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Wikipedia

WANF

WANF (channel 46) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is the flagship property of locally based Gray Television and is co-owned with independent station WPCH-TV (channel 17) and low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate WKTB-CD (channel 47). WANF and WPCH-TV share studios on 14th Street Northwest in Atlanta's Atlantic Station district, while WANF's transmitter is located in the city's Woodland Hills section.

WANF
Channels
BrandingAtlanta News First
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WPCH-TV, WKTB-CD, WKSY-LD
History
First air date
June 6, 1971
(52 years ago)
 (1971-06-06)
Former call signs
  • WHAE-TV (1971–1977)
  • WANX-TV (1977–1984)
  • WGNX (1984–2000)
  • WGCL-TV (2000–2022)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 46 (UHF, 1971–2009)
Independent (1971–1994)
Call sign meaning
"Atlanta News First"
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID72120
ERP1,000 kW
HAAT329 m (1,079 ft)
Transmitter coordinates33°48′26.4″N 84°20′21.5″W / 33.807333°N 84.339306°W / 33.807333; -84.339306
Links
Public license information
  • Public file
  • LMS
Websitewww.atlantanewsfirst.com

The station was built in 1971 as WHAE-TV (later WANX-TV), owned by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Originally a nonprofit operation airing religious programs, the station gradually became a more commercially oriented independent station and broadened its programming to include older movies and family-friendly classic TV shows. CBN sold the station to Tribune Broadcasting in 1983, and the call sign was changed to WGNX in 1984. Tribune substantially built up the station, upgrading programming and turning it into Atlanta's top-rated independent local station; it also started a local newscast for the station in January 1989.

After a major switch of television affiliations in Atlanta in 1994, WGNX became Atlanta's new CBS affiliate and the only such station owned by Tribune. However, news was not seriously expanded until after the Meredith Corporation acquired the station in 1999 as part of a purchase-and-trade with Tribune. The WGCL-TV call sign was adopted in 2000 as part of a major, but short-lived, rebrand of the station to "Clear TV" and its newscasts to Clear News. Meredith also assumed operating control of WPCH-TV in 2011, purchasing the station outright in 2017. Over the course of its news-producing history, the station has generally been a revolving door of management and presenting talent with little ratings success.

The acquisition of Meredith by Gray Television in 2021 has resulted in an increased infusion of resources into the station's newsroom as well as other investments by Gray in Atlanta-area media. As part of a wide-scale rebrand of its news service to Atlanta News First, WGCL-TV changed its call sign to WANF on October 3, 2022.[1]

History Edit

As an independent station Edit

Construction and CBN ownership Edit

On January 23, 1968, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), owned by evangelist Pat Robertson, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for authority to build a new television station on channel 46 in Atlanta.[2] The application was granted on May 5, 1968, but after several changes in the proposed studio location, the station began broadcasting on June 6, 1971, as WHAE-TV from leased studio facilities in the Protestant Radio and TV Center on Clifton Road.[2][3] Originally, it operated for six hours a day on weekdays and twelve on Sundays.[4] It was largely an unprofitable operation with, as John Carman writing for The Atlanta Constitution put it, "no particular interest in profits".[5] In September 1977, WHAE-TV changed its call sign to WANX-TV, with a station spokesman stating it wanted "a new identity" and a "fresh start".[6][7][a]

Over the course of the 1970s and early 1980s, WHAE-TV/WANX-TV, like other CBN independent stations, eventually adopted a program schedule consisting of older, "family-friendly" classic shows as well as some religious programming, such as CBN's The 700 Club.[6] Movies, a common staple of independents, had been completely absent from the station's lineup until 1974, when the outlet moved into studios on Briarcliff Road that had been vacated by WATL (channel 36), which had been temporarily shuttered in 1971, and thereafter owned by Production 70s, a video production house that declared bankruptcy.[9][10] This facility had been built around a 1916 red clapboard house.[11][12] It also began to operate on a more commercial basis in 1980, following a restructuring of the CBN media operation into the commercially authorized Continental Broadcasting Network,[13][14] turning its first-ever profit in 1982. By 1983, it had tied WTBS (channel 17), Ted Turner's independent-turned-superstation, in the local ratings, and The 700 Club was the only religious program on its weekday lineup.[5]

Tribune ownership Edit

In July 1983, Tribune Broadcasting of Chicago announced it would spend $32 million to purchase WANX-TV from CBN. It was the company's fifth station, purchased as CBN was seeking to raise money for other operations and retire some of its debts.[15] On March 1, 1984, the call sign was changed to WGNX, stated to be a mixture of the call signs of Tribune stations WGN-TV in Chicago and WPIX in New York City.[8]

WGNX emerged as the number-one local independent in Atlanta under Tribune's ownership. A reported $40 million in program expenditures lifted costs market-wide for syndicated shows and gave channel 46 a stronger lineup.[16] With $19 million in revenue for 1985, WGNX more than doubled the billing of its primary competitor, WATL.[17] WATL, which engineered its own rise to viability in the late 1980s, and WGNX gave Atlanta its first serious local independent stations.[18] Atlanta Hawks basketball moved from WVEU (channel 69) to WGNX in the 1986–87 season.[19]

In November 1993, Tribune committed to the new The WB Television Network, a new service to be launched by Warner Bros. Television in January 1995. Tribune would hold an ownership stake, and six of the company's seven independent stations, including WGNX, were initially to join at launch.[20]

