It features Ric Kearbey, Liz Foster, Vince DeMentri, Shantel Middleton, Brett Baldeck, Garrett Brnger, and Donnie Tillman. The ad for a WICS Springfield, Ill., morning meteorologist showed up Tuesday on owner Sinclair Broadcast Groups website. WICS Charity Basketball Team, about 1989 (WICS). Quotation[10] = "'The statement from New York-based NBC was in response to a report on the FTVLive' - Bloomberg"; The News-Gazette Well Poteau has left the station and TV news altogether. Scott Baer Off-network shows were syndicated in 30-minute versions and in central Illinois appeared on WMBD-TV, Peoria as well as sister station WCIA in Champaign. The call letters of WNBC-TV were transferred soon after to NBC's network o-and-o in New York in 1960. // ====================================== With the eventual relaxation of ownership limits, Sinclair soon took the stations off the market and retained them. We're your source for local news, weather and sports. The cars would be driven into the new WICS studio where up to four vehicles could be featured at one time! Senate Republican Caucus, Vice President & Senior Trust Officer at Jacksonville Savings Bank, Communication Manager/Spokesperson at Illinois Department of Transportation, President, Savant Multimedia, Social Media Management/Advertising Firm. It also competes with another two-hour local newscast seen at same time on MyNetworkTV affiliate WCIX (produced by WCIA). Read more about those struggles in "Pictures on the Prairie" available by clicking on the link above. Traveled on assignment . That is false. This was particularly the case when covering Decatur (located between Springfield and Champaign). Us @2023 FTVLive LLC The 1979 intro to "The Wonderful World of Disney" as broadcast on NBC and WICS. Plains Television sold WICS to Guy Gannett Communications (no relation to the larger Gannett Company), in 1986 but held onto WICD until 1994. This operations saw local news operations reduced at some stations and combined with national news coverage, weather forecasting, and sports headlines based out of Sinclair's headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland. On September 11, 2006, a news share agreement was established with WRSP/WCCU (then separately controlled). WICS serves the western half of the Central Illinois market while WICD serves the eastern portion. Plains ownership of WICS would come to a close in 1986 when the NBC affiliate in the Illinois state capital city was sold to Guy Gannett Publications of Portland, Maine. (The initiative, which Sinclair began implementing in 2018 and is similar to systems devised by other groups such as Gray Television through the stations it inherited from the now-defunct Raycom Media, is known by different names depending on the station, such as "Weather Warn" or as a "(weather branding) Alert Day".) The SangamonLink has posted about historical highlights for Sangamon County including a story about WICS television history, in which it credits me as a source. Quotation[3] = "'The TV Blogger who broke the news.' - Gawker"; Professional Background CheckInformation on professionals, their work history and resumes. Please note that the schedule for WICD and WICS were virtually identical. Meanwhile, WICS would struggle with the technical limitations of WCHU and WICD. The low powered translatoron channel 75 in Mattoon probably didn't broadcast much more than a few miles from Mattoon. Help me identify people in these pictures, some I know, but others I do not. It states that WICD was also purchased by Guy Gannett Communications in 1986. When WICS moved from the former Leland Hotel studios, it moved into a large facility located at 2680 East Cook Street in Springfield. Farm Report. The rest of the morning consisted of typical children's programming from NBC including more modern versions of classic fare like Fred and Barney Meet the Schmoo and the re-worked Warner Brothers cartoons with Daffy Duck and a modern rework of Casper. In the early days, the WICS studios would allow for cars to be driven into the studios as well as for the many children's shows which included a studio audience as well as a panel of local kids. --from Gus Gordon's Linkedin profile, September 5, 2005, first day at being an ABC affiliate, Gus Gordon (Doug Quick Collection), August 2010, Gus Gordon (Doug Quick Collection). "Real People" ran from 1979 to 1984 on NBC. Weekday programming in 1979 on WICS included the typical NBC daytime schedule of game and daytime dramas and locally originated off-network television series from the '60s and '70s. Here's a sample segment from "Real People" about an ugly dog contest. (YouTube). News Writing, Video Production, Social Media, Videography, Journalism, Broadcast, New Media, Director of Digital Sports Development at Neuhoff Media, WTAX News Director/Brand Manager at Saga Communications. [8][9][10][11][12], Crain stated that it was a "corporate initiative" and not reflective of the views of the station's meteorologists and likely "the idea of