- WTHR
Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WTHR
city =
station_
station_slogan = Indiana's News Leader
station_branding = WTHR 13 (general)
Channel 13 Eyewitness News (newscasts)
analog = 13 (VHF)
digital = 46 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations =NBC
network =
founded =
airdate = October 30, 1957
location =Indianapolis, Indiana
callsign_meaning = channel THiRteen
former_callsigns = WLWI (1957–1976)
former_channel_numbers =
owner =Dispatch Broadcast Group
licensee = VideoIndiana, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = ABC (1957–1979)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 299 m (analog)
264.8 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 70162
coordinates = coord|39|55|43.2|N|86|10|54.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wthr.com/ www.wthr.com]WTHR channel 13 is a
television station serving theIndianapolis, Indiana metropolitan area. Affiliated withNBC , the station broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 13 and its digital signal on UHF channel 46 from its transmitter in Indianapolis. Since 1974, WTHR has been owned by theDispatch Broadcast Group ofColumbus, Ohio .History
The station signed on October 30, 1957 [http://www.dispatchbroadcast.com/wthr.html] as ABC affiliate WLWI (often rendered in print as WLW-I), owned by
Crosley Broadcasting Corporation . It was one of five stations which made up theCincinnati -based WLW television network. Other stations included in this network wereWLWT in Cincinnati, WLWC (nowWCMH-TV ) in Columbus, WLWA (nowWXIA-TV ) inAtlanta and WLWD (nowWDTN ) in Dayton.From 1957 to 1962, the station was tied up in one of the most heated licensing disputes in early television history. The
FCC originally awarded the license to a group headed by Union Federal Savings and Loan president George Sadlier. However, after an appeal, the FCC reversed itself and awarded the license to Crosley. One of the other competitors, Richard Fairbanks, owner of WIBC-AM 1070 sued the FCC. Fairbanks claimed that the FCC had erred in awarding the last VHF license in Indianapolis to a company based in Cincinnati when there were viable potential licensees in Indianapolis. The suit, however, was filed too late to prevent WLWI from signing on.The
District of Columbia Court of Appeals overturned the FCC's decision in 1958, but allowed Crosley to continue running the station pending further FCC action. In 1961, the FCC awarded Fairbanks the channel 13 license, but Crosley appealed. A year later, Crosley and Fairbanks reached a deal in which Fairbanks bought WLWA in return for allowing Crosley to keep WLWI.Amid this instability in ownership, WLWI found the going rather difficult. It was also dogged by a weaker network affiliation; ABC would not be on an equal footing with
CBS andNBC until the 1970s. WLWI spent most of its first 17 years as an also-ran behind WFBM-TV (nowWRTV ) andWISH-TV . In some cases, it even fell to fourth place behindWTTV .From Last Place To Ratings Leadership
Crosley/Avco poured a lot of money into WLWI, but eventually concluded that it was a third-rate operation and put it up for sale. The Wolfe family, owners of the
Columbus Dispatch andWBNS-TV in Columbus, bought the station from Avco in 1974 and changed the calls to WTHR two years later. With new ownership in place, on-air quality began to improve, but WTHR was still rating third behind WISH and WRTV. In the case of the ABC affiliation, the network rose to first place and was seeking out stronger local stations to affiliate with in many markets; NBC, meanwhile, was the lowest rated network. So in 1979, WTHR swapped affiliations with WRTV and became an NBC affiliate. Ratings were slow to improve until the mid-1990s, when WTHR hired former CBS News correspondent John Stehr to anchor its evening newscasts. WTHR quickly moved from third to second place after a botched relaunch at WRTV. Changes continued to be made, and in 1999, WTHR'sEyewitness News surged past then-dominant WISH in several key news timeslots, moving to first place for the first time in its history. By 2002, WTHR beat WISH in all news timeslots and changed its slogan to "Indiana's News Leader".Eyewitness News On WNDY
WTHR used to have a partnership agreement with
WNDY-TV , theUPN affiliate for Indianapolis. Under the partnership, WTHR produced a 10 p.m. newscast for WNDY. However, the partnership ended when WNDY was purchased byLIN TV Corporation, which also owned WISH. WISH then assumed responsibility of the production of WNDY's 10 p.m. newscast. WTHR now airs a short 8 minute "First Forecast" on the company-owned SkyTrak Weather Network, channel 50, in lieu of a 10 p.m. newscast. SkyTrak Weather Network also airs constant weather forecasts for Central Indiana and replays of WTHR's midday, 6 p.m. newscasts, and short 5 minute news updates throughout the day.WTHR Today
