WFLD
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| WFLD | |
|---|---|
| Chicago, Illinois | |
| Branding | Fox Chicago (general) Fox Chicago News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Asking the Questions |
| Channels | Analog: 32 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | Fox |
| Owner | Fox Television Stations (Fox Television Stations, Inc.) |
| First air date | January 4, 1966 |
| Call letters’ meaning | FieLD Communications (the station's founding owner) |
| Sister station(s) | WPWR-TV |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1966-1986) |
| Transmitter Power | 5000 kW (analog) 690 kW (digital) |
| Height | 418.4 m (analog) 475 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 22211 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 41°53′55.7″N 87°37′23.9″W / 41.898806°N 87.623306°W (analog) 41°52′44″N 87°38′10.2″W / 41.87889°N 87.636167°W (digital) |
| Website | www.myfoxchicago.com/ |
WFLD channel 32 (digital channel 31) is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Chicago, Illinois. WFLD is co-owned with WPWR-TV (channel 50), Chicago's MyNetworkTV flagship station. WFLD's studios and offices are located in Chicago's Loop neighborhood and its analog transmitter sits on top of the John Hancock Center while its digital transmitter sits on top of the Sears Tower.
WFLD airs over forty hours of news every week, along with airing syndicated first run talk/court/reality shows, off-network sitcoms, Fox's primetime network programming and sports.
Before May 10, 2009, WFLD was the only major station in the market not airing its newscasts in high definition. The news studio was upgraded for high definition newscasts by Blyth Design and the graphics are the new FOX O&O HD graphics. The station launched their first high definition news starting with the 9:00pm news.
Contents |
[edit] History
The station signed on January 4, 1966, from its original studios within the Marina City complex on State Street. Its founding owner was Field Enterprises, which also owned the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily News and was owned by heirs of the Marshall Field's department store chain. The station was christened the "Station of Tomorrow" by the Sun-Times in an April 1966 article because of its innovative technical developments in broadcasting its signal. It also broadcast news from the Sun-Times/Daily News newsroom.
Field Enterprises sold controlling interest in WFLD to Kaiser Broadcasting in 1972, and the two companies' new partnership would see WFLD joining Kaiser's stable of UHF independent stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit. In 1977, Kaiser ended the partnership by selling its share of the stations back to Field Enterprises.
From 1966 to 1986, WFLD carried a wide variety of syndicated series, movies, and local public affairs programming. To counter-program against its more established VHF rivals, channel 32 offered documentaries, adult dramas, westerns, and live sports, though for much of the time it trailed WGN-TV (channel 9) in the ratings among Chicago's independent stations until the late 1970s. When it won bids to air shows in syndication such as M*A*S*H (which it continues to air to this day,) All in the Family, Happy Days, and others, the station finally beat WGN-TV in the ratings, and the two stations continued to go head-to-head throughout the 1980s.
In 1968, WFLD acquired broadcast rights to the Chicago White Sox baseball team from WGN-TV, carrying them initially until 1972, and again from 1982 to 1989. During the 1980s WFLD also aired games of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, until WGN-TV acquired broadcast rights to both teams in 1990 (Chicago-area attorney and real estate investor Jerry Reinsdorf owns both franchises). WFLD was also noteworthy as the longtime home of the local B-movie program Svengoolie. There were two versions of this show; the original began in 1971 as "Screaming Yellow Theatre" with local disc jockey Jerry G. Bishop doing scary voices and later wearing a long blond wig and such. Bishop became such a hit with viewers that the show was popularly called "Svengoolie" after his character (although the name didn't change), and this version lasted until 1973. The second version began in 1979 with Rich Koz as "Son Of Svengoolie", and it ran until 1986. The show currently airs on WCIU-TV (channel 26).
In 1983, Field sold WFLD to Metromedia as part of a company-wide liquidation. At that time programming changed slightly but graphics were abruptly changed to reflect the new ownership. Metromedia's television stations, including WFLD, were sold to the News Corporation in 1986, and they formed the core of the new Fox Broadcasting Company.
