Wikipedia

WGRZ

(Redirected fromWGRZ-TV)

WGRZ(channel 2) is atelevision stationinBuffalo, New York,United States, affiliated withNBCand owned byTegna Inc.The station's studios are located on Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo, and its transmitter is located on Warner Hill Road inSouth Wales, New York.

WGRZ
CityBuffalo, New York
Channels
BrandingChannel 2
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
August 14, 1954
(70 years ago)(1954-08-14)
Former call signs
  • WGR-TV (1954–1983)
  • WGRZ-TV (1983–2009)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:2 (VHF,1954–2009)
Call signmeaning
taken fromWGR,with the Z mimicking a 2
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID64547
ERP
HAAT
  • 295.1 m (968 ft)
  • 308 m (1,010 ft) (CP)[3]
Transmitter coordinates42°43′7″N78°33′46″W/ 42.71861°N 78.56278°W/42.71861; -78.56278
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.wgrz.com

History

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WGRZ-TV studios in downtown Buffalo, New York as seen in August 2021.

The station firstsigned onthe air on August 14, 1954, as WGR-TV, owned by the WGR Corporation, along withWGR(550 AM).[4]WGR-TV started out as an NBC affiliate sharing the 184 Barton Street studios ofUHFoutletWBUF-TV(Channel 17). In 1955, WBUF-TV, which wasdarkat the time, was sold to NBC. In January 1956, WGR-TV became anABCaffiliate after NBC moved its programming to the company-owned WBUF.

Most TV sets could not receive channels above 13 or needed a special device to do it. All television reception at the time was via set-top or rooftop aerial antennas. UHF television technology was in its infancy, and most people did not understand how to receive the signals or had antennas designed to pick up UHF channels. UHF signals also did not travel as well as VHF, making it hard for viewers outside of Buffalo and its adjacent suburbs to get a clear picture. WGR-TV itself began its existence using the tower and transmitter of another defunct UHF station, the short-livedWBES-TVon channel 59. WBUF was an experiment by NBC to see if UHF television was yet viable if enough investment were placed into a UHF station; the experiment was not a success, and in September 1958, the station facility was donated to a public broadcaster to becomeWNED-TV,and NBC reaffiliated with WGR-TV.

ABC programming was not available in Buffalo for another two months untilWKBW-TV(channel 7) signed on in November of that year as a full-time affiliate of that network. The failure of WBUF was a blow to UHF but served as a boon to WGR-TV locally. Viewers could easily receive the station's VHF channel 2 signal, and WGR-TV now had more syndicated and network program options. The station also carried some shows from theDuMont Television Network,until it shut down in 1956.[1]

In 1959, WGR-TV launched an FM radio station, WGR-FM (96.9 MHz, nowWGRF). Originally asimulcastof its AM radio sister, it began airing its own programming under the WGRQ call sign in 1973. Over the years, WGR Corporation bought several other radio and television stations across the country, includingWNEP-TVinScranton–Wilkes-Barre,WHAM-TV inRochester(the call letters of which Transcontinent would change toWROC-TV,and is of no relation to thecurrent station using the WHAM-TV call sign) andWDAF-AM/FM/TVinKansas City,and eventually became known as Transcontinent Broadcasting. Transcontinent merged withTaft Broadcastingin 1964.

During the 1960s, WGR-TV also operated arepeater stationon VHF channel 6 inJamestown, New York.The repeater on channel 6 continued until the channel 2 transmitter was moved from Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo to the South Wales transmitter site, which greatly improved signal coverage into the population center of the mountainous Chautauqua region south of Buffalo. In 1972, the station moved into its current Downtown Buffalo facility at 259 Delaware Avenue.

In December 1982, Taft Broadcasting agreed to trade WGR-TV to movie theater chainGeneral Cinemain return for WCIX inMiami(channel 6, nowWFOR-TVon channel 4). At the time, theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) would not permit stations with different owners to share the same call sign. On May 1, 1983, in preparation for the ownership change, WGR-TV added a "Z" to its call sign, thus becoming WGRZ-TV. Z was chosen because of the letter's resemblance to the number 2, and also allowed General Cinema to continue trading on the WGR call letters and their then 60-year legacy in Buffalo. The trade closed two weeks later, with WGRZ becoming part of General Cinema's Coral Television division. In exchange, Taft acquired WCIX (channel 6) inMiami(nowWFOR-TVon channel 4). Taft held on to 550 WGR and 96.9 WGRQ until 1987, when both stations were sold to Rich Communications. The AM station is now owned byAudacy, Inc.,while its former FM sister is now owned byCumulus Media.

