WDTN

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WDTN
city =
station_
station_slogan = On Your Side
station_branding = Channel 2 (general)
2 News (newscasts)
analog = 2 (VHF)
digital = 50 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = NBC
network =
founded =
airdate = March 15, 1949
location = Dayton/Springfield, Ohio
callsign_meaning = DayToN
former_callsigns = WLWD (1949-1976)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = LIN TV Corporation
licensee = WDTN Broadcasting, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
NBC (1949-1980)
ABC (1980-2004)
Secondary:
ABC (1949-1971)
DuMont (1949-1955)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 304 m (analog)
323 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 65690
coordinates = coord|39|43|7.9|N|84|15|21|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wdtn.com/ www.wdtn.com]

WDTN is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Miami Valley area of Ohio. Licensed to Dayton, the station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 2 and a digital signal on UHF channel 50. WDTN's transmitter is located southwest of Dayton on Frytown Road in an area humorously referred to as "the antenna farm" for the many transmission towers located there. Owned by LIN TV, the station has studios that are located on South Dixie Drive in the city of Moraine. The station's master control is located at sister station WISH-TV in Indianapolis, Indiana.

WDTN's current logo is similar to ones used by KMID, WPRI-TV, and WNAC-TV.

tation History

The license for what is now WDTN was granted to the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation of Cincinnati on March 3, 1947. It was the first broadcast television license granted by the FCC to the Dayton television market.

However, due to several delays, it did not actually go on the air until March 15, 1949; 20 days after CBS affiliate WHIO-TV began broadcasting. The station originally signed on with the callsign WLWD (identified on-air as "WLW-D"). From its start, WLWD was affiliated with NBC. The station also carried programming from DuMont and ABC.

The first program shown on WLWD was the Texaco Star Theater with Milton Berle. WLWD's offices, studios, and studio-transmitter link KUQ-43 were established at 4595 South Dixie Highway in the Dayton suburb of Moraine. It was in a building that had previously housed a skating rink. The studios and offices remain there to this day.

WLWD lost DuMont in 1955, a few months before that network shut down. It lost ABC in 1965 (though it cleared some ABC daytime programming until 1971 as a secondary affiliate) when then-independent WONE-TV (now WKEF) picked up ABC's prime-time programming. Even before 1965, WLWD had little need to carry ABC programming, since Cincinnati's WKRC-TV and Columbus' WTVN-TV (now WSYX) both decently covered the Dayton area.

In 1968, Crosley merged with Avco. In 1976, Avco decided to exit broadcasting. It sold WLWD to Grinnell College, who changed the call letters to the current WDTN.

The station became a sole ABC affiliate in 1980. The next year, Hearst Broadcasting bought the station.

In August 1997, Hearst's television group merged with Argyle Television Holdings II to form Hearst-Argyle Television. Argyle had purchased Cincinnati's WLWT that January. WDTN's city-grade signal covers most of the Cincinnati area, while WLWT's city-grade signal reaches most of the Dayton area. At the time, the FCC normally did not allow common ownership of two stations with overlapping signals, but would not even consider granting a waiver for stations with overlapping city-grade coverage. As a result, Hearst-Argyle opted to keep WLWT and trade WDTN together with WNAC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island to the Sunrise Television Group for WPTZ in Plattsburgh, New York, WNNE in Hartford, Vermont and KSBW in Salinas, California. (Ironically, both stations were owned by Crosley /Avco (of which WLWT was the flagship] for nearly three decades. Under Crosley / Avco ownership, they were grandfathered.) The sale was finalized on July 2, 1998. Sunrise merged with LIN TV four years later.

On August 30, 2004, in a reversal of the 1980 switch, WDTN became an NBC affiliate for the second time to take advantage of NBC's (then) stronger programming. Ironically, several months after the affiliation shift, ABC's programming overtook NBC's, and has remained since.

On May 18, 2007, LIN TV announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives that could result in the sale of the company.

In early-June 2007, WDTN's website, along with those of several other LIN-owned stations not affiliated with FOX (WNDY-TV, WWHO, WAND, WWLP and WLFI-TV), underwent a redesign. The web addresses are now operated by the Local Media Network division of World Now. Previously, they were powered by Web-Pros.

