WJXT

WJXT, channel 4 (digital 42), is an independent television station serving Jacksonville, Florida, and surrounding communities. Its transmitter is in the Kilarney Shores section of Jacksonville, with the WTLV transmitter. The station originally broadcast an analog signal on VHFchannel 4 and a digital signal on UHF channel 42. Comcast cable carries the station on channel 3. U-Verse carries WJXT on channel 4 and an HD feed on channel 1004. The station is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations. Channel 4 broadcasts from studios at 4 Broadcast Place, on Jacksonville's southbank of the St. Johns River. WJXT airs syndicated programming, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, and reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, The King Of Queens, and Monk.

From its sign-on in 1949 until 2002, WJXT was affiliated with CBS, and was one that networks strongest affiliates.

History
WJXT signed on September 15, 1949, as WMBR-TV, the second television station in Florida and co-owned with WMBR radio (AM 1400, nowWZAZ; and 96.1 FM, now WEJZ). In 1953, the Washington Post Company bought the stations. The radio stations were sold in 1958 and the television station was renamed WJXT-TV.

WJXT was a CBS affiliate for more than 50 years, though it carried secondary affiliations with DuMont through 1955 (when the network shut down), NBC until 1957 (when WFGA, now WTLV, signed on) and ABC until 1966 (when WJKS, now WCWJ, signed on). For much of that time, it was the only CBS station between Savannah, Georgia and Orlando, Florida and was thus carried on many cable systems between Jacksonville and Orlando.

The station had a virtual monopoly on television in north Florida until 1957, its only competition coming from a UHF station, WJHP-TV, which signed on in 1953 and went dark three years later.

 WJXT was the dominant news station in Jacksonville for almost half a century, in part because many of its personalities have been at the station for 10 years or more. Its evening news team of anchors Tom Wills and Deborah Gianoulis, chief meteorologist George Winterling and sports director Sam Kouvaris was together from 1981 until Gianoulis' retirement in 2003—one of the longest-running anchor teams in the nation at the time.After negotiations over a new affiliation agreement with CBS fell through, WJXT became an independent station on July 15, 2002, with WTEV-TV taking over CBS affiliation. WJXT now airs a combination of syndicated programs and locally produced news broadcasts. The station used the Eyewitness News name and format for its newscasts for many years; but, in 2005, the newscasts were retitled as "Channel 4 News: The Local Station". Even though it is a Post-Newsweek-owned station, WJXT, unlike WDIV and most of its sister stations, which follow Post-Newsweek's "Local Mandate" standardization, does not brand itself "Local4"; but "The Local Station" is close enough under the standardization.

 On January 14, 2009, WJXT became the first local television news operation in Jacksonville to broadcast local news in high definition. The upgrade saw an introduction of new opens, graphics, and music. The new opens were designed in house at Detroit, Michigan, sister station WDIV. The new graphics were designed at Miami sister station WPLG. The music used for the HD newscasts was an updated version of a customized news package, composed by Frank Gari which was specifically written for the station since 1995.On June 12, 2009, at 8:55 a.m, WJXT ceased transmission of an analog broadcast. The button was pushed live on WJXT's morning program, The Morning Show. Channel 4 reporter Melanie Lawson reported live from WJXT's transmitter site in Kilarney Shores as a veteran WJXT technician pushed the "plate off" button in the building at the base of the transmitter. WJXT's analog transmission had been broadcast from that site for over two decades after its transmitter at the station failed. Its digital transmission is also broadcast from the same site, along with the transmission of WTLV and WJXX. According to on-camera talent, several monitors at Channel 4's southbank studios went out.

Since the HD transition, Channel 4 now uses all robotic and computer-operated cameras. A new automated control room system using Miranda Vertigo and Ignite technology was developed as well for newscasts.