Following the 1986 sale to the new Fox ownership, the station continued to compete aggressively in the market. Now known on-air as Fox 32, the station expanded its news presence as well. Fox's news presence began in 1987 with the premiere of the half-hour "Fox 32 News at 7" (touted as "the news that doesn't get home before you do") along with a half-hour 11:00 PM newscast[1] which lasted until they consolidated both newscasts to compete with then-independent WGN's 9PM newscast. The newscast was moved back to 7:00 PM by the fall of 1988,[2] and returned to 9:00 PM by the fall of 1989,[3] in anticipation of Fox's expanding prime time schedule. Sometime in 1991, the newscast rebranded its news operation from "Fox 32 News" to "Fox News Chicago" (though most verbal references are to simply "Fox News"). The station started airing a morning newscast first called Good Day Chicago, which later became Fox Thing in the Morning in place of the morning cartoon block.
The afternoon cartoon block, which became Fox Kids by 1992, continued on the station, as well as the top-rated off-network sitcoms in the evening. It also added more first-run talk shows and court shows. When Fox ended the weekday kids block in January 2002, WFLD added more first-run reality and talk shows to the lineup.
In the mid-1990s, after several years of being known on the air as "Fox 32" (or even "Fox Thirty-Two"), the station rebranded itself as "Fox Chicago.". This is because many cable companies assign Fox stations to different channels, often a different channel than it is broadcast over the air, which is especially true for Fox affiliates with a channel over 30. In this case, WFLD is currently the only Fox O&O that does not use the usual Fox branding of Fox (Channel Number), even though most Chicagoans still refer to WFLD as "Fox 32" or "channel 32." (Its Philadelphia sister station did this same practice for some time when Fox bought it from Paramount in the mid-90's.)
In 1995, WFLD became the unofficial "home" station of the Chicago Bears when Fox acquired the television rights to the National Football Conference of the NFL, of which the Bears are a member. It is now the official station of the Bears, airing preseason telecasts in addition to most regular season tilts, as well as Bears Gameday Live and Gamenight Live, which follows the final word on Sunday evenings during the season.
Fox purchased WPWR-TV in 2002, and WPWR's operations were integrated into WFLD's facilities in downtown Chicago.
In January 2003, WFLD dropped the Fox Saturday morning cartoon block, by then outsourced by Fox to producer 4Kids Entertainment and subsequently rebranded 4Kids TV, and the programs were moved to WPWR which aired them in the same four-hour time block until the block went off the air on December 27, 2008. WFLD was the first of the original six Fox-owned stations (owned prior to the New World stations purchase) to drop Fox's Saturday children's programming.
On September 11, 2006, WFLD relaunched its website under the MyFox platform (which was rolled out to other Fox-owned stations throughout 2006), now located at myfoxchicago.com. The flashy MyFox platform lasted until early 2009, when the Fox-owned stations redesigned their MyFox Web sites to a much less flashy look very similar to those station Web sites operated by Fox Interactive Media for stations owned by the LIN TV Corporation (which debuted in late 2008) although some non-O&O Fox affiliates continue to use the old flashy MyFox interface for their Web sites for the time being.
[edit] Digital television
After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion to take place on June 12, 2009,[4] WFLD will continue digital broadcasts on its current pre-transition channel number, 31.[5] However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display WFLD's virtual channel as 32.
[edit] Fox, NBC Share Chicago Chopper
On January 12, 2009 Fox O&O WFLD and NBC O&O WMAQ are sharing a helicopter and its footage in Chicago, and the agreement paves the way for a larger pooling effort. [6]
[edit] News Operation
WFLD broadcasts a total of 37 hours of local news a week (6½ hours on weekdays, two hours on Saturdays and 2½ hours on Sundays), more than any other television station in Chicago.
On April 9, 2007, WFLD launched a new 10:00 PM newscast called "the TEN", anchored by David Novarro and former WLS-TV and WBBM-TV anchor/reporter Lauren Cohn which, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Robert Feder's April 18, 2007 column, beat CBS O&O WBBM-TV's 10PM news on its second day on the air. In September 2007, WFLD's morning newscast "Fox News in the Morning" was re-named "Good Day Chicago" for a second time.
