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| Burlington, Vermont- Plattsburgh, New York- Montreal, Quebec |
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|---|---|
| City of license | Burlington, Vermont |
| Branding | Fox 44 (general) Fox 44 News |
| Slogan | Your Voice |
| Channels | Digital: 43 (UHF) Virtual: 44 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 44.1 Fox 44.2 Independent |
| Owner | Nexstar Broadcasting Group (Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.) |
| First air date | August 31, 1997 |
| Call letters' meaning | We're Fox Forty Four (former analog and current PSIP channel) |
| Sister station(s) | WVNY, WWTI, WSYR-TV, WETM-TV, WIVT, WBGH-CA, WUTR, WFXV, WPNY-LP, WROC-TV |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 44 (UHF, 1997–2009) |
| Former affiliations | Secondary on main feed: The WB (1999–2006) The CW (2006–2007) |
| Transmitter power | 47 kW |
| Height | 839 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 10132 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 44°31′33″N 72°48′55″W / 44.52583°N 72.81528°W |
| Website | www.fox44abc22yourvoice.com |
WFFF-TV is the Fox affiliate for Vermont's Champlain Valley and Upstate New York's North Country. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, it broadcasts on UHF channel 43 (virtual channel 44.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Vermont's highest peak, Mount Mansfield. Owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, WFFF operates ABC affiliate WVNY (owned by Mission Broadcasting) through a local marketing agreement; the two stations share studios in Colchester, Vermont. Like other network stations serving Plattsburgh and Burlington, WFFF has a large audience in Southern Quebec, Canada. This includes Montreal, a city ten times more populous than all of WFFF's entire American viewing area combined. Most Vidéotron systems in Canada carry WFFF as their Fox affiliate.
Contents |
Digital television [edit]
Digital channels [edit]
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WFFF-HD | Main WFFF-TV programming / Fox |
| 44.2 | 480i | 4:3 | WFFF-DT | Independent |
Analog-to-digital conversion [edit]
The station became digital-only effective February 17, 2009. As a result, some parts of the viewing area were left without a full-powered Fox affiliate including Enosburg in Franklin County, Vermont as well as parts of Franklin and Essex Counties in New York State.
History [edit]
WFFF-TV signed on August 31, 1997.[1] Prior to the station's launch, the Champlain Valley was the last top-100 television market without a primary Fox affiliate;[2] CBS affiliate WCAX-TV aired Fox Sports and Fox Kids programming, while the network's full schedule was available on most Vermont cable systems through Foxnet.[3] New York State cable systems had imported WNYW from New York City, while Canadian cable systems carried WUTV from Buffalo, New York or WUHF from Rochester, New York.[4] WFFF was originally owned by Champlain Valley Telecasting, but was operated by Heritage Media, owner of NBC affiliate WPTZ, through an LMA.[3]
WFFF originally planned to broadcast its analog channel 44 signal from Mount Mansfield; however, while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a construction permit, the station was unable to secure approval from the Mount Mansfield Collocation Association. As a result, after three years of attempts, it was forced to transmit from WPTZ's tower on Terry Mountain in Peru, New York under special temporary authority, resulting in less over-the-air coverage of the eastern portion of the market than anticipated.[5] WFFF, along with the other Burlington/Plattsburgh stations, were able to sign their digital signals on the air from Mount Mansfield in 2006,[6] but its analog signal remained on Terry Mountain until 2009.
Shortly before WFFF began broadcasting, Heritage Media announced the sale of its broadcasting properties, including WPTZ and the LMA with WFFF, to Sinclair Broadcast Group;[4] soon after taking over in early 1998, Sinclair sold WPTZ and the WFFF LMA to Sunrise Television. Sunrise promptly swapped WPTZ to Hearst-Argyle Television, but transferred WFFF's non-license assets to Smith Broadcasting (which, like Sunrise, was controlled by Robert Smith);[7] soon afterward, the station began to operate independently of WPTZ. Smith bought WFFF outright a year later.[8]
In February 1999, WFFF began airing thirty-second daily vignettes called Vermont's Most Wanted along with sister program Citizen's Patrol. The efforts were produced in cooperation with local law enforcement and the Champlain Valley branch of the national Crimestoppers non-profit organization.
The station added a secondary affiliation with The WB in 1999, after WBVT-LP (now WGMU-LP) dropped that network in favor of UPN.[9] For a time, the two hours of prime time programming from The WB aired in separate two hour-long blocks weeknights at 5 and 10. WFFF eventually moved the entire two hours of programming to a delayed basis at 10 p.m. after Fox prime time in continuous block named "The WB Time". WFFF also cleared the Kids' WB blocks (as well as the Daytime WB block that replaced the weekday block in early 2006), in addition to Fox's own children's programming. Despite the secondary affiliation, area cable systems continued to carry WPIX, New York City's WB affiliate.
