Friends @ Five

Infobox Television
show_name = Friends @ Five


caption = temporary "Friends @ Five" title card
genre = Newscast, Talk Show
creator = Mike Garber, Rich O'Dell, Darci Strickland, and Andrea Mock
developer =
presenter = 5:00pm
Darci Strickland
(2007–present)
Andrea Mock
(2007–present)
Jim Gandy, Chief Weather Meteorologist
(2007–present)
Substitute Hosts
Jocelyn Manor
Jennifer Tomazic
J.R. Berry
Scott Ryan, Weather Meteorologist
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country = USA
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location = Columbia, SC
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runtime = 60 minutes (1 hour)
network = WLTX
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first_aired = August 20, 2007
last_aired = present
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website = http://www.wltx.com/friendsatfive
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History

From WLTX, Columbia, South Carolina's CBS affiliate News19, "Friends @ Five" is a weekday newscast/talk show that tackles innovative but fun topics around the Midlands, the Country, and the World. Friends @ Five is broadcast live, weekdays at 5PM on channel 19, Time Warner Cable channel 9, and live on wltx.com. Viewers can chat on line about the day's topics picked by the hosts ranging from teen pregnancy to favorite foods. Friends @ Five launched on August 20, 2007. The show is mostly targeted towards woman 18 and older, though men 18-34 and woman under the age of 18 are also key viewers. In the Summer of 2008 Friends @ Five launched a Summer book club for local middle/high school students, similar to The Oprah Winfrey Show book club. In some ways Friends @ Five can be compared to the fourth hour of The Today Show or The View but on a smaller level. Friends @ Five is the first of its kind in the South Carolina area. The show also has segments like; My Best Friend, My Role Model, Connect with Kids, Drive @ Five, and Teacher of the Week. The success of the show can be attributed to the friendly chemistry between co-hosts Andrea Mock [http://www.wltx.com/company/bios/andreamock.aspx] and Darci Strickland [http://www.wltx.com/company/bios/darcistrickland.aspx] (who has been with WLTX for over ten years). On June 23, 2008, the show won the 2008 Southeast Regional Emmy Award for its innovative way of connecting with viewers.

Hosts

*Darci Strickland
*Andrea Mock
*Jim Gandy, Chief Meteorologist (South Carolina's Weatherman)

ubstitute Hosts

*Jocelyn Manor
*Jennifer Tomazic
*J.R. Berry
*Scott Ryan, Meteorologist

Trivia

Even though Friends @ Five has a strong male audience, some say that the show is only for woman, including former WLTX Weekend Sports Anchor Matt Barrie calling the show "sweet TV". He later appeared on an March 2008 episode reporting on an arrested football player.

Friends @ Five is the first 5pm newscast for WLTX. It is also the first 5pm newscast in years, in the Columbia area to go head to head with WIS's Live at 5.

Friends @ Five has had celebrity guest visit such as Victoria Rowell, P. Miller (formerly known as Master P), Kevin Hart, and even competing Fox News Channel anchor Ainsley Earhardt (who previously worked for WLTX.)

Friends @ Five celebrated its 1st Anniversary on August 20th, 2008. The event featured a number of Friends @ Five chatters, a special guest appearance by Governor Mark Sanford, and memorable moments from the past year. There was also a Friends @ Five trivia showdown between 2 of the most devoted chatters; Ashie Mom and Loretta (Loretta won the bout).

External links

*http://www.wltx.com