WPLG

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WPLG
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = Local 10 (general)
Local 10 News (newscasts)
analog = 10 (VHF)
digital = 9 (VHF)
other_chs = W47AC Big Pine Key
subchannels = (see article)| affiliations = ABC
LATV (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = November 20, 1961
location = Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Florida
callsign_meaning = Phillip L. Graham
(in memory of the late Washington Post president)
former_callsigns = WLBW-TV (1961–1970)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc.
licensee = Post-Newsweek Stations, Florida, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
15.8 kW (digital)
HAAT = 307 m (analog)
294 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 53113
coordinates = coord|25|58|1.7|N|80|12|43.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.local10.com/ www.local10.com]

WPLG is an ABC network affiliate serving the entire Miami, Florida area. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company.

History

WPST-TV

The station first took to the air on August 2, 1957 as WPST-TV, as the second ABC affiliate in the Miami market, under the ownership of Public Service Television, Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of National Airlines. (Hence the call letters.) Prior to this time ABC had been carried by WITV, channel 17. When the more powerful channel 10 came on the air, however, channel 17 quickly went out of business. (Channel 17 is now occupied by a PBS member station, WLRN-TV.)

In the early 1960s the ownership of WPST-TV got in trouble with the FCC over the Richard A. Mack affair [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863055-1,00.html] and was stripped of its broadcast license.

A New Channel 10

A group headed by L.B. Wilson won the right to start a new station on channel 10. As part of an FCC-supervised deal, National sold WPST's assets to Wilson's group. WPST signed off for the last time on November 13 1961. A week later, on November 20, channel 10 returned to the air as WLBW-TV (after the owner's initials). Although it operates under a separate license, it claims WPST's history as its own. [http://www.local10.com/station/269339/detail.html]

The new station called itself "Colorvision 10", indicating that it was broadcasting in color. In 1967, WLBW moved to its present studio facility location on Biscayne Boulevard. In 1969, WLBW was purchased by Katharine Graham. On March 16, 1970, WLBW was renamed WPLG, named for Katharine Graham's late husband Philip L. Graham.

Life Under Post-Newsweek

The station became well-known in the 1970s for its popular anchor team. From 1976 to 1982 Glenn Rinker, Ann Bishop, Chuck Dowdle and Walter Cronise anchored "Newswatch 10". In 1982, Rinker left for another position in Orlando and was replaced by Mike Schneider. Schneider and Bishop anchored until 1986, when Dwight Lauderdale joined the anchor desk with Bishop on "Channel 10 Eyewitness News," becoming South Florida's first African-American nightly news anchor. By 1985, WPLG had surpassed rival WTVJ in the ratings and would dominate the ratings for over ten years. Ann Bishop would continue to anchor the news until 1995. She worked part-time at the station until she succumbed to colon cancer in 1997. Don Noe joined WPLG in 1979 and was one of Miami's most popular chief meteorologists up until his retirement in 2007.

WPLG deployed "Sky 10", Miami's first news helicopter in 1982.

WPLG is branded "Local10" under the station standardization adopted by Post-Newsweek, which means that all stations use the "Local Mandate."

When WTVJ, WCIX (now WFOR-TV), and WSVN all swapped affiliations on New Years Day 1989, WPLG had remained an ABC affiliate. And, when WTVJ and WFOR swapped channel numbers, WPLG remained on channel 10, and remained an ABC affiliate. It is the only Miami television station that has never changed its affiliation.

As a Post-Newsweek station WPLG continues to run nearly the entire ABC television schedule; only the ABC Kids airings of "" do not air, due to the station's news commitment and the program's lack of E/I content. As of April 2007, WPLG is South Florida's most-watched English-language television station which can partially be attributed to its availability in the West Palm Beach market via Comcast which in turn is damaging to ratings for WPBF, West Palm Beach's ABC affiliate.

WPLG offers LATV on its DT2 digital subchannel.

WPLG recently announced plans to relocate its studio facilities from 3900 Biscayne Boulevard to a location on Hallandale Beach Boulevard in Pembroke Park. Construction on the new facility is expected to be finished in 2009; once that happens, none of South Florida's "Big Three" stations will be based in the Miami city limits.

On July 18 2008, it was announced that Post-Newsweek Stations, the owners of WPLG, would purchase competing station WTVJ from NBC Universal, pending FCC approval. The purchase would create a duopoly between the two major-network affiliates. If the sale is approved, WTVJ would move to WPLG's new studios in Pembroke Park that are currently under construction. It is unknown what the future holds for WTVJ's news department if the two stations combine operations. [ [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/605477.html "WPLG-ABC 10 owner may buy WTVJ-NBC 6"] . "Miami Herald", July 15, 2008.]

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

In 2009, WPLG will remain on channel 10 when the analog to digital conversion is complete.http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf]

Notable Personalities

Current

*Mark Joyella, Reporter
*Max Mayfield, Hurricane Specialist

Alumni

* Ann Bishop, (1977-1995) deceased
* Liz Cho, now at WABC-TV
* Mark Joyella, now in New York City
* Larry King, now at CNN
* Mike Schneider, 6/11pm anchor, now at Bloomberg Television
* Jon Scott, anchor (1983(?)-1988) now anchor at Fox News Channel

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"The News Scene" (1970–1977)
*"NewsWatch 10" (1977–1983)
*"Channel 10 Eyewitness News" (1983–2001)
*"Channel 10 News" (2001–2004)
*"Local 10 News" (2004-present)

Trivia

* Glenn Rinker was seen anchoring a "Newswatch 10" broadcast in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film "The Shining" (based on Stephen King's novel of the same name).
*WPLG adopted its current "10" logo in the early 1980s.
*Since the early 1990s, "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" have aired on WPLG. Another King World program, "The Oprah Winfrey Show", also aired on channel 10 in the early 90s, but since 1996, WFOR now airs the show.

References

External links

* [http://www.local10.com/ WPLG website]
*TVQ|WPLG
**TVQ|W47AC
*BIA|WPLG|TV|TV