As a CBS station Edit

A last-minute big switch Edit

On May 23, 1994, New World Communications signed a long-term agreement to affiliate its nine CBS-, ABC- or NBC-affiliated television stations with Fox, which had just acquired the television rights to the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League. New World had a uniquely suited portfolio for Fox, with a series of key stations, many CBS affiliates, in important NFC football cities—including Atlanta, where it owned WAGA-TV (channel 5); Fox would sell WATL, which it had purchased and where a news department had been partially set up.[21]

Rumors began to circulate wildly in the local industry following the announcement of the New World/Fox deal. General manager Herman Ramsey wrote a memo to his staff: "Have you ever heard so many rumors in a week and a half? ... I believe that the likelihood of WGNX affiliating with any network other than Warner Brothers in January '95 is small."[22] Behind the scenes, however, Ramsey was lobbying Tribune to pursue the CBS affiliation for WGNX.[23]

No deal had been reached by September, when CBS—acting out of desperation and needing to have a new affiliate in Atlanta by year's end—purchased WVEU for $22 million.[24] A CBS move to WVEU would have meant an unprecedented campaign to build up the station, including major expenses in promotion and facilities and starting a local news service. One consultant interviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution estimated CBS's total expenses in the venture as $100 million over several years.[25]

Despite having agreed to buy WVEU, CBS continued to search for a stronger affiliate in Atlanta. It continued to negotiate with Fox and with Tribune, and by mid-November, the paperwork to purchase channel 69 had not been filed at the FCC.[26] On November 16, it was announced that CBS would not be moving to WVEU but instead to WGNX, a station that already produced local newscasts,[27] with CBS committing to buy WVEU and immediately resell it.[28] Additionally, WATL was sold to Qwest Broadcasting (a joint venture between music producer Quincy Jones, former NFL defensive end Willie Davis, television producer Don Cornelius, television host Geraldo Rivera, and Tribune) in a two-station, $167-million deal, affiliating with The WB.[29]

WGNX became Atlanta's new CBS affiliate on December 11, 1994.[30] The Atlanta Hawks immediately moved to WATL.[31]

Meredith ownership Edit

 
CBS 46 logo, used from 2014 to 2022. Shown here is the 2020 variant.

On August 23, 1998, Tribune Broadcasting announced it would sell WGNX to the Meredith Corporation for $370 million, as a three-way exchange deal in which Tribune would concurrently acquire Fox affiliate KCPQ in Tacoma, Washington, from Kelly Broadcasting.[32][33][34] The trade made sense for Tribune and Meredith. Tribune's portfolio of stations at this point consisted entirely of Fox and WB affiliates outside of WGNX, and Meredith already owned several CBS stations, with Atlanta becoming its largest TV station and representing a rare opportunity to acquire a major station in a top-10 media market.[35][36]

Meredith began to make aggressive changes in an attempt to turn around the laggard WGNX, a station described by Mediaweek magazine as "somewhat untended".[11] It began construction of new studios in Midtown, replacing the Briarcliff facility that the station had outgrown for years, as part of a plan to increase news output from 90 minutes a day to five hours.[37]

On July 4, 2000, to reflect these changes, WGNX changed its station branding from "CBS Atlanta"—adopted the year prior in a recognition that the station was not channel 46 on cable[38]—to "Clear TV" and adopted the call sign WGCL-TV.[39] The station began broadcasting its newscasts from the Midtown studio on March 25, 2001.[40]

After the resignation of Allen Shaklan, WGNX/WGCL-TV's first general manager under Meredith, in 2002,[41] the station dropped the format and hired Sue Schwartz, who had last run KTVK in Phoenix.[42] Kevin O'Brien, president of Meredith's television station group, identified turning WGCL-TV around as the company's number one priority.[43]

Beginning in 2009, Meredith began to hub master control operations for its two other southeastern stations—WHNS in Greenville, South Carolina, and WSMV-TV in Nashville—at WGCL-TV.[44] By 2011, the hub was handling eight of Meredith's twelve stations.[45]

On January 18, 2011, Meredith Corporation entered into a local marketing agreement with the Turner Broadcasting System, owner of WPCH-TV, to assume operational control of the station and move its operations to the WGCL-TV studios.[46] Production of the station's 45 Atlanta Braves broadcasts was also transferred from Turner Sports to Fox Sports South as a result.[46] Meredith purchased the station outright from Turner's corporate parent, Time Warner, in 2017; as the only broadcast license held by the company, its divestiture was intended to remove a potential hurdle to the acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T.[47][48] From 2011 to 2013, WGCL-TV was the preseason television home of the Atlanta Falcons, with games moving to WUPA in 2014.[49]

Sale to Gray Television; rebrand as "Atlanta News First" Edit

This is their home market. It will be their emblem market. They want this sucker to succeed.

