Miscellaneous unorganized material/WSYR-TV

WSYR-TV
	[1] [2]
Syracuse, New York
Branding	NewsChannel 9
Slogan	Anytime, Anywhere: NewsChannel 9 is Everywhere.
Channels	Digital: 17 (UHF)
Subchannels	9.1 ABC 9.2 local programming
Owner	Newport Television (Newport Television License, LLC)
First air date	September 9, 1962
Call letters' meaning	SYRacuse
Sister station(s)	WHAM-TV, WWTI, WETM-TV, WIVT, WBGH-CA, WXXA-TV
Former callsigns	WNYS-TV (1962-1978) WIXT-TV (1978-2005)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 9 (1962-2009)
Former affiliations	Variety Television Network (on DT2)
Transmitter power	105 kW
Height	402 m
Facility ID	73113
Transmitter coordinates	42°56′42.5″N 76°1′26.6″W / 42.945139°N 76.024056°W / 42.945139; -76.024056
Website	9wsyr.com

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Chronology data should be put on the appropriate chronology page ("Chronology of call letters WSYR") .

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WSYR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central New York State that is licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 17 from a transmitter on Sevier Road in Pompey. Owned by Newport Television, it is the flagship of the company's New York stations and has studios on Bridge Street in East Syracuse. Syndicated programming on WSYR includes: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Oprah, and Live With Regis and Kelly.

[edit] Digital programming[]

Its signal is multiplexed. WSYR-DT2 was affiliated with the Variety Television Network until its demise in early-January 2009. It was and continues to be offered on Time Warner digital channel 890. The second digital sub-channel now re-airs local newscasts, Bridge Street, syndicated programming from the main channel on occasion, and a live feed from "Live Doppler 9".

Virtual channel	Programming
9.1	main WSYR programming / ABC HD
9.2	WSYR-DT2 "9.2" (local programming)

[edit] History[]

It was the last of Syracuse's major network affiliates to sign on-the-air on September 9, 1962 after a channel shuffle involving rival WHEN-TV and Rochester's WHAM-TV allowed a third VHF station in Syracuse. The original call letters were WNYS-TV (now assigned to Syracuse's MyNetworkTV affiliate). It signed-on under the ownership of a group of local investors. The station was later owned by The Coca-Cola Company and has always been an ABC affiliate. Fire overtook WNYS's studios in the basement of the Shopping Town Mall in DeWitt in April 1967 ^[1] forcing the station to temporarily move to WCNY-TV's studios in Liverpool until its facilities were rebuilt.

The station was sold to The Outlet Company in 1978 and the call sign was changed to WIXT-TV with "IX" standing for Roman numeral 9. The Ackerley Group bought it in 1982. In 1986, WIXT implemented a digital centralcasting control hub for Ackerley's New York cluster which includes stations in Rochester, Watertown, Binghamton, Elmira, and formerly Utica in 1999-2000 to help with the upcoming digital television transition. The centralcasting still exists today. Other stations throughout Ackerley's New York cluster have received updated studios. Clear Channel Communications bought Ackerley in 2001 putting WIXT under the same ownership as WSYR-AM, the market's news/talk radio station. The call sign was then changed to the current WSYR-TV in July 2005 creating a small amount of confusion as rival NBC affiliate WSTM-TV was known as WSYR-TV from February 15, 1950 until its sale to Times-Mirror in 1980.

On December 22, 2006, Nancy Duffy (a former general assignment reporter for the station) died after a long illness. She became the first woman police reporter in Central New York after joining the Syracuse Herald-Journal in 1966. She was Syracuse’s first female television reporter when she moved to WHEN-TV (now WTVH) in 1967. Duffy became the first woman to join the Syracuse Press Club and later served as its president. In 1970, Nancy served as press secretary at Syracuse City Hall. She returned to channel 5 after a year and moved to channel 9 as a weekday morning anchor and reporter in 1977. She had also founded the local St. Patrick's Day Parade and was active in the community. On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a broadcasting group established by Providence Equity Partners.^[2] WSYR radio was not part of the sale. Nevertheless, the WSYR-TV call letters were retained.

On June 12, 2009, WSYR ceased analog television service on VHF channel 9. It remained on UHF channel 17 after the transition.^[3] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display WSYR's virtual channel as 9. WSYR once served on cable as an ABC affiliate in northern New York State communities such as Ogdensburg, Potsdam, Massena, and Malone. Since then, most of those areas have been replaced with WSYR's sister station and fellow ABC affiliate WWTI. However, both were available in these markets for a short time with WVNY from Burlington, Vermont now serving Malone. WSYR is one of very few American television stations that broadcasts in mono. This can easily be detected when comparing it to stereo broadcasts especially using a surround sound decoder because the mono signal cannot be unfolded. This is due to the fact that it broadcasts in digital audio.

[edit] Bridge Street[]

In 2004, WIXT premiered the area's only locally produced daytime talk show known as Bridge Street. The program airs every weekday morning at 10 and is replayed on WSYR-DT2 weeknights at 4 and 10. In July 2008, 46-year station veteran Mike Price retired. The station's news studio was renamed the "Mike Price Studio" on July 9 in dedication to his work on Bridge Street. On December 29, Maureen Green (a former WSYR anchor) was featured as a substitute co-host on Bridge Street filling in for Rick Gary. This was the first time Green was seen on the airwaves since being fired from her position at WTVH as main weeknight anchor in December 2007. On March 20, 2009, Keith Kobland (former weekday morning and noon anchor on WTVH until its consolidation with WSTM) joined Carrie Lazarus to co-host Bridge Street filling in for Rick Gary. On April 24, WSYR announced that Rick Gary had left the station after serving for more than two decades. Dan Cummings and Keith Kobland will be among those to join current host Carrie Lazarus until a full time replacement can be named. On February 1, 2010, Bridge Street will be relaunched with a new look hosted by Chris Brandolino and Tanja Babich.

