WCYB-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WCYB-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Accurate. Reliable.
station_branding = WCYB-TV 5
NewsCenter 5
analog = 5 (VHF)
digital = 28 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = NBC
The CW (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = August 13, 1956
location = Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee/
Kingsport/Johnson City, Tennessee
callsign_meaning = CitY of Bristol
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Bonten Media Group, LLC
licensee = nowrap|BlueStone License Holdings, Inc.
sister_stations = WEMT
former_affiliations = Both secondary:
ABC (1956-1969)
The WB (1996-2006)
effective_radiated_power = 71.7 kW (analog)
182.5 kW (digital)
HAAT = 741 m (analog)
757 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 2455
coordinates = coord|36|26|58.2|N|82|6|28.8|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wcyb.tv/ www.wcyb.tv]
[http://www.tricitiescw4.tv/ www.tricitiescw4.tv]

WCYB-TV Channel 5 is the NBC television affiliate serving the Tri-Cities of Tennessee and Virginia (Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee; Kingsport, Tennessee and Johnson City, Tennessee) with its signal reaching southeastern Kentucky, western North Carolina and southwestern
West Virginia. The station broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter located on Rye Patch Knob on Holston Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest. It is owned by Bonten Media Group; its studios and offices are located on the Virginia side of Bristol, where it is licensed. It is the only commercial station licensed to the Virginia side of the market.

The station shares a local marketing agreement with Fox affiliate WEMT. It also operates a CW affiliate ("Tri-Cities CW 4") on digital sub-channel 5.2 / 28.2; it became the market's CW affiliate following the shutdown of the WB network in September 2006.

History

The station began broadcasting on August 13, 1956 as a dual affiliate of NBC and ABC. It became an exclusive NBC affiliate in 1969 when WKPT-TV signed on as the market's new ABC affiliate. In 1977 the station was sold to Starr Broadcasting Company; in 1982, it was purchased by Lamco Communications. In 2005 WCYB received The Ultimate Newscast Makeover, by RTNDA; they received news graphics, new music and a studio makeover. In 2006, WCYB was sold by its former owner (Bluestone Television) to the Bonten Media Group in a bulk sale for USD$230 million.

For the last 30 years, WCYB has been the dominant station in the Tri-Cities. This was largely due to the presence of Merrill Moore, the station's longtime anchorman. He joined the station in 1962 as 11 pm anchor, and added the 6 pm newscast in 1964. He remained the station's top anchorman until his retirement in 2000. At one point, WCYB claimed to be the highest-rated station in the United States.

WCYB-TV owns the title of having the most owners during its history, of any station in the state of Tennessee at five. As a Virginia station, only one other station, WTKR-TV, Norfolk, has had more owners in its history, at six.

The station branding is currently "Accurate. Reliable." Formerly, it was "Accurate. Reliable. To the Point." The latter phrase was dropped from the branding as of the Noon telecast on Tuesday, October 2, 2007.

Past Programs

In the 1960's, the station produced a live weekday cartoon show called the "Looney Tunes Club", hosted by Ed Spiegel. The show welcomed 50 youngsters each day to participate on the show, and was traditionally visited by children on their birthday. The show opened each show with a rousing "Hi boys and girls! from Ed, with "Hi Ed!" shouted back from the kids.

The '60's also saw two locally-produced quiz shows, "Kiddle Kollege", which pitted students from different local schools against each other, as well as "Klub Kwiz", which did the same using members of local civic and service clubs.

Newscast titles

*"TV-5 Report" (1956-1960)
*"The Channel 5 News" (1960-1974)
*"NewsCenter 5" (1974-present)

News Personalities

News Anchors

*Johnny Wood
*Steve Hawkins (News Director)
*Garick Zikan
*Ann Carter
*Rebecca Pepin
*Tarah Taylor
*Preston Ayres
*Sherrie Evans

Pinpoint Weather
*Dave Dierks (Chief Meterologist)
*Marcus Lynch
*David Boyd
*Emily Sutton

Sports
*Jordan Conigliaro
*Leah Rubertino

Reporters
*Jim Conrad
*Leslie Almaroad
*Sheridan Crockett
*Velden Linn
*Angela Yingling
*Sherrie Evans
*Emily Sutton
*Preston Ayres
*Autumn Perry

Past Personalities

*Merrill Moore, Anchor (1962-2000)
*Walter Crockett, news director, editorialist (1963-1980, retired, died in 1981)
*Libby Kirsch, Reporter (2000-2002, now at WDTN-TV, Dayton)
*Joe Legge, Weekend Anchor/Reporter (1999-2006, now at WDEF-TV, Chattanooga)
*Todd Summers, Weekend Sports (1999-2002, now at WSPA-TV, Spartanburg, SC)
*Sonu Wasu, Reporter (2002-2006, now at WDTN-TV, Dayton)
*Rachel DePompa, Reporter (2002-2003, now at WWBT, Richmond, VA)
*Amy Lynn, Noon and NewsCenter 5 at 5 Anchor, (1999-2007, now at WJHL-TV)
*Karen Cole, Newscenter 5 @ 5 and Weekend Anchor, Reporter (1998-2003)
*Harlow Sumerford, Reporter (2004-2007), now at WATE-TV, Knoxville
*Karen Hillegass, News Anchor (1984-1986, now a college professor)
*Travis Wells, Sports Anchor/Reporter (1999-2002) Now sports director at WDBJ Roanoke.
*Scott Fisher, meteorologist (1989-1993) now with KTBC-TV, Austin, TX

External links

* [http://www.wcyb.tv/ WCYB-TV Homepage]
* [http://www.tricitiescw4.tv/ Tri-Cities CW 4 Homepage]
*TVQ|WCYB
*BIA|WCYB|TV|TV