WTOC-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTOC-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = The Southeast News Leader
station_branding = WTOC 11 (general)
The News (newscasts)
analog = 11 (VHF)
digital = 15 (UHF) returning to 11 in 2009
other_chs =
affiliations = CBS
network =
founded =
airdate = February 14, 1954
location = Savannah, Georgia
callsign_meaning = Welcome To Our City
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Raycom Media, Inc.
licensee = WTOC License Subsidiary, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = All secondary:
NBC (1954-1956)
ABC (1954-1970)
DuMont (1954-1955)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
422 kW (digital)
HAAT = 445 m (analog)
420 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 590
coordinates = coord|32|3|14.7|N|81|21|0.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wtoc.com/ www.wtoc.com]

WTOC-TV, channel 11, is the CBS affiliate in Savannah, Georgia. Its transmitter is located in downtown Savannah. It is owned by Raycom Media.

History

In October 1929, WTOC-AM signed on as the first radio station in the Savannah area, an enterprise of the Junior Board of Trade, a civic group that was the forerunner of the Savannah Jaycees. It was later purchased by William Knight, Jr., who later added an FM station in 1946

On Valentine's Day 1954, Knight took a great financial risk and established WTOC-TV as the first television station in the Savannah area. WTOC radio had long been Savannah's CBS affiliate, so WTOC-TV joined CBS and has been with that network ever since. It carried programming from all three networks for two years until WSAV-TV signed on in 1956 and took the NBC affiliation. WTOC then shared ABC with WSAV until WJCL-TV signed on in 1970.

Knight sold WTOC-AM-FM-TV to Aflac in 1979. Aflac sold off the radio stations; the AM station is now WTKS and the FM station is now WQBT. In 1996, Aflac sold its entire television group, including WTOC, to a group headed by Retirement Systems of Alabama, who merged it with Ellis Communications to form Raycom Media.

For many years, WTOC broadcast from a studio on Abercorn Street in downtown Savannah. In 1995, it moved to a new studio on the west side of Savannah at Chatham Parkway in 1995, known as "The News Place." Since that time, the downtown building has become the offices for the President of Savannah College of Art and Design. The station's large triangle tower can still be seen today along Abercorn Street.

The station airs 6 hours of news a day, a considerable amount for a station in the 97th market. Unlike most stations which change their graphics and music after a few years of use, WTOC has used versions of Frank Gari's "Newschannel" package since 1987.

A station editorial, which has been rare on many American television stations since the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, continues to be presented by WTOC General Manager William Cathcart after the 11PM newscast, usually every two weeks. Cathcart's views are usually conservative in nature.

News Department

The station won both Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards for news gathering efforts in 2003. In addition, the station pulled in 11 Georgia Associated Press Awards for the 2004. In 2005 Chris Clark won an Emmy for his football special and an Edward R. Murrow award for his story about a high school football player. In 2006 an Emmy was awarded to Mike Manhattan and Zach Powers for Freedom Fighters, a story about 3rd-ID Soldiers in Iraq. In 2007 Zach Powers, Alex Monarch and Chris Clark won an Emmy for editing a special series on Rosa Parks. The same year Chris Clark won the Emmy for best sports reporter.

Digital television

Analog-to-digital conversion

After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf.] , WTOC-TV will move its digital broadcasts back to its present analog channel number, 11. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101233535&formid=387&fac_num=590 CDBS Print ] ]

Current Personalites"'

Anchors

*Sonny Dixon - 5, 6 & Co-Host of Mid-Morning Live @ 10 AM

*Jody Chapin - 5, 6 & Co-Host of Mid-Morning Live @ 10 AM

*Mike Manhatton - 5:30 & 11

*Dawn Baker - 5:30 & 11

*Mike Cihla - Daybreak anchor, Noon, Golf Tip Reporter

*Karla Redditte - Daybreak

Weekend/Fill-In Anchors

*Liz Flynn - 6, 7 (Saturday), 6:30 (Sunday) & 11 anchor.

*Melanie Ruberti - Daybreak (Saturday)

Reporters

*Ron Wallace - (general assignment reporter)
*Dal Cannady - (bureau chief)
*Jaime Dailey - (low country reporter)
*Tim Guidera - (features reporter)
*David Hall - (general assignment reporter)
*Christy Hutchings - (nightbeat reporter)
*Brooke Kelley - (education reporter)
*Don Logana - (investigative reporter)
*Michelle Paynter - (crime beat reporter)
*Melanie Ruberti - (health notes reporter)

Weather

*Patrick Prokop - (Chief Meteorologist, 5, 5:30, 6 & 11 weekdays)
*Dave Turley - (Meteorologist, Daybreak, & Noon weekdays)
*John Wetherbee - (Meteorologist, 6, 7, & 11 Saturday, 6:30 & 11 Sunday)
*Ron Wallace - (Weathercaster, Daybreak weekends)
*Melanie Ruberti - (Weathercaster, Fill in Weather)

ports

*Rick Snow (Sports Director, 6 & 11 weekdays)
*Tim Guidera(Sports and Features Reporter)
*Melissa Maikos (Sports Reporter, Sports Anchor for weekend evenings)

Former Personalities

*Jim Synnott
*Dan Hogan
*Richard Lantz
*Gary Apple
*Wendy Chioji
*Mark Middleton
*Doug Weathers
*Johnny Cole
*Kim Angelastro
*Hena Daniels
*Chris Cowperthwaite
*Stacey Turner
*Rona Williams
*Ryan Young
*Chris Clark
*Nicole Teigen
*Dmitra Denmark
*Holly Bristow
*Richard Rogers
*Jill Hayes
*Steven Shoob

References

External links

* [http://www.wtoc.com/ WTOC-TV homepage]
*TVQ|WTOC
*BIA|WTOC|TV|TV