WGEM-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WGEM-TV
city =
station_

station_slogan = The Tri-States News Leader
station_branding = WGEM
Tri-State's CW (DT2)
CGEM (DT3)
analog = 10 (VHF)
digital = 10 (VHF)
digital_temporary = 54 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = NBC
The CW (DT2)
Fox (DT3)
network =
founded =
airdate = 1953 [The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says September 4, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says August 27.]
location = Quincy, Illinois/Hannibal, Missouri
callsign_meaning = GEM City
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Quincy Newspapers, Inc.
licensee = Quincy Broadcasting Company
sister_stations = WGEM (AM), WGEM-FM
former_affiliations = Both secondary:
ABC (1953-1969 and 1971-mid 1990s)
Fox (1990-1994)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
649 kW (digital)
12300 watts (after 2009)
HAAT = 238 m (analog)
218 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 54275
coordinates = coord|39|57|4.1|N|91|19|54|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wgem.com/ www.wgem.com]

WGEM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Quincy, Illinois. Licensed to the city, the station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 10 and a digital signal on UHF channel 54. WGEM's transmitter is located east of Downtown Quincy on Cannonball Road near I-172. It is the flagship television station of Quincy Newspapers and has studios that are located in the Hotel Quincy on Hampshire Street in downtown Quincy.

Since the mid to late 1990s, WGEM has not mentioned its channel number on-air, and is identified by its call letters.

WGEM operates the area's CW affiliate on its DT2 digital subchannel. Known on-air as "Tri-States CW", it is also offered on Insight cable channel 6.

The station also operates the area's Fox affiliate on its DT3 digital subchannel. Known on-air as "CGEM", it is also offered in Insight digital cable channel 383 and Channel 18 on Insight's satellite and basic tier.

Digital programming

The station's digital signal is multiplexed.

History

The station signed on for the first time on September 4, 1953. WGEM has always been an NBC affiliate, but maintained a secondary ABC affiliation between 1953 and 1969, then again from 1971 until the mid-1990s. WGEM shared ABC with the area's CBS affiliate KHQA-TV in the 1960s.WJJY-TV in Jacksonville was the primary ABC affiliate for Quincy between 1969 and 1971.

When WJJY went bankrupt and shut down in 1971, WGEM resumed carrying a few ABC shows. WGEM also had a secondary affiliation with FOX between 1990 and 1994. WGEM is one of the few and longest-operating non-network-owned-and-operated television stations in the country that has had the same call letters, owner, channel number, and primary network affiliation throughout its history.

Newscasts

WGEM once produced a weeknight 9 PM newscast for CGEM called "CGEM News at 9". It debuted in April of 2006 but was cancelled in March of 2007. Re-runs of "Scrubs" now airs in the 9 PM slot. It was anchored by Jake Miller who continues to anchor on WGEM weeknights at 5 and 10 PM. Chief Meteorologist Rich Cain provided the weather forecasts. At another point in time, CGEM simulcasted the WGEM Radio (AM 1140 and 105.1 FM) weekday morning show called "WGEM Sunrise: Radio Edition" from 7 to 9 AM.

In addition to its main studios, WGEM operates two news bureaus to cover Southeastern Iowa. One is located on Main Street in Keokuk. The other one is located on Avenue G in Fort Madison.

WGEM also produces two weekly public affair shows: "City Desk" and "WGEM News This Week". The shows air on WGEM as well as CGEM.

News team

Anchors
*Natalie Will - weekday mornings and Noon (also reporter)
*Matt Schmidt - weeknights at 5 and 10 PM (also Executive Producer)
*Les Sachs - weeknights at 6 PM (also host of "City Desk" and "WGEM News This Week")
**Senior Editor and Director of Public Affairs
*Shan Whiston - weeknights at 6 PM
*Laura Johnson - weekends (also SE Iowa reporter)

"WGEM StormTrak Meteorologists"
*Rich Cain - weekday mornings and Noon
*Brian Inman - seen weeknights
*Beau Hicks - weekends (heard periodically during the week on WGEM-FM during "WGEM NewsTalk Live")

Sports
*Ben Marth - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 10 PM
*Tyler Tomlinson - weekends

Reporters
*Jake Miller
*Katey Walls
*Araceli Pedroza
*Andrew Hansen - Macomb Area

Former personalities

*Jeanne Allen
*Mark Baker (former anchorman, Republican candidate for Illinois' 17th Congressional District in 1996, 1998 and 2000, now morning anchor at WXXA in Albany, New York)
*Catherine Bergerson (now weekend morning anchor and reporter at WZVN in Ft. Myers FL)
*Gordon Boyd (former anchor, now anchor WVLT Knoxville)
*Amy Bradley (now reporter at WBRE, northeastern PA)
*Ralph Bristol (former anchor, now morning news host on WWTN-FM 99.7 in Nashville, TN)
*Chris Broughton (former Sports Director, now real estate agent in Quincy, IL)
*Ron Brown
*Leslie Carto (now reporter at WDAF-Kansas City)
*Brent Clair
*Elizabeth Colosimo (now morning anchor South Bend IN, WSJV)
*Prema Chandrathil (former reporter, now spokesperson for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
*Jenny Dean (now on the Travis and Jenny Show on WFUS radio in Tampa, FL)
*Holly Doyle (reporter in Western Michigan, WWMT)
*Emily Engberg (reporter at WDJT in Milwaukee, WI)
*Rich Gould (former sports anchor, now sports director and host of "The Fan Show" on KPLR in St. Louis, MO)
*Julie Glenn
*Bob Gough
*Holly Gregory (now reporter at WGN-TV in Chicago)
*Bob Hocks
*Scott Inman (now anchor at KATV, Little Rock)
*Ianthe Jackson (working on capitol hill, Washington DC)
*Steve Looten (former Sports Director)
*Marc Magliari (currently Amtrak spokeperson)
*Cory McCloskey (currently residing in Phoenix area, working for KSAZ-TV)
*Michelle McCormack
*Krystal Morris (now at WYIN's Lakeshore News Tonight as reporter/part-time weather talent.)
*Breanne Palmerini (now reporter at KWWL in Cedar Rapids, IA)
*Lathay Pegues (former weekend anchor, now staff writer at The Star Press in Muncie, IN)
*Bree Stewart (former weekend sports anchor, now real estate, Chicago area)
*Lew Stowers (currently residing in Southern California)
*Jace Verhoeven (investigative reporter KOKI, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
*Tom Vodak (Interactive Sales Manager at KTAB in Abilene, TX)
*Caitlin Weinstein (reporter/anchor in Des Moines, KCCI)
*Kathy Weiss (former anchor)
*Jennifer Wendling

External links

* [http://www.wgem.com/ Station Website]
* [http://www.wgem.com/CW/ WGEM-DT2 "Tri-State's CW" Website]
* [http://www.nbc.com/ NBC Website]
*TVQ|WGEM-TV
*BIA|WGEM|TV|TV

References