WIVB-TV

WIVB-TV
Buffalo, New York
Branding	WIVB 4 (general) News 4 (newscasts)
Slogan	Keeping You Connected (news) Gotta Watch 4 (general) WIVB, Home of Western New York's News Leader (station identification)
Channel	Digital: 39 (UHF)
Subchannels	4.1 CBS-HD
Affiliations	CBS Television Network
Owner	LIN TV Corporation (WIVB Broadcasting, LLC)
First air date	May 14, 1948
Callsign meaning	We're IV (4) (former analog channel) Buffalo
Sister station(s)	WNLO
Former callsigns	WBEN-TV (1948–1977) WIVB (1977-1981)
Former channels	Analog: 4 (1948-2009)
Former affiliations	All secondary: NBC (1948–1954) ABC (1948–1956) DuMont (1948–1955)
Effective power	790 kW
Height	417 m
Facility ID	7780
Antenna coordinates	42°39′33″N 78°37′33.7″W / 42.65917°N 78.626028°W / 42.65917; -78.626028
Website	www.wivb.com

WIVB-TV is the CBS television affiliate in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 39. It is owned by LIN TV Corporation, and is sister station to WNLO 23, the area's CW network affiliate. The master control operations for both stations are located at the WISH-TV hub facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.

WIVB's transmitter (see WIVB-TV Tower) is located at 8242 Center Street in Colden, New York. It is one of several local Buffalo TV stations seen in Southern Ontario, including Toronto, which happens to be the channel's biggest target audience.

As of April 30, 2009, Shaw Broadcast Services and Shaw Direct no longer transmit the WIVB signal, replacing it with that of WWJ-TV in Detroit.^[1]

It was also, due to the absence of a CBS affiliate in the Elmira market, the CBS affiliate for portions of Steuben County. This lasted until 2009, when WENY-DT3 signed on as a CBS affiliate from Elmira.

Digital television

The station's digital channel is UHF 39, multiplexed. WIVB-TV's digital signal remains on channel 39. However, digital televisions with PSIP capability will display WIVB-TV's virtual channel as 4.

WIVB switched off their analog signal on Friday, June 12, 2009 at 9:00am.

History

An early WBEN-TV identification card.

The station went on the air in May 13, 1948 as WBEN-TV, almost three years after its owner, the Buffalo Evening News applied for a license. It is the oldest television station in the market and one of the oldest in the nation. As the only television station in Buffalo for its first several years, it carried programming from all four networks of the time: CBS, NBC, ABC and the DuMont Television Network; however, it was a primary CBS affiliate due to then-sister station WBEN Radio's longtime affiliation with the CBS radio network. It lost NBC when WGR-TV (Channel 2, now WGRZ-TV) signed on in 1954, and ABC to WGR-TV when NBC purchased WBUF-TV (Channel 17) in 1956. WBEN-TV continued to share DuMont programming with WGR-TV until 1956, when DuMont ceased network operations.

The station operated out of studios on the eighteenth floor of Hotel Statler until 1960, when it moved to studios at 2077 Elmwood Avenue originally built for WBUF-TV, which had gone dark in 1958 two months prior to the sign-on of the present-day ABC affiliate, WKBW-TV (Channel 7). One early show, running from the late 1940s until 1970, was Meet the Millers featuring Bill and Mildred Miller and their cooking and household tips each weekday afternoon.

Another staple throughout the 1950s and early 60s was a short visit to the North Pole with Santa Claus and Forgetful the Elf. This was a daily show aired only during December and sponsored by Hengerer's Department Store. During the late 1970s, WIVB took over the cable-access program Disco Step by Step.

