WAPT (TV)

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WAPT
city =
station_
station_slogan = Building Our Station Around You
station_branding = 16 WAPT News
analog = 16 (UHF)
digital = 21 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = October 3, 1970
location = Jackson, Mississippi
callsign_meaning = American
Public
Television
(reference to American Public Life Insurance Company)
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc.
licensee = WAPT Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 4790 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 359.1 m (analog)
332 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 49712
coordinates = coord|32|16|41.4|N|90|17|39.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=WAPT
homepage = [http://www.wapt.com/ www.wapt.com]

WAPT (analog channel 16; digital channel 21) is Jackson, Mississippi's longtime ABC affiliate.

History

The station began broadcasting on Saturday, October 3, 1970 with, appropriately enough, ABC's coverage of an Ole Miss football game; newscasts debuted in 1971. Prior to its debut, Jackson was one of the largest, if not the largest, markets in the U.S. to have only two television stations (WLBT and WJTV). It is likely (although no direct evidence exists) that the FCC delayed granting licenses to any potential broadcasters in central Mississippi until WLBT, which had a long history of discrimination against African-Americans in news coverage and advocacy against Civil Rights, either changed its ways or lost its license. The latter happened in 1969, and the following year saw this station and Mississippi Educational Television (now Mississippi Public Broadcasting) debut, doubling viewing choices for central Mississippians within a year's time.

When Argyle Television restructured in the wake of its deal to sell its pre-1995 stations to New World Communications, it acquired the Northstar Television Group (which included WAPT and then-sister stations WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan and WNAC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island). In August 1997, Argyle merged with the Hearst Corporation's broadcasting unit to form Hearst-Argyle Television.

In the 1990s, WAPT became one of many ABC affiliates (mostly in rural and Southern markets like Jackson) to ban Steven Bochco's controversial crime drama "NYPD Blue". However, in January 1995, some sixteen months after its premiere, the station lifted its ban on the show.

In 2004, all of Hearst-Argyle's ABC affiliates, including WAPT, preempted the network's airing of "Saving Private Ryan".

In 2005, WAPT was the victim of a prank by Sacha Baron Cohen for the mockumentary, "". [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226960,00.html] In 2008 WAPT designed new set by FX GroupIn 2008, WAPT announced that it would begin a noon newscast, becoming the third noon newscast in Jackson. [http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/NEWS/80222035] WAPT also broadcasts their radar live on a digital subchannel.

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"WAPT News" (October 3, 1970-1975)
*"Action News 16" (1975-1982)
*"The News on WAPT" (1982-1989)
*"Channel 16 News" (1989-1993)
*"Eyewitness News 16" (1993-1997)
*"16 WAPT News" (1997-present)

tation Slogans

*"We're WAPT Television, Channel 16" (1970-1975)
*"Part of Your Life" (1975-1978)
*"If it Happens in Mississippi, It Happens on Action News 16" (1978-1982)
*"You and Me and Channel 16" (1980-1981; local version of ABC campaign)
*"We're With You on Channel 16" (1984-1985; local version of ABC campaign)
*"You'll Love It on Channel 16" (1985-1986; local version of ABC campaign)
*"Always One Step Ahead" (1986-1989)
*"Your 24 Hour News Source" (1989-1993)
*"Metro Jackson's #1 News" (1993-1997)
*"Stories That Hit Home" (1997-2002)
*"Building Our Station Around You" (2002-mid 2007)
*"Built Around You" (late 2007-present)

News Staff

Current Personalities

Anchors
* Joyce Brewer - 5, 6 and 10 pm weekdays
* Desare Frazier - Weekend news anchor
* Brad McMullan - weekday mornings and 5pm; also does the "Pothole Patrol" report
* Scott Simmons - 6 and 10 pm weekdays
* Sharita Erves - weekday morning anchor

Meteorologists
* Jennifer Cook - weekends
* David Hartman - chief meteorologist; weekday evenings
* Ethan Huston - weekday mornings

Sports
* Brittany Diehl - weekend sports anchor
* Christian Steckel - sports director; weekday evenings anchor

Reporters
* Chantee Lans - also a producer
* Don Champion (can also do weather)
* Joseph Pleasant
* Megan West
* Katherine Kight

Past Personalities

* Kevin Robinson - now a meteorologist for The Weather Channel
* Tom Burse - Chief Meteorologist (Worked for WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, now at SNN6 in Sarasota.)
* Meg Ryan (not the famous movie actress)
* Stephanie Doss
* Adrienne Stein
* Katina Rankin
* Tony Bahou
* Andrea Molloy
* Cal Adams
* Cynthia Bowers-now at CBS News
* Stephanie Bell Flynt- now at WLBT
* Jamie Triplet
* Gene Edwards
* Whitney Vann
* Rick Whitlow - was at WJTV, but fired.
* Melissa Tamplin
* Tom Russo
* Brett Bullers
* Ken Johnson

External links

* [http://www.wapt.com/ Official website]
*TVQ|WAPT
*BIA|WAPT|TV|TV