WBRZ-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WBRZ-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Fair. Balanced. Accurate.
station_branding = News 2 Louisiana
analog = 2 (VHF)
digital = 13 (VHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC (secondary 1955-1971, full-time since 1977)
network =
founded =
airdate = April 14, 1955
location = Baton Rouge, Louisiana
callsign_meaning = We're
Baton
Rouge's
Z (2)
former_callsigns = WBRZ (1955-1981)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Louisiana Television Broadcasting, LLC
(Manship family)
licensee =
sister_stations = KBTR-CA
former_affiliations = NBC (1955-1977)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
30 kW (digital)
HAAT = 515 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 38616
coordinates = coord|30|17|48.4|N|91|11|36.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.2theadvocate.com/ www.2theadvocate.com]

WBRZ, channel 2, is an ABC affiliate serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana, south-central and southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. It is owned by the Manship family, who also publishes the Baton Rouge daily newspaper, "The Advocate." Its transmitter is located in Sunshine, Louisiana. The station is seen "via" satellite through DirecTV.

The station airs syndicated programming, like Live with Regis and Kelly, The Tyra Banks Show, Extra, Elimidate, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! (Regis & Kelly [then "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee"] , "Jeopardy!", and "Wheel of Fortune", however, aired on channel 9 prior to 1995). It also airs reruns of former prime-time network shows, such as the ABC sitcom "Mork and Mindy" and the classic CBS hit "M*A*S*H". In September 2006, it began airing Dr. Phil. The station formerly aired Oprah (until 2002) and the Rosie O'Donnell Show. On Sundays, it airs the services from the Healing Place Church, a local Christian megachurch.

History

WBRZ signed on the air on April 14, 1955 as a primary NBC affiliate, sharing ABC with WAFB.

At first, the Manships wanted to call the station WBRA-TV, for Baton Rouge Advocate. However, they concluded that the call letters would cause confusion and controversy, as the letters "B-R-A" spelled "bra". Station founder Douglas L. Manship, Sr. still wanted "BR" in the station's calls, and decided to go to the other end of the alphabet for the fourth letter, picking "Z." He explained, "It was a good choice. 'Z' is a phonetically good sound on the air. It's distinctive." The "Z" was later expanded to mean "2" (similar to WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, New York), and the "W" was expanded to mean "We're". However, the WBRA call letters are currently used on the PBS affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia.

It dropped ABC in 1971 after WRBT-TV (now WVLA) signed on. This made WBRZ a sole NBC affiliate. Because ABC was seeking out new affiliates with stronger signal coverage at the time, WBRZ swapped affiliations with WRBT and became an ABC affiliate again in 1977. In that same timeframe NBC sunk to third and last place while ABC moved up to first place in the ratings.

In 1991, Manship's son Richard took over the station as its new president, and would later be named "Broadcaster of the Year" by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters.

WBRZ began broadcasting in high definition on channel 13 on April 22, 2002.

During Hurricane Katrina, the station worked with New Orleans ABC affiliate WGNO (ABC26) to provide coverage of the storm and its aftermath.

In late Summer 2007, the Manships acquired a low-powered, independent television station, KBTR-CA, from Veritas Broadcasting Company. Future plans for the station to be announced later.

As of July 29, 2008, WBRZ morning show 2une In and its noon, 4, 5, 6 and 10 newscasts can now be viewed in high-definition. The second station in the Baton Rouge area and the 4th in Louisiana to broadcast their news in high definition.

Dish Network

As of midnight, April 30, 2008, WBRZ was no longer available on DISH Network's local channel lineup. WBRZ and DISH Network continue to negotiate in order to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

The relationship between WBRZ and the Dish Network began to deteriorate in the Fall of 2007, when WBRZ realized that fees collected from Baton Rouge subscribers were not paid to the station since the inception of Dish Network’s local-into-local service which was May of 2006. That was in violation of the carriage agreement.

When the contract expired in March of 2007, WBRZ insisted that Dish Network be more attentive to business practices and to bring the level of compensation to less than 5% of what they collect from their subscribers for the local broadcast signals. WBRZ requested less than a penny a day versus the twenty cents a day they collect from local subscribers in the Baton Rouge market. Dish Network believes the content, news, weather, sports and ABC Television Network seen exclusively on WBRZ is valued at 2% of what they collect for local TV stations.

Dish subscribers may continue to receive the WBRZ analog and digital signals, free of charge, with an antenna. The WBRZ high-definition signal is also available through other cable services. Viewers may also receive the analog signal with DirecTV.

