WYFF
Encyclopedia
WYFF is the NBC-affiliate
television station
based in Greenville, South Carolina
. It serves a media market
which includes Greenville/Spartanburg
and Anderson
in South Carolina
and Asheville/Hendersonville, North Carolina
. The market covers large portions of western North Carolina
and upstate South Carolina. Its transmitter is located near Caesars Head, South Carolina
.
, The Greenville Piedmont and WFBC radio (1330 AM, now WYRD, and 93.7 FM
). For its first two years of operation, its studios were located on Paris Mountain before moving to its current location on Rutherford Street in 1955. Norvin Duncan was the station's first news anchor, moving from the radio side.
Monty's Rascals (started in 1960) was one of the station's popular children's shows, starring two channel 4 weathermen: Monty DuPuy (who left in 1978) and Stowe Hoyle as Mr. Doohickey (wearing a hat with an old Santa's beard). The show continued as The Rascal's Clubhouse after DuPuy's departure in 1978 and continued until 1982. Two years later, Hoyle retired. An earlier version of the program, Kids Korral, was hosted by Johnny Wright.
Locally televised color programming also began in February 1967. In 1968, News-Piedmont merged with Southern Broadcasting to form Multimedia, Inc.
, with WFBC AM/-FM/-TV as the flagship station
s. In the mid 1970s, the famous "Arrow 4" logo was introduced and was used in one form or another for many years.
In 1983, due to new rules restricting common ownership of newspapers and broadcasting outlets in the same market, Multimedia sold off its Upstate cluster. In an unusual trade of one group's flagship station for another, WFBC-TV was traded to Pulitzer Publishing Company in return for KSD-TV (now KSDK
) in St. Louis. At that point, Channel 4 changed its call letters to WYFF-TV (We're Your Friend Four). Pulitzer also acquired WXII-TV
in the Piedmont Triad
as part of the same deal. Although Pulitzer closed on WXII later in 1983, the acquisition of WYFF would not be finalized until January 1985 because Pulitzer had to sell off WLNE-TV
in Providence
in order to comply with Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) ownership limits of the time; in the interim, Pulitzer took over the operations of WYFF through a time brokerage agreement with Multimedia.
Channel 4 was the first upstate television station to begin 24/7 broadcasting, and did so in the fall of 1988. It ran NBC News Overnight
(later Nightside
), Home Shopping Spree and CNN Headline News
overnight. In 2005, it discontinued CNN Headline News (and previously the Home Shopping Spree) overnight and now runs NBC late night, drama reruns, home and garden shows, and paid programming overnight. In 1999 Hearst-Argyle
bought Pulitzer's entire television division, including WYFF-TV.
programs that were pre-empted by WFBC/WYFF over the years (most of which ended up on channel 40 WAXA, (now WMYA-TV
) include:
Syndicated programming on WYFF includes Live with Kelly, The Rachael Ray Show, The Andy Griffith Show
, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, The Dr. Oz Show
, Entertainment Tonight
, and Inside Edition
.
WYFF 4 WeatherPlus was offered on WYFF's digital feed as digital subchannel
4.2. Despite the discontinuation of the national NBC Weather Plus
network on December 1, 2008, WYFF 4 continued offering local weather conditions using the WeatherPlus brand. WeatherPlus was dropped from WYFF on January 1, 2011 and replaced with This TV
.
WYFF temporarily broadcast digitally on channel 59, which is in the range of channels that is to become vacant after the digital television conversion is complete. When analog broadcasts ended, WYFF moved to channel 36 (formerly occupied by the analog signals of co-channel WCNC-TV
in Charlotte and WATL in Atlanta). WYFF's digital signal will continue to display as 4.1, its existing virtual channel
number, but all ATSC tuner
s must be re-scanned to find it on 36 instead of 59. WYFF began broadcasting in digital only effective June 12, 2009.
, WYFF is available on Comcast
in Newberry
, which is part of the Columbia
DMA
. WYFF is also available on McCormick Cable System and Savannah Valley Cablevision in McCormick
, which is part of the Augusta, GA
DMA.
In North Carolina
, WYFF is available on CoMPAS Cable in Morganton
, which is part of the Charlotte
DMA.
In Georgia
, WYFF is available on KLIP Interactive in Danielsville
and Northland Communications
in Mountain City
, which are part of the Atlanta DMA. The NBC affiliate for that DMA, WXIA
, is not available in Mountain City.
During the CATV period in the 1970s and 1980s, WYFF was once carried as far east as Cabarrus County, North Carolina
which is northeast of Charlotte.
