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{{refimprove|date=November 2012}} {{refimprove|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox Broadcast | {{Infobox Broadcast |
call_letters = WFAA| call_letters = WFAA|
city = Dallas| city = Dallas, Texas|
station_logo = ]| station_logo = ]|
station_slogan = ''The Spirit of Texas'' <small>(primary)</small><br>''Start Here'' <small>(secondary)</small>| station_slogan = ''The Spirit of Texas'' <small>(primary)</small><br>''Start Here'' <small>(secondary)</small>|
station_branding = WFAA-TV Channel 8, Channel 8, WFAA-TV <small>(general)</small><br>News 8, News 8 HD <small>(newscasts)</small>| station_branding = WFAA-TV Channel 8, Channel 8, WFAA-TV <small>(general)</small><br>News 8, News 8 HD <small>(newscasts)</small>|
digital = 8 (])| digital = 8 (])|
subchannels = (])| subchannels = (])|
other_chs = | other_chs = |
affiliations = ]<br>] (DT2)<br>] (DT3)| affiliations = ]<br>] (DT2)<br>] (DT3)|
airdate = September 17, 1949| airdate = September 17, 1949|
location = ] / ]| location = ]–]|
callsign_meaning = "'''W'''orking '''F'''or '''A'''ll '''A'''like"<ref>. The Broadcast Archive. Retrieved 2011-3-18.</ref>| callsign_meaning = "'''W'''orking '''F'''or '''A'''ll '''A'''like"<ref>. The Broadcast Archive. Retrieved 2011-3-18.</ref>|
former_callsigns = KBTV (1949-1950)| former_callsigns = KBTV (1949-1950)|
former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:'''<br>8 (VHF, 1949-2009)<br>'''Digital:'''<br>9 (VHF, 1998-2009)| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:'''<br>8 (VHF, 1949–2009)<br>'''Digital:'''<br>9 (VHF, 1998–2009)|
owner = ]| owner = ]|
licensee = WFAA-TV, Inc.| licensee = WFAA-TV, Inc.|
sister_stations = | sister_stations = |
former_affiliations = '''Primary''':<br />] (1949–1950)<br>] (1950–1957)<br>'''Secondary''':<br>] (1949)<br>] (1950–1955)<br>] (1950–1957)| former_affiliations = '''Primary''':<br />] (1949–1950)<br>] (1950–1957)<br>'''Secondary''':<br>] (1949)<br>] (1950–1955)<br>] (1950–1957)|
effective_radiated_power = 55 ]| effective_radiated_power = 55 ]|
HAAT = 512 m| HAAT = 512 m|
facility_id = 72054| facility_id = 72054|
coordinates = {{Coord|32|35|6.00|N|96|58|41.00|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}| coordinates = {{Coord|32|35|6.00|N|96|58|41.00|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}|
licensing_authority = ]| licensing_authority = ]|
homepage = | homepage = |
}} }}


'''WFAA''', channel 8, is an ]-affiliated television station serving Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, one of the top ten<!--currently sixth according to the list linked at right--> ]s ]. The station, with its offices in ] ],<ref>"." WFAA. Retrieved on September 30, 2012. "Mailing Address WFAA-TV Channel 8 606 Young St Dallas, TX 75202"</ref> is the flagship of ] and the largest ABC affiliate not owned and operated by the network. It is also the largest affiliate of any of the "big four" networks (], ], ] and ]) not owned by that respective network. In turn, WFAA and CW affiliate ] (channel 33) are the only network-affiliate stations in the market not to be owned and operated by their network. '''WFAA''', channel 8, is an ]-] ] serving ], its ], and ]. The station is the flagship television property of ], making it the largest ABC affiliate by market size that is not ] by the network, one of only two network-affiliated stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth market (along with CW affiliate ] (channel 33)) that is not a network-owned station and the largest affiliate of any of the "Big Four" networks (ABC, ], ] and ]) not to be owned by that respective network.


The station is licensed to Dallas and its studios and offices are located ] next to the office of '']''&mdash;with whom it was co-owned from 1950 to 2008&mdash;and at the ] development next to the ] where the morning and noon shows are broadcast. The station has small bureaus in Collin County at ], and in Tarrant County near ]. Both bureaus house a few reporters but are rarely used for filming. Its transmitter is located in ]. The station's studios and offices are located in ] Dallas,<ref>"." WFAA. Retrieved on September 30, 2012. "Mailing Address WFAA-TV Channel 8 606 Young St Dallas, TX 75202"</ref> next to the offices of '']'' (with whom it was co-owned from 1950 to 2008), with a secondary studio used for newscasts at the ] development next to the ]. Its transmitter is located in ].


WFAA is carried as the local ABC affiliate to DISH Network and DirecTV subscribers within that market and the sole ABC affiliate carried by cable operators in several of the largest cities in the Sherman-Ada market including ], ] and ] in Oklahoma; this is despite the presence of an ] broadcast over the digital signal of NBC affiliate ] (channel 10) in the Ada-Sherman market, which launched in May 2010. WFAA is also available on cable providers within the ]-] market including ], ] and ]; this is despite the presence of an ] broadcast over the digital signal of NBC affiliate ] (channel 10) in the Ada-Sherman market, which launched in May 2010.


==History== ==History==
The station began telecasting on September 17, 1949, as '''KBTV''', an affiliate of the ] and owned by Lacy-Potter TV Broadcasting Company, partially controlled by Texas oil magnate Tom Potter. The channel 8 frequency in Dallas was the third ] in Texas behind Fort Worth's WBAP-TV (now ], channel 5) and ]'s KLEE-TV (now ]). It was the second in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, and the first licensed to Dallas. The station signed on September 17, 1949, as ] affiliate '''KBTV'''. It was owned by Lacy-Potter TV Broadcasting Company, partially controlled by Texas oil magnate Tom Potter. It was the third ] in Texas behind Fort Worth's WBAP-TV (now ], channel 5) and ]'s KLEE-TV (now ]), the second station in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and the first licensed to Dallas.


] ]
The station became '''WFAA-TV''' on March 21, 1950, not long after it was purchased from Lacy-Potter for $575,000 by A.H. Belo Corporation (FCC approval on March 13, 1950) in the midst of a ]. It took its call letters from new sister station WFAA radio (570 AM, now ]). The WFAA call letters reportedly stood for "Working For All Alike," and later the radio station billed itself the "World's Finest Air Attraction" (the KBTV call letters were later used by two unrelated stations; from 1953 to 1983 on what is now ] in ], and currently on ] in ]). WFAA is one of the few television stations west of the Mississippi River with call letters beginning with a W, the Federal Communications Commission normally assigns stations west of the Mississippi call letters that begin with K; W is only used east of the Mississippi. The reason WFAA is different is that its call letters came from its sibling WFAA (AM), whose callsign predates this FCC policy. The station changed its callsign to '''WFAA-TV''' on March 21, 1950, not long after ] purchased the station from Lacy-Potter for $575,000 (with FCC approval occurring on March 13, 1950) in the midst of a ]. It took its call letters from new sister station WFAA radio (570 AM, now ]). The WFAA call letters reportedly stood for "Working For All Alike," and later the radio station billed itself the "World's Finest Air Attraction" (the KBTV call letters were later used by two unrelated stations; from 1953 to 1983 on what is now ] in ], and currently on ] in ]). WFAA is one of the few television stations west of the Mississippi River with call letters beginning with a W, the Federal Communications Commission normally assigns stations west of the Mississippi call letters that begin with K; W is only used east of the Mississippi. The reason WFAA is different is that its call letters came from its sibling WFAA (AM), whose callsign predates this FCC policy.


In addition to the DuMont affiliation, KBTV affiliated with the short-lived ]; the station agreed to air 4.75 hours of Paramount programming per week in 1949.<ref name="billboard1949">{{cite journal|date=1949-09-17|title=Para Mapping Kine Network|journal=Billboard|pages=13, 43|accessdate=2009-12-20}}</ref> In 1950, the station switched its primary affiliation to ], and also took on a secondary ABC affiliation. DuMont shut down in 1955 after various issues arising from its relations with Paramount,<ref>{{cite book|last=White|first=Timothy R.|title=Hollywood's Attempt to Appropriate Television: The Case of Paramount Pictures|publisher=UMI|location=Ann Arbor, MI|year=1992|pages=107–131|accessdate=2010-01-29}}</ref> and NBC disappeared from the schedule in 1957 when WBAP-TV boosted its signal to cover Dallas, making WFAA the market's ABC affiliate. In the 1958-1959 television season, WFAA videotaped for a national audience ]'s ABC crime/police ], '']'', in which assorted criminals explain why they rejected the mores of society and turned to lawlessness.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RXQNIs12SzQC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=jack+wyatt+of+%22Confession%22+TV+series&source=bl&ots=Pf0iaPKBMy&sig=nQD9wokLlasDUk5yNUTYfg9RV6g&hl=en&ei=Ajf8TKPRO8H_lgfI9eyMBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=jack%20wyatt%20of%20%22Confession%22%20TV%20series&f=false|title=Hal Erickson, Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series about Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008|publisher=]: McFarland and Company, Inc., 2009|accessdate=December 7, 2010}}</ref> In addition to the DuMont affiliation, KBTV affiliated with the short-lived ]; the station agreed to air 4.75 hours of Paramount programming each week in 1949.<ref name="billboard1949">{{cite journal|date=1949-09-17|title=Para Mapping Kine Network|journal=Billboard|pages=13, 43|accessdate=2009-12-20}}</ref> In 1950, the station switched its primary affiliation to ], and also took on a secondary ABC affiliation. DuMont shut down in 1955 after various issues arising from its relations with Paramount,<ref>{{cite book|last=White|first=Timothy R.|title=Hollywood's Attempt to Appropriate Television: The Case of Paramount Pictures|publisher=UMI|location=Ann Arbor, MI|year=1992|pages=107–131|accessdate=2010-01-29}}</ref> and NBC disappeared from the schedule in 1957 when WBAP-TV boosted its signal to cover Dallas, making WFAA the market's ABC affiliate. In the 1958-1959 television season, WFAA videotaped for a national audience ]'s ABC crime/police ], '']'', in which assorted criminals explain why they rejected the mores of society and turned to lawlessness.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RXQNIs12SzQC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=jack+wyatt+of+%22Confession%22+TV+series&source=bl&ots=Pf0iaPKBMy&sig=nQD9wokLlasDUk5yNUTYfg9RV6g&hl=en&ei=Ajf8TKPRO8H_lgfI9eyMBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=jack%20wyatt%20of%20%22Confession%22%20TV%20series&f=false|title=Hal Erickson, Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series about Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008|publisher=]: McFarland and Company, Inc., 2009|accessdate=December 7, 2010}}</ref>


