WHO-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WHO-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = See the Difference
station_branding = Channel 13
analog = 13 (VHF)
digital = 19 (UHF) returning to 13 in 2009
other_chs = K27CV Ottumwa
K66AL Clarinda
affiliations = NBC
network =
founded =
airdate = April 15, 1954
location = Des Moines, Iowa
callsign_meaning = derived from WHO radio
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Local TV, LLC
licensee = Local TV Iowa License, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = UPN (secondary until 2006)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
550 kW (digital)
HAAT = 600.4 m (analog)
609 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 66221
coordinates = coord|41|48|32.6|N|93|36|53.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|41|49|48.5|N|93|36|54.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.whotv.com/ www.whotv.com]

WHO-TV is a television station that broadcasts on channel 13 in Des Moines, Iowa. It is affiliated with the NBC television network and serves most of central Iowa. The station transmits from the WOI-Tower in Alleman, Iowa, which is actually owned by WHO-TV's owners.

Programming on WHO-TV is repeated on K27CV channel 27 in Ottumwa and K66AL channel 66 in Clarinda. City governments own both these translators.

History

WHO-TV signed on the air on April 15, 1954 as the second television station in Des Moines. It was owned by the Palmer family, owners of WHO radio (AM 1040 and FM 100.3, now KDRB). The Palmers had competed with KIOA for the channel 13 license and won it after reaching a settlement. [cite book|first=Jeff|last=Stein|title=Making Waves: The People and Places of Iowa Broadcasting|location=Cedar Rapids, Iowa|publisher=WDG Communications|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-9718323-1-5] It has always been an NBC affiliate.

The technological leader, WHO-TV Channel 13 was the first to use videotape, the first to broadcast from news events live, the first live Doppler radar, first commercial high-definition television broadcast during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and first high-definition local news segment.

The Palmers sold off their broadcast holdings in 1996, with WHO-TV and sister station KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City going to The New York Times Company. Up to that time, channel 13 had been the last locally owned commercial station in Des Moines. WHO-AM, which was eventually acquired by Jacor Communications (which later merged with Clear Channel Communications), continued to occupy the same building until it moved to another building in 2005.

WHO's main anchor since 1987, John Bachman, was one of three reporters who interviewed Ronald Reagan, announcer for WHO-AM in the 1990s, at the end of his presidential term. The other two were Larry King and Barbara Walters.

While WHO-TV was co-owned with WHO-AM, it used an owl as its mascot, as WHO-AM still does today. [http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/international/us_nbc/whotv/who_tv_1982.rm]

On January 4, 2007, the New York Times Company entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to affiliates of the private equity group Oak Hill Capital Partners. WHO-TV will be operated as part of Local TV LLC, a new broadcasting company owned by Oak Hill.

On May 7, 2007, Local TV took ownership of WHO-TV.

On December 20, 2007, Local TV and Tribune Company have entered into a letter of intent to create a third-party broadcast management company which will provide shared services to all of the stations Local TV and Tribune Company own respectively. The company will function as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tribune Company, and will provide back-office services, administration, and a number of other functions to the stations with the goal of maximizing efficiencies, sharing best practices, and fostering innovation.

In 2008, WHO-TV introduced Iowa's Weather Plus, a 24-hour weather channel affliated with NBC Weather Plus. This station airs on Digital Channel 13.2 and Mediacom Digital channel 246, and also streams at whotv.com.

On September 2nd, 2008, WHO-TV took over production of KDSM's 9PM newscast from KGAN. The newscast is aptly titled "13 News at Nine on FOX 17." WHO-TV previously produced a short-lived prime-time newscast for PAX TV (now ION Television) affiliate KFPX channel 39 in 2001. It is a one hour newscast on weekdays, thirty minutes on weekends.

Personalities and programming

WHO-TV's "Channel 13 News" broadcasts rank second to KCCI in ratings. They were the first with weekend morning newscasts in the Des Moines area. WHO-TV also provides aerial coverage of stories with its "Chopper 13" helicopter, Central Iowa's only television news helicopter.

