Bay News 9
A 24-hour regional cable news network serving Florida’s Tampa Bay area.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Bay News 9 is a regional cable news television network based in St. Petersburg, Florida, serving the Tampa Bay market. The service is part of Charter Communications’ Spectrum News operation and is distributed primarily to Spectrum cable subscribers. Its coverage area encompasses Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. The network combines rolling local news, weather, traffic, politics, business, community reporting, and feature programming rather than following the schedule of a conventional broadcast television station. The network was developed during the expansion of regional cable news in Florida in the 1990s. Elliott Wiser was hired by Time Warner Cable as general manager in May 1997 and helped establish Bay News 9 while a related Orlando news service was being built. Bay News 9 began operations on September 24, 1997. From its launch, the channel differentiated itself through a repeating news-wheel format: viewers could encounter updated local reports and weather information at regular intervals throughout the day. Its signature weather practice was to provide forecasts and updates “on the nines,” generally at ten-minute intervals, with more frequent coverage during severe weather and continuous reporting during hurricanes and tropical storms. Weather has remained central to the brand. Bay News 9 introduced a VIPIR Doppler weather radar system in 2002 and became an early Florida adopter of dual-polarization Doppler technology in 2007. In January 2009, it introduced Klystron 9, an upgraded radar installation combining dual-polarimetry, pulse-compression technology, a klystron tube, and a high-power transmitter. The system became a prominent part of the network’s identity and severe-weather coverage. Bay News 9’s programming has included the political discussion program Political Connections, local sports coverage, medical-information segments, and long-form reports distributed through video-on-demand services. It has also maintained bureaus and content relationships with local newspapers and radio stations, extending its reporting across the region. The channel has been associated with community education through Project Weather, school visits, weather-safety events, classroom video sessions, educational science kits, and museum exhibits. The brand has expanded and contracted alongside changes in its cable ownership. It was originally associated with Time Warner Cable and later Bright House Networks before becoming part of Charter Communications’ Spectrum portfolio. Its Spanish-language initiatives evolved from Bay News 9 en Español into the regional InfoMás service, which combined Spanish-language operations serving the Tampa Bay and Central Florida markets. InfoMás was discontinued in 2017. Bay News 9 has also operated high-definition, video-on-demand, and weather-oriented companion services. The main network remains a Tampa Bay-focused regional news brand whose value proposition rests on local immediacy, frequent weather updates, and continuous cable distribution.
History
Bay News 9 emerged from the 1990s growth of regional cable news channels in Florida. Time Warner Cable hired Elliott Wiser as general manager in May 1997 while developing comparable regional programming in Orlando. Wiser led the creation of Bay News 9, which began broadcasting from St. Petersburg on September 24, 1997. The channel was designed around continuous local coverage rather than fixed traditional newscasts. Its news wheel repeated updated blocks of local stories, weather, traffic, and features, allowing viewers to join at different points in the hour. Weather quickly became the network’s defining editorial and technical focus. Forecasts were refreshed at regular intervals known as “on the nines,” and the service expanded its coverage during severe weather. In 2002, Bay News 9 became the first station in its market to use a VIPIR Doppler radar system. In 2007, it adopted dual-polarization Doppler technology. The network introduced Klystron 9 on January 5, 2009. The radar combined several technologies intended to improve storm detail, including dual polarimetry and pulse compression, and became a major branding feature in the station’s weather operation. The network broadened its programming beyond headline updates. In 1999 it created Health Team 9, using medical professionals and a licensed psychologist for recurring health reports. The original Health Watch and Medical Beat segments later evolved into Health Headlines and Priority Health. Bay News 9 also produced local sports programming, including Toyota Sports Connection, and launched Political Connections in 2005 through a partnership with the Tampa Bay Times. The sports program later moved to the affiliated Bright House sports network. Bay News 9 developed a substantial local reporting footprint through bureaus in Tampa, Bradenton, New Port Richey, Spring Hill, and other partner locations. Content relationships with newspapers such as the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Citrus County Chronicle, and The Ledger supported broader regional coverage. The network also became a CNN Newsource affiliate. Its digital and cable extensions included a high-definition simulcast, Bay News 9 on Demand for long-form news, and Tampa Bay on Demand for local entertainment features. Spanish-language expansion was another significant phase. Bay News 9 en Español launched in March 2002 as a local Spanish-language news channel. In 2011 it was merged with the corresponding Central Florida News 13 service to form InfoMás, a regional Spanish-language network. InfoMás was discontinued on November 20, 2017, after the transition of the cable operations to Charter Communications and a reassessment of audience demand. The ownership environment changed from Time Warner Cable to Bright House Networks and subsequently to Charter Communications. The brand became part of Spectrum’s regional news structure while retaining its Tampa Bay identity. Community work has remained an important supporting activity. Project Weather provides storm-safety education at schools and hurricane expos, offers interactive sessions with meteorologists, distributes educational materials, and supports weather and news exhibits at area museums. Bay News 9 facilities also appeared in the films Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2, linking the network to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium story that inspired those productions.