On September 2, 2007 WTHR celebrated its 50th anniversary [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = WTHR's 50th Anniversary promo
work =
publisher = WTHR-TV Indianapolis
date = 09/02/07
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Y1nGJ3G7w
format = FLV
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-08] like its sister station in Columbus, WTHR used the song "Carousels (Dreaming of Tomorrow)" by Columbus, Ohio rock band Alamoth Lane, which was also used on WBNS as a large marketing campaign to promote the launch of its newscasts in high definition. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = WBNS-TV Station Image Promo; Alamoth Lane - Carousels (Dreaming of Tomorrow)
work =
publisher = WBNS-TV Columbus
date =
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrchyqZWTtY
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-02-24] [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = WBNS-TV Station Image Promo Version 1
work =
publisher = WBNS-TV Columbus
date =
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijLAPCGTAY0
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-02-24] [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = WBNS-TV Station Image Promo Version 2
work =
publisher = WBNS-TV Columbus
date =
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_lmawGVpF0
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-02-24]WTHR also produces "Brain Game", a weekly televised
quizbowl competition for high school students. [ [http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=825937 WTHR - Indianapolis News and Weather - Westfield Insurance Brain Game ] ]WTHR simulcasted the 2007
Thanksgiving nightNFL Network game between theIndianapolis Colts and theAtlanta Falcons .Eyewitness News In HD
Beginning with Eyewitness News Nightbeat on Sunday November 12, 2006, WTHR became the first station in Indiana to broadcast local news in High Definition, making it one of only seven TV stations in the Midwest broadcasting news in HD (the others being fellow Indianapolis station
WISH-TV ,WKYC-TV in Cleveland,KSDK in St. Louis,KARE-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul,WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, and sister stationWBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio). WTHR broadcasts Eyewitness News in 1080i HDTV, which is the same HD format as NBC programming.Continuing to make history, at 12:00PM October 2, 2007 WTHR began shooting, editing and transmitting field live shots in widescreen. This change will eliminate the need for pillars on these elements. It is important to note the difference between widescreen and high definition, as these three elements are being shot in 1080i, but due to current editing, transmission and storage facilities they are converted to a lower resolution for broadcast.
News/Station Presentation
Newscast Titles
*"
Eyewitness News " (1970s-1976)
*"Eyewitness NewsCenter 13" (1976-1981)
*"NewsCenter 13" (1981-1994)
*"NewsChannel 13" (1994-1996)
*"Channel 13Eyewitness News " (1996-Present)logans and image campaigns
*"You're On Top Of It All" - Used from 1976–1979. Image campaign composed by
Al Ham .
*"Hello Indiana; Channel 13 Loves You!" - Used from 1980-1987 & 1991. Image campaign composed byFrank Gari , vocals mainly byFlorence Warner .
*"Channel 13, Just Watch Us Now" - Used in 1982.
*"Channel 13, Be There" - Used in 1983.
*"This Is Indiana, And We're a pinch better!" (also "Proud To Call It Home!") - Used from 1987-1994.
*"Indiana, 13's On Your Side" - Used from 1994–1997. Image campaign composed byFrank Gari .
*"Coverage You Can Count On" - Used from 1994-2002; still appears on some WTHR-owned vehicles.
*"Indiana's News Leader" - Used from 2002-present
*"Learn Things" - Summers of 2006 & 2007
*"Learn More" - Fall 2007-Summer 2008Personalities
Anchors
*
Jeremy Brilliant - Weekend mornings
*Kris Kirschner - Weekend mornings
*Bruce Kopp - Weekday mornings
*Julia Moffitt - Weekday mornings
*Andrea Morehead - Weeknights at 5 and 11 PM
*Jennie Runevitch - Weekend Evenings
*John Stehr - Weeknights at 5, 6, and 11 PM
* Scott Swan - Weekdays at noon and 5:30 PM
*Anne Marie Tiernon - Weeknights at 5:30 and 6 PMWeather
*
Chuck Lofton - Weekday Sunrise
*Nicole Misencik - Weekend Sunrise & Evening
*Cliff Nicholson - Weekend Nightbeat
*Jude Redfield - Weekday Noon & Evening
* Chris Wright - Weekday Evenings & Nightbeat (Chief Meteorologist)ports
* Dave Calabro - Weeknights and Sunday nights (Sports Director)
* Rich Nye - Weekday Reporting
*Dick Rea - Weekend Evenings
*John Michael Vincent (JMV) - Weekend Mornings
*Henry Wofford - Weekend Evenings
*Don Hein - Former Sports Director (anchors sometimes on the weekend morning news)Reporters
*
Cat Andersen - Freelance Reporter