Michael Castengera, retired news consultant and University of Georgia professor[50]

On May 3, 2021, locally based Gray Television announced its intent to purchase the Meredith Local Media division, including WGCL-TV and WPCH, for $2.7 billion. The sale was completed on December 1.[51] For Gray, a company whose Georgia roots date to 1897, the acquisition of WGCL-TV has been the springboard for major investments in Atlanta-area media. In 2022, Gray spent $30 million[52] to acquire WKTB-CD, Atlanta's Telemundo affiliate and the largest independently owned Telemundo outlet in the eastern United States, and co-owned Surge Digital Media, a boutique digital advertising agency; former owner Susan Sim Oh joined Gray at the conclusion of the sale,[53][54] and Gray plans to relocate Telemundo Atlanta from its studios in Duluth to WGCL-TV.[55] It also acquired WKSY-LD, a low-power station licensed to Summerville and Trion.[56]

In addition, in 2021, Gray acquired Third Rail Studios, a film and television production facility located on the site of the former General Motors Doraville Assembly plant in Doraville;[57] it then announced a partnership with NBCUniversal to run Third Rail and a major expansion of the Assembly complex slated to be completed in 2023.[58]

On August 31, 2022, Gray announced that WGCL-TV and WPCH's news programs would take on the umbrella brand of Atlanta News First, with WGCL-TV additionally changing its call sign to WANF, on October 3.[59] In interviews, multiple station executives commented that the outgoing WGCL-TV had no brand at all.[60]

News operation Edit

 
WGCL-TV anchors at the Super Bowl Experience prior to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta

Independent era Edit

Even after Tribune—with its independent news operations in Chicago, New York, and Denver—acquired channel 46, news was not immediately on the station's radar due to its expense. However, ratings began to rise, and after must carry rules for TV stations on cable systems were removed in 1987, management felt that WGNX needed to differentiate itself from cable channels to retain carriage. At one meeting, Tribune Broadcasting president Jim Dowdle asked general manager Ramsey while standing in the station parking lot, "Don't get excited, not now, but if we were to put a newsroom in that building, where would it go?"[61] After research showed enthusiasm for a possible newscast, the station prepared a cost-analysis to present to Tribune.[61]

In July 1988, Tribune approved WGNX to start a 30-minute local newscast to air at 10 p.m. seven days a week.[62] After an investment of several million dollars, Georgia's News at Ten began broadcasting on January 15, 1989; prior to its launch, Atlanta had been the largest market in the United States without an independent prime time newscast.[63] The newscast, which focused on longer reports, won awards from journalists' organizations and increased its ratings; in June 1990, it expanded to an hour when USA Tonight, a nationally syndicated news program produced by Tribune, was discontinued.[64]

Changes with CBS and Clear News Edit

When WGNX became a CBS affiliate, the 10 p.m. newscast moved to 11 p.m.,[65] and a briefly aired 7:30 p.m. newscast was dropped. Over the course of the next several years, the station slowly expanded its news output, with noon and 7 p.m. local newscasts in 1995;[66] the latter moved to 6 p.m. in 1996.[67]

In 1997, one series of billboards for the station featured news anchors Karyn Greer and John McKnight next to the words "NAME 'EM", daring viewers to take an interest in the relative unknowns on channel 46; the station's newscasts were being outrated by other stations' presentations of syndicated shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, and M*A*S*H.[68] By 1999, when Meredith took over, the 6 p.m. local news ranked seventh out of all seven major commercial stations in Atlanta in that time slot, and Allen Shaklan, the new general manager, noted that his station existed "below people's horizon of visibility".[69] The station was producing just 90 minutes of news a day in three half-hour newscasts.[12]

In 2000, as part of the image overhaul, with the new WGCL-TV call sign came a new moniker, Clear News, and a format focused on more substantive stories with fewer murders, fires, and accidents.[12] The station also began airing a two-hour morning newscast and a 5 p.m. news hour as it was able to expand ahead of its move to Midtown.[70] With the move, the station adopted a new green and gold set and theme music that was an orchestration of I Can See Clearly Now.[40] However, Clear News was dismantled after the 2002 resignation of Allen Shaklan,[41] and Sue Schwartz rebranded the station as "CBS 46, Atlanta's News Channel", with some limited initial success.[43]

By 2005, the station had canceled its 5 p.m. newscast to focus on the less crowded 4 p.m. market and cut back its morning news presence to bolster its evening newscasts, which had the benefit of lead-ins from CBS prime time ratings.[71] It then returned a 5 p.m. newscast in 2010, by which time it had expanded its morning newscast to 2+12 hours.[72]

The station usually trails in local news ratings, behind WSB, WAGA and WXIA.[73] Rodney Ho of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described it in 2021 as "a bit of a revolving door news operation", noting that WGCL-TV has had nine different news directors since 2005.[74]

Gray news expansions Edit

After purchasing WGCL-TV–WPCH, Gray announced expansions in the news staff and offerings of the WGCL-TV newsroom, which was staffed by 50 to 60 people at the time Meredith sold it. In March 2022, Gray declared its intent to add 40 more news employees as well as 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. local newscasts;[50] the staffing expansion ultimately materialized as an increase of 50.[75] Two months later, WGCL-TV added a 7 p.m. newscast and a 7–9 a.m. morning newscast, the latter for air on WPCH-TV, bringing the total weekday news output across the two stations to 11 hours a day.[76] The changes culminated in the implementation of the new Atlanta News First brand.[60] A two-hour prime time news block also airs at 9 p.m. on WPCH-TV.[75]

Notable current on-air staff Edit

Notable former on-air staff Edit

Technical information Edit

Subchannels Edit

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WANF[85]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
46.1 1080i 16:9 WANF Main WANF programming / CBS
46.2 480i COZI Cozi TV
46.3 Grit Grit
47.1 WKTB Telemundo (WKTB-CD)
17.1 1080i 16:9 WPCH-TV WPCH-TV (Independent)
17.4 480i WPCH-SD WPCH-TV in SD
  Simulcast of subchannels of another station
  Broadcast on behalf of another station

