WTMJ-TV

WTMJ-TV, digital channel 28 (virtual channel 4.1); branded as "Today's TMJ4", is the NBC-affiliated television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the flagship station of the Journal Broadcast Group. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin and parts of northeastern Illinois, including Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan and Waukesha. Its transmitter is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of downtown Milwaukee, with the station's studios located directly south on Capitol Drive; this facility is known as "Radio City". WTMJ-TV transmits its signal from an antenna 1,045 feet (319 m) in height.

WTMJ-TV

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Branding	Today's TMJ4, Today's TMJ4 HD
Slogan	Trust Today's TMJ4
Channels	Digital: 28 (UHF) Virtual: 4 (PSIP)
Subchannels	4.1 NBC 4.2 Storm Team 4 TV 4.3 TheCoolTV (music videos)
Owner	The E.W. Scripps Company
First air date	December 3, 1947
Call letters' meaning	W-The MilwaukeeJournal
Sister station(s)	Milwaukee: WTMJ AM WLWK-FM Green Bay: WGBA-TV WACY-TV
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 3 (VHF, 1947-1953) 4 (VHF, 1953-2009)
Former affiliations	All secondary: CBS (1948-1953) ABC (1948-1953) DuMont (1949–1953)
Transmitter power	1000 kW
Height	272.6 m
Facility ID	74098
Transmitter coordinates	43°5′28.5″N87°54′7.3″W
Website	www.todaystmj4.com/ www.stormteam4.com

The station also provides engineering assistance for ION Television affiliate WPXE-TV (channel 55); previously WPXE aired WTMJ newscasts on a half-hour delay in the evening and shared some programming with Channel 4, however this deal was ended in July 2005. It is the only station in the Milwaukee market to have never switched its primary network affiliation in its history. The station also maintains a news and weather content agreement with its associated radio stations; WTMJ Radio and WLWK-FM (which are also both based at Radio City), also partners with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the newspaper which founded the station, with news stories seen in the Journal Sentinel and to provide weather forecasts; as such, an auxiliary studio is maintained by the station in the newspaper's State Street headquarters and is used for a regular segment called "JSOnAir", which is featured during the station's 3 p.m. newscast.

History

The Journal Company's first television license was granted in September 1931 for experimental station W9XD, using a low-definition electromechanical system. The station conducted field tests from 1931 to 1933, before converting its facilities to experimental high-fidelity apex radio unit W9XAZ in 1934. Its license was withdrawn by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1938 as part of an effort to limit licenses to stations actively engaging in the development of television. No publicly announced television programming was broadcast by W9XD during this experimental period.

The Journal Company obtained in September 1941 one of the first commercial television construction permits issued by the FCC, under the call letters WMJT (Milwaukee Journal Television), and built a new broadcast facility by August 1942. But the U.S. War Production Board halted the manufacture of television and radio broadcasting equipment for civilian use from April 1942 to August 1945, suspending the company's television plans.

On December 3, 1947 WTMJ-TV (WTMJ standing for The Milwaukee Journal) went on the air, becoming the first commercial television station in Wisconsin, the fourth commercial station in the Midwest and the fifteenth commercial station to go on the air in the United States. When the station began broadcasting in 1947, there were only 500 television sets in Milwaukee, jumping to 2,050 by the following April. WTMJ had affiliated with the NBC television network since sign on, although it also carried programming from CBS, ABC, and Du Mont before those networks had their own affiliated stations in Milwaukee. WTMJ is the only station in Milwaukee to be affiliated with the same network since it signed on. It is currently NBC's second-longest tenured affiliate, behind only KSD-TV (now KSDK) in St. Louis (which had signed on in January of that year).

WTMJ originally transmitted on channel 3 and shifted to Channel 4 on July 11, 1953 to avoid interference with Kalamazoo, Michigan's WKZO-TV (now WWMT), which is nearly directly across Lake Michigan. This was a part of the FCC's complete revision of the Table of Channel Assignments as issued in its Sixth Report and General Order issued on April 14, 1952. This move forced the CBS affiliate on channel 4 in Chicago (now WBBM-TV), the first commercially-licensed TV station outside the Eastern Time Zone to move to channel 2. It had done so on July 5.

