WHTM-TV

WHTM-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania that is licensed to Harrisburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter on the ridge north of I-81 along the Cumberland and Perry County line. Owned by the Allbritton Communications Company, the station has studios on North 6th Street in Harrisburg (although its address is Hoffman Street). Syndicated programming on WHTM includes: Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, The Insider and The Nate Berkus Show.

Digital programming
Its signal is multiplexed. On WHTM-DT2, Comcast digital channel 246, and Verizon FiOS digital channel 461 is the Retro Television Network (RTV). On WHTM-DT3 is The Local AccuWeather Channel, which is available on Comcast digital channel 245.

History
The station first went on-air on June 19, 1953 as a locally-owned NBC affiliate with the call letters WTPA-TV (standing for Television PennsylvaniA). It originally operated an analog signal on UHF channel 71 but later bought WCMB-TV on channel 27 (which had gone dark) and moved to that channel in 1957. WTPA was founded by the Newhouse family whose media holdings eventually became Advance Publications. The Times Mirror Company acquired all of the Newhouse television stations (including WTPA) in 1980 and changed their calls to the currentWHTM-TV. The station was sold along with then-sister station WETM-TV in Elmira, New York toSmith Broadcasting Company in 1986. WHTM, in turn, was sold to Price Communications in 1994. Current owner Allbritton Communications acquired the station in 1996. The station launched its digital signal on VHF channel 10 in 1999.

As a result of an ice storm that came through the Harrisburg region between December 15 and 16, 2007, the station was unable to transmit its signal over-the-air due to power loss at its transmitter site. This was the case until the morning of December 18. [1] [2] The signal loss also affected the reception of some cable and satellite subscribers. WHTM-TV ended programming on its analog signal, on UHF channel 27, on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United States, and remained on its current digital channel 10 using PSIP to display its virtual channel as 27. This forced NBC owned-and-operated station WCAU in Philadelphia to continue digital broadcasting on channel 34. [3] [4] Feature reporter Chuck Rhodes served as a minor cast member in the film Lucky Numbers starringJohn Travolta. Travolta was starring as a cash lacking meteorologist and Rhodes was his biggest competition in Harrisburg.

Newscasts
It airs the only weeknight 7 o'clock newscast in the market. Local news is aired from 4:30am to 7am, 12 Noon, 5:00pm to 6:30pm, 7pm and 11pm each weekday. In addition to its main studios, WHTM operates two bureaus. This includes the The York Dispatch offices on North George Street (I-83 Bus in Downtown York) as well as on North Main Street (U.S. 11 SB in Downtown Chambersburg). Like all RTV affiliates, WHTM-DT2 airs Daytime weekday mornings at 9 for an hour.

Newscast titles

 * Newservice (1970s)
 * 27 News (1980s-1995)
 * WHTM NewsCenter (1995-2003)
 * ABC 27 News (2003-present)

Station slogans

 * "Something's Happening on 27" (1988-1990; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * "Central Pennsylvania's News Team" (1990-1998)
 * "Working For You" (1998-2003 and 2008-present)
 * "A Better Choice For Your Local News" (2003-2008)

News team
Anchors


 * Ali Lanyon - weekday mornings and noon
 * Flora Posteraro - weeknights at 5 and 5:30
 * Valerie Pritchett - weeknights at 5, 5:30, and 7
 * Dennis Owens - weeknights at 6 and 7
 * Alicia Richards - weeknights at 6 and 11
 * Al Gnoza - weeknights at 11 and reporter
 * James Crummel - weekend mornings and weekday morning reporter
 * Amy Kehm - weekend evenings and weekend 11 p.m. producer

ABC 27 StormTrak Meteorologists


 * Eric Finkenbinder - weeknights and seen on WHTM-DT3
 * Brett Thackara - weekday mornings and Noon
 * Rob Dixon - weekends

Sports


 * Gregg Mace - Director seen weeknights at 6, 7, and 11
 * Friday Night Football host and WJLA fill-in sports anchor
 * Josh Reed - weekend evenings

Reporters


 * Megan Healey - Chambersburg
 * Chris Cekot - Cumberland County
 * Dara Rees - York County
 * Andy Briggs - Harrisburg
 * Chuck Rhodes - features
 * Dennis Buterbaugh - consumer
 * Kendra Nichols - weekday morning traffic and weekends
 * Amy Kehm

Director of Technology


 * Keith Blaisdell