Cozi TV and Grit were added as subchannels in 2015.[86][87]

WPCH-TV is Atlanta's ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) station, transmitting its own ATSC 3.0 signal as well as those of the market's four major network affiliates (WSB, WAGA, WXIA and WANF). WANF in turn transmits WPCH's primary subchannel.[85]

Analog-to-digital conversion Edit

As WGCL-TV, this station shut down its analog signal over UHF channel 46 on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television; it retained its digital signal on UHF channel 19.[88]

Notes Edit

  1. ^ CBN had filed to change the call sign two years prior, in 1975, to WXAT-TV. The FCC initially granted the call sign but set aside the grant in January 1976 upon receiving an objection from Radioad, Inc., owners of local radio station WXAP (860 AM).[2] One source mentioned in a 1984 newspaper article stated "ANX" stood for "Atlanta Needs Christ".[8]

References Edit

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External links Edit

  • Official website

wanf, redirects, here, monterey, station, kion, channel, television, station, atlanta, georgia, united, states, affiliated, with, flagship, property, locally, based, gray, television, owned, with, independent, station, wpch, channel, power, class, telemundo, a. CBS 46 redirects here For the Monterey Bay TV station see KION TV WANF channel 46 is a television station in Atlanta Georgia United States affiliated with CBS It is the flagship property of locally based Gray Television and is co owned with independent station WPCH TV channel 17 and low power Class A Telemundo affiliate WKTB CD channel 47 WANF and WPCH TV share studios on 14th Street Northwest in Atlanta s Atlantic Station district while WANF s transmitter is located in the city s Woodland Hills section WANFAtlanta GeorgiaUnited StatesChannelsDigital 19 UHF Virtual 46BrandingAtlanta News FirstProgrammingAffiliations46 1 CBSfor others see SubchannelsOwnershipOwnerGray Television Gray Television Licensee LLC Sister stationsWPCH TV WKTB CD WKSY LDHistoryFirst air dateJune 6 1971 52 years ago 1971 06 06 Former call signsWHAE TV 1971 1977 WANX TV 1977 1984 WGNX 1984 2000 WGCL TV 2000 2022 Former channel number s Analog 46 UHF 1971 2009 Former affiliationsIndependent 1971 1994 Call sign meaning Atlanta News First Technical informationLicensing authorityFCCFacility ID72120ERP1 000 kWHAAT329 m 1 079 ft Transmitter coordinates33 48 26 4 N 84 20 21 5 W 33 807333 N 84 339306 W 33 807333 84 339306LinksPublic license informationPublic fileLMSWebsitewww wbr atlantanewsfirst wbr comThe station was built in 1971 as WHAE TV later WANX TV owned by the Christian Broadcasting Network CBN Originally a nonprofit operation airing religious programs the station gradually became a more commercially oriented independent station and broadened its programming to include older movies and family friendly classic TV shows CBN sold the station to Tribune Broadcasting in 1983 and the call sign was changed to WGNX in 1984 Tribune substantially built up the station upgrading programming and turning it into Atlanta s top rated independent local station it also started a local newscast for the station in January 1989 After a major switch of television affiliations in Atlanta in 1994 WGNX became Atlanta s new CBS affiliate and the only such station owned by Tribune However news was not seriously expanded until after the Meredith Corporation acquired the station in 1999 as part of a purchase and trade with Tribune The WGCL TV call sign was adopted in 2000 as part of a major but short lived rebrand of the station to Clear TV and its newscasts to Clear News Meredith also assumed operating control of WPCH TV in 2011 purchasing the station outright in 2017 Over the course of its news producing history the station has generally been a revolving door of management and presenting talent with little ratings success The acquisition of Meredith by Gray Television in 2021 has resulted in an increased infusion of resources into the station s newsroom as well as other investments by Gray in Atlanta area media As part of a wide scale rebrand of its news service to Atlanta News First WGCL TV changed its call sign to WANF on October 3 2022 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 As an independent station 1 1 1 Construction and CBN ownership 1 1 2 Tribune ownership 1 2 As a CBS station 1 2 1 A last minute big switch 1 2 2 Meredith ownership 1 2 3 Sale to Gray Television rebrand as Atlanta News First 2 News operation 2 1 Independent era 2 2 Changes with CBS and Clear News 2 3 Gray news expansions 2 3 1 Notable current on air staff 2 3 2 Notable former on air staff 3 Technical information 3 1 Subchannels 3 2 Analog to digital conversion 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditAs an independent station Edit Construction and CBN ownership Edit On January 23 1968 the Christian Broadcasting Network CBN owned by evangelist Pat Robertson filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission FCC for authority to build a new television station on channel 46 in Atlanta 2 The application was granted on May 5 1968 but after several changes in the proposed studio location the station began broadcasting on June 6 1971 as WHAE TV from leased studio facilities in the Protestant Radio and TV Center on Clifton Road 2 3 Originally it operated for six hours a day on weekdays and twelve on Sundays 4 It was largely an unprofitable operation with as John Carman writing for The Atlanta Constitution put it no particular interest in profits 5 In September 1977 WHAE TV changed its call sign to WANX TV with a station spokesman stating it wanted a new identity and a fresh start 6 7 a Over the course of the 1970s and early 1980s WHAE TV WANX TV like other CBN independent stations eventually adopted a program schedule consisting of older family friendly classic shows as well as some religious programming such as CBN s The 700 Club 6 Movies a common