WTEN is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Capital District of New York State and Western New England that is licensed to Albany. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter southwest of the Voorheesville section of New Scotland. Owned by Young Broadcasting and
 
| |
| WTEN: Albany/Troy/ | |
|---|---|
| City of license | WTEN: Albany |
| Branding | WTEN (general)
News 10 (newscasts) RTV 10 (on DT3) |
| Slogan | The News Station |
| Channels | Digital:
WTEN: 26 (UHF) WCDC: 36 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | 10.1/19.1 ABC
10.2 Local Weather 10.3 RTV |
| Translators | 4 W04AE Herkimer |
| Owner | Nexstar Media Group |
| First air date | WTEN: October 14, 1953
WCDC: February 5, 1954 |
| Call letters' meaning | WTEN: channel TEN (former analog channel and currentPSIP allocation)
WCDC: derived from WTEN's former call sign WCDA |
| Former callsigns | WTEN:
WROW-TV (1953-1956) WCDA (1956-1957) WCDC: WMGT (1954-1957) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog:
WTEN: 41 (UHF, 1954-1957) 10 (VHF, 1957-2009) WCDC: 74 (UHF, 1954-1957) 19 (UHF, 1957-2009) |
| Former affiliations | WTEN:
CBS (1954-1977) WCDC: DuMont (secondary, 1954-1956) CBS (1954-1977) |
| Transmitter power | WTEN: 700 kW
WCDC: 27.5 kW |
| Height | WTEN: 426 m (1,398 ft)
WCDC: 631 m (2,070 ft) |
| Facility ID | WTEN: 74422
WCDC: 74419 |
| Transmitter coordinates | WTEN: |
| Website | wten.com |
operated by Gray Television,[1] the station has studios on Northern Boulevard in Albany. Syndicated programming on WTEN includes: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Inside Edition, and The Doctors. It can also be seen on W04AE channel 4 in Herkimer from a transmitter between that town and Little Falls.
WCDC-TV in Adams, Massachusetts operates as a full-time satellite. This broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter on the highest peak in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock. There is no on-air reference to the station but it is mentioned in WTEN's legal ID, EEO public file reports, and on WTEN-DT2 "News 10 Storm Tracker Weather Channel".
WCDC's signal reliably covers the western half of Massachusetts, Southern Vermont, Northern Connecticut, and Southwestern New Hampshire. It can be considered a rim-shot signal into the Springfield/Holyoke, Massachusetts television market. Despite WCDC being located in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Time Warner Cable carries WTEN instead of WCDC.
Digital programming
On WTEN-DT2, Time Warner digital channel 554, and live streaming video on its website is the "News 10 Storm Tracker Weather Channel". On WTEN-DT3 and Time Warner digital channel 1897 is the Retro Television Network (RTV). WCDC's digital signal does not offer those two channels. Instead, Time Warner digital systems in Berkshire County offers those services in the same channel slots.
| Virtual
channel |
Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | 720p | 16:9 | ABC |
| 10.2 | 480i | 4:3 | Local Weather |
| 10.3 | 480i | 4:3 | Retro Television Network |
History
WTEN began broadcasting on October 14, 1953 as ABC affiliate WROW-TV. It aired an analog UHF channel 41 from a temporary 100 foot (30 m) transmitter in Herkimer. This limited its signal to the immediate area. It went to full power and a permanent antenna tower a few months later. WROW-TV was owned by Hudson Valley Broadcasting Company along with WROW-AM 590. From the day it went on the air, the two stations shared space inside an old retirement home for Nuns (formerly owned by The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet) on a farm dirt road in the town of East Greenbush.