WFAA was the first station to break the news that ] on November 22, 1963, about two blocks north of the television station near ] outside the Texas School Book Depository. The station conducted the first live television interview with ], who shot the famous ], which was processed at WFAA's photo lab, about an hour and a half after the President's death.{{citation}} WFAA and its live remote unit fed much coverage of the assassination and its aftermath to the ABC network over the next four days. The shocking and unexpected shooting of accused assassin ] by ] in the basement of Dallas police headquarters, however, was not broadcast live (as other) ]) or on tape (as on ] a minute later) by WFAA and ABC as their live truck was positioned elsewhere at the time. ABC was thus only able to show delayed newsreel footage of the historic event. WFAA had purchased a fully equipped, live broadcast studio truck prior to the assassination of JFK, but the truck was not rolled out for the parade through downtown Dallas. In the aftermath of the murder, the staff was told the cost would have been too great for the news department to compensate the production facility for its use. WFAA was the first station to break the news that ] on November 22, 1963, about two blocks north of the television station near ] outside the Texas School Book Depository. The station conducted the first live television interview with ], who shot the famous ], which was processed at WFAA's photo lab, about an hour and a half after the President's death.{{citation}} WFAA and its live remote unit fed much coverage of the assassination and its aftermath to the ABC network over the next four days. The shocking and unexpected shooting of accused assassin ] by ] in the basement of Dallas police headquarters, however, was not broadcast live (as on ]) or on tape (as on ] a minute later) by WFAA and ABC as their live truck was positioned elsewhere at the time. ABC was therefore only able to show delayed newsreel footage of the historic event. WFAA had purchased a fully equipped, live broadcast studio truck prior to the assassination of JFK, but the truck was not rolled out for the parade through downtown Dallas. In the aftermath of the murder, the staff was told the cost would have been too great for the news department to compensate the production facility for its use.


As local television news grew into a more polished presentation, WFAA became known as a ground breaking station in broadcast journalism as well as for many technological advancements including: the first computerized newsroom, the market's first station to use a helicopter in coverage, live trucks, microwave for live broadcast, use of satellite uplink trucks for broadcasts from around the state and nation and more. WFAA was the first domestic television station to make use of international satellite capacity, broadcasting a live program from Paris, France, in 1969 consisting of interviews with the wives of American POWs in Vietnam. The program was anchored by the late Murphy Martin. It was perhaps the first in the nation to put video taped reports from the field on the air (film was used almost exclusively in local news until the late 1970s and early 1980s), broadcasting the arrival of President Richard Nixon at Dallas Love Field within 30 minutes of his arrival in 1969. (A Sony reel-to-reel video recorder made for home use was pressed into service for this broadcast presented on a regular, midnight newscast.) WFAA uncovered significant stories in the 1980s including information that would lead to ] being given the ] in the mid-1980s, as well as the first major media investigation into America's Savings & Loan scandal rooted in Texas. As local television news grew into a more polished presentation, WFAA became known as a groundbreaking station in broadcast journalism as well as for many technological advancements including: the first computerized newsroom, the market's first station to use a helicopter for newsgathering, live trucks, microwave for live broadcast and the use of satellite uplink trucks for broadcasts from around the state and nation. WFAA was the first American television station to make use of international satellite capacity, broadcasting a live program from ], in 1969 consisting of interviews with wives of American POWs in Vietnam. The program was anchored by the late Murphy Martin. It was perhaps the first in the nation to put videotaped field reports on the air (film was used almost exclusively in local news until the late 1970s and early 1980s), broadcasting the arrival of President ] at ] within 30 minutes of his arrival in 1969 (a Sony reel-to-reel video recorder made for home use was pressed into service for this broadcast presented on a regular, midnight newscast). WFAA uncovered significant stories in the 1980s including information that would lead to ] being given the ] in the mid-1980s, as well as the first major media investigation into America's Savings & Loan scandal rooted in Texas.


WFAA-TV began its rise to news dominance in Dallas during the late 1960s and early 1970s under the leadership of News Manager Travis Linn, who had been News Director of WFAA radio previously. Linn later became CBS News Bureau Chief in Dallas before becoming professor and dean of the journalism program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Under Linn, the station expanded news to four and a half hours per day, including a large morning block (before the creation of Good Morning America by ABC) and an unprecedented one-hour program at 10&nbsp;pm each weeknight as well as a fifteen-minute newscast at midnight four nights per week. WFAA-TV began its rise to news dominance in Dallas during the late 1960s and early 1970s under the leadership of news manager Travis Linn, who had previously been news director at WFAA radio. Linn later became Dallas Bureau Chief for ] before becoming professor and dean of the journalism program at the ]. Under Linn, the station expanded news to 4½ hours per day, including a large morning block (before the creation of '']'' by ABC) and an unprecedented one-hour program at 10 p.m. each weeknight as well as a fifteen-minute newscast at midnight four nights a week. Building on this success, WFAA dominated the market's local news ratings from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s, with anchors including ], ], Bob Gooding, Murphy Martin, Judi Hanna, John Criswell, Chip Moody, John McCaa, Gloria Campos, ], ], ] and ]. Channel 8's approach to news during this period was characterized by an aggressive, all out commitment to get the story and to present it in graphic, visual detail. The station was rewarded with some of the highest ratings of any local station in a major media market.


Building on this success, WFAA dominated the market ratings for local news from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s, with anchors including ], ], Bob Gooding, Murphy Martin, Judi Hanna, John Criswell, Chip Moody, John McCaa, Gloria Campos, ], ], ], and ]. Channel 8's approach to news during this period was characterized by an aggressive, all out commitment to get the story and to present it in graphic, visual detail. The station was rewarded with some of the highest ratings of any local station in a major media market. Other notable people who once worked at Channel 8 include Scott Pelley, current anchor of the CBS Evening News, the late David Garcia, who went on to become a network reporter for ABC News, Mike Lee, who covered news in Europe for many years at the ABC News London bureau, Doug Terry, who became a founding reporter/producer at NPR's All Things Considered evening broadcast and created several Washington based television news services, and the late Don Harris, who was killed at the start of the Jonestown massacre and mass suicides in Guyana, South America, in 1978. Harris was working for NBC News at the time. Former News Director turned Belo vice president/news ] is credited with leading the station's news department to ratings dominance and national prominence, as well as convincing the Dallas Morning News ownership to allow much greater spending on news at WFAA than ever seen before, far surpassing the budgets of other local rival stations. Haag was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement ] shortly before his death (date needed). WFAA pioneered community outreach with town hall meetings all over north Texas through its ''Family First'' (F1) program. Family First began in 1993 and remains a significant part of the station's commitment to community service. Other notable people who once worked at Channel 8 include Scott Pelley (current anchor of the '']''), the late David Garcia (who went on to become a network reporter for ]), Mike Lee (who covered news in Europe for many years at ABC News' London bureau), Doug Terry (who became a founding reporter/producer at ]'s '']'' and created several Washington-based television news services), and the late Don Harris (who was killed at the start of the Jonestown massacre and mass suicides in ] in 1978; Harris was working for NBC News at the time). Former news director turned Belo vice president/news ] is credited with leading the station's news department to ratings dominance and national prominence, as well as convincing the ''Dallas Morning News'' ownership to allow much greater spending on news at WFAA than ever seen before, far surpassing the budgets of other local rival stations. Haag was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement ] shortly before his death (date needed). WFAA pioneered community outreach with town hall meetings all over north Texas through its ''Family First'' (F1) program. Family First began in 1993 and remains a significant part of the station's commitment to community service.


WFAA became the first television station in America to broadcast a digital signal on a VHF channel (VHF channel 9) on February 27, 1998, at 2:17 p.m. and holds the distinction of broadcasting the nation's first local news program in HDTV. When the station's digital signal went online, its frequency was already in use by Dallas hospitals and there was interference with the medical equipment.<ref>http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/news/n_the_last_empty_channel.shtml</ref> The station is one of a few ABC affiliates to broadcast HDTV in a 1080i format; other ABC affiliates broadcast in 720p. Some programming is broadcast from the station's sleek ] studios (''News 8 Daybreak'', ''Good Morning Texas'', ''News 8 Midday'', ''News 8'' at 5 and 6 p.m., and also when a major event is being held at ]).<ref name="HDTV of WFAA"></ref><ref name="HDTV, WFAA-TV"></ref> WFAA became the first television station in the United States to broadcast a digital signal on a VHF channel (on channel 9) on February 27, 1998, at 2:17 p.m. and holds the distinction of broadcasting the nation's first local news program in ]. When the station's digital signal signed on, its frequency was already in use by Dallas hospitals and there was interference with the medical equipment.<ref>http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/news/n_the_last_empty_channel.shtml</ref> Most of WFAA's news programming (with the exception of the 10 p.m. newscast) is broadcast from a secondary studio facility in the ] district.<ref name="HDTV, WFAA-TV"></ref>


WFAA didn't have its current affiliate's logo in its branding until 2007. In 2008, Belo decided to split its broadcasting and newspaper interests into separate companies. WFAA remained with the broadcasting side, which retained the Belo Corp. name, while the newspapers (including ''The Dallas Morning News'') became the similarly named ] Corporation. However, the former corporate cousins still have a news partnership. In 2008, Belo decided to split its broadcasting and newspaper interests into separate companies. WFAA remained with the broadcasting side, which retained the Belo Corp. name, while the newspapers (including ''The Dallas Morning News'') became the similarly named ] Corporation. However, the former corporate cousins still maintain a news partnership.