WTMJ was one of the first stations in the country to purchase color equipment, and in December 1953, it broadcast the color television program Amahl and the Night Visitors from NBC, when only two prototype color sets existed in Milwaukee. The city's first color TV sets were sold in March 1954, and by July 1954 WTMJ broadcast its first local color program originating from its studios, The Grenadiers, becoming the third local station in the U.S. with live color capability. By November 1, 1956, all locally produced WTMJ-TV programs were in color. About 3000 color sets existed in Milwaukee in February 1957.

On April 7, 2009, WTMJ became the first station in Milwaukee, and the second in Wisconsin (behind WISC-TV in Madison, WI) to convert its newscasts and programs to high definition. It began with a soft launch starting with that day's Live at Daybreak newscast.

The ownership remains under Journal Broadcast Group. As such, WTMJ is one of the few non-O&O television stations in the country that has had the same callsign, owner and primary network affiliation throughout its history. In August 2004 Green Bay's NBC affiliate, WGBA-TV (Channel 26), was bought by Journal and became a sister station to WTMJ, along with LMA partner WACY-TV.

Digital television

Channel	Programming
4.1	WTMJ-TV
4.2	Storm Team 4 TV
4.3	TheCoolTV, powered by 94-5 Lake FM

Analog to digital conversion

As part of the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, WTMJ-TV shut down its analog transmitter on June 12, 2009 at 12 noon (with a short two-hour nightlighting period after), and continued to broadcast on its pre-transition digital channel 28. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers currently display WTMJ-TV's virtual channel as 4.

Storm Team 4 TV

On March 1, 2006, WTMJ launched its local version of the NBC Weather Plus service called TMJ4 Weather Plus, a 24-hour weather channel which featured a mix of local/national forecasts and weather and WTMJ's meteorologists. The station airs over DTV Channel 4-2, and on Time Warner Digital Cable over Channel 999 throughout Southeastern Wisconsin under an exclusivity agreement which precludes Charter Communications, the other main local cable provider, to carry it or TheCoolTV. In June 2006, the station changed its weather branding on the main newscasts from "Storm Team 4" to "TMJ4 Weather Plus", as had most NBC stations airing the service. With the November 2008 end of the Weather Plus service, the weather branding has returned to using the former "Storm Team 4" name; the subchannel also took on the same branding as the Storm Team 4 Channel on January 1, later to be renamed "Storm Team 4 TV".

As of mid-December 2009, Storm Team 4 TV no longer uses the Weather Plus system, switching to national programming and graphics software from The Local AccuWeather Channel.

TheCoolTV

WTMJ began carrying TheCoolTV on 4.3 in early July 2009, becoming the first full-power station to carry the network as a digital subchannel; it has since begun to be carried by stations in the Sinclair and LIN TV groups, and in November 2010 by Green Bay sister WGBA. The station features music videos and concert programming which is customized by WTMJ.TheCoolTV is co-branded with WTMJ-TV's FM radio sister, WLWK-FM, which airs a random music format.

Programming

WTMJ broadcasts all of NBC's schedule, with the exception of some older made-for-TV movies bought by Channel 4 which are used to pre-empt NBC movies or Saturday night programming for additional local advertising revenue several times a year. However, this practice is nothing new, for it also had a reputation of pre-empting or delaying a handful of NBC shows in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s (NBC's Daytime gameshow and soap opera lineup, moving Sanford and Son to Saturday nights in the 1970s and airing the syndicated Fame in place of Gimme a Break! and Mama's Family on Thursday nights during the 1983-1984 TV season were examples of this). But its most controversial move would come in 1979 when it asked NBC permission to delay The Tonight Show to 11 pm so it could carry reruns of Maude. It tried again in 1984, attempting to ask for a Tonight Show move to 11:30 pm so it could air reruns of Trapper John, M.D. after the late news starting in September of that year. NBC refused again, and the program was moved to then-independent WVTV (Channel 18), where it aired at 10:30 pm from September 1984-September 1988, when WTMJ decided to cede to NBC and air the program at its regular time. The station also delayed Late Night with Conan O'Brien to 12:05 am from the program's beginning in 1993 until 2001.

WTMJ decided to pre-empt the entire run of the primetime poker game show Face the Ace in August 2009, replacing the series with station-slotted paid programming, the first time any Milwaukee station has pre-empted a significant portion or all of an entire primetime network series since the early 1990s. It is unknown if moral objections by WTMJ management (as sister station WGBA carried the series) or ratings concerns played into the pre-emption.