". Partridge succeeded Duncan as anchor of the 6 and 11 o'clock news. In 1976 Kenn Sparks joined, and the 6 o'clock news went to a full hour called The Scene at Six. Later, in 1979, the long-running 'Your Friend Four' slogan was introduced and seen in a 1980 edition of TV Guide
.
The 1980s brought new personalities to channel 4, like James Baker, sportscasters J.D. Hayworth, (later Congressman from Arizona
), Roger Berry, Mark Marino and weatherman Charlie Gertz (who died in 2003 from a stroke). Action News
4 became NewsCenter 4 in the early 1980s.
Following the Pulitzer purchase, new personalities that arrived at WYFF included Carl Clark, Kim Brattain, and Carol Anderson (later Carol Goldsmith
) who co-anchors the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts. In the late 1980s, Carol Anderson was replaced by Annette Estes who was removed from its rival station WSPA-TV
due to an on-air curse word. Stan Olenik also came from WSPA. Goldsmith later took her spot back when Estes left the station in 1992. NewsCenter 4 became simply known as News 4 in the 1990s. Charlie Gertz retired, and the "arrow 4" logo was dropped by 1991.
Since January 26, 2010, WYFF's cameras have shot in high definition, although the station currently broadcasts local news in downconverted 16:9 standard definition with an updated graphics package. As of October 9, 2010, it is currently unknown when WYFF will eventually broadcast in HD.
Sports director Geoff Hart and chief meteorologist John Cessarich temporarily switched positions during the stations 11 p.m. newscast on November 18, 2010, with Hart doing the weather and Cessarich doing sports.
Weather Team
Sports Team
Reporters
Hearst Television Washington Bureau
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
television station
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...
based in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. It serves a media 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...
which includes Greenville/Spartanburg
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
and Anderson
Anderson, South Carolina
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was estimated at 26,242 in 2006, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 70,530...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and Asheville/Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,223, up fivefold in one century. It is the county...
. The market covers large portions of western North Carolina
Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It is sometimes included with upstate South Carolina as the "Western Carolinas", which is also counted as a single media market...
and upstate South Carolina. Its transmitter is located near Caesars Head, South Carolina
Caesars Head, South Carolina
Caesars Head is a mountain within Caesars Head State Park in northern Greenville County, South Carolina. The summit has an elevation of . The radio tower for TV station WYFF is nearby....
.
History
The station went on the air on December 26, 1953 as WFBC-TV, South Carolina's fifth television station, broadcasting from a transmitter located on Paris Mountain. It was owned by the Peace family and their News-Piedmont Publishing Company along with The Greenville NewsThe Greenville News
The Greenville News is a daily morning newspaper published in Greenville, South Carolina. Along with The State in Columbia and Charleston's Post and Courier, it is one of the three largest papers in South Carolina.-History:...
, The Greenville Piedmont and WFBC radio (1330 AM, now WYRD, and 93.7 FM
WFBC
WFBC-FM is a Top 40 station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina and serves the Upstate and Western North Carolina regions, including Greenville, Spartanburg, and Asheville, North Carolina. The Entercom Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at...
). For its first two years of operation, its studios were located on Paris Mountain before moving to its current location on Rutherford Street in 1955. Norvin Duncan was the station's first news anchor, moving from the radio side.
Monty's Rascals (started in 1960) was one of the station's popular children's shows, starring two channel 4 weathermen: Monty DuPuy (who left in 1978) and Stowe Hoyle as Mr. Doohickey (wearing a hat with an old Santa's beard). The show continued as The Rascal's Clubhouse after DuPuy's departure in 1978 and continued until 1982. Two years later, Hoyle retired. An earlier version of the program, Kids Korral, was hosted by Johnny Wright.
Locally televised color programming also began in February 1967. In 1968, News-Piedmont merged with Southern Broadcasting to form Multimedia, Inc.
Multimedia (media company)
Multimedia, Inc. was a media company that owned 10 daily newspapers, three weekly newspapers, two radio stations, five television stations, and a cable television system division...
, with WFBC AM/-FM/-TV as the flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
s. In the mid 1970s, the famous "Arrow 4" logo was introduced and was used in one form or another for many years.
In 1983, due to new rules restricting common ownership of newspapers and broadcasting outlets in the same market, Multimedia sold off its Upstate cluster. In an unusual trade of one group's flagship station for another, WFBC-TV was traded to Pulitzer Publishing Company in return for KSD-TV (now KSDK
KSDK
KSDK, Channel 5, is the NBC-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KSDK is owned and operated by Gannett Company, and the station's transmitter is located in Marlborough, Missouri. The station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 35, using its former analog channel assignment...
