WAGM-DT1
Encyclopedia
WAGM-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station
for Northern Maine
, United States
and Western New Brunswick, Canada
. It is seen on the main channel of CBS
affiliate WAGM-TV
which is locally-owned by NEPSK, Inc
. Over-the-air, the station broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on VHF channel 8.1 from a transmitter on the northern section of Mars Hill Mountain among the wind turbines
. Known on-air as Fox 8, WAGM-DT1 can also be seen on Time Warner Cable
channel 12. Its parent station has studios on Brewer Road/SR 210
in Presque Isle. Syndicated
programming on this station includes Entertainment Tonight
, The Insider
, Extra
and The People's Court
among others. WAGM-DT1 signs-off every night.
's National Football Conference
in 1994, WAGM aired them since there was no affiliate with the network in Presque Isle. This made it the only station in the United States
to air programs from all four major networks
at the same time. On September 12, 2006, WAGM launched a Fox affiliate on this primary digital channel preceding the shutdown of Foxnet
. The national service, comparable to The WB 100+
(also defunct), provided the area's only access to Fox on cable. The change resulted in the CBS signal moving to a new second subchannel
.
Such a placement is generally uncommon as most broadcasters number a digital signal equivalent to the analog signal as minor channel
1 and number other subchannels with higher minor channel numbers. This is a similar situation as NBC
affiliate WGBC
in Meridian, Mississippi
which moved its original NBC affiliation to a new second digital subchannel so its main channel could join Fox and the Retro Television Network
(RTV). Until Time Warner
Cable switched to WAGM's relocated CBS feed, it offered Fox in high definition for a short time on digital channel 508. On November 15, 2007, WAGM created a new separate website for this channel featuring the "My Fox" format and layout from Fox Interactive Media. However, the web address "myfoxaroostook.com" was eventually abandoned.
However, it can still be seen on the CBS channel should network coverage pre-empt the program. In addition, the prime time newscast at 10 was expanded to Saturday nights. On August 23, 2010, WAGM renovated its news and weather set but kept the same music theme and graphics package. When the Fox channel first launched, it replayed WAGM's hour long NewsSource 8: Morning Edition originally at 8 on weekday mornings. This was eventually moved to 9 and then dropped altogether at some point in time.
News team
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for Northern Maine
Maine North Woods
The Maine North Woods is the northern geographic area of the state of Maine in the United States.It covers more than 3.5 million acres of top forest land in north-western Maine. It includes western Aroostook and northern Somerset, Penobscot, and Piscataquis counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Western New Brunswick, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is seen on the main channel of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WAGM-TV
WAGM-TV
WAGM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northern Maine, United States and Western New Brunswick, Canada. Licensed to Presque Isle, Maine, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on the northern section of Mars Hill Mountain among the wind...
which is locally-owned by NEPSK, Inc
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
. Over-the-air, the station broadcasts a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on VHF channel 8.1 from a transmitter on the northern section of Mars Hill Mountain among the wind turbines
Wind power in Maine
There are several wind power projects in the state of Maine. Former Governor John Baldacci has set a goal for the state of 2,000 megawatts of wind power installed by 2015 and 3,000 MW by 2020....
. Known on-air as Fox 8, WAGM-DT1 can also be seen on Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
channel 12. Its parent station has studios on Brewer Road/SR 210
Maine State Route 210
State Route 210 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways. It runs in a loop from the intersection of U.S. Route 1/State Route 164 northeast and back around to U.S. 1 within Presque Isle. The route was originally designated in 1925, and ran between Fryeburg and North Waterford. During...
in Presque Isle. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programming on this station includes Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, The Insider
The Insider (TV series)
The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
, Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
and The People's Court
The People's Court
The People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration....
among others. WAGM-DT1 signs-off every night.
History
Even before the addition of Fox to this channel, WAGM had some history with the network. When Fox gained broadcasting rights to games from the NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
in 1994, WAGM aired them since there was no affiliate with the network in Presque Isle. This made it the only station in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to air programs from all four major networks
Fourth television network
In American television terminology, a fourth network is a reference to a fourth broadcast television network, as opposed to the Big Three television networks that dominated US TV from the 1950s to the 1990s: ABC, CBS, and NBC....
at the same time. On September 12, 2006, WAGM launched a Fox affiliate on this primary digital channel preceding the shutdown of Foxnet
Foxnet
Foxnet was a cable network that was available to markets in the United States without an affiliate of the Fox Network. It was usually available in very small television markets....
. The national service, comparable to The WB 100+
The WB 100+ Station Group
The WB 100+ Station Group was a group of primarily non-broadcast local cable television outlets for The WB Television Network, for markets below the top 100 television media markets in the United States. Dayparts with no WB programming were programmed by the network...
(also defunct), provided the area's only access to Fox on cable. The change resulted in the CBS signal moving to a new second subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
.
Such a placement is generally uncommon as most broadcasters number a digital signal equivalent to the analog signal as minor channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
1 and number other subchannels with higher minor channel numbers. This is a similar situation as NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WGBC
WGBC
WGBC is the Fox-affiliated television station for Meridian, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 31 from a transmitter at studios on Crestview Drive south of downtown. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 7 and in high definition on digital channel 432...
in Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
which moved its original NBC affiliation to a new second digital subchannel so its main channel could join Fox and the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
(RTV). Until Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
Cable switched to WAGM's relocated CBS feed, it offered Fox in high definition for a short time on digital channel 508. On November 15, 2007, WAGM created a new separate website for this channel featuring the "My Fox" format and layout from Fox Interactive Media. However, the web address "myfoxaroostook.com" was eventually abandoned.
Newscasts
With the September 12, 2006 launch of Fox on this main channel came a new prime time weeknight newscast known as NewsSource 8 at 10. The program mirrors local shows seen on the CBS channel. On April 11, 2009 due to a decrease in sponsorship, increased pre-emptions from network sports coverage, and financial reasons, WAGM stopped airing a Saturday night newscast at 6 on its CBS channel. In late-September 2010, NewsSource 8: Saturday Edition was brought back but is now normally shown on the Fox channel.However, it can still be seen on the CBS channel should network coverage pre-empt the program. In addition, the prime time newscast at 10 was expanded to Saturday nights. On August 23, 2010, WAGM renovated its news and weather set but kept the same music theme and graphics package. When the Fox channel first launched, it replayed WAGM's hour long NewsSource 8: Morning Edition originally at 8 on weekday mornings. This was eventually moved to 9 and then dropped altogether at some point in time.
News team
- Shawn Cunningham - weeknight news anchor and reporter (also "Medical Mondays" segment producer)
- Rene CloukeyRene CloukeyRene Cloukey is an Assistant News Director and Sports Director for WAGM-TV, who has been reporting on local sports since 1984.-Early life:Rene was born in Sheridan, Maine, and was educated at Ashland Community High School and the Northeast School Of Broadcasting in Boston, Massachusetts...
- Assistant News Director and Sports DirectorSports DirectorA sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
seen weeknights - Ted Shapiro (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist seen weeknights - Laura Thomas - Saturday news and weather anchor (also reporter)
- Chris Weimer - Saturday sports anchor and reporter (also fill-in sports anchor)
- Randi Nissenbaum - reporter and fill-in news anchor
- Jenna Callari - reporter
- Kelly O'Mara - reporter