| Bay News 9 | |
|---|---|
| [1] | |
| Launched | September 8, 1997; 15 years ago |
| Owned by | Bright House Networks |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Slogan | News. Weather. Now. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Headquarters | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Website | www.baynews9.com |
| Availability | |
| Cable | |
| Bright House Networks
(Tampa Bay, except Pasco County) |
Channel 9 (SD)
Channel 1009 (HD) |
| Bright House Networks | Channel 6 (SD)
Channel 1009 (HD |
Bay News 9
is a cable news television network located in St Petersburg, Florida. It currently serves the Tampa Bay Area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. The station, which is exclusive to Bright House Networks customers, broadcasts news 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the exception of some special programming, including a weekly political program, Political Connections.
The station was originally created for cable service operator Time Warner Cable, which managed the system at the time and now is the main content provider for the new system known as Bright House Networks, to make local news available continuously throughout this fast-growing region. Bay News 9's logo, designed by J.C. Burns of Atlanta, has remained the same since 1997.
Contents
- 2 Programming information
- 3 Local partnerships
- 4 Studio
- 5 Channel presentation
- 6 News team
- 7 Affiliated channels
- 8 Miscellaneous
- 9 Bay News 9 in the community
- 10 References
- 11 External links
History
The station began operating on September 24, 1997 and gives weather updates every 10 minutes "on the nines" and more frequently during serious weather conditions. Elliott Wiser came from Seattle to create the station. His drawing of the original wheel remains on the wall of the station hallway. Wiser, who served as Vice President of Local Programming for Bright House Networks, also created the Bay News 9 weather channel, a Spanish news channel, Tampa Bay On Demand, Bay News 9 On Demand and the station's web site. He also created a 24-hour sports channel called Catch 47 (later renamed Bright House Sports Network). The local Spanish channel has since been turned into a regional network called InfoMás. Wiser left Bay News 9 in July 2013 to join CBS affiliate WTSP in St. Petersburg.
In 2002, Bay News 9 was the first TV station in the area to provide a VIPIR Doppler radar system. In 2007, Bay News 9 became the first station in Florida, and only a handful of stations to provide a Dual-Pole Doppler Radar system. On Monday, January 5, 2009, Bay News 9 launched its upgraded doppler radar system called Klystron 9. This new system is capable of seeing weather features in greater detail than other Doppler radar systems. [5]
Klystron 9 combines, for the first time in history, a dual Polarimetry radar, Klystron tube, Pulse compression technology and a 1.25-million watt transmitter. That combination of technology makes Klystron 9 the most powerful television radar in the world. Klystron 9 has the ability to see storms other radars can't see and see deeper into those storms. The Klystron 9's dual-pol technology even tells meteorologists the sizes and shape of raindrops and makes the distinction between rain and ice.
Three original anchors remain with the station: Al Ruechel, Mike Clay, and Alan Winfield. Winfield only works during hurricanes after leaving the station full time in 2006 to join a religious ministry. In December 2008, Jen Holloway left the station to join the parent company, Bright House Networks as a marketing spokesperson. Weekend morning anchor, Erica Riggins replaced her spot [6].
Bay News 9 was originally seen on channel 9 on all systems, except for Pasco County, where it was seen on channel 6. On August 7, 2013, Bright House Networks moved Bay News 9 to channel 9 in Pasco County, making Bay News 9 available on all of Bright House's cable systems in the Tampa Bay area. The newscasts (with the exception of Your Morning News segments) are recorded for repeat broadcasts with breaking news and weather forecasts inserted almost hourly.
Programming information
Newscasts and segments
Bay News 9 provides the following newscasts and segments as part of its 24-hour news cycle:
- Your Morning News - Your Morning News began airing in 2000 and provides news, traffic, and weather from 5 to 9 a.m. on weekdays. There is also a weekend edition that airs from 6 to 10 a.m. In June 2008, Bay News 9 began airing traffic updates six times an hour, as opposed to four times an hour (which was the standard since the station's inception). Updates now occur right after the weather segments at :00 and :30 past the hour, as well as the usual :09, :19, :39, and :49 past the hour.
- Your Evening News - Your Evening News began airing in 2000.
- The 7:00 News - In 2003, Bay News 9 introduced The 7:00 News, a prime-time newscast that provides breaking news, the day's top stories and a national news segment called 'The Nightly News Digest.’ This separate newscast has since been immersed into Your Evening News, which has aired since 2000.
