WTVC

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTVC
city =
station_
station_slogan = Depend On Us
station_branding = NewsChannel 9
analog = 9 (VHF)
digital = 35 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = 1953 [The "Television and Cable Factbook" says June 15, while some other sources say March 13.]
(Rome, Georgia)
February 11, 1958
(current incarnation)
location = Chattanooga, Tennessee
callsign_meaning = We'reTeleVision Chattanooga
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Freedom Communications, Inc.
licensee = Freedom Broadcasting of Tennessee Licensee, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
200 kW (digital)
HAAT = 322 m (analog)
305 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 22590
coordinates = coord|35|9|38.7|N|85|19|5.8|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.newschannel9.com/ www.newschannel9.com]

WTVC, NewsChannel 9, is the ABC affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee, owned by Freedom Communications. The station uses the branding "NewsChannel 9" for its newscasts. Its transmitter is located in the community of Walden, Tennessee in a broadcasting antenna farm on the highest point of Signal Mountain.

History

The station signed on the air on March 13, 1953 as WROM-TV, Channel 9, originally licensed to Rome, Georgia, and transmitting full power at 316,000 watts from a tower on Horseleg Mountain west of Rome. Because of the full power designation, it was the first television station in the Chattanooga area, serving as a primary NBC affiliate. (At that time, Rome was considered part of the Chattanooga television market, but has since been moved to the Atlanta market.) WROM-TV also had secondary affiliations with CBS, ABC and DuMont. It lost CBS when WDEF-TV (channel 12) signed on in Chattanooga in 1954. WROM-TV then carried NBC, ABC and DuMont until 1956, when Dumont went off the air and WRGP-TV (channel 3, now WRCB-TV) signed on and took the NBC affiliation. At that time, ABC opted for secondary affiliations with WDEF-TV and WRGP because the FCC had reduced WROM's overall signal, now making it difficult to be picked up in Chattanooga. WROM continued as an independent station until late 1957.

Martin Theaters of Georgia bought WROM in 1957, and in December of that year took it off the air to move the transmitter 70 miles north to Chattanooga. Martin had bought WTVM in Columbus, Georgia in late 1956, and was granted permission to switch that station from channel 28 to channel 9, but ran into government regulations. Federal Communications Commission rules mandated a certain amount of separation for stations on the same channel, and WROM's Grade B signal reached Columbus from Rome. Also, the FCC normally did not allow common ownership of two stations with overlapping signals. (The government has since relaxed this particular restriction.) The Chattanooga-Columbus channel reallocation was part of the last huge FCC national channel reallocation that saw channels numbers in the Southeast change, not only in Chattanooga and Columbus, but also in Dothan, Alabama; Greenwood, Tupelo, and Laurel, Mississippi; and Montgomery, Alabama.

Channel 9 returned to full power as ABC affiliate WTVC in Chattanooga on February 11, 1958. To this day, WTVC still operates under WROM's old FCC license. It is also the only TV station in Chattanooga to have never had a secondary affiliation with another network. The station developed a strong reputation for local programming in its early years. Among the early shows that WTVC pioneered was the children's educational show "Funtime," with Marcia Kling. Although "Funtime" ended many years ago, Marcia Kling, who became known as "Miss Marcia" is still associated with the station after 45 years. "Shock Theater" which aired on Saturday nights, developed a cult following, with WTVC Programming Director Tommy Reynolds dressed up as Dracula with the moniker Doctor Shock, alongside his irreverent sidekick Dingbat. "The Bob Brandy Show," which aired in the afternoons, featured cartoons and kids activities hosted by WTVC advertising executive Bob Brandy, his wife Ingrid, and their horse Rebel.

In 1969, Martin Theaters was sold to Augusta, Georgia businessman J.B. Fuqua. Fuqua also owned WJBF-TV in Augusta, WTVW-TV in Evansville, Indiana; and KTHI-TV (now KVLY-TV in Fargo, North Dakota). Over the next few years, one by one, each station was sold, with WTVC purchased in the early 80's by the A.H. Belo Corporation of Dallas, Texas. In 1982, current owner Freedom Communications bought the station, marking the newspaper chain's first entry into television ownership.

Through the late 1960s and mid 1970s, WTVC branded its newscasts "Eyewitness News". In 1975, the branding switched to "Action News". In the late 80s, WTVC adopted the "NewsChannel" branding designation.

