | ESPN Plus | ESPN PPV | ESPN360
Other Cable Television Networks: Disney Channel | Jetix | SOAPnet | Toon Disney
Television Production and Distribution: Buena Vista Television | Touchstone Television | Walt Disney Television | Walt Disney Television Animation
Radio Stations: KABC | KDIS | KDIS | KESN | KGO | KKDZ | KLOS | KMKI | KMKY | KQRS | KSCS | KSFO | KSPN | KSPN | KTYS | KXXR | WABC | WBAP | WDRQ | WDVD | WEAE | WEPN | WFDF | WGVX | WJR | WJZW | WKHX | WLS | WMAL | WMKI | WMVP | WPLJ | WRQX | WWMK | WYAY | WZZN
Radio Networks: ABC News & Talk | ABC News Radio | ABC Radio | ESPN Radio | ESPN Deportes Radio | Radio Disney
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts: Disneyland Resort | Walt Disney World Resort | Tokyo Disney Resort¹| Disneyland Resort Paris | Hong Kong Disneyland Resort | Disney Cruise Line | Disney Regional Entertainment | Walt Disney Imagineering
¹Licensed and designed by Disney, owned and operated by The Oriental Land Company
Annual Revenue: 
.8 billion USD (2004) | Employees: 129,000 | Stock Symbol: NYSE: [DIS] | Website: [disney.go.com]

 

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