In the years following the 1983 exchange deal, WGRZ-TV changed hands several times. General Cinema exited the broadcasting business in 1986 by selling Coral Television to WGRZ Acquisition Corp., a partnership betweenSJL Broadcast Management,TA AssociatesandSmith Broadcasting.The price tag was $56 million. Native Buffalonian and formerNewport TelevisionCEOSandy DiPasqualealso held an ownership stake in WGRZ-TV (through his stake in Smith Broadcasting) at this time. Two years later, Tak Communications purchased WGRZ-TV from the SJL-led group for $100 million in 1988. Less than four years later in 1991, Tak filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy.A group of creditors seized the company's assets in 1994.Argyle Television Holdings II,a broadcasting holding company formed by a group of managers who had recently left Argyle I after that company sold all of its stations toNew World Communications,purchased the station. Then-sister stationKITV(inHonolulu, Hawaii) was included in the sale. Tak's creditors sold the two TV stations for $91 million in 1995. Argyle II closed on WGRZ-TV in April of that year, followed by KITV two months later.

WGRZ-TV nearly lost its NBC affiliation in 1994 when NBC's parent company,General Electric,announced plans to purchaseKing World Productions,the then-owner ofCBSaffiliateWIVB-TV(channel 4). Had it occurred, WIVB-TV would have become an NBCowned-and-operated station.However, the deal never materialized, and WIVB-TV was sold to theLIN TV Corporationafter attempts to sell that station toWestinghouse Broadcasting,New World Communications,Tribune Broadcasting,Paramount Stations Groupand theE. W. Scripps Companyfell through;[citation needed]as a result, the Buffalo market was one of the few areas to not be affected by theaffiliation switchesthat took place between late 1994 and late 1996. (Coincidentally, King World would eventually be acquired by CBS in 2000, who merged the company into CBS Television Distribution [nowCBS Media Ventures] in 2007; CBS and Viacom had broken up at the time of King World's dissolution.) However, WGRZdidlose the local rights to theBuffalo Billsto WIVB-TV when theNFLreturned toCBSin1998after the network acquired the rights to theAmerican Football Conferencepackage. That ended a 33-year run for Channel 2 as the Bills' unofficial hometown station.[5]Presently, WGRZ airs Bills games when they are featured on NBC'sSunday Night Football.

Gannettacquired WGRZ-TV andWZZM-TVinGrand Rapids, Michigan,from Argyle II in a 1996 swap deal that sawKOCO-TVinOklahoma CityandWLWTinCincinnatibeing traded by Gannett to Argyle II.[6]The deal was triggered by issues from cross-ownership rules related to Gannett's ownership ofThe Cincinnati Enquirerand theNiagara Gazette,as well as cross-ownership rules related to Gannett's 1995 acquisition ofMultimedia Cablevisionin the Oklahoma City market. In January 1997, seven months prior to Argyle II's merger with the broadcasting unit of theHearst Corporation,the deal formed Hearst-Argyle Television (which Hearst now wholly owns under the nameHearst Television).[7][8][9][10][11]WGRZ dropped the "-TV" suffix in 2009.

In early October 2012, Gannett entered adisputeagainstDish Networkregardingcompensation feesand Dish's AutoHop commercial-skip feature on its Hopperdigital video recorders.Gannett ordered that Dish discontinue AutoHop on the account that it is affecting advertising revenues for WGRZ. Gannett threatened to pull all of its stations (such as WGRZ) should the skirmish continue beyond October 7 and Dish and Gannett fail to reach an agreement.[12][13]The two parties eventually reached an agreement after extending the deadline for a few hours.[14]

On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split in two, with one side specializing in print media and the other side specializing in broadcast and digital media. WGRZ was retained by the latter company, namedTegna.[15]

Programming

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Previous local programs include the talk showYour Today in WNY(2007–2008), the talk showNearly Noon(hosted byDan Neaverth,1980s), a local version ofBowling for Dollars(hosted by Ed Kilgore, for two runs – one in the 1970s and a second shorter run in 2008), the classic television anthology seriesLunchtime with the Classics(September 7, 2010 – September 6, 2011),[16]and the weekly late-night seriesIn the Buff(February 17, 2013 – late 2013).[17]The Healthy Zone(2010–2014) was a weekday show hosted by Maria Genero and Dr. Derek Alessi, which focused on physical, emotional, community and financial health and wellness.[18]2 The Unknownfeatured psychic Karen Reece and aired for one season (2014–15) on WGRZ; it was the series' second season (its previous season had aired on WBBZ under the titleSecrets from Beyond). Reece returned to WBBZ as host ofPsychic Encounters(laterThe Karyn Reece Show) in 2016.The Cat's Pajamaswas an overnight block, usually presenting movies, with weatherman Barry Lillis hosting and news updates from the WGRZ overnight team between films.[19]