staple of independents had been completely absent from the station s lineup until 1974 when the outlet moved into studios on Briarcliff Road that had been vacated by WATL channel 36 which had been temporarily shuttered in 1971 and thereafter owned by Production 70s a video production house that declared bankruptcy 9 10 This facility had been built around a 1916 red clapboard house 11 12 It also began to operate on a more commercial basis in 1980 following a restructuring of the CBN media operation into the commercially authorized Continental Broadcasting Network 13 14 turning its first ever profit in 1982 By 1983 it had tied WTBS channel 17 Ted Turner s independent turned superstation in the local ratings and The 700 Club was the only religious program on its weekday lineup 5 Tribune ownership Edit In July 1983 Tribune Broadcasting of Chicago announced it would spend 32 million to purchase WANX TV from CBN It was the company s fifth station purchased as CBN was seeking to raise money for other operations and retire some of its debts 15 On March 1 1984 the call sign was changed to WGNX stated to be a mixture of the call signs of Tribune stations WGN TV in Chicago and WPIX in New York City 8 WGNX emerged as the number one local independent in Atlanta under Tribune s ownership A reported 40 million in program expenditures lifted costs market wide for syndicated shows and gave channel 46 a stronger lineup 16 With 19 million in revenue for 1985 WGNX more than doubled the billing of its primary competitor WATL 17 WATL which engineered its own rise to viability in the late 1980s and WGNX gave Atlanta its first serious local independent stations 18 Atlanta Hawks basketball moved from WVEU channel 69 to WGNX in the 1986 87 season 19 In November 1993 Tribune committed to the new The WB Television Network a new service to be launched by Warner Bros Television in January 1995 Tribune would hold an ownership stake and six of the company s seven independent stations including WGNX were initially to join at launch 20 As a CBS station Edit A last minute big switch Edit Main article 1994 1996 United States broadcast television realignment On May 23 1994 New World Communications signed a long term agreement to affiliate its nine CBS ABC or NBC affiliated television stations with Fox which had just acquired the television rights to the National Football Conference NFC of the National Football League New World had a uniquely suited portfolio for Fox with a series of key stations many CBS affiliates in important NFC football cities including Atlanta where it owned WAGA TV channel 5 Fox would sell WATL which it had purchased and where a news department had been partially set up 21 Rumors began to circulate wildly in the local industry following the announcement of the New World Fox deal General manager Herman Ramsey wrote a memo to his staff Have you ever heard so many rumors in a week and a half I believe that the likelihood of WGNX affiliating with any network other than Warner Brothers in January 95 is small 22 Behind the scenes however Ramsey was lobbying Tribune to pursue the CBS affiliation for WGNX 23 No deal had been reached by September when CBS acting out of desperation and needing to have a new affiliate in Atlanta by year s end purchased WVEU for 22 million 24 A CBS move to WVEU would have meant an unprecedented campaign to build up the station including major expenses in promotion and facilities and starting a local news service One consultant interviewed by The Atlanta Journal Constitution estimated CBS s total expenses in the venture as 100 million over several years 25 Despite having agreed to buy WVEU CBS continued to search for a stronger affiliate in Atlanta It continued to negotiate with Fox and with Tribune and by mid November the paperwork to purchase channel 69 had not been filed at the FCC 26 On November 16 it was announced that CBS would not be moving to WVEU but instead to WGNX a station that already produced local newscasts 27 with CBS committing to buy WVEU and immediately resell it 28 Additionally WATL was sold to Qwest Broadcasting a joint venture between music producer Quincy Jones former NFL defensive end Willie Davis television producer Don Cornelius television host Geraldo Rivera and Tribune in a two station 167 million deal affiliating with The WB 29 WGNX became Atlanta s new CBS affiliate on December 11 1994 30 The Atlanta Hawks immediately moved to WATL 31 Meredith ownership Edit CBS 46 logo used from 2014 to 2022 Shown here is the 2020 variant On August 23 1998 Tribune Broadcasting announced it would sell WGNX to the Meredith Corporation for 370 million as a three way exchange deal in which Tribune would concurrently acquire Fox affiliate KCPQ in Tacoma Washington from Kelly Broadcasting 32 33 34 The trade made sense for Tribune and Meredith Tribune s portfolio of stations at this point consisted entirely of Fox and WB affiliates outside of WGNX and Meredith already owned several CBS stations with Atlanta becoming its largest TV station and representing a rare opportunity to acquire a major station in a top 10 media market 35 36 Meredith began to make aggressive changes in an attempt to turn around the laggard WGNX a station described by Mediaweek magazine as somewhat untended 11 It began construction of new studios in Midtown replacing the Briarcliff facility that the station had outgrown for years as part of a plan to increase news output from 90 minutes a day to five hours 37 On July 4 2000 to reflect these changes WGNX changed its station branding from CBS Atlanta adopted the year prior in a recognition that the station was not channel 46 on cable 38 to Clear TV and adopted the call sign WGCL TV 39 The station began broadcasting its newscasts from the Midtown studio on March 25 2001 40 After the resignation of Allen Shaklan WGNX WGCL TV s first general manager under Meredith in 2002 41 the station dropped the format and hired Sue Schwartz who had last run