- 2017
InfoMás ends
[1]The Spanish-language regional channel is discontinued.
- 2011
High-definition news production
[1]Bay News 9 upgrades its news programming to high definition and a 16:9 presentation.
- 2011
InfoMás launches
[1]The Tampa and Central Florida Spanish-language services are combined into one regional channel.
- 2009
Klystron 9 introduced
[1]An upgraded high-power radar system begins operation.
- 2007
Dual-polarization radar added
[1]Bay News 9 becomes an early Florida station to deploy dual-pole Doppler radar.
- 2005
Political Connections debuts
[1]The network introduces its recurring regional political discussion program.
- 2002
VIPIR radar adopted
[1]Bay News 9 becomes the first local station in its area to provide VIPIR Doppler radar.
- 2002
Bay News 9 en Español launches
[1]The network starts a 24-hour Spanish-language local news service.
- 1999
Health Team 9 introduced
[1]The network establishes a recurring health-reporting team involving medical and mental-health professionals.
- 1997
Network launches
[1]Bay News 9 begins operations in the Tampa Bay area on September 24.
Products and positioning
A continuously available, locally focused regional news and weather service for Tampa Bay cable viewers.
24-hour regional cable news · 1997
Bay News 9
The core Tampa Bay news network uses a rolling-wheel format with repeated local news, weather, traffic, business, politics, and feature blocks. Producers refresh the wheel throughout the day and insert breaking-news updates as events develop. Weather reports traditionally appear at regular “on the nines” intervals, with wall-to-wall coverage during major storms.
Weather radar service · 2009
Klystron 9
Klystron 9 is the network’s branded advanced weather-radar system. Introduced in 2009, it combines dual-polarimetry and pulse-compression technologies with a high-power transmitter to support detailed analysis of precipitation and severe storms.
Political discussion program · 2005
Political Connections
A half-hour regional political discussion program produced by Bay News 9 in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times. It debuted in 2005 and has been scheduled on Sundays with an encore presentation.
Video-on-demand news
Bay News 9 on Demand
A cable video-on-demand service offering longer-form local news material, including press conferences and extended reports.
Spanish-language regional news · 2011
InfoMás
A former Spanish-language regional news channel created by combining Bay News 9 en Español with the comparable Central Florida News 13 service. It carried rolling news and programming aimed at Hispanic and Latin American audiences in the region.
Marketing campaigns
- Project Weather
Tampa Bay area
A community education initiative that brings hurricane and severe-weather safety information to schools and public events. Activities have included meteorologist sessions, school video calls, science kits for sixth-grade teachers, and weather-safety activity books.
Outcome. Ongoing community education program; a quantified outcome is not stated in the reference material.
Brand decisions
2017
Discontinue InfoMásStrategyBackground
Following Charter Communications’ assumption of control, the Spanish-language service was reassessed in light of audience behavior.
Action taken
InfoMás was discontinued on November 20, 2017.
Aftermath
Bay News 9 continued its primary English-language regional news operation.
2011
Combine Spanish-language news servicesM&ABackground
Bright House Networks operated separate Spanish-language services associated with Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13.
Action taken
The two services were merged into the regional InfoMás channel.
Aftermath
InfoMás operated until its discontinuation in November 2017.
2009
Upgrade to Klystron 9 radarGeneration changeBackground
The network sought more detailed and powerful storm observation than its earlier Doppler systems provided.
Action taken
Bay News 9 deployed Klystron 9, combining dual-polarimetry, pulse compression, a klystron tube, and a high-power transmitter.
Aftermath
Klystron 9 became a prominent part of Bay News 9’s weather identity and severe-weather coverage.
Sources2 sources
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