WJLA-TV

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WJLA-TV
Washington, D.C.
Branding	WJLA WASHINGTON (general) ABC 7 News (newscasts)
Slogan	On Your Side
Channels	7 (VHF) analog, 39 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	ABC (since 1949)
Owner	Allbritton Communications Company
Founded	October 3, 1947
Call letters meaning	W Joe L. Allbritton
Former callsigns	WTVW (1947); WMAL-TV (1947-1977)
Former affiliations	CBS (1948-1949)
Transmitter Power	316 kW/235 m (analog) 646 kW/254 m (digital)
Website	www.wjla.com

WJLA-TV is the ABC television affiliate in Washington, D.C., and is located on channel seven (digital channel 39). Its transmitter is located in the Tenleytown section of Washington.

The station is the flagship of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also owns local cable station News Channel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in Arlington, Virginia. Currently, it has the largest news team in the Washington area. As the flagship station, WJLA provides national news headlines for other Allbritton owned stations.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Ratings 1.2 Logos and idents 2 Key Personalities 2.1 Current staff 2.2 Former staff 3 News Programs 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

On October 3, 1947, the District of Columbia's second television station began broadcasting as WTVW, owned by the Washington Star along with WMAL radio (630 kHz.). It was the first high-band VHF station (channels 7-13) to begin operations in the United States. A few months later, the station renamed itself WMAL-TV.

WMAL-TV was Washington's original outlet for the CBS television network. But WMAL radio had been an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, and remained with the network after it was spun-off by NBC and evolved into ABC. Due to this long relationship, WMAL-TV took over the ABC affiliation when WOIC-TV (now WUSA) signed on in 1949.

In 1976, Texas businessman Joseph L. Allbritton, the owner of Washington-based Riggs Bank, purchased the Star along with the WMAL stations. As a condition to the purchase, Allbritton had to break up the newspaper/broadcast combination, which the Federal Communications Commission was seeking to prohibit under its "one-to-a market" rule. WMAL-TV was first separated from its radio sisters when ABC purchased WMAL-AM-FM in March 1977. Upon the radio transfer, channel seven changed its call letters to the current WJLA-TV, after Allbritton's initials. Allbritton then sold the Star to Time, Inc. in February 1978. An urban legend in the Washington area is that the WJLA calls alternatively stand for "Jesus Loves America".

Rumors abounded in the mid 1990s that ABC might buy WJLA, thus reuniting it with its former radio sisters, WMAL and WRQX-FM (the former WMAL-FM). However, ABC recently announced it was selling most of its radio properties, including WMAL and WRQX, to Citadel Communications, and there is virtually no likelihood that ABC will purchase the station. Even so, WJLA is still an ABC affiliate to this day under Allbritton because the conglamerate has had a unique contract with ABC since 1997 for all its stations to carry the network.

[edit] Ratings

WJLA had long been the #3 newscast in Washington, behind WUSA and WRC. However, with recent moves (including the hiring of veteran Gordon Peterson from WUSA and Leon Harris from CNN), along with WUSA's recent troubles, the station has enjoyed a resurgence in the ratings, including consistent ratings victory at 5pm.

[edit] Logos and idents

Since 1970, WMAL-TV/WJLA has used a variation of the Circle 7 logo, which has long been associated with ABC affiliates. From 1970 to 2001, WMAL/WJLA used its own version of the Circle 7 logo, with the "7" modified to accommodate the circle. This version was probably the longest continuously used numeric logo in Washington's television history. The only real modification came in 1998, after it began calling itself ABC 7 on-air and added the ABC logo to the left. In 2001, WJLA adopted the standard version of the Circle 7 logo, re-fueling speculation that ABC would buy the station. Ironically, WJLA is the largest ABC affiliate to use the Circle 7 that is not an ABC owned-and-operated station; also, its sister station KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas has used the standard Circle 7 since the 1960s, longer than all WJLA versions combined.

[edit] Key Personalities

[edit] Current staff

WJLA-TV Anchors

• Maureen Bunyan, Weeknights 6 and 11 p.m.
• Elliott Francis, Weekends
• Leon Harris, Weeknights 5 and 11 p.m. and co-host of "Capital Sunday"
• Doug McKelway, Good Morning Washington and ABC 7 NEWS @ NOON
• Gordon Peterson, Weeknights 6 p.m. and "Inside Washington" Host
• Alison Starling, Good Morning Washington and ABC 7 NEWS @ NOON

NewsChannel 8 Anchors

• Bruce DePuyt, NewsTalk Live host
• Cheryl Conner, weekends
• Melanie Hastings, afternoons
• Beverly Kirk, evenings
• Dave Lucas, mornings and middays, also "Capital Golf Weekly" Host
• Alisa Parenti, weekends
• Stephen Tschida, evenings

WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 Reporters

• Lisa Baden, GMW Traffic Reporter
• Brad Bell, Prince George's County Bureau Chief
• Matt Brock
• Leslie Cook
• Rebecca Cooper
• Jennifer Donelan
• Sam Ford, DC Bureau Chief
• Dr. Kathy Fowler, Medical Reporter
• Horace Holmes
• Suzanne Kennedy
• Nikole Killion, covers Prince George, Calvert, and Charles counties
• Greta Kreuz, Montgomery County Bureau Chief
• Jay Korff
• Sarah Lee
• Andrea McCarren, I-Team reporter
• Ross McLaughlin, 7 On Your Side investigator
• Aru Pande
• Julie Parker
• Gail Pennybacker
• Scott Thuman
• Dave Willingham, NC8 Traffic Reporter

WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 Weather Forecasters

• Adam Caskey, Meteorologist
• Doug Hill, WJLA-TV Chief Meteorologist
• Kyle Osborne, NewsChannel 8 Meteorologist
• Ron Riley, NewsChannel 8 Meteorologist
• Joe Witte, WJLA-TV Meteorologist
• Brian van de Graaff, WJLA-TV Meteorologist
• Dave Zahran, Meteorologist

WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 Sports Personalities

• Tim Brant, WJLA-TV Weeknight Sports Anchor/Reporter
• Glenn Harris, NewsChannel 8 Sports Anchor/Reporter/"Sports Talk" host
• Greg Toland, WJLA-TV Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter

[edit] Former staff

• Donald Allen, Anchor/Reporter (1969-?, deceased)
• Paul Berry, Anchor/Reporter (1971-99)
• Mike "Buck" Buchanan, General Assignment Reporter (2004-2006; father of WUSA-TV reporter Doug Buchanan)
• Chris Curle Farmer, Anchor/Reporter (1977-80, retired in Florida)
• Charles Gibson, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at ABC News)
• Jeff Gilbert, Meteorologist (1990-95)
• Chris Gordon, Anchor/Reporter (1980-83, now at WRC-TV)
• Mike Hambrick, Co-anchor (1992-95)
• Frank Herzog, Sports Director/Reporter (1983-92, now at WTOP Radio)
• Kerri Kazarba, Anchor/Reporter (?, now at KCPQ-TV)
• Christianne Klein, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2005-2006)
• Rene Knott, Sports Director (1992-2003, now at KSDK-TV)
• Kathleen Matthews, 5 p.m. Anchor/Capitol Sunday Co-Host/Reporter (1982-2006) wife of MSNBC Chris Matthews
• Melissa McDermott, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (1998-99)
• Renee Poussaint, Anchor/Reporter (1978-93)
• Gary Reals, General Assignment Reporter (1983-1990, now at WUSA-TV)
• Angela Russell, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (2003-2005, now at KYW-TV)
• Wes Sarginson, Anchor (1985-88, now at WXIA-TV)
• David Schoumacher, Anchor/Reporter (1976-88)
• Gary Shore, Meteorologist (?)
• Alexandra Steele, Meteorologist (?, now at The Weather Channel)
• Dave Sweeney, Meteorologist (1985-87)
• Ruth Todd, Meteorologist/Anchor (1990-92, now at KTVX-TV)
• Del Walters, Co-anchor/Reporter (1985-2003, now at WMAR-TV)

[edit] News Programs

The station's radar is known as "Live Super Doppler 7" and is featured on FM radio station WTOP. All newscasts can be watched live on WJLA's website.

Monday-Friday

• Good Morning Washington (5-7 a.m.)
  • Anchors: Doug McKelway and Alison Starling
  • Weather: Brian van de Graaff
  • Traffic: Lisa Baden
• ABC 7 News at Noon (Noon-12:30 p.m.)
  • Anchors: Doug McKelway and Alison Starling
  • Weather: Brian van de Graaff
• ABC 7 News at 5:00 (5-6 p.m.)
  • Anchors: Leon Harris
  • Weather: Doug Hill
  • Sports: Tim Brant
• ABC 7 News at 6:00 (6-6:30 p.m.)
  • Anchors: Gordon Peterson and Maureen Bunyan
  • Weather: Doug Hill
  • Sports: Tim Brant
• ABC 7 News at 11:00 (11-11:35 p.m.)
  • Anchors: Leon Harris and Maureen Bunyan
  • Weather: Doug Hill
  • Sports: Tim Brant

Saturday

• ABC 7 News at 6:00 (6-6:30 p.m.)
  • Anchor: Elliott Francis
  • Weather: Joe Witte
  • Sports: Greg Toland
• ABC 7 News at 11:00 (11-11:30 p.m.)
  • Anchor: Elliott Francis
  • Weather: Joe Witte
  • Sports: Greg Toland

Sunday

• Inside Washington (10-10:30 a.m.)
  • Host: Gordon Peterson
• Capital Sunday (10:30-11 a.m.)
  • Hosts: Leon Harris
• Wizards Magazine (12:30-1 p.m.)
• ABC 7 News at 6:30 (6:30-7 p.m.)
  • Anchor: Elliott Francis
  • Weather: Joe Witte
  • Sports: Greg Toland
• ABC 7 News at 11:00 (11-11:30 p.m.)
  • Anchor: Elliott Francis
  • Weather: Joe Witte
  • Sports: Greg Toland

[edit] See also

• Circle 7 logo

[edit] External links

• ABC7 Official Website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WJLA-TV