- The 10:00 News - The 10:00 News was part of a short-lived primetime lineup that aired from 2000 to 2003. The hour-long newscast was originally preceded by another one-hour counterpart called 9 at Nine, which ended in 2002.
- Health Team 9 - In 1999, Bay News 9 introduced a team of experts who reported on a variety of medical issues. Health Team 9 included Dr. Steven Seltzer, Dr. Robert DiMasi, Dr. Jacentha Buggs, and Dr. Linda McClintock who, along with Dr. Steve O'Brien, a licensed psychologist, reported the latest medical news on Health Team 9 Health Watch every morning. "Health Team 9 Medical Beat" is reported by the evening anchor during the primetime news. In June 2011, the Medical Beach was replaced with Priority Health, where Dr. Randy Shuck answers health questions sent in by viewers. Health Watch was replaced with Health Headlines, the medical news of the day. Dr. Steve O'Brien continues to serve as Bay News 9's mental health expert.
"Extras"
These have long since been a staple of Bay News 9. They are primarily geared towards an array of lifestyle topics.
Current Extras
Multi-day reports
- Priority Health: Health Issues - reported by Dr. Randy Shuck; airs Monday-Friday at :42/hour, beginning at 5 p.m.
- Every Wednesday is a transportation report titled Getting There, which highlights major roadway projects and other traffic-related issues.
- Every Sunday is a technology report titled Technology and You, which highlights different technologies that can make a difference in today's world. Sometimes, local inventors and companies are profiled in this report.
Weekly reports
- Extra on Getting There - component to "Extra on Special Assignment" and mainly focuses on Transportation-related issues; Airs Wednesday evenings at :23/hour.
- 9's Everyday Heroes - people who make a difference in the community; Reported by longtime Tampa newsman Bill Murphy; Airs Monday mornings/afternoons at :53/hour
- Extra on the Web - website profiles/reviews; reported by Al Ruechel; airs Sunday afternoons at :23/hour.
- The Chef's Kitchen - delectable cuisines and recipes; hosted by Virginia Johnson; airs Wednesday mornings at :53/hour.
- Mrs. Fixit - home improvement tips; Syndicated feature hosted by "Mrs. Fixit" (Terri McGraw); airs Saturday and Sunday evenings at :53/hour.
- Extra on the Town - Weekend event calendar; reported by Tampa Bay On Demand's Virginia Johnson; airs Tuesday and Friday mornings at :53/hour.
- Florida on a Tankful - reported by Tampa Bay On Demand's Scott Fais; airs encores on Thursday and Saturday mornings at :53/hour, with new reports Friday evenings at :23/hour and Sunday mornings at :53/hour.
Note: ##/hour means :## past the hour. Example: :42/hour means :42 past the hour.
In March 2008, Bay News 9 revamped its news cycle, eliminating the "Beyond the Bay" segment at :42 past the hour and replacing it with the EXTRA segment from :23 past the hour. The segment at :23 past the hour is now local news coverage. In recent years, weekend traffic reports were also eliminated to expand local news coverage. The format returns to the "original" news cycle, with EXTRAS appearing at :23 and :53 past the hour during the primetime and overnight newscasts.
Other programs
In addition, Bay News 9 provides one content-exclusive program, which airs regularly:
- Political Connections - In 2005, as part of a partnership between Bay News 9 and the Tampa Bay Times, a new, half-hour, political themed show, "Political Connections", was introduced. The show is hosted by Al Ruechel and airs every Sunday at 11 a.m. (with a replay at 6:30 p.m.). Tampa Bay Times political editor Adam Smith serves as a co-host. There are also two political analysts who make regular appearances on the show. Political consultant Ana Cruz serves as Bay News 9's Democrat Analyst,[1] while political consultant and Irreverent View publisher Christopher Ingram serves as the Republican analyst.[2]
Past programs
- Toyota Sports Connection - The long-running sports-theme program used to air every night at 11 p.m on Bay News 9. (originally, the show aired at 10:30 p.m.). In 2010, the show was moved to Bright House Sports Network, where it can be seen live at 11pm and repeated throughout the next day. The show focuses mainly on local sports but also big national sports stories. Its original host was former Tampa Bay Buccaneer David Logan, but Rock Riley took over when Logan died in 1999.
