WWCP-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WWCP-TV
station_
station_slogan = The Place to Be! (main slogan)
The Place To Be At 10:00! (news slogan)
station_branding = Fox 8
analog = 8 (VHF)
digital = 29 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = October 13, 1986
location = Johnstown/Altoona/State College, Pennsylvania
callsign_meaning = Central Pennsylvania
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Peak Media, LLC
licensee = Peak Media of Pennsylvania Licensee, LLC
sister_stations = WATM-TV
former_affiliations = independent (1986-1987)
effective_radiated_power = 8400 watts
erp_temporary = 166 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 368 m (analog)
352 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 20295
coordinates = coord|40|10|52|N|79|9|5.4|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.fox8tv.com/ www.fox8tv.com]

WWCP-TV is the Fox affiliate in Johnstown/Altoona/State College, Pennsylvania media market. It is owned by Peak Media of Pennsylvania, who also controls ABC affiliate WATM-TV. The station operates on VHF channel 8, with a digital signal on UHF channel 29. Its transmitter is located atop Laurel Ridge near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and is short-spaced to fellow Fox affiliate WJW in Cleveland and NBC affiliate WGAL in Harrisburg.

History

Initially, WWCP was to be licensed to Pittsburgh, but its owners petitioned the FCC to move the license to Johnstown. Programming prices are lower in Johnstown, and more shows would be available to the station there as opposed to Pittsburgh. Another likely consideration was the need to protect WJW in Cleveland. The FCC approved the move, under the condition that Pittsburgh would need to receive a grade B signal.

This posed a problem for the new channel 8, as this stipulation meant that its signal would be all but unviewable in the eastern portion of the market (including Altoona and State College), although this was also done to protect WGAL in Harrisburg. WWCP's owners solved this problem by buying the dormant license of Altoona's former ABC affiliate, WOPC-TV. It moved the WOPC license from channel 38 to channel 23 and changed the calls to WWPC-TV. As a result, the station signed on October 13, 1986, with WWPC as a full-time satellite.

Originally, both stations broadcast a general entertainment format, running cartoons, classic sitcoms, old movies, recent sitcoms, and drama shows. Finding itself in the unique position of being an independent station on the VHF band, the station immediately took most of the stronger shows from the only other independent in the market, WFAT (channel 19) --a coup which effectively spelled the end for that station (it went off the air in 1991, returned in 1996 and is now Pittsburgh CW station WPCW). Within 10 months of going on the air, the stations obtained a Fox affiliation.

Since WOPC had gone dark in the early 1980s, the eastern portion of the market had gotten ABC programming from WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, while the western portion was served by WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. At the time, both stations preempted a moderate amount of network shows. It soon became obvious that Johnstown needed its own ABC affiliate. In 1988, channel 8 converted WWPC to a separate station, WATM-TV, which then took the ABC affiliation. WATM was soon sold off in order to comply with FCC regulations on station ownership, but the FCC allowed WWCP to continue to control channel 23 under a local marketing agreement. WWCP successfully contended that if operated separately, both stations may have been in danger of going dark.

For a time, a repeater was set up that allowed WWCP to be received as UHF Channel 57 to the Altoona area. This was not effective anyway; As the transmitter for channel 57 was located near Martinsburg, 20 miles away, Altoona viewers who did not possess a high-powered antenna could not receive channel 57. Throughout most of the city, viewers only saw a picture, no sound, or vice versa, or neither. Also, the station was widely available on cable, which is all but essential for acceptable television in much of this market.

WWCP was the first Fox affiliate in the nation to refuse to air O.J. Simpson's two-night interview special with Judith Regan on November 27 and 29, 2006, "If I Did It, Here's How It Happened", with the station owner saying it was inappropriate for Simpson to profit on his infamy [http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/16043573.htm] . A special on St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis would have aired on the 27th, with a locally produced program about domestic abuse, "When Violence Hits Home" produced by Josh Bandish and anchored by Jim Penna airing on the 29th, had Fox not pulled the special from air on November 21.

and has been reduced from one hour to 35 minutes. On November 28, 2007 [http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_332113055.html The Tribune Democrat] reported that WWCP's news was to be assumed by WJAC effective January 14, 2008. According to a written statement, WWCP and sister station WATM's news cast had been operating at a loss for years and the move was needed. All WWCP and WATM reporters were released from their contracts. WJAC had on-air positions open, however no on-air personalities from WWCP were hired after the news department shut down. The WJAC produced news uses the same music as the former Peak Media produced news, and some of the same voice-overs during segement opens. A new graphics package slightly different from the WJAC Package and new logos (Similar to the FOX 8 Promo Logo introduced in 2007) were created specifically for the Fox 8 broadcast. Though most of the news still resembles a WJAC broadcast as opposed to a WWCP produced broadcast.

Digital signal

The station's digital channel is multiplexed. After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf] , WWCP-TV will move its digital broadcasts back to its present analog channel number, 8. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101265375&formid=387&fac_num=20295 CDBS Print ] ]

Programming

Fox 8 airs many of the syndicated "Judge Shows" in daytime, including Judge Hatchett, Divorce Court, Judge David Young, Judge Maria Lopez, Judge Joe Brown, and The Peoples Court. Other syndicated series aired includes , King of Queens, The Simpsons, and Seinfeld.

Fox 8 also airs the locally produced catholic news show Proclaim! on Sundays.

Fox 8 News Team (Produced by WJAC-TV)

*Weekdays: Katie Sabatino (Anchor), Tony Martin (Weather), Tim Rigby (Sports)
*Weekends: Lauren Melvin (Anchor), Tim Tender (Weather), Matt Maisel (Sports)

News Team As Of Final Peak Media Broadcast

*Jim Penna (news director/anchor, Monday-Friday)
*Ian Holtzman (executive producer)
*Sherry Stalley (news anchor, Monday-Friday)
*Travis Koshko [http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/station/bios/weather/15403496.html] (chief meteorologist) Monday-Friday(now at WCAV as chief meteorologist}
*Greg Whitmer (sports director, Monday-Friday)
*Matt Parsons (sports, weekends)
*Angie Boddorf (reporter)
*Jennifer Black (reporter)
*Amy Cutler (reporter)
*Kate O'Donovan (reporter/weekend anchor)
*Will Driscoll (reporter/weekend weather)

Former on-air personalities

*Rich (Knight) Apuzzo, Meteorologist (formerly at WXIX-TV Cincinnati, Ohio)
*Donya Archer, Co-Anchor (WTXF-TV Fox Philadelphia)
*Mindy Basara, Reporter (WBAL-TV Baltimore)
*Ryan Brant, Sports Anchor, reporter (Sports Director, WKEF/WRGT-TV Dayton, Ohio)
*Scott Brooks, Producer, reporter
*Paige Hopkins, Co-Anchor (Anchor, Fox News)
*David Pingalore, Sports Director (Sports Director, WKMG-TV Orlando)
*Melissa White, Blair County Reporter
*Josh Bandish, State College Bureau Reporter/Executive Producer
*Bob McCall, Senior Producer (WTTG-TV Washington, D.C.)

References

External links

* [http://www.fox8tv.com/ WWCP (Fox 8) Website]
*TVQ|WWCP
*BIA|WWCP|TV|TV