WKRN-TV

WKRN-TV, branded as News 2 and broadcasting over-the-air on digital channel 27 (virtual channel 2.1), is the ABC affiliate television station in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group. Its transmitter is located in Brentwood, Tennessee.

History
The station first signed on the air on Channel 8 on November 29, 1953 as WSIX-TV, the second television station in Nashville. It was owned by Louis and Jack Draughon along with WSIX-AM 980 (now WYFN-AM, a religious station). The calls came from the 638 Tire Company in nearby Springfield, where the Draughon brothers had started WSIX-AM in 1930; neither the radio nor the television stations have ever had the number six in their frequencies, which would explain it otherwise. Originally a CBS affiliate sharing ABC with WSM-TV (now WSMV), it became a full ABC affiliate after only one year when WLAC-TV (now WTVF) signed on and took the CBS affiliation due to WLAC's long history as a CBS radio affiliate. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.[1]

Its original studio was on Old Hickory Boulevard, just outside Nashville. In 1961, WSIX-AM-FM-TV moved to a new studio located at 441 Murfreesboro Road, where the TV station is located today. The current WKRN studios is where the Wilburn Brothers' television program, a Show Biz Inc., production, was produced during the 1960s and 1970s.

WSIX-TV, however, did not have much luck against WSM and WLAC. Part of the problem was a weak signal, as its transmitter was short-spaced to channel 8 in Atlanta--occupied first by WLWA-TV (now WXIA-TV) and currently occupied by WGTV. WSIX was also hampered by a weaker network affiliation (ABC was not truly competitive with CBS and NBC until well into the 1970s).

The Draughons sold WSIX-AM-FM-TV to General Electric in 1966. In 1972, GE cut a deal with Nashville's PBS station, WDCN-TV (nowWNPT), then on channel 2, to swap dial positions. GE did this because the channel 2 signal travels farther than the channel 8 signal under most conditions. The swap occurred on December 11, 1973, in the middle of evening prime-time programming. At the same time, even though General Electric still owned WSIX-AM-FM, it changed WSIX-TV's callsign to WNGE-TV (for Nashville General Electric), leaving the radio stations' call letters intact. This was only the third facility swap in American television history.

Knight Ridder bought WNGE-TV in 1983 and changed the calls to the current WKRN-TV. Young Broadcasting bought the station in 1989. It is merely a coincidence that the call letters reflect Young Broadcasting's flagship outlet, KRON-TV in San Francisco. Like all other ABC affiliates owned by Young Broadcasting, WKRN preempted ABC's broadcast of the movie Saving Private Ryan in 2004.

In August 2009, Gray Television took over management of WKRN as a consequence of the bankruptcy of Young Broadcasting, who continues to hold the license and facilities of the station.

Today, WKRN is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group.

Digital television
The station's digital channel:

Digital channels In 2009, WKRN-TV turned off its analog transmitter and remained on its pre-transition channel 27.[2] [3] However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display WKRN-TV'svirtual channel as 2.

Programming
The station has an agreement with the Tennessee Titans to air Bridgestone Titans on 2 with Jeff Fisher, the team's coach's show from 8pm-9pm Tuesday evenings, pre-empting ABC programming in that timeslot during the NFL season (which has featured low-rated and critically drubbed sitcoms for the majority of the 2000s).

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The station received heavy criticism from viewers in November 2009 for not airing V at the network's original timeslot. V then aired early Wednesday mornings after ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Kimmel_Live! Jimmy Kimmel Live!]''<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[4]. WKRN claimed the thirteen-year agreement to air the coach's show does not allow for the moving of that show to accommodate high-demand network programming without notice months in advance. However, in the past the program has moved at times to accommodate other high-demand programs such as Dancing with the Stars during the early portion of the season and network holiday programming. The station also reversed a plan to air V over NashvilleWX on digital channel 2.2 at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays the day before the premiere. WKRN's sister station in Green Bay, WBAY-TV (coincidentally, also broadcasting on virtual channel 2) also faced the same situation with a locally produced football program covering the Green Bay Packers NFL team, but after a week moved that program to air before primetime to accommodate V.

News operation
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The two main evening news anchors, Bob Mueller and Anne Holt, have been associated with WKRN since the early 1980s. WKRN is also the only traditional network affiliate in Nashville that does not run an hourlong newscast at 6 p.m., although its newscasts for the evening begin at 4 p.m., including ABC's World News with Diane Sawyer at 5:30 p.m.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">WKRN is one of the two network-affiliated stations in this market that have not switched to high definition local newscasts as of yet, along with Fox affiliate WZTV (channel 17).