By November 1954, WROW-TV was losing money prompting the company's original owners to sell its 88% controlling stake to a New York City-based syndicate group led by legendary radio broadcaster/author Lowell Thomas and his manager/business partner Frank Smith (who later became president of Hudson Valley Broadcasting). Following the takeover, Smith recruited 29 year-old Thomas S. Murphy, a product manager for Lever Brothers in New York City, to run the WROW stations as its first station manager. Though he never had any broadcast experience, Murphy's leadership and his conservative financial restraint help bring WROW-TV to profitability three years later. It switched to CBS in 1955. In the spring of 1956, the channel's call letters were changed to WCDA and a satellite station, WCDB channel 29, in nearby Hagaman was launched to reach areas where the main signal could not.[2]
The calls were changed again to the current WTEN in 1957 when the station moved to VHF channel 10. It initially operated from a transmitter in the Vail Mills section of Mayfield approximately 35 miles west of the Capital District. This was due to its relatively close proximity to WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had concerns that WTEN's signal might interfere with WJAR and held this station to a 170-mile separation requirement to protect WJAR. While the Vail Mills location met the separation requirement, it proved inadequate for serving the Capital District. The FCC eventually allowed a waiver in 1963 which let WTEN move its transmitter closer to Albany in Voorheesville where its signal could be more easily received.[3]
In December 1957, Hudson Valley merged with Durham Television Enterprises, the owners of WTVD in Durham, North Carolina to form Capital Cities Television Corporation (predecessor of Capital Cities Communications) with WTEN as its flagship station. In 1963, the studios of WTEN and WROW-AM were moved to new facilities on the north side of Albany on Northern Boulevard. WTEN remains at this location to this day although the radio station moved out of the facility in 1993. In 1967, the old studios in East Greenbush was burned down by a fire caused by arson.
In 1971, Capital Cities sold WTEN to Poole Broadcasting after it purchased WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV) in Philadelphia and WNHC-TV (now WTNH) in New Haven, Connecticut. This was because the purchases gave Capital Cities more VHF television stations than the FCC permitted at the time. In 1978, Poole sold WTEN, WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, and WPRI-TV in Providence, Rhode Island to Knight-Ridder. The new owner signed an affiliation deal with ABC which resulted in WTEN swapping affiliations with WAST (now WNYT). Upon Knight-Ridder's exit from broadcasting in 1989, WTEN and sister station WKRN-TV in Nashville, Tennessee were sold to Young Broadcasting. Because the Young purchases of the two stations plus WTEN satellite WCDC were made through two separate deals, they were consummated more than three months apart.
WTEN signed-on its digital signal on UHF channel 26 in 2004 and began offering high definition service right from the start. This can also be seen on Time Warner digital channel 1810. On October 1, 2007, Young Broadcasting launched the Retro Television Network on a new third digital subchannel of WTEN. This was part of a test of the network with sister stations WBAY-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin and KRON-TV in San Francisco. In an effort to cut costs, the company eliminated ten positions from WTEN on January 31, 2008 fueling speculations that the company might sell the station in order to pay down its financial debt. In January 2009, after failing to meet the minimum standards for being listed on NASDAQ, Young Broadcasting was dropped from the exchange.[4] One month later, on February 13, they declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[5] The company planned to auction off its stations in a New York City bankruptcy court on July 14, 2009 but canceled the auction last minute.[6] However, Gray Television (who now operates the station) is currently in talks to purchase WTEN and six other stations from Young Broadcasting.[7] WTEN switched-off analog transmissions on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United States. It remained on its pre-transition channel 26.[8] Tune to channel 10 using PSIP.[9][10]
WCDB
In the spring of 1956, satellite station WCDB on UHF channel 29 in Hagaman was launched to reach areas where the main signal could not.[2] This signed-off in 1957 after the WCDA move rendered WCDB superfluous even though it did provide some primary CBS coverage to Utica. The WCDB call sign would return to the air in 1978 for the student-run radio station at University at Albany.
WCDC
WCDC began broadcasting on February 5, 1954 as WMGT (Mount Greylock Television) on UHF channel 74. This was a separate station affiliated with the DuMont network. The tower location on Mount Greylock helped WMGT serve first as the market's secondary affiliate of DuMont and later as a major boost to WCDA. In December 1954, WMGT moved to UHF channel 19 extending the station's range to the Capital Region of New York State. In February 1956, it was forced off the air when a storm damaged its transmitter tower.[11] When it returned to the air in 1957, the call letters were changed to the current WCDC and the station became second relay of WCDA in Albany. The WMGT call sign has been used on the NBC affiliate in Macon, Georgia since 1983. WCDC's digital signal on UHF channel 36 signed on nearly eighteen months before WTEN's did. However, it did not upgrade to high definition until WTEN-DT signed-on.