The station's sole syndicated programs are Better on weekdays and late weekend evenings and weekend runs of The Unit and Stargate Atlantis repeats, Hispanics Today, and The Outdoorsman, by far being the station with the lowest amount of syndicated shows in the market. WTMJ had been the long-time Milwaukee home for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!from their premieres in the early 1980s until fall 2005, when both shows moved to WDJT-TV, and was the first station to air Oprah until an en-masse deal with Hearst's television stations in 1994 moved the show to WISN. WTMJ (and WPXE during the LMA years) had aired Martha Stewart's Martha Stewart Living and then Martha until September 2007, when Martha moved to WISN.

Currently WTMJ airs Today in two segments; the original 7 am–9 am block, followed by The Morning Blend, then the final two hours of Today from 10 am–noon, leading into the relocated hour-long Live at Noon newscast and Days of Our Lives, which moved to 1 pm on September 10, 2007.

The station is also the 'official station' of the Green Bay Packers for the Milwaukee market, giving it rights to air the team's non-nationally televised preseason games. WTMJ airs shows involving the team, including the head coach's weekly show, which airs on Tuesday nights at 6:30. Because of the Summer Olympic Games occurring in 2004 and 2008, which are not allowed any pre-emptions by the network, WTMJ has sub-licenced some preseason games to other stations; in 2004 to then-LMA partner WPXE, and in 2008 to CW affiliate WVTV(Channel 18).

The Morning Blend

The station produces a locally-produced program called The Morning Blend, which premiered on September 12, 2006 at 10 a.m., and now airs at 9 a.m. after Today's expansion to four hours. The show is hosted by Tiffany Ogle and former WITI morning news anchor Molly Fay. Original co-host Alison de Castro (who originally reported for WISN) left the program in October 2009 due to a family move to Chicago, and Ogle (a Miss Minnesota 2004 and former commercial actress) took over co-hosting duties with Molly Fay. This was WTMJ's first attempt at a local show besides news or public affairs since 1979, when the short-lived A New Day aired, co-hosted by 1973 Miss Wisconsin/Miss America winner (and current The 700 Club co-host) Terry Meeuwsen and KGO-TV & AM/San Francisco newsman/radio host (and former WTMJ TV reporter) Pete Wilson (now deceased).

The format for "The Morning Blend" was derived from WFLA-TV in Tampa's Daytime program, one of the first shows to launch this morning program format. WTMJ's version features a mix of paid and unpaid segments. All segments which promote a certain product or company are clearly disclaimed on air, and the show's talent has no connection to WTMJ's newsroom. Also, the sales and advertising departments produce the show, while the news department has no interest in the program. The hosts of The Morning Blend do not report any news, ceding any breaking events to the news staff in the news studio, and the show is pre-empted in such cases the news takes up the full hour (such as a weather emergency). In June 2008, the program also began to air on sister station WGBA in Green Bay due to that station cutting some morning news programming, also at 9 a.m. The show competed with Fox affiliate WLUK-TV (channel 11)'s Living with Amy.WGBA has since replaced The Morning Blend with syndicated programs.

The format and Morning Blend branding has since been adapted by several other Journal stations; Fox sister station WFTX-TV in Fort Myers-Naples, Florida in mid-2009, and in late April 2010 on two additional sister stations, ABC affiliate KGUN-TV in Tucson, Arizona (airing weekdays at 11 a.m.) and on CBS affiliate KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska (airing weekdays at 9 a.m). KTNV in Las Vegas premiered its version of the show in early July 2010.

News operation

Currently, WTMJ broadcasts a total of 40½ hours of local news each week (with seven hours on weekdays, three hours on Saturdays and 2½ hours on Sundays), tied with Fox affiliate WITI for the most local news of any television station in the Milwaukee market and the state of Wisconsin; though WTMJ carries more weekend newscasts (WITI carries just 1½ hours of news each weekend, though the station will resume Saturday and Sunday shows in April), while WITI offers a larger weekdaily news output (7½ hours each weekday, compared to WTMJ's seven hours). WTMJ-TV is one of the very few Big Three affiliates in the United States to produce 35+ hours a week of local newscasts, and is the only station in the Milwaukee market to carry a weekday noon newscast (WISN and WDJT do not carry a midday newscast at all, while WITI's midday newscast airs an hour before WTMJ's). WTMJ is also one of ten television stations that air consumer reports from John Matarese of ABC affiliate WCPO in Cincinnati

Since the launch of the extended Today Show in September 2007, the station's programming focus has shifted very heavily towards local news, as replacement syndicated programming for Martha, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! after their moves to other stations in the market, and the August 2008 ending of Montel have failed to spark viewer interest outside of local/network hours. As of September 8, 2008, the station launched a 3 pm news hour, and before then on August 25, extended the 6 p.m. newscast to a full hour (except Tuesday nights for Mike McCarthy's coach's show during the NFL season) before NBC primetime with the move of Extra to WITI's late night schedule, giving the station eight hours of local news every weekday tying WITI's daily news output.

