WLS-TV

History
The station first went on the air as the third TV station in Chicago (after WBKB-TV which later became WBBM-TV and WGN-TV) on September 17, 1948 as WENR-TV. It was named after WENR-AM, ABC's Chicago radio affiliate. As one of the original ABC-owned stations on channel 7, it was the second station after WABC-TV in New York City to begin operations, ahead of WXYZ-TV in Detroit, KGO-TV in San Francisco and KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

In 1953, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres, the former theater division of Paramount Pictures. UPT owned WBKB on channel 4 (which shared a CBS affiliation with WGN-TV) but the new ABC could not keep both, because of Federal Communications Commission regulations at that time. As a result, WBKB was sold to CBS and renamed WBBM-TV; while WENR was renamed WBKB-TV. The old WBKB's talent stayed at WBBM (which moved to channel 2), while the old WBKB's call letters and management moved to channel 7.

The general manager from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s was Sterling "Red" Quinlan,[2] who was a giant in early Chicago television. He was instrumental in the careers of Tom Duggan, Frank Reynolds, and Bob Newhart. The station courageously aired The Tom Duggan Show in the mid-1950s, which was the most popular show in Chicago far out drawing other network competition. The station became WLS-TV on October 7, 1968,[1] after WLS-AM, which ABC had owned since 1959. Today, the WBKB-TV calls are used by a CBS affiliate in Alpena, Michigan.

WLS-TV had claimed to be "Chicago's first television station" in sign-ons in the 1980s [2] (implying a connection with the original WBKB on channel 4,) but admitted to its true roots with WENR with its 60th anniversary in 2008.[3]

Digital programming
WLS-TV's operation is multiplexed: Upon completion of the digital transition, WLS officially transferred the "WLS-TV" legal callsign from the now-defunct analog channel 7 to the original post-transition digital television channel 7, and discontinued the "WLS-DT" callsign. In late 2009, after moving full-power digital operations to UHF channel 44, the "WLS-TV" callsign was moved to channel 44. Even though WLS-TV converted VHF channel 7 into a digital fill-in translator and it is a LD facility (-LD meaning "Low-power Digital"), it uses the same call letters and suffix like their main full power facility. However, the PSIP identifier for WLS-TV's virtual channels still continues to identify the station as "WLS-DT."

After the digital transition on June 12, 2009, WLS moved from out-of-core UHF Channel 52 to their pre-analog VHF channel 7 for their digital operations. WLS operated their digital signal at low power (4.75 kW) to protect the digital signal of WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan (which also broadcasts on channel 7, but with much higher power). As a result, many viewers were not able to receive the station.[4] The FCC sent extra personnel to Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City to deal with difficulties in those cities. WLS had received 1,735 calls just by the end of the day on June 12 (WBBM only received 600), and an estimated 5000 calls in total by June 16.

WLS-TV was just one station which needed to increase its signal strength or move its frequency to solve its problems, but a power increase required making sure no other stations were affected.[5] WLS received a two-week experimental permit for a power increase late in June.[6] WLS had also applied for a permit to construct a low-power fill-in digital translator station on UHF channel 32, (the former analog frequency of WFLD)[7] but abandoned that plan (the channel 32 RF frequency has since been claimed by WCUU-LD). Eventually the FCC granted it a permit to transmit on a second frequency, Channel 44,[8] formerly occupied by WSNS-TV, and WLS announced the availability of that frequency on October 31, 2009.[9]

As of June 2010, WLS is operating both channels 7 and 44 from their auxiliary transmitting facilities at the John Hancock Center under an extension of an existing STA, while construction continues of its maximized facilities at the Willis Tower.[10] WLS is operating channel 7 as a fill-in translator with a power of 7 kW [11] & operating their full power operations on channel 44 with a power of 1 MW.[12] Through PSIP technology, both operating frequencies are re-mapped and displayed as virtual channel 7, which would cause some digital tuners to have two versions of virtual channels 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3, while tuning sequentially. WLS-TV is expected to operate channel 44 at the 473.3 kW power level from the Willis Tower in the near future.[13] [14]

Since WLS-TV officially moved their full power operations to channel 44, it is the only ABC O&O to vacate its former analog allotment for its digital operations and the second ABC O&O to operate its full-power operations on the UHF band, after KFSN-TV.