* Tim "Treeboy" Bush Outdoor Expert
*Sandra Chapman - 13 Investigates
*Ray Cortopassi
*Lynsay Clutter
*Richard Essex
*Steve Jefferson - CrimeBeat
* Paul Kasey - SkyWatch Traffic
*Emily Longnecker
*David MacAnally
*Mary Milz - CityBeat
*Dave Patania - Fitness Contributor
*Mimi Pierce - SkyWatch Traffic
*Chris Proffitt - North Bureau
*Kevin Rader
*Bob Segall - 13 Investigates
* Tom Walker - WTHR & WBNS Washington, DC Correspondent
*Rich Van Wyk Notable WTHR Alumni
*
Linda Allen (Reporter; now 5, 6 & 10 p.m. anchor atWJTV , Jackson, MS)
*Lisa Amin (Reporter; now atKGO-TV in San Francisco)
*Ross Becker (Anchor/reporter; now atKTVX in Salt Lake City)
* Brent Cameron (Weekend meteorologist; now atWSVN-TV , Miami)
* Bob Campbell (Former News Director; now Realtor "Reliable Robert"; Bellingham, WA)
*Pat Carlini (Meteorologist in the late 1980s and weekday morning anchor until 2004)
*Mary Ann Childers (Anchor/reporter; most recently atWBBM-TV , Chicago)
*Lew Choate (Anchor)
*Mark Clegg (Anchor/reporter; now atKSHB-TV , Kansas City)
*Tom Cochrun (Anchor from 1981-1996; former news director at WISH-TV)
*Carol Costello (Reporter; now late night anchor atCNN )
*Pat Costello (Photographer, Producer, Assistant News Dir.; now Station MgrKING-TV , Seattle)
*Mark Craft (5 p.m. & 6 p.m. producer; now Director, External Communications, Duke Energy)
*Lis Daily (1959–2002), (Community Affairs Director; died in 2002 from cancer)
*Linsey Davis (Now reporter for ABC News)
*Debbie Denmon (Weekend morning anchor in the late 1990s; now atWFAA-TV Dallas)
*Jill Ditmire (Weekday anchor; now feature reporter at WISH-TV and WFYI-TV Indianapolis)
*Marilyn Durbin (Reporter)
*Bill Donnella (Reporter; now owner of his own production company, Videos & Such, in Indianapolis)
*Bill Gephardt (Consumer Reporter in the 1980s; now at KUTV, Salt Lake City, UT)
* Bob Gregory - Former Chief Meteorologist (semi-retired, occasionally appears on WTHR during his Coats For Kids campaign)
*Cameron Harper (Anchor in the 1980s; now atWPTY-TV /WLMT-TV , Memphis)
*Jane Harrington (Reporter)
*Roger Harvey (Anchor/reporter; now Vice President, Bose Public Affairs Group, Indianapolis)
*Mike Hoffman (Meteorologist; now Chief Meteorologist atWNDU-TV , South Bend)
*Kim Hood (Anchor/reporter; married to Former US Congressman Andrew Jacobs, Jr.)
*Bill Jackson (Host ofMickey Mouse Club later renamed The Bill Jackson Show from 1963-65)
*Carrie Jackson (Van Dyke) (former co-anchor)
* Dick Johnson (Reporter; now morning anchor at WMAQ-TV in Chicago)
*Rhori Johnston (Weekend anchor from 1999-2005; now atWTVF , Nashville)
*Theresa Joyce (Reporter from 1994-1997;now freelance Travel Editor/Writer)
*Barry Judge (Anchor in the 1980s)
*Parella Lewis (Weekend meteorologist from 2004–2007, now atKCPQ-TV in Seattle)
*David Letterman (Weather; now host of "Late Show with David Letterman ")
* John Lindsay (Anchor in the 1970s)
*Anita Malichi (Anchor/reporter from mid-1990s to 2001)
* Jack Martin (Weekend anchor/reporter)
*Bill Meck (Former meteorologist; now Chief Meteorologist atWLEX in Lexington, KY)
*Lynda Moore (Medical reporter/anchor from 1995-2004)
*Angie Moreschi (Anchor/investigative reporter; now freelance journalist & media consultant inLutz, Florida )
* Jim O'Brien (Meteorologist; now at WXIN Fox59 in Indianapolis)
*Lyra O'Brien (Meteorologist; now atWISN-TV , Milwaukee)
*Paul Page (Former sports anchor/reporter; now with theESPN sports networks)
*Jean Palmer (Consumer Reporter, late 70s; resigned to work for Eli Lilly, Co.)
*Rich Pegram (VP and General Manager (1994–2007), now at WFTS-TV in Tampa, FL)
*Richard Reeve (Reporter)
*Jeremy Rogalski (Investigative reporter; now atKHOU-TV , Houston)
*Amanda Rosseter (Anchor/reporter; now atWSB-TV in Atlanta)
*Anne Ryder (Anchor/reporter; now community speaker)
*Alex Sanz (Reporter; now atKHOU-TV , Houston)
*Tina Simpkin (Meteorologist, 2004-2007)
* Stephanie Soviar - Feature Reporter 06-07, now atKMOV in St. Louis as Stephanie Simmons (taking the name of husbandJeff Simmons )
*Randal Stanley (Former Weathercaster, Producer, Executive Producer; now GM of News 12 NJ)
*Chris Stout (Sports reporter from the late 1990s-2002; former sports director atWKRN-TV , Nashville)
* Marc Thompson (Reporter; now atWOOD-TV , Grand Rapids, MI)
*Paul Udell (News anchor; recently retired fromKITV in Honolulu, HI)
*Pam Vaught (Producer, Executive Producer; now News Director atKTBC , Austin, Tx)
*Yolanda Walker (Reporter; now atWFAA , Dallas)
*Erik Waxler (Sports anchor/reporter from 1998-2006; now atWHAS-TV , Louisville)"This list is incomplete. You can help by [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WTHR&action=edit§ion=5 expanding it] ."External links
* [http://www.wthr.com/ WTHR.com]
*TVQ|WTHR
*BIA|WTHR|TV|TVReferences
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