The syndicated cartoon seriesColonel Bleepused WGR-TV as itsflagship stationin the late 1950s; Richard Ullman syndicated the show from Buffalo (production was handled byRobert D. Buchananout ofMiami, Florida).[20]

In 2000, WGRZ-TV took over the broadcast rights to televise theNew York Lottery's live drawings from longtime homeWKBW-TV,when that station's contract with the lottery ran out. WGRZ dropped the lottery drawings in October 2013.[21]

Sports programming

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WGRZ airs selectBuffalo Billsgames since 2006 as part of NBC'sSunday Night Footballpackage. WGRZ also simulcasts any Bills games those that are exclusive to NBC's streaming servicePeacock,as per NFL local team anti-siphoning rules (other non-Peacock streaming or cable games are syndicated to other stations in most cases).[22]

WGRZ formerly aired selectedBuffalo Sabresgames from 2005 to 2021 as part ofNBC's broadcast contract with the NHL.Despite a conflict with theKentucky Derbyin 2007, WGRZ aired game 5 of theSenators–Sabresplayoff series in its entirety, including the overtime period that NBC omitted and moved to Versus (laterNBCSN).[23]

News operation

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WGRZ reporter interviewing a subject at theBuffalo and Erie County Public Libraryin 2024.

WGRZ presently broadcasts30+1⁄2hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with five hours each weekday, three hours on Saturdays and2+1⁄2hours on Sundays). In addition, replays of WGRZ's midday and 6 p.m. newscasts air on a one-hour delay on WGRZ-DT2. Unlike most television stations, WGRZ takes an openly activist "watchdog journalism"approach to its news coverage, with its commitment to" Holding People In Power Accountable "and being" On Your Side ". As a result of this and larger corporate investment, WGRZ has the largest staff in the Buffalotelevision marketwith more general assignment/feature reporters, and sports reporters than either WIVB or WKBW-TV.

The station used theNewsCenterbrand for its newscasts in the 1970s. The current brand,Channel 2 News,dates to the 1980s and early 1990. WGRZ was the first in the market to adopt a 5 p.m. newscast (hence the newscast retaining its title "First at Five" ever since). In the early 1990s, WGRZ-TV used the "24 Hour News Source" format, providing news briefs each hour outside of regular newscasts. From 2001 to 2003, WGRZ-TV (as part of an NBC initiative, as well as an effort to preempt WIVB's plans to launch its own prime time news program for WNLO) produced a 10 p.m. newscast forPaxowned-and-operated stationWPXJ-TV(channel 51). In 2006, WGRZ-TV began producing another 10 p.m. newscast, this time forWBaffiliateWNYO-TVChannel 49 (now aMyNetworkTVaffiliate). The newscast was known as2 News on 49 – 10 at 10(later2 On Your Side Ten at 10). It originally featured ten minutes of news and the rest was dedicated to sports.

WGRZ-TV was the last of the three Buffalo television news outlets to produce a midday newscast, which it debuted in February 2008 in a traditional noon time slot. In June 2009, it moved to an 11 a.m. time slot, the first of its kind in the Buffalo market. (As previously noted, the 11 a.m. news re-airs at noon on WGRZ-DT2.) On February 17, 2010, WGRZ upgraded its newscasts to upconvertedwidescreenstandard definition.[24]From then until October 29, 2011, the station's news footage was shot in 4:3 SD, then cropped to a16:9aspect ratio and upconverted to1080iinmaster control,before HD graphics and pictures were added for broadcast.

On January 17, 2011, WGRZ debuted a new set for its newscasts duringDaybreak,which was designed for the transition to high definition newscasts and features extensive use of steel, glass and wood in combination with HD flat panel displays, blue lighting, and a background of several local landmarks (includingBuffalo City Hall,Niagara Falls,theErie Community CollegeCity Campus, and Old Erie County Hall). During the 10‑day construction period, the station temporarily broadcast its newscasts from one of its interview areas.[25][26][27]The new set complements the HD weather set that debuted in February 2010. RivalWKBW-TV7 upgraded its newscasts to true high definition in August 2011.[28]That prompted WGRZ to upgrade its newscasts to true high definition on October 29, 2011.[29][30]WGRZ began to broadcast its field video in full HD on October 29, 2011, making Channel 2 the only Buffalo television station to offer all aspects of its news production in true HD.

