WAND

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WAND

Decatur / Springfield / Urbana / Champaign, Illinois
Branding	WAND 17
Slogan	The Best News You'll Get Today
Channels	17 (UHF) analog, 18 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	NBC (since 2005)
Owner	LIN Television (33%)/ Block Communications (67%) (managed by LIN)
Founded	June 17, 1953
Call letters meaning	W Area Near Decatur
Former callsigns	WTVP (1953-1966)
Former affiliations	ABC (1953-2005), DuMont (1953-1955) [1]
Website	www.wandtv.com

WAND is an NBC affiliate in Decatur, Illinois, serving the Decatur–Springfield–Champaign area. It is a joint venture of LIN Television (who owns 33% of the station) and Block Communications (67%); however, in this case, LIN manages the station. In addition to NBC and local programming, WAND also shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. Its transmitter is located near Argenta, Illinois, with additional translator W31BX in Danville, Illinois.

1 History
- 1.1 Logos
2 Firsts in Central Illinois
3 Personalities
- 3.1 Current
4 Former
5 External links

[edit] History

It began on June 17, 1953 as the first television station in Central Illinois, with the call letters of WTVP, which is used today for a PBS station in Peoria. It became WAND in 1966 when LIN Broadcasting bought the station — the very first station in the LIN TV chain. The station carried programming from both ABC and DuMont until 1955, when DuMont shut down operations.[2]

On March 26, 1978, their transmitter tower went down in an ice storm putting them out of a signal for 18 months.

LIN wholly owned the station until March 2000, when it sold 67 percent of the station to Block Communications in exchange for 100 percent of WLFI-TV in Lafayette, Indiana. Block then entered into a local management agreement with LIN (who retains a 33 percent ownership interest in WAND), allowing LIN to continue to operate the station.

Due to Decatur's position half-way between Springfield and Champaign, it was the only station to cover the entire market without a satellite station. The ABC, CBS, and Fox affiliates each have two full-power stations to cover the market.

The station was one of ABC's first affiliates. It remained with ABC from sign-on to joining NBC on September 5, 2005.

[edit] Logos

WAND-TV Logo, circa 1970 to 2005

WAND-TV Logo, 2005 to present

[edit] Firsts in Central Illinois

[edit] High-Definition Programming

WAND was the first to bring HDTV to Central Illinois. Regular video can be seen at the regular 4:3 aspect radio. NBC HDTV is currently at 16:9 aspect.

[edit] 24-Hour Doppler Radar Channel

WAND also broadcasts a second channel with live 24-hour Doppler Radar and the audio overlay of WX channel WXJ75 based in Springfield.

[edit] Online Weather and Newscasts

Weather and News On-Demand Logo

WAND broadcasts on-demand weather and news of its newscasts on its website, making it the first in the area to do so.

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Current

Tara Barrett - reporter
Gabrielle Biondo - noon anchor
Steve Breitwieser - sports director
Lee Davis - chief meteorologist
Scot England - Town Team reporter
J.C. Fultz - weekend weathercaster
Mikaela Hunt - 5 p.m. anchor
Brian Jodice - weekend sports anchor
Patricia Kakridas - morning anchor
Mike Mazzocco - morning anchor
Elizabeth Moors - weekend anchor
Dawn Sterling - 6 and 10 p.m. anchor
Sean Streaty - 6 and 10 p.m. anchor
Marcus Thorpe - 5 p.m. anchor
Greg Trumbold - morning/noon meteorologist
Stephanie Wright - Capitol reporter
Kelly Yueh - reporter

[edit] Former

Abbie Alford
Rick Barrett
Joe Bauer
Bob Billman
Brandon Blocker
Loren Boatman
Warren Brinegar
Mike Browning
Bob Cashen
Ken Charles
Mike Cheever
Jim Clayton
Mike Cleff
Don Coleman
John Davey
Bob Dolan
Travell Eiland
Tom Green
Maria Gum
Christina Jue
Chris Madarasz
Dan Medina
Jill Monier
Julie Moore
George Moyer
Bob Murray
Eun Hee Pai
Al Pigg
Ron Rector
Robert Reese
Leandra Reilly
Jeff Ruffner
Kim Sherwood
Gayle Simpson
Jerry Slabe
Cathy Styles
Lon Tay
Dawn Torchia
Mike Vaughan
Frank Vascellaro
Dana Wadell
Dick Westbrook
Kim Wilson
Bob Wright
Rick Zurak

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Champaign-Urbana/Decatur/Springfield market (Nielsen DMA #82)
WCIA 3 (CBS) - WSIU 8 / WUSI 16 (PBS) - WILL 12 (PBS) - WSEC 14 (PBS) - WICD 15 / WICS 20 (ABC) - WAND 17 (NBC) - WBUI 23 (The CW) - W29BG/W34DL 34 (TBN) - WBXC 46 (MTV2) - WCFN 49 (MNTV) - WEIU 51 (PBS) - WRSP 55 / WCCU 27 (Fox)
Defunct stations:
WJJY 14 (ABC)

NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Illinois

WMAQ 5 (Chicago) - WGEM 10 (Quincy) - W10AH 10 (Carbondale) - WREX 13 (Rockford) - WAND 17 (Decatur) - WEEK 25 (Peoria)
See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, PBS and Other Stations in Illinois

LIN TV Corporation

v • d • e

ABC Network Affiliates: WOTV | WTNH

My Network TV Affiliates: KNVA⁴ | WCTX | WNAC⁴ | WNDY | WXSP

¹Co-owned with NBC Universal in a joint venture (76% owned by NBC, 24% owned by LIN).
KNSD also includes a repeater used for rebroadcast of Entravision's KBNT-CA.

^1aOwned by Commercial Broadcasting Corp., and operated by the NBC / LIN joint ventutre (see note 1)

²Co-owned with Banks Broadcasting in a joint venture (50/50); however, LIN does not control these stations.

³Co-owned with Block Communications in a joint venture (33% owned by LIN, 67% owned by Block Communications),
with management capabilities belonging to LIN.

⁴LIN operates these stations under a local marketing agreement.

⁵Acquisition by InterMedia Partners, LP is now awaiting FCC approval.

⁶Is currently a repeater for NBC affiliate WWLP. Future is uncertain at this time.

⁷Acquisition by Schurz Communications is now awaiting FCC approval.

Annual Revenue: $443.5 million USD | Employees: 2,414 (full time) | Stock Symbol: NYSE: TVL | Website: www.lintv.com

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Categories: Television stations in Champaign/Urbana / Decatur / Springfield | Television stations in Illinois | NBC network affiliates | LIN TV | Channel 17 TV stations in the United States