The first studios for the TV station in 1958 were located at its transmitter site on Signal Mountain. In 1960, the station moved to a new studio in the Golden Gateway Shopping Center downtown, beside a Zayre Department store. Over the years, however, the station outgrew that facility. In 2000, WTVC moved into a new digitally-equipped 26,000 square foot building located off Highway 153. [cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/19981203082331/www.wtvc.com/studio.html |title=Our New Home|accessdate=2008-09-13 |work= |publisher=WTVC |date=1998-12-02]

In the early 1990s, WTVC produced a 10 PM newscast for then-independent WFLI-TV. That newscast was eventually cancelled. However, starting in 1996, WTVC began successfully producing "FOX61 First At 10" for WDSI (local FOX Broadcasting affiliate) using WTVC's Sports and Weather anchors and news reporters but WDSI's own News anchors. In 2000, WDSI moved into their own broadcasting station and produced the news there until news operations were shut down in 2004. Since then, WTVC has been producing the "First At Ten" newscast.Also of note, "NewsChannel 9" is the exclusive home for the weekly University of Tennessee Vol TV Network highlights shows featuring head football coach Phil Fulmer, head men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl, head women's basketball coach Pat Summit, and other UT athletic-related programs.

On air personalities

Anchors

Mornings and Noon
*Sarah Jennings, Anchor
*Derek Dellinger, Traffic Reporter and General Assignment Reporter

Weeknights 5:30
*Kim Fields, Anchor
*Kim Chapman, Anchor

Weeknights 5, 6 and 11
*Calvin Sneed, Senior News Anchor and Chief Investigative Reporter
*Kim Chapman, Anchor

Weekends 6 and 11
*Tanya Mendis, Anchor and General Assignment Reporter
*Dave Staley, Anchor and Sports Anchor

Weather Team
*David Glenn, Chief Meteorologist, 5, 6 and 11 (NWA and AMS Seals of Approval)
*Bill Race, Senior Meteorologist, Mornings and Noon (AMS Seal of Approval)
*Allison Chinchar, Meteorologist, Weekends

Sports Team
*Darrell Patterson, Sports Director and Anchor, 5, 6 and 11
*Dave Staley, Sports Reporter

Reporters

*Will Carr, General Assignment Reporter
*Erica Green, General Assignment Reporter
*John Pless, General Assignment Reporter
*John Madewell, General Assignment Reporter
*Amanda Shropshire, General Assignment Reporter
*Karen Zatkulak, General Assignment Reporter
*Marcia "Miss Marcia" Kling, "This-N-That" contributor
*Andrea Perry, "Focus" Hostess
*Don Welch, "This-N-That" Host

