WQAD-TV

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WQAD-TV
Moline/Rock Island, Illinois/Davenport, Iowa
Branding	NewsChannel 8
Slogan	"Live, Local, Latebreaking"
Channels	8 (VHF) analog, 38 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	The New York Times Company (Sale Pending to Oak Hill Capital Partners [1])
Founded	August 1, 1963
Call letters meaning	W QuAD Cities
Website	www.wqad.com

WQAD-TV, known as "NewsChannel 8," is the ABC affiliate for the Quad Cities television market (the Davenport, Iowa/Moline, Illinois/Rock Island, Illinois DMA). The station is licensed to Moline, with transmitter located in Orion, Illinois. It is owned by the New York Times Company.

Contents 1 History 2 Programming 3 Current Newscasts 3.1 Weekdays 3.2 Weekends 4 Current Personalities (April 2007) 4.1 Anchors 4.2 Reporters 4.3 Storm Track 8000 4.4 Sports 4.5 Also Appearing On NewsChannel 8 5 Previous Anchors/Personalities 6 Syndicated programs 7 Trivia 8 References 9 External links

[edit] History

WQAD-TV signed on for the first time on August 1, 1963. It was owned by the Moline Television Corporation, a group of 24 local investors. They had actually won the license in 1961, but challenges delayed sign-on for two years. Before WQAD signed on, ABC programming had been split between WOC-TV (now KWQC-TV) and WHBF-TV. From day one, WQAD-TV broadcast ABC network programming in color.

Cowles Communications of Des Moines purchased WQAD in 1978. In 1985, the Cowles family sold off their various media interests, with WQAD going to the New York Times Company. At times, it shares stories with co-owned WHO-TV in Des Moines.

On January 4th, 2007, the New York Times Company announced it was selling WQAD and its eight other television stations to Oak Hill Capital Partners. There is no word on when this change would happen, but it is expected to take place some time within the few months of 2007.

The station began news operations from the first day it signed on the air in 1963.

Station Identifications

• News Scope 8-late 60s-1975
• Eyewitness News- 1975-1978
• Active 8- 1978-1994
• News Channel 8- 1994-present

[edit] Programming

WQAD-TV's early years are closely linked to the station's prominent anchor/reporter, Jim King. He was the station's main anchorman from the day the station first signed on until 1998, doubling as news director for most of that time. He took camera and gear to Vietnam for two tours of reporting on local troops. He was long the staple on the anchor desk and was known for his "On The Road" series of reports as well as his longtime role as the emcee of the station's annual Muscular Dystrophy Association telethons from 1971 to 1998. He died on January 2, 1999, of a heart attack.

WQAD-TV was one of the organizations which founded the Quad City Open golf tournament in 1971. The PGA tournament is now called the John Deere Classic and has been the topic of special broadcasts on the television station for more than 35 years.

WQAD's early days are also remembered for being the local outlet for Romper Room and its host Miss Peggy. Quad-Cities baby boomers also fondly remember WQAD's weekly midnight Chuck Acri Creature Features - showing early science fiction and monster movies.

WQAD-TV also takes part in an annual fundraiser called Toys For Tots, where NewsChannel 8 welcomes viewers to drop off a new, unwrapped toy to the studios, and WQAD puts all of the toys on their set, and then Marines storm the studio and get all of the toys within a half hour.

WQAD also has its own 24-hour weather channel on local Mediacom cable systems, which shows the Storm Track 8000 "Live Triple Doppler" radar (which incorporates radars from Moline, Cedar Rapids, and Burlington), the five-day forecast, and the 14-day forecast, as well as local news on the bottom scroll and the latest weather conditions around the region.

[edit] Current Newscasts

As of the November 2006 ratings period, WQAD trails KWQC by a margin in all newscasts, but ratings have increased.