KTVK in Phoenix 42 Kevin O Brien president of Meredith s television station group identified turning WGCL TV around as the company s number one priority 43 Beginning in 2009 Meredith began to hub master control operations for its two other southeastern stations WHNS in Greenville South Carolina and WSMV TV in Nashville at WGCL TV 44 By 2011 the hub was handling eight of Meredith s twelve stations 45 On January 18 2011 Meredith Corporation entered into a local marketing agreement with the Turner Broadcasting System owner of WPCH TV to assume operational control of the station and move its operations to the WGCL TV studios 46 Production of the station s 45 Atlanta Braves broadcasts was also transferred from Turner Sports to Fox Sports South as a result 46 Meredith purchased the station outright from Turner s corporate parent Time Warner in 2017 as the only broadcast license held by the company its divestiture was intended to remove a potential hurdle to the acquisition of Time Warner by AT amp T 47 48 From 2011 to 2013 WGCL TV was the preseason television home of the Atlanta Falcons with games moving to WUPA in 2014 49 Sale to Gray Television rebrand as Atlanta News First Edit This is their home market It will be their emblem market They want this sucker to succeed Michael Castengera retired news consultant and University of Georgia professor 50 On May 3 2021 locally based Gray Television announced its intent to purchase the Meredith Local Media division including WGCL TV and WPCH for 2 7 billion The sale was completed on December 1 51 For Gray a company whose Georgia roots date to 1897 the acquisition of WGCL TV has been the springboard for major investments in Atlanta area media In 2022 Gray spent 30 million 52 to acquire WKTB CD Atlanta s Telemundo affiliate and the largest independently owned Telemundo outlet in the eastern United States and co owned Surge Digital Media a boutique digital advertising agency former owner Susan Sim Oh joined Gray at the conclusion of the sale 53 54 and Gray plans to relocate Telemundo Atlanta from its studios in Duluth to WGCL TV 55 It also acquired WKSY LD a low power station licensed to Summerville and Trion 56 In addition in 2021 Gray acquired Third Rail Studios a film and television production facility located on the site of the former General Motors Doraville Assembly plant in Doraville 57 it then announced a partnership with NBCUniversal to run Third Rail and a major expansion of the Assembly complex slated to be completed in 2023 58 On August 31 2022 Gray announced that WGCL TV and WPCH s news programs would take on the umbrella brand of Atlanta News First with WGCL TV additionally changing its call sign to WANF on October 3 59 In interviews multiple station executives commented that the outgoing WGCL TV had no brand at all 60 News operation Edit WGCL TV anchors at the Super Bowl Experience prior to Super Bowl LIII in AtlantaIndependent era Edit Even after Tribune with its independent news operations in Chicago New York and Denver acquired channel 46 news was not immediately on the station s radar due to its expense However ratings began to rise and after must carry rules for TV stations on cable systems were removed in 1987 management felt that WGNX needed to differentiate itself from cable channels to retain carriage At one meeting Tribune Broadcasting president Jim Dowdle asked general manager Ramsey while standing in the station parking lot Don t get excited not now but if we were to put a newsroom in that building where would it go 61 After research showed enthusiasm for a possible newscast the station prepared a cost analysis to present to Tribune 61 In July 1988 Tribune approved WGNX to start a 30 minute local newscast to air at 10 p m seven days a week 62 After an investment of several million dollars Georgia s News at Ten began broadcasting on January 15 1989 prior to its launch Atlanta had been the largest market in the United States without an independent prime time newscast 63 The newscast which focused on longer reports won awards from journalists organizations and increased its ratings in June 1990 it expanded to an hour when USA Tonight a nationally syndicated news program produced by Tribune was discontinued 64 Changes with CBS and Clear News Edit When WGNX became a CBS affiliate the 10 p m newscast moved to 11 p m 65 and a briefly aired 7 30 p m newscast was dropped Over the course of the next several years the station slowly expanded its news output with noon and 7 p m local newscasts in 1995 66 the latter moved to 6 p m in 1996 67 In 1997 one series of billboards for the station featured news anchors Karyn Greer and John McKnight next to the words NAME EM daring viewers to take an interest in the relative unknowns on channel 46 the station s newscasts were being outrated by other stations presentations of syndicated shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Family Matters and M A S H 68 By 1999 when Meredith took over the 6 p m local news ranked seventh out of all seven major commercial stations in Atlanta in that time slot and Allen Shaklan the new general manager noted that his station existed below people s horizon of visibility 69 The station was producing just 90 minutes of news a day in three half hour newscasts 12 In 2000 as part of the image overhaul with the new WGCL TV call sign came a new moniker Clear News and a format focused on more substantive stories with fewer murders fires and accidents 12 The station also began airing a two hour morning newscast and a 5 p m news hour as it was able to expand ahead of its move to Midtown 70 With the move the station adopted a new green and gold set and theme music that was an orchestration of I Can See Clearly Now 40 However Clear News was dismantled after the 2002 resignation of Allen Shaklan 41 and Sue Schwartz rebranded the station as CBS 46 Atlanta s News Channel with some limited initial success 43 By 2005 the station had canceled its 5 p m newscast