Digital Television

The station's digital channel:

News Staff

Anchors
* Michael Cauble - sports director; weekdays
* Chad Sabadie - sports; weekends/reporter
* Luke Margolis - weekends/reporter
* Michael Marsh - 5, 6 and 10 pm weekdays
* John Pastorek - "2une In" and at noon
* Lori Steele - 4 pm weekdays and reporter
* Whitney Vann - "2une In"
* Sylvia Weatherspoon - 5, 6 and 10 pm weekdays

Forecasters/Meteorologists
* Dave Nussbaum - weekday mornings and noon
* Pat Shingleton - chief forecaster; weekday evenings
* Chris Stevens - weekends

Reporters
* Kristy Davis
* Claire Hatty
* Dana Hackett
* Louis Miller - gardening expert
* Chris Nakamoto
* Mike Steele - Capitol Correspondent
* Todd Ross - Assistant Director of News and fill-in anchor/former morning, noon & 4 pm weekdays

Former Staff

* Bo Willisons
* Ed Buggs - now at WIBR-AM Baton Rouge
* Andrea Clesi - former weekday anchor (retired)
* Glen Duncan - meteorologist/environmental specialist; now Director of Communications at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and author of "Goodbye Green - How extremists stole the environmental movement from middle America and killed it."
* Jim Egan - sports
* Chip Barrere
* Chelby Kosto-now at WDTN Dayton, Oh
* Summer Jackson - now at CLTV Chicago
* Bruce Katz - meteorologist; now at WGNO-TV New Orleans
* Margaret Lawhon - anchor; now an actor and freelance writer
* Kurt Lee (Weather and news)
* Ben Lemoine - now at KTVK-TV Phoenix
* Darrel Richter
* Mary Lynch- weather (2000's)
* John Mahaffey - retired
* Marvin McGraw - now does PR for LSU
* Avery Miller - now a producer at World News with Charles Gibson
* Dale Moon
* Veronica Mosgrove
* Margaret Orr - now at WDSU-TV New Orleans
* Ken Pastorick - now does PR for LA Department Health and Hospitals
* Andy Pepper- sports
* Rebecca Rainer - Owner/President of [http://www.chaserainer.com Chase Rainer Media] San Antonio, TX
* Mike Rhodes - Retired, still living in Baton Rouge
* Mike Ross
* George Ryan - now does PR for Exxon Mobil
* Scott Satchfield - now at WWL-TV
* Jennifer Sheffield (Freel) - now an attorney in Austin, Texas
* Jake Skellett - pharmaceutical sales with sanofi-aventis
* Bruce Webber - sports
* Melba Williams
* Mike Woolfolk - now news anchor/managing editor for WACH-TV Columbia, SC
* Jay Young - news anchor; (died of apparent heart attack on 08/23/2006)
* Lee Zurik - now at WWL-TV

Awards

WBRZ has been the recipient of numerous awards from the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, a National Edward R. Murrow Award in 2000, plus other local awards.

* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters "Television Station of the Year" Award1990, 1991, 1994 and 1997

* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters - Baton Rouge Branch "Community Station of the Year" Award1996, 2002, 2005

* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters "Television Station of the Year" Prestige Award1999

* 1999 Sigma Delta Chi Awards

George Ryan won the award for "Silent Trust," a series that exposed student-on-student sexual misconduct at the Louisiana School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge, La.

* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters "Promotion of the Year" Award2000 - "Buckle Up for Tony"

* National Edward R. Murrow Award2000

* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters "Community Service" Award2001

* Outstanding Philanthropist Award2001

Other Awards Won:

* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters Lifetime of Distinction Awards (2005)
* Ad Fed's Pete Goldsby Award (2005)
* YWCA's Women of Achievement Award (2005)
* American Women in Radio and Television's Broadcaster of the Year Award (2005)
* Baton Rouge Business Report's 25 Most Influential Women in Baton Rouge (2005)
* SME's Marketer of the Year Award (2005)

Won by Pat Cheramie, who retired after serving 39 years as General Manager of WBRZ-TV on January 31, 2005.
* Louisiana Association of Broadcasters Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)Won by news anchor and reporter Andrea Clesi.

ee also

* KRGV-TV "(WBRZ's sister station in the Rio Grande Valley)"

External links

* [http://www.2theadvocate.com/ WBRZ Homepage]
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References