[edit] Weekdays

• Good Morning Quad Cities- 5AM-7AM
• News To Go- Mid-Morning podcast
• NewsChannel 8 at 5
• NewsChannel 8 at 6
• NewsChannel 8 at 6:30
• NewsChannel 8 at 10

[edit] Weekends

• Weather Updates for Good Morning America
• NewsChannel 8 at 6- Saturday
• NewsChannel 8 at 5:30- Sunday
• NewsChannel 8 at 10
• Wild World Of Sports- Sunday at 10:35

[edit] Current Personalities (April 2007)

[edit] Anchors

• Michelle Aguayo(NewsToGo, 5, 6:30 M-F)
• Matt Hammill (5,6,10;S-Th , 8 On The Road)
• Vanessa Van Hyfte (6,10 S-Th)
• Julie Sisk (Good Morning Quad Cities)
• Jim Mertens (Good Morning Quad Cities)
• Jason Fechner (Friday and Saturday)

[edit] Reporters

• Amy Barrilleaux (8 On Your Side)
• Courtney Brennan
• Diana Carag (GMQC, producer)
• Pam Cunningham
• John David
• Chris Minor (investigations)

[edit] Storm Track 8000

• Chief Meteorologist Neil Kastor (Sun-Thu)
• Meteorologist Anthony Peoples (F&S,Good Morning America updates Sat-Sun)
• Meteorologist James Zahara (Good Morning Quad Cities)
• Meteorologist Andy Dorn (Fill-In)
• Robb Beltran (Fill-In Weather Anchor)

[edit] Sports

• Mick Moninghoff (Sports Director, Host of Wild World Of Sports)
• Dale Ryman (Sports Anchor, Friday and Saturday)
• Matt Randazzo (Sports Reporter)

[edit] Also Appearing On NewsChannel 8

• Thom White- On Film & On DVD
• Kristi Merganthal- reporter/photographer
• Craig Hignight- Garden Expert, Wednesday on GMQC
• Dr. Walter Bradley- "Ask The Doctor" Thursday on GMQC
• Phil Kassewitz- Financial Analyst
• John Miller- Financial Advisor
• Sean Leary- Around Town- Friday's

[edit] Previous Anchors/Personalities

• Al Van Zee
• Robin Cole
• Alan Sivell
• Elizabeth Alex
• Mark Martin
• Paula Perez
• Jim Albreck
• David Paul (Now at KLFY)
• Karetha Dodd
• Kelly Hessedal (Now at WREG)
• Dave Leval
• Dan Burich
• Miranda Kahn (Now at WPTV)
• Barbara Dawson
• Jim King (Deceased)
• Susan Robinette
• Eric Roby
• Tom Cornelis (Now at KWQC)
• Andrea Zinga (Also worked at KWQC and WHBF)
• Marcia Lense (Now at KWQC)
• Jesse Abdineaur

[edit] Syndicated programs

Syndicated programs on WQAD-TV's schedule include Extra, Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

[edit] Trivia

• WQAD's news currently uses First News by composer Frank Gari as a theme.
• 8 On Your Side reporter Amy Barrilleaux is married to KLJB anchor John Beard
• Neil Kastor also worked as Chief Meteorologist at WHBF-TV in Rock Island for two years before he came to WQAD in 1983.
• Chief Meteorologist Neil Kastor is known as The Quad Cities Weather Authority
• Since 1997, WQAD has used the Live Local Latebreaking slogan.
• WQAD has been branded NewsChannel 8 since 1994
• In 1984, WQAD was the first, and still the only, station in the Quad Cities to add a live radar.
• In 2005, WQAD was the first, and still the only, station in the area to get a Satillite Mobile Newsroom..where you can go live from anywhere in this country.
• Almost all the WQAD News team grew up in the Illinois/Iowa area.

[edit] References

• WQAD History from WQAD.com, accessed January 9, 2007
• WQAD On-Air Team from WQAD.com, accessed January 9, 2007

[edit] External links

• Newschannel 8's website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WQAD
• A conversation with Channel 8 alumni Don Raymond (Welch), co-creature of Acri Creature Feature
• A conversation with Channel 8 alumni Bill Flannery, co-creature of Acri Creature Feature
• A Conversation with Keith Andrews - Star of WQAD TV 8's Bozo's Circus