WJHG-TV

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WJHG-TV
Panama City, Florida
Branding	News Channel 7
Slogan	Spirit of the Panhandle
Channels	7 (VHF) analog, 8 (VHF) digital
Affiliations	NBC (1953-73 and since 1982) The CW (digital, on DT2) My Network TV (digital, on DT3)
Owner	Gray Television
Founded	1953
Call letters meaning	W James Harrison Gray, Founder of Gray Communications
Former callsigns	WJDM-TV (1953-60)
Former affiliations	ABC (1953-82, secondary until 1973) CBS (1953-1960s?)
Website	wjhg.com

WJHG, channel 7 is the NBC affiliate for Panama City, Florida. Owned by Gray Television, its studios are located in Panama City Beach while its transmitter is located in Youngstown, Florida.

Contents 1 History 2 Digital & Cable Channels 3 Weather Coverage 4 Circle 7 Logo & Affiliation Changes 5 News Department 5.1 Daily Newscasts 5.2 Notable Personalities 6 External links

[edit] History

WJHG was founded in 1953 as WJDM-TV, owned by J.D. Manley. The station aired local programming such as church services and wrestling, and went as an independent for a period of time before securing affiliation with NBC, CBS and ABC. Mel Wheeler purchased the station in 1957, and in 1960, James Harrison Gray, the founder of Gray Communications bought the station and changed the call letters to the current WJHG, after his initials.

WJHG dropped CBS in the 1960s after WTVY in Dothan, Alabama became the default CBS affiliate for Panama City as well. NBC and ABC both remained on the station until 1973, when WJHG became an exclusively ABC affiliate when WDTB (channel 13, now WMBB) signed on as an NBC affiliate. In 1982, WMBB and WJHG switched networks.

In 1996, WJHG was almost sold when the Phipps family sold WCTV to Gray Communications. This would have violated the pre-1996 ownership rules because WJHG's signal covers parts of the Tallahassee market. The 1996 Telecommunications Act allowed for overlapping fringe signals, so Gray kept WJHG. Instead, Gray ended up selling its flagship station, WALB in Albany, Georgia; because its city-grade signal overlapped that of WCTV's on the Georgia part of the Tallahassee market, still protected under FCC Rules.

Then in 2002, Gray bought most of Benedek Broadcasting's stations, including WTVY, whose tower is located in Bonifay, Florida, providing a signal that covers all the way from Fort Walton Beach, Florida to Troy, Alabama. By this time, signal contours were no longer an issue and Gray could keep both stations.

Since both stations are available on cable in both Dothan & Panama City, WJHG will run WTVY stories that take place in the northern part of the PC market, and WTVY will run WJHG stories on Panama City and the coast. Sometimes, WTVY will run their own stories on Panama City, but WJHG does not cover Dothan at all.

[edit] Digital & Cable Channels

In September 2006, its cable channel added programming from The CW as well as on DT2, while its digital subchannel DT3 added My Network TV to its lineup. The digital and cable channel is branded as The CW Panama City, and WJHG DT3 as My 7.

At this time, both Comcast and Knology cable systems in Panama City have WTVY's My4 on their cable systems. Knology has it on analog channel 99 for now and Comcast has it on its digital tier. It is unclear when or if My7 will be replacing My4, or if Comcast is going to put the channel on its basic cable (analog) service.

There are plans to move MNTV to channel 13 on Knology, but this may not happen until My7 is fully operational.

[edit] Weather Coverage

WJHG is the only station in Panama City that has all meteorologists on its staff.

[edit] Circle 7 Logo & Affiliation Changes

The station used the "Circle 7" logo as far back as the 1950s without objection from the ABC television network. At some point ABC had trademarked the logo for use by its owned and operated stations that shared the dial position (Channel 7) in several major television markets across the nation. In 1982 when Gray Communications switched the WJHG-TV network affiliation to NBC the rival ABC network ordered WJHG to cease using the logo. Station manager Ray H. Holloway produced archival film and still photographs that showed the local station had been using the "Circle 7" logo longer than the network, but in order to bring the matter to a quick and satisfactory end the station elected to modify the logo. The modification was minor (the bottom of the circle was left open) but enough to pacify executives at ABC in New York who were upset over the station's decision to "defect" to NBC. However, non-ABC stations still use designs similar to the Circle 7 logo including Ed Ansin's WHDH (NBC) in Boston, and WSVN (FOX) in Miami.

When WJHG switched its network affiliation in 1982 NBC was at the bottom of the network rankings and ABC was at the top. The decision to switch was puzzling to many and the true reasons behind the switch were not publicized. However, shortly after the switch NBC enjoyed a resurgence in the ratings and displaced ABC as America's most watched television network. The ratings rally provided something of a vindication for WJHG and parent company Gray Communications.

