WTVG

callsign	WTVG
branding	13 ABC; 13 Action News; CW 13 (13.2)
digital	13 (VHF)
virtual	13
affiliations	13.1: ABC 13.2: The CW for others, see
airdate	July 21, 1948
location	Toledo, Ohio
country	United States
callsign meaning	Television in the Glass City
former callsigns	WSPD-TV (1948–1979)
former channel numbers	Analog: 13 (VHF, 1948–2009) Digital: 19 (UHF, 2000–2009)
owner	Gray Media
licensee	Gray Television Licensee, LLC
former affiliations	DuMont (secondary, 1948–1955) NBC (primary 1948–1958 and 1969–1995; secondary 1958–1969) ABC (secondary 1948–1958, primary 1958–1969) CBS (secondary, 1948–1958)
erp	20.1 kW
haat	306.8 m
facility id	74150
coordinates	41.68333°N, -83.41361°W
licensing authority	FCC
website	https://www.13abc.com/

WTVG (channel 13) is a television station in Toledo, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW. Owned by Gray Media, the station maintains studios on Dorr Street (SR 246) in Toledo, and its transmitter is located on Stadium Road in Oregon, Ohio.

History

Early years

The station signed on the air on July 21, 1948, as WSPD-TV, owned by the locally based Fort Industry Corporation, forerunner of Storer Broadcasting, along with WSPD radio (1370 AM[1] and FM 101.5, now WRVF). The studios were originally located at 136 Huron Street in downtown Toledo. It was Toledo's first television station,[2] and the first television station in the Storer Broadcasting chain.

As an ABC-owned station

In 1994, New World Communications, which purchased much of the former Storer chain, signed a long-term affiliation deal with Fox that saw most of their stations switching to that network. One of those stations was KSAZ-TV, the CBS affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona; CBS secured a replacement affiliate in the market via a larger deal with Meredith Corporation that also saw Meredith's WNEM-TV, Flint's NBC affiliate, switch to CBS.[3] Rumors emerged of NBC courting SJL about either purchasing WTVG or WJRT-TV, Flint's ABC affiliate, or signing both to a long-term affiliation deal;[4] this led Capital Cities/ABC to purchase both stations for $155 million in October 1994.[5][6] As a result, WTVG would switch from NBC back to ABC.[7]

Capital Cities/ABC completed its purchase of the stations on August 29, 1995;[7] however, WTVG's NBC affiliation contract did not run out until October. On October 28, 1995, ABC moved to WTVG, sending the NBC affiliation to WNWO-TV.[1]

In 1996, Capital Cities/ABC was acquired by Disney.[1] WTVG was the smallest station in the country that was an O&O of any major network, not counting semi-satellites (this includes WOGX in Ocala–Gainesville, Florida; which is a semi-satellite of WOFL in Orlando).

Because of its status as an O&O, WTVG aired the Veterans Day airing of the film Saving Private Ryan in 2004, while many affiliates preempted it out of fears of being fined by the FCC for indecency in the wake of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. In fact, Scripps and Sinclair Broadcast Group (who combined owned four ABC affiliates in Ohio, as well as WCHS-TV in Charleston, West Virginia, which serves parts of Southern Ohio, and WXYZ) decided to preempt the film on all of their ABC affiliates. Among the then-seven ABC affiliates in or serving Ohio at the time (Lima and Wheeling, West Virginia, would later gain their own affiliates), this left WTVG and WYTV in Youngstown as the only ABC stations in Ohio to air the film. It was later determined that the movie showing was not a violation of FCC regulations.

ABC News Now was launched in 2004 on digital subchannels of ABC owned-and-operated stations and affiliates.[8] For conversion to digital broadcasting, the station requested to stay on and was assigned Channel 13 by August 2007 and was temporarily assigned Channel 19 for temporary digital broadcast during the transition.[1] ABC Owned Television Stations, including WTVG, launched on April 27, 2009, the Live Well Network in high definition on the station's sub-channels alongside the AccuWeather Channel.[9] WTVG's broadcasts became digital-only, effective June 12, 2009.[1] Digital channel 13 transmits at a lower power than it did on digital channel 19, so in some locations, there has been a reduction in coverage. Many VHF stations are applying to the FCC for power increases to restore their coverage area after moving from UHF back to VHF.

News operation

WTVG presently broadcasts 43 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with seven hours each weekday and four hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). The station also produces a local discussion program, Bridges, which airs Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to noon in high definition.

WTVG canceled the show Coffee with the Fords on June 19, 2011. The show was hosted by former Toledo mayor Jack Ford and his wife Cynthia. Coffee with the Fords was shown between 12:30–1 p.m. on Sunday afternoons and was on the air for over four years.[30]

WTVG also airs two special Friday night sports programs, Football Friday showcasing games across northwest Ohio, during the high school football season and Basketball Friday showcasing girls' and boys' games across northwest Ohio during the high school basketball season.

WTVG utilizes the Sony PDW510 XDCAM camcorder. All Toledo stations (WTVG, WTOL/WUPW, and WNWO) use the Jeep Liberty as an ENG vehicle, due to the fact that they were made locally by Chrysler. WTVG also uses other Jeep-brand vehicles.

WTVG operated a 350,000-watt Doppler weather Radar named "Live Doppler 13000 HD". It was discontinued in 2018.

In 2011, WTVG received six Emmy Awards from the Lower Great Lakes chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. WTVG also received over 15 nominations for their news, a record for the station.[31]

In June 2011, news anchors at WTVG began using iPads to read news stories instead of paper. WTVG is the first television station in Toledo to use the technology. WTOL began using iPads in late September 2011.

On April 4, 2012, WTVG announced that longtime chief meteorologist Stan Stachak would retire from the station at the end of May 2012. Stachak had been at WTVG for over 30 years and became the chief meteorologist for the station back in 1980. Stachak had overseen many technological advances during his 32-year tenure, including the addition of Toledo's only Doppler weather radar in 2003. Stachak retired as chief meteorologist on April 20, 2012. Stachak's final broadcast was during the 11 p.m. newscast on May 27, 2012.[32][33]

On September 13, 2021, WTVG premiered a 4 p.m. newscast.[34] On September 16, 2024, WTVG premiered a 10 p.m. newscast on WTVG-DT2.[35]

High definition newscasts

On April 13, 2010, WTVG became the last ABC-owned station (as well as the first station in the Toledo market) to have upgraded its news productions to 16:9 widescreen enhanced definition. On July 2, 2010, WTVG became the first news station in Toledo and the ninth ABC-owned station to broadcast its newscasts in high definition. The in-studio cameras are in 720p HD, and field coverage is in widescreen enhanced definition. WTVG began using new HD graphics on January 17, 2012, and began broadcasting high definition commercials in May 2012. WTOL channel 11 began broadcasting their newscasts in high definition on April 21, 2011. WNWO began broadcasting newscasts in 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen on August 15, 2011. WUPW began broadcasting their newscasts in HD on May 31, 2012.

Notable former on-air staff

Ryan Burr – sportscaster
Rob Powers – newscaster and sports director[36]
Michael Reghi – sports director (1986–1991)

WTVG

History

Early years

As an ABC-owned station

SJL Broadcasting ownership

Sale to Gray Television

News operation

High definition newscasts

Notable former on-air staff

Subchannels

See also

External links

References