==Digital television== ==Digital television==
Line 63: Line 63:
! Programming ! Programming
|- |-
| 8.1 || ] || rowspan=3 | ] || WFAA || Main WFAA-TV Programming / ABC | 8.1 || ] || rowspan=3 | ] || WFAA || Main WFAA programming / ABC
|- |-
| 8.2 || rowspan=2 | ] || WFAA-2 || ] | 8.2 || rowspan=2 | ] || WFAA-2 || ]
Line 70: Line 70:
|} |}


WFAA also has a ] feed of subchannel 8.1, broadcasting at 1.83 Mbit/s.<ref>http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=atscmph</ref><ref>http://www.mdtvsignalmap.com/</ref> WFAA also has a ] feed of subchannel 8.1, broadcasting at 1.83 Mbit/s.<ref>http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=atscmph</ref><ref>http://www.mdtvsignalmap.com/</ref> The station is one of a few ABC affiliates to broadcast ] programming in the 1080i format; other ABC affiliates broadcast in ].<ref name="HDTV of WFAA"></ref>


Previously, channel 8.2 carried "News 8 Now" (formerly known as "Xpress 8.2"). It screened weather radar, regular news updates and headlines on a crawl, and occasional live programming. This live programming included ].<ref>http://www.belo.com/pressRelease.x2?release=20040803-526.html</ref> This subchannel could also be used for special programming, especially hurricane season, when it was used to relay ] in ] for Hurricanes ] in 2005 and ] in 2008; and ] in ] for ] in 2008. Both WWL and KHOU are sister stations to WFAA. While viewing the ], it broadcasts ] station ] in Dallas. It also utilizes NOAA's ] in Fort Worth and ] in Corsicana as alternate feeds. On April 30, 2011, WFAA's secondary channel switched to ] from its previous format as News 8 Now. Previously, channel 8.2 carried "News 8 Now" (formerly known as "Xpress 8.2"). It showed weather radar, regular news updates and headlines on a crawl, and occasional live programming (including content from ]).<ref>http://www.belo.com/pressRelease.x2?release=20040803-526.html</ref> The subchannel could also be used for special programming, especially hurricane season, when it was used to relay WFAA's ] sister station ] for Hurricanes ] in 2005 and ] in 2008; and ] sister station ] for ] in 2008. In addition to the ] feed, it broadcast audio from local ] station ], with NOAA's ] in Fort Worth and ] in Corsicana used as alternate feeds. On April 30, 2011, WFAA's secondary channel switched to ].


Subchannel 8.3 originally carried ] until November 8, 2010. WFAA placed the ] in the 8.3 slot the following day.<ref> from broadcastingcable.com, 9/29/2010</ref> On December 7, 2010, ] was moved to ] on digital subchannel 33.3.<ref>http://dallas.thistv.com/</ref> Subchannel 8.3 originally carried ] until November 8, 2010. WFAA placed the ] in the 8.3 slot the following day<ref> from broadcastingcable.com, 9/29/2010</ref> (] was moved to ] on digital subchannel 33.3 on December 7, 2010).<ref>http://dallas.thistv.com/</ref>


===Analog-to-digital conversion=== ===Analog-to-digital conversion===
The analog television shutdown took place on June 12, 2009, at 12:03 p.m.<ref> - WFAA (released June 12, 2009)</ref><ref>http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf</ref> and WFAA-DT has moved to channel 8 (formerly the analog WFAA-TV).<ref name="FCCForm387"></ref> The last few moments of WFAA's analog signal included its first broadcasting days followed by historic moments caught on tape (as narrated by ]), then its sign-off video used in the 1970s was played as the analog send-off. WFAA shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.,<ref> - WFAA (released June 12, 2009)</ref><ref>http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf</ref> moving its digital signal to channel 8 (in correspondence with the station's analog channel allocation).<ref name="FCCForm387"></ref> The last few moments of WFAA's analog signal included a retrospetive of the station's history (as narrated by ]), followed by a video of the station's sign-off used in the 1970s.


On December 23, 2009, WFAA filed an application to the FCC to increase its ] (ERP) from a 45&nbsp;kW with an omni-directional antenna to a 55&nbsp;kW with a directional antenna. The reason for the power increase is because some over-the-air viewers are having difficulty receiving the station's signal on channel 8.<ref>http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1348515&Service=DT&Form_id=301&Facility_id=72054</ref> On December 23, 2009, WFAA filed an application to the FCC to increase its ] (ERP) from a 45 kW with an omni-directional antenna to a 55 kW with a directional antenna. The reason for the power increase is because some over-the-air viewers are having difficulty receiving the station's signal on channel 8.<ref>http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1348515&Service=DT&Form_id=301&Facility_id=72054</ref>


==Programming== ==Programming==
As an ABC affiliate, WFAA airs syndicated entertainment news and talk shows in addition to its newscasts and ABC's primetime programming. However, as an affiliate not owned by the network itself, WFAA would occasionally set aside 30 to 60 minutes of the primetime schedule for their own locally produced specials. Shows of ABC that were omitted that night or otherwise delayed by locally driven breaking news would be aired in the overnight hours. Outside of its newscasts and ABC's network programs, WFAA fills much of its schedule with syndicated newsmagazines and talk shows. However, as an affiliate that is not owned by the network itself, WFAA may occasionally preempt some ABC primetime shows to run locally produced specials. ABC shows that were preempted or otherwise delayed by breaking news coverage are aired during the overnight hours.


WFAA airs '']'' on a day-behind basis at 11 a.m. instead of the recommended time of 12 noon (previously, '']'' aired in that slot prior to September 27, 2011), this is due to the station carrying an hour-long midday newscast during the noon hour. Until September 2011, WFAA aired the ] children's programming block significantly out of pattern compared to many ABC stations. Until ABC dropped the program on August 28, 2010, a double run of '']'' aired on a one-week delay from 5-6 a.m., instead of the recommended time of 11 a.m. to 12 noon, when the ABC network fed the show to its affiliates "live". '']'' and '']'' were airing on same-day delay from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, instead of the recommended 8-9 a.m. timeslot for both shows. The remaining two hours aired in pattern "live" from the ABC feed. As of September 2011, ABC Kids is replaced by ABC's new block, '']'' and all programming airs on a same-day one-hour delay from its "live feed"; WFAA airs the block following the Saturday edition of ''News 8 Daybreak''. WFAA also airs '']'' at 3 p.m. followed by '']''. WFAA airs '']'' on a day-behind basis at 11 a.m. instead of the recommended time of 12 noon (previously, '']'' aired in that slot prior to September 27, 2011), this is due to the station carrying an hour-long midday newscast during the noon hour. Until September 2011, WFAA aired the ] children's programming block significantly out of pattern compared to many ABC stations. Until ABC dropped the program on August 28, 2010, a double run of '']'' aired on a one-week delay from 5-6 a.m., instead of the recommended time of 11 a.m. to 12 noon, when the ABC network fed the show to its affiliates "live". '']'' and '']'' aired on a same-day delay from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, instead of the recommended 8-9 a.m. timeslot for both shows; the remaining two hours aired in pattern "live" from the ABC feed. '']'' replaced ABC Kids in September 2011, with the block's programs airing on a same-day one-hour delay from its "live feed", following the Saturday edition of ''News 8 Daybreak''. WFAA also airs '']'' at 3 p.m. followed by '']''.


For years, '']'' and '']'' aired on Channel 8. After 18 years of airing ''Wheel of Fortune'' at 6:30 p.m., WFAA dropped it in the fall of 2005 in favor of the younger-oriented '']''; it dropped '']'' at the same time. Both game shows were transferred to CBS owned-and-operated station ].{{Clarify|date=September 2009}} For years, '']'' and '']'' aired on Channel 8. After 18 years of airing ''Wheel of Fortune'' at 6:30 p.m., WFAA dropped it in the fall of 2005 in favor of the younger-oriented '']''; it dropped '']'' at the same time. Both game shows moved to CBS owned-and-operated station ].{{Clarify|date=September 2009}} Until September 12, 2011, WFAA aired '']'' a half-hour later than its then-recommended 11 p.m. Central timeslot, due to the station airing syndicated programming in that timeslot.

Until September 12, 2011, WFAA has aired '']'' a half-hour later than its recommended 11&nbsp;pm Central timeslot. That was due to the station airing '']'' around that time.


==News operation== ==News operation==
] ]
WFAA broadcasts a total of 34 hours of local news a week (5½ hours on weekdays, three hours on Saturdays and 3½ hours on Sundays). WFAA also operates a news helicopter called ''HD Chopper 8'' (formerly known as ''Telecopter 8''), which still has the 1984-1996 dual-outlined "8" logo on the underside of the helicopter and reads: ''N8TV''. WFAA presently broadcasts 34 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (5½ hours on weekdays, three hours on Saturdays and 3½ hours on Sundays). In addition, the station produces two Sunday evening sports programs: the highlight program ''Dale Hansen's Sports Special'', hosted by longtime ] Dale Hansen, and ''High School Sports Special'', hosted by weekend sports anchor Joe Trahan during the school year. WFAA also operates a news helicopter called ''HD Chopper 8'' (formerly known as ''Telecopter 8''), which still has the 1984-1996 dual-outlined "8" logo on its underside. The station maintains bureaus in Collin County at ], and in Tarrant County near ]; both bureaus house a few reporters, but are rarely used for filming.


Since 1986, WFAA's news organization has won six ]s,<ref> from the ] website</ref> with a seventh awarded personally to ], who was WFAA's executive ] from 1973 to 1989 and a Belo Corporation executive after that.<ref> from the Peabody Award website</ref> WFAA's Peabody Awards were for: Since 1986, WFAA's news department has won six ]s,<ref> from the ] website</ref> with a seventh awarded personally to ], WFAA's executive ] from 1973 to 1989 and a Belo Corporation executive after that.<ref> from the Peabody Award website</ref> WFAA's Peabody Awards were for:
*1986: The ] were given the ] because of the ]. *1986: The ] were given the ] because of the ].
*1995: ''The Peavy Investigation'' was a "revealing series of reports into insurance purchases involving the ]... centered on the chairman of the Board of Education's Committee on Insurance."<ref> from the Peabody Award website</ref> *1995: ''The Peavy Investigation'' was a "revealing series of reports into insurance purchases involving the ]... centered on the chairman of the Board of Education's Committee on Insurance."<ref> from the Peabody Award website</ref>
Line 102: Line 100:
*2010: "Bitter Lessons," an investigation into government-funded career schools.<ref> from the Peabody Award website</ref> *2010: "Bitter Lessons," an investigation into government-funded career schools.<ref> from the Peabody Award website</ref>


In 2009, WFAA received the ]'s Gold Baton for its "continuing commitment to outstanding ]", the first local station to win that recognition in the 20-year history of the award; reporters Byron Harris and Brett Shipp were recognized for:<ref name="goldbaton"> from the ] website</ref> three exemplary investigative reports about corruption and waste at the ], grade changing for ], and the danger posed by aging gas ]. Among the ] high schools exposed by their investigations were ]<ref> from the Dallas ISD blog of '']''</ref> and ].<ref> from the WFAA website</ref> In 2009, WFAA became the first local station to receive the ]'s Gold Baton, for its commitment to from the ] website</ref> investigative reports about corruption and waste at the ], grade changing for ], and dangers posed by aging gas ]. Among the ] high schools exposed by their investigations were ]<ref> from the Dallas ISD blog of '']''</ref> and ].<ref> from the WFAA website</ref> The pipeline-couplings investigation was featured in an episode of the PBS documentary series, '']'', entitled "Beneath the North Texas Dirt."

