WMSN-TV
Encyclopedia
WMSN-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station
for Southern Wisconsin
's Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
licensed to Madison
. It broadcasts a high definition
signal on UHF channel 49 (or virtual channel
47.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Madison's Middleton Junction section. The station can also be seen on Charter
channel 8 and in high definition on digital channel 617. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group
, it has studios on Big Sky Drive in Madison. Syndicated
programming on WMSN includes Seinfeld
, Two and a Half Men
, Judge Judy
and The People's Court
among others.
. On WMSN-DT3 and Charter digital channel 969 is The Country Network.
airing an analog signal on UHF channel 47. It was the first new commercial station
to launch in the market
in thirty years. After a few months as an Independent, it joined Fox as a charter affiliate on October 9. Its owner Sinclair and the network recently finalized a six-year affiliation contract extension for the company's nineteen Fox affiliates including WMSN. The affiliation contract now expires in March 2012. The station continued analog broadcasts until the full DTV transition
took place on June 12, 2009. It was the last full-power station in Madison to transmit regular analog television
broadcasts and maintain its signal after the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) urged one commercial analog signal to remain in the market until the full transition.
The other commercial stations converted to digital the week of February 17 while public station WHA-TV converted on April 5. Due in part to interference concerns with fellow Fox affiliate WLUK-TV
(which transmits on VHF channel 11 from Green Bay
) WMSN filed a construction permit
to move its digital signal to UHF channel 49. The change was made November 5, 2010 and resulted in Madison being the only all-UHF market in Wisconsin. It also made ABC
affiliate WLOS
in Asheville, North Carolina
the only Sinclair-owned station on the VHF dial. After completing channel switch, WMSN added The Country Network on its third digital subchannel
.
WMSN-DT2, which airs TheCoolTV, was added in late-September 2010. Both services were not initially carried by Charter but were eventually picked up through carriage agreements. Unlike Milwaukee sister outlets WVTV
and WCGV-TV
, WMSN still signs-off Sunday night into Monday morning. Its studios are on Big Sky Drive on the site of the former Big Sky drive-in theater. For several years, it has aired "Big Sky Theater" on Saturday nights featuring classic movies (mostly westerns
) from the drive-in
era.
) entered into a news share agreement with WMSN. This resulted in Madsion's first nightly prime time newscast to debut known as Fox 47 News at 9. The broadcast runs for 35 minutes on weeknights and a half-hour on weekends. The show has no WKOW branding and originates from a secondary set at the big three affiliate
's studios on Tokay Boulevard in Madison. The music package and graphics theme used on the newscast can be seen on other Sinclair-owned stations that operate news departments. Although it features additional personnel from WKOW in the broadcasts, WMSN maintains a separate news anchor and weeknight sports personality (the former does contribute to WKOW, however).
In September 2003, the station began to have competition to its prime time show. Then-WB affiliate WBUW
started offering a 35 minute newscast on weeknights produced by NBC
affiliate WMTV
through a similar outsourcing arrangement. Compared with Fox 47 News at 9, WBUW's show aired in a more flashy fast-paced format (stories were rarely more than one or two minutes in length) with an emphasis on entertainment and lifestyle features. In January 2004, CBS
affiliate WISC-TV
launched a five minute news update weeknights at 9 featuring local and national headlines plus a brief weather presentation on its secondary service, "UPN 14".
The program was expanded to a thirty minute format and seven nights a week in September 2005 becoming a credible third option for prime time local news in the market. Despite WBUW's efforts to attract a younger audience geared towards The WB, its newscast never gained ratings
ground and maintain consistent viewership against WMSN and "UPN
14". As a result, the effort was canceled in December 2005. On October 26, 2010, WKOW became the last station in Madison to upgrade local news to high definition level. However, the WMSN broadcasts were not included in the change because this station's master control is not equipped to air local or syndicated programming in HD. In addition, the secondary set used for Fox 47 News at 9 at WKOW's facility does not have the proper high definition cameras.
Reporters
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 Southern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
's Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands is a geographical region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, between Green Bay in the north, and the border with Illinois in the south...
licensed to Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. It 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...
signal on UHF channel 49 (or virtual 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....
47.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Madison's Middleton Junction section. The station can also be seen on Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
channel 8 and in high definition on digital channel 617. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
, it has studios on Big Sky Drive in Madison. 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 WMSN includes Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
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.
Digital programming
On WMSN-DT2 and Charter digital channel 968 is TheCoolTVTheCoolTV
THECOOLTV is a United States over-the-air digital subchannel launched in March 2009. The network's current program schedule consists of an all-music video lineup that can be customized to meet an affiliate's preference, along with the three hours per week of E/I programming as required by the...
. On WMSN-DT3 and Charter digital channel 969 is The Country Network.
| Channels (virtual/physical) | Name | Video | Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.1/49.1 | WMSN-HD | 720p 720p 720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan... |
16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... |
main WMSN programming/Fox (HD) |
| 47.2/49.2 | WMSN-DT2 | 480i 480i 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC... |
4:3 | TheCoolTV (SD) |
| 47.3/49.3 | WMSN-DT3 | 480i | 4:3 | The Country Network (SD) |
History
The station signed-on June 8, 19861986 in television
The year 1986 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1986.For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:*September 6 –...
airing an analog signal on UHF channel 47. It was the first new commercial station
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
to launch in the market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
in thirty years. After a few months as an Independent, it joined Fox as a charter affiliate on October 9. Its owner Sinclair and the network recently finalized a six-year affiliation contract extension for the company's nineteen Fox affiliates including WMSN. The affiliation contract now expires in March 2012. The station continued analog broadcasts until the full DTV transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
took place on June 12, 2009. It was the last full-power station in Madison to transmit regular analog television
Analog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
broadcasts and maintain its signal after the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) urged one commercial analog signal to remain in the market until the full transition.