On April 23, 2012, WGRZ and Investigative Post announced a partnership in which the latter would co-produce investigations, interviews and other news segments that focus on various government issues around western New York. In addition, WGRZ and Investigative Post launched a co-branded website incorporating shared content. As a result of this partnership, formerBuffalo Newsreporter Jim Haney and former Patch reporter Dan Telvock began serving as contributors for WGRZ, conducting interviews on the Sunday edition ofDaybreak,producing weekly news segments with Investigative Post content, and making periodic appearances on WGRZ's other newscasts.[31]The partnership with Investigative Post did not result in cutbacks to WGRZ's staff, instead it added additional resources for investigative reporting.[32]

On August 6, 2012, WGRZ expanded its weekday morning newscast to 2½ hours, moving the start of the program at 4:30 a.m.[33]On September 15, 2012, WGRZ added a second hour to its Saturday morning newscast from 6 to 7 a.m., while moving what became the second hour of the show ahead one hour to 9 a.m.

On April 8, 2013, the WGRZ-produced 10 p.m. newscast moved from WNYO-TV to Fox-affiliated WUTV (which had been the largest Fox station by market size to not offer any news programming). The station explained a weak lead-in by MyNetworkTV programming on WNYO prompted the switch. As part of this arrangement, the 10 p.m. newscast expanded from weeknights-only to a nightly newscast. A rebroadcast of the 6 a.m. hour of WGRZ's morning newscast was added on WNYO-TV in the interim, which eventually was seen on WUTV as well.[34]Although WNYO-TV and WUTV are both owned bySinclair Broadcast Group,an ownership group known for carefully managing the content of newscasts on its local stations, the terms of the contract between WGRZ and WUTV prohibit Sinclair from having any editorial control over the newscasts.[35]WUTV replaced WGRZ's newscast with one produced by its own stationsWSTM-TVandWHAM-TVin July 2021, with WGRZ's prime time newscast moving to WGRZ-DT2.[36]The prime time newscast was quietly canceled some time before January 2023, by which point WUTV's newscast had also been canceled and WNLO was the sole over-the-air prime time newscast left in the market.[37]

In August 2013, WGRZ announced a partnership with theNiagara Frontier Transportation Authorityto provide traffic reports for theDaybreakandFirst at Fivenewscasts on weekdays. This is similar to the former partnership that the NFTA had with competitor WKBW-TV 7 until the summer of 2013. WGRZ had previously employed in-house traffic reporters.[38]

Storm Team 2 Weather

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WGRZ's "Storm Team 2" weather team currently features four meteorologists and two weather anchors. All meteorologists and weather anchors (except Kevin O'Neill and Josh Koslowski) have anAMSand/orNWABroadcast Seals of Approval. Meteorologist Jennifer Stanonis has theCertified Broadcast Meteorologistseal and is only the second meteorologist in the Buffalo, NY television market to have earned this.[39]Current feature reporter Kevin O'Neill replaced Mary Beth Wrobel as a meteorologist since Wrobel left the station to pursue opportunities outside of media;[40]Wrobel later returned as a fill-in meteorologist in late 2014.[41]Josh Koslowski is now the fourth meteorologist at WGRZ as of May 2015. In addition to his work with WGRZ, he also provides on-air forecasts for WHEC-TV in the nearby Rochester, NY market.[42]Patrick Hammer was announced as the station's fifth meteorologist in June 2015. He joins the station from KSTP in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN and will become the Chief Meteorologist once Kevin O'Connell retires in 2017.[43]

WGRZ is the only television station in Western New York to currently operate an in-houseweather radarfrom its broadcast tower inSouth Wales, New York.The radar is branded as "Live Precision Doppler 2" (formerly known as "Live Doppler 2000" prior to 2000), and utilizes street-level mapping and storm-tracking capabilities.[44]

In February 2010, WGRZ unveiled a new weather set that includes HD flat panel displays, improved lighting, and graphics and technology upgrades which would be phased in throughout that spring. "Storm Team 2 Interactive Radar" was introduced in February 2010 as an enhancement to the main website.[45]

On April 15, 2010, WGRZ debuted new weather graphics (utilizing WSI TruVu MAX for standard graphics[46]), and upgraded radar and weather alert systems (utilizing WSI TruVu TITAN for Live Precision Doppler 2,[44]and WSI TruVu Alert[47]for weather alerts). All radar and graphics systems were upgraded to full high definition (it was the first Buffalo station to have a HD weather graphics system; WKBW followed in November 2010, followed by WIVB in February 2012) and provide enhanced capabilities compared to previous systems used.[48]

On May 3, 2010, "Precision Doppler 2" introduced 3D storm-tracking capability, as well as a real-time lightning indicator (WIVB had earlier upgraded its radar to include these capabilities in 2007); it also debuted a new weather crawl system called "Storm Team 2 Alert", with enhanced features such as the ability to display both county maps and doppler radar with any warnings that are issued.[49]The Storm Team 2 Weatherappwas introduced in July 2010 providing new mobile capabilities.[50]

In January 2014, WGRZ debuted their new digital subchannel called Storm Team 2 WeatherNation TV. The new channel combines local forecasting from WGRZ's in-house meteorologists with national forecasts provided by the staff ofWeatherNation TV.[51]This has since been replaced by the Justice Network.