Current on-air news personalities (as of September 2, 2008) include:

News

* John Bachman, news anchor of 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts
* Brooke Bouma, "Today in Iowa" news anchor
* Emily Carlson, reporter
* Patrick Dix, reporter and "Today in Iowa" & "News at Noon" news anchor
* Brad Ehrlich, "Today in Iowa" traffic reporter
* Andy Fales, reporter
* Sonya Heitshusen, reporter/News at 5 anchor
* Elias Johnson, reporter
* Erin Kiernan, news anchor, 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts
* Elizabeth Klinge, reporter & "Today in Iowa Saturday" & "Today in Iowa Sunday" news anchor
* Lynn Melling, 9 p.m. anchor "13 News at 9 on Fox 17"
* Dave Price, reporter/weekend anchor/9 p.m. weekend anchor "13 News at 9 on Fox 17"
* Megan Reuther, "Today in Iowa" reporter
* Mark Tauscheck, reporter
* Jannay Towne, reporter
* Dan Winters, reporter and anchor of "Today in Iowa Saturday" and "Today in Iowa Sunday"

ports

* Keith Murphy, sports director, "SoundOFF with Keith Murphy" host, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. newscasts
* Andy Fales, co-host "SoundOFF"
* Chris Hassel, sports reporter & anchor
* Shawn Terrell, weekend sports anchor & reporter
* Heather Burnside, "SoundOFF" contributor

Weather

* Ed Wilson, chief meteorologist, 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. newscasts
* Brett McIntyre, meteorologist, noon and weekend evening newscasts
* Jeriann Ritter, meteorologist, noon and "Today in Iowa"
* Megan Salois, meteorologist, noon, "Today in Iowa Saturday", and "Today in Iowa Sunday"