[edit] News operation[]

[3][4]Its news open.After going from third to first place in Syracuse news ratings, work commenced on a new facility on Bridge Street in East Syracuse in 1985. Work was completed in 1986 and WIXT moved there soon afterward. In 2000, a new news set and newsroom built by NewSet debuted. Also that year in response to declining ratings, WIXT began a new segment called "Your Stories".^[4] This feature is where viewers can call the station, not an automated phone system, and get right on-line with a staffer for help with questions. The most popular topics are turned into segments which air at 5:16 during the weeknight 5 o'clock news. "Your Stories" was reinvented in 2007 when WSYR started the "Consumer Protection Unit". This is divided into three different parts: "Your Stories", "The Real Deal", and "Consumer Reports".

As of July 2008, WSYR remains number one in broadcast news ratings in Central New York for the whole day-part. However, the station and WSTM are in a tight battle for weekday mornings and weeknights at 11. WSYR makes up for this with huge leads during the week at noon, 5, 5:30, and 6. With the consolidation of WTVH and WSTM on March 2, 2009, there has been a noticeable decline in their newscasts especially WTVH which now only airs separate broadcasts on weeknights. As a result, WSYR has seen increased viewership. Currently, there are just two news operations that cover the area.

WWTI in Watertown was hit by across the board cuts from Newport Television in June 2009. Eventually, it began simulcasting WSYR's nightly 11 o'clock news and added half-hour reports from the Buffalo Bills training camp produced by fellow ABC affiliate and sister station WHAM in Rochester.^[5] On September 8, 2009, WWTI began simulcasting WSYR's weekday morning and nightly 6 o'clock newscasts.^[5] After letting go the few on-air news staff that it had, the station became a news bureau of WSYR with contributions of content from the North Country.^[5]

Unlike weekday broadcasts that air on the main channel, weekend newscasts are not repeated on WSYR-DT2. However when the weekend news at 6 is delayed or pre-empted altogether by live ABC Sports programming, the broadcast may air live at the regular time on WSYR-DT2. The station operates its own weather radar at the transmitter site known as "Live Doppler 9" making it the only local weather radar based in the Syracuse area. It exists due to a perceived inability of the National Weather Service radars in Montague and Binghamton to pick up lake-effect snow. There is sometimes a live streaming video feed of the radar on its website.

The station was an affiliate of CNN Newsource, but in a late-2008 cost-cutting move, Newport Television chose to terminate all station affiliations with the network. That leaves ABC NewsOne as WSYR's lone source of national and world material. Since 1993, the station has used many versions of Frank Gari's "News Station" music package including customized vocal versions of the theme using old station slogans, "Making A Difference" and "Central New York's News Source".

[edit] Newscast titles[]

Charles Hammond and the News (1962–1972)
9 News (1972–1974 and 1989–1996)
Eyewitness News (1974–1989)
NewsChannel 9 (1996–present)

[edit] Station slogans[]

"The News Team That's Making a Difference" (1989-early 1990s)
"Making A Difference, Central New York's News Source" (early–mid 1990s)
"Coverage You Can Count On" (1996–2007, still used sporadically)
"Anytime, Anywhere: NewsChannel 9 is Everywhere" (2007–present)

[edit] News team[]

Anchors

Dan Cummings - weekday mornings and investigative reporter
Christie Casciano - weekday mornings and crime reporter
Carrie Lazarus - weekdays at Noon, 5, 5:30, and 6
- "Family Healthcast" segment producer
Rod Wood - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
- consumer reporter
Tanja Babich - weekend mornings and reporter
- Bridge Street co-host
Racquel Asa - weekend evenings and reporter

NewsChannel 9 Storm Team Meteorologists

Dave Longley (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
Chris Brandolino (AMS Seal of Approval) - weekday mornings and Noon
- Bridge Street co-host
Jim Teske (AMS Seal of Approval) - weekend mornings
Tom Hauf (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) - weekend evenings

Sports

Steve Infanti - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 11
- Friday Night Fever, SU Shootaround, and Orange All Access host
Sal Maneen - sports reporter and fill-in sports anchor

Reporters

Jeff Kulikowsky - Senior
Kelly Quinn - fill-in news anchor
Kim Brown - weekday mornings
Tim Fox - producer
Keith Kobland - producer
Holly Boname - North Counrty
Jan Carabeo

[edit] Former on-air staff[]

Scott Beyerl
Dave Eichorn - now at WYYY
Peggy Finnegan - now at WPXI in Pittsburgh
Rick Gary - now at WZUN and WUMX
Solon Gray - retired
Mark Chapin - Austin, Texas
Maureen Green
Bud Hedinger - later of WKCF in Orlando
Frank Hudson
Stu Kellogg
Bill Carey - now Senior Reporter at News 10 Now
Doug Logan - now Sports Director at Time Warner Cable Syracuse
Anne McNamara, former News/Sports Reporter, now Reporter at WGME in Portland, ME
Kelly McPherson
Alyson Megur
Horace "Stormy" Meredith (1917–2008) ^[6]
Jack Morse - semi-retired
- now at WTLA
Stephanie Nazzaro
Steve Newman
Kyle Pieper
Jim Rose - now at WLS-TV in Chicago
Jeff Rossen - now at MSNBC
Anish Shroff - now at ESPNews
Kevin Torres - now at KUSA in Denver
Erica Van Ross - later of KMOV in St. Louis
Ray Villeda - now at WFSB in Hartford
Lelia Walsh
Audrey Washington - now at [WJAR] in Providence

[edit] References[]

[edit] External links[]

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