WDTN and Time Warner Cable are currently in talks to provide cable access to the station's high definition digital signal. WDTN and LIN-TV do not have a prepared statement on their respective web pages regarding this issue. Instead, WDTN requests anyone with questions/concerns about this issue contact them directly. See the "Contact Us" menu on their web page linked below.

tation Programming

During its first stint as an NBC affiliate, channel 2's main specialty was local programming and news. This provided an alternative not found anywhere else. Across town, WHIO signed on a few weeks earlier with a similar format (along with CBS programs). Dayton received clear pictures from stations in Cincinnati (45 miles to the south) and Columbus. Game show host and announcer Johnny Gilbert hosted his own local daytime variety/talk show immediately after the local airing of WLW Television's "Paul Dixon Show" in the mid-1960s. Phil Donahue (former news anchor and radio talk show host at WHIO) began hosting a talk show on WLWD in 1968 that was more issue oriented (greatly reducing the station's program budget). Donahue's show went national in 1970. Since most programs on the regional network WLW Television originated from WLWT in Cincinnati, it was the first time WLWD was the originator of a program.

Aside from Paul Dixon's morning show, other Cincinnati-based programming that aired on WLWD included "The 50-50 Club", hosted by Ruth Lyons (later by Bob Braun after Lyons' retirement in 1967), and the Saturday evening country music program Midwestern Hayride. Due to this heavy programming schedule, many network programs from NBC and ABC were recorded on film as a kinescope for later airings.

On rare occasions when a program was unavailable (sometimes due to network technical difficulties or if fill time was available before or after a network sportscast) a half-hour series entitled "Star Performance" (consisting mostly of dramatic pilot episodes from the 1950s) would air. Fifteen minute mini-documentaries or newsreels would also air as a time filler under the title "Miniature Theater".

By the mid-late 1970s, ABC had become the leading network. Dayton's ABC affiliate, WKEF, was only a part-time affiliate. It ran ABC's primetime shows, sports, weekend cartoons and any other ABC programming pre-empted by Cincinnati's WKRC-TV. ABC was searching for stronger affiliates in order to cement its status as the leading network in the country, so it approached WDTN for a deal. On January 1, 1980, WDTN and WKEF swapped affiliations. Under the deal, WDTN agreed to run any ABC programming that was being pre-empted by WKRC, but was exempt from running the afternoon soap operas after 2 PM. In place of "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital", WDTN ran cartoons and off-network sitcoms. NBC's programming would go to less desirable WKEF.

By the late 1980s, the cartoons and sitcoms made way for first run talk shows like "Oprah Winfrey" (at 4 PM), "Montel Williams", and "Jerry Springer". WDTN would begin its talk block at 2 PM during the week.

In 2000, Time Warner Cable, Dayton's largest cable system, dropped the Cincinnati network affiliates to make room for new cable channels. As a result ABC soap viewers could no longer see "One Life" or "General Hospital", while over-the-air viewers could still pick them up on WCPO-TV (which had become Cincinnati's ABC affiliate in 1996). As a result, in the Fall of 2000 "General Hospital" was added to WDTN's schedule. But "One Life To Live" would be pre-empted another 2 years. In 2002, after LIN Television acquired the station, "One Life To Live" was added to the schedule as well. After that WDTN ran ABC's entire schedule until it returned to NBC in 2004.

"Jeopardy!" has aired on WDTN since the mid-1990s. "Wheel of Fortune", on the other hand, airs on WHIO.

Veteran announcer and former radio personality Charlie Van Dyke is the voice on its station IDs,news intros,promos and other voice over work.

Time Warner Cable pulled the signals of Dayton's WDTN-TV and other LIN TV Corp.-owned stations from local cable offerings early Friday, October 3rd, 2008, after Time Warner and LIN TV failed to reach agreement on a new contract. Executives for Time Warner Cable and LIN TV Corp,resumed negotiations Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 on a new contract, after Time Warner pulled the plug on the signals of WDTN-TV and other LIN TV Corp.-owned stations from local cable offerings.

News Operation

For most of its history, WDTN's newscast has been a solid runner-up to WHIO. In the 1970s and 1980s, WDTN used the "Eyewitness News" branding.

On August 18, 2007, WDTN began to produce a nightly, half-hour newscast at 10 on the area's CW affiliate, WBDT.

Also in 2007, "2 News" won the "Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence" for the second straight year. WDTN has an Emmy award winning news operation.

The station maintains a news partnership with several area newspapers.

WDTN is known for their "Turn to 2" segments, which viewers can contact reporter Kennan Oliphant if they need help with consumer issues.

In addition to their main studios, WDTN operates news bureaus in Springfield and Greene County.

The station operates their own weather radar which is known as "Live Doppler 2X". It is located on the west side of Dayton. The station is also a Weather Bug affiliate. The weather team has a blog on their website for viewers that gives an inside eye of what happens behind the scenes at the "Storm Team 2 Forecast Center".

WDTN does not offer NBC Weather Plus at the current time.