On July 16, 2015, WGRZ debuted Rooftop Weather, which is a brand new outdoor weather set built on the roof of their Buffalo studios.[52]This new set features a view of multiple Buffalo landmarks, including Buffalo City Hall, Fountain Plaza, the new Avant Building, the new Robert H. Jackson United States Federal Courthouse, among others. It will complement the existing weather set indoors and makes WGRZ the second station in the Buffalo market (after WKBW-TV) to have a dedicated outdoor weather set.

Ratings

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WGRZ satellite truck.

Aside from a brief period in the 1970s when lead anchor Ron Hunter led WGR-TV's newscasts to the top of theNielsen ratings,WGRZ was historically the third-place station in the Buffalo market through most of its first four decades on the air. It trailed usual market leaderWKBW-TVand heritage stationWBEN-TV,later WIVB-TV. WGRZ, WIVB-TV and WKBW-TV have been among the highest-rated television stations in the country and all three are fiercely competitive in the market's local ratings. Both WGRZ and WIVB-TV benefited from WKBW-TV's decline in the late 1990s; WGRZ had the further advantage of investment from Gannett, a major nationwide multimedia company (something WKBW had when it was owned byCapital Cities Communications,which had sold channel 7 in 1986 upon its acquisition of ABC to comply with ownership limits rules in place then, which WKBW was affiliated with, then as now).

WGRZ's newscasts, which have performed a strong second in recent years to rival WIVB-TV, has begun to challenge channel 4's dominance in news ratings, specifically in the 5 and 5:30 p.m. newscasts according to Nielsen's May 2007 sweeps data. By July 2007, WGRZ's morning newscast,Daybreak,was soundly beating WIVB-TV'sWake Up!in the ratings. Channel 2's 11 p.m. newscasts also returned to the #1 position, and became one of the highest-rated late newscasts in the United States. However, in the May 2009 sweeps, WGRZ lost significant ground to WIVB-TV and a resurgent WKBW-TV, and fell to a distant second, closer to third-place WKBW-TV than it was to WIVB-TV.

In the November 2009 sweeps, WGRZ was one of many NBC affiliates to fall victim to the so-called "Leno Effect" (in which NBC affiliates' late-evening newscasts experienced decreased ratings stemming from the weakening NBC lead-inThe Jay Leno Show); as in many of the affected markets, WGRZ's 11 p.m. newscast fell to a distant third, behind both WIVB-TV and WKBW-TV (although WGRZ's weekday morning newscast regained the lead over WIVB's morning show, thanks in large part to the return ofJohn Beardto the Buffalo market after over 25 years in Los Angeles). With NBC moving Leno back toThe Tonight Showin February 2010, WGRZ rebounded to a much closer second place behind WIVB-TV in the July 2010 sweeps; however,Daybreaklost ground, once again falling behind WIVB. In early 2011,Daybreakonce again became the market's #1 morning show.

For the November 2011 sweeps,Daybreakremained #1 among the market's morning newscasts. For the first time, WGRZ had the #1 newscast at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m., displacing rival WIVB-TV to a close second place in the early evening timeslot. WGRZ remained in second place for the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.[53]For the February 2012 sweeps, WGRZ remained a dominant #1 in the morning. It also became even more dominant in early evenings as WIVB-TV became a more distant second place in the timeslot. Although WGRZ stayed in second place among the market's late newscasts, it narrowed WIVB's lead in the time period.[54]

For the February 2013 sweeps, WGRZ widened its lead in the morning by 24%, in large part due to the addition of Melissa Holmes as co-anchor ofDaybreak.That program now has almost the same number of viewers as WIVB-TV and WKBW-TV's morning shows combined.[55]WGRZ also further increased its lead as the #1 newscast for its early evening newscasts with anchors Scott Levin & Maryalice Demler. Only the late evening newscasts during the week trail WIVB-TV in viewership; however, WGRZ is still dominant in the key demographics which advertisers covet most.[55]Viewership for WGRZ's weekend newscasts also places at a dominant #1, although as an NBC affiliate, it is subject to far fewer sports pre-emptions than its competitors, both of which carry more college sports on weekends as affiliates of CBS and ABC.[56]

WGRZ held the lead in the ratings viewership for most of the time between 2011 and November 2018; during the latter sweeps month, WIVB retook the ratings lead.[57]

Notable current on-air staff

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News
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Contributors
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Notable former on-air staff