For some time, WFLD's newscasts have had less of a tabloid feel than those on its Fox sisters. However, they are somewhat flashier than the other newscasts in the Chicago market.
On May 7, 2006, WFLD adopted a new look for its newscasts, featuring a updated set, new music, and new graphics. Similar appearance packages are also being rolled out to other Fox-owned stations such as WNYW. When the new look debuted, the main station logo wasn't changed much (only the new color scheme was added).
Currently WFLD and WGN are the only two major news stations in the Chicagoland area who are not broadcasting in a "street side studio."
[edit] News personalities
[edit] Current
Anchors
- Mike Barz - co-anchor Good Day Chicago (7:00-10:00AM)
- Kori Chambers - anchor Good Day Chicago (5:00-6:00AM), Newsreader (7:00-10:00AM)
- Lauren Cohn - co-anchor The TEN weeknights 10:00PM
- Patrick Elwood - co-anchor Good Day Chicago (6:00-7:00AM) & 12:00PM
- Jeff Goldblatt - co-anchor weeknights 9:00PM
- Byron Harlan - Weekends 9:00PM; Weekday Field Reporter
- Jan Jeffcoat- co-anchor Good Day Chicago (6:00-10:00AM)
- Nancy Loo - Weekdays 12:00PM; Weekday Field Reporter
- David Novarro - co-anchor The TEN weeknights 10:00PM
- Nancy Pender - Weekends 9:00PM; Weekday Field Reporter
- Robin Robinson - co-anchor weeknights 9:00PM
Reporters
- Lilia Chacon - Field Reporter
- Steve Chamraz - Field Reporter
- Jack Conaty - Political Editor; Co-Host of "Fox Chicago Sunday"
- Darlene Hill - Field Reporter
- Anne Kavanaugh - Weekday Morning Field Reporter
- Kelly Kraft - Field Reporter
- Anita Padilla - Weekday Morning Field Reporter; Weekday Fill-In Anchor
- Dane Placko - Field Reporter; Co-Host of "Fox Chicago Sunday"
- Andy Roesgen - Field Reporter
- Mark Saxenmeyer - Special Projects
- Margaret Shortridge - Field Reporter
- Sondra Solarte - Weekday Morning Traffic; 12:00PM Field Reporter
- Kevin Tomich - Field Reporter
- David Viggiano - Entertainment
- Craig Wall - Field Reporter
- Tera Williams - Field Reporter; Weekend Fill-In Anchor
- Larry Yellen - Legal Analyst
Weather
- Amy Freeze - Weekdays 9:00PM & 10:00PM (Chief Meteorologist)
- Mark Strehl - Weekdays 5:00AM-10:00AM & 12:00PM (Monday-Tuesday)
- Chris Sowers - Weekends 9:00PM & Weekdays 12:00PM (Wednesday-Friday)
Sports
- Jill Carlson - Weekend Anchor; Weekday Field Reporter
- Corey McPherrin - Weekday Anchor (Sports Director)
- Tom Waddle - "Fox Kickoff Sunday" & "The Final Word"
- Dan Jiggetts - Fill-In
- David Kaplan - Fill-In
[edit] Former
- Lisa Argen - weather (1993-1995); now with KGO-TV
- Cathy Ballou - morning weather personality
- Ron Beattie - announcer
- Chris Boden - Fill-in Sports Anchor/Reporter (Per Diem); now at Comcast SportsNet Chicago
- Del Clark - announcer
- Rick DiMaio - morning meteorologist (1995-2001),Chief Meteorologist (2001-2007)
- Maurice DuBois - Anchor/Reporter (1994-1997; now at WCBS-TV in New York)
- Jon Duncanson - Morning Anchor (1995-1998)
- Michelle Gielan (2005-2008) Now at CBS Early Show America
- Sylvia Gomez - Weekend Anchor (1996-1997)
- Rhonda Guess - general assignment reporter (1995-1997)
- Tamron Hall - reporter/morning anchor (1997-2007; now at MSNBC)
- Jonathan Hoenig - morning financial analyst (2000-2002; now at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network)
- Walter Jacobson - Anchor/Reporter/"Perspectives" Host (1993-2005)
- Laura Jones - weekend anchor, family and health reporter (1994-1999)