Logos

News Team

Anchors
*Dan Edwards - weekday mornings
*Libby Kirsch - weekday mornings
*Carl Day - weekdays at Noon
*Marsha Bonhart - weekdays at Noon, 5:30, and 6 PM
*Mark Allan - weeknights at 5, 6, 10 (on WBDT), and 11 PM
*Michelle Kingsfield - weeknights at 5, 10 (on WBDT), and 11 PM
*Mike Schell - weeknights at 5:30 PM
*Kennan Oliphant - weekends

"Storm Team 2"
*Carl Nichols - Chief Meteorologist, weeknights at 5:30 & 6 PM
*Jamie Jarosik - Meteorologist, weeknights at 5:00, 10 PM (on WBDT) & 11 PM
*Brian Davis - Meteorologist, weekday mornings and Noon
*Erik Zarnitz - Meteorologist, weekends

Sports
*Jack Pohl - Sports Director
*Neil "Hutch" Konerman

Reporters
*Jim Bucher
*Dave D'Marko
*Chelby Kosto
*Megan O'Rourke
*Mandi Sheridan
*Sonu Wasu
*Karrie Rossmiller
*Jordan Burgess
*Holly Samuels

Notable Alumni

*Bob Hocks, meteorolgist during the 1980s (now is a substitute meteorologist at WCPO in Cincinnati)
*Chris Bradley (now at WBNS/Ohio News Network in Columbus,OH)
*Matt Stewart (now reporter/weekend anchor @ KCTV)
*Rodney Dunigan (now reporter WTVF Nashville)
*Jana Katsuyama, weekend anchor/reporter (now at KTVU Oakland/San Francisco)
*Randi Rico, weekend meteorologist (now at WLWT)
*Len Berman (now at NBC Sports and WNBC)
*Donna Jordan, anchor (went to WHIO, now retired)
*Dave Calabro, sports (now Sports Director at WTHR Indianapolis and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Announcer)
*Coleen Sullivan, weekday anchor (formerly was dating Earl Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana)
*Dan Spehler, anchor/reporter (now at WRTV 6 in Indianapolis)
*Howard Nathan, anchor/investigative Reporter
*Kristi Piehl, reporter (now at KSTP)
*Guy Fogle, sports anchor
*Glen Barbour, reporter (now at KSTP)
*Dan Patrick, sports anchor (formerly at ESPN and ESPN Radio)
*Julie Chen, reporter (now at CBS News)
*Scott Arnold, reporter (now at WTVF)
*Fran Charles, sports anchor (now at NFL Network)
*Inga Hammond, reporter (known as Allison Hammond @ WDTN) (now at Golf Channel)
*Jodine Costanzo, reporter (now at WPXI)
*Jack Hicks, lead anchor, former Sunrise Anchor (now retired)
*Kathy Hart, anchor/reporter (now at WKEF/WRGT)
*Karen Schimmoller, morning news anchor
*Sam Yates, morning news anchor (formerly @ WHIO)
*Omar Williams, long time sports director(retired in 1996, passed in 2008) [http://www.wdtn.com/Global/story.asp?S=8268283&nav=menu590_1]
*Kris Long, anchor/reporter (now at KPSP, Palm Springs, CA)
*Bruce Pompeani, anchor/reporter(worked at KDKA-TV Pittsburgh from 1997-2005, now works in advertising).
*Tony Pann, meteorologist(now works for WUSA9 in the DC/Maryland area).
*Mike Gallagher, sports anchor/reporter, conservative radio talk show host
*Ken Kettering, sports anchor/reporter
*Joan Khoenle, anchor/reporter
*Mark Viviano, sports anchor/reporter(now sports director at WJZ-TV, Baltimore)
*C.K. Elston, staff announcer, retired
*Ed Hamlyn, news director and 6 and 11 pm news anchor, retired
*Dewey Hopper, staff announcer and host of "The Weather Outside with Dewey" during 6pm newscast and Saturday morning children's program "Janie and The Genie", retired
*Bob Breck, first staff meteorologist (August 1973 - April 1978); now at WVUE, New Orleans
*Dave Bohman, former reporter/Weekend Anchor; Currently Assistant News Director, WKEF/WRGT-TV
*Molly Hughes, evening anchor (now at KCNC in Denver)
*Brad Woebkenberg
*Johnny Gilbert (announcer on "Jeopardy!")
*Phil Donahue
*Myrt Price, reporter (now at WOIO, Cleveland, OH)
*Laura Borchers, reporter for WLWT Cincinnati, OH
*Chuck Gillespie, weather specialist (now radio personality, WLZT-FM, Columbus, OH)
*Jim Blue
*Mark Giangreco, sports anchor (now sports director at WLS-TV, ABC O&O in Chicago)

External links

* [http://www.wdtn.com/ WDTN "Dayton's NBC"]
* [http://www.daytonscw.com/ WBDT "Dayton's CW"]
*TVQ|WDTN
*BIA|WDTN|TV|TV