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In the 1960s, the station used two cartoonelves,named Earis and Iris, as part of its logo. In 1983, to coincide with the call letter change to WGRZ-TV, the "futuristic" logo consisted of two lines, making an outline of the number two. In 1988, the station's logo consisted of simply a large number "2" in a commonAvant Gardefont, with a yellow triangle over blue added in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, the logo changed to a blue-on-red box with the bottom readingWGRZ-TV Buffalo.The NBC logo is placed to the left of the numeral "2"; however, "NBC" is not mentioned in the station's on-air brand (which is simply "Channel 2" ). With the upgrade of its newscasts to high definition on October 29, 2011, the station introduced an updated version of the logo, which was determined by viewer voting on the station's website.[69]

Additional facts

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According to theBaseball Hall of Shamebook series by Joe and Al Zullo, WGR-TV did not complete the telecast of the game between theHouston Astrosand theLos Angeles Dodgerson September 26, 1981. The station went to anArmytraining film as scheduled at 5 p.m. that afternoon. As a result, localbaseballfans missed Astros pitcherNolan Ryan's record fifth no-hitter.

WGRZ was one of the founding members of the "Love Network" that carried theJerry LewisMDA Labor Day Telethon;WGRZ continued to carry the telethon until the end of its run as a syndicated program (the broadcast moved to WKBW-TV in 2013, when the telethon moved to ABC, and ended its run after the 2014 event). WGRZ also carried its ownKids Escaping Drugstelethon. In 2020, WGRZ took over the long-runningVariety Kidstelethon, which had aired on WKBW-TV from 1962 to 2019; WGRZ shares the broadcast withWBBZ-TV.[70]

Technical information

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Subchannels

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The station's signal ismultiplexed:

Subchannels of WGRZ[71]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
2.1 1080i 16:9 WGRZ-HD NBC
2.2 480i Antenna Antenna TV
2.3 Crime True Crime Network
2.4 Quest Quest
2.5 NOSEY Nosey
49.3 480i 16:9 Comet Comet(WNYO-TV)
Broadcast on behalf of another station

WGRZ-DT2 was affiliated withNBC Weather Plusuntil that network shut down in December 2008, and aired a locally originated "Weather Plus" channel between that time and June 2009. The DT2 channel then switched toUniversal Sports,which it carried through the end of 2011.

TheRetro Television Networkwas previously seen on WGRZ-DT3. The 2.3 channel was removed in September 2011 with no replacement, in order to provide better picture quality to both the DT2 and the main WGRZ signal. The DT3 subchannel had never gained significant cable carriage and by that time, much of the programming was being duplicated byWBBZ-TV.[72]Although the DT2 subchannel has achieved significant cable penetration dating to its time as a Weather Plus outlet, Universal Sports itself converted to a cable and satellite-only service in January 2012 as part of Comcast's overhaul of theNBC Sportsdivision.[73]WGRZ-DT2 then became an affiliate ofAntenna TV,competing with WBBZ-TV. The DT2 subchannel returned to weather on January 1, 2014, affiliating withWeatherNation TVwith the local brandingStormTeam 2 WeatherNation.Antenna TV then moved to a reactivated DT3.

Justice Networkwas added as a digital subchannel in January 2015, replacing WeatherNation TV.[74]Questwas added as an additional channel in late January 2018.

Analog-to-digital conversion

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WGRZ discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, overVHFChannel 2, at 1 p.m. on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcastsunder federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 33,[75]usingvirtual channel2.

As part of theSAFER Act,[76]WGRZ kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of thedigital television transitionthrough a loop ofpublic service announcementsfrom theNational Association of Broadcasters.WGRZ dropped the -TV suffix, like most Gannett stations, just a week after the transition.

