WGCL-TV

WGCL-TV, virtual channel 46.1 (digital channel 19) is the CBS television station serving the Atlanta, Georgia area. Its city of license is Atlanta, and the station is owned by Meredith Corporation, making it the largest- market CBS station not owned by the network. It was the largest affiliate of any of the original "Big Three" networks (ABC, CBS or NBC) on analog UHF prior to the digital TV transition, and remains the largest such station to identify via PSIP with a channel number above the traditional 2-13 VHF range.

As of late 2009, Meredith's broadcasting division is headquartered in the WGCL facility. As a result, WGCL is the flagship television station of the company.[citation needed]

The station transmits from the "Richland" site near North Druid Hills from the east tower, along with several other stations. The station's digital TV signal on channel 19 formerly datacasted TV Guide On Screen for the area.

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History
Channel 46 first went on the air on June 6, 1971. It was originally owned by the Continental Broadcasting Network, an arm of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. Its original broadcast callsign was WHAE-TV, which stood for "Heaven And Earth." It originally was programmed for an eight-hour broadcast day. It also had a low-budget lineup consisting of a few hours of general entertainment and another few hours of religious shows per day. It ran only religious programming on Sundays.

By 1976, the station had expanded to a 20-hour broadcast day, airing cartoons, classic sitcoms, family dramas, westerns, and religious programming (including The 700 Club twice a day) on weekdays. Children's programming, westerns and movies were shown on Saturdays and the station continued to air strictly religious programming on Sundays until the fall of 1980. At that time, it began to run general entertainment programming during the afternoon. In 1977, it changed calls to WANX-TV, which stood for "Atlanta IN Christ (X)." It also began offering more mainstream programming. However, it didn't air any programming that would offend fundamentalist/Pentecostal sensibilities.

The station was bought by Chicago-based Tribune Broadcasting in 1984. Tribune changed its call letters once again, this time to WGNX, named after then-sister station in Chicago WGN-TV: it took WGN, and added an X from the previous callsign (essentially WGN + WANX). The 700 Club was now only broadcast once a day, before being dropped altogether until 2007, when WGCL once again broadcast the show. The station continued to air a similar entertainment lineup, but began airing shows that it would not have aired under CBN ownership.

When Tribune partnered with Time Warner to form the new WB Network, WGNX was slated to become the new network's Atlanta affiliate when that network launched in January 1995. Those plans came to a halt on May 22, 1994, however. On that day, New World Communications announced an affiliation agreement with the Fox Broadcasting Company, months after Fox won the broadcast rights to NFC football games. This resulted in most of its stations set to become Fox affiliates. One of the stations due to switch was Atlanta's longtime CBS affiliate, WAGA-TV (channel 5). CBS needed to find a new affiliate, but neither WGNX nor Atlanta's original Fox affiliate, WATL (channel 36), were interested at first. Fearing it would have no affiliate in Atlanta, CBS made a deal to buy WVEU (now WUPA), a low-rated station on channel 69 with the weakest signal of Atlanta's full-power stations in October 1994. Around the same time that the WB launched, another new network, the United Paramount Network (UPN), co-owned by Paramount Pictures/Viacom and Chris-Craft Industries, was set to launch, and with all the other events going on, WATL would have most likely become the UPN affiliate for Atlanta. However, CBS still wanted to affiliate with a station that people were more familiar with (and that had a functioning news department). For several months, it continued to negotiate with Tribune, who finally relented in November and allowed WGNX to become a CBS affiliate.

WGCL's logo from 2006 to 2009.This move left WGNX with cartoons and sitcoms that it would no longer have time to air as a CBS affiliate, so it sold some of its syndicated programming to WVEU, which became the UPN affiliate (while WATL joined the WB), and was later sold to Viacom, which changed its calls to WUPA. As a CBS station, it began airing more syndicated talk and reality shows; it also began calling itself "CBS46," though these references were mostly verbal; graphics continued to refer to "channel 46."