News operation
Current news open seen weeknights at 4.
For many years, WRGB was the dominant news station in the Capital District. In 1993, that station was quickly eclipsed by WNYT and for several years in the mid-1990s fell to third place. For the most part, WTEN has stabilized at a steady second place, although for a period in the early-2000s, it fell back to third. WNYT overtook WTEN for the runner-up spot by the late-1980s, and in 1992, scored its first late news victory. At times during the 1990s and 2000s, this station has occasionally finished ahead of WRGB or, more recently, WNYT. In November 2009, WNYT's weeknights newscasts slipped back to third place largely due to that channel's decision to terminate many of its popular personalities.
In 2005, WTEN launched a 24-hour local weather channel, known as the "News 10 Storm Tracker Weather Channel", on a new second digital subchannel. Its regional weather radar is known as "News 10 Storm Tracker HD Doppler". On September 21, 2009, the station began airing the area's only weeknight 4 o'clock newscast.[12] This show features news of the day and weather in addition to features associated with daily issues facing women, children, and families in the Capital Region. As a full-time satellite, WCDC simulcasts all newscasts from WTEN. While there are no separate segments during local broadcasts, there is coverage of Western Massachusetts and Southwestern Vermont.
Newscast titles
- Your Esso Reporter (1953–1956)
- News of the Night/Stratton Views the News (1956–1961)
- The Bob Hudson Report (1961–1967)
- The Big News (1960s–1972)
- Action News (1972–1980s)
- TV-10 Action News (1980s–1987)
- 10 Eyewitness News (1987–1994)
- News 10 (1994–2011)
- News 10 ABC (2011–2013 & 2013–present)
- NewsCenter on 10-ABC (2013)
Station slogans
- TV-10 is Right at Home (1980s-1992)
- We Report to You (1992-2000)
- The News Station (2000-2011)
- Dedicated. Determined. Dependable. (2013–present)
News team
+ denotes personnel not seen on WXXA
Anchors
- Steve Teeling - weekday mornings (5:00-7:00 on WTEN and 7:00-9:00 a.m. on WXXA)
- Christina Arangio - weekday mornings (5:00-7:00 a.m. on WTEN) and weekdays at noon
- Stephanie Grady - weekday mornings (7:00-9:00 a.m. on WXXA)
- + Elisa Streeter - weekdays at 4:00 and weeknights at 5:00 and 11:00 p.m.
- Lydia Kulbida - weekdays at 4:00 and weeknights at 5:30, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. (WXXA)
- + Mark Baker - weeknights at 5:00, 5:30 and 11:00 p.m.
- John Gray - weeknights at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. (WXXA)
- January Keaton - weekends at 6:00, 10:00 (WXXA) and 11:00 p.m.; also reporter
StormTracker Meteorologists
- Tim Drawbridge (AMS Seal of Approval) - weekday mornings (5:00-7:00 on WTEN and 7:00-9:00 a.m. on WXXA) and weekdays at noon
- Steve Caporizzo (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) – Chief; weekdays at 4:00 and weeknights at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 10:00 (WXXA) and 11:00 p.m., also "Pet Connection" segment producer
- heard on WTSA-AM 1450, WTSA-FM 96.7, WTMM-FM 104.5, WGNA-FM 107.7, WQSH-FM 105.7
- Andy Gregorio (AMS Seal of Approval) – weekends at 6:00, 10:00 (WXXA) and 11:00 p.m.; also weeknight fill-in
Sports
- TBD - weeknights at 6:00, 10:00 (WXXA) and 11:00 p.m.