References

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  1. ^abEllwanger, Jim."TV Guide: Lake Ontario Edition".Ellwanger.tv.RetrievedJuly 23,2010.
  2. ^"Facility Technical Data for WGRZ".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ab"Licensing and Management System".enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov.RetrievedNovember 26,2022.
  4. ^FCC History Cards for WGR-TV (WGRZ).Federal Communications Commission.
  5. ^Sandomir, Richard (January 14, 1998)."PRO FOOTBALL; Monday Football Stays on ABC; NBC Out of Game After 33 Years".The New York Times.
  6. ^"Press release: Gannett announces agreement with Argyle Television Inc".Gannett. Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 30,2012.
  7. ^"Gannett Announces Agreement with Argyle Television Inc"(Press release). Gannett Company. November 20, 1996.RetrievedJanuary 18,2018– viaTegna Inc.
  8. ^Harrington, Jeff (November 21, 1996)."Texas chain buys WLWT".The Cincinnati Enquirer.Gannett Company.RetrievedJanuary 18,2018.
  9. ^"Argyle Television to swap television stations in Grand Rapids, Mich. and Buffalo, N.Y. to Gannett for television stations in Cincinnati and Oklahoma City"(Press release). Gannett Company.Business Wire.November 20, 1996 – viaHighBeam Research.[dead link‍]
  10. ^"Gannett Completes Agreement with Argyle Television Inc"(Press release). Gannett Company. January 31, 1997.RetrievedJanuary 18,2018– viaTegna Inc.
  11. ^Rathbun, Elizabeth A. (November 25, 1996)."Gannett, Argyle swapping TVs"(PDF).Broadcasting & Cable.Cahners Business Information. p. 42.RetrievedJanuary 18,2018– via American Radio History.
  12. ^Loose, Ashley (October 5, 2012)."DISH customers may lose Gannett programming, including 12 News KPNX, over AutoHop feature".KNXV-TV.Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2012.RetrievedOctober 6,2012.
  13. ^Vuong, Andy (October 6, 2012)."Gannett threatening to black out stations in its dispute with Dish".Denver Post.RetrievedOctober 6,2012.
  14. ^Warner, Melodie (October 8, 2012)."Dish, Gannett Reach New Deal".The Wall Street Journal.RetrievedOctober 8,2012.
  15. ^"Separation of Gannett into two public companies completed | TEGNA".Tegna. June 29, 2015.RetrievedJune 29,2015.
  16. ^Pergament, Alan (July 3, 2010)."Pergament: Channel 2 to turn to classics at noon".The Buffalo News.RetrievedJuly 23,2010.
  17. ^Pergament, Alan (February 17, 2013)."Ch. 2 tries new local late-night comedy".Still Talkin TV.Archived fromthe originalon July 5, 2013.
  18. ^"AM 1520 Keeps Bisons".Buffalo Broadcasters Association. Archived fromthe originalon February 2, 2014.
  19. ^Cichon, Steve."Buffalo in the '70s: Barry Lillis said it would be like this!".The Buffalo News.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
  20. ^Beck, Jerry (September 12, 2018)."The Colonel Bleep Show".RetrievedJanuary 9,2020.
  21. ^Pergament, Alan."Lottery is a TV loser after Ch. 2 drops live drawing".Talkin' TV.The Buffalo News.Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
  22. ^WGRZ promo emphasizing that Peacock was not required for local viewers to see the 2023 Week 16 Bills game despite NBC promos claiming otherwise
  23. ^OT of Senators-Sabres as received via Versus, also simulcast on WGRZ/WHEC
  24. ^"Talkin' TV – Blogs – The Buffalo News".Blogs.buffalonews.com. February 10, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2010.RetrievedJuly 23,2010.
  25. ^"January 17, 2011 6:45pm".Facebook.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  26. ^"Timeline Photos – WGRZ – Channel 2, Buffalo".Facebook. Archived fromthe originalon February 26, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
  27. ^"Buffalo's WGRZ (Gannett Station) Getting New Set - TVNewsTalk.net".Packofseven.com. January 11, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon September 6, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  28. ^Pergament, Alan (August 11, 2011)."Ch.7 News Going HD; Yanks Could Be Next on WBBZ".Still Talkin TV. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  29. ^Pergament, Alan (August 29, 2011)."Warm and Fuzzy Beard, Hurricane Hysteria and Overpriced Pretzels".Still Talkin TV.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  30. ^Pergament, Alan (October 27, 2011)."Many Questions in November Sweeps".Still Talkin TV. Archived fromthe originalon May 13, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  31. ^"Staff – Investigative Post".investigativepost.org.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
  32. ^"Investigative Post, WGRZ announce partnership".Investigative Post. April 23, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  33. ^"WGRZ – Channel 2, Buffalo – Buffalo, NY – Business services, Broadcasting & media production – Facebook".facebook.com.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
  34. ^Pergament, Alan (March 27, 2013)."Ch. 2's 10 p.m. newscast headed to WUTV".The Buffalo News.Archived fromthe originalon March 31, 2013.RetrievedMarch 27,2013.
  35. ^Pergament, Alan (April 12, 2018)."Sinclair controversy makes brief stop in Buffalo but is less relevant here".The Buffalo News.RetrievedApril 12,2018.