Tribune began to manage the station in tandem with WATL in 1996 under a local marketing agreement. In 1998, Tribune swapped WGNX to Meredith Corporation in a three-way deal which saw Tribune acquire KCPQ in Seattle from Kelly Broadcasting; that deal allowed Tribune to buy WATL outright the next year. Also around the same time, WGNX began branding as "CBS Atlanta." The station changed its calls to WGCL-TV in 2000 to reflect its new branding tagline, We're Georgia's CLear TV, along with "Clear News", a soft news concept. A few months later, WGCL was "CBS Atlanta" again, then two years later readopted the "CBS 46" moniker.

On June 20, 2007, WGCL's website underwent a redesign as part of a partnership between Meredith Corporation and Internet Broadcasting, following the successful testing of the websites of five of its sister stations, which had joined Internet Broadcasting the year before. WGCL's website was the sixth Meredith station website to switch from WorldNow to Internet Broadcasting.

In March 2009, Meredith announced that WGCL would begin handling the master control operations of WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tennessee and WHNS in Greenville, South Carolina. The new hub operation began operations in Fall 2009. Three other stations—KCTV in Kansas City, Missouri, WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut and WNEM-TV in Saginaw, Michigan—were later added to the WGCL hub; those three stations are slated to go online at the hub sometime in 2010. A similar hub is planned at sister station KPHO-TV in Phoenix, Arizona to handle stations in Portland, Oregon (KPTV and KPDX) and Las Vegas, Nevada (KVVU). [1]

In late 2010, due to a lack of original content from WGCL's website, the station decided to copy and paste the "history" section off Wikipedia[1].

Digital transition
After the analog television shutdown in June 2009, WGCL-TV remained on its pre-transition channel number 19, using PSIP to display WGCL-TV's virtual channel as 46.

Although the DTV Delay Act extended the mandatory shutdown of analog television until June 12, WGCL-TV applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to end its transmissions on February 17, the original deadline.[2] However, the station did not appear on the FCC list of such stations, which was released on February 11.[3] (WATC (digital channel 57) and WGTV (digital channel 8) were the other local stations on this list.) Since then, the station ran crawls that indicated that it would switch on June 12. The station applied to be an "analog nightlight" station, ending its regular programming on June 12 as required by law, but continuing to broadcast information regarding the DTV transition for an additional two weeks until June 26. (This is the same bilingual subtitled loop, alternating in English and Spanish, as was seen on several other nightlight stations across the country.)

WGCL-DT 46.2 "March Madness" test card.After this, WYGA-CA may be allowed to increase its analog LPTV signal on adjacent channel 45, as it was forced from channel 55 by MediaFLO, and has been operating on special temporary authority (STA) at very low power to protect adjacent-channel WGCL from RF interference. WSB-TV 39 (2.x) may be also allowed to begin transmitting a co-channel digital TV fill-in translator from south of Gainesville. Both are pending FCC approval of their applications, and WSB also filed for an STA to begin as soon as possible after WGCL ended analog transmissions. Like most CBS stations, WGCL's digital signal transmits in 1080i high definition.

WGCL-TV has multiplexed additional digital subchannels on its over-the-air transmitter during the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship period during select days and time periods in March. This is done in order to broadcast several basketball games in progress simultaneously carried by CBS Sports. The subchannels, which can number as many as three, have a typical video resolution of 480i at 4:3 aspect ratio. In March 2009, only one subchannel (46.2, labeled WGCLDT2) was used. Since then, no subchannels have been needed because the additional games in progress are now broadcast on TBS and TNT due to a deal between CBS, the NCAA and Turner Networks.