Station oddities

 * Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs with a one-hour delay at 12:07 a.m. since WLS-TV airs rebroadcasts of The Oprah Winfrey Show at 11:07 p.m. after Nightline.
 * WLS-TV is the only ABC owned-and-operated station not to air Live with Regis and Kelly, with the WABC-TV-produced show airing on WGN-TV instead.[15]

Syndicated programming produced in Chicago

 * The Oprah Winfrey Show - former A.M. Chicago 9am local program, retained name about one year after Oprah Winfrey became host - originally created by WLS-TV, but now produced by Harpo Productions and CBS Television Distribution at Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios
 * Weekdays 9 a.m., reruns Weeknights 11:07 p.m.

Former syndicated programming produced in Chicago

 * At the Movies - nationally syndicated film review program, produced at WLS-TV's studios, and syndicated by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. It aired Saturdays 10:35 p.m. with reruns Sundays 10:30 a.m. The program was cancelled and aired its final original broadcast on Saturday, August 14, 2010.

Other WLS-TV produced programs

 * 190 North - local lifestyle program named after the station's studio address at 190 N. State St. in the Loop and hosted by Janet Davies; began broadcasting in HD on Sunday, May 6, 2007
 * Sundays 10:35 p.m., reruns Saturdays 11:05 p.m. (reruns airs later during fall college football season)
 * Chicagoing - local public affairs program
 * Sundays 11 a.m.
 * The Chicago Huddle - local sports program about the Chicago Bears hosted by Ryan Chiaverini [16]
 * Sundays 10:30 a.m. (during football season)
 * Let's Dish, for the Live Well Network<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[17]
 * Shown locally on Channel 7.2.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17">[18]

News operations
WLS-TV's ABC 7 News opening.WLS-TV's State Street Studio Sign, c. 2007.WLS, like the other ABC owned-and-operated stations, adopted the Eyewitness News format in the late 1960s after it became a hit at flagship WABC-TV in New York. Fahey Flynn, a local broadcaster known for his bow ties and Joel Daly served as the anchormen of the newscasts from the mid 1960s until the early 1980s. In 1973, Eyewitness News surpassed WMAQ-TV to become Chicago's top-rated new operation, a lead it held until WBBM-TV surpassed it in 1979. For much of the 1970s and 1980s, it waged a spirited battle for second place in the Chicago news ratings.

By 1983, a disastrous anchor change had dropped WLS into third place. That prompted two major changes. First was the hiring of Dennis Swanson as General Manager, who in turn, hired Bill Applegate as News Director. Secondly, ABC commissioned Frank Gari to write an updated version of the Cool Hand Luke theme widely associated with the Eyewitness News format. The result was News Series 2000, which was quickly picked up by the other ABC O&Os.

Swanson was instrumental in hiring Oprah Winfrey to host its then low-rated morning talk show, "AM Chicago," in 1983. Within a year, it had shot to first place. It was picked up nationally in 1986 and renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. Channel 7 still airs it today, along with most other ABC O&Os. Swanson also hired lead anchor John Drury, who had previously worked at WLS, WBBM and WGN-TV and Floyd Kalber, who had led WMAQ-TV to the top of the ratings in the 1960s.

Drury and Mary Ann Childers were a popular anchor team at WLS during the 1980s and 1990s, accompanied by weatherman Steve Deshler and sportscaster Tim Weigel. In March 1986, WLS passed WBBM as the highest-rated news station in Chicago. It has held the lead ever since, aside from a brief period when WBBM managed to forge a tie for first.

As of 1996, the station currently brands its newscast as "ABC7 News" even though it still uses the same basic format from its Eyewitness News days. The station has been using its current news music package, News Series 2000 Plus by Frank Gari since 1992. It also updated the on-air graphics for its newscasts on Saturday, June 3, 2005.

The new State Street Studio officially debuted Monday, April 10, 2006, during the station's morning newscast, but it started broadcasting its newscasts from the new studio on Saturday, April 8, 2006.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[19] On the weekend of April 29–30, 2006, WLS-TV began using Chopper 7 HD. On Saturday, January 6, 2007, WLS-TV became the first Chicago television station to broadcast its entire news and local programming in high definition.