On April 11, 2011 the station will drop the 6:30pm newscast and will air Access Hollywood, which will move from WISN. A consequence of this was WISN moving longtime 10:30pm slotholder Access Hollywood to 12:30, and program producer NBCUniversal Television Distribution asking for an early release from their contract so that the show could move to 6:30pm. The show's previous home was WTMJ at 11:35pm until the move of Conan to the network mandated slot in 2000. The new agreement also consists of WTMJ launching Access Hollywood Live in the 2pm slot in the fall

Daybreak, Live at 6:00 and Live at 10:00 are available on Time Warner Cable's VOD service, "Wisconsin on Demand 411" throughout southeastern Wisconsin, two hours after each program's original airing and for three days after. Also available through this service are specific WTMJ reports, I-Team investigations and consumer stories, along with Sunday public affairs program Sunday Insight with Charlie Sykes. The station also utilizes and promotes Time Warner Cable's Start Over for its locally-based programs, allowing viewers to restart a program from the beginning if they tune in late in a program.

Some of WTMJ's morning and noon newscasts aired on Green Bay sister station WGBA-TV (Channel 26) beginning on July 14, 2008, after that station ended its own newscasts at 5 am, 9 am, and the first half-hour of the noon newscast. The simulcasting ended early 2009 due to viewer disinterest in Milwaukee-focused news. The station also began to provide forecasts to that station during weekend newscasts. All sportscasts are provided by WTMJ; station staff continues to film video and freelance announcers (some formerly with WGBA) provide commentary for Green Bay sporting events on WGBA. The station now carries a local morning news show again since January 2011.

Since April 7, 2009, WTMJ has broadcasted all of its newscasts in HD. With the change to HD came new music, High Velocity from 615 Music and new graphics from Renderon Broadcast Design, the main graphics company for all Journal Broadcast Group stations. Studio shots are in the format, while two of the station's live units are equipped for the format, with the remainder of the news equipment and "Chopper 4" outputting in digital widescreen upconverted for HD broadcast.

News/station presentation

WTMJ was formerly known as "News 4 Milwaukee", and then shortened down to "News 4", with the late news known as "News 4 Tonight at 10". The newscast name was changed to "Newschannel 4" from 1990 until July 1992, when the "Today's TMJ4" imaging was inaugurated during coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics. The first generation of the branding lasted until July 2004 and the 2004 Summer Olympics, when a modern and glassy image campaign fit for HDTV was launched, which since has been established on the rest of Journal's stations, with some font and branding differences depending on market. The 'sailboat 4' logo was retired, and the music for the station became more elaborate and grand, though the former theme was retained. Currently, the station brands its news as Live at [Time of Day], with the morning newscast going by the title Live at Daybreak.

Newscast titles

• Let's Look at the News (1947–1948)
• News and Views (1948)
• Around the Town with the WTMJ-TV Cameraman (1949)
• News Caravan (6 p.m. newscast; 1949–1956)
• Milwaukee Gas Light Company Newsreel (10 p.m. newscast; 1950–1954)
• Weather and News (1957–1966)
• Channel 4 Report (1966–1968)
• News 4 (1966–1978 and 1986–1990)
• News 4 Milwaukee (1978–1986)
• News 4 Tonight at 10 (10 p.m. newscast; 1986–1990)
• NewsChannel 4 (1990–1992)
• Today's TMJ4 (1992–present; incorporated Live at xx:00 titling for all newscasts in 2004)

