WZVN-TV
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| WZVN | |
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| Ft. Myers - Naples, Florida | |
| Branding | ABC 7 (cable slot) |
| Slogan | ABC 7 Works For You! |
| Channels | 26 (UHF) analog, 41 (UHF) digital |
| Affiliations | ABC |
| Owner | Montclaire Communications (LMA with Waterman Broadcasting Corporation) |
| Founded | August 31, 1974 |
| Call letters meaning | SeVeN |
| Former callsigns | WEVU-TV (1974-1995) |
| Former affiliations | none |
| Transmitter Power | 5,000 kw (analog) 1,000 kw (digital) |
| Website | abc-7.com |
WZVN is the ABC television affiliate serving Southwest Florida. Licenced to Naples, the station broadcasts its analog signal on UHF channel 26 and its digital signal on UHF channel 41. WZVN's transmitter is located northeast of Bonita Springs at the Lee and Collier County line, putting a stronger signal into Naples and southern Collier County than that of other Ft. Myers stations. Likewise, WZVN's news coverage puts a strong emphasis on Collier County coverage. WZVN is carried on Comcast cable channel 7, which is why the station is known on-air as "ABC 7". Other stations in Southwest Florida that use their cable locations for on-air identification include: WBBH "NBC 2", WFTX "FOX 4", WXCW "CW 6", and "WNFM" "My TV 8".
WZVN is technically owned by Montclaire Communications. However, it is operated by Waterman Broadcasting Corporation through a local marketing agreement with the area's NBC affiliate WBBH. WZVN and WBBH operate out of shared broadcast facilities on Central Avenue in Ft. Myers and share news stories, video, and transmitting facilities.
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[edit] History
WZVN signed on August 31, 1974 as WEVU-TV, owned by Caloosa Television. In 1976, "The Home News Company" purchased the station. WEVU began its partnership with WBBH in 1994 through a local marketing agreement, according to a USA Today article on media consolidation. Without this resource, WEVU would have had to end its newscasts.
The station became WZVN on October 16, 1995. The WEVU call letters currently reside on WEVU-CA, a Class A Univision affiliate owned by Equity Broadcasting. In 1995, WZVN began identifying itself on-air by its cable channel and started its use of a variant of the common circle 7 logo.
WZVN and WBBH began broadcasting HDTV on October 31, 2002, making High Definition Television service available for the first time in Southwest Florida. WZVN broadcasts its HDTV signal on Comcast digital cable channel 231.
WZVN's best known former personality is Harry Horn, a veteran of WBBH and WINK, who anchored the WZVN evening newscasts for 15 years until his retirement in 2004. Horn lost his battle with ALS in August of 2005.
[edit] News Operation
Darrel Adams is the news director for WZVN and WBBH, which operate out of a single newsroom. Each station uses its own personalities, studios, and on-air style, although it is not unusual for the news staff to share video.
On August 14, 2006, WZVN rebranded its evening newscasts as "Gulfshore News" and added a daily half hour 10 PM newscast on cable-only "WNFM", the area's MyNetworkTV affiliate to compete against the more established one on the area's FOX affiliate WFTX. On November 8, 2006, the rebranding of WZVN's morning newscats followed with "Good Morning Southwest Florida" becoming "Good Morning Gulfshore".
On October 28, 2006, WZVN's weeknight anchor Sharon Gregory resigned following a DUI arrest. Stacey Deffenbaugh filled her seat for weeknight newscasts on January 9, 2007. Sharon Gregory moved to anchor at WZVN and WBBH's sister station WVIR in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Unlike most ABC affiliates, WZVN does not air a weekday Noon newscast. Instead, its airs a 10 to 11 AM edition of "Good Morning Gulfshore". WZVN operates a Collier County Bureau in Naples on Tamiami Trail North.
WZVN and WBBH operate and share their own weather radar. It is located near the two station's studios and is known on WZVN as "Precision Doppler XT". WZVN and WBBH operate and share a Collier County Bureau in Naples on Tamiami Trail North.