 * Channel 4 Newscasts in HD:
 * Channel 4 News @ Noon (started in HD on January 14, 2009)
 * Channel 4 News @ 5 (started in HD on January 16, 2009)
 * Channel 4 News @ 5:30 (started in HD on January 16, 2009)
 * Channel 4 News @ 6 (started in HD on January 16, 2009)
 * Channel 4 News @ 6:30 (started in HD on January 16, 2009)
 * Channel 4 Weekend Newscasts (started in HD on January 17, 2009)
 * Channel 4's The Morning Show (started in HD on January 26, 2009)
 * The 10 O'Clock News (started in HD on January 28, 2009)
 * Channel 4 News @ 11 (started in HD on January 28, 2009)

Digital television
The station's digital channel, UHF 42, is multiplexed:

Digital channels In 2009, WJXT turned off its analog transmitter and remained on its pre-transition channel 42.[1] [2] However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as 4.

News operation
WJXT currently offers a total of 47½ hours of local news a week (with eight½ hours on weekdays and 3½ hours on weekends), in third place behind Fox stations WTVT in Tampa and WSVN in Miami for the most hours of local news of any television station in the state of Florida. On April 23, 2009 George Winterling announced he would semi-retire after nearly 47 years as chief meteorologist at WJXT. He will be used in severe weather and fill in situations only. On May 20, 2009, He stepped down from the 6 and 6:30 p.m. newscasts.

Newscast titles

 * Your Esso Reporter (1949–1954)
 * Telenews (1954–1958)
 * NewsNight (1958–1963)
 * The Six O'Clock News/The Eleven O'Clock News (1963–1967)
 * Eyewitness News (1967–2005; from 1997 until the station became independent in 2002, WJXT used NewsChannel 4 as its general branding, while Eyewitness News continued to be used as the newscast branding)
 * Channel 4 News (2005–present)

Station slogans

 * Television 4 Eyewitness News, in SuperColor (1967–1969)
 * The Eyes of Jacksonville (early 1970s)
 * WJXT, As Far as the Eye Can See (mid 1970s)
 * We're the Eyewitnesses! (late 1970s)
 * We'll Take You There (mid 1980s)
 * Your Good Friends (late 1980s)
 * First in News Around the Clock (late 1980s–1991)
 * TV-4, We'll Take You There (late 1980s–early 1990s; used in image campaign using Frank Gari's "We'll Take You There")
 * The One and Only Channel 4 (1991–2002)
 * Channel 4, News For People Who Like to Fart (2002-2005)
 * The Local Station (2005–present)

Current on-air staff
Anchors


 * Mary Baer – weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Bruce Hamilton – weekday mornings The Morning Show (5–9 a.m.) and noon
 * Jason Law – weekend mornings The Morning Show (7–9 a.m.)
 * Kent Justice - weekends at 6 and 10 p.m.; also weekday reporter
 * Melanie Lawson – weekday mornings The Morning Show (5–7 a.m.)
 * Staci Spanos – weekday mornings The Morning Show (7–9 a.m.)
 * Rob Sweeting – weeknights at 5:30, 6:30 and 11 p.m.
 * Jennifer Waugh – weeknights at 5:30, 6:30 and 11 p.m.
 * Tom Wills – weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

Weather team


 * John Gaughan (AMS Seal of Approval) – chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 10 and 11 p.m.
 * Rebecca Barry – meteorologist; weekend mornings The Morning Show (7–9 a.m.), and weekends at 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Richard Nunn (AMS Seal of Approval) – meteorologist; weekday mornings The Morning Show (5–9 a.m.) and noon
 * George Winterling (AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist Seal of Approval) – Meteorologist Emeritus; hurricane/severe weather expert, fill-in meteorologist (former chief meteorologist from 1962 until semi-retirement in 2009)
 * Mark Collins – meteorologist; fill-in

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Sports team


 * Sam Kouvaris – sports director; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 10 and 11 p.m.
 * Nick Giovanni - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 10 p.m.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Reporters


