WKRN-TV

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WKRN-TV
Image:WKRN_logo.gif
Nashville, Tennessee
Branding News2
Slogan First. Fast. Accurate.
Channels 2 (VHF) analog,
27 (UHF) digital
Affiliations ABC (secondary until 1954)
Owner Young Broadcasting
Founded November 29, 1953
(on ch.8; moved to ch.2 in 1973)
Call letters meaning Knight-Ridder Nashville (former owner)
Former callsigns WSIX-TV (1953-73 on ch.8);
WNGE (1973-83)
Former affiliations CBS (1953-54)
Website www.wkrn.com

WKRN-TV channel 2 is the ABC affiliate in Nashville, Tennessee. Its transmitter is located in Brentwood, Tennessee. It brands itself as News 2.

Contents

[edit] History

The station signed on the air on November 29, 1953 as WSIX-TV, the second television station in Nashville. It broadcast on channel 8 and was owned by Louis and Jack Draughon along with WSIX-AM 980 (now WFYN-AM, a religious station). The calls came from the 638 Tire Company in nearby Springfield, where the Draughon brothers had started WSIX-AM in 1930; neither the radio nor the television stations have ever had the number six in their frequencies, which would explain it otherwise. Originally a CBS affiliate sharing ABC with WSM-TV (now WSMV), it became a full ABC affiliate after only one year when WLAC-TV (now WTVF) signed on and took the CBS affiliation due to WLAC-AM's long history as a CBS radio affiliate. Its original studio was on Old Hickory Boulevard, just outside Nashville. In 1961, WSIX-AM-FM-TV moved to a new studio on Murfreesboro Road, where the TV station is located today. However, it didn't have much luck against WSM and WLAC. Part of the problem was a weak signal. Its transmitter was short-spaced to channel 8 in Atlanta--occupied first by WLWA-TV (now WXIA-TV) and currently occupied by WGTV. WSIX was also hampered by a weaker network affiliation (ABC wasn't truly competitive with CBS and NBC until the early 1970s).

The Draughons sold WSIX-AM-FM-TV to General Electric in 1966. In 1972, General Electric cut a deal with Nashville's PBS station, WDCN-TV (now WNPT), then on channel 2, to swap dial positions. GE did this because the channel 2 signal travels farther than the channel 8 signal under most conditions. The swap occurred on December 11, 1973, in the middle of evening prime-time programming. At the same time, even though General Electric still owned WSIX-AM-FM, it changed WSIX-TV's callsign to WNGE-TV (for Nashville General Electric), leaving the radio stations' callsigns intact. It was only the third facility swap in American television history. Knight-Ridder bought WNGE-TV in 1983 and changed the calls to the current WKRN-TV. Young Broadcasting, the current owners, bought the station in 1989. It is merely a coincidence that the call letters reflect Young Broadcasting's flagship outlet, KRON-TV in San Francisco. Like all other ABC affiliates owned by Young Broadcasting, WKRN preempted Saving Private Ryan in 2004.

[edit] Newscasts

Monday-Friday

  • News 2 This Morning 4:30-7:00 a.m.
    • anchored by Heather Orne and John Dwyer with Jeff Ray on weather
  • News 2 at 4 4-4:30 p.m.
    • anchored by Anne Holt and Bob Mueller with Lisa Patton on weather
  • News 2 at 4:30 4:30-5 p.m.
    • anchored by Anne Holt and Bob Mueller with Lisa Patton on weather and Chris Stout with sports
  • News 2 at 5 5-5:30 p.m.
    • anchored by Neil Orne and Allison Hatcher with Lisa Patton on weather and Chris Stout with sports
  • News 2 at 6 6-6:30 p.m.
    • anchored by Neil Orne and Allison Hatcher with Lisa Patton on weather and Chris Stout with sports
  • News 2 at 10 10-10:35 p.m.
    • anchored by Neil Orne and Allison Hatcher with Lisa Patton on weather and Chris Stout with sports

Saturday

  • News 2 This Morning 6-7 and 8-9 a.m.
    • anchored by Stephanie Langston with Justin Bruce on weather
  • News 2 at 6 6-6:30 p.m.
    • anchored by Mitch Roberts with Davis Nolan on weather and Brandon Fisher with sports
  • News 2 at 10 10-10:35 p.m.
    • anchored by Mitch Roberts with Davis Nolan on weather and Brandon Fisher with sports

Sunday

  • News 2 This Morning 6-7 and 8-9 a.m.
    • anchored by Stephanie Langston with Justin Bruce on weather
  • News 2 at 5 5-5:30 p.m.
    • anchored by Mitch Roberts with Davis Nolan on weather and Brandon Fisher with sports
  • This Week with Bob Mueller 5:30-6 p.m.
    • anchored by Bob Mueller
  • News 2 at 10 10-10:35 p.m.
    • anchored by Mitch Roberts with Davis Nolan on weather and Brandon Fisher with sports
  • Sports Extra 10:35-11:05 p.m.

[edit] Former Slogans

  • 1972 to 1978: The Powerhouse!
  • 1978 to 1981: 2 a New Beat
  • 1981 to 1983: The News Specialists
  • 1983 to 1986: Let's Get Involved
  • 1986 to 1987: The Winner's Circle!
  • 1987 to 1990: Something's Happening Here
  • 1990 to 1996: On Your Side
  • 1996 to 2001: Where Coverage Comes First!
  • 2001 to 2006: First. Fast. Accurate.

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Nashville market  (Nielsen DMA #30)

WKRN 2 (ABC) - WSMV 4 (NBC) - WTVF 5 (CBS) - WNPT 8 (PBS) - WETV 11 (Ind) - WIIW 14 (Religious/DS) - WZTV 17 (Fox) - WCTE 22 (PBS) - WNPX 28 (i) - WUXP 30 (MNTV) - WJNK 34 (3ABN) - W36AK 36 (TBN) - WHTN 39 (CTN) - WPGD 50 (TBN) - W52CT 52 (A1) - WNAB 58 (The CW) - WJFB 66 (ShopNBC)

ABC Network Affiliates in the state of Tennessee

WKRN 2 (Nashville) - WATE 6 (Knoxville) - WBBJ 7 (Jackson) - WTVC 9 (Chattanooga) - WKPT 19 (Kingsport) - WPTY 24 (Memphis)

See also: CBS, CW, Fox, i, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in Tennessee