) in St. Louis. At that point, Channel 4 changed its call letters to WYFF-TV (We're Your Friend Four). Pulitzer also acquired WXII-TV
WXII-TV
WXII-TV is the NBC television station licensed for the Greensboro–High Point–Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area with Parts of SWVA. It is licensed to Winston-Salem and is currently owned by the Hearst Corporation. Its transmitter is located on Sauratown Mountain in...
in the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
as part of the same deal. Although Pulitzer closed on WXII later in 1983, the acquisition of WYFF would not be finalized until January 1985 because Pulitzer had to sell off WLNE-TV
WLNE-TV
WLNE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Rhode Island and the South Coast of Massachusetts. It is licensed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, but is headquartered in and operates from studios at 10 Orms Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It is one of two major Rhode Island...
in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in order to comply with 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) ownership limits of the time; in the interim, Pulitzer took over the operations of WYFF through a time brokerage agreement with Multimedia.
Channel 4 was the first upstate television station to begin 24/7 broadcasting, and did so in the fall of 1988. It ran NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight was a television news program on the NBC television network airing weekday mornings from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. from July 5, 1982 to December 3, 1983 for 367 telecasts...
(later Nightside
NBC Nightside
NBC Nightside was an overnight news program which aired from 1991 to 1998 on NBC. The show was produced in three half-hour long segments. It usually aired live nightly from 1:00-2:30 a.m. Eastern Time, followed by rebroadcasts until 4:30 or 5 a.m...
), Home Shopping Spree and CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
overnight. In 2005, it discontinued CNN Headline News (and previously the Home Shopping Spree) overnight and now runs NBC late night, drama reruns, home and garden shows, and paid programming overnight. In 1999 Hearst-Argyle
Hearst-Argyle
Hearst Television, Inc. is a broadcasting company in the United States, owned by the New York City-based Hearst Corporation. It holds joint ventures in television production with NBC Universal Television Distribution...
bought Pulitzer's entire television division, including WYFF-TV.
Programming
Some NBCNBC
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...
programs that were pre-empted by WFBC/WYFF over the years (most of which ended up on channel 40 WAXA, (now WMYA-TV
WMYA-TV
WMYA-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina licensed to Anderson, South Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 14 from a transmitter in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. The station can also be seen on...
) include:
- Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
, aired on WYFF-TV until 1986, it was seen instead on WAXA-TV now (WMYA-TVWMYA-TVWMYA-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina licensed to Anderson, South Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 14 from a transmitter in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. The station can also be seen on...
) before WYFF-TV picked it back up in the late 1980s. - Underdog
- The Who, What, or Where GameThe Who, What, Or Where GameThe Who, What, or Where Game was an American television game show that was broadcast weekdays on NBC from December 29, 1969 to January 4, 1974...
, replaced by WFBC-TV's local talk show Today in The Piedmont - The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life (TV series)The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
, NBC daytime reruns during 1984-85, seen instead on WAXA-TV - Kidd VideoKidd VideoKidd Video was a Saturday morning cartoon created by DiC Entertainment in association with Saban Entertainment. Its original run was on NBC from 1984 to 1985, but continued in reruns on the network until 1987, when CBS picked the show up...
, seen instead on WAXA-TV - Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
, shown instead on WAXA-TV - Super Password, pre-empted by WYFF-TV during its entire run, and shown instead on WAXA-TV
- FoofurFoofurFoofur is a children's animated series made by Hanna-Barbera and Freddy Monnickendam. It aired on NBC from 1986 to 1988. The protagonist and title character was a skinny blue dog. The animated series was produced in part by William Hanna...
, shown instead on WAXA-TV - Time MachineTime Machine (game show)Time Machine is an American game show where contestants competed to answer trivia questions about popular culture and recent history to win prizes. The show aired on NBC from January 7 through April 26, 1985 and was hosted by John Davidson. Charlie Tuna was the announcer, with Rich Jeffries as his...
- Another WYFF-TV pre-empted NBC show that WAXA-TV aired in 1985. - NBC's Saturday Night- During its 1975 inception until 1977.
- Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara (TV series)Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
- An NBC soap opera from 1984-1993, cleared by WYFF in the mid 1980s.
Syndicated programming on WYFF includes Live with Kelly, The Rachael Ray Show, The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show is an American syndicated television talk show, hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and teaching professor at Columbia University who became famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 until 2009....
, 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...