to focus on the less crowded 4 p m market and cut back its morning news presence to bolster its evening newscasts which had the benefit of lead ins from CBS prime time ratings 71 It then returned a 5 p m newscast in 2010 by which time it had expanded its morning newscast to 2 1 2 hours 72 The station usually trails in local news ratings behind WSB WAGA and WXIA 73 Rodney Ho of The Atlanta Journal Constitution described it in 2021 as a bit of a revolving door news operation noting that WGCL TV has had nine different news directors since 2005 74 Gray news expansions Edit After purchasing WGCL TV WPCH Gray announced expansions in the news staff and offerings of the WGCL TV newsroom which was staffed by 50 to 60 people at the time Meredith sold it In March 2022 Gray declared its intent to add 40 more news employees as well as 9 a m and 3 p m local newscasts 50 the staffing expansion ultimately materialized as an increase of 50 75 Two months later WGCL TV added a 7 p m newscast and a 7 9 a m morning newscast the latter for air on WPCH TV bringing the total weekday news output across the two stations to 11 hours a day 76 The changes culminated in the implementation of the new Atlanta News First brand 60 A two hour prime time news block also airs at 9 p m on WPCH TV 75 Notable current on air staff Edit Rick Folbaum anchor 77 Shon Gables anchor 77 Monica Kaufman Pearson host 78 Notable former on air staff Edit Amanda Davis anchor 2015 2017 died on December 27 2017 79 Tony Harris anchor 2003 2004 80 Dagmar Midcap weather anchor reporter 2007 2010 81 Thomas Roberts anchor 2018 2020 82 Jane Robelot anchor 1999 2003 38 Brandon Rudat anchor 2010 2013 83 Ben Swann anchor and reporter 2015 2018 84 Technical information EditSubchannels Edit The station s digital signal is multiplexed Subchannels of WANF 85 Channel Res Aspect Short name Programming46 1 1080i 16 9 WANF Main WANF programming CBS46 2 480i COZI Cozi TV46 3 Grit Grit47 1 WKTB Telemundo WKTB CD 17 1 1080i 16 9 WPCH TV WPCH TV Independent 17 4 480i WPCH SD WPCH TV in SD Simulcast of subchannels of another station Broadcast on behalf of another station Cozi TV and Grit were added as subchannels in 2015 86 87 WPCH TV is Atlanta s ATSC 3 0 Next Gen TV station transmitting its own ATSC 3 0 signal as well as those of the market s four major network affiliates WSB WAGA WXIA and WANF WANF in turn transmits WPCH s primary subchannel 85 Analog to digital conversion Edit As WGCL TV this station shut down its analog signal over UHF channel 46 on June 12 2009 as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television it retained its digital signal on UHF channel 19 88 Notes Edit CBN had filed to change the call sign two years prior in 1975 to WXAT TV The FCC initially granted the call sign but set aside the grant in January 1976 upon receiving an objection from Radioad Inc owners of local radio station WXAP 860 AM 2 One source mentioned in a 1984 newspaper article stated ANX stood for Atlanta Needs Christ 8 References Edit Atlanta News First comes to northern Georgia Atlanta News First August 31 2022 Archived from the original on September 30 2022 Retrieved October 1 2022 a b c FCC History Cards for WANF Federal Communications Commission Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 Flynt Carolyn October 14 1970 George Ivey Channel 46 Atlantan Helping Pioneer Religious TV Station Here The Atlanta Journal p 20 D Archived from the original on September 8 2022 Retrieved September 8 2022 via GenealogyBank Atlanta to Get New TV Station The Macon News Macon Georgia UPI May 27 1971 p 11E Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com a b Carman John April 27 1983 Born again WANX loudly proclaims a boost in ratings The Atlanta Constitution p 1B Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com a b Jones Paul September 3 1977 Local Stations Plan Only a Few Changes In Fringe Access Time The Atlanta Constitution p 28 T 29 T Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Goodman Bob September 2 1977 Sights and Sounds Washington Likely a Smash In the Ratings The Atlanta Journal p 8 D Archived from the original on September 8 2022 Retrieved September 8 2022 via GenealogyBank a b Carman John March 1 1984 Channel 46 is switching to WGNX The Atlanta Constitution p 19 C Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Retail Credit 70s Ackerman to Expand The Atlanta Constitution February 1 1972 p 10 C Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Add Movies Documentaries TV Independents Make Changes The Atlanta Constitution August 26 1974 p 2 C Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com a b Larson Megan March 8 1999 Shaklan plans to rebuild WGNX s little red house Mediaweek p 18 ProQuest 213626224 a b c Nicholson Gilbert Walsh Bryan July 17 2000 WGCL s fresh news approach pays off Mediaweek p 11 ProQuest 213663969 Fourth TV Network Eyed By Minister The Atlanta Constitution November 10 1978 p 2 B Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Zoglin Richard September 17 1980 Ch 46 Reducing Religion Tilt For News And Games The Atlanta Constitution p 1 B 6 B Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Cutts Beau July 27 1983 Chicago firm to buy WANX Channel 46 in 32 million deal The Atlanta Constitution p 1C Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Herndon Keith August 19 1985 The big bucks battle for top TV shows The Atlanta Constitution p 1C 14C Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Herndon Keith April 22 1986 Betting on a WATL TV turnaround The Atlanta Constitution p 1 B 7 B Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Shaw Russell October 1988 The Dawning of Independents Atlanta Business p 118 ProQuest 216433189 Simmons Darrell August 6 1986 Hawks adding 30 games on TV in a new deal with Channel 46 The Atlanta Constitution p 2C Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Flint Joe November 8 1993 Warner details hybrid WB Network PDF Broadcasting amp Cable