WTVM

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTVM
city =
station_
station_slogan = Coverage You
Can Count On
station_branding = WTVM News Leader 9
analog = 9 (VHF)
digital = 47 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC (primary since 1970; secondary 1953-70)
AccuWX TV (on DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = October 6, 1953
location = Columbus, Georgia
callsign_meaning = TeleVision Martin (Theaters)
former_callsigns = WDAK-TV (1953-1956)
former_channel_numbers = 28 (1953-1960)
owner = Raycom Media
licensee = WTVM License Subsidiary, LLC
sister_stations = WXTX
former_affiliations = NBC (1953-1970)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
302 kW (digital)
HAAT = 503 m (analog)
323 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 595
coordinates = coord|32|19|25.1|N|84|46|45.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wtvm.com/ wtvm.com]

WTVM, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station in Columbus, Georgia. Its signal covers the Chattahoochee Valley area including east-central Alabama. The station's transmitter is located in Cusseta. Owned by Raycom Media, WTVM is sister to primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate WXTX. The two stations share studios on Wynnton Road in the Dinglewood section of Columbus. Syndicated programming on WTVM includes: "Inside Edition", "Entertainment Tonight", and "Montel".

History

The station signed on for the first time on October 6, 1953 as WDAK-TV on channel 28. It was a primary NBC station with secondary CBS and ABC affiliations and was the first television station in the Columbus market. It was owned by Allen Woodall Senior, owner of WDAK-AM 540, and Martin Theaters of Georgia. WDAK lost CBS when WRBL-TV signed on two weeks later. Woodall sold his interest in the station to Martin Theaters in 1956 and the call letters were changed to the current WTVM. It moved to channel 9 in 1960 in a three-way FCC switch-and-move that saw WRBL-TV move from channel 4 to channel 3,and WTVY-TV in Dothan, Alabama give up its channel 9 and move to channel 4. The moves were permitted because, two years earlier, co-channel WROM-TV (channel 9 in Rome, Georgia) had moved 70 miles (115 km) north to Chattanooga, Tennessee to alleviate interference if the FCC granted a new channel 9 frequency in Columbus.

Martin Theaters of Georgia had already purchased WROM-TV and renamed it WTVC-TV. Meanwhile, channel 28 (WTVM-TV's old channel) is now occupied by Georgia Public Broadcasting's WJSP-TV. In 1970, WTVM moved from its 1st Avenue facilities in downtown Columbus (where the current Carmike building is located) to its current studios on Wynnton Road. Shortly afterward, it became a sole ABC affiliate after WYEA-TV (now WLTZ) started broadcasting. Western Broadcasting bought the station in 1980 and SFN Publishing became the owner in 1984. A group of SFN managers formed Pegasus Broadcasting and purchased WTVM in 1986. Aflac bought the station in 1989 and then sold it to current owner Raycom Media of Montgomery, Alabama on April 15, 1997.

News operation

WTVM's regional weather radar is called TrueView Doppler 9". In addition to their main studios, the station operates an East Alabama Bureau on Executive Park Drive in Opelika. It produces three newscasts for sister station WXTX. This includes an hour long broadcast weekday mornings at 7. There is also a nightly half hour 10 o'clock newscast. WTVM operates a 24-hour weather channel known as "Weather Now" on its second digital subchannel. It features a live stream of the station's "TrueView Doppler 9" radar, current conditions, and updated forecasts by WTVM meteorologists. It is also an affiliate of The AccuWeather Channel and offers national weather updates by AccuWeather. "Weather Now" can be seen on two digital cable systems. It can be found on Knology channel 170 and Mediacom channel 810. There is a live stream of the weather channel on the WTVM and WXTX websites.

Newscast Titles

*"News Scope" (1964-1977)
*"Action 9 News" (1977-1989)
*"News Leader 9" (1989-present)

Current News Personalities

Anchors

* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=194103&nav=menu91_8_9 Wayne Bennett] , 5, 6, and 11 Anchor/Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=1782633&nav=menu91_8_9 Semone Doughton] , Education Watch Reporter/Subsitate Anchor
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8755120&nav=menu91_8_9 Barbara Gauthier] , 5, 6, and 11 Anchor/Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=194110&nav=menu91_8_9 Chuck Leonard] , Morning/Noon Anchor/Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5465970&nav=menu91_8_9 Zaneta Lowe] , 5:30 Anchor/Consumer Watch Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=1645143&nav=menu91_8_9 Cheryl Renee] , Morning Anchor/Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=207488&nav=menu91_8_9 Elizabeth White] , Weekend Anchor/Reporter/East Alabama Bureau Chief
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9025946&nav=menu91_8 James Valles] , Reporter/Web Anchor