, and Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
.
Digital programming
WYFF's signal is multiplexed.| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 4.1 | Main WYFF programming / NBC |
| 4.2 | This TV This TV This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies.... |
WYFF 4 WeatherPlus was offered on WYFF's digital feed as 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...
4.2. Despite the discontinuation of the national NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus was a 24-hour, commercially sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC network. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and shut down on December 31, 2008...
network on December 1, 2008, WYFF 4 continued offering local weather conditions using the WeatherPlus brand. WeatherPlus was dropped from WYFF on January 1, 2011 and replaced with This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
.
WYFF temporarily broadcast digitally on channel 59, which is in the range of channels that is to become vacant after the digital television conversion is complete. When analog broadcasts ended, WYFF moved to channel 36 (formerly occupied by the analog signals of co-channel WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22 and is carried on cable channel 6 on most area cable systems. It is owned by the Belo Corporation...
in Charlotte and WATL in Atlanta). WYFF's digital signal will continue to display as 4.1, its existing 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....
number, but all ATSC tuner
ATSC tuner
An ATSC tuner, often called an ATSC receiver or HDTV tuner is a type of television tuner that allows reception of digital television television channels transmitted by television stations in North America, parts of Central America and South Korea that use ATSC standards...
s must be re-scanned to find it on 36 instead of 59. WYFF began broadcasting in digital only effective June 12, 2009.
Out-of-market cable coverage
In South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, WYFF is available on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
in Newberry
Newberry, South Carolina
Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, 43 miles west -northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. In 1890, 3,020 people lived in Newberry, South Carolina; in 1900, 4,607; in 1910, 5,028; and in 1940, 7,510. The population was 10,580 at the 2000 census. It is the county...
, which is part of the Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
DMA
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...
. WYFF is also available on McCormick Cable System and Savannah Valley Cablevision in McCormick
McCormick, South Carolina
McCormick is a town in McCormick County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,489 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of McCormick County.-Geography:McCormick is located at ....
, which is part of the Augusta, GA
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
DMA.
In North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, WYFF is available on CoMPAS Cable in Morganton
Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. Reader's Digest included Morganton in its list of top ten places to raise a family. The town was recently profiled in The 50 Best Small Southern Towns. The population was 17,310 at the 2000 census...
, which is part of the Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
DMA.
In Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, WYFF is available on KLIP Interactive in Danielsville
Danielsville, Georgia
Danielsville is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County...
and Northland Communications
Northland Communications
Northland Communications is an American cable television, telephone and internet service provider with systems in various portions of the United States. Northland Communications currently owns and operates smaller-market cable systems in Alabama, California, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, South...
in Mountain City
Mountain City, Georgia
Mountain City is an incorporated town in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 829 at the 2000 census. The town straddles the Eastern Continental Divide in a deep gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain front. The gap allows U.S...
, which are part of the Atlanta DMA. The NBC affiliate for that DMA, WXIA
WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV, virtual channel 11.1 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Atlanta, Georgia. Popularly known by its 11 Alive moniker, WXIA is owned by the Gannett Company in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL...
, is not available in Mountain City.
During the CATV period in the 1970s and 1980s, WYFF was once carried as far east as Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Cabarrus County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 131,063 people, 49,519 households, and 36,545 families residing in the county. The population density was 360 people per square mile . There were 52,848 housing units at an average density of 145 per square mile...
which is northeast of Charlotte.
News operation
During the 1960s, personalities from channel 4 included Dave Partridge and Jim Phillips (Phillips died in 2003), better known to listeners of Clemson Tiger football radio broadcasts as "the voice of the Clemson TigersClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
". Partridge succeeded Duncan as anchor of the 6 and 11 o'clock news. In 1976 Kenn Sparks joined, and the 6 o'clock news went to a full hour called The Scene at Six. Later, in 1979, the long-running 'Your Friend Four' slogan was introduced and seen in a 1980 edition of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
.
The 1980s brought new personalities to channel 4, like James Baker, sportscasters J.D. Hayworth, (later Congressman from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
), Roger Berry, Mark Marino and weatherman Charlie Gertz (who died in 2003 from a stroke). Action News
Action News
Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
4 became NewsCenter 4 in the early 1980s.
Following the Pulitzer purchase, new personalities that arrived at WYFF included Carl Clark, Kim Brattain, and Carol Anderson (later Carol Goldsmith
Carol Goldsmith
Carol Goldsmith is a news anchor for WYFF News 4, broadcasting out of Greenville, South Carolina. In 1992 she won the South Carolina State Broadcasters Association award for Television Women's Programming.-References:...
