WRDW-TV

WRDW-TV is the CBS television station affiliate for the Augusta, Georgia television market. In addition to CBS, WRDW provides digital subchannels for MyNetworkTV on DT2 ("12.2") and AccuWeather on DT3 ("12.3"). While the station is licensed to Augusta, its studios are located across the Savannah River in North Augusta, South Carolina. Its transmitter is in Beech Island, South Carolina, where it broadcasts in digital on VHF channel 12. WRDW is owned by Gray Television and is the local affiliate for the South Carolina Education Lottery.

WRDW-TV shares call letters with local AM station WRDW (AM) and Philadelphia hip hop station WRDW-FM, both owned by Beasley Broadcasting and unrelated to the television station.

Digital programming
The station's digital channel is multiplexed.

History
WRDW-DT2 former logo as "UPN Augusta", UPN Augusta ran from 2004-2006.WRDW-DT2 current logo as "My 12", My12 has been running since the WB/UPN merger.The station started broadcasting on February 14, 1954 as the second television station in Augusta. It was owned by the Morris family (whose holdings eventually became Morris Communications) along with the Augusta Chronicle and the original WRDW radio (AM 1480, now WGUS). It has been Augusta's CBS affiliate for its entire history, owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with CBS radio. However, it shared ABC with then-NBC affiliate WJBF.

On October 1, 1966, WJBF switched its primary affiliation to ABC, and began splitting NBC with WRDW-TV. This was unusual, but J. B. Fuqua wanted to get WJBF (his namesake) in line with 2 ABC affiliates he had just purchased--WTVW in Evansville, Indiana and KTHI (now KVLY-TV) in Fargo, North Dakota.

When WATU-TV (now WAGT) appeared as the market's third station in late 1968, NBC allowed WRDW and WJBF to keep their secondary NBC affiliations. This situation mostly shut WATU out of access to network programming, thereby forcing it to go dark in 1970. WRDW continued to split NBC with WJBF until WATU resumed broadcasting in 1974 with a primary NBC affiliation. At that time, WRDW finally became a full-time CBS station.

In the mid-1960s, the Morris family sold WRDW-AM-TV to Rust Craft, whose station group was acquired by Ziff Davis in 1979.[2] Channel 12 was sold along with then sister stations WEYI-TV in Saginaw, Michigan, WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and WTOV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio to Television Station Partners in 1983. Television Station Partners sold off all of its stations in early January 1996, with WRDW going to Gray Communications Systems (now Gray Television).

WRDW was one of the first CBS affiliates to broadcast network programming in HDTV in early 2000. Prior to UPN's shutdown, WRDW-DT carried the network on its DT2 subchannel. Although WRDW carries network and syndicated programming in High Definition, it's newscasts have yet to be upgraded to High Definition.

News 12 was updated in 2004 with new graphics from graphics company Cinemagic design. A new state-of-the-art news set soon followed in early 2005, built by set designer Gil Jiminez.

Channel 12 has been the host station for CBS' coverage of the Masters Tournament since 1956.

On August 17, 2010, News 12 launched its local newscasts in 16:9 widescreen standard definition. With the change came new HD-ready graphics.

Newscast titles

 * Pulse
 * 12 Country News (1970s)
 * Action News (1970s– 1980s)
 * 12 Eyewitness News (1980s– 1992)
 * Channel 12 News (1992–1997?)
 * News 12 (1997?–present)

Station slogans

 * Channel 12, the Color Station (early 1970s)
 * Action News: Where the Action Is (mid 1970s)
 * The Best is Here on Channel 12 (late 1970s)
 * Keep Your Eye on Eyewitness News (early 1980s)
 * We've Got the Touch, You and Channel 12 (1983–1985; local version of CBS campaign)
 * The Look is Channel 12 (1990–1991; local version of CBS campaign)
 * Where the News Comes First / Your 24-Hour News Source (1992–1998)
 * Your News Station (1998–2002)
 * On Your Side (2002–present)

Current on-air staff
News 12 opening graphics====[edit] Anchors====
 * Tom Campbell, Midday and First At Five anchor/reporter
 * Melissa Tune, First At Five anchor/reporter
 * Richard Rogers, 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm anchor/reporter
 * Meredith Anderson 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm anchor/reporter
 * Lynnsey Gardner, morning anchor/reporter
 * Katie Beasley, weekend anchor/reporter
 * Chris Thomas, weekend anchor/fill-in anchor/reporter

[edit] Reporters

 * Blayne Alexander, multimedia journalist
 * Bryan Baker, "12 On Your Side" (consumer affairs) reporter
 * Ryan Calhoun, multimedia journalist
 * Carter Coyle, multimedia journalist
 * Will Nunley, multimedia journalist
 * Chris Thomas, city government reporter/multimedia journalist