Former on-air news personalities

* Gary Amble (Now at KCTV-TV Kansas City, MO)
* Todd Bailey (Now Des Moines Register sports on-line editor)
* Patrick Bell (Now at WBNS-TV Columbus, OH)
* Jack Cafferty (Now Commentator, The Situation Room on CNN)
* Jon Cahill (Now at KCCI-TV Des Moines, IA)
* Mark Ferree (Now a salesman at Willis Auto Campus)
* Dave Fraiser (Now Chief Meteorologist KWGN-TV Denver, CO)
* Kathy Ellis Fraiser (lives in Colorado)
* Courtney Maxwell Greene (Now Bureau Chief for the Public Information Bureau of the Department of Public Safety)
* Holly Gregory (Now at WGN-TV Chicago, IL)
* Laurie Groves (Now Public Relations Manager, Iowa Farm Bureau)
* Loren Halifax (Now Morning Anchor, WDAF-TV FOX 4 Kansas City, MO)
* Tim Hedrick (Now at WKRC-TV in Cincinnati)
* Jim Hibbs (Now Associate Wixted Pope Nora Thompson & Associates West Des Moines, IA)
* Lisa Brones Huber (Now Attorney and Director of Client Relations, Middleton Reutlinger, P.S.C.; Louisville, KY)
* Telly Hughes (Now Anchor/Reporter FSN North & Wisconsin)
* Jacqui Jeras (Now Meteorologist CNN)
* Bruce Kallner (Now Sr. VP, Strategic Sales & Marketing, NBC Universal, New York, NY)
* Kerry Kavanaugh (Now at WFTS-TV Tampa, FL)
* Mike Keen
* Amanda Krenz (Now at WOI-TV in Des Moines)
* Scott Lind (Now Community Relations Manager for Alliant Energy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa *Last Name is Drzycimski*)
* Mike Lozano (Now retired)
* Ryan Lund (Now Media Relations for Ameriprise Financial in Edina, Mn)
* Carol Maloney (Now at Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
* Mark Meisenheimer (Now Community Relations Associate, Tallgrass Retirement Community, Kansas City, KS)
* Mary Milz (Now WTHR-TV Indianapolis, IN)
* Tiffany O'Donnell (anchor at KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids from 2001 to 2006 and since 2008)
* Rob Olson (Now at KMSP-TV Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN)
* Jason Parkin (Now at KCCI-TV Des Moines, IA)
* Rachael Parker
* Pat Parris (Now Host FSN Live, FSN Midwest)
* Tom Patton (Now at WWBT-TV Richmond, VA)
* Alison Gregory Pope (Now founding partner of Wixted Pope Nora Thompson & Associates)
* Scott Pope (Owns Racing Horses & Associate Wixted Pope Nora Thompson & Associates Johnston, IA)
* Melanie Posey (Now at WBRC-TV Birmingham, AL)
* Jim Poston (Now voice actor, recently at KIVI-TV, Boise, ID)
* Katherine Pritchard
* Cale Ramaker (Now at WOFL FOX35 Orlando, FL)
* Susy Robinette
* Jerry Reno (Now Real Estate Agent with Codwell Banker Mid-America Group in Johnston, IA)
* Justin Sacher (Now at KGPE-TV Fresno, CA)
* Emily Schmidt (Now at WJLA-TV Washington DC)
* Jarrett Schneider (Now Press Secretary to Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro)
* Don Schwenneker (Now at WBBM-TV Chicago)
* Phil Scott
* Trisha Shepherd (Now at WRTV in Indianapolis)
* Bobbi Silvernail Bergman (Now at WOI-TV Des Moines, IA)
* Rick Silvestrini (Now Des Moines area business owner)
* Kathy Soltero (Was Anchor KCNC-TV Denver, CO, Now Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty in Denver, CO)
* Jim Strickland (Now at WSB-TV Atlanta, GA)
* Joe Sullivan (Now at a wind energy company meteorologist in Minneapolis, Minnesota)
* Steve Templeton (Now at KMOV-TV St. Louis, MO)
* Brandon Thomas (Now working for a pharmaceutical company)
* Sue Toma (Now Executive Director, Iowa Broadcasters Association)
* Mirtha Vaca (Now at KING5-TV Seattle, WA)
* Larry Wentz (Now at KCAU-TV in Sioux City)
* Therese Thompson Wielage (Former Vice-President, Spindustry Interactive)
* Eileen Wixted (Now founding partner of Wixted Pope Nora Thompson & Associates)
* Cal Woods
* Jim Zabel (Now with WHO-AM Radio)

Syndicated programs carried on WHO-TV include the game shows "Wheel of Fortune", "Jeopardy!", and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", as well as the talk shows "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", and "Rachael Ray" and "The Bonnie Hunt Show". Local programs include "The Insiders," a Sunday-morning political talk show moderated by John Bachman, and "Sound Off", a Sunday-night sports talk show hosted by Keith Murphy and Co-host Andy Fales.

econdary Affiliation

In 2003, WHO-TV began airing select UPN programs which KPWB (now KCWI) had dropped. WHO-TV aired various UPN programs from 12:00 A.M.-1:00 A.M. on Sunday mornings and "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" (then called "WWE Smackdown") on Sunday nights at 11:30 P.M.

On January 24, 2006, CBS and Time Warner announced the formation of The CW, formed with the merging of UPN and The WB programming.

On February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced that they would start up another new network called My Network TV. It was also created to compete against The CW.

On March 16th, 2006, then-WB Affiliate KPWB was confirmed as the Des Moines affiliate of The CW. A few months later, My Network TV announced that it would affiliate with a new station, KDMI-DT.

KDMI-DT began broadcasting My Network TV on September 5, 2006. KCWI began broadcasting The CW on September 18, 2006.

ee also

* "The Floppy Show", a long-running children's television series on WHO-TV

External links

* [http://www.whotv.com/ WHO-TV web site]
* [http://www.iowavotes2008.com/ WHO-TV political web site]
* [http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/who-tv/who-tv-main.html WHO-TV historical artifacts] from DesMoinesBroadcasting.com
*TVQ|WHO-TV
**TVQ|K27CV
**TVQ|K66AL
*BIA|WHO|TV|TV

References