"The David Logan Scholarship"
Further information: Dave Logan (defensive lineman)==Local partnerships== Bay News 9 has partnerships with various local newspapers and radio stations, including:
- Tampa Bay Times
- Citrus County Chronicle
- The Bradenton Herald
- The Ledger (Lakeland)
- Tampa Bay Business Journal
Studio
Main studio
In June 2005, Bay News 9 moved from its original studios in Pinellas Park to a larger facility at the Carillon Office Complex in St. Petersburg (where Bright House Networks has its main St. Petersburg offices.) The new studio houses the latest in broadcasting technology, including large display screens in the main newsroom that show the latest breaking news headlines from various sources at one time (similar to CNN's The Situation Room.) The facility also houses four studios, a web center, and a large master control room, complemented by two smaller control rooms. The newsroom also features a large faux balcony wall with images of the Tampa area on it.
Most notably, the station was able to transition to the new facility without going off the air, thanks to the studio's new technologies. The final newscast in the old studio aired on the morning of June 27, 2005. The new facility became fully operational at 3:00pm the same day, with the airing of its first afternoon newscast.
In April 2006, Bay News 9 received a Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award in the category of station automation for its streamlined newscasts and the technology that makes those newscasts possible.
County bureaus
- Pinellas County bureau. Located at Bay News 9's Carillon studios (St. Petersburg).
- Hillsborough County bureau. Located in Tampa.
- Polk County bureau. Located in The Ledger Newsroom in Lakeland.
- Manatee County bureau. Located in Bradenton.
- Pasco County bureau. Located in New Port Richey.
- Hernando County bureau. Located in Spring Hill.
- Citrus County bureau. Located in The Citrus County Chronicle Newsroom Crystal River.
- Tallahassee bureau. Located in Tallahassee and shared with Orlando's Central Florida News 13.
Channel presentation
Slogans
- "Your News All The Time" (1997–2002)
- "Your News Channel" (2002–2009)
- "Your News Source" (2009–2011)
- "News. Weather. Now." (2011–present)
News team
Current on-air staff[3]
Anchors
- Veronica Cintron - weekday primetime and overnights
- Rick Elmhorst - weekend evenings and overnights; also Polk County reporter
- Holly Gregory - weekend mornings and Pinellas County reporter
- Erica Riggins - weekday mornings
- Al Ruechel - weekday afternoons and evenings; also host of "Political Connections"
- Anne Imanuel - weekday evenings as a web anchor
KlyStorn 9
- Mike Clay (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and NWA Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weekday afternoons
- Juli Marquez (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings
- Josh Linker (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekend mornings and afternoons
- Brian McClure (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday evenings
- Diane Kacmarik (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekend evenings
- Alan Winfield (AMS Seal of Approval) - hurricane expert (former chief meteorologist)
Traffic
- Chuck Henson - traffic reporter; weekday mornings
Reporters
- Dalia Dangerfield - Pinellas County reporter
- RaeChelle Davis - Pinellas County reporter
- Laurie Davison - Hillsborough County reporter
- Melissa Eichman - Pinellas County reporter
- Josh Gauntt - Pinellas County reporter
- Cheryl Glassford - Polk County reporter
- Holly Gregory - Pinellas County reporter
- Chris Hopper - Pinellas County reporter
- Ashley Jeffery - Hillsborough County reporter
- Troy Kinsey - political reporter (also reporter for Central Florida News 13)
- Jason Lanning - Pinellas County reporter
- Paul Mueller - Pinellas County reporter
- Trevor Pettiford - Pinellas County reporter
- Josh Rojas - Pinellas County reporter
- Summer Smith - Manatee Reporter reporter (also fills in for anchors)
- Ferdinand Zogbaum - Hernando/Citrus County reporter
Affiliated channels
Bay News 9 offers an HD channel and several content-exclusive and On Demand channels available only to cable subscribers.