  36. ^Critic, Alan Pergament News TV."Alan Pergament: WUTV's new newscast will rely on news, weather and sports anchors outside of Buffalo".The Buffalo News.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
  37. ^Pergament, Alan (January 11, 2023)."WUTV's 10 p.m. newscast ending Jan. 27, eliminating four jobs in Buffalo".The Buffalo News.RetrievedJanuary 11,2023.
  38. ^"Cash to do traffic on Ch.2 – Talkin' TV – The Buffalo News".blogs.buffalonews.com. Archived fromthe originalon January 8, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
  39. ^[1][permanent dead link‍]
  40. ^"Kevin O'Neill Becoming Member of Storm Team 2 – wgrz.com".wgrz.com. Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
  41. ^Pergament, Alan (December 16, 2014).Wrobel back on Ch.2 weatherArchivedDecember 16, 2014, at theWayback Machine.The Buffalo News.Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  42. ^[2][permanent dead link‍]
  43. ^"Ch.2 hires new meteorologist as heir apparent to O'Connell - Talkin' TV".Archived fromthe originalon June 5, 2015.RetrievedJune 5,2015.
  44. ^ab"TruVu Titan"(PDF).Weather Services International.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on December 2, 2010.
  45. ^"404 Not Found | wgrz.com".www.wgrz.com.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.{{cite web}}:Cite uses generic title (help)
  46. ^"TruVu Max"(PDF).Weather Services International.RetrievedFebruary 3,2014.
  47. ^"TruVu Max"(PDF).Weather Services International.RetrievedFebruary 3,2014.
  48. ^"Press Release Details".Wsi.com. May 10, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2010.RetrievedJuly 23,2010.
  49. ^"WSI TruVu Alert HD™ – When Every Second Counts".Wsi.com.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  50. ^"Storm Team 2 Weather app".WGRZ. July 22, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2013.
  51. ^"WGRZ-TV Introduces STORMTEAM 2 WeatherNation TV".Yahoo! Finance.January 2, 2014.
  52. ^"Facebook".RetrievedNovember 10,2021– via www.facebook.com.
  53. ^Pergament, Alan (November 28, 2011)."Ch.4 Wins News Sweeps But Ch.2 Also Celebrates".Still Talkin TV. Archived fromthe originalon June 7, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  54. ^Pergament, Alan (March 2, 2012)."Ch.2 Wins Most Key News Races in February".Still Talkin TV. Archived fromthe originalon May 11, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2012.
  55. ^abPergament, Alan."Ch.2 Dominates News Early, Ch. 4 Late".Still Talkin TV.Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2013.
  56. ^Pergament, Alan."Ch.2 Scores on Weekends; 'Amazing Race' Couple in Jeopardy".Still Talkin TV.Archived fromthe originalon May 18, 2013.
  57. ^Pergament, Alan."WIVB Channel 4 climbs to the top in November sweeps".The Buffalo News.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
  58. ^Pergament, Alan (July 25, 2018)."WGRZ's Genero, Waldman to make local TV history after O'Connell's departure".The Buffalo News.RetrievedSeptember 23,2019.
  59. ^"Susan Candiotti bio".CNN.RetrievedApril 23,2013.
  60. ^Biniasz, Martin."From Goodyear to Gannett: A History of Channel 2 in Buffalo".RetrievedJuly 5,2012.
  61. ^"Geoff Fox biography".March 2010.RetrievedFebruary 13,2016.
  62. ^"The Buffalo Broadcasters: Broadcasting Hall of Fame – 1999 Inductees".Archived fromthe originalon March 27, 2013.RetrievedOctober 15,2012.
  63. ^Radder, Joseph H. (January 2004)."Buffalo Wouldn't be Buffalo Without Dan Neaverth".Living Prime Time. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.RetrievedJuly 6,2012.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  64. ^Pergament, Alan."Kevin O'Connell is departing Channel 2 after 25 years".The Buffalo News.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
  65. ^"Sportscaster Gary Papa Loses Battle with Cancer".June 21, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2013.RetrievedJuly 6,2012.
  66. ^"Joey Reynolds on NBC NonStop".Archived fromthe originalon March 25, 2010.
  67. ^"Allison Rosati".Archived fromthe originalon July 16, 2012.RetrievedJuly 6,2012.
  68. ^Matey, John (November 15, 2012)."Former Bills TE Ernie Warlick Dies".Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2013.RetrievedNovember 26,2012.
  69. ^"WGRZ Asks Viewers to Help Choose new HD logo".WGRZ.[dead link‍]
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  71. ^"Digital TV Market Listing for WGRZ".RabbitEars.info.RetrievedSeptember 18,2024.
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  73. ^"Universal Sports Dropping Multicast Outlets".TVNewsCheck.September 12, 2011.
  74. ^Pergament, Alan (January 16, 2015).Justice prevails: Antenna TV saved, WeatherNation in the coldArchivedJanuary 19, 2015, at theWayback Machine.The Buffalo News.Retrieved January 2016.
  75. ^"DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 29, 2013.RetrievedMarch 24,2012.
  76. ^"UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program"(PDF).Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009.RetrievedJune 4,2012.
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