Past personalities

* Valerie Abati, weekend weather anchor, now at KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
* Linda Allen, Noon and 5:30 co-anchor, "News For Women" co-anchor, now at WJTV, Jackson, Mississippi
* Sean Ash, Weekend Meteorologist, now at WXYZ-TV, Detroit
* Glenn Augustine, reporter, now with the Indiana Boys Institute, Indianapolis
* Carole Houser-Bartoo, Noon Anchor, Health Reporter, now at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Nashville
* Barbie Carroll-Bassett, weather forecaster, now Chief Meteorologist at WLBT-TV, Jackson, Mississippi
* Varen Black, Reporter, now English Professor, [Columbia College [, Chicago
* Jason Boyer, Morning and Noon Meteorologist (2003-2005) now at KWGN, Denver
* Bob Brandy, Host, "The Bob Brandy Show," deceased
* Ed Buice, Reporter, now with National Crime Information Statistics, Washington, DC
* Cullen Browder, Reporter, 1993-1996, now at WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC
* Lu Ann Cahn, Reporter, now with WCAU-TV, Philadelphia
* Melydia Clewell, "Good Morning Chattanooga", NewsChannel 9 for Women and Midday Anchor, now WTVC Assignment Editor
* Amy Jo Coffey, Reporter, now professor at the University of Florida
* Tina Cosby, Reporter, now with WISH-TV, Indianapolis
* Roy Crowley, Reporter, now with Memorial Hospital, Chattanooga
* Ed Crump, Reporter, now with WTVD-TV, Durham, NC
* Mike Dello Stritto, General Assignment Reporter, now at KOVR-TV, Stockton-Sacramento-Modesto
* Amy Carlisle Deluca, Reporter/ 5:30 Anchor, now at WPRI-TV, Providence, Rhode Island
* Mark Dickinson, Reporter, now high school teacher in North Georgia
* Karen Drew, Reporter/Noon & 5:30 anchor, now with WDIV-TV, Detroit
* Erica Donerson, reporter, now with WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI
* Mike Dunne, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (1987-2006), now with Hamilton County (TN) Government
* Vanessa Echols, Reporter, now anchor with WFTV-TV, Orlando
* John Favole, Anchor/Re [prter, now with WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach, FL
* Mark Fenelon, General Assignment Reporter (1996-1997), now at KODE
* Melissa Greene, Anchor for "Good Morning Chattanooga" & "NewsChannel 9 for Women" & Reporter
* Melissa Greer, Weekend Meteorologist, (2003-2004), deceased
* Lisa Gurevitch, Reporter, now with CNN, Atlanta
* Shay Harris, Reporter, now with WOFL-TV, Orlando
* Tracy Haynes, Reporter, now with WBMA, Birmingham
* Felicia McGhee-Hilt, reporter, now host "Tennessee Insider," WTCI-TV, Chattanooga
* Jenny Hoff, Reporter, now with KXAN-TV, Austin, TX
* Tom Hogue, reporter, deceased
* Janice Huff, Weekend Meteorologist, (1982-1983) now at WNBC-TV, New York City
* Amy Katcher, Weekend Meteorologist, (2004-2006) now at WDEF-TV,Chattanooga, Tennessee
* Bob Johnson, 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 Anchor (1975-2007), retired
* Butch Johnson, Traffic Reporter, (2001-2003)
* Wendell Johnson, Reporter, now Public Information OFficer, Huntsville (AL) Police Department
* Angela Lee, reporter, now producer at WTCI, Chattanooga
* Vince Lennon, reporter, now with CNN, Atlanta
* Mary Ellen "Mel" Locher, 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 Anchor/Health reporter (1985-2005), deceased
* Laura Marquez, Reporter, now with ABC News
* Julie Martin, Weekend Meteorologist
* Bill McAfee, sport and weather anchor, retired
* Bruce Moore, Reporter, now news director at WREG-TV, Memphis
* Kevin Moore, Reporter, now with AXA Advisors, Chattanooga
* Bob Morford, Reporter, now news director in Cincinnati
* Jessica Morris, Weekend Anchor
* Bob Mueller, reporter/anchor, now at WKRN-TV, Nashville
* Pat Murphy, reporter, now sports director at WPEC-TV, West Palm Beach, FL
* Deborah Nettune, Anchor (5:30 and Weekend Mornings)/Reporter (1996-1998)--Now living in New Jersey
* Pam Newby, Anchor
* Don North, Reporter, now news director at WFLA-TV, Tampa
* Gil Norwood, Anchor/News Director, now retired
* Lori Ogilvie, Reporter
* Katrina Owens, 5:30 Anchor/Reporter
* Neal Pascal, Chief Meteorologist, (1981-2006) now weekend meteorologist at WRCB, Chattanooga [cite news|title=Chattanooga: Neal Pascal to join weather team at WRCB Eyewitness News|url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jun/26/chattanooga-neal-pascal-join-weather-team-wrcb-cha/ |publisher=Chattanooga Times Free Press |date=June 26, 2008 |accessdate=2008-06-25 ]
* Gene Randall, Anchor/Reporter, now with the Gene Randall Group, Washington, DC (formerly of CNN)
* Kevin Reece, reporter/noon anchor, now with KHOU-TV, Houston
* Tommy Reynolds aka "Dr. Shock", host of the late 60's and early 70's "Shock Theater"," deceased
* Suzy Rigsby, Anchor
* Erin Sebree, Weekend Meteorologist
* Seth Seymour, Reporter
* Tracy Moore Sheehan, Reporter, now family court judge, Tampa
* Jackie Schulten, Reporter, now Hamilton County (TN) Circuit Court Judge
* Terry Smith, Reporter, now with WTVA, Tupelo, MS
* Gray Stabley, Weekend meteorologist, now with WMTW-TV, Poland Spring (Portland), ME
* Greg Starddard, Reporter/Fill-in anchor, (1983-1985), now at WTOG-TV, Tampa
* Roxanne Stein, Reporter, now with WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach, FL
* Anne Thompson, "Good Morning Chattanooga" Anchor
* Amy Clarke, General Assignment Reporter (1998-2001)
* Robin Henderson, General Assignment Reporter (1999-2001)
* Rex Thompson, Weekend Meteorologist, now with WDAM-TV, Hattiesburg, MS
* Eric Turner, reporter, now with the U.S. Embassy, Guinea
* Brent Weber, now sports anchor at KOKH-TV, Oklahoma City
* Tom Willette, 6 & 11 anchor, deceased
* Jerry Wilson, 6 & 11 anchor
* Gary Wordlaw, Reporter, now Vice President and General Manager, WTXL, Tallahasse, Fl.
* Steve Wrigley, sports reporter, now with WSMV-TV, Nashville

References

External links

*TVQ|WTVC