• Current Titles: Live at Daybreak, Live at Noon, Live at 12:30, Live at 3:00, Live at 3:30, Live at 4:00, Live at 4:30, Live at 5:00, Live at 6:00, Live at 6:30, Live at 10:00, Live at 6:30 Saturday, Live at 6:00 Saturday, Live at 5:00 Saturday and Sunday, Live at 10:00 Saturday and Sunday
• Former Titles: Daybreak Early Edition, The Daybreak Report, The 11:30 Report, First 4 News (4 p.m. newscast), TMJ4 News Now (4:30 p.m. newscast), The 5:00 Report, The 6:00 Report, The 10:00 Report, The Weekend Report at 5, The Weekend Report at 6, The Weekend Report at 10 (all from 1992-2004), Live at 11 (11 a.m. newscast; 2004-2007)

Station slogans

• "TV-4, Proud As A Peacock!" (1979-1981; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "TV-4, Our Pride Is Showing" (1981-1982; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "We`re Channel 4, Just Watch Us Now" (1982-1983; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Channel 4 There, Be There" (1983-1984; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Channel 4, Let's All Be There" (1984-1986; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Come Home to Channel 4" (1986-1987; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Come on Home to Channel 4" (1987-1988; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Channel 4, Milwaukee's Team" (1988–1992; used with Frank Gari's "Pride Inside" image campaign)
• "Come Home To The Best, Only on Channel 4" (1988-1990; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Milwaukee's 24-Hour News Channel" (1990–1992)
• "WTMJ, The Place To Be!" (1990-1992; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "It's A Whole New TMJ4" (1992-1993; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Real Life, Real News; Today's TMJ4" (1992–1994)
• "The Stars Are Back on TMJ4" (1993-1994; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "It's TMJ4" (1994-1995; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "The Year To Be on TMJ4" (1995-1996; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "The Network of You on TMJ4" (1996-1997; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "I Love TMJ4" (1997-1998; local version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Touch Today's TMJ4" (1994–2004)
• "Breaking News, Accurate Weather" (2004–2009)
• "Trust Today's TMJ4" (2004–2012)
• "Today's TMJ-4, On Your Side" (2012-present)

Today's TMJ4 on-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors

• Charles Benson - Sundays at 5 and 10 p.m.; also weekday reporter
• Steve Chamraz - weekdays at 3, 3:30, 4, and 4:30 p.m.; also 10 p.m. reporter and investigative reporter
• Courtny Gerrish - weekdays at 3, 3:30, 4 and 4:30 p.m.
• Susan Kim - weekday mornings "Live at Daybreak"
• Carole Meekins - weeknights at 5, 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
• Tom Murray - weekend mornings "Live at Daybreak"; also weekday reporter
• Michael Francis - weekdays at noon; also morning reporter
• Vince Vitrano - weekday mornings "Live at Daybreak" and noon
• Shelley Walcott - Saturdays at 6, and weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.; also weekday reporter

Storm Team 4

• Brian Gotter (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekdays at noon, 3, 3:30, 4 and 4:30 p.m.
• Jesse Ritka - meteorologist; weekend mornings "Live at Daybreak"

Sports team

• Lance Allan - sports director; weeknights at 5, 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
• Rod Burks - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, and weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.
• Jessie Garcia - sports reporter; also from The Mike McCarthy Show

Reporters

• Lacey Crisp - general assignment reporter
• Cody Holyoke - general assignment reporter
• Rob Koebel - investigative reporter
• Nick Montes - general assignment reporter
• Caitlin Morrall - morning traffic reporter
• Jay Olstad - general assignment reporter
• Keller Russell - general assignment reporter
• Melanie Stout - general assignment reporter
• Jermont Terry - general assignment reporter
• Eva Janeane Williamson - general assignment reporter