Station timeline

 * 1971: WHAE-TV as an independent general entertainment/religious station owned by CBN
 * 1977: Callsign change to WANX-TV
 * 1984: Sold to Tribune, becoming WGNX
 * 1989: WGNX begins a local news broadcast
 * 1994: Switched to CBS (previously on WAGA-TV 5)
 * 1995: Became known as "WGNX CBS46"
 * 1999: Meredith closes on purchase of station, renamed "CBS Atlanta"
 * 2000: Callsign change to WGCL-TV renamed "Clear TV"
 * 2002: Renamed "CBS Atlanta" again
 * 2003: Renamed "CBS46" again
 * 2009: Renamed "CBS Atlanta" yet again

News operation
Currently, WGCL broadcasts a total of 32 hours of local newscasts every week (with six hours on weekdays and one hour each on weekends). Unlike most CBS affiliates, the station does not carry local newscasts in weekend morning timeslots. Unlike most television station news operations, WGCL does not operate a sports department.

In 1989, WGNX started its first ever newscast, Channel 46 News at Ten, a nightly primetime newscast at 10 p.m. After affiliating with CBS, WGCL (as WGNX) moved the 10 p.m. newscast to 11 p.m. and added newscasts at noon and 6 p.m., as well as a short-lived 7:30 p.m. newscast. It would add on a short-lived 5 p.m. newscast, a morning newscast, and a 4 p.m. newscast as well.

On January 11, 2009, WGCL became the third station (behind WSB-TV and WXIA-TV) to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition. With the switch to HD, WGCL has rebranded back to "CBS Atlanta", which it used in 1999 and 2002. Weekend evening meteorologist Justin Lock is currently the only meteorologist at WGCL's weather department that has earned a Seal of Approval in Broadcast Meteorology, as Lock earned a television seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society.

On August 30, 2010 WGCL added an hour-long 5 p.m. newscast, this created a 2½ hour block of local news that begins with the existing hour-long 4 p.m. newscast and concludes with its 6 p.m. newscast.[4]

Ratings
As a CBS affiliate, WGCL has struggled in the local viewership ratings, usually ranking fourth behind WSB-TV, WAGA and WXIA-TV. As such, WGCL has been one of CBS' weaker affiliates. In contrast, WAGA was one of CBS' strongest affiliates. However, in the last three Nielsen ratings periods, it has traded third and fourth place with WXIA-TV.

Newscast titles

 * Channel 46 News at Ten (1989–1994)[5]
 * WGNX News (1994–1999)
 * CBS Atlanta News (1999–2000, 2002–2003, 2009–present)[6] [7]
 * Clear News (2000–2002)[8]
 * CBS 46 News (2003–2009)

Station slogans
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.===On-air staff===
 * Giving Atlanta a Choice! (1985–1989)[9]
 * Georgia's News at Ten (1989–1994)
 * Working to Be Your New Choice (1997–1999)
 * News That Clearly Matters (2000–2002)
 * Atlanta's NewsChannel (2003–2004)[10]
 * Breaking News. Breaking Stories. (2004–2005)
 * We Ask the Tough Questions (2008–present)[11]

Anchors

 * Kim Fettig - weeknights at 5 p.m.; also consumer/financial reporter ("Tough Questions" unit)
 * Stephany Fisher - weekdays at 4, weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.; also health reporter
 * Tracye Hutchins - weekday mornings Better Mornings Atlanta (4:30-7 a.m.) and noon
 * Brandon Rudat - weekday mornings Better Mornings Atlanta (4:30-7 a.m.)
 * JaQuitta Williams - weekdays at 4, weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.; also reporter

Storm Tracker Weather Team

 * Markina Brown (AMS member; NWA member) - meteorologist; weekdays at 4, weeknights at 5, 6, and 11 p.m.
 * Cris Martinez (AMS member; NWA member) - Severe weather meteorologist; weekdays at 4, weeknights at 5, 6, and 11 p.m.
 * Rodney Harris - weather anchor; fill-in, also weather producer
 * Justin Lock (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 6:30 and weekends at 11 p.m.
 * Jennifer Valdez(NWA member) - meteorologist; weekday mornings Better Mornings Atlanta (4:30-7 a.m.) and noon, also traffic reporter