On Sunday, December 23, 2007, the State Street Studio became breaking news when a minivan drove through a reinforced studio window two minutes into the 10 p.m. newscast, startling anchor Ravi Baichwal on air and creating a 20° draft, but injuring no one.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[20]

[edit] Newscast titles

 * Tomorrow's News Tonight (early 1950s)
 * Channel 7 News (mid-late 1950s)
 * Flynn-Daly News (early 1960s)
 * Flynn-Daly Eyewitness News (mid 1960s)
 * Channel 7 Eyewitness News (late 1960s-1996)
 * ABC 7 News (1996–present)

[edit] Station slogans
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.====[edit] News music packages====
 * Still The One on Channel 7 (1977-1980; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * You and Me, and Channel 7 (1980-1981; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * 7's On Your Side (1980–1983)
 * Now is the Time, Channel 7 is the Place (1981-1982; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * 7's On The Move (1984–1985)
 * You'll Love It on Channel 7 (1985-1986; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Together on Channel 7 (1986-1987; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Something's Happening on Channel 7 (1987-1990; localized version version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Stand Up and Tell'em Chicago's Great (1985–1992; image campaign based on Frank Gari's Turn To News)
 * Chicago's Watching WLS (1990-1991; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * The Chicago Area's Leading News (late 1980s-1991)
 * Chicago's #1 News (1991–present)
 * People Make the Difference (2000–present)
 * Your News. Your Way. (2008–present)
 * Cool Hand Luke: The Tar Sequence by Lalo Schifrin (1969–1980)
 * On Your Side by Gari Communications (1980–1983)
 * News Series 2000 by Gari Communications (1983–1992)
 * Turn To News by Gari Communications (1985–1992; only used for bumpers, promos, and closings)
 * News Series 2000 Plus by Gari Communications (1992–present)
 * First News by Gari Communications (2001–present)

[edit] Current on-air staff
Anchors ABC 7 MetroVision Weather Sports Team Traffic Reporters Local Program Hosts
 * Stacey Baca - weekend mornings; also weekday field reporter
 * Ravi Baichwal - weekend evenings; also weekday field reporter
 * Ben Bradley - Sunday mornings; also weekday field reporter
 * Kathy Brock - weeknights at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
 * Cheryl Burton - weeknights at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. contributor
 * Judy Hsu - weekday mornings; also field reporter
 * Karen Jordan - weekend evenings; also weekday field reporter
 * Alan Krashesky - weekdays at 4 and 6 p.m.; also host of Sunday morning "NewsViews"
 * Ron Magers - weeknights at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
 * Sylvia Perez - weekdays at 11 a.m.; also 4 p.m. "Healthbeat" contributor
 * Hosea Sanders - weekday mornings; also field reporter
 * Linda Yu - weekdays at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
 * Jerry Taft (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Mark Bishop (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; Saturday mornings
 * Tracy Butler (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings and 11 a.m.
 * Mike Caplan - Weather Anchor; weekdays at 4 p.m.
 * Phil Schwarz (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; Sunday mornings and weekend evenings
 * Mark Giangreco - Sports Director; weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m.
 * Ryan Chiaverini - Sports Anchor; weekend evenings; also sports reporter and host of the "Chicago Huddle"
 * Jim Rose - Sports Anchor; weekdays at 4, and weeknights at 6 p.m.
 * Roz Varon - weekday mornings
 * Thom Johnson - weekday morning fill-in
 * Steve Dolinksy - food reporter
 * Jessica D'Onofrio - general assignment reporter
 * Michelle Gallardo - general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor
 * John Garcia - general assignment reporter
 * Chuck Goudie - chief investigative reporter; also 6 p.m. "Intelligence Report" contributor
 * Evelyn Holmes - general assignment reporter
 * Leah Hope - general assignment reporter; also host of "Heart & Soul"
 * Eric Horng - general assignment reporter
 * Jason Knowles - general assignment reporter
 * Frank Mathie - feature reporter
 * Paul Meincke - general assignment reporter
 * Karen Meyer - disability issues reporter
 * Sarah Schulte - general assignment reporter
 * Charles Thomas - political reporter; also host of "Heart & Soul"
 * Michelle Alegria - "190 North" contributor
 * Doug Banks - "190 North" contributor
 * Bill Campbell - "Chicagoing" host
 * Janet Davies - "190 North" host; also features and entertainment reporter; also fill-in anchor
 * Theresa Gutierrez - "The ñ Beat" host; also weekday field reporter
 * Mark Nilsson - "190 North" contributor

[edit] News directors
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.====Former on-air staff====
 * Phyllis Schwartz
 * Eric Lerner
 * Jennifer Graves
 * Harlan Shapiro
 * Howard Shapiro