The death of Bob Smith (head of family-owned Smith Broadcasting) in 2003[10] led to the family's decision in 2004 to sell its group of stations to an investment group called Smith Media, LLC.[11] After researching markets where the company now had ownership in, it was discovered WVNY was up for sale. Finding a way to satisfy FCC ownership rules, Smith Media partnered with Lambert Broadcasting and became the senior partner in a local marketing agreement with WVNY. Smith Media shut down that station's longtime facilities in South Burlington, reduced redundant staff, and relocated its operations into WFFF's Colchester facilities.[12] This arrangement placed WFFF in the unusual position of being the senior partner as a Fox-affiliated station in a virtual duopoly with an ABC affiliate (most virtual or legal duopolies involving a Fox affiliate and a Big Three-affiliated station result in the Fox affiliate serving as the junior partner).
When The WB and UPN were shut down to create The CW in September 2006, WFFF became a secondary affiliate of the new network, airing its primetime programming in the same block that formerly housed WB programming. CW programming moved to a new subchannel of WFFF on September 27, 2007; the subchannel immediately replaced WPIX on Comcast's Vermont systems, with Charter Communications in New York State following suit on December 31. The subchannel continued to carry CW programming until March 4, 2013, when WPTZ's subchannel assumed the CW affiliation for the Burlington/Plattsburgh market,[13] leaving WFFF's subchannel with only syndicated programming.[14]
The station became digital-only effective February 17, 2009. As a result, some parts of the viewing area were left without a full-powered Fox affiliate including Enosburg in Franklin County, Vermont as well as parts of Franklin and Essex Counties in New York State.
Due to an ongoing retransmission dispute, Time Warner Cable replaced WFFF with WNYF-CD from Watertown/Massena, New York on December 16, 2010. Its CW subchannel was also dropped, though the network remained available through WPIX. Sister station WVNY was simultaneously replaced with WUTR from Utica, New York.[15] WFFF was restored on January 8, 2011, after a new deal was reached with Time Warner.[16]
Smith Media agreed to sell WFFF to Nexstar Broadcasting Group on November 5, 2012. Concurrently, Lambert Broadcasting will sell WVNY to Mission Broadcasting, whose stations are all operated by Nexstar through shared services agreements.[17] On February 5, 2013, The FCC approved the sale of WFFF.[18] The transaction was completed on March 1,[19] leaving Utica NBC affiliate WKTV as Smith Media's only remaining television station property.
Simultaneous substitution problems [edit]
WFFF has significant viewership in the much larger Montreal market because it is available over-the-air alongside other Vermont stations and used as the Fox station on Vidéotron's cable systems. As the youngest full-power station covering the entire market, it still relies heavily on Montreal for advertising revenue while the area's other stations have somewhat lessened their dependence on advertising. In 2003 and 2004, WFFF was involved in a "commercial war" with Montreal's CJNT-TV. For some time, its commercials on non-network programs such as That '70s Show were blocked by simultaneous substitution (simsub) on Montreal cable systems. Under Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulations, simultaneous substitution demanded the cable companies in Canada replace WFFF's signal with CJNT's signal when the same program and episode was running at the same time. This is the same practice as the FCC's syndication exclusivity rule in the United States.
In response, WFFF frequently shifted its schedule to keep its commercials from being blocked in Montreal. In response to this station's schedule shuffling, CJNT moved its schedule accordingly to retain simsub rights. This resulted in a cat-and-mouse game of changing programming schedules every few weeks leaving viewers confused. The changes usually occurred with little to no advance warning, sometimes making local schedules in TV Guide (both US and Canadian versions) outdated by the time they were published.[20] WFFF eventually solved the problem by adding a second daily airing of That 70's Show, giving it access to a second strip of programming from the distributor which was available only to stations carrying a full hour of the program. It would then flip the two airings so the exclusive strip was shown in the shared time slot, meaning CJNT could no longer simsub the program since WFFF was not airing the same episode.[20]
News operation [edit]
After WVNY moved into WFFF's studios in 2005, Smith Media made an announcement the company was planning to establish a news department for the two stations.[12] However, after the 2006 creation of The CW and WFFF initially airing the network's programming in prime time at 10, there was some doubt as to the status of the local news operation launch. In mid-July 2007, planning for a nightly prime time newscast at 10 started with the posting of related jobs on WFFF's website. On November 26, advertisements began appearing on WFFF and WVNY for the launch of the 10 p.m. show which occurred December 3.
