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WFLA-TV

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WFLA-TV is the NBC affiliate television station on the west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg market. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General and is currently first place in the Tampa Bay news race at 6 & 11 p.m. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be affiliated with the same network (NBC) since signing on.

The station shares the "News Center" building in Tampa with co-owned The Tampa Tribune and [TBO.com].

Contents

History

WFLA-TV signed on Valentine's Day 1955 with a live broadcast of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which it has aired live every year since then. The station was owned by the Tribune along with WFLA radio. Largely because of its newspaper background, it was the early ratings leader in Tampa, until WTVT passed it in 1962.

In 1966, Richmond Newspapers, publishers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and part-owner of the Tribune, acquired full control of the paper and WFLA-AM-FM-TV. Three years later, Richmond Newspapers renamed itself Media General, and WFLA-TV, the first television station owned and operated by Media General, has been its flagship television station since then.

The station was renamed WXFL-TV in 1983 after WFLA-AM was sold, but regained its old call letters in 1989. (The AM radio station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.) That same year, it surged to first place in the Tampa Bay ratings and has stayed there for most of that time, led by one of the most popular anchor teams in the country, Bob Hite and Gayle Sierens. The duo has been together since 1985.

In the midst of a market shake-up in 1994 which saw many of the Tampa area stations swapping network affiliations, WFLA was one of the few major stations in the market that did not change networks. As a result, it became number 1 in the market, formerly held by WTVT, which saw its ratings drop from first to last after switching from CBS to FOX.

Bill Ratliff and Gayle Guyardo currently host the station's coverage of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, with Bob Hite in costume as a roving pirate moving through the parade.

On February 18, 2004,, former sports director Chris Thomas died of complications from cancer. The station aired a tribute to Thomas during its 6 PM newscast while former collegues spoke kindly of Thomas. Current sports director J.P. Peterson cried on the air while speaking of Thomas.

In 2006, WFLA launched a 24-hour weather network called "Storm Team 8 Weather Plus" on digital subchannel 8.2 / 7.2, Bright House channel 607, Comcast channel 243, Knology channel 133 and Verizon FiOS (not listed on WFLA Weather Plus' DTV roster) channel 850 .

Logo history

image:wfla1972.jpg|WFLA's "8" logo, used from the 1960s to around 1976. image:wfla76.jpg|WFLA's "8" logo, used from 1976 to 1981. The fonts used were the same ones used by NBC News from 1972 to 1975, and by its affiliates through the early-1980s. image:wfla82.jpg|WFLA's "8" logo (with the station's then slogan "The Look... Alive") used from the 1981 to 1983. image:wfla1996.jpg|WFLA's "Newschannel 8" logo, used in the late-1990s, before relocating to the new "News Center" building. Image:WFLA8.PNG|Current logo

News department

Newscasts

Weekdays Weekends

Current anchors

Former anchors

Daytime controversy and criticism

In 2003, WFLA and its morning show "Daytime" caused a controversy after the New York Times reported of its "pay for play" practices. The article revealed that businesses were charged several thousand dollars to appear on the show, effectively making their segments "paid segments". Many people saw this as "Payola", a practice that is illegal under FCC ruling. After much dispute, WFLA agreed to ID each paid segment as such to avoid an intervention from Congress.

Since then, WFLA launched two more similar programs, The Spot (2004-), which featured entertainment items; and Star Watch (2005-), a movie preview program.

In addition, Media General has plans on rolling Daytime out to all its stations sometime in 2006, with each station providing its own local segments for its viewers.

Originial hosts Debra Schrills and Brian Fasulo left the show after 2005. [link]

References

Trivia

In the early-2000s, Rich Fields worked at WFLA as an intern while studying to be a meteorologist; this eventually led to a position as weatherman at Palm Springs, California's KPSP. In April 2004, Fields became a permanent announcer for The Price Is Right.

Screenshots

Image:wfla50'stest.jpg|This test card was used from the 50's and 60's.

External links


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
'''NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Florida
WESH 2 () - WPTV 5 () - WTVJ 6 () - WJHG 7 () - WFLA 8 () - WTLV 12 () - WBBH 20 () - WTWC 40 ()
See also: , , , , , , , and stations in the state of Florida

Media General
Corporate Directors: J. Stewart Bryan, III (COB) | Marshall N. Morton | O. Reid Ashe, Jr. | John A. Schauss | Diana F. Cantor | Charles A. Davis | Thompson L. Rankin | Rodney A. Smolla | Walter E. Williams | Coleman Wortham, III | H. Graham Woodlief, Jr. | James A. Zimmerman | Neal F. Fondren | Stephen Y. Dickinson | George L. Mahoney | Lou Anne J. Nabhan | John A. Schauss | James F. Woodward
Newspapers: Bristol Herald Courier | Danville Register & Bee | Dothan Eagle | Eden Daily News | Enterprise Legder | Florence Morning News | Hernando Today | Hickory Daily Record | Highlands Today | Independent Tribune | Jackson County Floridan | Manassas Journal Messenger | Opelika-Auburn News | Potomac News | Richmond Times-Dispatch | Statesville Record & Landmark | The Daily Progress | The McDowell News | The News & Advance (Lynchburg) | The News Herald | The News Virginian | The Reidsville Review | The Tampa Tribune | Winston-Salem Journal
ABC Network Affiliates: WJBF | WMBB | WTVQ
CBS Network Affiliates: KBSD1 | KBSH1 | KBSL1 | KIMT1 | KWCH1 | WBTW3 | WDEF1 | WHLT | WIAT1 | WJHL | WJTV | WKRG | WNEG | WNCT2 | WRBL | WSPA
NBC Network Affiliates: KALB | WCBD2 | WCMH | WFLA | WJAR | WNCN | WSAV | WSLS | WVTM
UPN Network Affiliate: WYCW2
WB Network Affiliate: WCWJ2
Other Assets: [Atlee Park] | [Blockdot] | [Boxerjam Media] | Professional Communications Systems
1Stations to be sold after acquiring four stations from NBC Universal.
2Stations that will affiliate with The CW Television Network starting September 18, 2006.
3Stations that will affiliate with My Network TV Television Network starting September 5, 2006.
Annual Revenue: .2 million USD (FY 2004) | Employees: Unknown at this time. | Stock Symbol: NYSE: [MEG] | Website: [www.mediageneral.com]

 

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