The other commercial stations converted to digital the week of February 17 while public station WHA-TV converted on April 5. Due in part to interference concerns with fellow Fox affiliate WLUK-TV
WLUK-TV
WLUK-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Fox River Valley area and Northeastern Wisconsin. Licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter on Scray's Hill in Ledgeview; the station also broadcasts in...
(which transmits on VHF channel 11 from Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
) WMSN filed a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
to move its digital signal to UHF channel 49. The change was made November 5, 2010 and resulted in Madison being the only all-UHF market in Wisconsin. It also made ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WLOS
WLOS
WLOS is the ABC-affiliated television station for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina licensed to Asheville, North Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Mount Pisgah in North Carolina. The station can also be seen on Charter...
in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
the only Sinclair-owned station on the VHF dial. After completing channel switch, WMSN added The Country Network on its third digital 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...
.
WMSN-DT2, which airs TheCoolTV, was added in late-September 2010. Both services were not initially carried by Charter but were eventually picked up through carriage agreements. Unlike Milwaukee sister outlets WVTV
WVTV
WVTV is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA and serves as Southeast Wisconsin's The CW Television Network affiliate. The station broadcasts from the Milwaukee Public Television tower on Milwaukee's northeast side with WMVS/WMVT, along with WCGV , WVTV's sister station...
and WCGV-TV
WCGV-TV
WCGV-TV, digital channel 25 , is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, affiliated with MyNetworkTV Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin, including the cities of Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan and Waukesha...
, WMSN still signs-off Sunday night into Monday morning. Its studios are on Big Sky Drive on the site of the former Big Sky drive-in theater. For several years, it has aired "Big Sky Theater" on Saturday nights featuring classic movies (mostly westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
) from the drive-in
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
era.
Newscasts
In 1999, ABC affiliate WKOW (then owned by the Shockley Communications CorporationShockley Communications Corporation
Shockley Communications Corporation is a media outlet that held several television stations in Wisconsin underneath its ownership. The company was reportedly bought-out by Quincy Newspapers in June 2001....
) entered into a news share agreement with WMSN. This resulted in Madsion's first nightly prime time newscast to debut known as Fox 47 News at 9. The broadcast runs for 35 minutes on weeknights and a half-hour on weekends. The show has no WKOW branding and originates from a secondary set at the big three affiliate
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
's studios on Tokay Boulevard in Madison. The music package and graphics theme used on the newscast can be seen on other Sinclair-owned stations that operate news departments. Although it features additional personnel from WKOW in the broadcasts, WMSN maintains a separate news anchor and weeknight sports personality (the former does contribute to WKOW, however).
In September 2003, the station began to have competition to its prime time show. Then-WB affiliate WBUW
WBUW
WBUW is a television station affiliated with The CW. Though licensed to Janesville, Wisconsin, the station is branded as Madison's CW, and serves all of Madison, south-central Wisconsin, and portions of Northern Illinois...
started offering a 35 minute newscast on weeknights produced by 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 WMTV
WMTV
WMTV is a NBC affiliated television station serving Madison, Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Gray Television, and has its studio and transmitter located in Madison.-History:...
through a similar outsourcing arrangement. Compared with Fox 47 News at 9, WBUW's show aired in a more flashy fast-paced format (stories were rarely more than one or two minutes in length) with an emphasis on entertainment and lifestyle features. In January 2004, 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 WISC-TV
WISC-TV
WISC-TV is the CBS affiliate television station for Madison, Wisconsin. The station is the flagship of Madison-based Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its launch on June 24, 1956...
launched a five minute news update weeknights at 9 featuring local and national headlines plus a brief weather presentation on its secondary service, "UPN 14".
The program was expanded to a thirty minute format and seven nights a week in September 2005 becoming a credible third option for prime time local news in the market. Despite WBUW's efforts to attract a younger audience geared towards The WB, its newscast never gained ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
ground and maintain consistent viewership against WMSN and "UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
14". As a result, the effort was canceled in December 2005. On October 26, 2010, WKOW became the last station in Madison to upgrade local news to high definition level. However, the WMSN broadcasts were not included in the change because this station's master control is not equipped to air local or syndicated programming in HD. In addition, the secondary set used for Fox 47 News at 9 at WKOW's facility does not have the proper high definition cameras.
News team
Anchors- Julia Fello - weeknight news and multimedia journalist (also "Fox Focus on Health" segment producer)
- Derek Staahl - Saturday news and weeknight reporter
- Julie Lund - Sunday news
- Brian Olson (NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
and 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...
Seals of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist seen weeknights - Laurie Mercurio - weekend meteorologist
- Matt Zahn - weeknight sports
- Jamie Hersch - weekend sports
Reporters
- Jim Imhoff - "A Positive Sign" segment producer
- Lysée Mitri - weeknight multimedia journalist
- Jason Nevins - "Fit Club" segment producer
- Greg Neumann - politics
- Tony Galli - investigative
- Sabrina Hall - consumer
- Teresa Mackin