WFXL

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WFXL
city =
station_
station_slogan = First, Fast
station_branding = Fox 31
analog = 31 (UHF)
digital = 12 (VHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = February 14, 1982
location = Albany, Georgia
callsign_meaning = FoX ALbany
former_callsigns = WTSG-TV (1982-1989)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC
licensee = Barrington Albany License, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = independent (1982-1989)
effective_radiated_power = 1580 kW (analog)
60 kW (digital)
HAAT = 302 m (analog)
253 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 70815
coordinates = coord|31|19|53|N|83|51|43|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wfxl.com/ www.wfxl.com]

WFXL is the Fox network affiliate in Albany, Georgia. The station is owned by Barrington Broadcasting, and broadcasts on UHF channel 31, with a digital signal on VHF channel 12. WFXL's transmitter is located in Doerun, in northern Colquitt County, near the Worth County line.

History

Channel 31 signed on in February 1982 as WTSG-TV, and was South Georgia's first independent station. The station became a Fox affiliate in November 1989, and changed its call letters to WFXL to reflect the new affiliation.

On March 27, 2006, then-owner Raycom Media announced the sale of WFXL and 11 other stations to Barrington Broadcasting in order to meet FCC rules regarding station ownership (Raycom had just acquired The Liberty Corporation, the owner of WALB, which they decided to keep).

In 2007 WFXL acquired a new, state of the art weather system which will help tremendousley in severe weather coverage.

New Look

In September 2008, WFXL gave its newscast an new look by means of updated graphics and constructing a new set. At the same time, WFXL added a half hour to their 10 P.M. newscast.

Chopper crash and tower demolition

On June 1, 2006, a MH-47 Chinook military chopper traveling from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia to Fort Rucker in Alabama for a training mission hit a guy wire connected to WFXL's 1000 foot (305 meter) tall tower in Doerun, resulting in a crash (Investigation is still under way). While the tower remained standing and intact (other than the guy wire), WFXL was forced to temporarily cease its over-the-air signal, though broadcasts on cable were not affected.

If WFXL's tower collapsed, it could have also caused the tower of WALB to topple, as both towers were only 150 feet (45 m) apart. [http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4974569] , [http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4982365] , [http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4980571] As a result, Raycom (which at that time still owned WFXL while the Barrington sale awaited FCC approval) acquired auxiliary transmitters and antennas for both WFXL and WALB, which are installed at the tower at WALB's studios in Albany. [http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4986005]

On June 7, 2006, WFXL's tower was demolished, but in doing so, one of the tower's guy wires wrapped around a guy wire for WALB's tower, as feared. As a result, WALB's tower collapsed, in an incident shown on live television. Since both stations were already transmitting their signals from the tower at the WALB studios, they were still on the air at low power. In early July 2007 the WALB/ WFXL mega-tower was completed and began broadcasting on July 3, 2007 at 11:35 P.M. [http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5002278] [http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5006920] Video: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfZwJ3w3OL0]

Newscasts

Weekdays

*FOX 31 News at 6:30 (6:30-7:00 P.M.)
*FOX 31 News at 10 P.M. (10:00-11:00 P.M.)

Weekends

*Fox 31 News at 10:00 P.M. (10:00-10:35 P.M.)

=Current New Personalities=

Anchors

* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=311 Terry Graham] 6:30 PM News Anchor/News Director
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=308 Miranda Crissinger] 6:30 and 10:00 PM News Anchor/Reporter
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=316 Ashley Knight] Weekend Anchor/Reporter

Reporters

* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=317 Stephanie Burke] Weekend Reporter
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=389 Hubert Wiggins] General Assignment Reporter
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=413 Jenna McWilliams] General Assignment Reporter
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=497 Jana Barnello] General Assignment Reporter

Meteorologists

* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=310 Robert Hahn] Chief Meteorologist
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=496 Allison Dooley] Weekend Meteorologist

ports

* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=309 Brian Perkins] Sports Director
* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=315 Jeff Abeln] Weekend Sports Anchor

Interactive Team

* [http://www.wfxl.com/about/bio.aspx?id=391 Felida Harvey] Interactive Manager

Past Personalities

*Doug Williams, Weekend Weathercaster
*Justin Farmer, Reporter (Now at WSB-TV)
*Lindsey Sutherland, General Assignment Reporter/Weekend weather
*Bobbi Harley, news director/anchor (now with CBS News)
*Lauren Adams, General Assignment Reporter (now with WPSD-TV)
*Wade Michaels, Anchor/Reporter
*Phyllis Banks, reporter (now at Albany Police Dept.)
*Elvin Armstrong, Weekend Weathercaster
*Jim Basquil, Sports Director (now with ESPN Radio)
*Diane McInerny, reporter (now at Inside Edition)
*Chris Schafers, chief meteorologist
*Jaxon Riley, Weather Personality/Promotions Director
*Rob Hatchell, chief meteorologist, (now at WMBF-TV)
*Mark Tarello, chief meteorologist, (now at KEYC-TV)
*Jon Williams, anchor
*Rob Stone, Sports Director (now covers soccer & the PBA for ESPN)
*Jade Hindmond, fill in anchor, reporter (now at WHNS-TV)
*Rontonio Thurman, reporter
*Bruce Layman, news director (now at WTAP-TV)
*Jyl Lee, reporter
*Lydia Esparra anchor, reporter (now at WKYC-TV)
*Jeff Coyle, reporter
*Suzanna Haynes, reporter
*Theo Travers, reporter (now At WREG-TV)
*Brian O'Connor, reporter
*Mercer Merrill, anchor (now at News 14 Carolina)
*Clay Godfrey, reporter
*Jeanie Powell, reporter (now at WAFF-TV in Huntsville, Alabama)
*Frank Sulkowski, sports director, (now at WJCL-TV in Savannah, Georgia)
*Jenny Nicholson, reporter, weekend anchor
*Lachlan McLean, Sports Director (now at WHAS-AM radio in Louisville, Kentucky)
*Heather Childers, News Director (now at News 14 Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina)
*Sarah Abbott, reporter
*Regina Callan, reporter
*Rick Schutt, Sports Director (now at WSJV-TV in South Bend, Indiana)
*Greg Loyd, Main Anchor 1999-2000 (Now a professor at Tallahasse Community College)
*Amy Allday-Brice, reporter(Now Mental Health/Developmental Disability Professional)
*Rob Jones, Sports Director (now at WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama)
*Grady Shadburn, Weather Personality (deceased)
*Camille Amiri, reporter (now at WJBK in Detroit, Michigan)
*Lisa Arnold, host of "Around Town" local talkshow
*Krysta Brown, reporter (now the News Director of WFSU-TV in Tallahassee, Florida)
*Carole Price, reporter
*Wanda Wright, reporter
*Tijuana Brewer, reporter
*Angela Walker, reporter
*Lisa Weiss, Sports Director

Logo Gallery

External links

* [http://www.wfxl.com/ Official website]
*TVQ|WFXL
*BIA|WFXL|TV|TV