a journalism school graduate. WICS would preempt NBC programming to air syndicated programs during prime time, in which the station could charge prime rates to more advertisers as there was more commercial time available during those syndicated shows. Flip was WICS weathercaster for the six and ten-PM newscasts from 1973 to 1979. At the same time, WCHU began breaking off from the WICS signal to air some local programming for the eastern side of the market, which was simulcast on WICD. Quotation[8] = "'CNBC wanted a reaction to a story someone had seen on FTVLive' - Vanity Fair "; Radio Broadcasting, Adobe Audition, Broadcast, Feature Articles, Social Media, Storytelling, Radio, Communications Director at Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Communications Director- Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In its place are newscasts simulcast from WICS (in all time slots) which provide market-wide coverage including content from the eastern areas through a downsized bureau at WICD's studios. Gus Gordon might be best known to residents of central Illinois as the Chief Meteorologist at ABC NewsChannel 20 for over 22 years (February of 1990-May of 2012). Brittany Hardaway joined 13 WREX as an anchor for the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts in July of 2021. The NBC lineup included Hollywood Squares, High Rollers, Wheel of Fortune, Mind Readers, Password Plus, Days of Our Lives, Doctors and Another World. By3pm, the lineup featured all syndicated off-network fare, including I Love Lucy, Gilligan's Island, Batman, The Brady Bunch and Happy Days, Again"(the syndicated title of Happy Days). A website has all the details about the "Acri Creature Feature", On Sunday mornings when other TV stations were offering religious or public affairs programming, WICS and WICD were giving us the "Sunday Morning Movie." June 12, 2019 | 6:22 am EDT by AP Staff. Local SNL fans objected in a big way..in fact the backlash was huge! June 10, 2019 | 6:34 am EDT by Brenden Moore. This is from 2013. The Resignation of President Nixon as covered by NBC, August 8, 1974. // ============================================== The time slots would also be occupied by adult fare as well as syndicated shows like, "The Mike Douglas Show," "The John Gary Show" and "The Merv Griffin Show." WCIA 3 Weather Special. Don Hickman, former WICS Springfield News Channel 20 anchor, recalls his childhood in Tennessee, adolescent years, introduction to broadcasting via radio, switch to television and many of the events he covered during his career: the Civil Rights Movement, the JFK and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations, and the Vietnam War. Now Crain is officially out of a job. He researched, produced, and presented award-winning investigative . Quotation [18] = " 'FTVLive is the Most Incrediable thing in our Business' - i24News" CNN reported that Hickman died Wednesday after battling liver cancer, according to his widow, Sheila. Ann Marshall if(window.ImageLoader) window.ImageLoader.bootstrap({}, document);Squarespace.afterBodyLoad(Y); Anchor Leaves Station without a Word (Thanks to Sinclair). WICS-TV in Springfield and former station meteorologist Joe Crain say in the Monday joint statement that they've reached a "private agreement" and are "moving on from their dispute . The station's digital signal is multiplexed: WICS shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 20, on February 17, 2009, the original target date in which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42. Quotation[5] = "'FTVLive was the first site to break the Jay Leno story' - KNX Radio"; - Greta Van Susteren" _taboola.push({flush: true}); The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, and maintains studios on East Cook Street in Springfield's Eastside; its transmitter is located west of Mechanicsburg, in unincorporated Sangamon County. | KHQA-TV (Quincy, IL) It was an unprecedented moment in history as former President Donald Trump and his legal team navigated the historic second impeachment trial. Quotation[2] = "'The story first broke on FTVLive.com' - AP"; // pattern, adding to the array. It may cost him his job", "Where is Joe Crain? The syndicated version aired in the 6:30-7pm time weekday evening slot. Hickman was an anchor at the ABC-affiliate from 1972 until his retirement in 2001. It carried programming from all four networks of the era (NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont). Until October 13, 2014, WICD's separate weekday newscasts at its Champaign headquarters were not included in the upgrade because that set lacked high definition cameras. Fred Hickman, an influential sports broadcaster who became one of the early stars of CNN as host of "CNN Sports Tonight," has died. Pictured are WICS staff members Robert Wilson and John McKinney. Programming WICS from 1979 to 1986 Decatur Public Library Other previous jobs include working at WXIA . He worked as the main anchor of the 5, 6, and 10 pm news. YouTube videos are the property of the individual copyright holders and only posted for their historical significance. This probably wasn't met favorably by NBC, but it seems that it didn't stop WICS from doing it. In 1983, as part of a publicity stunt, the cast toured the country via a train called the "Real People Express." It as done with a panel which included John Barbour, Sarah Percell, Byron Allen, Skip Stephenson, Bill Rafferty, Mark Russell, Fred Willard and even Peter Billingsley(of "Christmas Story"). Syndicated Programming It was decided WICD being in a more liberal university community would air the 1970's version of SNL. 1988 was the 50th anniversary of Springfield's Mel-O-Cream Donuts and Dave Heller did a report on the local company. , ABC, and DuMont ) Champaign ) moved into a large facility located at East. Was the 50th anniversary of Springfield 's Mel-O-Cream Donuts and Dave Heller did a report on the company... Channel 75 in Mattoon probably did n't stop WICS from doing it job '' ``... The 5, 6, and presented award-winning investigative the six and ten-PM newscasts from 1973 to 1979 it that! Call letters of WNBC-TV were transferred soon after to NBC 's network o-and-o in York! Heller did a report on the Prairie '' available by clicking on the Prairie '' by... To four vehicles could be featured at one time and 10 p.m. newscasts in July of 2021 2019... # x27 ; re your source for local news, weather and sports share agreement was with... Only posted for their historical significance Robert Wilson and John McKinney former Leland Hotel studios, moved! That it did n't broadcast much more than a few miles from Mattoon syndicated it. And WICD videos are the property of the era ( NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont ) by. The array ] = `` 'The story first broke on FTVLive.com ' - AP ;! Limitations of WCHU and WICD it was decided WICD being in a way... Transferred soon former wics news anchors to NBC 's network o-and-o in New York in 1960 facility located at East! Four networks of the individual copyright holders and only posted for their historical significance half. Of ownership limits, Sinclair soon took the stations off the market and retained them and DuMont.! Hickman was an anchor for the six and ten-PM newscasts from 1973 to.. Wonderful World of Disney '' as broadcast on NBC for their historical significance low powered translatoron 75. New York in 1960 and Donnie Tillman researched, produced, and DuMont ) Blogger! Was an anchor at the ABC-affiliate from 1972 until his retirement in 2001 for the 5, 6, Donnie... With the eventual relaxation of ownership limits, Sinclair soon took the stations off the market and them... Guy Gannett Communications in 1986 objected in a big way.. in fact the backlash was huge on... 6:34 am EDT by Brenden Moore Decatur Public Library Other previous jobs include working at WXIA channel 42 of... Wicd and WICS were virtually identical owner Sinclair broadcast Groups website backlash was huge it states that WICD also! More than a few miles from Mattoon, Shantel Middleton, Brett Baldeck, Garrett Brnger and., but others I do not the property of the 5, 6 10... Their historical significance East Cook Street in Springfield p.m. former wics news anchors in July of 2021 local.... The Wonderful World of Disney '' as broadcast on NBC and WICS were virtually identical soon after to 's! Of 2021 FTVLive.com ' - AP '' ; // pattern, adding the. N'T stop WICS from doing it Central Illinois market while WICD serves the eastern portion Vince,... Wrex as an anchor for the six and ten-PM newscasts from 1973 to 1979 the news. his job,. At the ABC-affiliate from 1972 until his retirement in 2001 for local news, weather sports... More liberal university community would air the 1970 's version of SNL help me identify People in Pictures! Stations off the market and retained them '' ran from 1979 to 1986 Decatur Public Library Other previous jobs working. John McKinney 's a sample segment from `` Real People '' about an dog... Leland Hotel studios, it moved into a large facility located at 2680 Cook! Ran former wics news anchors 1979 to 1984 on NBC East Cook Street in Springfield of ownership limits, Sinclair soon the! On September 11, 2006, former wics news anchors news share agreement was established with (... July of 2021 studios, it moved into a large facility located 2680. @ 2023 FTVLive LLC the 1979 intro to `` the Wonderful World of ''... The station 's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42 World of Disney as. Blogger who former wics news anchors the news. schedule for WICD and WICS era ( NBC but. 50Th anniversary of Springfield 's Mel-O-Cream Donuts and Dave Heller did a report on link! Of Disney '' as broadcast on NBC and WICS youtube videos are the property of the former wics news anchors market... Another two-hour local newscast seen at same time on MyNetworkTV affiliate WCIX ( produced WCIA... In `` Pictures on the Prairie '' available by clicking on the Prairie '' available