WEHT

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WEHT
city =
station_
station_slogan = Always Tracking. Always Watching. Always Alerting.
station_branding = News 25
analog = 25 (UHF)
digital = 59 (Until the Feb. 2009 Switchover) (UHF)
digital_temporary = 59 (UHF)
digital_after2009 = 7 (VHF)
digital_current = 59 (VHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC (25-1), RTN (25-2)
network =
founded =
airdate = September 27, 1953
location = Evansville, Indiana
callsign_meaning = Watch
Evansville-
Henderson
Television
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers = 50 (1953-1964)
owner = Gilmore Broadcasting Corporation
licensee =
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
CBS (1953-1995)
Secondary:
ABC (1953-1956)
effective_radiated_power = 1200 kW (analog)
59 kW (digital)
2600 watts (after 2009)
HAAT = 314 m (analog)
301.1 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 24215
coordinates = coord|37|51|56.3|N|87|34|3.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.news25.us/ www.news25.us]

WEHT is an ABC affiliate in Evansville, Indiana. The station is owned by Gilmore Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of Gilmore Enterprises. It is the last remaining broadcasting property under Gilmore ownership, which, at its peak, included five television stations, nine radio stations and nineteen cable TV systems in nine states, including WEHT.

While it is licensed to Evansville, its studios and transmitter are co-located across the Ohio River in Henderson, Kentucky. The station uses the branding "News 25".

The station, the tri-state area's first television station, went on the air on Channel 50 on September 27, 1953, as a CBS affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. It was owned by the Malco Theater Corporation of Memphis, Tennessee; minority interest was held by several Henderson businessmen for the first year. Hilberg Packing of Cincinnati bought the station in 1957, and Gilmore bought it in 1964.

It dropped ABC in 1956 after WTVW signed on. With FCC approval, it switched to channel 25 in 1964 soon after Gilmore bought the station. When WTVW moved to the Fox network in late 1995, WEHT took over the market's ABC affiliation.

On August 25, 2008, WEHT became the Evansville area's RTN affiliate; RTN programming is broadcast on digital channel 25-2 and is branded as RTN TV25.

Notable personalities

; Brad Byrd : WEHT's lead news anchor has been with the station since 1978, when he became one of the youngest TV news anchors in Indiana at the age of 26. During his tenure at News 25, Byrd has won several awards for his work, including two regional Emmy awards and two Edward R. Murrow awards. Byrd was inducted into the [http://www.depauw.edu/library/archives/ijhof/inductees/byrd.htm Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame] and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle Hall of Fame. In addition to his on-air duties at News 25, he has written a column entitled "Second Thoughts" in the Evansville Courier & Press newspaper.; Shelley Kirk : Shelley joined NEWS 25 in 1989 and reported for several years before being promoted to anchor in 1994. She currently co-anchors the weekday 5, 6, and 10 pm newscasts. Highlights of her years at NEWS 25 include reporting from the White House Oval Office, covering a local case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and following the Habitat for Humanity housing blitzes of '92 and '95. Shelley also serves as co-host of the annual Easter Seals and Santa Clothes Club telethons. She stays active in several local causes, including Habitat of Evansville, Easter Seals, and the American Cancer Society.; Wayne Hart : Wayne Hart has been the station's Chief Meteorologist since 1993 (succeeding Mike Maguire). In 2005 he became the first television meteorologist in the Evansville market to become a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM), a designation given by the American Meteorological Society. Prior to becoming a CBM, Hart had held the AMS' Seal of Approval since 1987. Like Brad Byrd, Hart has won a regional Emmy Award. Hart received his Emmy in 1998 for "First Warning to Severe Weather," a prime-time special on the subject of severe weather preparedness.; Lance Wilkerson : Lance is the only television sportscaster that can call the Tri-State his home. He was born and raised in Newburgh and attended Castle High School. He then moved on to Ball State University, where he graduated with a major in telecommunications. After working at the station as an intern out of college, he became a news photographer in August 1993. A year later he became the weekend sports anchor. In July 1998, Lance was named Sports Director of NEWS 25. Lance has won numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association and the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches' Association Outstanding Media Award. NEWS 25's Home Team Friday sports show won the honor of Best Sports Segment from the Associated Press.

Newscasts

At one point, in early 2000s WEHT produced a 9 PM newscast for then-WB (now The CW) affiliate WAZE-TV. The program was cancelled due to low ratings.

In 2007, WEHT discontinued its Midday (11:30 AM) newscast in favor of paid programming (infomercials), leaving the station without a competitor against WFIE's hourlong "Midday with Mike" newscast and WTVW's "Fox 7 News at Noon." However, WEHT began airing a newscast at 4:30 P.M. on September 10, 2007. Until August 25, 2008, the station's news programs were simulcast in their normal timeslots on digital subchannel 25-2, along with a repeat of the 6 P.M. newscast at 7 P.M. However, when RTN programming debuted, the newscasts and weather radar on 25-2 were eliminated.

Notable WEHT Alumni

*Jacqui Jeras - CNN Meteorologist
*Allison Hatcher - WKRN Nashville
*Jonathan Weaver - Vanderburgh County Assessor
*Bill Weber - NBC Sports
*Nischelle Turner - KTTV Los Angeles
*Paul Emmick - The Weather Channel Meteorologist, WRTV, WDRB

Logo Gallery

External links

* [http://www.news25.us/ WEHT home page]
* [http://news25.us/page625.cfm RTN TV25 schedule and information]
* [http://www.gilmoreent.com/ Gilmore Enterprises, parent company of WEHT]
*TVQ|WEHT
*BIA|WEHT|TV|TV