Also recognized were Mark Smith (producer), Kraig Kirchem (editor and photographer), and Michael Valentine, executive news director. The pipeline-couplings investigation was featured in the PBS documentary series, '']'', in an episode entitled "Beneath the North Texas Dirt."


WFAA started producing newscasts and other local programming in high definition on February 2, 2007. WFAA is one of the few television stations not using the ] broadcast weather alert system, instead when severe weather alerts are in effect for viewing area, the warning type and the counties the alert is in effect for are displayed in text form at the top of the screen. WFAA started producing newscasts and other local programming in high definition on February 2, 2007. WFAA is one of the few television stations not using the ] broadcast weather alert system, instead when severe weather alerts are in effect for viewing area, the warning type and the counties the alert is in effect for are displayed in text form at the top of the screen.


===Ratings=== ===Ratings===
WFAA's ''News 8 Update'' at 10&nbsp;pm is typically the market's most-watched late local newscast, and its 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts are typically the area's most-watched early evening local newscasts.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} WFAA's ''News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m. is typically the market's most-watched late local newscast, and its 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts are typically the area's most-watched early evening local newscasts.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}


According to the local Nielsen ratings for the February 2011 sweeps period, the rating for WFAA's newscasts slid in some timeslots; after placing first at 10 p.m. in the November 2010 sweeps period, WFAA's ''News 8 Update'' fell to a relatively distant second place with total viewers and with adults 25-54. The morning newscast placed a distant third with total viewers and a relatively distant third with adults 25-54, behind KXAS and a dominant KDFW. WFAA's only #1 finish during the period was in the 5 p.m. time period in total viewers (it lost to KDFW in the adult 25-54 demographic), aided by its '']'' lead-in, which won the 4 p.m. hour in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds. Overall, the station was in last place in the key 25-to-54 demographic for the first time in at least the last 30 years; and fell from first place at both 6 and 10 p.m. in total viewers for the first time in at least three decades. However while its 10 p.m. newscast placed second, '']'' gave WFAA the most-watched late night program in the market among total viewers.<ref>, UncleBarky.com, March 3, 2011.</ref> According to the local Nielsen ratings for the February 2011 sweeps period, viewership for WFAA's newscasts slid in some timeslots; after placing first at 10 p.m. in the November 2010 sweeps period, WFAA's ''News 8 Update'' fell to a relatively distant second place with total viewers and with adults 25-54. The morning newscast placed a distant third with total viewers and a relatively distant third with adults 25-54, behind KXAS and a dominant KDFW. WFAA's only #1 finish during the period was in the 5 p.m. time period in total viewers (it lost to KDFW in the adult 25-54 demographic), aided by its '']'' lead-in, which won the 4 p.m. hour in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds. Overall, the station was in last place in the key 25-to-54 demographic for the first time in at least the last 30 years; and fell from first place at both 6 and 10 p.m. in total viewers for the first time in at least three decades. However while its 10 p.m. newscast placed second, '']'' gave WFAA the most-watched late night program in the market among total viewers.<ref>, UncleBarky.com, March 3, 2011.</ref>


According to the local Nielsen ratings for the May 2011 sweeps period, the ''News 8 Update'' regained the #1 position at 10 p.m. with total viewers and adults 25-54, while its morning newscast placed third in both demographics (like WFAA, both KXAS and KTVT lost viewership of their morning newscast compared to the previous year. In total viewers, the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts placed first among the area's early evening newscasts (aided by the outgoing '']'' as a lead-in), though they both placed second, behind KDFW, in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic.<ref>, UncleBarky.com, May 26, 2011.</ref> During the May 2011 sweeps period, the ''News 8 Update'' regained the #1 position at 10 p.m. with total viewers and adults 25-54, while its morning newscast placed third in both demographics (like WFAA, both KXAS and KTVT lost viewership of their morning newscast compared to the previous year. In total viewers, the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts placed first among the area's early evening newscasts (aided by the outgoing '']'' as a lead-in), though they both placed second, behind KDFW, in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic.<ref>, UncleBarky.com, May 26, 2011.</ref>


===News/station presentation=== ===News/station presentation===
] ]

====Newscast titles==== ====Newscast titles====
*''Hamms Beer Evening Edition''/''Final Edition'' (1949–1950) *''Hamms Beer Evening Edition''/''Final Edition'' (1949–1950)
Line 137: Line 132:


====News music packages==== ====News music packages====
The "Spirit" ] that was used on WFAA's newscasts was written by ] of TM Productions, and was used from 1984 until 1991. All of WFAA's news music packages have carried the "Spirit" motif, including an unnamed theme used from 1992 to 1996. WFAA also used ]-based ]'s "Spirit" from 1996 to 2000, a package customized by the station and composed by Arnold from 2000 to 2004, the News Matrix package from 2004 to 2005, and the ] package from 2004 to 2007 (which all carry the same signature that TM Productions' package used). They switched to a brand new ] package called "Propulsion" (which is also based on the Spirit signature logo). This package is also being rolled out to several other Belo owned stations. The "Spirit" ] that was used on WFAA's newscasts from 1984 to 1991, was composed by ] of TM Productions. All of WFAA's news music packages since then have carried the "Spirit" musical signature, including an unnamed theme used from 1992 to 1996. WFAA also used ]-based ]'s "Spirit" from 1996 to 2000, a package customized by the station and composed by Arnold from 2000 to 2004, a variation of the News Matrix package from 2004 to 2005, and the ] package from 2004 to 2007 (which all carry the same signature that TM Productions' package used). In 2007, the station began using a brand new ] package called "Propulsion" (which is also based on the Spirit signature logo), which has been rolled out to several other Belo-owned stations.


⚫ In addition to its use by WFAA, the Spirit signature was also used in a news theme commissioned by ] sister station and CBS affiliate ] (who also used the original TM Productions "Spirit" theme from 1986 to 1989), called "American Spirit" composed by John Hegner and used from 1994 to 2000. WFAA's "Spirit" campaign has been the basis for campaigns at sister stations like ], ], ], ], and ].
Other former packages used by WFAA include Tuesday Productions' "TuesdayC" from 1978 to 1980, and TM Productions' "Newsbeat" from 1980 to 1984.

⚫ In addition to its use by WFAA, the Spirit signature was also used in a news theme commissioned by sister station and CBS affiliate ] in ] (who also used the original TM Productions "Spirit" theme from 1986 to 1989), called "American Spirit" composed by John Hegner and used from 1994 to 2000. WFAA's "Spirit" campaign has been the basis for campaigns at sister stations like ], ], ], ], and ].


===News team=== ===News team===

====Current on-air staff <ref></ref>==== ====Current on-air staff <ref></ref>====
⚫ =====Anchors <!--- (In alphabetical order) --->=====
(''Year person joined WFAA in parentheses'')
* Gloria Campos - weeknights ''The News 8 Update'' (10 p.m.); also "Wednesday's Child" feature reporter

* ] - weekday mornings on ''News 8 Daybreak'' and ''News 8 Midday'' at noon
⚫ =====Anchors <small>''(In alphabetical order)''</small>=====
*] - weeknights ''The News 8 Update'' (10 p.m.); also "Wednesday's Child" feature reporter (1984) * ] - weekend mornings on ''News 8 Daybreak'' (7-9 a.m.); also weekday reporter
*] - weekday mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' and ''News 8 Midday'' at noon (2011) * Cynthia Izaguirre - weekday mornings on ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.) and ''News 8 Midday'' at noon; also reporter
*] - weekend mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' (7-9 a.m.); also weekday reporter (2010) * ] - weeknights at 5, 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' (10 p.m.); also reporter (1984)
*Cynthia Izaguirre - weekday mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.) and ''News 8 Midday'' at noon; also reporter (2008) * Casey Norton - Sundays at 5 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m.; also Fort Worth bureau reporter
*] - weeknights at 5, 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' (10 p.m.); also reporter (1984) * Shelly Slater - weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.; also reporter
*Casey Norton - Sundays at 5 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m.; also Fort Worth bureau reporter (2010) * Teresa Woodard - Saturdays at 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m.
*Shelly Slater - weeknights at 5 p.m. and 6 pm ; also reporter (2006)
*Teresa Woodard - (2012)


=====''Good Morning Texas''===== =====''Good Morning Texas''=====
*Amy Vanderoef - co-host (2006) * ] - co-host
*Ty Treadway- co-host (2012) * Amy Vanderoef - co-host


=====Weather team <small>(''In order of rank'')</small>===== =====Weather team <!--- (''In order of rank'') --->=====
*] (] and ] Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m. (2005) * ] (] and ] Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m.
*Colleen Coyle (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; traffic reporter & Weather weekday mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.) (2010) * Colleen Coyle (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; traffic reporter & Weather weekday mornings on ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.)
*Greg Fields (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.) and ''News 8 Midday'' at noon (1998) * Greg Fields (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.) and ''News 8 Midday'' at noon
*Steve McCauley (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends on ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m. (2000) * Steve McCauley (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends on ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m.
* Julie Bologna (2012) weekend mornings ''News 8 Daybreak'' * Julie Bologna - meteorologist; weekend mornings on ''News 8 Daybreak''


=====Sports team <small>(''In order of rank'')</small>===== =====Sports team <!--- (''In order of rank'') --->=====
*] - sports director; weeknights at 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m., also host of ''Dale Hansen's Sports Special'' (1983) * ] - sports director; weeknights at 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m., also host of ''Dale Hansen's Sports Special''
*Joe Trahan - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m., also host of ''High School Sports Special'' (2003) * Joe Trahan - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6 and ''The News 8 Update'' at 10 p.m., also host of ''High School Sports Special''
*George Riba - senior sports reporter (1977) * George Riba - senior sports reporter
*Ted Madden - sports reporter and photographer (2002) * Ted Madden - sports reporter and photographer


=====Traffic <small>''(In alphabetical order)''</small>===== =====Traffic <!--- (In alphabetical order) --->=====
*Alexa Conomos - 4:30-7 a.m. traffic reporter (2003) * Alexa Conomos - traffic reporter; weekday mornings on ''News 8 Daybreak'' (4:30-7 a.m.)
*Michael Scott - airborne traffic reporter * Michael Scott - airborne traffic reporter
*Mike Shannon - weekday morning traffic reporter (2003) * Mike Shannon - weekday morning traffic reporter