- Michelle Leigh - morning meteorologist (2001-2006)
- Rick Leventhal - now at Fox News Channel
- Kris Long - anchor (1989-1993; now at KPSP, Palm Springs,CA)
- Brant Miller - Meteorologist (1989-1991, now at WMAQ-TV)
- Johnny Morris - Sports Anchor/Commentator (1994-1998)
- Marianne Murciano - morning/noon news anchor (1993-2001)
- Jon Najarian (Dr. J) - financial analyst now with MSNBC
- Michael Pomeranz - Anchor/Reporter (1997-2000, now at KARE-TV in Minneapolis)
- Michelle Releford (2007)
- Richard Roeper - lifestyle commentator and movie critic (1994-2001; now at WLS-TV)
- David Rose - morning anchor (1993-1995, now at KCPQ-TV in Seattle)
- Steve Perez Schill - evening weather anchor (1995-2001, now at KMIR-TV)
- Amy Scott - Entertainment Reporter (1992-1996)
- Danielle Serino - consumer reporter (2001-2006)
- Bob Sirott - morning news anchor (1993-2001, now at WMAQ-TV)
- Mark Suppelsa - afternoon/evening anchor (2003-2008; now at WTMX-FM and WGN-TV in Chicago)
- Tammie Souza - morning/afternoon meteorologist (2006-2008; now a Chief Meteorologist at WTSP-TV in Tampa)
- Darian Trotter (general assignment reporter 2007-2009)
- Al Vaughters - reporter (1990-1994, now at WIVB-TV in Buffalo)
- Mike Tsolinas—Meteorologist (1992-1995)
- Harry Volkman - weekend meteorologist (1996-2005)
- Sheila White - weekday mornings traffic (1997-2005)
- Bruce Wolf - morning sports anchor (1987-2006, now at WMAQ-TV)
- Joe Zone - sports anchor/reporter (1993-1996; now sports director at WFSB-TV in Hartford,CT)
- Bill Zwecker - movie critic (2000-2003)
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Umbrella Titles
- FOX 32 News (1986-1992?)
- Fox News Chicago (general title; 1992?-2008)
- Fox Chicago News (2008-present)
-
- Good Day Chicago - Weekday mornings from 5-10 a.m.
- The TEN - Weeknights at 10 p.m.
[edit] Newscast titles
- Fox Chicago News - Weekdays 12 p.m. & 9 p.m., Weekends
- Good Day Chicago - Weekday Mornings 5-10 a.m.
- The TEN - Weeknights 10 p.m.
- Fox Chicago Sunday - Sundays 8:30 a.m. (political affairs-centered program)
[edit] Station Slogans
- Fox Chicago...Asking THE Questions (2008-present)
- The Most Powerful Name in Local News (2006-2008)
- Local Coverage. First. (2005-2006)
[edit] Station logos
|
The original WFLD logo from 1966-1977. |
WFLD logo from 1977-1986. This was under Field Communications ownership. |
WFLD "Fox 32" logo from 1986-1992. |
WFLD "Fox Thirty-Two" from 1992-2000. The above seen logo is the 1994 variant, as the original FOX logo(with the normal "O") was seen between 1992 and 1994. This was the last logo to feature the channel number. |
|
WFLD "Fox Chicago" logo from 2000-2006. |
Current "Fox Chicago" logo from 2005-present |
[edit] References
- ^ TV Guide Chicago Issue #1798
- ^ TV Guide Chicago Issue #1853
- ^ TV Guide Chicago Issue #1902
- ^ http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf
- ^ CDBS Print
- ^ "Fox, NBC Share Chicago Chopper". http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/162072-Fox_NBC_Share_Chicago_Chopper.php. Retrieved on 2009-01-12.
[edit] External links
- WFLD's Morning News Website
- Fox Weather Watch - Live Radar and Ten Day trend Website
- Station Website
- WFLD-TV Conducts A Test Of The Emergency Broadcast System, 1984
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WFLD
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WFLD-TV
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