- Josh Sims - weekends at 6:00, 10:00 (WXXA) and 11:00 p.m.; also sports reporter
- Liana Bonavita - sports reporter
Reporters
- Jennifer Lee - multimedia journalist
- Trishna Begam - multimedia journalist
- Nicol Lally - weekday mornings (5:00-7:00 on WTEN and 7:00-9:00 a.m. on WXXA)
- Lindsay Nielsen
- Meagan Farley
- Anya Tucker
- Amy Cutler
- Taryn Kane
- Marty Kasper
Past personalities
Anchors
- Angela Hampton (6:00/11:00 p.m. anchor, 1995-1997) Now 6:00/11:00 p.m. anchor at WTVD in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
- Cary Berglund (Weekend/Noon anchor, 1986-1989) now at KNBC in Los Angeles)
- Jim Brennan (6:00/11:00 p.m. anchor, 1991-2000) now hosts "New York Week in Review", aired on PBS stations across New York state
- Tracy Egan (5:30 p.m. anchor, 1994-2008) Now the executive director of the New York State Breeding and Development Fund.[14]
- Greg Floyd - Weekend anchor in the mid 1980's until leaving for WTZA in Kingston, then resurfacing at WXXA and WRGB
- Marci Elliott (Co-Weeknight News Anchor with Dick Wood, 1980-1989) Now lives in Florida doing freelance commercials, voice overs and acting.
- Cynthia Fodor (6:00/11:00 p.m. anchor, ?-1990's) Now at KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa and serves as Mid-West Bureau Chief for the nationally-syndicated travel magazine radio show, "The Travel Hour with Stephen Pickford and Friends" (formerly the Travel World Radio Show)
- Nick Lawler Producer/Reporter 1972-1976. Currently Vice President, Frank N. Magid Associates, residing on Cape Cod.
- Dori Marlin (Morning anchor, 2005-2008) left for evening news spots on WRGB in 2008[15]).
- Beth McKay (weekday anchor, 1990-1995) Left for KXAS in Dallas; she retired to become a full-time mom.
- Terry McSweeney (6:00/11:00 p.m. anchor from 2000-2006, 5:00 p.m. anchor 2002-2006); now a freelance reporter at KGO-TV in San Francisco, California)
- Sue Nigra (News Anchor in the 1990s) Sued the station to get out the contract to work for WRGB.
- Mark Noble
- Ryan Nobles (Weekday morning anchor from 2003-2005, Currently Anchor at WWBT in Richmond, Virginia)
- Ed O'Brien (?-1991), now the weekday morning anchor at WRGB
- Mary Caroline Powers (Co-anchored the noon news for many years with Ralph Vartigian. Worked at WRGB during the 1970s and later worked in public television and as an editor at The Saratogian newspaper. Is currently Vice President for Communications and Government Relations at Empire_State_College
- Ralph Vartigian (Longtime host of the children's program "The Good Ship News as 'Commander Ralph' and "Young People's News" in the late 70's as 'Mr. Vartigian'; hosted "Dialing for Dollars" and later co-anchor of the noon news)
- Sharman Sachetti (Former morning anchor) - as of 2005 a reporter at WFXT in Boston
- Robin Schwartz, anchor and reporter (Early 1990s-1998), now at WJBK in Detroit
- Mai Shiozaki (Former freelance morning anchor - was press secretary for National Organization for Women)
- Alyssa Van Wie (weekend morning anchor 2004-2008)
- Bruce Williamson - News Anchor early 60's early 70's. Became News Director until 1979. (deceased)
- George Lezotte - News anchor early 60's early 70's; NYS public relations. (deceased)
- Dick Wood (anchor from 1973-1991), as of 2006 hosts a jazz show on WABY Moon Radio and does commercials.
Meteorologists
- Marc Edwards
- Bob Gordon (Weatherman during the late 1960s and 1970s) Preceded Bob Kovachick; currently doing commercials.
- John Guaraldi (meteorologist, 1981-c. mid-90s) Now meteorologist at WPLG-TV in Miami
- Bob Kovachick (chief meteorologist at WTEN, April 1977-1986) Now at WNYT, was the first credentialed meteorologist in the Albany market
- Jeff Smith (Weekend meteorologist 2004-January 2007, now weekend mornings at WABC-TV in New York City)
Sports
- Bob McNamara (Sports Reporter) early to late 60's before moving to WRGB sometime in early 70's and later to WNYT in the 80's and early 90's (retired)
- Dan Murphy (Sports Director from 1992-2005 and previously weekend sports), later host of "Murphy's Law" on WOFX radio; now seen on WNYA My 4 Albany.
