- WMUR-TV
Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WMUR-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = No One Covers New Hampshire Like We Do
station_branding = "WMUR 9" (general)
"WMUR News 9" (newscast)
analog = 9 (VHF)
digital = 59 (UHF)
affiliations = ABCABC News Now (on DT2)
other_chs = W27BL Berlin
WMUR-LP 29 Littleton
W38CB Littleton
founded =
airdate =March of1954
location =Manchester, New Hampshire
callsign_meaning = Gov. Francis P. MURphy (founder)
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner =Hearst-Argyle Television
licensee = Hearst-Argyle Properties, Inc.
sister_stations =WPTZ WNNE WCVB-TV WMTW
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 282 kW (analog)
537 kW (digital)
erp_temporary =
HAAT = 314 m (analog)
305 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 73292
coordinates = coord|42|59|1.7|N|71|35|22.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.wmur.com/ wmur.com]WMUR-TV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated
television station for the state ofNew Hampshire that is licensed to Manchester. Its transmitter is located on Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown. Owned byHearst-Argyle Television , the station has studios on South Commercial Street in downtown Manchester. Several parts of WMUR's programming lineup are similar to that of sister stationWCVB-TV , Boston's ABC affiliate, as both stations share some syndicated programs. WMUR airs a localized version of "Chronicle", WCVB's longtime signature program. Along with WMUR and WCVB, Hearst-Argyle also ownsNBC affiliateWNNE . That station is based inWhite River Junction, Vermont and serves as asemi-satellite ofWPTZ . Both stations are NBC affiliates and owned by Hearst-Argyle as well. During election seasons, WMUR is well-known for organizing and producing candidate debates forABC News , as well asCNN , before the firstUnited States presidential primary.Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
In
2009 , WMUR-TV will remain on channel 9 when the analog to digital transition is complete.http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf]Repeaters
Since
1994 , WMUR has operated three repeaters in the northern parts of New Hampshire. Until2001 , two of the stations aired programming from Fox and simulcasted WMUR's newscasts (the third one simulcasted WMUR itself). The two Fox stations started simulcasting WMUR whenWMTW-TV , the ABC affiliate forPortland, Maine , moved its transmitter off Mount Washington.History
WMUR-TV was established by former New Hampshire governor
Francis P. Murphy onMarch 1 ,1954 . It was the first television station in the state and broadcasted daily newscasts, local game shows, and movies. The station was sold to Richard Eaton's United Broadcasting in 1959 following Murphy's death a year earlier. In the 1970s, one of its local programs was the children's weekday strip known as "The Uncle Gus Show". Unlike Boston's astronaut "Major Mudd" or the widely franchised "Bozo", host "Uncle Gus" wore no costume except an angler's hat. In July 1981 (following Richard Eaton's death) WMUR was sold to Birney Imes Jr., aColumbus, Mississippi businessman who also owned that city'sWCBI-TV as well asWBOY-TV inClarksburg, West Virginia . Under the ownership of Imes, he made WMUR a major influence in New Hampshire by upgrading its facilities and news department. In September 1987, the station moved from its original studios on Elm Street in Manchester to 50 Phillippe Cote Street in the historic Millyard area of the city.Then, in 1995, WMUR purchased land and a building at their current location of 100 South Commercial Street. This building was rebuilt as a state-of-the-art broadcast center with 80,000 square feet available. The station went on the air from this new location in January 1996. In November 1998, WMUR's digital signal began broadcasting on UHF channel 59. In December 2000, Imes Communications sold the station to
Emmis Communications . Three months later, Emmis traded WMUR toHearst-Argyle Television for that company's three radio stations inPhoenix, Arizona : KTAR-AM, KMVP, and KKLT. In 2004, the station celebrated 50 years of broadcasting. OnSeptember 23 ,2005 , WMUR became available on satellite viaDirecTV in the North Country region of New Hampshire (Coos, Carroll, Grafton, and Sullivan Counties). In the final season of "The West Wing ", congressmenMatt Santos running in the Democratic Presidential Primary went to the studio of WMUR to run a [http://westwing.bewarne.com/sixth/615fredonia.html live ad for his campaign] .New Hampshire network affiliates