During major hurricanes, recently Charley and Wilma, the news teams of WZVN and WBBH join together to put on 24-hour coverage, and simulcast on both stations and streaming live on both of their websites. During these times, WBBH's anchor desk is used with both station's weather centers. Commercial breaks are typically dropped during landfall.
[edit] Newscasts
Weekdays
- ABC 7 Good Morning Gulfshore (5 to 7 AM)
- ABC 7 Good Morning Gulfshore at 10 AM (10 to 11 AM)
- ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 6 (6 to 6:30 PM)
- ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 10 on My TV 8 (10 to 10:30 PM on cable-only "WNFM")
- ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 11 (11 to 11:35 PM)
Weekends
- ABC 7 Good Morning Gulfshore (7 to 8 AM)
- ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 6:30 (6:30 to 7 PM)
- ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 10 on My TV 8 (10 to 10:30 PM on cable-only "WNFM")
- ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 11 (11 to 11:30 PM)
[edit] News Team
Anchors
- Patrick Taney - weekday mornings
- Stacey Deffenbaugh - weeknights
- Len Jennings - weeknights
- Catherine Bergerson - weekend mornings
- Bay Scroggins - weekend evenings
ABC 7 Precision Weather Team
- Jim Reif - Chief seen weeknights
- John Patrick - weekday mornings
- Jim Clarke - weekends
Sports
- Jason Kurtz - weeknights
- Noah Pransky - weekend evenings
Reporters
- Mike Baldyga
- Kelly Imrick - weekday morning traffic reporter
- Sean Brown
- Heather Klein - based at the Collier County Bureau
- Katie LaGrone - consumer reporter
- Randy Simons
- Scott Dobroski
- Susie Hassan
- Stephanie Tsoflias
- Gary Widom
[edit] Administration
- Deborah Abbott - Programming Director
- Darrel Adams - News Director
- Bob Beville - Director of Sales
- Dan Billings - Director of Engineering and Technical Services
- Mary Cervenka - Human Resource Manager
- Lori Grimaldi - Director of Marketing
- Bob Hannon - Director of Production
- Evelyn Jewett - Traffic Manager
- Bob Jones - Director of Creative Services
- Matt Koenigs - Web Systems Manager
- Laura Mickler - Master Control Supervisor
- Keith Norman - Internet Director
- Steven Pontius - Executive Vice President/ General Manager
- Gerry Poppe - Chief Financial Officer
- Mike Reilly - Director of Corporate Affairs
- Harris Segel - Director of Research
- Stephen Vermilye - Information Technology
[edit] Former Personalities
- Gordon Barnes, Chief Meteorologist
- Ibby Carothers, meteorologist
- Michelle Cunningham, meteorologist
- Meghan Danahey - weekend meteorologist (moved to WBBH in 2006)
- Sharon Gregory - anchor (now at WVIR)
- Harry Horn - anchor
- Curtis Jay
- Phil Jean - sports
- Bonnie Kenny
- Scott Madus
- Heather Turco - anchor (now at WBBH)
- Meredith Putney - anchor
[edit] See Also
[edit] External Links
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WUVF-CA 2 / WTLE-LP 18 (UNI) - WBSP-CA 9 (MNTV) - WINK 11 (CBS) - WTPH-LP 14 (AZA) - W17CK 17 / W38CO 38 / W56DW 56 (TBN) - |
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| Cable television channels | |||
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SNN 6 - "WNFM" 8 (MNTV) - SUN - FSN Florida |
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WEAR 3 (Pensacola) - WFTV 9 (Orlando) - WPLG 10 (Miami) - WMBB 13 (Panama City) - WCJB 20 (Gainesville) - WPBF 25 (Tequesta / West Palm Beach) - |
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| See also: CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS, Religious, Spanish and Other stations in the state of Florida | |
