WILX-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WILX-TV
city = Onondaga
station_
station_slogan = The Breaking News
and Weather Authority
station_branding = WILX 10
News 10
analog = 10 (VHF)
digital = 57 (UHF)
affiliations = NBC
The AccuWeather Channel (on DT2)
other_chs =
founded =
airdate = March 15, 1959
location = Onondaga / Lansing /
Jackson, Michigan
callsign_meaning = Ingham County / Lansing
X (Roman numeral 10)
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Gray Television
licensee = Gray Television Licensee, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 15 kW (digital)
erp_temporary = 316 kW (analog)
500 kW (digital)
HAAT = 299 m (analog)
280 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 6863
coordinates = coord|42|26|33.5|N|84|34|20.8|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wilx.com/ www.wilx.com]

WILX-TV, channel 10, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Lansing, Michigan, licensed to Onondaga. Its transmitter is located near that town. Owned by Gray Television, the station has studios on American Road in Lansing.

History

The station was founded on March 15, 1959. It was owned by Jackson Telecasters along with WJCO-AM 1510. Jackson Telecasters was 50% owned by Lansing Broadcasting which owned WILS-AM 1320. WILX broadcasted part-time and shared the channel 10 frequency with WMSB an educational station owned by Michigan State University. WMSB was originally WKAR-TV broadcasting on UHF channel 60. However, it had difficulty getting viewers because television sets were not required to have UHF tuning until 1964. Viewers had to buy an expensive converter to watch WKAR and the picture was not clear even with one. Looking for a way to increase its viewership, MSU agreed to share channel 10 with WILX. As such, WMSB was located on MSU's campus in East Lansing while WILX was licensed to Onondaga and broadcast from the second largest city in the area, Jackson.

WILX was on the air for 70 percent of the broadcast day including all of prime time. However, both stations shared the same tower and transmitter in Onondaga. This arrangement continued until WKAR resumed broadcasting on channel 23 in 1972. WILX was later sold to Figgie Communications. The station went through several more ownership changes (Adams Television, Brissette Broadcasting, Forward Communications and Benedek Broadcasting) before it was acquired by current owner Gray Television. Since the late-1980s WILX has been the dominant television station in Lansing. Unlike most two-station markets, WILX did not have a secondary affiliation with ABC.

This was because WJRT-TV in Flint decently covered most of Lansing. The city would not have an ABC affiliate of its own until WLAJ signed on in 1990. For many years, the station's main studios were located at 1510 Springport Road in Jackson while its newsroom was located in downtown Lansing. In the early-1990s, under the ownership of Brissette Broadcasting, the station's operations were consolidated into a studio complex in Lansing located at 500 American Road.

Digital Television

According to the FCC database, WILX has a construction permit for digital channel 10, which will be used after the analog shut off date of February 17, 2009.

News operation

In 2005, WILX entered into a news share agreement with Fox affiliate WSYM-TV. Under this agreement WILX produces three newscasts for that station. This includes weeknights at 5:30 and 10 and weekends at 10. Due to WSYM's 5:30 news, there is no broadcast at that time on WILX. The stations use one set of reporters but maintain unique anchors and primary meteorologists. On occasion, such as severe weather, the stations may carry the primary feed from WILX in which weather anchors appear on the other station.

WILX oparates its own weather radar. Known as "Live Sky Search 10,000", it is located at the station's studios. Although WILX does not air NBC Weather Plus, it does offer The AccuWeather Channel on its second digital subchannel. It is known on-air as "The Weather Source." On digital cable, the weather station can be seen on Comcast channel 249 and Millennium channel 454. There are local news updates provided on the station. Unlike most NBC affiliates, WILX does not broadcast local news during the week at Noon. Due to budget concerns the news staff has been cut over the last few years

News team

Anchors

"News 10 Today"

Jennifer Dowling [http://www.wilx.com/station/bios/news/28076549.html]

"News 10 @ 5 pm"

David Andrews

"News 10 @ 6 pm"

David Andrews

"News 10 @ 11 pm"

Jason Colthorp

"News 10 Today, Weekend Edition"

John Tramontana

"News 10 @ 6, 11 pm Weekends"

Lauren Evans

The Weather Authority

Darrin Rockole, Chief Meteorologist
* Weekday Mornings

Andy Provenzano - Meteorologist
* Weeknights

Nicholas Ferreri (AMS and NWA Member) - Meteorologist
* Weekends

Sports

Tim Staudt - Sports Director
* Weeknight Anchor

Jeremy Sampson - Sports Anchor
* Weekend Evenings

Maria Tocco - Sports Reporter

Reporters
*Lauren Zakalik
*Jamie Edmonds
*Tiffany Teasley
*Chris Sutter
*Lauren Evans
*John Tramontana

External links

* [http://www.wilx.com/ WILX-TV/DT]
* [http://www.wilx10togo.com WILX wireless]
* [http://www.fox47news.com/ WSYM-TV/DT "Fox 47"]
*TVQ|WILX-TV