Manchester is about 45 miles north from Boston while Concord is about 60 miles. Boston's
VHF stations have grade A signals in Manchester and Grade B signals in Concord while theUHF stations have grade B signals in Manchester but spotty signals in Concord. It was once thought that Southern New Hampshire could break away from Boston and become its own market. If the sub-market were to break away from Boston, it would rank in the top 100 of all U.S. television markets. However, CBS' ownership ofWBZ-TV makes this unlikely as it could dilute that station's ad revenue.At the start of 1988, the sub-market had WMUR and
PBS affiliate WENH. OnFebruary 1 ,1988 , an independent station based in Concord, WNHT, became Southern New Hampshire's firstCBS affiliate and began to produce local newscasts. WNHT lost the affiliation and stopped broadcasting onMarch 31 ,1989 as a result of low viewership and ratings. There has not been a CBS affiliate based in the state since then. In the early-1990s, WBZ-TV (which is now the CBS affiliate for parts of Southern New Hampshire within the Boston market) operated anews bureau in Manchester which was re-established on Elm Street in November 2006. When WNHT signed off, WMUR & WENH remained the only network affiliated stations in the state until the creation ofMyNetworkTV back onSeptember 5 . On that date, another independent station,WZMY-TV (formerly WNDS) based in Derry, became the Southern New Hampshire and Boston affiliate for MyNetworkTV.There has never been an
NBC affiliate based in the state. However,WNNE has, since 1978, broadcast NBC programming into parts of western New Hampshire from just across the state line inVermont . Much of this area is considered part of the Burlington / Plattsburgh market although WMUR is still available. The rest of the state receives the NBC feed from that network's affiliates in eitherBoston or Portland. There were noThe WB andUPN affiliates when those networks were active.The CW network does not presently have any affiliates in New Hampshire either. WMUR has always promoted the fact that it is the only major network affiliate and consistent local news source in the state. The station's current slogan reflects this.News operation
WMUR broadcasts around 65 hours of local news each week. In addition to their main studios, the station operates two news bureaus in the state. The Lakes Region Bureau is located at The Inn at Bay Point in Meredith. The Seacoast Bureau is located at Harbor Place in Portsmouth. WMUR's weeknight 5, 5:30, and 6 o'clock newscasts are simulcasted on two area radio stations: WTPL-FM 107.7 and
WTSN-AM 1270. The station broadcasts national news from a Washington D.C. Bureau operated by Hearst-Argyle. The bureau employs several reporters who give live reports to the various Hearst-Argyle affiliates. Although WMUR does not own or operate aweather radar of its own, the station uses liveNOAA National Weather Service radar data from several regional sites. During weather segments, this data is presented in a forecasting system called "Storm Watch 9 Storm Tracker" that is provided through the WSI Graphics system. A live video feed of this system is offered on WMUR's website.News team
Anchors
*Sean McDonald - weekday mornings
*Erin Fehlau - weekday mornings and Noon
*Jean Mackin - weeknights at 5 and 5:30
**reporter
*Jennifer Vaughn - weeknights at 6
**medical reporter
*Tiffany Eddy - weeknights at 11
**"New Hampshire Chronicle" co-host
*Tom Griffith - weeknights
**"New Hampshire Chronicle" co-host
*Amy Coveno - weekend mornings
**reporter
*Kria Sakakeeny - weekend evenings
**reporter"Storm Watch 9 Meteorologists"
*Mike Haddad - Chief seen on weeknights
**heard on WMLL-FM 96.5
*Kevin Skarupa (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist ) - weekday mornings and Noon
**heard on WMLL-FM 96.5
*Josh Judge (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) - weekends
*Bill Gile - fill-in
*Chris Thomas Jarzynka - occasional fill-inSports
*Jamie Staton - Director seen on weeknights at 6 and 11
*Jason King - weekend evenings
**sports reporter
*Naoko Funayama - sports reporter
**sports producer and "Hometown Hero" segment producerReporters
*Andy Hershberger - crime
*Ray Brewer - weekday mornings and Noon
*Sally Kidd - national correspondent
*Laurie Kinney - national correspondent
*Josh Davis
*Heather Hamel
*Kimberly Bookman
*Adam Sexton
*Aaron KelloggLogos
References
External links
* [http://www.wmur.com/ WMUR-TV/DT]
* [http://wap.wmur.com/ WMUR wireless]
*TVQ|WMUR-TV
*TVQ|W27BL
*TVQ|WMUR-LP
*TVQ|W38CB
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