[edit] Weather
Bob Smith Chief Meteorologist Bob Smith has been forecasting for the Central Savannah River Area since 1977[3]. Smith went into semi-retirement in September 2009 after more than 30 years on air.[4] His replacement is former WSET-TV Chief Meteorologist Shane Butler. Smith returned briefly as a fill-in weekend meteorologist in late 2009 before going back to retirement in 2010.
 * Shane Butler, chief meteorologist
 * Vicki Graf, weekend meteorologist
 * Tim Strong, morning and Midday meteorologist
 * Bob Smith, chief meteorologist emeritus

[edit] Sports

 * Kevin Faigle, sports director
 * Jake Young, weekend sports anchor

[edit] Contributors

 * Laurie Ott, contributor (former anchor)
 * Lee Miller, traffic content (csratraffic.net)

[edit] Former On-Air Staff
Longest-Running Anchor Team WRDW-TV had the longest-running anchor team in the Augusta market with Richard Rogers and Laurie Ott anchoring the 6 pm and 11 pm weekday news. They were co-anchors together from the mid 1990's until September 2007, when Laurie Ott left to pursue other career opportunities.
 * Ken Allen, sports anchor/reporter (?-2005)
 * Samantha Andre, general assignment reporter/photojournalist (2007–2009)
 * Jeff Anderson, 12 On Your Side reporter (2007–2009)
 * Stephanie Baker, general assignment reporter (2005–2007)
 * Matt Barnes, weekend sports anchor/reporter (2008-2010, now at WCMH-TV)
 * Domonique Benn (2000–2007, now at WTKR)
 * Troy Bridges (1997–2001, morning/noon meteorologist/news anchor, now weeknight 6pm & 11pm Meteorologist WKMG-TV (CBS) Orlando)
 * Charlie Britt, anchor
 * Diane Cho, general assignment reporter (2005–2007, now at WJXT)
 * Adam Clark, weekend meteorologist (2005–2007, now chief meteorologist at KOHD, Bend, Oregon)
 * Dave Conrady, weekend anchor/reporter (?-2002)
 * Kristin Cosby, general assignment reporter (2004–2006, now at WAWS/WTEV-TV)
 * Paul Davis, sports director (Associate Director of Development at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa)
 * Jason Dollard, weekend meteorologist (2003–2005)
 * Ryan Duffy, consumer reporter (2002–2006, now at WTLV/WJXX)
 * Prentice Elliot, weekend sportscaster/sports director (2003–2008)
 * Jessica Floyd, general assignment reporter (2007–2008)
 * Julia Harding, weekend anchor/reporter (1997–2003, now at WAGA, Atlanta)
 * Scott Harbaugh, weekend meteorologist (?-2001, now at WPXI)
 * Samantha Hayes, morning anchor/reporter (?-2003, now at CNN Newspath)
 * Chick Hernandez, sports director/anchor (1990–1993, now with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
 * Stacy Hilton, morning anchor/reporter (2007-2009)
 * Jay Jefferies, morning weather anchor (?-2005, now at WAGT)
 * Ashley Jeffery, Aiken County reporter (2008-2010, now in Tampa, Florida)
 * Nisha Jindal, general assignment reporter (2003–2006, now at WHNS)
 * Kelly Klien, sports anchor/reporter (now a professional photographer in New York City)
 * Johanne Lochard, anchor/reporter (2000–2004, now at KSAT-TV)
 * Jonathan Martin, general assignment reporter (2005–2007, now at WSMV-TV)
 * Jill McNeal, weekend anchor/reporter (2003–2005, now at WFMY-TV)
 * Jay Miller, sports anchor/reporter (2000–2003)
 * Jason Newsome, sports reporter (2000–2007)
 * Gene Petriello, Aiken County beat reporter (2007–2009, now at WWBT)
 * Don Reeve, weekend meteorologist (2001–2003)
 * Traci Richardson, consumer reporter (?-2002)
 * Shalah Sasse, general assignment reporter/fill-in anchor (2005-2009)
 * Erich Spivey, general assignment reporter (2004–2006, now at WTLV/WJXX)
 * Meredith Taylor, morning anchor/reporter (2004–2007, now at WHIO-TV)
 * Kate Tillotson, weekend anchor/reporter (2005–2007, now at WWMT)
 * Michael White, weekend meteorologist (2007–2009, now at WALA-TV)
 * Marc Willis, general assignment reporter (?-2003, now at WPXI-TV)
 * Kisha Foster, weekend anchor/reporter (now at WYFF)
 * Lachlan McLean, weekend sports anchor (1996–1999, now at WHAS-AM)
 * Carolyn Gaeta, "12 On Your Side" reporter (1995–1999, now public relations director for Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom)