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WSNN-LD

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Coordinates:27°20′27″N82°27′54″W/ 27.34083°N 82.46500°W/27.34083; -82.46500
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Not to be confused withWSNN.
WSNN-LD
CitySarasota, Florida
Channels
BrandingSNN: Suncoast News Network
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WFLA-TV,WTTA
History
First air date
December 13, 2011(12 years ago)(2011-12-13)
Former call signs
WLWN-LD (2011–2014)
Former channel number(s)
Digital:39 (UHF, 2014–2018)
Call signmeaning
"Suncoast News Network"
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID189978
ClassLD
ERP14.9kW
HAAT147.8 m (485 ft)
Transmitter coordinates27°20′27″N82°27′54″W/ 27.34083°N 82.46500°W/27.34083; -82.46500
Links
Public license information
LMS
Websitewww.snntv

WSNN-LD(channel 39) is alow-power television stationinSarasota, Florida,United States, affiliated withMyNetworkTV.Owned byNexstar Media GroupassistertoNBCaffiliateWFLA-TV(channel 8) andCWowned-and-operated stationWTTA(channel 38), the station'sSuncoast News Network(SNN) service provides news coverage focusing primarily on theNorth Port–Bradenton–Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area(includingSarasota,Manatee,andCharlottecounties). SNN operates in conjunction with theSarasota Herald-Tribune,and is headquartered in downtown Sarasota. The station's transmitter is located on Fruitville Road east of the city.

History[edit]

WSNN-LD logo used from 2014 to 2023.

The SNN operation was launched on July 17, 1995, exclusively onComcast.Over its history, it was branded asSNN Local News,SNN Local News 6,SNN News 6andSix News Now,which were often used interchangeably. SNN received national attention in 2007, when a clip of chief meteorologist Justin Mosely (who worked with the channel from 2004 to 2013 and returned in March 2014) reacting frightened after acockroachcrawled up his leg during a live weather segment wentviralafter it was posted on various video websites includingYouTube.

In November 2008, theSarasota Herald-Tribune(then owned byThe New York Times Company) announced that it would sell SNN News 6, and stop broadcasting at the end of December 2008. This deadline was extended after the company struck agreements with a group of investors, led by SNN general manager Linda DesMaris and her husband Doug Barker, to purchase the channel;[3]however on January 25, 2009, one of the investors dropped out of the deal. On January 29, 2009, theHerald-Tribuneannounced that SNN News 6 would godark,effective at midnight on January 29, 2009.[4]The company would later find another investor in Phil Lombardo, CEO of the television station groupCitadel Communicationsin Bronxville, New York. On February 26, 2009, after a four-week hiatus, SNN was back on the air under the management of LDB Media, LLC, with the majority of its former on-air staff.[5]Since its inception, the channel was exclusively carried on Comcast's systems in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. In the summer of 2012, SNN struck a carriage deal with Verizon FiOS to add the channel; FiOS began carrying SNN in the Sarasota area at 2:00 a.m.Eastern Timeon September 13, 2012. Over time, other cable systems were added, expanding coverage around the Sarasota–Manatee area.

In January 2014, Lombardo and Citadel Communications acquired a majority interest in the company.[6]As a result, Citadel took over broadcast operations of SNN. During February 2014, the SNN studio facilities underwent a major remodeling. One month earlier on February 12, SNN debuted a new graphics package. weather graphics were rolled out on February 22. On March 2, the channel debuted a new logo (an "SNN"wordmarkwith a blue wave underneath) and rebranded asSNN - Suncoast News Network.The following day on March 3 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, SNN unveiled a new main news set and weather center (the latter of which incorporates the logo previously used under the "SNN Local News 6" brand). The station's image resembles those of Citadel stationsWLNE-TVinProvidence, Rhode Island,andKLKNinLincoln, Nebraska,who have become sister stations to SNN. It was also the only non-ABC affiliated television station owned by Citadel afterCBSaffiliateWHBF-TVinRock Island, Illinois,was sold toNexstar Media Groupin 2014; in 2019, Citadel sold WLNE and KLKN toStandard Media,with WSNN being the only remaining television station under Citadel ownership until July 2023.

On September 24, 2014, Citadel announced that SNN's operations would be merged with itsover-the-airtelevision station in Sarasota, WLWN-LD (channel 39), on October 15; as part of the consolidation, WLWN changed its call letters to WSNN-LD.[7][8]The combined station retains SNN's existing programming and cable carriage. On April 15, WSNN launched two subchannels fromKatz Broadcasting:GritandLaff.

On May 16, 2019, it was announced that Standard Media, led by formerYoung BroadcastingandMedia Generalexecutive Deb McDermott, would acquire Citadel's WLNE and KLKN for $83 million.[9]The sale was completed on September 5.[10]

SNN was the first television news operation to convert to an all digital-disk-basednon-linear editing systemthroughAvid.SNN was one of the first news operations to have a combined print and broadcast newsroom, collaborating with theSarasota Herald-Tribuneon news content. Since 2002, SNN has maintained a content-sharing agreement withTampa-basedNBCaffiliateWFLA-TV(channel 8) andNBC News,which allows SNN to use stories from WFLA, NBC News and NBC-affiliated stations (that agreement replaced an earlier deal between the channel,Foxowned-and-operated stationWTVT(channel 13), and the now-defunct CONUS Communications), and also allowed for cooperation between theHerald-Tribuneand theTampa Tribune,prior toMedia General's sale of that paper toWorld Media Holdingsin 2012.

SNN also operates one weather and traffic camera since April 2014; the camera was installed atop of One Sarasota Tower, under a brand licensing deal with various local companies over the years. SNN began multiplex programming on February 2, 2015. On June 15, 2015,Verizon FiOSchanged channels of SNN from 26/526 to channel 9/509. In 2016, SNN upgraded graphics and slightly updated logo. Later that year, the Herald Tribune moved out of their former space and made their way next door into the old SunTrust building. It is unclear if SNN will be moving to the new facility as in 2018,Sarasota Memorial Hospitalannounced it would buy out the old Herald Tribune building and re-construct the entire area. In 2018, SNN re-vamped their website, now offering live-streams of their Skycam, newscasts as they happen, job offerings, calendars and event planning.

On May 19, 2023, Citadel Communications COO Ray Cole announced that WSNN-LD would be sold to Nexstar Media Group (owner of WFLA-TV andWTTA(channel 38)) for $1 million. Nexstar had previously acquiredMidwesterntelevision stationsKCAU-TVinSioux City,WHBF-TV in the Quad Cities, andWOI-DTinDes Moinesfrom Citadel in 2014 (Nexstar still owns KCAU-TV and WHBF-TV).[1][11]The sale was completed on July 20.[12]On September 1, with WTTA becoming Tampa Bay's station forThe CW,WSNN-LD would transition to carrying MyNetworkTV in prime time from WTTA, the latter which rebroadcasts the network overnights from 1 to 3 a.m.

Programming[edit]

SNN features live newscasts for7+1⁄2hours on weekdays and two hours on weekends, barring anybreaking newsthat could extend its time, as well as live weather segments during the morning and evening hours, with more frequent updates duringsevere weatherevents. The station occasionally broadcasts parades in the area, including boat shows and fireworks shows near Christmas and New Year's.

In addition to regular rolling news programming, SNN also shows airs two local talk shows:

  • Suncoast FYI,hosted by Nancy O'Neil, is focused on speaking with non-profit and volunteer leaders around the Sarasota Area about events and programs
  • Suncoast POV,hosted by Craig Burdick, is focused on speaking with civil, political, and business leaders about current events

SNN also carries a limited selection of syndicated programming seen on its sister stations.

Technical information[edit]

Subchannels[edit]

The station's digital signal ismultiplexed:

Subchannels of WSNN-LD[13]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
39.1 1080i 16:9 WSNN-HD MyNetworkTV
39.2 480i WSNN-D2 Grit
39.3 WSNN-D3 Laff
39.4 1080i WSNN-D4 Court TV

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"WFLA-TV & WTTA-TV to expand leading local news presence in 3-county region with Nexstar's acquisition of WSNN-LD in Sarasota".WFLA.RetrievedMay 22,2023.
  2. ^"Facility Technical Data for WSNN-LD".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^Pollick, Michael (November 15, 2008)."SNN TV to be sold to its top executive".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.RetrievedSeptember 24,2014.
  4. ^Pollick, Michael."SNN News 6 will go dark, awaiting deal".HeraldTribune.RetrievedMarch 4,2014.
  5. ^Hielscher, John (February 25, 2009)."SNN set to return to the air Thursday".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
  6. ^"Lombardo acquires majority stake in SNN".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.January 1, 2014.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
  7. ^Pollick, Michael (September 24, 2014)."SNN adds over-air TV broadcast".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.Archived fromthe originalon October 6, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 24,2014.
  8. ^Malone, Michael (September 24, 2014)."Citadel Taking Florida Cable News Net to Broadcast".Broadcasting & Cable.Archived fromthe originalon October 6, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 24,2014.
  9. ^"McDermott In The Station Game With WLNE, KLKN".TVNewsCheck.RetrievedMay 16,2019.
  10. ^"Consummation Notice",CDBS Public Access,Federal Communications Commission,Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  11. ^"Station Trading Roundup: 1 Deal, $1,000,000".TVNewsCheck.NewsCheck Media. May 31, 2023.RetrievedJuly 15,2023.
  12. ^"Notification of Consummation".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.July 20, 2023.RetrievedJuly 22,2023.
  13. ^RabbitEars TV Query for WSNN-LD

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WSNN-LD&oldid=1214099986"