Chopper 4

• Joshua Mock - helicopter pilot
• Butch Jorgenson - photojournalist

The Morning Blend

• Molly Fay - co-host
• Tiffany Ogle - co-host

Notable former on-air staff

• Silvia Acevedo - reporter (now a commentator at WTMJ-TV)
• Matt Ackland - reporter/anchor 1999-2002. Now at WTTG, Washington, DC
• Anne Ballentine - weekend anchor/reporter (1994–1999)
• Contessa Brewer - weekend anchor/reporter (1999–2003; now midday anchor at MSNBC)
• Lisa Cabrera - reporter (1996–1998; went to WNYW in New York, New York; retired from TV in 2007)
• Bill Carlsen - meteorologist (1951–1972; deceased)
• Nancy Chandler - anchor/reporter (1992–1998; retired to become a full time mom)
• Claudia Coffey - anchor (2003–2005; now at WTTG in Washington, D.C.)
• Craig Koplien - former meteorologist; left in 2010.
• John Drury - 10PM anchor (1955–1962; deceased)
• Mike Gousha - anchor (1981–August 25, 2006; retired from anchoring in late 2006; currently political coverage director for WISN-TV and host of statewide public affairs programUpFront with Mike Gousha)
• Catherine Heenan - anchor/reporter (1978–1989; now at KRON-TV in San Francisco, California)
• Lance Hill - former weather forecaster; later forecasted at WDJT-TV; now forecasting at Spectrum News 1.
• Kevin Hunt - sportscaster (currently at KPNX in Phoenix)
• Paul Joseph - chief meteorologist (1970–2006; retired on August 18, 2006; later did local advertising for a window company; now teaching at Marquette University)
• Vivian King - reporter (1994–2006; currently director of public affairs for Roundy's)
• David Marcus
• Russ Kirkpatrick - reporter (2000-2006; now Owner/Producer at Film Production Firm Kirkpatrick & Kinslow Productions, LLC)
• Tami Kou - anchor (1999–2005; now an account manager, crisis consultant and lead media trainer at LaBreche in Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Dennis Krause - sports director (1987–2005; now at Time Warner Cable Sports 32 and Milwaukee Bucks radio color commentator)
• Mike LaPoint - weather forecaster (2004–2006; currently meteorologist of WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, PA)
• George Mallet - 3 to 4 p.m. news anchor/reporter; (misreported as retiring Dec. 10, 2010). Now the night anchor at WPTZ in Burlington/Plattsburgh.
• Lisa Manna - traffic reporter (2006–2009)
• Judy Marks - weather forecaster/movie presenter
• John McCullough - anchor reporter (1967–1988; left to form his own production firm, now deceased)
• Terry Meeuwsen - anchor and former Miss America (1978–1986; left to be a full time mom, now co-host of The 700 Club)
• John Mercure - general assignment/investigative reporter (1999–2009; now a corporate communications manager at Assurant Health
• Ty Milburn - field reporter (now at NY1)
• Mike Miller - anchor/reporter (1989–2003; later anchored at WISN-TV; now retired)
• Jim Ott - morning/weekend meteorologist (1976–2006; retired on April 30, 2006 to pursue political office; won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in November 2006 as a Republican representing the 23rd District, consisting of Mequon, Thiensville, and portions of extreme northern Milwaukee County)
• Diane Pathieu - now at WLS-TV in Chicago
• Juliette Peters - morning news anchor (1989–1992)
• Scott Saville - weekend sports anchor (1993–1996; currently at KCRG in Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
• Alan Sealls - weather forecaster (1988–1992; now chief meteorologist at WKRG-TV in Mobile, AL/Pensacola, FL)
• Terry Stanton - weekend anchor/reporter (1993–1996; works for the Public Information Office in Lansing, Michigan)
• Hank Stoddard - sports director (1969–1994; retired)
• Amy Taylor - anchor (1997–2003)
• Bill Taylor - reporter/anchor (1972–2002; retired)
• Andy Treinen - anchor (2003–2006; now at WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky)
• Erick Weber - anchor (2005–2007; now at WKMG in Orlando, Florida)
• Melodie Wilson anchor/reporter (1974–1991; deceased November 9, 2009)
• Pete Wilson - anchor (later anchor at KGO and KRON in San Francisco; deceased)
• Lynise Weeks - consumer reporter (1993–2005; deceased July 28, 2005)
• Paul Zandt - chief/morning meteorologist (1993–2004; later worked for public relations firm Zeppos & Associates, Inc.; deceased 2014)
• Michael Fish - meteorologist (now at WGBA in Green Bay, Wisconsin)
• Scott Steele (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist
• John Malan (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m. (retired)
• Mike Jacobs - weeknights at 5, 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m. (retired)
• Melissa McCrady - general assignment reporter (now traffic reporter at WLUK-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin)

