WFLA-TV

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WFLA-TV
Tampa, Florida
Branding	NewsChannel8
Slogan	On Your Side
Channels	8 (VHF) analog, 7 (VHF) digital
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	Media General
Founded	1955
Call letters meaning	W Florida
Former callsigns	WXFL (1983-1989)
Former affiliations	none
Website	www.wfla.com

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 1 History 2 News department 2.1 Newscasts 2.2 Current anchors 2.3 Former anchors 3 Daytime controversy and criticism 3.1 References 4 Syndicated programming shown on WFLA 5 Trivia 6 External links

[edit] 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. Reporters from the Tribune often appear on WFLA.

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 colleagues 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.

[edit] News department

[edit] Newscasts

Weekdays

• NewsChannel8 Today - 5-7AM

Gayle Guyardo & Bill Ratliff

• Daytime (locally produced information/talk show) - 10-11AM
• NewsChannel8 Mid-Day - 11AM-Noon

Bill Ratliff

• NewsChannel8 at 5:00 - 5-5:30PM

Gayle Sierens & Keith Cate

• NewsChannel8 at 5:30 - 5:30-6PM

Keith Cate & Stacie Schaible

• NewsChannel8 at 6:00 - 6-6:30PM

Bob Hite & Gayle Sierens

• NewsChannel8 at 11:00 - 11-11:35PM

Bob Hite & Gayle Sierens

Weekends

• NewsChannel8 Weekend Morning Edition - 9-10AM

Yolanda Fernandez

• NewsChannel8 at Noon - Noon-1PM

Yolanda Fernandez

• NewsChannel8 at 6:00 - 6-6:30PM

Josh Thomas

• NewsChannel8 at 11 - 11-11:30PM

Josh Thomas

• Sports Extra - 11:30PM-Midnight (Sundays)

[edit] Current anchors

• Bob Hite (1977-)
• Gayle Sierens (1977-1985, sports; 1985- news)
• Steve Jerve (weather) (1999-)
• JP Petersen (1998-)
• Keith Cate (2000-)
• Stacie Schaible (2000-)
• Bill Ratliff (1982-)
• Irene Mayer (1985-)
• Gayle Guyardo (1993-)
• Yolanda Fernandez (1989-)
• Josh Thomas (2003-)
• Dave Reynolds (sports) (2003-)
• John Winter (weather) (1997-)
• Mace Michaels (weather) (2000-)
• Jennifer Hill (weather)

[edit] Former anchors

• Sam Latimer (1955-72)
• Walt Swihart (1955-1968)
• Roger Early, weatherman, (1955-1961)
• Jack Stir, relief weatherman, (1959-1963)
• Jerry Harper, anchor, News Director (1960-1961)
• Guy Bagli, sports director (1960-1970)
• Bill Henry (1961-1964) (News Director, 1961-1975)
• Bud Parmer, weekend anchor (1964-1967)
• Merril Stebbins, weekend anchor, (1968-1970)
• Arch Deal, anchor (1964-1975)
• Joe Mannion (1975-1976) (News Director, 1975-1983)
• Al Duckworth, chief meteorologist (1964-1968)
• Gordon Barnes, meteorologist (1964-1967)
• Tony Zappone, news correspondent (1965-1977)
• Karol Kelly, weather person (1967-68)
• Paul Catoe, chief meteorologist (1967-1979)
• Milt Spencer, sports director (1970-1980)
• Gordon Alderman, Today Show cut-ins, 1p.m. anchor (1974-1979)
• George Wooten, meteorologist (1973-1978)
• Phil Dean, weekend anchor (1974-1977)
• Paul Fischer, weekend anchor (1976-1977)
• John Mainelli (1976)
• Mike Randall and Jan Morris (1976-77)
• Bob Koop, anchor (1977-78)
• Don Paul, meteorologist (1978-1979)
• Jerry Fiore (1977-1979, Noon Report)
• Suzanne Bates, anchor (1981-1984)
• Dick Crippen, sports director (1981-1988)
• David Grant, chief meteorologist (1986-1999)
• Wendy Ross, weathercaster (1983-1989)
• Barbara Callahan, anchor (1987-1992)
• Wes Sarginson, "Live at 5" (1988-1996)
• Marissa Morris, "Live at 5" (1988-1993)
• Tom Korun, sports anchor (1987-1997)
• Ren Scott, reporter/anchor (1989-1990)
• Bob Baron, chief meteorologist (1979-1986)
• Chris Thomas, sports director (1988-2002)
• George Michelle, noon sports anchor
• Rick Mellum, weather (1980's)
• Greg Fields, weather (1992-1995)
• Jim Smith, weather (1980's)
• Steve Udelson, meteorologist (1991-1999)
• Laura York, weather (1980s-1999)
• Steve Overton, morning/weekend anchor/consumer reporter (1990's)
• Mike Walter, morning anchor (1998-2000)
• Nerissa Prest, weekend anchor (2000-2006)
• Frank Fraboni, weekend anchor (1990's)
• Jack Harris, noon host (1989-1992); "Harris and Company Live" (1992-2000)

[edit] 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. [1]

The current hosts are Cyndi Edwards and former Extra host Dave Nemeth.

[edit] References

• WFLA will ID Paid Segments.
• TV's Version of Payola Draws FCC Interest
• McCain, FCC seek input on payola

[edit] Syndicated programming shown on WFLA

• The Montel Williams Show weekdays at 12:00pm and 3:00pm
• The Oprah Winfrey Show weekdays at 4:00pm
• Entertainment Tonight weekdays and Saturday at 7:00pm
• Extra weekdays at 7:30pm

[edit] 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.

[edit] External links

• WFLA Web site
• Photos of WFLA's news set
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WFLA

NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Florida
WESH 2 (Daytona Beach-Orlando) - WPTV 5 (West Palm Beach) - WTVJ 6 (Miami) - WJHG 7 (Panama City) - WFLA 8 (Tampa) - WTLV 12 (Jacksonville) - WBBH 20 (Fort Myers) - WTWC 40 (Tallahassee)
See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, PBS, Religious, Spanish and Other stations in the state of Florida