=====Reporters <small>''(In alphabetical order)''</small>===== =====Reporters <!--- (In alphabetical order) --->=====
*Jonathan Betz - general assignment reporter (2008) * Jonathan Betz - general assignment reporter
*Craig Civale - general assignment reporter (2007) * Craig Civale - general assignment reporter
*Wendy Corona - general assignment reporter (2012) * Wendy Corona - general assignment reporter
*Monika Diaz - general assignment reporter (2007) * Monika Diaz - general assignment reporter
*Jim Douglas - senior reporter (1995) * Jim Douglas - senior reporter
*Chris Hawes - Fort Worth bureau reporter (2006) * Chris Hawes - Fort Worth bureau reporter
*Rebecca Lopez - senior reporter (1998) * Rebecca Lopez - senior reporter
*Gary Reaves - senior reporter (1982–1986; 1991-) * Gary Reaves - senior reporter
*David Schechter - senior reporter (2005) * David Schechter - senior reporter
*Janet St. James - senior reporter and health reporter (1996) * Janet St. James - senior reporter and health reporter
*Steve Stoler - Collin County reporter (2002) * Steve Stoler - Collin County reporter
*Hasti Taghi - general assignment reporter (2011) * Hasti Taghi - general assignment reporter
*Todd Unger - general assignment reporter (2013) * Todd Unger - general assignment reporter
*Brad Watson - Dallas City Hall reporter (1978) * Brad Watson - Dallas City Hall reporter
*Jason Wheeler - general assignment reporter (2012) * Jason Wheeler - general assignment reporter
*Jason Whitely - senior reporter (2008) * Jason Whitely - senior reporter
*Walt Zwirko - "Computer Corner" and WFAA.com reporter (1984) * Walt Zwirko - "Computer Corner" and WFAA.com reporter


=====''News 8 Investigates''===== =====''News 8 Investigates''=====
*Byron Harris - investigative reporter (1970s) * Byron Harris - investigative reporter
*Brett Shipp - investigative reporter (1992) * Brett Shipp - investigative reporter


====Notable former on-air staff==== ====Notable former on-air staff====
{{div col|cols=2|colwidth=30em}}
*] - film critic/arts reporter (1987–2010); now at Lascaux Films in Dallas, TX
⚫ * ] - host of '']'' and '']'' (1964–1970; was also was at ] during the same years; later with ] and ], also was a model for ] and the ])
⚫ *] - anchor/reporter (1980–1984; now at ] in Phoenix)
⚫ * ] - host of ''The Group And Chapman'' and ''Sump'n Else'' (1964–1968; was with ] at the same, left WFAA for ])
⚫ *] - anchor/weeknight reporter (2000–2012)
*] - reporter (2001-2006); now VP of PR & Corp. Communications at Cash America (NYSE:CSH) * ] - film critic/arts reporter (1987–2010; now at Lascaux Films in Dallas, TX)
*] - chief weathercaster (1976–2007; now at ]) * ] - anchor/reporter (1980–1984; now at ] in Phoenix)
⚫ * ] - anchor/weeknight reporter (2000–2012)
*] - meteorologist (1987–1989; now at ] in New York City)
*] - ''Daybreak'' anchor (now at ] in Atlanta) * ] - chief weathercaster (1976–2007; now at ])
*] - ''Daybreak'' co-anchor (2000–2003; now at ] in ]) * ] - meteorologist (1987–1989; now at ] in New York City)
*] - weekend anchor/reporter (1965–1968; later with ABC and ] in Riverside County, CA; deceased) * ] - ''Daybreak'' anchor (now at ] in Atlanta)
⚫ * ] - ''Daybreak'' co-anchor (2000–2003; now at ] in ])
⚫ *] - reporter (early 1980s)
* ] - weekend anchor/reporter (1965–1968; later with ABC and ] in Riverside County, California; deceased)
*] - ''Daybreak'' anchor (now with ])
⚫ * ] - reporter (early 1980s)
⚫ *] - ''Daybreak'' anchor/reporter (2005–2007; now an anchor at ] in Raleigh, NC)
⚫ * ] - reporter/anchor (1967-?; became NBC News reporter, killed in Guyana in 1978)
⚫ *] - anchor (1973–1985; last with ] as host of ''Positively Texas'')
*] - sports reporter (1987–1988; later with ], ] and ]) * ] - ''Daybreak'' anchor (now with ])
⚫ * ] - host of '']'', WFAA's local morning show ''The Early Show'', ''Dallas Bandstand'' and '']'' (1949–1970 and 1975–1996)
⚫ *] - sports anchor (1967–1983; now at ])
⚫ * ] - host of ''News 8 ETC'' (1970–1974; left for ])
⚫ *] - sports anchor (now with CBS Sports)
* ] - host of '']''
*] - anchor/reporter (1989–1991)
*] - anchor (1983–1985, now with ] in Cleveland) * ] - ''Daybreak'' anchor/reporter (2005–2007; now an anchor at ] in Raleigh, North Carolina)
⚫ * ] - anchor (1973–1985; last with ] as host of ''Positively Texas'')
⚫ *] (now ] of ]'s '']'')
*] - reporter (1982–1989; now at ] as anchor of the '']'') * ] - sports reporter (1987–1988; later with ], ] and ])
⚫ * ] - reporter (1966-1969; became a London based reporter for ABC News)
*] - meteorologist (now with ] in Los Angeles)
*] - reporter (1985–1987; last at ] in Minneapolis) * ] - sports anchor (1967–1983; now at ])
⚫ * ] - sports anchor
⚫ *] - reporter (2003–2007; now Senior Director of Communications at the American Bus Assoc. in Washington D.C.)
*] - anchor (1974–1999; now at ]) * ] - anchor/reporter (1989–1991)
*] - anchor/reporter (1992–1997; left for ], last with CBS' '']'') * ] - anchor (1983–1985, now with WKYC in Cleveland)
⚫ * ] (now ] of ]'s '']'')
⚫ *] - anchor/reporter (1986–1999; now actor/spokesperson with The Mary Collins Agency)
*] - reporter (2000–2012; now DFW Airport, manager of media relations ) * ] - reporter (1982–1989; now at ] as anchor of the '']'')
*] - reporter (1978–1979; later went to ]) * ] - meteorologist (now with ] in Los Angeles)
⚫ * ] - reporter (1985–1987; last at ] in Minneapolis)
⚫ *]- reporter/anchor 1966-1970; a founding reporter/producer at NPR, Washington, DC, writer, technologist, photographer, poet.
⚫ * ] - reporter (2003–2007; now senior director of communications at the American Bus Association in Washington D.C.)
⚫ *]-reporter/anchor 1967-?; became NBC News reporter, killed in Guyana, 1978.
⚫ * ] - anchor (1974–1999; now at ])
⚫ *]-reporter 1966-1969; became a London based reporter, ABC News.
⚫ * ] - CEO of WFAA/host, hosted '']'' and ''Inside Television''
⚫ *] (host) ] and ] (1964–1970) Was also was at ] during the same years. Continued appearing at WFAA after final Sump'n Else episode. Appeared in many local television and radio commercials. Later with ] and ], also was a ] model. Also was with ] as a fashion model.
* ] - anchor/reporter (1992–1997; left for ], last with CBS' '']'')
⚫ *] (host) ] and ] (1964–1968) Was with ] at the same. Left WFAA for ]. Hosted the ] 20th Anniversary Episode on September 7, 1985.
⚫ * ] - reporter/anchor (1966-1970; a founding reporter/producer at NPR, Washington, DC, writer, technologist, photographer, poet)
⚫ *] (host) ]. (1970–1974) Appeared in many local broadcast commercials before News 8 ETC. Left for ].
* ] (host) ] * ] - host of ''News 8 ETC''/anchor (1970–1971)
⚫ * ] - anchor/reporter (1986–1999; now actor/spokesperson with The Mary Collins Agency)
⚫ * ] (host) (1949–1970) (1975–1996) Known as Mr. Peppermint and hosted ]. Also hosted WFAA's local morning show called The Early Show (not the CBS program), Dallas Bandstand, co-hosted ] and appeared in local broadcast commercials.
* ] - reporter (2000–2012; now manager of media relations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport)
* ] (host/anchor) (1970–1971) Hosted ]. Anchored News 8 newscasts.
* ] - reporter (2001-2006; now vice president of public relations and corporate at Communications at Cash America)
⚫ * ] (CEO of WFAA/host) Hosted ] and Inside Television.
* ] - reporter (1978–1979; later went to ])
{{div col end}}


==Radio== ==Radio==
{{Further|KLIF (AM)|KBFB}} {{Further|KLIF (AM)|KBFB}}
{{split section|WFAA (AM)}}
WFAA-AM was the radio counterpart to the TV station. It signed on June 26, 1922,<ref></ref> and used the WFAA call letters through July 2, 1983. (Thereafter, it was known as "KRQX" until Belo sold it, along with sister station KZEW-FM {the former WFAA-FM,} on January 1, 1987.) WFAA-AM has a rich history of service to the Dallas area. Moving around the AM dial, as most stations did in the 1920s and 1930s, the station settled into a permanent stay at 570 AM by 1938, while splitting time with ] at their clear-channel frequency of 820. This was the longest timeshare agreement in the US, starting in 1929 and concluding on April 27, 1970. This was a somewhat bizarre situation that had the stations switching back and forth between frequencies of 570 and 820 at various times of the day. WBAP Radio would broadcast on 820 AM from midnight till six AM, then WFAA would take over until noon. WBAP grabbed the 820 signal back for a few hours, then WFAA would once again take over the frequency. WFAA had the signal during prime evening hours when the 50,000 watt signal could often be heard as far away as California in the west and New York in the east (there were many fewer stations on a night, reducing interference.) WFAA-AM was the radio counterpart to the TV station. It signed on June 26, 1922,<ref></ref> and used the WFAA call letters through July 2, 1983 (thereafter, it was known as "KRQX" until Belo sold it, along with sister station KZEW-FM , on January 1, 1987). WFAA-AM has a rich history of service to the Dallas area. Moving around the AM dial, as most stations did in the 1920s and 1930s, the station settled into a permanent stay at 570 AM by 1938, while splitting time with ] at their clear-channel frequency of 820. This was the longest timeshare agreement in the US, starting in 1929 and concluding on April 27, 1970. This was a somewhat bizarre situation that had the stations switching back and forth between frequencies of 570 and 820 at various times of the day. WBAP Radio would broadcast on 820 AM from midnight to 6 a.m., then WFAA would take over until noon. WBAP grabbed the 820 signal back for a few hours, then WFAA would once again take over the frequency. WFAA had the signal during prime evening hours when the 50,000 watt signal could often be heard as far away as California in the west and New York in the east (there were many fewer stations on a night, reducing interference).