Gallery

WTMJ-TV's The Milwaukee Journal Station Video ID From 1947

WTMJ-TV's The Milwaukee Journal Television Station Video ID From 1947

WTMJ-TV's The Milwaukee Journal Television Station Video ID From Late 1947

WTMJ-TV's The Milwaukee Journal Television Station Video ID From 1950

WTMJ-TV's In Color Video ID From 1954

WTMJ-TV's In Color Video ID From 1956

WTMJ-TV's Theatre At 4 logo from 1961

WTMJ-TV's In Color Video ID From 1964

WTMJ Channel 4 logo from 1965

WTMJ-TV's Channel 4 logo from 1967

WTMJ-TV's Channel 4 logo from Early 1975

WTMJ-TV's Celebrating America logo for July 4, 1976

WTMJ-TV's Celebrating America logo #2 For July 4, 1976

WTMJ-TV's Channel 4 logo from 1977

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee open from 1977

WTMJ Channel 4 logo from 1980

WTMJ Channel 4 - Sunday Morning Worship open from March 13, 1983

WTMJ Channel 4 - Share The Experience promo from late 1984

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Update bumper from Monday Night, November 5, 1984

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee And NBC News - Decision' 84: Election Night Coverage - Tuesday promo for November 6, 1984

WTMJ Channel 4 - Merry Christmas - Video Music Machine id from late 1984

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Update bumper from Sunday Night, May 5, 1985

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Update bumper from Monday Night, October 7, 1985

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight Weeknight open from October 7, 1985

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight Weeknight - Coming Up bumper from October 7, 1985

WTMJ Channel 4 ident from the Mid 1980's - Which Opens A Newscast

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Daytime-Version open from Late 1985

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight 10PM Weeknight open from Late 1985

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight 10PM Weeknight close from December 31, 1985

WTMJ Channel 4 logo from Early-Mid May 1986

WTMJ-TV's News 4 Milwaukee's The Team Video Promo From Late 1986

WTMJ-TV's Your Stereo TV Station Video ID From Late 1986

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee - The Experience Shows promo from October 1986

NBC Network - Amen - Next promo w/WTMJ-TV Milwaukee byline for November 1, 1986

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Weekend 10PM - Tonight ident for November 1, 1986

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight 10PM Weeknight close from December 31, 1986

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee 5PM Weeknight open from July 23, 1987

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee 6PM Weeknight - Experience Green Bay - Friday id for July 24, 1987

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight 10PM Weeknight close from December 31, 1987

WTMJ Channel 4 id from 1988

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight At 10PM Weeknight open from 1988

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee Tonight At 10PM close from 1988

WTMJ Channel 4 - Second Sunday open from 1988

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee - Team 4 Investigation promo from 1988

WTMJ Channel 4 - The Tonight Show Starrinh Johnny Carson - Tonight ident from 1988

WTMJ Channel 4 logo from 1989

WTMJ News 4 Milwaukee 5PM Weeknight open from 1989

WTMJ Newschannel 4: Milwaukee's 24-Hour News Channel Update bumper from 1990 - Night Variation

WTMJ-TV's Newschannel 4 At 10's Tonight Video Promo From 1990

WTMJ Channel 4 - Sunday Night open from 1990

WTMJ Channel 4 - Family Feud Syndicated-Version - Weekdays ident from Fall 1990

WTMJ-TV's Newschannel 4 At 10's Carole Meekins Video ID From November 1991

WTMJ Newschannel 4 10PM Weeknight - Coming Up Next promo for June 29, 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 logo from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4: The 10PM Report open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Wisconsin Tonight open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - America Tonight open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - World Tonight open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - 4 Your Health open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Face To Face open from 1992

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4's The 10 O'Clock Report's The News Is Next Video Promo From 1992

WTMJ Channel 4 - Reflections open from 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ4 - Sally Jessy Raphael - Wednesday ident from 1992

WTMJ-TV's Happy Holidays Video ID From Late December 1992

WTMJ Today's TMJ4: The 10PM Report Weeknight open from May 20, 1993

WTMJ Today's TMJ4: The 10 O'Clock Report Weeknight close from May 20, 1993

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 Live At 11 Video Open From The Mid 1990's

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 News Now Video Open From The Mid 1990's

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4: The 10 O'Clock Report Weeknight - Coming Up bumper from May 24, 1994

WTMJ-TV's The Station For The 1996 Summer Olympics In Atlanta Video ID For Friday Night, July 19, 1996

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4's Storm Team 4 logo from 2001

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 logo from 2004

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 Video Open From 2006

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 Live At 5 Video Open From July 2006

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 Live At Daybreak, Weekend Edition Video Open From July 2006

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live At 10PM Weeknight - Our Promise promo from November 2008

