WISC-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WISC-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Informed, Involved, and In Touch (newscasts)
station_branding = Channel 3 (general)
News 3 (newscasts)
analog = 3 (VHF)
digital = 50 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = CBS
MyNetworkTV (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = June 24, 1956
location = Madison, Wisconsin
callsign_meaning = WISConsin
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Morgan Murphy Media
licensee = Television Wisconsin, Inc.
sister_stations = |My Madison TV
former_affiliations = UPN (secondary on WISC 1995-1999; cable/digital only, 2002-2006)
The WB (cable/digital only, 2000-2002)
effective_radiated_power = 24 kW (analog)
603 kW (digital)
HAAT = 469 m (analog)
466 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 65143
coordinates = coord|43|3|20.5|N|89|32|6.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.channel3000.com/ www.channel3000.com]

WISC-TV, channel 3 (analog)/50 (digital), is the CBS affiliate for Madison, Wisconsin. It is also the only full-power VHF outlet in the Madison media market. The station signed on the air for its first broadcast on June 24, 1956. WISC-TV is the flagship station of Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its inception on June 24, 1956 when it took CBS from WKOW-TV. WISC-TV also carried a secondary UPN affiliation during overnight periods between 1995 and 1999. Its transmitter is located in Madison.

The station also operates My Madison TV, which is carried on local cable, on DIRECTV in the Madison market, and on WISC's digital subchannel 3.2 (DT 3.1 simulcasts WISC's lineup).

Programming

The station airs a mix of local programming, newscasts, and syndicated shows (among them "Dr Phil", "The Oprah Winfrey Show", and "Entertainment Tonight"). While WISC usually airs the full CBS program schedule, a notable exception involves UW-Madison sports programming from ESPN Plus (which ended in 2006), which sometimes forced prime-time programming from CBS to overnight timeslots during the season.

In addition to its 6 p.m. newscast, WISC airs "News 3 Live at Five," which is largely devoted to non-headline news and features that focus on the community and the people of Madison, Dane County, and southern Wisconsin.

On-air personalities

*Susan Siman (Weekdays at 5:00, 6:00)
*Eric Franke (Weekdays at 6:00, 10:00)
*Mark Koehn (Weekdays at Noon, 5:00)
*Teri Barr (Weekdays at 9:00 (on My Madison TV), 10:00)
*Rob Starbuck (Weekdays in the Morning)
*Charlotte Deleste (Weekdays in the Morning)
*Andy Choi (Weekends at 5:30, 6:00, 10:00)
*Gary Cannalte (Chief Meteorologist)
*Jay Wilson (Sports Director)
*Jessica Arp (Reporter)
*Linda Eggert (Reporter)
*Marc Lovicott (Reporter)
*Maria Guerrero (Reporter)
*Angela Bettis (Reporter)
*Naomi McDonald (Reporter/Producer)
*Jeff Smith (Weather)
*Haddie McLean (Weather)
*Karin Swanson (Weather)
*Josh Williamson (Weekend Sports)
*Neil Heinen (WISC/"Madison Magazine" Editorial Director and host of "For the Record")
*Shawn Prebil (WTDY traffic reporter)

History

WISC-TV, with the local media market's only VHF transmission tower, had the farthest reach over the air before the beginning of cable simulcasting of the UHF broadcasts of other local stations. From its early days in broadcasting through the 1970s the station ID was "WISC-TV, Channel 3—Madison. Wisconsin's Leadership Station." Jerry Deane was a very popular news presenter. William "Bill" Dyke was an on-air talent in the early 1960s before he eventually became mayor of Madison.

WISC-TV commerated its 50th anniversary in June 2006, which merited a congratulatory mention by David Letterman on his "Late Show" broadcast of June 22, 2006 (their first program, he quipped, was "Good Morning, Cheddar").

Past On-Air Personalities

*George Johnson (Sports Director) Left station 2008-09-12 after altercation with police
*John Karcher (Anchor)
*Pam Tauscher (Anchor)
*Carleen Wild (Anchor) Now with WMTV
*Laura Behnke (Sports) Now with KNTV San Jose, CA
*Jessie Garcia (Sports) Now with WTMJ-TV Milwaukee, WI
*Marney Gellner (Sports) Now with FSN North
*Angela Jacobs (Sports) Now with WTSP-TV Tampa, FL
*Martin Kilcoyne (Sports) Now with KTVI-TV St. Louis, MO
*Matt Lepay (Sports) Voice of University of Wisconsin Football & Basketball
*Curt Menefee (Sports) Now with Fox NFL Sunday Host
*Alanna Rizzo (Sports) Now with FSN Rocky Mountain
*Chris Swanson (Sports) Now with NWCN Seattle, WA
*Dawn Stevens (Anchor/Reporter) Now with KMSP-TV Minneapolis, MN
*Toya Washington (Anchor/Reporter) Now with WISN-TV Milwaukee, WI
*Joel DeSpain(Reporter) Now Public Information Officer, Madison Police Dept.
*Steve Van Dinter (Reporter) Now News 3's Gadget Guy & Media Relations Director, SSM Health Care of Wisconsin
*Charles Buhrow (Sports) Now Sales Director, Digital Golf Network
*Mike Pitas (Sports) Now Advertising Sales, Manufacturing.net

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"WISC-TV News" (1956-1960)
*"Channel 3 News" (1960-1966)
*"Newsroom 3" (1966-1971)
*"TV-3 Eyewitness News" (September 13, 1971 ["Stations Here Gain Prime Time But Few Local Shows Develop", page 23. Wisconsin State Journal, 9/5/71.] -1982)
*"Channel 3 Action News" (1982-1989)
*"News 3" (1989-present)

tation Slogans

*"TV-3, Your Eyewitness News Station" (1971-1982)
*"Channel 3, Where the Action Is" (1982-1985)
*"Madison's #1 News Team" (1985-1989)
*"Your 24 Hour News Source" (1989-1995)
*"Where the News Comes First" (1995-2004)
*"Informed, Involved, and In Touch" (2004-present)

References

External links

* [http://www.channel3000.com "Channel 3000," the WISC-TV website]
* [http://www.channel3000.com/anniversary/index.html Direct link to WISC-TV's 50th anniversary webpage]
* [http://www.madisonmagazine.com/pdf/WISC-50years.pdf June 2006 feature from "Madison Magazine" on WISC-TV's 50th anniversary (large PDF file)]
* [http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/304528 "WISC-TV sports director is out of a job after a traffic incident"]
*TVQ|WISC-TV
*BIA|WISC|TV|TV