WFAA-AM was the first network-affiliated station in Texas (initially with NBC beginning April 2, 1923; later with Texas Quality Network, then ABC and CBS thereafter,) the first US station to carry educational programs, the first to produce a serious radio drama series, the first to air a state championship football game, and the first to air presidential inaugural ceremonies. WFAA-AM was home to the long-running morning program, "The Early Birds", hosted by John Allen; "Hymns We Love", "Saturday Night Shindig", "The Big D Jamboree", "Murray Cox RFD", "Slo-and-Ezy", and later, "57 Nostalgia Place."


After many years of an entertainment/variety format, the station flipped to Middle of the Road in 1970, followed by Top 40. On Election Day 1976, the station made its final format change to News/Talk (as "Newstalk 570.") WFAA-AM was the first network-affiliated station in Texas (initially with NBC beginning April 2, 1923; later with Texas Quality Network, then ABC and CBS thereafter), the first US station to carry educational programs, the first to produce a serious radio drama series, the first to air a state championship football game, and the first to air presidential inaugural ceremonies. WFAA-AM was home to the long-running morning program, "The Early Birds", hosted by John Allen; "Hymns We Love", "Saturday Night Shindig", "The Big D Jamboree", "Murray Cox RFD", "Slo-and-Ezy", and later, "57 Nostalgia Place." After many years of an entertainment/variety format, the station flipped to Middle of the Road in 1970, followed by Top 40. On Election Day 1976, the station made its final format change to News/Talk (as "Newstalk 570.")


WFAA-AM was initially located in a 9' x 9' tent on the roof of ]; to the Morning News library thereafter; to the ] on October 1, 1925; atop the Santa Fe Railroad Warehouse on Jackson St. from June 20, 1941, to April 4, 1961 (the building still has "WFAA" clearly painted along a panel on the top floor) and finally to Communications Center at Young and Record Streets. WFAA-AM was initially located in a 9' x 9' tent on the roof of '']''; to the ''Morning News'' library thereafter; to the ] on October 1, 1925; atop the Santa Fe Railroad Warehouse on Jackson St. from June 20, 1941, to April 4, 1961 (the building still has "WFAA" clearly painted along a panel on the top floor) and finally to Communications Center at Young and Record Streets.


Sister station WFAA-FM was the first FM to sign on in Texas, beginning October 5, 1946, as "KERA-FM" (no relation to the current radio and TV station known under the same call letters,) although its roots go back to an experimental FM station "W5X1C" that signed on October 15, 1945, and another experimental trial dating back to 1939. By 1947, it had moved from its original home at 94.3 FM to a preferred location in the center of the dial at 97.9 FM. With FM broadcasting in its infancy, WFAA-FM signed on and off the air for months and even two years at a time before settling on a permanent broadcast schedule by 1965. Initially a simulcast of the AM side, it programmed MOR and Beautiful Music until 1973, then flipped to album oriented rock (AOR) as KZEW-FM (known to listeners as The Zoo) on September 16, 1973. Featuring talent such as John LaBella and John Rody ("LaBella and Rody,") ], Charley Jones, Dave Lee Austin, John B. Wells, Nancy Johnson, John Dew, John Dillon, Doc Morgan and Tempie Lindsey, the station's concept and programming were initially under the direction of Ira Lipson. The FM station shared studio locations with WFAA-AM on the second floor of the facility. The FM station is currently an urban-format radio station called ]. Sister station WFAA-FM was the first FM to sign on in Texas, beginning October 5, 1946, as "KERA-FM" (no relation to the current radio and TV station known under the same call letters), although its roots go back to an experimental FM station "W5X1C" that signed on October 15, 1945, and another experimental trial dating back to 1939. By 1947, it had moved from its original home at 94.3 FM to a preferred location in the center of the dial at 97.9 FM. With FM broadcasting in its infancy, WFAA-FM signed on and off the air for months and even two years at a time before settling on a permanent broadcast schedule by 1965. Initially a simulcast of the AM side, it programmed MOR and Beautiful Music until 1973, then flipped to album oriented rock (AOR) as KZEW-FM (known to listeners as The Zoo) on September 16, 1973. Featuring talent such as John LaBella and John Rody ("LaBella and Rody"), ], Charley Jones, Dave Lee Austin, John B. Wells, Nancy Johnson, John Dew, John Dillon, Doc Morgan and Tempie Lindsey, the station's concept and programming were initially under the direction of Ira Lipson. The FM station shared studio locations with WFAA-AM on the second floor of the facility. The FM station is currently an urban-format radio station called ].


==References== ==References==
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* - Official Website * - Official website
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WFAA, channel 8, is an ABC-affiliated television station serving Dallas, its city of license, and Fort Worth, Texas. The station is the flagship television property of Belo, making it the largest ABC affiliate by market size that is not owned and operated by the network, one of only two network-affiliated stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth market (along with CW affiliate KDAF (channel 33)) that is not a network-owned station and the largest affiliate of any of the "Big Four" networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox) not to be owned by that respective network.

The station's studios and offices are located in downtown Dallas, next to the offices of The Dallas Morning News (with whom it was co-owned from 1950 to 2008), with a secondary studio used for newscasts at the Victory Park development next to the American Airlines Center. Its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas.

WFAA is also available on cable providers within the Sherman-Ada market including Ardmore, Durant and Hugo, Oklahoma; this is despite the presence of an ABC-affiliated digital subchannel broadcast over the digital signal of NBC affiliate KTEN (channel 10) in the Ada-Sherman market, which launched in May 2010.

History

The station signed on September 17, 1949, as DuMont Television Network affiliate KBTV. It was owned by Lacy-Potter TV Broadcasting Company, partially controlled by Texas oil magnate Tom Potter. It was the third television station in Texas behind Fort Worth's WBAP-TV (now KXAS-TV, channel 5) and Houston's KLEE-TV (now KPRC-TV), the second station in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and the first licensed to Dallas.

The WFAA Telecruiser in use during DuMont affiliation.

The station changed its callsign to WFAA-TV on March 21, 1950, not long after A.H. Belo Corporation purchased the station from Lacy-Potter for $575,000 (with FCC approval occurring on March 13, 1950) in the midst of a FCC television license freeze from 1948 to 1952. It took its call letters from new sister station WFAA radio (570 AM, now KLIF). The WFAA call letters reportedly stood for "Working For All Alike," and later the radio station billed itself the "World's Finest Air Attraction" (the KBTV call letters were later used by two unrelated stations; from 1953 to 1983 on what is now KUSA-TV in Denver, and currently on channel 4 in Beaumont). WFAA is one of the few television stations west of the Mississippi River with call letters beginning with a W, the Federal Communications Commission normally assigns stations west of the Mississippi call letters that begin with K; W is only used east of the Mississippi. The reason WFAA is different is that its call letters came from its sibling WFAA (AM), whose callsign predates this FCC policy.

In addition to the DuMont affiliation, KBTV affiliated with the short-lived Paramount Television Network; the station agreed to air 4.75 hours of Paramount programming each week in 1949. In 1950, the station switched its primary affiliation to NBC, and also took on a secondary ABC affiliation. DuMont shut down in 1955 after various issues arising from its relations with Paramount, and NBC disappeared from the schedule in 1957 when WBAP-TV boosted its signal to cover Dallas, making WFAA the market's ABC affiliate. In the 1958-1959 television season, WFAA videotaped for a national audience Jack Wyatt's ABC crime/police reality show, Confession, in which assorted criminals explain why they rejected the mores of society and turned to lawlessness.

WFAA was the first station to break the news that President Kennedy had been assassinated on November 22, 1963, about two blocks north of the television station near Dealey Plaza outside the Texas School Book Depository. The station conducted the first live television interview with Abraham Zapruder, who shot the famous Zapruder film, which was processed at WFAA's photo lab, about an hour and a half after the President's death. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) WFAA and its live remote unit fed much coverage of the assassination and its aftermath to the ABC network over the next four days. The shocking and unexpected shooting of accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby in the basement of Dallas police headquarters, however, was not broadcast live (as on NBC) or on tape (as on CBS a minute later) by WFAA and ABC as their live truck was positioned elsewhere at the time. ABC was therefore only able to show delayed newsreel footage of the historic event. WFAA had purchased a fully equipped, live broadcast studio truck prior to the assassination of JFK, but the truck was not rolled out for the parade through downtown Dallas. In the aftermath of the murder, the staff was told the cost would have been too great for the news department to compensate the production facility for its use.

As local television news grew into a more polished presentation, WFAA became known as a groundbreaking station in broadcast journalism as well as for many technological advancements including: the first computerized newsroom, the market's first station to use a helicopter for newsgathering, live trucks, microwave for live broadcast and the use of satellite uplink trucks for broadcasts from around the state and nation. WFAA was the first American television station to make use of international satellite capacity, broadcasting a live program from Paris, France, in 1969 consisting of interviews with wives of American POWs in Vietnam. The program was anchored by the late Murphy Martin. It was perhaps the first in the nation to put videotaped field reports on the air (film was used almost exclusively in local news until the late 1970s and early 1980s), broadcasting the arrival of President Richard Nixon at Dallas Love Field within 30 minutes of his arrival in 1969 (a Sony reel-to-reel video recorder made for home use was pressed into service for this broadcast presented on a regular, midnight newscast). WFAA uncovered significant stories in the 1980s including information that would lead to SMU's football team being given the "death penalty" in the mid-1980s, as well as the first major media investigation into America's Savings & Loan scandal rooted in Texas.

WFAA-TV began its rise to news dominance in Dallas during the late 1960s and early 1970s under the leadership of news manager Travis Linn, who had previously been news director at WFAA radio. Linn later became Dallas Bureau Chief for CBS News before becoming professor and dean of the journalism program at the University of Nevada–Reno. Under Linn, the station expanded news to 4½ hours per day, including a large morning block (before the creation of Good Morning America by ABC) and an unprecedented one-hour program at 10 p.m. each weeknight as well as a fifteen-minute newscast at midnight four nights a week. Building on this success, WFAA dominated the market's local news ratings from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s, with anchors including Tracy Rowlett, Iola Johnson, Bob Gooding, Murphy Martin, Judi Hanna, John Criswell, Chip Moody, John McCaa, Gloria Campos, Lisa McRee, Verne Lundquist, Dale Hansen and Troy Dungan. Channel 8's approach to news during this period was characterized by an aggressive, all out commitment to get the story and to present it in graphic, visual detail. The station was rewarded with some of the highest ratings of any local station in a major media market.

