WCOV-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WCOV-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = Fox 20
analog = 20 (UHF)
digital = 16 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = April 1953 [The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says April 23, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says April 17.]
location = Montgomery, Alabama
callsign_meaning = Will COVington
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Woods Communications Corporation
licensee =
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
CBS (1953-1986)
Secondary:
NBC (1953-1954)
ABC (1953-1960)
DuMont (1953-1956)
effective_radiated_power = 617 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 226 m (analog)
518 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 73642
coordinates = coord|32|20|6.5|N|86|17|16|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|31|58|28.6|N|86|9|44.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.myfoxmontgomery.com/ MyFoxMontgomery.com]

WCOV-TV is a Fox-affiliated television station broadcasting on channel 20 from Montgomery, Alabama.

History

WCOV-TV was the first television station in Montgomery, going on the air in April 1953. The station was affiliated with the CBS television network. It was originally supposed to broadcast on channel 12 (now occupied by WSFA), but RCA could not deliver a channel 12 transmitter in time. However, RCA could deliver a UHF transmitter. This historical accident would come back to haunt the station later.

WCOV was started by William Covington, the brother of Oscar Covington. Bill Covington died in 1949 while on a buying trip to Chicago. He had already applied for the license for the television station at the time of his death. He also owned 2 other radio stations in Alabama. Oscar Covington was one of several Covington siblings, and a niece, who owned WCOV after the death of Bill Covington. The father of Bill Covington, and Oscar, was George Will Covington, Sr.

Oscar Covington's father Will (who died in 1949) put WCOV radio (now WACV) on the air in 1939. Oscar Covington sold the station to Gay-Bell Corporation in 1964.

WCOV blocked several requests by WSLA-TV in Selma to increase its power so it could cover Montgomery. It claimed that the FCC would not be fostering the growth of UHF stations if it allowed WSLA to increase its power. In truth, WCOV feared that CBS would yank the Montgomery affiliation if WSLA moved in. Finally, in 1984, WSLA changed its calls to WAKA and got a construction permit for a taller tower that would cover Montgomery. Gay-Bell saw the writing on the wall and sold the station to its current owner, Woods Communications Corporation, which owned Dothan's WTVY, also a CBS station. WAKA took the CBS affiliation for Montgomery away from WCOV in 1986. Soon afterward, Woods affiliated the station with Fox and dropped all news programming.

FOX NEWS AT NINE

Beginning January 7, 2008, WCOV began offering a 9 p.m. newscast in cooperation with WDFX FOX 34 in Dothan, Alabama. While the newscast originates from Montgomery, it isn't produced at WCOV's studios. Instead, Woods Communications contracted with Raycom and WSFA-TV to provide the 35 minute newscast.

*News Anchor Mark Bullock - Monday-Thursday
*News Anchor Sally Pitts - Fridays & Saturdays
*News Anchor Cody Holyoke - Sundays
*Meteorologist Allyson Rae - Sunday-Thursday
*Meteorologist Rich Thomas - Fridays
*Meteorologist Dan Atkinson - Saturdays
*Sports Anchor Kyle Montgomery - Tuesdays-Saturdays
*Sports Anchor Derek Styer - Some Saturdays, Sundays, some Mondays
*Sports Anchor Abby Chin - Some Saturdays, Some Mondays

Prior to that time, WCOV had not aired a local newscast since losing the CBS affiliation.

The station does air other local programs, including "MPD: The Television Series", a COPS-inspired program produced by the Montgomery Police Department; and "County Law", which involves the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.

As of December 2007 WCOV uses Fox Interactive's "MyFox" website template for their station website, although entertainment and national stories are more prevalent on the site than local content.

Syndicated shows on WCOV include "Live with Regis and Kelly", "The People's Court", "The Tyra Banks Show", "Judge Mathis", "Judge Alex", and reruns of ","One on One", "According To Jim", "", "George Lopez", "Living Single", "My Wife & Kids", "The Andy Griffith Show", "Half & Half" and "Seinfeld".

1996 Tornado

WCOV's tower in eastern Montgomery was destroyed by a massive tornado on March 22, 1996. Two days later, the station returned to the air on a temporary 350-foot (107 m) tower, but depended mostly on cable for its viewership. In January 1997, the station activated a new tower in Grady, Alabama.

References

External links

* [http://www.myfoxmontgomery.com/ WCOV website]
*TVQ|WCOV
*BIA|WCOV|TV|TV
*TitanTV|WCOV