Bay News 9 HD (Channel 1009-1209)
| This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011) |
The 1080i HD counterpart of the 24-hour news channel rolled out in spring 2006, along with a round of graphics changes. However, despite the channel launch, the news broadcast aren't taped or aired in HD. Instead it is a 4:3 480i broadcast up-scaled to 1080i with stylized pillarboxing. This lack of HD programming ended on October 20, 2011, when Bay News 9 and Spanish language InfoMás began broadcasting their newscasts in 16:9 high-definition. Along with the new wide screen format, Bay News 9 introduced a slightly different graphics package.[4]
Bay News 9 en Español / InfoMás (Channel 900)
Main article: InfoMásA 24-hour Spanish news channel was launched in 2002 by Wiser. Unlike its English counterpart, the station reports on exclusive stories that meet the needs of Tampa's Spanish-speaking population. Bay News 9 en Español is notable in that it is the first of its kind 24-hour local news channel in the nation [5]. First airing on channel 139, it was later moved to channel 900. In 2010, the channel began airing Major League Baseball and NBA games in Spanish.
In March 2011, Bright House announced the merging of the Spanish-language news channels of Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13 into a new channel, InfoMás.[5] The regional network launched on July 12, 2011.[6]
Bright House Networks Travel Weather Now (Channel 109)
The 24-hour weather network was originally conceived as "Bay News 9 Weather Now", and only provided a 24-hour local forecast after its initial launch in 1999. The network was revamped in 2004 and re-launched as "Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now", a 24-hour weather network geared primarily towards business travelers.
In October 2009, Bright House Networks renamed "Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now" to "Bright House Networks Travel Weather Now" also stating that it is provided by Bay News 9.
Tampa Bay on Demand (Channel 340)
This on-demand channel offers local entertainment programming. It features reporter Virginia Johnson who features the people and places in the Tampa Bay entertainment scene. The channel also provides cooking segments with Roy DeJesus, restaurant reviews, wine reviews, celebrity interviews, and holiday features. There is a second channel, Bay News 9 on Demand, which features long-form news material like press conferences.
The wine review program, Vino Vino, was nominated for "Best Video on Demand Program" in the fifth annual Cable FAX Awards, an awards ceremony presented by Cable FAX, an industry trade publication in August 2012.
Miscellaneous
- Former sister station, Capital News 9 in Albany, New York, had a similar logo style, which was discarded in March 2010 when it was rebranded as YNN Capital Region.
- Bright House Networks has a sister station in Orlando known as Central Florida News 13. That channel also offers Spanish and on-demand programming. News 13 became available to digital subscribers on Bright House systems in the Tampa Bay area in December 2010. In converse, Bay News 9 became available to Orlando and Central Florida digital Bright House subscribers around this time, on channel 1209.[7]
- Bay News 9 and News 13 are both CNN affiliate stations.
- Terry Dolan was announced as the station's new general manager, starting May 19, 2008.[8]
- Dolan left in 2010. He was replaced by Rod Gramer, who began as general manager in July 2011 and let go along with Central Florida News 13 GM Robin Smythe in January 2013. There is no GM at either channel.[9]
- A portion of the 2011 film Dolphin Tale was filmed in the Bay News 9 studio. Bay News 9 also has a webcam where visitors can watch Winter (dolphin) from her home at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.[10][11]
Bay News 9 in the community
Project Weather consists of Science Kits which are distributed to all 6th grade public school teachers in the 7-county viewing area and Project Weather Activity Books for pre-school and elementary aged children. Bay News 9 has an interactive exhibit called WeatherQuest at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, a news and weather exhibit in Lakeland at the Explorations V Children's Museum and a Project Weather Classroom at the Science Center in Pinellas County. Additionally meteorologists go to hurricane expos and schools to education about weather.
References
- ^ http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/politics/connections/analyst-ana-cruz.html
- ^ http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/politics/connections/analyst-chris-ingram.html
- ^ Our People
- ^ [1] Bay News 9 & InfoMás go high-def…
- ^ St. Petersburg Times: "Bright House Networks to merge Tampa Bay and Orlando Spanish language newschannels into InfoMás, March 11, 2011.
- ^ [2]
- ^ Per Zap2it, zip code 32809.
- ^ [3] CNN Veteran Terry Dolan joins Bay News 9
- ^ *[4] Bay News 9 Names Veteran Newsman As New General Manager
- ^ "Winter the Dolphin Goes Hollywood". Baynews9.com. Bay News 9. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ "Bay News 9 newsroom becomes backdrop for 'Dolphin Tale'". Baynews9.com. Bay News 9. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
Main studio articles
- 1. Tampa Bay News 9 Wins 2006 Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award With OmniBus Automation
- 2. Bay News 9 shifts to automated server-based facility
Tallahassee bureau articles
Additional references
- Bay News 9 celebrates 10th anniversary Retrieved 9/24/2007.