Other notable people who once worked at Channel 8 include Scott Pelley (current anchor of the CBS Evening News), the late David Garcia (who went on to become a network reporter for ABC News), Mike Lee (who covered news in Europe for many years at ABC News' London bureau), Doug Terry (who became a founding reporter/producer at NPR's All Things Considered and created several Washington-based television news services), and the late Don Harris (who was killed at the start of the Jonestown massacre and mass suicides in Guyana in 1978; Harris was working for NBC News at the time). Former news director turned Belo vice president/news Marty Haag is credited with leading the station's news department to ratings dominance and national prominence, as well as convincing the Dallas Morning News ownership to allow much greater spending on news at WFAA than ever seen before, far surpassing the budgets of other local rival stations. Haag was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement George Foster Peabody Award shortly before his death (date needed). WFAA pioneered community outreach with town hall meetings all over north Texas through its Family First (F1) program. Family First began in 1993 and remains a significant part of the station's commitment to community service.

WFAA became the first television station in the United States to broadcast a digital signal on a VHF channel (on channel 9) on February 27, 1998, at 2:17 p.m. and holds the distinction of broadcasting the nation's first local news program in high-definition. When the station's digital signal signed on, its frequency was already in use by Dallas hospitals and there was interference with the medical equipment. Most of WFAA's news programming (with the exception of the 10 p.m. newscast) is broadcast from a secondary studio facility in the Victory Park district.

In 2008, Belo decided to split its broadcasting and newspaper interests into separate companies. WFAA remained with the broadcasting side, which retained the Belo Corp. name, while the newspapers (including The Dallas Morning News) became the similarly named A.H. Belo Corporation. However, the former corporate cousins still maintain a news partnership.

Digital television

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
8.1 1080i 16:9 WFAA Main WFAA programming / ABC
8.2 480i WFAA-2 The Local AccuWeather Channel
8.3 WFAA-3 Live Well Network

WFAA also has a Mobile DTV feed of subchannel 8.1, broadcasting at 1.83 Mbit/s. The station is one of a few ABC affiliates to broadcast high definition programming in the 1080i format; other ABC affiliates broadcast in 720p.

Previously, channel 8.2 carried "News 8 Now" (formerly known as "Xpress 8.2"). It showed weather radar, regular news updates and headlines on a crawl, and occasional live programming (including content from ABC News Now). The subchannel could also be used for special programming, especially hurricane season, when it was used to relay WFAA's New Orleans sister station WWL-TV for Hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Gustav in 2008; and Houston sister station KHOU-TV for Hurricane Ike in 2008. In addition to the weather radar feed, it broadcast audio from local NOAA Weather Radio station KEC56, with NOAA's KEC55 in Fort Worth and KXI87 in Corsicana used as alternate feeds. On April 30, 2011, WFAA's secondary channel switched to The Local AccuWeather Channel.

Subchannel 8.3 originally carried This TV until November 8, 2010. WFAA placed the Live Well Network in the 8.3 slot the following day (This TV was moved to KDAF on digital subchannel 33.3 on December 7, 2010).

Analog-to-digital conversion

WFAA shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009 at 12:03 p.m., moving its digital signal to channel 8 (in correspondence with the station's analog channel allocation). The last few moments of WFAA's analog signal included a retrospetive of the station's history (as narrated by Pete Delkus), followed by a video of the station's sign-off used in the 1970s.

On December 23, 2009, WFAA filed an application to the FCC to increase its effective radiated power (ERP) from a 45 kW with an omni-directional antenna to a 55 kW with a directional antenna. The reason for the power increase is because some over-the-air viewers are having difficulty receiving the station's signal on channel 8.

Programming

Outside of its newscasts and ABC's network programs, WFAA fills much of its schedule with syndicated newsmagazines and talk shows. However, as an affiliate that is not owned by the network itself, WFAA may occasionally preempt some ABC primetime shows to run locally produced specials. ABC shows that were preempted or otherwise delayed by breaking news coverage are aired during the overnight hours.

WFAA airs The Chew on a day-behind basis at 11 a.m. instead of the recommended time of 12 noon (previously, All My Children aired in that slot prior to September 27, 2011), this is due to the station carrying an hour-long midday newscast during the noon hour. Until September 2011, WFAA aired the ABC Kids children's programming block significantly out of pattern compared to many ABC stations. Until ABC dropped the program on August 28, 2010, a double run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers aired on a one-week delay from 5-6 a.m., instead of the recommended time of 11 a.m. to 12 noon, when the ABC network fed the show to its affiliates "live". The Emperor's New School and The Replacements aired on a same-day delay from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, instead of the recommended 8-9 a.m. timeslot for both shows; the remaining two hours aired in pattern "live" from the ABC feed. Litton's Weekend Adventure replaced ABC Kids in September 2011, with the block's programs airing on a same-day one-hour delay from its "live feed", following the Saturday edition of News 8 Daybreak. WFAA also airs Anderson at 3 p.m. followed by The Dr. Oz Show.

For years, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune aired on Channel 8. After 18 years of airing Wheel of Fortune at 6:30 p.m., WFAA dropped it in the fall of 2005 in favor of the younger-oriented Entertainment Tonight; it dropped Jeopardy! at the same time. Both game shows moved to CBS owned-and-operated station KTVT. Until September 12, 2011, WFAA aired Jimmy Kimmel Live! a half-hour later than its then-recommended 11 p.m. Central timeslot, due to the station airing syndicated programming in that timeslot.

News operation

File:WFAA open.png
WFAA newscast title card.

WFAA presently broadcasts 34 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (5½ hours on weekdays, three hours on Saturdays and 3½ hours on Sundays). In addition, the station produces two Sunday evening sports programs: the highlight program Dale Hansen's Sports Special, hosted by longtime sports director Dale Hansen, and High School Sports Special, hosted by weekend sports anchor Joe Trahan during the school year. WFAA also operates a news helicopter called HD Chopper 8 (formerly known as Telecopter 8), which still has the 1984-1996 dual-outlined "8" logo on its underside. The station maintains bureaus in Collin County at Dr Pepper Ballpark, and in Tarrant County near downtown Fort Worth; both bureaus house a few reporters, but are rarely used for filming.

Since 1986, WFAA's news department has won six Peabody Awards, with a seventh awarded personally to H. Martin "Marty" Haag, WFAA's executive news director from 1973 to 1989 and a Belo Corporation executive after that. WFAA's Peabody Awards were for:

  • 1986: The SMU Mustangs were given the NCAA's "death penalty" because of the Southern Methodist University football scandal.
  • 1995: The Peavy Investigation was a "revealing series of reports into insurance purchases involving the Dallas Independent School District... centered on the chairman of the Board of Education's Committee on Insurance."
  • 2002: Fake Drugs, Real Lives was recognized for an investigative series which "revealed that confidential informants working with Dallas police planted powdered Sheetrock or billiard chalk near unsuspecting Mexican immigrants to contrive drug cases."
  • 2004: State of Denial was a long-running series into improprieties in the Texas Workers Compensation Commission, part of the Texas Department of Insurance.
  • 2007: Money for Nothing, "The Buried and the Dead", "Television Justice", "Kinder Prison", awarded for four separate investigative stories revealing that a major U.S. financial institution is making loans to non-existent companies in Mexico, that regional law-enforcement officers had collaborated with news crews to produce a prime-time TV program, that conditions in a prison housing children were deplorable, and that pipelines carrying gas into homes are unsafe.
  • 2010: "Bitter Lessons," an investigation into government-funded career schools.

In 2009, WFAA became the first local station to receive the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award's Gold Baton, for its commitment to [[Investigative journalism; reporters Byron Harris and Brett Shipp were recognized for investigative reports about corruption and waste at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, grade changing for failing high school athletes, and dangers posed by aging gas pipeline couplings. Among the Dallas Independent School District high schools exposed by their investigations were South Oak Cliff High School and Roosevelt High School. The pipeline-couplings investigation was featured in an episode of the PBS documentary series, Exposé: America's Investigative Reports, entitled "Beneath the North Texas Dirt."

WFAA started producing newscasts and other local programming in high definition on February 2, 2007. WFAA is one of the few television stations not using the First Warning broadcast weather alert system, instead when severe weather alerts are in effect for viewing area, the warning type and the counties the alert is in effect for are displayed in text form at the top of the screen.

Ratings

WFAA's News 8 Update at 10 p.m. is typically the market's most-watched late local newscast, and its 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts are typically the area's most-watched early evening local newscasts.

According to the local Nielsen ratings for the February 2011 sweeps period, viewership for WFAA's newscasts slid in some timeslots; after placing first at 10 p.m. in the November 2010 sweeps period, WFAA's News 8 Update fell to a relatively distant second place with total viewers and with adults 25-54. The morning newscast placed a distant third with total viewers and a relatively distant third with adults 25-54, behind KXAS and a dominant KDFW. WFAA's only #1 finish during the period was in the 5 p.m. time period in total viewers (it lost to KDFW in the adult 25-54 demographic), aided by its Oprah lead-in, which won the 4 p.m. hour in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds. Overall, the station was in last place in the key 25-to-54 demographic for the first time in at least the last 30 years; and fell from first place at both 6 and 10 p.m. in total viewers for the first time in at least three decades. However while its 10 p.m. newscast placed second, Nightline gave WFAA the most-watched late night program in the market among total viewers.

During the May 2011 sweeps period, the News 8 Update regained the #1 position at 10 p.m. with total viewers and adults 25-54, while its morning newscast placed third in both demographics (like WFAA, both KXAS and KTVT lost viewership of their morning newscast compared to the previous year. In total viewers, the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts placed first among the area's early evening newscasts (aided by the outgoing Oprah Winfrey Show as a lead-in), though they both placed second, behind KDFW, in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic.

