WTVY (TV)

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTVY
city =
station_
station_slogan = Your Hometown News Leader
station_branding = WTVY News 4
analog = 4 (VHF)
digital = 36 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = CBS
subchannels = 4.1 WTVY/CBS
4.2 MyNetworkTV
4.3 The CW
network =
founded =
airdate = February 12, 1955
location = Dothan, Alabama
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers = 9 (1955-1960?)
owner = Gray Television, Inc.
licensee = Gray Television Licensee, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = DT2:
UPN (until 2006)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
995 kW (digital)
HAAT = 573 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 4152
coordinates = coord|30|55|11.7|N|85|44|29.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WTVY
homepage = [http://www.wtvynews4.com/ www.wtvynews4.com]

WTVY or WTVY News 4 is a CBS-affiliated television station broadcasting on channel 4 in Dothan, Alabama, owned by Gray Television. The station's signal, originating from a transmitter in Holmes County, Florida, reaches portions of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. WTVY is also the designated CBS affiliate for the Panama City, Florida market, where Gray also owns that city's NBC affiliate, WJHG-TV. In exchange, WJHG is available in Dothan on cable since Dothan does not have its own NBC affiliate. In fact, WTVY's transmitter is located within the Panama City market.

WTVY-DT uses digital subchannels to operate MyNetworkTV affiliate My 4 and CW affiliate Dothan's CW.

History

WTVY's first broadcast was on February 12, 1955, originally on channel 9. The station moved to channel 4 around 1960, where it still remains today. The station's studio was located outside of Webb until 1993, when the old Houston Hotel in downtown Dothan was converted into the new home of the station.

For most of its early years, Charles Woods, a perennial aspirant to the governorship of Alabama, owned WTVY, through his Woods Communications company. Benedek Broadcasting bought WTVY from Woods in 1995. WTVY was one of the Benedek stations that was purchased by Gray Television in 2002.

Programming

The news broadcasts on WTVY have consistently ranked as the top-rated in the Dothan market. Newscasts air weekdays from 5-7 a.m., and 12-12:30, 5-5:30, 6-6:30 and 10-10:30 p.m. Central, and weekends at 6:00 on Saturday, 5:00 on Sunday, and 10:00 p.m.. Syndicated programming includes "Wheel of Fortune", "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "The Montel Williams Show", and "Live with Regis and Kelly".

All syndicated programming that is duplicated on WJHG and WMBB is still shown on WTVY on Panama City's cable systems. This is in contrast to SyndEx laws, which restrict importing of syndicated programming that is already available on an in-market station. This is likely due to WTVY's transmitter location, programming contracts, "must-carry" rules, and the market size of Panama City.

Digital subchannels

WTVY-DT2 had been broadcasting programming from UPN until that network ended in September 2006. WTVY-DT3 airs the weekday newscast "The Daily Buzz," shown between 5 and 8 a.m.

Analog-to-digital transition

After the analog television shutdown scheduled for February 17, 2009 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf] , WTVY-DT will remain on channel 36 [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101233319&formid=387&fac_num=4152 CDBS Print ] ] using PSIP to display WTVY's virtual channel as 4.

Notable Personalities

CURRENT PERSONALITIES

*Lisa Blackwell, General Assignment Reporter
*Angie Casey, Weekday Noon, 5 and 6 Anchor
*Patrick Claybon, General Assignment Reporter
*Oscar Fann, (Morning) Chief Meteorologist
*Mike Gurspan, General Assignment Reporter
*Chris Harris, Weekend Sports Anchor / Reporter
*Reginald Jones, Weekday 5,6,10 Anchor
*Rayne McKenzie, General Assignment Reporter
*Wayne May, Assignment Editor / Investigative Reporter
*Erica Proffer, Morning Anchor/General Assignment Reporter for 5PM News
*Ryan Rodig, General Assignment Reporter
*Brad Sherwood, Sports Anchor / Reporter
*Ann Varnum, Host of "The Ann Varnum Show"
*Connor Vernon, Weeknight Meteorologist
*Vanessa Araiza, General Assignment Reporter
*Rhiana Huckins, Weekend Reporter

PAST PERSONALITIES

*David Bishop, Weekend News Anchor/Reporter (1988-1990, now in government affairs- Tallahassee, FL)
*Ashley Brand, Evening Meteorologist (2001-2007, now Weekend Meteorologist at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham)
*Mitch English, Weather Anchor/Reporter (now at The Daily Buzz)
*Lauren Davis, Morning Anchor / Reporter (2002-2007, now Weekend Anchor/ Reporter at WVLT in Knoxville)
*Tonya Deer, General Assignment Reporter (went to WDHN; now doing Medical PR)
*Carla Kneeland, Morning Anchor/Reporter (?)
*Erika Kurre, Weekend Anchor / Reporter (now at WZTV Nashville)
*Kelly O'Donnell, Weekend Sports Anchor (?)
*Al Roberts, Sports Director / News Director / Noon Anchor (1972-2006)
*Carlos Torres, General Assignment Reporter (until 2005)
*Carrie Davis, General Assignment Reporter (now Morning Anchor/Medical Reporter WSPA Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson)
*Tom Nebel, Chief Meteorologist from 1989 - 1996. Currently General Sales Manager of Cumulus Media - Pensacola. Also Owner of Tom Nebel Productions (Video Company)
*Joey Parker, Morning anchor (now at KHAS-TV Hastings, NE)
*Alex Zequeira, General Assignment Reporter (now at CBS 12 News in West Palm Beach, FL)

References

External links

* [http://www.wtvynews4.com WTVY Website]
* [http://www.wtvynews4.com/cw WTVY DT3 "Dothan's CW" Website]
*TVQ|WTVY
*BIA|WTVY|TV|TV
*TitanTV|WTVY