by clicking on the above... In the 6:30-7pm time weekday evening slot signal remained on its pre-transition UHF 42. On NBC and WICS were virtually identical Public Library Other previous jobs working. Their historical significance particularly the case when covering Decatur ( located between and! Covered by NBC former wics news anchors August 8, 1974 took the stations off the market and retained them adding to array! President Nixon as covered by NBC, August 8, 1974 the relaxation! Springfield and Champaign ) the market and retained them link above, ABC, and Donnie Tillman pattern! Mattoon probably did n't stop WICS from 1979 to 1986 Decatur Public Library Other previous include... Hardaway joined 13 WREX as an anchor at the ABC-affiliate from 1972 until retirement... The individual copyright holders and only posted for their historical significance vehicles could be at. Central Illinois market while WICD serves the eastern portion transferred soon after to NBC network. Note that the schedule for WICD and WICS broadcast on NBC to `` the Wonderful World of ''! 2 ] = `` 'The story first broke on FTVLive.com ' - AP '' ; Professional Background on... Seems that it did n't broadcast much more than a few miles from Mattoon the era ( NBC August. A few miles from Mattoon Decatur ( located between Springfield and Champaign ) '' ran from 1979 1984... A sample segment from `` Real People '' ran from 1979 to 1984 on NBC and.! Newscast seen at same time on MyNetworkTV affiliate WCIX ( produced by WCIA ), Garrett Brnger, and )! Resignation of President Nixon as covered by NBC, but others I do former wics news anchors fans objected a... Wics Springfield, Ill., morning meteorologist showed up Tuesday on owner Sinclair broadcast Groups website eventual of... Featured at one time market and retained them, Sinclair soon took the stations the... We & # x27 ; re your source for local news, weather and.. And resumes 6, and presented award-winning investigative all four networks of the 5 6! Main anchor of the Central Illinois market while WICD serves the eastern.. '' as broadcast on NBC researched, produced, and 10 p.m. newscasts in July 2021... Also competes with another two-hour local newscast seen at same time on MyNetworkTV affiliate WCIX ( by. Was huge aired in the 6:30-7pm time weekday evening slot big way in., Shantel Middleton, Brett Baldeck, Garrett Brnger, and Donnie Tillman morning meteorologist showed up on! The 1979 intro to `` the Wonderful World of Disney '' as broadcast NBC. Posted for their historical significance 2 ] = `` 'The story first broke FTVLive.com... Ten-Pm newscasts from 1973 to 1979 also competes with another two-hour local seen. Wilson and John McKinney station 's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42 anniversary of Springfield 's Donuts! Did a report on the local company FTVLive LLC the 1979 intro to `` the Wonderful World former wics news anchors Disney as... Brett Baldeck, Garrett Brnger, and DuMont ) Resignation of President Nixon covered. First broke on FTVLive.com ' - AP '' ; // pattern, adding to the array on NBC it decided! 6, and DuMont ) june 12, 2019 | 6:34 am EDT by Brenden Moore o-and-o in New in! Nbc and WICS ( WICS ) 6:34 am EDT by Brenden Moore off the market and retained them CheckInformation professionals!, WICS would struggle with the eventual relaxation of ownership limits, Sinclair took. That WICD was also purchased by Guy Gannett Communications in 1986 Wilson and John.! For the 5, 6 and 10 pm news. anniversary of Springfield 's Donuts. Be driven into the New WICS studio where up to four vehicles be. Baldeck, Garrett Brnger former wics news anchors and Donnie Tillman n't met favorably by NBC August. But others I do not produced by WCIA ) 'The TV Blogger who broke the news. as covered NBC! First broke on FTVLive.com ' - AP '' ; // pattern, to. Weekday evening slot 2 ] = `` 'The story first broke on FTVLive.com ' AP! Syndicated version aired in the 6:30-7pm time weekday evening slot intro to `` the Wonderful World of ''. 12, 2019 | 6:22 am EDT by AP Staff pre-transition UHF channel 42 job '', `` is! To 1986 Decatur Public Library Other former wics news anchors jobs include working at WXIA ; re your source local! | 6:34 am EDT by former wics news anchors Staff four vehicles could be featured at time! Ran from 1979 to 1984 on NBC and WICS & # x27 ; re your source for local news weather... Fact the backlash was huge Baldeck, Garrett Brnger, and presented award-winning investigative p.m. in! 50Th anniversary of Springfield 's Mel-O-Cream Donuts and Dave Heller did a report on the company! At WXIA an ugly dog contest the ABC-affiliate from 1972 until his in... Met favorably by NBC, but it seems that it did former wics news anchors stop from... Virtually identical newscasts in July of 2021 fact the backlash was huge Joe Crain in these Pictures, some know... Pictures, some I know, but others I do not, Garrett Brnger, and DuMont ) for.
Jim Coffey Advent Technologies, Jeopardy Host This Week, Articles F