News/station presentation

File:WFAAHD.jpg
WFAA/NEWS 8 Current 'HD' Logo

Newscast titles

  • Hamms Beer Evening Edition/Final Edition (1949–1950)
  • KBTV Newsreel/WFAA-TV Newsreel (1950–1953)
  • News Roundup (1953–1964)
  • Channel 8 News (1964–1974; still used today in lower thirds and in reporter outcues)
  • News 8 (1974–present; was shown in newscast as 'News8' in the past)
  • News 8 HD (2007–present)

Station slogans

  • "KBTV, Your Steady Date on Channel 8" (1949–1950)
  • "You Can Count on Us" (late 1970s)
  • "The Spirit of Texas" (1984–present; originally created in anticipation of the sesquicentennial of the founding of the state of Texas in 1986)
    • Variations: "Working In The Spirit of Texas", "In The Spirit of Texas", "(Depend on) News 8 Leadership: It's Working In The Spirit of Texas"
  • "First in News, First in HDTV" (2007–present; sub-slogan is unofficial)
    • Variation: "First in HDTV"
  • "Trust Troy, Trust News 8 Weather" (used in promotion of former chief weather anchor, Troy Dungan)
This list related to film, television, or video is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items.

News music packages

The "Spirit" news music package that was used on WFAA's newscasts from 1984 to 1991, was composed by James R. Kirk of TM Productions. All of WFAA's news music packages since then have carried the "Spirit" musical signature, including an unnamed theme used from 1992 to 1996. WFAA also used McKinney-based Stephen Arnold Music's "Spirit" from 1996 to 2000, a package customized by the station and composed by Arnold from 2000 to 2004, a variation of the News Matrix package from 2004 to 2005, and the Evolution package from 2004 to 2007 (which all carry the same signature that TM Productions' package used). In 2007, the station began using a brand new 615 Music package called "Propulsion" (which is also based on the Spirit signature logo), which has been rolled out to several other Belo-owned stations.

In addition to its use by WFAA, the Spirit signature was also used in a news theme commissioned by Houston sister station and CBS affiliate KHOU (who also used the original TM Productions "Spirit" theme from 1986 to 1989), called "American Spirit" composed by John Hegner and used from 1994 to 2000. WFAA's "Spirit" campaign has been the basis for campaigns at sister stations like KHOU-TV, KIII-TV, WVEC-TV, WWL-TV, and KXTV.

News team

Current on-air staff

Anchors
  • Gloria Campos - weeknights The News 8 Update (10 p.m.); also "Wednesday's Child" feature reporter
  • Ron Corning - weekday mornings on News 8 Daybreak and News 8 Midday at noon
  • Shon Gables - weekend mornings on News 8 Daybreak (7-9 a.m.); also weekday reporter
  • Cynthia Izaguirre - weekday mornings on News 8 Daybreak (4:30-7 a.m.) and News 8 Midday at noon; also reporter
  • John McCaa - weeknights at 5, 6 and The News 8 Update (10 p.m.); also reporter (1984)
  • Casey Norton - Sundays at 5 and The News 8 Update at 10 p.m.; also Fort Worth bureau reporter
  • Shelly Slater - weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.; also reporter
  • Teresa Woodard - Saturdays at 6 and The News 8 Update at 10 p.m.
Good Morning Texas
Weather team
  • Pete Delkus (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and The News 8 Update at 10 p.m.
  • Colleen Coyle (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; traffic reporter & Weather weekday mornings on News 8 Daybreak (4:30-7 a.m.)
  • Greg Fields (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings News 8 Daybreak (4:30-7 a.m.) and News 8 Midday at noon
  • Steve McCauley (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends on The News 8 Update at 10 p.m.
  • Julie Bologna - meteorologist; weekend mornings on News 8 Daybreak
Sports team
  • Dale Hansen - sports director; weeknights at 6 and The News 8 Update at 10 p.m., also host of Dale Hansen's Sports Special
  • Joe Trahan - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6 and The News 8 Update at 10 p.m., also host of High School Sports Special
  • George Riba - senior sports reporter
  • Ted Madden - sports reporter and photographer
Traffic
  • Alexa Conomos - traffic reporter; weekday mornings on News 8 Daybreak (4:30-7 a.m.)
  • Michael Scott - airborne traffic reporter
  • Mike Shannon - weekday morning traffic reporter
Reporters
  • Jonathan Betz - general assignment reporter
  • Craig Civale - general assignment reporter
  • Wendy Corona - general assignment reporter
  • Monika Diaz - general assignment reporter
  • Jim Douglas - senior reporter
  • Chris Hawes - Fort Worth bureau reporter
  • Rebecca Lopez - senior reporter
  • Gary Reaves - senior reporter
  • David Schechter - senior reporter
  • Janet St. James - senior reporter and health reporter
  • Steve Stoler - Collin County reporter
  • Hasti Taghi - general assignment reporter
  • Todd Unger - general assignment reporter
  • Brad Watson - Dallas City Hall reporter
  • Jason Wheeler - general assignment reporter
  • Jason Whitely - senior reporter
  • Walt Zwirko - "Computer Corner" and WFAA.com reporter
News 8 Investigates
  • Byron Harris - investigative reporter
  • Brett Shipp - investigative reporter

Notable former on-air staff

Radio

Further information: KLIF (AM) and KBFB
It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled WFAA (AM). (Discuss)

WFAA-AM was the radio counterpart to the TV station. It signed on June 26, 1922, and used the WFAA call letters through July 2, 1983 (thereafter, it was known as "KRQX" until Belo sold it, along with sister station KZEW-FM , on January 1, 1987). WFAA-AM has a rich history of service to the Dallas area. Moving around the AM dial, as most stations did in the 1920s and 1930s, the station settled into a permanent stay at 570 AM by 1938, while splitting time with WBAP at their clear-channel frequency of 820. This was the longest timeshare agreement in the US, starting in 1929 and concluding on April 27, 1970. This was a somewhat bizarre situation that had the stations switching back and forth between frequencies of 570 and 820 at various times of the day. WBAP Radio would broadcast on 820 AM from midnight to 6 a.m., then WFAA would take over until noon. WBAP grabbed the 820 signal back for a few hours, then WFAA would once again take over the frequency. WFAA had the signal during prime evening hours when the 50,000 watt signal could often be heard as far away as California in the west and New York in the east (there were many fewer stations on a night, reducing interference).

WFAA-AM was the first network-affiliated station in Texas (initially with NBC beginning April 2, 1923; later with Texas Quality Network, then ABC and CBS thereafter), the first US station to carry educational programs, the first to produce a serious radio drama series, the first to air a state championship football game, and the first to air presidential inaugural ceremonies. WFAA-AM was home to the long-running morning program, "The Early Birds", hosted by John Allen; "Hymns We Love", "Saturday Night Shindig", "The Big D Jamboree", "Murray Cox RFD", "Slo-and-Ezy", and later, "57 Nostalgia Place." After many years of an entertainment/variety format, the station flipped to Middle of the Road in 1970, followed by Top 40. On Election Day 1976, the station made its final format change to News/Talk (as "Newstalk 570.")

WFAA-AM was initially located in a 9' x 9' tent on the roof of The Dallas Morning News; to the Morning News library thereafter; to the Baker Hotel on October 1, 1925; atop the Santa Fe Railroad Warehouse on Jackson St. from June 20, 1941, to April 4, 1961 (the building still has "WFAA" clearly painted along a panel on the top floor) and finally to Communications Center at Young and Record Streets.

Sister station WFAA-FM was the first FM to sign on in Texas, beginning October 5, 1946, as "KERA-FM" (no relation to the current radio and TV station known under the same call letters), although its roots go back to an experimental FM station "W5X1C" that signed on October 15, 1945, and another experimental trial dating back to 1939. By 1947, it had moved from its original home at 94.3 FM to a preferred location in the center of the dial at 97.9 FM. With FM broadcasting in its infancy, WFAA-FM signed on and off the air for months and even two years at a time before settling on a permanent broadcast schedule by 1965. Initially a simulcast of the AM side, it programmed MOR and Beautiful Music until 1973, then flipped to album oriented rock (AOR) as KZEW-FM (known to listeners as The Zoo) on September 16, 1973. Featuring talent such as John LaBella and John Rody ("LaBella and Rody"), George Gimarc, Charley Jones, Dave Lee Austin, John B. Wells, Nancy Johnson, John Dew, John Dillon, Doc Morgan and Tempie Lindsey, the station's concept and programming were initially under the direction of Ira Lipson. The FM station shared studio locations with WFAA-AM on the second floor of the facility. The FM station is currently an urban-format radio station called KBFB-FM, 97.9 The Beat.

References

Specific references:

  1. "Closed Captioning." WFAA. Retrieved on September 30, 2012. "Mailing Address WFAA-TV Channel 8 606 Young St Dallas, TX 75202"
  2. "Para Mapping Kine Network". Billboard: 13, 43. 1949-09-17. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. White, Timothy R. (1992). Hollywood's Attempt to Appropriate Television: The Case of Paramount Pictures. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI. pp. 107–131. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. Hal Erickson, Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series about Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, Inc., 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  5. http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/news/n_the_last_empty_channel.shtml
  6. WFAA-TV Fiftieth Anniversary
  7. http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=atscmph
  8. http://www.mdtvsignalmap.com/
  9. HDTV of WFAA |WFAA.com
  10. http://www.belo.com/pressRelease.x2?release=20040803-526.html
  11. "Belo Adds ABC's Live Well Network" from broadcastingcable.com, 9/29/2010
  12. http://dallas.thistv.com/
  13. Channel 8 switches to digital signal - WFAA (released June 12, 2009)
  14. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf
  15. CDBS Print
  16. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1348515&Service=DT&Form_id=301&Facility_id=72054
  17. List of WFAA Peabody Awards from the Peabody Award website
  18. 2000 Personal Award to Marty Haag from the Peabody Award website
  19. 1995 The Peavy Investigation from the Peabody Award website
  20. /details.php?id=1316 2002 Fake Drugs, Real Lives from the Peabody Award website
  21. 2004 State of Denial from the Peabody Award website
  22. 2007 Money for Nothing, "The Buried and the Dead", "Television Justice", "Kinder Prison" from the Peabody Award website
  23. 2010 Winners Tribute from the Peabody Award website
  24. Program Descriptions of 2009 duPont-Columbia Awards Winners from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism website
  25. DISD's Ron Price goes to DA about Channel 8 investigations from the Dallas ISD blog of The Dallas Morning News
  26. Grade-changing at Roosevelt High was widespread, says report from the WFAA website
  27. CBS11 and Fox4 dominate Feb. sweeps while once dominant WFAA8 takes a beating, UncleBarky.com, March 3, 2011.
  28. Fox4 paces May "sweeps" local newscast ratings, with WFAA8 also scoring points (with some sleight-of-hand trickery at 10 p.m.), UncleBarky.com, May 26, 2011.
  29. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF7-nNeRfz8
  30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXVANyb4hcI
  31. News Team Bios
  32. WFAA, Texas turns on the radio

General references:

External links

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