[edit] News Department

[edit] Daily Newscasts

MONDAY-FRIDAY

• NewsChannel 7 Today (5-7AM)
• NewsChannel 7 at Noon (NOON-1PM)
• NewsChannel 7 at 5:00 (5-5:30PM)
• NewsChannel 7 at 6:00 (6-6:30PM)
• NewsChannel 7 at 10:00 (10-10:35PM)

SATURDAY

• NewsChannel 7 at 6:00 (6-6:30PM)
• NewsChannel 7 at 10:00 (10-10:30PM)

SUNDAY

• NewsChannel 7 at 5:00 (5-5:30PM)
• NewsChannel 7 at 10:00 (10-10:30PM)

[edit] Notable Personalities

CURRENT PERSONALITIES

• Donna Bell, Morning & Noon Anchor/Reporter
• Tyler Berkley, Morning & Noon Meteorologist
• Kristen Berset, 5pm Anchor / Reporter
• Luciana Da Silva, Featured Reporter
• Kate Eckman, Weekend Anchor/Reporter
• Elizabeth Holmes, Meteorologist / General Assignment Reporter
• Paris Janos, Community Correspondent/Art Director
• Jason Kelley, Chief Meteorologist
• Tom Lewis, 6pm, 10pm Anchor/Reporter/News Director
• Paul Matadeen, Weekend Anchor/Reporter
• Joe Moore, Noon & 5pm Anchor/VP of News & Operations
• Erin Niebur, Destin General Assignment Reporter
• Adam Roland, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter
• Scott Rossman, Sports Director
• Heather Waliga, Jackson County General Assignment Reporter
• Candace White, General Assignment Reporter
• Neysa Wilkins, 6pm & 10pm Anchor/Reporter (Also known as Neysa Troutt)
• Sabrina Zimring, General Assignment Reporter

PAST PERSONALITIES

• Dana Arquilla, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2006) (now at WTVO-TV)
• Jake Bell, Sports Anchor/Reporter, Feature Reporter (2000-2002)
• Caroline Brady, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2005-2006)
• Donnell Brookins, News Reporter (1950s-1960s, retired as Bay County tax collector, now deceased)
• Jason Davis, General Assignment Reporter (?-2006)
• Jennifer Elmore, Anchor/Reporter (?)
• Wayne Issac Gentry, Morning Meteorologist (?, now at BeachTV)
• Craig Gold, Weekend Meteorologist (2004-2005, now at KTKA-TV)
• Mike Gurspan, News/Sports Anchor-Reporter (1981-1986, now with WTVY-TV)
• Earl Hadaway, News Anchor/Program Director (1950s-1980s, retired)
• Courtney Hayes, General Assignment Reporter (?-2004)
• Tom Hipps, Morning Show Host (1970s-1990s, retired)
• Ray H. Holloway, Station Manager/Editorialist (1960s-1980s, retired as a Gray Communications vice president, now deceased)
• Amy Hoyt, Anchor/Reporter (1980-1994, now at WMBB-TV)
• Al Hubbard, Outdoor Reporter (2000-2004, deceased)
• Earl Hutto, News/Sports Anchor (1960s/70s, retired U.S. Congressman)
• Karin Johnson, General Assignment Reporter (2000-2003, now at WLWT/Cincinnati)
• Melissa Keeney, General Assignment Reporter (2000-2003, now at WINK-TV)
• Carla Kneeland, 6pm Anchor/Reporter (?-2006)
• Adam Kramer, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2005-2006)
• Greg Majewski, Morning Meteorologist (?-2005, now at WGCL-TV)
• Amy Morris, General Assignment Reporter (?)
• Stan Pamfilis, News/Sports Anchor (late 1970s, now with WLOS-TV Asheville, NC)
• Jeremy Pate, Morning Anchor, Reporter (1999-2006)
• Jay Prater, Morning Meteorologist (?, now at KAKE-TV)
• Mike Sasser, Sports Anchor (early 1980s, now a private communications consultant)
• Bill Schubert, Chief Meteorologist (1992-1996) (now at WTOV-TV Wheeling, WV)
• Greg Sherrod, Reporter (?, now at WMBB-TV)
• Krislyn Smith, General Assignment Reporter (2005-2006)
• Sheppard Smith, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at FOX News)
• David Steele, Sports Anchor (mid 1970s, now with Sunshine Network and the NBA's Orlando Magic)
• "Rob" Chris Still, Meteorologist (1996-1997, now at WBTW-TV)
• Mike Tolbert, Anchor/Reporter (2003-2005, now at WTEV/WAWS)
• Glen Walker, Weekend Sports Anchor, (early 1980s, now at KCBS-TV Los Angeles)
• Buddy Wilkes, News/Weather (1960s-1970s, novelist)

[edit] External links

• WJHG Website
• WJHG-DT3, "My 7" Website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WJHG

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