When the Federal Communications Commission disallowed same market co-ownership of newspapers and broadcast licenses in the early 1970s, the combination of the Buffalo Evening News and WBEN-AM-FM-TV was grandfathered under the new rule. However, the death in 1977 of Katherine Butler, the longtime owner and publisher of the Evening News, led to the sale of the newspaper to its current owner, Berkshire Hathaway. This sale brought an end to 104 years of Butler family ownership of the Evening News. As a result, the Buffalo media combination lost its grandfathered protection, and Berkshire Hathaway opted to keep the newspaper and sell off the broadcasting properties. The television station was sold to newspaper publisher Robert Howard of Oceanside, California for $25.5 million. The new owner changed Channel 4's callsign to WIVB, which stands for "We're 4 Buffalo". (The WBEN callsign remains on News Talk 930 AM radio, which along with its FM sister station had been sold to Larry Levite's Algonquin Broadcasting. Both stations are currently owned by Entercom Communications.) The then-suffixless WIVB added the -TV suffix to its legal call sign in 1981. WIVB-TV was later sold to King World Productions (at that time a separate entity from both Viacom and CBS) in 1988. LIN acquired the station in 1995.

The station added a morning newscast on September 19, 1994, known as Wake Up!. It was the second morning newscast in the market (WKBW's Good Morning Western New York launched in 1987). During the mid-1990s, the station used the 24 Hour News Source format, which had been seen prior to this on WGRZ.

In 2000, WIVB's parent company LIN bought the station then known as WNEQ (channel 23), the region's secondary PBS affiliate. In January 23, 2001, WNEQ was relaunched as WNLO, an independent station, and soon WIVB began airing a 10 p.m. newscast on WNLO. WNLO began serving as the region's UPN affiliate in 2002. (The previous UPN stations, WNGS Springville and WONS Olean, later switched to programming from the Retro Television Network; it is currently being sold to the Daystar Television Network.) In September 2006 the station became the CW Television Network affiliate in Buffalo, NY.

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

On February 2, 2009, Wake Up expanded two hours on to its sister station WNLO.

Buffalo is currently one of the few larger markets in which none of its major television stations broadcast local news in even 16:9 widescreen, let alone HD, as of yet.

Cable coverage disputes

WIVB has had significant contract disputes with both of the major cable television providers in the station's coverage area, Time Warner Cable (which covers most of Western New York) and Atlantic Broadband (which covers much of its Northern Pennsylvania area as well as the rest of the western New York region). In both cases, WIVB is demanding a rights fee of 25 cents per month per subscriber (in addition to another 25 cents for sister station WNLO) and is refusing to allow the carriers the right to carry the signal. The agreement with Time Warner expired October 2, 2008.^[2]

WIVB-TV, along with sister station WNLO-TV, was taken off Time Warner Cable at 12:30 AM the morning of October 3, 2008 (replaced with CBS College Sports and HBO Family respectively in the channel lineup), when an agreement between LIN Television and Time Warner Cable could not be reached. According to WIVB-TV News, LIN Television and Time Warner Cable are still trying to work on a deal; Time Warner Cable says negotiations broke off at the time of the shutoff. Since the change, WIVB has openly advocated for Time Warner customers to switch to DISH Network. Time Warner, in turn, has been giving away free antennas and struck a deal with the Buffalo Bills Radio Network to simulcast the audio of the games on channel 4; Bills games and some CBS programs were restored in Niagara County through Toronto-based CFTO-TV (and in other parts of the region through WROC-TV and WSEE-TV), but in Erie, Cattaraugus, Allegany and western Steuben Counties, WIVB continues to, in addition to block its signal, enforce its syndication exclusivity on Bills games, preventing them from being brought in from another market.

An agreement was reached between LIN TV and Time Warner Cable on October 29, 2008, allowing WIVB and WNLO to return to Time Warner channel lineups. Terms of the deal were not made available.

There is no agreement or negotiation with Atlantic Broadband, but that company continued to retransmit WIVB without permission through 2008.^[3] Atlantic Broadband announced it would discontinue carrying WIVB in favor of WSEE-TV on January 1, 2009, and were apparently making no effort to negotiate a new deal.^[4] However, due to this date being over a holiday, WIVB granted a 30-day extension, at the end of which was an agreement that allowed WIVB to remain on air uninterrupted.^[5] The agreement will expire in January 2012. WNLO was not included in the agreement, and CW service will be provided in these areas by WSEE-DT2.