Reporters

 * Ray Arzate - general assignment reporter; also photographer
 * Katie Brace - general assignment reporter
 * Jeff Chirico - investigative reporter ("Tough Questions" unit)
 * Jocelyn Connell - general assignment reporter
 * Crystal Cruz - general assignment reporter; also photographer
 * Hena Daniels - general assignment reporter
 * Christopher King - general assignment reporter
 * Michelle Marsh - general assignment reporter
 * Jennifer Mayerle - general assignment reporter
 * Tony McNary - general assignment reporter
 * Adam Murphy - consumer investigative reporter ("Tough Questions" unit)
 * Mike Paluska - general assignment reporter
 * Harry Samler - general assignment reporter
 * Wendy Saltzman - chief investigative reporter ("Tough Questions" unit)
 * Rebekka Schramm - noon, 4, 5 and 6 p.m. reporter
 * Renée Starzyk - general assignment reporter
 * Lesley Tanner - general assignment reporter; also photographer
 * Bernard Watson - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff

 * Denise Agent, general assignment reporter (1989–?, news director WHSV-TV)
 * Corinna Allen, Better Mornings Atlanta lifestyle/feature reporter (2007-2010)
 * Corey Anderson, sports reporter/producer (2005-2009)
 * Andrea Arceneaux Coleman, anchor and reporter (1999–2002, Founding Editor/CEO of Southwest Atlanta Magazine)
 * Tylar Bacome, reporter (2003–2005)
 * Patrick Boggs, (1981–?) Now newscaster at SRN Radio News.
 * Joy Barge, traffic reporter (1999–2001; 2002–2004)
 * Mike Brooks, Better Mornings Atlanta anchor (2007–2010)
 * Shane Butler, weathercaster (?–1997, currently at WRDW-TV[12] )
 * John Cater, free-lance reporter (2009, deceased)
 * Cari Champion, weekend anchor and reporter (2006–2008)
 * Kevin Cokely, anchor (1988-?)
 * Steve Dawson, anchor and reporter (?, now at WHBQ-TV)
 * Ryan Deal, general assignment reporter (2003–2008)
 * Tiffani Diaz Reynolds, general assignment reporter (?–2005, last seen at WSB-TV)
 * John Doyle, weathercaster (1997–2005, retired from broadcasting; currently doing voice-overs, working part-time as bailiff at the Gwinnett County Courthouse)
 * Sheldon Fox, traffic reporter (2004–2006, now at WGNO-TV)
 * Naki Frierson, traffic reporter (2006, now at WSB-TV)
 * Bill Gaines, 4:00, 6:00, and 11:00 anchor (2006–2009)
 * Jennifer Gladstone, general assignment reporter (1999–2002, last seen at WBFF-TV)
 * Leigh Green, general assignment reporter (1989–2000, deceased)
 * Karyn Greer, primary co-anchor and reporter (1989–1999, now morning/noon anchor at WXIA-TV)
 * Mark Harmon, Sports Anchor/Reporter (1980s - 2009, now at GPB)
 * Tony Harris, 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 anchor (2003–2004, now co-anchor of CNN Newsroom)
 * Laura Huckabee, meteorologist (1999–2009)
 * Calvin Hughes, 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 anchor (1999–2002, now a weekday morning and noon co-anchor at WPLG-TV 10 Miami)
 * Patricia Hunte, general assignment reporter (?)
 * Steve Johns, morning and noon anchor (1999–2002, last seen at WNCN-TV)
 * Terry Kniess, main meteorologist (WGNX 1989–1994) Met. Ret. in Henderson, Nevada
 * Danielle Knox, weekend anchor/reporter (2008-2010)
 * Steve Kuzj, general assignment reporter (?)
 * Randy Lynn, general assignment reporter (?)
 * Greg Majewski, fill-in meteorologist/weather producer (?-2009)
 * Brett Martin, Better Mornings Atlanta features reporter
