WDSI-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WDSI-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Serious Entertainment
station_branding = Fox 61
MyNetworkTV Chattanooga (on DT2)
analog = 61 (UHF)
digital = 40 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
MNTV (on DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = January 24, 1972
location = Chattanooga, Tennessee
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WRIP-TV (1972-1983)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = New Age Media, LLC
licensee = New Age Media of Tennessee License, LLC
sister_stations = WFLI-TV
former_affiliations = Independent (1972-1986)
effective_radiated_power = 4900 kW (analog)
84 kW (digital)
HAAT = 370 m (analog)
350 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 71353
coordinates = coord|35|12|36|N|85|16|42.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.myfoxchattanooga.com/ myfoxchattanooga.com]

WDSI-TV, channel 61, is the Fox-affiliated television station for the eastern Tennessee River Valley, northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and northeastern Alabama that is licensed to Chattanooga. Its transmitter is located north of U.S. 27 and SR 29 in Hamilton County. Owned by New Age Media, the station is sister to CW affiliate WFLI-TV. The two stations share studios on East Main Street in downtown Chattanooga. Syndicated programming on WDSI includes: "Seinfeld", "Friends", "TMZ", and "Everybody Loves Raymond". The station operates the area's MyNetworkTV affiliate on its second digital subchannel. Known on-air as "MyNetworkTV Chattanooga", it is not offered on Comcast cable at this time.

History

The station began broadcasting on January 24, 1972 as WRIP-TV and aired movies 24 hours a day before shifting to a more conventional independent approach in 1973. Channel 61 is the oldest television station in the state of Tennessee in continuous operation to have never had affiliation with any of the "big three" networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC). In 1982, the station changed its callsign to WDSI-TV. Their branding at that time was "Watch What We're Doing Now". The station even provided, free of charge, UHF antennas (which could be picked up at local convenience stores) so viewers could watch the station. At that time, many households in the Chattanooga DMA were still not wired for cable. In 1986, WDSI became an affiliate of Fox beginning with "The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers" and has remained so to this time. On September 5, 2006, the station launched MyNetworkTV on a new second subchannel.

Local Programming

WDSI has produced and airs several local programs:

*"Around the Region" - with Heidi Robinson
*"Chattanooga Basketball" - with John Shulman and Heather Williams
*"Chattanooga Football" - with Rodney Allison and Heather Williams
*"Taking Care of Business" - with Dan Howell
*"Valvoline Racing Tonight" - with Kent Whitaker, Shawn Whitfield, and Casey Orr
*"Chattanooga Butterfly"
*"Chattanooga Parent"
*"Mayor's Roundtable"
*"Metro Campus"

Newscasts

At one point in time, WDSI operated a news department and produced a nightly 10 o'clock newscast. There was also a weekday newscast at 4 P.M. known as "Fox 61 First News at 4". In 2004, the news department at WDSI closed and a news share agreement between the station and ABC affiliate WTVC took effect. The 10 P.M. news on WDSI is one of two 10 o'clock broadcasts in Chattanooga (the other being on WYHB-CA).

"Fox 61 First at 10" "(10 to 10:30 P.M.)"
"Weeknights"
*Anchor:
**Scottie Goodman
*Weather:
**David Glenn
*Sports:
**Darrell Patterson
*Reporter
**Will Carr

"Weekend"
*Anchors:
**Tanya Mendis
*Weather:
**Allison Chinchar
*Sports:
**Dave Staley

"WDSI features additional news personnel from WTVC. See that article for a complete listing."

Past Personalities

*Ryan Goswick - Morning and Midday Meteorologist (now at The Weather Channel)
*Dan Howell - Managing Editor and Weekday Anchor
**"What You Believe" segment producer
*Kim Chapman - Weekday Anchor (now 5:30, 6:00, and 11:00 Anchor at WTVC)
**"Generation Xclamation" segment producer
*Melissa Riopka - Anchor/Reporter (2000-2004) (now at WCFT)
*Mark Dickinson - Weekend Anchor/Reporter
*Darryn Moore - Weekend Anchor/Reporter (now reporter at WSB-TV)
*Connie Mayberry - Anchor (now at Headline News)
*Halima Holloway - Anchor/Reporter (2000-2004)
*Robin Kelly Cox - Weekday Meteorologist (1998-1999)
*Jerry Mathewson - Chief Meteorologist seen on weekdays (2000-2004) (now at WMGT-TV)
*Mike MacGown - Weekend Meteorologist
*Mark Edwards - Sports Director (now freelance reporter at WRCB)
*Heather Williams - Weekend Sports Anchor (now Sports Reporter/Producer at WTVC)
*Webb Wright - Sports Anchor/Reporter (now at WRCB)
*Adam Longo - reporter (2001) (now at WKMG-TV)
*John Cater - Reporter (now at WSB-TV)
*Kay Blevins - Weekend Anchor/Reporter
*Josie Connell - reporter
*Scott Hines - Reporter
*Mai Martinez - Reporter (now weekend anchor at WBBM-TV)

External links

* [http://www.myfoxchattanooga.com/ WDSI-TV/DT "Fox 61"]
* [http://www.newschannel9.com/ WTVC "NewsChannel 9"]
*TVQ|WDSI