- Rip Rowan (Sports anchor from 1968-86) later worked for the Albany-Colonie Yankees AA farm team
- Brian Sinkoff (Sports Director from 2005-2008) now host of Sound Off with Sinkoff on WTMM-FM
- Harvey Smilovitz
- John Spadafora (Weekend sports anchor from 1992-2005) now heads communications for the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce
Reporters
- Ken Chenault (Reporter, 1985?-1988) Recently worked for WNYW in New York in the early 90's).
- Renee Chenault (Fattah) (Reporter, 1985?-1988) Recently worked for KYW-TV in Philadelphia before working for crosstown rival station WCAU.
- Alfreida Graves (Reporter) she was station's first African-American reporter in the early 1970s. She sued WTEN in 1976 in a lawsuit claiming racial bias. The case was reportedly settled out of court. (Whereabouts Unknown).
- Ralph Iannotti (1976 - 1982), weekend anchor, special projects coordinator, and general assignment/features reporter, now working at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh.
- Doug Myers (Reporter and News Producer, 1971-1989) Did morning and weekend news anchoring. Previously, a radio news reporter for WPTR in the late 60's, now communications director for the Albany International Airport.
- Dick (Hill) McCarthy, (anchor, 1970s, later in communications for New York state. WABY did sports reports
- Walt McClure (key reporter from 1999-2005) now in the same role at WXXA-TV)
- Scott Patterson (reporter, 2001-2005), now weekend anchor at YNN in Rochester)
- Beth Nichols (Reporter in mid 80's to 1989) among the casualties of mass firings when station changed ownership in 1989.
- Susan Raff (former business reporter), has been with WFSB since 1995
- Richard Reingold, (reporter, early 70s, was president and general manager of WUSA-TV, Washington, DC)
- David Glodt, reporter, producer, early 70's; executive producer, This Week With David Brinkley)
- Richard Roth, (reporter, early 70's, is a CBS News correspondent based in London)
- Herb Starr, (reporter, weekend anchor; Albany bureau WCBS Radio; 1975 comm. dir., NY Lt. Governor; corporate PA advisor; real estate developer; private investor)
- Jeff Stoecker (reporter 2005-2008); now reporter with WVIT in Hartford, CT
- Pat Trowers-Johnson
- Vic Vetters (General assignment reporter); now general manager of WKTV in Utica, as well as the latter position at WFFF-TV/WVNY, Burlington, VT
- Dick Williams, (reporter-weekend anchor, early 70s, hosts WAGA-TV (FOX 5)'s Georgia Gang in Atlanta)
Others
- Dan Burke (Station manager) 1960-66 became President and CEO of CapCities/ABC before retiring in 1995 when Company was sold to Disney.
- Ted Knight (1923-1986) hosted a kids variety show in mid 50's playing 'Windy Knight; was the announcer of 'The Early Movie' show and was a DJ for WROW Radio. Left for Hollywood in 1957.(deceased)
- George (Leighton) Layton - (Chief announcer for WTEN - 1950 to 1989) Nicknamed 'The Voice of God'; also was known as 'The Old Skipper' on The Good Ship News - an early morining show for children (1958 - 1968). (deceased March 2000)
- Thomas S. Murphy (Station Manager of WROW-TV and radio, 1954 - 1960) Rose through the ranks of CapCities became Chairman and CEO in 1966. Brought ABC in 1985. Retired in 1995 when he sold CapCities/ABC to Disney.
- John (Stewart) Mucci - Co host 'Dialing for Dollars' with Vartigian in the mid to late 60's (retired)
References
- ^ http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2009/07/30/daily.7/
- ^ a b Albany Times-Union, April 22, 1956, page H-4
- ^ http://lists.bostonradio.org/pipermail/boston-radio-interest/2008-January.txt
- ^ http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090127005778&newsLang=en
- ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/6262997.html
- ^ "Young Broadcasting Calls Off Auction", from broadcastingcable.com 7/14/2009
- ^ NorthEast Radio Watch (July 27, 2009)
- ^ http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf.
- ^ CDBS Print
- ^ CDBS Print
- ^ Albany Times Union, 22 April 1956, Page H-4
- ^ http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=837010&category=BUSINESS
External links
- WTEN/WCDC-TV "News 10" (can be entered into wireless devices for mobile access)
- ABC
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WTEN
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WCDC-TV
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W04AE