Reporters

* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=7838806&nav=menu91_8_9 Taylor Barnhill] , Video Journalist
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=3853624&nav=menu91_8_9 Laurie Bernstein] , General Assignment Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4147311&nav=menu91_8_9 Lindsey Connell] , General Assignment Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5109894&nav=menu91_8_9 Greg Funderburg] , General Assignment Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4347993&nav=menu91_8_9 Chauncy Glover] , General Assignment Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8520858&nav=menu91_8_9 Chris Vessell] , East Alabama Bureau Reporter

Meteorologists

* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=194137&nav=menu91_5_5_3 Kurt Schmitz] , Chief Meteorologist
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4348023&nav=menu91_5_5_3 Bruce Lee] , Morning & Noon Meteorologist
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5172932&nav=menu91_5_5_3 Derek Kinkade] , Weekend Meteorologist

ports

* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=194132&nav=menu91_5_5_2 Dave Platta] , Sports Director
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=3779099&nav=menu91_5_5_2 Andrew Wittenberg] , Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter
* [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8448360&nav=menu91_5_5_2 Chris Hudgison] , 6 & 11 Sports Reporter

Past New Personalities

*Dick McMichael, anchor (retired)
*Al Fleming, anchor
*Penny Leigh, meteorologist
*Tom O'Neal, announcer
*Deborah Singer, anchor
*Roszell Gadson, anchor
*Jon Kalahar, reporter
*Jo Giles, reporter
*Chris Treston, sports anchor
*Mac Carmack, anchor
*Andy Still, anchor (recently retired WYFF-TV)
*Kathy Pepino, anchor (mother of American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini)
*Mark Haggard, sports anchor (now at WPDE-TV)
*Mitzi Oxford, meteorologist
*Cindy Sardo, anchor
*Suzanne Lawrence, anchor
*Staci Walker, anchor/reporter
*Lydia Esparra, reporter (now at WKYC-TV)
*Shannon Walshe, anchor
*David Chandley, meteorologist (now at WSB-TV)
*Maria LaRosa, meteorologist (now at KYW-TV)
*Bruce Snyder, weekend sports anchor (now at WCCB-TV)
*Justin Cazana, sports reporter
*Jeff Chardos, weekend sports anchor
*Robbie Watson, weekend sports anchor
*Kirsten Olesen, weekend sports anchor
*Matt Musil, Sports Director (now at KHOU-TV)
*Kathleen Kennedy, reporter
*Lisa Moscarelli, reporter
*Terry Silliman, reporter
*Sam Bishop, reporter
*Michelle Aguayo, reporter
*Robbie Cotney, reporter
*Chris Capra, reporter
*Allison Welch, reporter
*Regina Terrell, reporter
*Keryn Shipman, anchor
*Denise Schwab (Dillon), anchor/reporter (now at WAGA-TV)
*Cheryl Morgan, anchor/reporter
*John Lyles, anchor/reporter
*Aimee Davis, anchor/reporter
*Tim Savoy, reporter
*Alicia Smith, anchor/reporter (now at WXYZ-TV)
*Deborah Roberts, reporter (now at ABC's 20/20)
*Dave Spahr, meteorologist (now at KESQ-TV)
*Rebecca Todd, anchor
*Brian McClure, meteorologist (now at Bay News 9 in Tampa, FL)
*Joshua McKinney, meteorologist (now at News 14 Carolina in Raleigh, NC)
*Gretchen Bartelt, reporter
*Casey Jones, anchor/ reporter (now at WJCL-TV)
*Jade Hindmon, reporter (now at WHNS-TV)
*Ashley Nix, reporter (now at WBRC in Birmingham, AL)
*Amanda Iler, reporter
*Tracy Flanagan,reporter (WAGA-TV in Atlanta 2000-2005, now media consultant/producer)
*Layla Chapman, reporter
*Brock Parker, reporter
*Angie Hanshaw, reporter
*Dee Armstrong, anchor
*Priya Aujla, reporter

External links

* [http://www.wtvm.com/ WTVM "News Leader 9"]
* [http://www.wtvmonthego.com/wap/stations/ WTVM wireless]
* [http://www.wxtx.com/ WXTX "Fox 54"]
*TVQ|WTVM