) who co-anchors the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts. In the late 1980s, Carol Anderson was replaced by Annette Estes who was removed from its rival station WSPA-TV
WSPA-TV
WSPA-TV channel 7 is the CBS-affiliated television station for western North Carolina and South Carolina. It is licensed to Spartanburg, South Carolina with its transmitter is located on Hogback Mountain southwest of Tryon, North Carolina. Owned by Media General, the station is sister to CW...
due to an on-air curse word. Stan Olenik also came from WSPA. Goldsmith later took her spot back when Estes left the station in 1992. NewsCenter 4 became simply known as News 4 in the 1990s. Charlie Gertz retired, and the "arrow 4" logo was dropped by 1991.
Since January 26, 2010, WYFF's cameras have shot in high definition, although the station currently broadcasts local news in downconverted 16:9 standard definition with an updated graphics package. As of October 9, 2010, it is currently unknown when WYFF will eventually broadcast in HD.
Sports director Geoff Hart and chief meteorologist John Cessarich temporarily switched positions during the stations 11 p.m. newscast on November 18, 2010, with Hart doing the weather and Cessarich doing sports.
Newscast titles
- The Night Report (1953–1967)
- 24 Hours (1967–1973)
- The News Scene (1973–1976)
- The Scene at Six/The Scene at Eleven (1976–1980)
- NewsCenter 4 (1980–1989)
- News 4 (1989–2000)
- WYFF News 4 (2000–present)
Station slogans
- Carolina's All Color Television Station (1960s)
- Carolina's Number One News Team (1970s-early 1980s)
- We're Your Friend Four (1979–1991)
- Where The News Comes First (early 1980s)
- News for the Nineties, News 4 Right Now! (1990–1991)
- Carolina's NewsChannel (1993–2000)
- Live. Local. Breaking News. (2000–present)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Beth Brotherton - weekday mornings "WYFF News 4 Today"
- Michael Cogdill - weeknights at 6, and 11 p.m.
- Carol Goldsmith - weeknights at 6, and 11 p.m.
- Geoff Hart - weekday mornings "WYFF News 4 Today" and Noon
- Gabrielle Komorowski - weeknights at 5 p.m.
- Nigel Robertson - weeknights at 5 p.m.
- Myra Ruiz - weekend mornings "WYFF News 4 Today"
- Angela Rodriguez - weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
Weather Team
- John Cessarich (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; weeknights at 5, 6, and 11 p.m. - Dale Gilbert - meteorologist; weekday mornings "WYFF News 4 Today" and noon; also Clemson PA announcer
- Keisha Kirkland - weekend mornings "WYFF News 4 Today"
- Kim Quintero - meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
Sports Team
- Brad Fralick - sports director; weeknights at 6, and 11 p.m.
- Mike Giordano - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
- Marc Dopher - sports reporter
Reporters
- John Eby - general assignment reporter
- Kisha Foster - general assignment reporter
- Mandy Gaither - general assignment reporter
- Mike McCormick - general assignment reporter
- Sean Muserallo - general assignment reporter
- Tim Waller - general assignment reporter
- Jane Robelot - contributing/special reporter
- Jimmy Watt - traffic reporter
Hearst Television Washington Bureau
- Nikole Killion - Washington Bureau reporter
- Sally Kidd - Washington Bureau reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- J.D. Hayworth, sports anchor (later a U.S. Representative from Arizona)
- Mike SeidelMike SeidelMichael Phillip "Mike" Seidel is an American meteorologist who has worked at The Weather Channel since March 1992. He is noted for his field reporting from breaking weather including severe weather, hurricanes and snowstorms.- Early career :...
, meteorologist (now at The Weather Channel) - Marty SniderMarty SniderMarty Snider is an American Sportscaster. Snider is a pit reporter for NASCAR on TNT. He has been a part of Turner Sports' NASCAR coverage since 1998. Snider also served as a NASCAR pit reporter for NBC Sports from 1999-2006. In 2006, Snider was a part of the Emmy award winning NBC/TNT NASCAR...
, sports reporter (now at NBC SportsNBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and TNTTurner Network TelevisionTurner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
Sports) - Gordon Dill, morning anchor (now weekend anchor at WSPA-TVWSPA-TVWSPA-TV channel 7 is the CBS-affiliated television station for western North Carolina and South Carolina. It is licensed to Spartanburg, South Carolina with its transmitter is located on Hogback Mountain southwest of Tryon, North Carolina. Owned by Media General, the station is sister to CW...
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