WPLG
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WPLG is an ABC network affiliate serving the entire Miami, Florida area. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company.
History
WPST-TV
The station first took to the air on August 2, 1957 as WPST-TV, as the second ABC affiliate in the Miami market, under the ownership of Public Service Television, Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of National Airlines. (Hence the call letters.) Prior to this time ABC had been carried by WITV, channel 17. When the more powerful channel 10 came on the air, however, channel 17 quickly went out of business. (Channel 17 is now occupied by a PBS member station, WLRN-TV.)
In the early 1960s the ownership of WPST-TV got in trouble with the FCC over the Richard A. Mack affair[1] and was stripped of its broadcast license.
A New Channel 10
A group headed by L.B. Wilson won the right to start a new station on channel 10. As part of an FCC-supervised deal, National sold WPST's assets to Wilson's group. WPST signed off for the last time on November 13 1961. A week later, on November 20, channel 10 returned to the air as WLBW-TV (after the owner's initials). Although it operates under a separate license, it claims WPST's history as its own. [2]
The new station called itself "Colorvision 10", indicating that it was broadcasting in color. In 1967, WLBW moved to its present studio facility location on Biscayne Boulevard. In 1969, WLBW was purchased by Katharine Graham. On March 16, 1970, WLBW was renamed WPLG, named for Katharine Graham's late husband Philip L. Graham.
Life Under Post-Newsweek
The station became well-known in the 1970s for its popular anchor team. From 1976 to 1982 Glenn Rinker, Ann Bishop, Chuck Dowdle and Walter Cronise anchored "Newswatch 10". In 1982, Rinker left for another position in Orlando and was replaced by Mike Schneider. Schneider and Bishop anchored until 1986, when Dwight Lauderdale joined the anchor desk with Bishop on "Channel 10 Eyewitness News," becoming South Florida's first African-American nightly news anchor. By 1985, WPLG had surpassed rival WTVJ in the ratings and would dominate the ratings for over ten years. Ann Bishop would continue to anchor the news until 1995. She worked part-time at the station until she succumbed to colon cancer in 1997. Don Noe joined WPLG in 1979 and is one of Miami's most popular chief meteorologists.
WPLG deployed "Sky 10", Miami's first news helicopter in 1982.
WPLG is branded "Local10" under the station standardization adopted by Post-Newsweek, which means that all stations use the "Local Mandate."
When WTVJ, WCIX (now WFOR-TV), and WSVN all swapped affiliations on New Years Day 1989, WPLG had remained an ABC affiliate. And, when WTVJ and WFOR swapped channel numbers, WPLG remained on channel 10, and remained an ABC affiliate. It is the only Miami television station that has never changed its affiliation.
As a Post-Newsweek station WPLG continues to run nearly the entire ABC television schedule; only the ABC Kids airings of Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive do not air, due to the station's news commitment and the program's lack of E/I content. As of April 2007, WPLG is South Florida's most-watched English-language television station which can partially be attributed to its availability in the West Palm Beach market via Comcast which in turn is damaging to ratings for WPBF, West Palm Beach's ABC affiliate.
WPLG offers LATV on its DT2 digital subchannel.
WPLG recently announced plans to relocate its studio facilities from 3900 Biscayne Boulevard to a location in southern Broward County. Construction on the new facility is expected to be finished in 2009, meaning that none of South Florida's "Big Three" stations will be based in Miami.
Notable Personalities
Current
Anchors
- Laurie Jennings - Weeknights, Local 10 News at 6 and 11pm
- Dwight Lauderdale - Weeknights, Local 10 News at 6 and 11pm
- Jen Herrera - Local 10 News at Noon, Weekday Traffic Reporter
- Calvin Hughes - Local 10 Morning News and Noon, Weekdays
- Kristi Krueger - Local 10 Morning News, Weekdays
- Diane Magnum - Weekend Mornings
- Todd Tongen - Weekend Mornings
- Neki Mohan - Weekend Evenings, Weekday Evening Reporter
- Charles Perez - Weekend Evenings, Weekday Evening Reporter
Reporters
- Alex Alvarez - I-NEWS Web Reporter (appears only on Local10.com)
- Rad Berky
- Kellie Butler
- Sasha Andrade
- Anjanette Flowers
- Terrell Forney
- Roger Lohse - Broward County Newsroom
- Glenna Milberg - Community Affairs
- Yvonne Nava
- Michael Putney - Political Reporter/This Week In South Florida Host
- Janine Stanwood
- Julie Summers
- Todd Tongen
- Jeff Weinsier - Local 10 Problem Solvers
- Ashley White - Weekend Traffic
Weather Team
- Don Noe - Chief Meteorologist, Weeknights (originator of animated weather maps)
- Trent Aric - Weekday/Weekend Meteorologist
- Jacey Birch - Weekend Mornings (also reporter)
- Megan Glaros - Morning/Noon Weekdays
- John Guaraldi - Weekend Evenings
- Max Mayfield - Hurricane Specialist
Sports Team
- Will Manso - Reporter/Sports Anchor
- John Henry Smith - Reporter/Sports Anchor
Alumni
- Morry Alter, general interest reporter (1970s), now at WCBS-TV in New York
- Jerry Azar, sports anchor ("It's a Goner!"), mid-1980s, now with Bloomberg Sports Radio heard on SIRIUS
- Ann Bishop, (1960s-1997) deceased
- Gina Cancelliere, meteorologist (now at KLAS-TV Las Vegas)
- Art Carlson, consumer reporter, now in Public Relations in Montana
- Wendy Corona, now at KPRC-TV in Houston
- Liz Cho, now at WABC-TV
- Walter Cronise, chief meteorologist
- Chuck Dowdle, sports director (1970s-1985) now at WSB-TV in Atlanta
- Mark Joyella, now in New York City
- Larry King, now at CNN
- Matt Lorch, now at WHDH-TV in Boston
- Theresa Marchetta, now at KMGH in Denver
- Khambrel Marshall, sports anchor, now news anchor at KPRC-TV in Houston
- Alan Massengale, sports anchor ), now at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles
- Terri Merriman, co-anchor, now at WSMV-TV in Memphis
- Kelley Mitchell, reporter, now morning show co-anchor at WFTL, Fort Lauderdale
- Bryan Norcross, meteorologist (mid 1980s), now at WFOR-TV, CBS4 Miami
- Glenn Rinker, 6/11pm anchor ) deceased
- Dominique Sachse, now at KPRC-TV in Houston
- Mike Schneider, 6/11pm anchor ), now at Bloomberg Television
- Jon Scott, anchor (1983(?)-1988) now at Fox News Channel
- Molly Turner, consumer reporter (1970s(?)-1980s)
Trivia
- Glenn Rinker was seen anchoring a "Newswatch 10" broadcast in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining (based on Stephen King's novel of the same name).
- WPLG adopted its current "10" logo in the early 1980s.
- Since the early 1990s, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have aired on WPLG.