Accolades and honors

For most of the time since 2000, WIVB has been the most-watched news channel in Western New York (according to Nielsen) after rival WKBW's long winning streak ended. The station regularly scores ratings wins for every newscast it aired, from morning to night. The station had become so dominant in the market that it at one time garnered the highest television ratings for a local newscast in the entire nation, according to advertisements run by the station, an honor regained by the station in February 2008. As of late, rival WGRZ-TV, which has also had strong ratings in the market, has begun to challenge WIVB's dominance, specifically in the 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts Nielsen's May 2007 sweeps data. By July 2007, WGRZ's morning show was soundly beating WIVB's Wake Up! in the ratings, likely because WGRZ picked up former WIVB reporter Kevin O'Neill, AKA "The Why Guy." WIVB reclaimed the top position in the November 2007 sweeps, although still in a statistical tie with WGRZ, and as of May 2009 is now solidly back in first place. All three stations in the Buffalo market have been, at various times in their history, among the highest rated stations in the country, and the three stations are fiercely competitive.

However, the cable coverage disputes threatened the station's high standing. Although the dispute did not fall during an official sweeps month, preliminary instant data from The Buffalo News showed that WIVB fell precipitously from a strong first to a distant third for the month of October 2008, with less than half the viewership of second-place WKBW for its 6:00 newscast. Its 11:00 newscast fared slightly better, but still in distant third.^[6] With the official November sweeps out, WIVB regained the lead in most newscasts (except mornings, where it remained second to WGRZ), although third-place WKBW made significant gains on the station.^[7]

The station and its staff have won several Emmy awards including one in 1999.

WIVB chief meteorologist Don Paul has recently been voted Buffalo's favorite television personality, according to advertisements run on the station.

Programming

WIVB currently airs no local non-news programming, except for its public affairs program By the People, which has been a staple of WIVB's programming at Sunday morning, 6 a.m. for many decades.

Syndicated programming currently seen on WIVB includes The Oprah Winfrey Show, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood, Sex and the City, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Boston Legal, and CSI: NY (weekend syndication, in addition to the originals on CBS Wednesday nights). The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet was seen on WIVB until March 27, 2009, when it was pulled in favor of infomercials.

Televangelists that buy time on WIVB include The 700 Club, Lakewood Church and the Nation of Yahweh.

Personalities

News Anchors

• Joe Arena - Wake up!, Wake up! on CW 23 and Early Show Updates
• Lisa Flynn - 5:30 on WIVB; 10 P.M. on WNLO
• Mylous Hairston - 6 and 11 P.M.; 10 P.M. on WNLO(weekends)
• Melissa Holmes - Wake up! on CW 23 and Early Show Updates
• Victoria Hong - Wake up!, Noon"
• Michele McClintick - Wake up! (weekends)
• Don Postles - 5, 6 and 11 P.M.
• Jacquie Walker - 5, 6 and 11 P.M.

Sports

• John Murphy - sports director, weekdays at 5, 6 and 11 on WIVB; 10 P.M. on WNLO
• Paul Peck - weekends at 6 and 11 on WIVB; 10 P.M. on WNLO - sports reporter
• Robin Adams sports reporter and fill-in anchor (on maternity leave)

Weather

All WIVB weather anchors are certified meteorologists.

• Mike Cejka (AMS Seal of Approval) Wake-up weekdays, and 12:00p.m. weekdays.
• Don Paul - chief meteorologist - 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 P.M. on WIVB; 10 P.M. on WNLO (AMS Seal of Approval)
• Lindsay Schwarzwaelder Wake-up weekends 12:00p.m. weekends, and 10 & 11p.m. weekends!
• John Stehlin - Wakeup! weekends (fill-in)

Reporters

• Jericka Duncan (also fill-in sports)
• Luke Moretti
• Rich Newberg
• George Richert
• Lorey Schultz
• Al Vaughters
• Tricia Cruz

