- WFMJ-TV
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WFMJ-TV 
Youngstown, Ohio Branding 21 WFMJ (general)
21 News (newscasts)Slogan More Local News Channels Digital: 20 (UHF)
Virtual: 21 (PSIP)Subchannels 21.1 NBC
21.2 The CWOwner Vindicator Printing Company
(WFMJ Television, Inc.)First air date March 8, 1953 Call letters' meaning William F. Maag, Jr.
(founder)Former channel number(s) Analog:
73 (1953-1954)
21 (1954-2009)Transmitter power 460 kW (digital) Height 295 m (digital) Facility ID 72062 Transmitter coordinates 41°4′48″N 80°38′25″W / 41.08°N 80.64028°W Website www.wfmj.com/ WFMJ-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Youngstown, Ohio. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 from a transmitter on Mabel Street in Youngstown. Owned by the Maag family, the station has studios on West Boardman Street in downtown Youngstown. WFMJ-TV is locally owned along with the city's major newspaper. Syndicated programming on the station includes: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dr. Phil, Inside Edition, Judge Judy and Live with Regis & Kelly.
Contents
History
The station was founded by William F. Maag, Jr., publisher of the Vindicator. It was owned alongside and WFMJ radio (AM 1390, now WNIO, and FM 105.1, now WQXK). The Maags then purchased the construction permit issued for channel 21 (originally granted to WUTV) and moved to that frequency on August 7, 1954.
WFMJ is the only locally owned and operated station in the market, and, in fact, one of the few stations left in the country that is still locally owned and operated. The station points it out very often in advertisements, as the "Only Locally-Owned Station in Youngstown", compared with rivals WKBN-TV (owned by New Vision Television, which also owns low-power Fox affiliate WYFX-LP) and WYTV (owned by Parkin Broadcasting, which also owns the My Network TV digital subchannel MY-YTV, but operated under a local marketing agreement with WKBN parent New Vision). As a result, WFMJ has been a strong ratings force in Youngstown for several years. WFMJ's newscasts typically garner higher ratings than its competitors combined in the morning, 6 and 11 newscasts.
WFMJ is one of the few stations in the country that can boast airing Live with Regis and Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dr. Phil, and Oprah on the same station. WFMJ's morning show (WFMJ Today), Today, and Live with Regis and Kelly ratings are among the highest in the country. WFMJ is also the Youngstown market's carrier station for the Ohio Lottery and its weekly game show, Cash Explosion Double Play. On Thursday October 29, 2009, at 6:00pm, the station's weather graphics were changed to the 3D:LIVE weather central system.
In addition to its main service area of extreme northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, WFMJ can be seen as far as the eastern and southern suburbs of Cleveland with a good antenna.
Cable positions
WFMJ can be seen on Time Warner Youngstown cable channel 3, Armstrong channel 2, and Time Warner Warren channel 4. It can also be seen on Comcast Channel 7 and in HD on Channel 721 in New Castle & Bessemer, both of which are located in Western Pennsylvania. WFMJ is also carried on both the DirecTV and Dish Network home satellite systems.
Local sports programming
WFMJ founded the market's first expanded Friday Night high school football coverage with The Overtime Report. WFMJ also carries select Youngstown State University away football games live along with Penguin Gameday and the YSU coaches show for both football and basketball. WFMJ also airs local sports coverage during the morning, 6 P.M., and 11 P.M. newscasts.
On-air staff changes
Autumn Ziemba, co-anchor of WFMJ's 6 and 11 p.m. news broadcasts, left WFMJ in June 2007 after her contract ended. She stated that she made the decision in order to pursue other interests and spend more time with her family. On her last night as co-anchor, an announcement was made of her plans; however, viewers were unable to hear the announcement due to inclement weather that caused the channel's signal to go out. Afterwards, Ziemba got married and was a freelance reporter for WEWS in Cleveland; she is currently a weekend reporter for WJW. She was replaced by Cindy Matthews in January 2008.
Cindy Matthews, co-anchor of WFMJ's 6 and 11 p.m. news broadcasts, left WFMJ TV in January 2011 to pursue her career. Her last newscast on WFMJ was Friday January 7, 2011.
Digital programming
WFMJ-DT broadcasts on digital channel 20.