 * JoAnna Massee, general assignment reporter (2008–2009)
 * Kristy Mazurek, general assignment reporter (2000–2003)
 * John McKnight, anchor and reporter (1989–1999)
 * Monica McNeal, weathercaster (2003–2004, now at CNN)
 * Chris McWatt, morning anchor (2002–2003, now host of HGTV's Weekend Warriors)
 * Ray Metoyer, anchor and reporter (1994–2000, now president of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and executive producer of the Black Family Channel)
 * Dagmar Midcap, evening weather anchor/reporter (2007-2010)
 * Letitia Miele, general assignment reporter (?–2002, last seen at WHP-TV)
 * Charles Molineaux, weekend anchor and reporter (2002–2005, last seen at WAGA-TV)
 * Denny Moore, weathercaster (1989–2000)
 * Mike Moore, weekend anchor and reporter (2005–2009)
 * Marc Mullins, general assignment reporter (2003–2005, now at KMTR-TV)
 * Kathy Murphy, weekend anchor and reporter (?–2005)
 * Toni Neal, Traffic Reporter (2004)
 * Helen Neill, anchor and reporter (1999–2009)
 * April Nelson, health reporter (1997–2005, moved to Egypt)
 * Chau Nguyen, general assignment reporter (?–2003, last seen at KHOU-TV Houston, and believed to no longer be in the TV business)
 * Jon Nelson, sports reporter/producer (?, now at GPB)
 * Lori Nixon, general assignment reporter (2003–2004, now at KIRO-TV)
 * Rich Noonan, 4:00, 6:00, and 11:00 anchor (2004–2006, now has his own video production company based in Alpharetta, Georgia)
 * Gene Norman, chief meteorologist (2000–2008, now chief meteorologist at KHOU-TV)
 * Greg Pallone, general assignment reporter (2004–2005, last seen at WJCL-TV)
 * Sarah Parker, general assignment reporter (2006–2009)
 * Fred Powers, general assignment reporter (1997–2008, deceased)
 * Jane Robelot, 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 anchor (1999–2003, now a reporter and substitute anchor at WYFF-TV)
 * Emily Schapmann Stroud, general assignment reporter (2000–2003, 2006)
 * Dave Schwartz, weekend meteorologist (2009)
 * Gwen Scott, anchor (1988–1989)
 * Marshall Seese, meteorologist (was an on-camera meteorologist with The Weather Channel until November 2008)
 * Martha Sharan, anchor and reporter (?–1999)
 * Todd Shearer, weekend anchor and reporter (1999–2003, now a consultant with the DeMoss group based in Duluth, Georgia)
 * Cynné Simpson, weeknight 6 pm co-anchor and 11 pm reporter (2004–2007, now a weekend anchor at WJLA-TV in Washington, DC.)
 * LuAnn Sodano, general assignment reporter
 * Chris Smith, weekend meteorologist (2005–2008, now chief meteorologist at WJHG-TV)
 * Mike Stevens, weekend anchor and reporter (?–1999, now a weeknight anchor at WEYI-TV following a brief stint with WXIA-TV)
 * Steve Taylor, sportscaster (1989–2005)
 * Derek Toomey, general assignment reporter (2000–2002, currently a singer/songwriter residing in the Atlanta area)
 * Stacey Turner, general assignment reporter (2003–2005)
 * Gil Tyree, Sports Director/Reporter (2003?–2010, now at GPB)
 * Cynthia Vail, general assignment reporter (?–2003)
 * Shannon Walshe Stephens, weekend anchor and reporter (?–1999, last seen at WSB-TV)
 * John Wetherbee, weathercaster (?–2005, now a meteorologist at WTOC-TV; can be heard doing weather locally on WNGC FM 106.1 in Athens)
 * Heather Wiggins Thompson, general assignment reporter (?–2004, last seen at WXIA-TV)
 * Lori Wilson, (2002–2005, now co-host of lifestyle and entertainment show 10! on WCAU-TV)