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at 6PM open from Mid-Spring 2009

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Sports open from Mid-Spring 2009

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 Live At Daybreak's All About Today Video Promo From February 2011

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 News 10PM Weeknight - Behind The Wheel - Tonight promo for October 27, 2011

WTMJ-TV's Today's TMJ 4 Video Open From 2012

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live At Daybreak open from January 2013

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Wisconsin Tonight open from January 2013

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live At 6PM Weeknight open from August 27, 2014

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live At 6PM Weeknight - Coming Up bumper from August 27, 2014

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live At 6PM Weeknight close from August 27, 2014

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - The I-Team - We Will promo from late October 2015

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Morning-Version open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Evening-Version open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at Daybreak open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at Noon open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at 6PM open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Breaking News Now open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - More News Now open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Decision 2016 open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Weather & Traffic Together open from May 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at Noon open from May 5, 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at 4PM open from May 5, 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at Daybreak open from May 6, 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ Live at Daybreak 6AM open from November 9, 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Happy Thanksgiving id from late November 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 Live at 4PM open November 24, 2016

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Countdown To Inauguration open from Mid-January 2017

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - We Are Milwaukee promo from early February 2018

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - We Are Milwaukee...Mornings! promo from early February 2018

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Storm Team 4 Weather: We Are Milwaukee...Winter! promo from early February 2018

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 - Storm Team 4 Weather Team promo from early March 2018

WTMJ Today's TMJ 4 News Live At Daybreak 6AM Weekday open from January 30, 2019

WTMJ TMJ4 News Today open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News 4pm open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News 4:30PM open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News 5PM open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News 6PM open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News 10PM open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News - Live open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News - Breaking News open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News - Coronavirus open from the end of February 2020

WTMJ TMJ4 News Now open from Mid-Spring 2021

WTMJ TMJ4 News: Milwaukee Tonight open from the week of May 10, 2021

WTMJ TMJ4 News 10PM Weeknight open from August 29, 2022

WTMJ TMJ4 News Today 4:30AM Weekday open from February 23, 2023

WTMJ TMJ4 News 5PM Weeknight open from January 25, 2024

WTMJ TMJ4 News 5PM Weeknight close from January 25, 2024

Station cameo appearances

• WTMJ's logo is shown on the top of the scoreboard in the 1989 film Major League, which was filmed at Milwaukee County Stadium; the stadium was used as a stand-in for Cleveland'sMunicipal Stadium, where the Cleveland Indians played at the time the film was produced. The Indians are also interviewed by a WTMJ reporter, which for the purpose of continuity in the film, was a Cleveland TV station.
• WTMJ is also announced in the final scene of the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as Mike Nelson and the robots are sitting in a Milwaukee-area apartment on a Saturday afternoon, when The Crawling Eye comes on TV, the first movie seen on the nationally syndicated version of MST3K.

External links

• WTMJ Official Website
• "Storm Team 4" Weather Official Website
• The Morning Blend Official Show Website
• Wayback Machine archive of WTMJ's 50th anniversary website
• Journal Broadcast Group website
• History of Milwaukee television
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WTMJ
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WTMJ-TV

Further reading

• Dick Golembiewski, Milwaukee Television History: The Analog Years, Marquette University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0874620559.

References

1. ^ Chicago television stations were powerful enough to be received in Milwaukee, hence the existence of television sets there before WTMJ-TV.
2. ^ WTMJ discontinued CBS programming in September 1953 and ABC and DuMont programming in October 1953.
3. ^ Ed Reitan, Local Television Stations with Early Live Color Capability, 2006.
4. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/tvradio/42638767.html
5. ^ CDBS Print
6. ^ The Cw Milwaukee
7. ^ Tim Cuprisin, Notch another one up for Blu-ray in high-definition DVD formats war, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 26, 2007.
8. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=481824
9. ^ ,JS Online: Talking politics is a no-no at the table, but on the radio it boosts ratings
10. ^ http://onmilwaukee.com/movies/articles/tvmoves.html
11. ^ TMJ4 Debuts HD Newscasts
12. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSasxrKbMmU
13. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrBG26X-H4A
14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4imlcVa9TEc
15. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUu1qw154Qw
16. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE43X0GgI_U
17. ^ TMJ Profiles, TodaysTMJ4.com. Retrieved 11-23-2010.
18. ^ http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/100747349.html