Virtual channel Physical channel Programming 21.1 20.1 Main WFMJ-TV programming / NBC 21.2 20.2 Main WFMJ-DT2 programming / The CW 21 WFMJ news team
Anchors
- Scott Schneider - Morning co-anchor of "WFMJ Today" & noon co-anchor
- Lauren Lindvig - Morning co-anchor of "WFMJ Today" & noon co-anchor
- Bob Black - Evening co-anchor at 6PM & 11PM
- Leslie Barrett - Evening co-anchor at 6PM & 11PM
- Jennifer Baligush - Weekend anchor at 6PM & 11PM / reporter
Reporters
- Mike Case - Morning reporter / fill-in anchor
- Michelle Nicks - Evening reporter
- Talia Hagler - Reporter
- Glenn Stevens - Reporter / fill-in anchor
- Sally Phillips - Reporter / fill-in weekend anchor
- Janet Rogers - Reporter
- Matt Stone - Reporter / fill-in weather
- Susan Campbell - Health reporter
Storm Tracker 21
- Mark Koontz - Chief Meteorologist
- Mark Monstrola - Morning & noon meteorologist
- Jess Briganti - Weekend Weather Anchor
21 Sports
- Dana Balash - Sports Director
- Mike Ackelson - Weekend sports anchor / sports reporter
- Rob Decker - Sports reporter / fill-in sports anchor
News/station presentation
Newscast Titles
- 21 Action News (1989–2001)
- 21 News (2001–present)
Station Slogans
- Come Home To The Best, Only on 21
- In Touch with You (1990-1993)
- Your News Leader (1993-1999)
- More Local News (2000-present)
- Locally Owned, Locally Connected-Website (2011–present)
Local HD
It was announced on May 8, 2010 that WFMJ would begin broadcasting its news in HD in "the next few weeks". However, as of November 2011, newscasts are still aired in 4:3 standard definition with HD pillar boxes . Viewers can view severe weather and lottery scrolls in 16:9 format. Once WFMJ begins HD newscasts, every channel in the Youngstown, Ohio market will be broadcasting their news in high definition.
In October of 2010 the station starting carrying Syndication programs, and Commercials when available in HD. In April of 2011 the station started carrying Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion show in HD.
Syndication Programming Moves
During the summer of 2011 the station ran promos stating that Ellen DeGeneres Show will be moving to 5PM on September 12, 2011 replacing the "The Oparh Winfery Show on the station. On that same day Dr. Phil will moving to the 3PM. The new "Anderson Cooper" syndicated talk show which will air at 4PM starting the same day. The Oparh Winfery Show ended its run on May 26, 2011 the station will air repeats till September 9, 2011.
Other stations
WFMJ also owns Youngstown's CW affiliate, WBCB. It operates WBCB as one of its digital subchannels and is available on all area cable systems on an analog basis including channel #16 on Armstrong and channel #14 on Time Warner. WBCB is also carried as a local channel available on the DirecTV home satellite system. WBCB launched in November 2004 as the market's first WB affiliate and was chosen by the new CW Network to serve the Youngstown DMA as its affiliate. The station carries a full 24/7 program schedule, including Seinfeld, TMZ, Extra, Access Hollywood, Friends, and Frasier.
The station formerly signed off on weekend early mornings from about 2:30 AM to 4:30 AM until 2011, when paid programming filled the former off-air time, though on the digital signal color bars were placed on the main signal while the WBCB channel continued to show syndicated programming and infomercials during WFMJ's off-air time. WFMJ was the last station in the Youngstown market to sign off on a regular basis. WYTV, which from 1997-2006 signed off on a nightly basis, ended the practice with the launch of MY-YTV.
External links
- WFMJ-TV website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WFMJ
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WFMJ-TV
- WFMJ's Current Sign-Off and Sign-On Video Montage
Local stations Adjacent locals Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television Cleveland: WKYC (3.1 NBC, 3.2 WX) • WEWS (5.1 ABC) • WJW (8.1 Fox) • WOIO (19.1 CBS, 19.2 WX) • WVIZ (25.1 PBS, 25.2 OH Chan, 25.3 World, 25.4 Create, 25.9 CSCN, audio only) • WUAB (43.1 MNTV, 43.2 This TV) • WBNX (55.1 CW)
Pittsburgh: KDKA (2.1 CBS) • WTAE (4.1 ABC) • WPXI (11.1 NBC) • WQED (13.1 PBS) • WPMY (22.1 MNTV) • WPGH (53.1 Fox)Pennsylvania Broadcast television: Binghamton, NY • Buffalo, NY • Elmira, NY • Erie • Johnstown/Altoona/State College • New York City • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Scranton/Wilkes-Barre • Susquehanna Valley (Harrisburg) • Washington, DC • Youngstown, OH
Ohio Broadcast television: Charleston/Huntington, WV • Cincinnati • Cleveland/Akron • Columbus • Dayton • Ft. Wayne, IN • Lima • Steubenville/Wheeling, WV • Toledo • Youngstown • ZanesvilleNBC Network Affiliates in the state of Ohio See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, ION, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in OhioCW Network Affiliates in the state of Ohio See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, ION, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in OhioNBC Network Affiliates in the State of Pennsylvania WGAL 8 (8) (Lancaster) - WBRE 11 (28) (Wilkes-Barre) WICU 12 (12) (Erie) - WFMJ 20 (21) (New Castle) - WCAU 34 (10) (Philadelphia) - WJAC 34 (6) (Johnstown) - WPXI 48 (11) (Pittsburgh)
See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, ION, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in PennsylvaniaCW Network Affiliates in the State of Pennsylvania WLYH 15 (Lebanon) - WPCW 19 / WBPA-LP 30 (Jeannette /Pittsburgh)* - "WBCB" 14 / WFMJ 21.2 (Youngstown) - WSEE-DT 35.2 (Erie) - WSWB 38 (Scranton) - WPSG 57 (Philadelphia)
*Also serves the Johnstown/Altoona market. See article.See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, ION, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in PennsylvaniaCategories:- NBC network affiliates
- The CW Television Network affiliates
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Channel 20 digital TV stations in the United States
- Channel 21 virtual TV stations in the United States
- Television channels and stations established in 1953
- Television stations in Ohio
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