pp 26 28 ProQuest 1016942122 Archived PDF from the original on November 8 2021 Retrieved August 9 2022 Kloer Phil May 24 1994 TV shake up in Atlanta Keep your remote control handy this fall The Atlanta Constitution p A1 A4 Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Scott Jeffry June 4 1994 CBS scrambling for affiliate in Atlanta Rumors rampant after Fox s raid The Atlanta Constitution p C3 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Scott Jeffry February 26 1995 Poor Dave The Atlanta Constitution p N1 N5 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Kloer Phil September 24 1994 Clearing up the local TV picture Price was right But will viewers follow CBS to Channel 69 The Atlanta Constitution p B1 Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 7 2022 via Newspapers com Kloer Phil September 27 1994 CBS switch n buy to cost megabucks The Atlanta Journal Constitution p D10 Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 7 2022 via Newspapers com Kloer Phil November 8 1994 CBS pursuing a channel switch The Atlanta Constitution p C8 Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 7 2022 via Newspapers com Kloer Phil November 16 1994 Channel surfing CBS to flip from 69 to 46 The Atlanta Constitution p A1 Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 7 2022 via Newspapers com Kloer Phil November 17 1994 The networks go channel surfing The Atlanta Constitution p F1 Archived from the original on August 7 2022 Retrieved August 7 2022 via Newspapers com Tim Jones Mike Dorning November 17 1994 Deal boosts minority TV presence Chicago Tribune Tribune Publishing Archived from the original on October 17 2018 Retrieved October 16 2018 Exchanging channels Network switch mixes things up The Atlanta Constitution December 9 1994 p P24 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Denberg Jeffrey December 10 1994 Hawks could go for Cadillac but not at that asking price The Atlanta Constitution p B2 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Higgins John M August 31 1998 Get big or get out PDF Broadcasting amp Cable Cahners Business Information p 10 ProQuest 1014769843 Retrieved September 22 2018 via American Radio History Changing Hands PDF Broadcasting amp Cable Cahners Business Information September 28 1998 p 54 ProQuest 1014769666 Retrieved September 22 2018 via American Radio History Meredith to buy WGNX in station exchange Atlanta Business Chronicle American City Business Journals August 24 1998 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved September 22 2018 Haddad Charles August 25 1998 WGNX to be acquired by Meredith The Atlanta Constitution p D1 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Haddad Charles August 25 1998 Meredith betting on opportunity in WGNX The Atlanta Constitution p D2 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Haddad Charles July 1 1999 WGNX plans to build digital television station in Midtown The Atlanta Constitution p F2 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com a b Eldredge Richard L September 24 1999 CBS s singsong radio spot The Atlanta Journal Constitution p E2 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com Kloer Phil June 10 2000 CBS affiliate to switch call letters on July 4 The Atlanta Journal Constitution p F4 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com a b Kloer Phil March 16 2001 At new location WGCL says look to be markedly different The Atlanta Journal Constitution p C3 Archived from the original on October 3 2022 Retrieved August 10 2022 via Newspapers com a b Kempner Matt February 15 2002 General manager quits at CBS affiliate WGCL The Atlanta Journal Constitution p F4 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com News laggard WGCL hires station chief The Atlanta Journal Constitution April 17 2002 p D3 Archived from the original on August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 via Newspapers com a b Lovel Jim October 3 2003 Overhaul helping parent of Atlanta s WGCL TV Atlanta Business Chronicle p A24 ProQuest 235211602 Meredith Sets Up Atlanta Hub Broadcasting amp Cable March 4 2009 Archived from the original on September 30 2012 Retrieved March 5 2009 Malone Michael January 18 2011 WGCL Takes Over Management of Turner s Peachtree TV Broadcasting amp Cable Archived from the original on October 3 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 a b Swartz Kristi E January 18 2011 Parent of CBS Atlanta to take over operations of Peachtree TV The Atlanta Journal Constitution Archived from the original on January 20 2011 Retrieved January 18 2011 Ho Rodney February 23 2017 Meredith purchases Peachtree TV from Time Warner Turner Broadcasting System The Atlanta Journal Constitution Archived from the original on February 26 2017 Retrieved February 26 2017 Shields Todd April 17 2017 Time Warner TV Station Sale Approved Easing AT amp T Deal Path Bloomberg L P Archived from the original on May 17 2017 Retrieved April 24 2017 Falcons move to Star 94 790 The Zone Atlanta Business Chronicle March 7 2011 Archived from the original on January 23 2021 Retrieved August 9 2022 a b Ho Rodney March 11 2022 CBS46 plans 40 person expansion of newsroom The Atlanta Journal Constitution Archived from the original on April 18 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 Gray Television Closes on Acquisition of Meredith Corporation s Local Media Group Press release Gray Television Globe Newswire December 1 2021 Archived from the original on December 1 2021 Retrieved December 1 2021 Station Trading Roundup 2 Deals 30 030 000 TVNewsCheck February 9 2022 Archived 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Communications Commission May 23 2006 Archived from the original PDF on August 29 2013 Retrieved August 29 2021 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title WANF amp oldid 1167835359, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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