 * Ayesha Faines – traffic and general assignment reporter
 * Kent Justice – general assignment reporter / anchor
 * Scott Johnson – general assignment reporter
 * Nikki Kimbleton – morning reporter
 * Vic Micolucci - general assignment reporter / mobile journalist
 * Tarik Minor – general assignment reporter
 * Vickie Pierre – general assignment reporter
 * Jim Piggott – investigative reporter
 * Emily Turner - assignment reporter
 * Ilyssa Trussel - assignment reporter
 * Hailey Winslow - assignment reporter
 * Ashley Townsend – fill-in assignment reporter
 * Karen Hershey - fill-in assignment reporter

Notable former on-air staff

 * Casey Black – noon anchor/reporter (2004-2010; now working with PGA Tour in media relations)
 * Eric Braate - weekend meteorologist (now at WDIV in Detroit)
 * Charmayne Brown
 * Kimberly Brown - associate producer (now at WIFR in Rockford, IL)
 * Ed Cain - sports anchor
 * Winston Dean - investigative reporter (1983-1991)
 * John Dunlap - sports reporter (now owner of a Tropical Smoothie Café)
 * Dan Evans - weekday morning anchor/reporter (now morning/midday anchor at KSTU in Salt Lake City)
 * Glenn Farley - weekend anchor and general assignment reporter (currently working at KING in Seattle)
 * Tammie Fields - weekend/morning anchor/reporter (now weekend evening anchor at WTSP in Tampa)
 * Lauren Freeman - weekend evening then weekday evening anchor (now weekday morning/midday anchor at KPRC in Houston)
 * Hetal Gandhi (currently working outside of the television industry)
 * Deborah Gianoulis – anchor (1977-2003; now running as a Democrat for the Florida State Senate)
 * Bruce Hall
 * Bill Henley
 * Drew Jackson - weekend meteorologist/anchor (2002-2004)
 * Jason Kadah - morning meteorologist (now at KREM in Spokane, WA)
 * Doug Kammerer - weekend meteorologist (now chief meteorologist at WRC-TV in Washington, DC)
 * Brendan Keefe - investigative and military affairs reporter (1994-1995; now weeknight 5:30 p.m. anchor at WCPO in Cincinatti)
 * Bryan J. Kelly (now announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment and its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling as "Byron Saxton")
 * Steve Kroft - investigative reporter (1975-1977; now with CBS News as correspondent for 60 Minutes)
 * Ray Lane - reporter/fill-in anchor (now at KOMO-TV in Seattle)
 * Adam Landau – reporter (2001-2010; now with Memorial Medical Center as its public affairs officer)
 * Dan Leveton – reporter (?-2010; now with Shands Jacksonville as its publilc affairs officer)
 * Laura Mazzeo – reporter (2007-2010; resigned for health reasons)
 * Mark Middlebrook - reporter
 * Joyce Morgan - morning/noon anchor
 * Heather Murphy - currently with the mayor's office in public relations
 * Brad Nitz - senior meteorologist (2002-2004; now at WSB-TV in Atlanta)
 * Brad Puffer - reporter (2000-2003; now with New England Cable News)
 * Bert Rozell - anchor
 * Nancy Rubin (now with the Jacksonville Port Authority in public relations office)
 * Randall Pinkston - urban affairs director, a general assignment reporter and the producer of a daily public affairs program (1974–1976)
 * Joy Purdy - weekend news anchor and "Police Beat" reporter (1995-2000; now morning co-anchor at WTLV/WJXX)
 * Larry Ramirez - sports reporter/general assignment reporter (2002-2004; now at KSAT in San Antonio)
 * Rock Rote - PM Magazine co-host (now in sales at Weather Central LLC)
 * Corey Saban - weekend anchor
 * Robyn Sieron
 * Hugh Simpson
 * Heather Van Nest (now weeknight anchor at WTSP in Tampa)
 * Paul Van Osdol - investigative reporter (now at WTAE in Pittsburgh)
 * Kim Vatis - weeknight 6 and 11 p.m. anchor (1990-1995)
 * Victoria Warren - reporter (?-2006; now at WHDH in Boston)
 * Glen "Woody" Wood - meteorologist (?-mid 1990s)
 * Sean Woodland - weekend sports anchor
 * Toni Yates - weekend co-anchor (now at WABC in New York City)