Notable former reporters

• John Beard - evening anchor (early 1980s). Later worked at KNBC and KTTV in Los Angeles, California; Now on Daybreak Channel 2WGRZ.
• Brian Blessing, sports anchor in the early 1990s. Went on to co-host Hockey Hotline on Empire Sports Network. Now in Las Vegas, hosting Sportsbook Radio and Behind the Lines on KBAD.
• Erika Brason, anchor of Weekend Wakeup!. (2000–2005) (Now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo)
• Ray Collins , news anchor and the first anchor of Wake Up! alongside Sue Serio. (1994–2000) (Now at WTVT in Tampa)
• Maria Genero, weather anchor (1980s). Went on to host Good Day New York; currently the weekend morning/fill-in weather anchor at WGRZ. [1]
• Chuck Gurney, meteorologist and (for a brief time) co-anchor of Weekend Wake Up!. (Now at WBNS-TV)
• Chuck Healey, former boxer and sports announcer. He was WBEN's news anchor from 1965 until 1971 when he returned to the sports desk where he remained until his retirement in 1978.
• Carol Crissey Jasen Nigrelli (AKA Carol Crissey and Carol Jasen), evening anchor. (1979-June 2002) Left the station to marry former WIVB reporter Craig Nigrelli and move to New Mexico.
• Jodi Johnston, did hourly news updates (1994–2000) (Now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo).
• Bob Koop, variously anchored the 11 p.m. news and the 5:30 news amongst other from 1980 until his leukemia forced him to go on sick leave in 1994; he died the next year.
• Van Miller was associated with WBEN/WIVB's from 1955 until his retirement from the station in 1998. For much of that time he was the station's sports director. He also hosted the station's high school quiz show It's Academic from the late 1960s until the 1990s. He also hosted the bowling show Beat the Champ from 1978 through the 1980s taking over from Healey. Probably best known for radio broadcasting Buffalo Bills games on the radio for about 4 decades.
• Kevin O'Connell was an anchor at WIVB throughout the 1970s before moving to Los Angeles, where he worked as a weather man at KNBC, KABC-TV and KCBS-TV, as well as hosted the short-lived NBC game show Go!. Now the chief weather anchor at rival WGRZ-TV.
• Pam Oliver, reporter (1988-1990). Went on to become a sideline reporter for NFL on Fox and NBA on TNT.
• Kevin O'Neill a.k.a. "The Why Guy." (September 1994-November 2006) O'Neill resigned after 12 years as WIVB's feature reporter. ( Now at WGRZ Channel 2 )
• Alysha Palumbo, reporter (2005-2008).
• Marie Rice, longtime WIVB reporter and morning update anchor since the 1970s, retired in 2006.
• Wadi Sawabini, longtime WIVB reporter (Now head of Sawabini & Associates Law Enforcement Video)
• Lisa Scott, anchor of Wake Up! and Noon news (1997- December 15, 2008). Now retired from television, and currently doing freelance reporting, writing and voice-over work.
• Sue Serio, joined WIVB as the first female co-anchor of Wake Up! in 1994. Serio married sports reporter Bill Vargas during her time at WIVB; by 1997, she was pregnant with his child. She went on maternity leave in 1997 but never returned to Buffalo; instead, both Serio and Vargas quietly went to WTXF-TV where she is today.
• Kathy Swenson (nee Straitiff), weekend anchor. Now the head of the Gateway Longview group home.
• Dennis Williams, sports director (1996-2008). Currently in sales at WGRZ-TV.
• Mary Beth Wrobel, meteorlogist (2000-2009). Released due to an expired contract on June 30, 2009.
• Rob Macko, reporter (2006-2009). Released due to an expired contract along with Mary Beth Wrobel on June 30, 2009.

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• News 4 Buffalo (1980s-1992)
• News 4 (1992-present)

Station slogans

• Western New York's #1 Newscast (1980s-1992)
• Gotta Watch 4 (2004-present; general slogan)
• 4 Today's News, 4 Tomorrow's Weather (mid 2000s)
• Keeping You Connected (2007-present; primary news slogan)
• WIVB, Home of Western New York's News Leader (2007-present; secondary news slogan)

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News music packages

• WBEN News
• The News Image & The News Image Plus
• The One for All
• Prime News
• Third Coast
• 360

References

External links

• www.wivb.com (official website)
• more local news
• The Santa Show Page by Buffalonian Steve Cichon
• Brief history of WBEN-TV (WIVB)
• http://www.necrat.com/wivb_protv.html WIVB tower and studio photos
• "WIVB-TV4 - Buffalo, NY" Waymark Information on WIVB with studio photos
• WIVB-TV's Youtube channel
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WIVB
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WIVB-TV