WAND

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WAND
Decatur / Springfield / Urbana / Champaign, Illinois
Branding	WAND 17
Slogan	The Best News You'll Get Today
Channels	17 (UHF) analog, 18 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	NBC (since 2005)
Owner	LIN Television (33%)/ Block Communications (67%) (managed by LIN)
Founded	June 17, 1953
Call letters meaning	W Area Near Decatur
Former callsigns	WTVP (1953-1966)
Former affiliations	ABC (1953-2005), DuMont (1953-1955) [1]
Website	www.wandtv.com

WAND is an NBC affiliate in Decatur, Illinois, serving the Decatur–Springfield–Champaign area. It is a joint venture of LIN Television (who owns 33% of the station) and Block Communications (67%); however, in this case, LIN manages the station. In addition to NBC and local programming, WAND also shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. Its transmitter is located near Argenta, Illinois, with additional translator W31BX in Danville, Illinois.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Logos 2 High-Definition Programming 3 24-Hour Doppler Radar Channel 4 Online Weather and Newscasts 5 Personalities 5.1 Current 6 Former 7 External links

[edit] History

It began on June 17, 1953 as the first television station in Central Illinois, with the call letters of WTVP, which is used today for a PBS station in Peoria. It became WAND in 1966. The station carried programming from both ABC and DuMont until 1955, when DuMont shut down operations [2].

On March 26, 1978, their transmitter tower went down in an ice storm putting them out of a signal for 18 months.

The station was one of ABC's first affiliates. It remained with ABC from sign-on to joining NBC on September 5, 2005.

[edit] Logos

WAND-TV Logo, circa 1970 to 2005

WAND-TV Logo, 2005 to present

[edit] High-Definition Programming

WAND was the first to bring HDTV to Central Illinois. Regular video can be seen at the regular 4:3 aspect radio. NBC HDTV will be at 16:9 aspect.

[edit] 24-Hour Doppler Radar Channel

WAND also broadcasts a second channel with live 24-hour Doppler Radar and the audio overlay of WX channel WXJ75 based in Springfield.

[edit] Online Weather and Newscasts

WAND broadcasts on-demand weather and news of its newscasts on its website, making it the first in the area to do so.

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Current

• Tara Barrett - reporter
• Gabrielle Biondo - noon anchor
• Steve Breitwieser - sports director
• Lee Davis - chief meteorologist
• Scot England - Town Team reporter
• J.C. Fultz - weekend weathercaster
• Mikaela Hunt - 5 p.m. anchor
• Brian Jodice - weekend sports anchor
• Patricia Kakridas - morning anchor
• Mike Mazzocco - morning anchor
• Elizabeth Moors - weekend anchor
• Dawn Sterling - 6 and 10 p.m. anchor
• Sean Streaty - 6 and 10 p.m. anchor
• Marcus Thorpe - 5 p.m. anchor
• Greg Trumbold - morning/noon meteorologist
• Stephanie Wright - Capitol reporter
• Kelly Yueh - reporter

[edit] Former

• Rick Barrett
• Bob Billman
• Loren Boatman
• Mike Browning
• Bob Cashen
• Mike Cheever
• Jim Clayton
• Don Coleman
• John Davey
• Bob Dolan
• Tom Green
• Dan Medina
• Jill Monier
• Julie Moore
• George Moyer
• Bob Murray
• Eun Hee Pai
• Al Pigg
• Ron Rector
• Robert Reese
• Leandra Reilly
• Jeff Ruffner
• Kim Sherwood
• Gayle Simpson
• Jerry Slabe
• Cathy Styles
• Mike Vaughan
• Frank Vascellaro
• Dana Wadell
• Dick Westbrook
• Kim Wilson
• Bob Wright
• Rick Zurak

[edit] External links

• WAND-TV home page
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WAND
• Query the FCC's TV station database for W31BX

Broadcast television in the Champaign-Urbana/Decatur/Springfield market  (Nielsen DMA #82)
WCIA 3 (CBS) - WSIU 8 / WUSI 16 (PBS) - WILL 12 (PBS) - WSEC 14 (PBS) - WICD 15 / WICS 20 (ABC) - WAND 17 (NBC) - WBUI 23 (The CW) - W29BG/W34DL 34 (TBN) - WBXC 46 (MTV2) - WCFN 49 (MNTV) - WEIU 51 (PBS) - WRSP 55 / WCCU 27 (Fox)
Defunct stations:
WJJY 14 (ABC)