The broadcast, known as Fox 44 News at 10, originally ran every night for a half-hour but the weeknight show eventually expanded to 45 minutes on September 7, 2009. This is followed by a fifteen-minute sports highlight show known as Sports Wrap. The first ten minutes of the news portion of the program airs in a format called "10 Minute Advantage" where the top stories of the day and a complete weather forecast are shown before a commercial break. Although WFFF is the area's first local news operation presented in high definition, it was actually the second prime time production established. WCAX began offering a thirty-minute weeknight broadcast at 10 on its 24-hour local weather channel back on July 16, 2007.
On March 3, 2008, WFFF added a weeknight and Saturday broadcast at 7 on WVNY known as Fox 44 Local News on ABC. As a result, that station became first in the area to offer local news in the time slot. The move to launch the show was due in part to tough competition of newscasts at 6 seen on WCAX and WPTZ. As is the case on WFFF, the WVNY broadcasts are aired in high definition. The Saturday edition eventually moved to 6:30 which has been the case on Sundays from the start in order to accommodate ABC programming. The WVNY broadcasts mark the return of local news on that station since it shut down its own news department on September 12, 2003. Initially, the only "ABC 22" identification seen during the show was in the intro package and the "bug" in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
On August 18, 2008, WFFF began airing a two-hour weekday morning show called Fox 44 Local News This Morning. Included in the launch were local news and weather cut-ins on WVNY during its airing of Good Morning America. This occurs at :25 and :55 past the hour at which time the two stations simulcast each other. Eventually, an additional hour of the broadcast starting at 6 was added to WVNY and is known as ABC 22 This Morning. That station has since expanded it to a traditional two-hour newscast. At some point in time, WVNY added nightly broadcasts at 6 and 11 becoming more of a big three affiliate offering local news competing with WCAX and WPTZ even though WFFF produces the broadcasts. All newscasts seen on that station are currently known as ABC 22 News.
Due to the relatively new status of the news department, there is a Vermont focus in coverage. During weather forecast segments, WFFF uses live NOAA National Weather Service radar data from three regional sites. It is presented on-screen in a system known as "Sky Tracker HD Triple Doppler". Weather forecasts from WFFF can be heard on WSNO (1450 AM), WMOO (92.1 FM), WDOT (95.7 FM), WWFY (100.9 FM), WCPV (101.3 FM), WEXP (101.5 FM)/WTHK (100.7 FM), WRFK (107.1 FM), and WCFR (1480 AM / 106.5 FM).
News team [edit]
Anchors
- Jackie Morlock - weekday morning news and reporter
- Lauren Maloney - weeknight news and reporter
- Jeff Eliasoph - weeknight news
- Brittney Hibbs - weekend news and Monday through Wednesday reporter
- Sam Lazur - weeknight sports (also Sports Wrap and The Rush host)
Fox 44 SkyTracker HD Meteorologists
- Kerrin Jeromin (CBM Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
- Steve Glazier - weekday mornings
- Michael Page - weekends
Reporters
- Jenny Day - weeknight videojournalist
- David Hodges - videojournalist
- Nick Natario - videojournalist
- Matt Austin - weekdays
Photographers
- Kyle DuBreuil
- Tyson Foster
- Darin Boutet
- Bob Conley
References [edit]
- ^ Fybush, Scott (September 4, 1997). "You Drive 1100 Miles And What Do You Get?". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ Fybush, Scott (August 7, 1997). "A Change of Sale". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "New Business: 1997". Business People—Vermont. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Fybush, Scott (July 10, 1997). "On and Off the Air". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ Nichols, John C. (October 29, 1997). "Comments of Champlain Valley Telecasting, Inc." (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ "Vermont broadcasters near completion of combined HD transmission facilities". Broadcast Engineering. October 10, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "STC Broadcasting 10-K Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements". EDGAR Online. March 1, 2001. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Application Search Details". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ Fybush, Scott (May 28, 1999). "WCAV Sold, WHQO Donated, and WMHQ Sold Again". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Fast Track". Broadcasting & Cable. November 3, 2003. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ BIA Financial Networks (September 20, 2004). "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Associated Press (August 21, 2005). "WVNY-Channel 22 to move to Colchester". Rutland Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ Official WPTZ-TV announcement of plans to launch The CW Network WPTZ.com. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ^ WFFF-DT2 Schedule Zap2it. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ^ http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2010/12/16/47829/denied-locals-twc-importing-distant-signals
- ^ Farrell, Mike (January 9, 2011). "Smith Media, Time Warner Reach Retrans Deal". Multichannel News. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Nexstar Adding Stations In CA, VT". TVNewsCheck. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
- ^ Consent to Assignment of License for WVNY FCC, January 14, 2013
- ^ https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101543398&formid=905&fac_num=10132
- ^ a b CJNT & WFFF, A War over Canadian commercials heats up. TVHat.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WFFF-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WFFF-TV
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