WTAT-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTAT-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Charleston's Fox 24
station_branding = Fox 24 (general)
Fox 24 News (newscasts)
analog = 24 (UHF)
digital = 40 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = September 7, 1985
location = Charleston, South Carolina
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Cunningham Broadcasting
(LMA with Sinclair Broadcast Group)
licensee = WTAT Licensee, LLC
sister_stations = WMMP
former_affiliations = Independent (1985-1986)
effective_radiated_power = 5,000 kW (analog)
400 kW (digital)
HAAT = 542 m (analog)
583.3 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 416
coordinates = coord|32|56|24.7|N|79|41|43.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wtat24.com/ wtat24.com]

WTAT-TV, channel 24, is the Fox-affiliated television station for Charleston, South Carolina. Its analog transmitter is located near Woodville. The station's digital transmitter located in North Charleston. Owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, the station is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with MyNetworkTV affiliate WMMP. However, due to Cunningham's financial structure, Sinclair effectively owns WTAT (see below). The two stations share studios on Arco Lane in North Charleston. Syndicated programming on WTAT includes: "Family Feud", "Judge Judy", "Judge Alex", and "Judge Joe Brown".

History

The station began operations on September 7, 1985 as an independent station under the ownership of Act III Broadcasting. It was the first independent station in Charleston. A local group originally held WTAT's construction permit but sold it to Act III before the station went on the air. In 1986, as part of a corporate deal between Act III and News Corporation, it became a charter affiliate of the fledgling Fox network. Abry Communications bought the Act III group in early-1994. Abry merged with Sinclair later that year but WTAT was sold along with WRGT-TV in Dayton, Ohio to Sullivan Broadcasting in compliance with FCC ownership limits of the time. Sullivan, in turn, outsourced the operation of all of its stations (including WTAT) back to Sinclair.

By the time Sinclair tried to acquire Sullivan's stations outright in 2001, it already owned WMMP (which it had purchased outright from Max Media in July 1998). Sinclair could not legally keep both WTAT and WMMP because Charleston has only six full-power stations--too few to legally permit a duopoly. Although WTAT was longer-established, Sinclair opted to keep WMMP and sold WTAT to Glencairn, Ltd. Glencairn was owned by Edwin Edwards, a former Sinclair executive, and appeared to be a minority-owned company. However, nearly all of Glencairn's stock was controlled by the Smith family, founders of Sinclair. In effect, Sinclair now had a duopoly in the Charleston market which was a violation of FCC regulations.

Glencairn and Sinclair further circumvented the rules by crafting a local marketing agreement with WMMP as the senior partner, allowing Sinclair to retain control of WTAT's operations. In 2001, the FCC fined Sinclair $40,000 for illegally controlling Glencairn. Later that year, Glencairn was renamed Cunningham Broadcasting. However, the Smith family continues to control nearly all of Cunningham's stock. Glencairn / Cunningham has faced numerous allegations that it has served as a shell corporation which Sinclair has been using for the purpose of circumventing FCC ownership rules. Sinclair and Fox recently finalized a six-year affiliation contract extension for Sinclair's 19 Fox affiliates (including WTAT). The station's affiliation contract now expires in March of 2012.

Newscasts

WTAT has a news share agreement with CBS affiliate WCSC-TV. That station produces weekday morning and nightly 10 o'clock newscasts. The 10 P.M. news is the oldest and longest running 10 o'clock broadcast in South Carolina. It premiered in the early-1990s after Fox requested its affiliates to air local news. The 10 P.M. newscast is currently the second highest rated in the market behind WCSC's own broadcasts. That station has the highest rated newscasts over the other big three affiliates in Charleston. All newscasts originate from a secondary set at WCSC's studios on Charlie Hall Boulevard in the West Ashley section of Charleston. WTAT airs Sinclair's "American Crossroads" on Sunday nights at 10:35. On September 29, 2008, WCSC set another broadcasting benchmark in the Charleston television market when they became the first news operation to air local newscasts in high definition. The upgrade included new custom Raycom corporate graphics, a re-designed HD logo, and updated music package. The WTAT broadcasts were also included in the new HD production. However, the station is not yet broadcasting the full high definition feed.

News team

"Fox 24 Morning News at 7"
"(Weekday Mornings 7 to 8 A.M.)"
*Anchors:
**Bill Burr
**Kristen McFann
*Weather:
**Chad Watson

"Fox 24 News at 10" "(10 to 10:35 P.M.)"
"Weeknights"
*Anchor:
**TBD
*Weather:
**Scott Williams
*Sports:
**Andy Pruitt

"Weekends"
*Anchor:
**Anthony Miller
*Weather:
**Brad Miller
*Sports:
**Kevin Bilodeau

"WTAT uses additional news personnel from WCSC. See that article for a complete listing."

External links

* [http://www.wtat24.com/ WTAT-TV/DT "Fox 24"]
* [http://www.mytvcharleston.com/ WMMP "My TV Charleston"]
* [http://www.wcsc.com/ WCSC-TV/DT]
*TVQ|WTAT-TV