Newscast titles

 * WSIX-TV News (1953<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 19??)
 * News-Scope
 * The Tennessee Report (19??<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 19??)
 * Newsnight (1968<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 1969)
 * Eyewitness News (1969<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 1972)
 * The Big News (1972<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 1974)
 * Dateline Today (1974<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 1976)
 * NewsWatch 2 (1976<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 1982)
 * Channel 2 News (1982<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– 1994)
 * (Nashville's) News 2 (1994<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19.7119998931885px;white-space:pre-wrap;">– present)

Station slogans

 * The Powerhouse! (1973-1975)
 * Welcome To The Bring New World of Channel 2 (1975-1976; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Let Us Be The One on Channel 2 (1976-1977; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Still The One on Channel 2 (1977-1978, 1979-1980; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * We`re The One You Can Turn To Channel 2 (1978-1979; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * 2 a New Beat (1979-1980)
 * You and Me and Channel 2 (1980-1981; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * The News Specialists (1981-1983; news slogan)
 * We Bring Good Things to Nashville (early 1980s; station slogan)
 * Now is the Time, Channel 2 is the Place (1981-1982; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Come on Along with Channel 2 (1982-1983; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Let's Get Involved (1983-1985)
 * That Special Feeling on Channel 2 (1983-1984; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * We`re With You on Channel 2 (1984-1985; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * You`ll Love It on Channel 2 (1985-1986; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * The Winner's Circle! (1985-1986)
 * Together on Channel 2 (1986-1987; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Something's Happening Here (1987-1990; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Nashville's Watching WKRN (1990-1992; local verison of "America's Watching ABC" campaign)
 * On Your Side (1990-1996)
 * If It`s Nashville, It Must Be Channel 2 (1992-1993; local version of "It Must Be ABC" campaign)
 * Where Coverage Comes First! (1996-1998)
 * TV is Good, on News 2 (1997-1998; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * We Love TV, on Channel 2 (1998-1999; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * First. Fast. Accurate. (1998-2010s; news slogan)
 * Start Here (2007-2010; local version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Coverge You Can Count On (2016-present; news slogan)

News team
 Current on-air staff   <p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Anchors


 * Nikki Burdine - weekday mornings on News 2 This Morning (4:00-7:00 a.m.)
 * Cherish Lomboard - weekdays at 4:00 p.m.
 * Eric Egan - weeknights at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m.
 * Hayley Wielgus - weeknights at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m.
 * Bob Mueller - weekdays at 4:00 and weeknights at 6:00 p.m.; also host of This Week with Bob Mueller
 * Neil Orne - weekday mornings on News 2 This Morning (4:00-7:00 a.m.) and 11:00 a.m.
 * Josh Breslow - weekend mornings on News 2 This Morning Weekend
 * Morgan Hightower - weekend mornings on News 2 This Morning Weekend
 * Adam Sinder - weekend evenings at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m.; also weekday reporter

News 2 StormTracker Weather <p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Sports team
 * Daneille Breezy - chief meteorologist; weekdays at 4:00 and weeknights at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m.
 * Jared Plushnick - meteorologist; weekday mornings on News 2 This Morning (4:00-7:00 a.m.) and 11:00 a.m.
 * Davis Nolan (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">meteorologist; weekend mornings on  News 2 This Morning Weekend
 * Mary Mays - meteorologist; weekends at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m.


 * Cory Curtis - sports director; weeknights at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Reporters
 * Joe Leadingham - sports anchor; weekends at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m., also sports reporter
 * Audra Martin - sports reporter; also fill-in sports anchor


 * Bethany Anderson - general assignment reporter
 * Jerry Barlar - general assignment reporter
 * Chris Bundgaard - general assignment reporter
 * Nick Caloway - general assignment reporter
 * Andy Cordan - general assignment reporter
 * Heather Jensen - weekday morning reporter
 * Stephanie Langston - general assignment reporter
 * Lori Mitchell - general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor
 * Joseph Pleasant - general assignment reporter
 * Nadia Ramdass - general assignment reporter
 * Jamey Tucker - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff

 * Scott Fralick - reporter (2004-2008)
 * Stephanie Langston - reporter (?-2009)
 * Erin Steinbruchel - reporter (?-2008)
 * Samanatha Fisher - anchor (2000-2017)
 * Anne Holt - anchor (1976-2016)
 * Lisa Patton - Meterologist (1991-2016)
 * Justin Bruce - Meterologist now at (KTNV) in Las Vegas
 * Dawn Davenport - Now at ESPN 104.5 FM
 * Najahe Sherman - anchor/reporter Now at (WAAY) in Huntsville, AL