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WPTY-TV
Memphis, Tennessee
Branding	ABC 24 (general) Eyewitness News (newscasts)
Slogan	Eyewitness News Everywhere
Channels	Analog: 24 (UHF) Digital: 25 (UHF)
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	Clear Channel Communications (sale pending to Providence Equity Partners)
Founded	September 10, 1978
Call letters meaning	PeTrY Television (original owner)
Former affiliations	Independent (1978-1990) FOX (1990-1995) NBC and CBS (both secondary, 1970s and 1980s)
Transmitter Power	3,020 kW (analog) 1,000 kW (digital)
Website	myeyewitnessnews.com

WPTY-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Memphis, Tennessee. Licensed to the city, the station broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 24 and a digital signal on UHF channel 25. WPTY's transmitter is located in Brunswick. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications as part of a duopoly with the area's CW affiliate WLMT. The two stations share studios located on Union Avenue Extension near the Aulon section of Memphis. WPTY is known on-air as "ABC 24".

The station began broadcasting on September 10, 1978 and was the market's first UHF outlet and independent television station. WPTY also served as the secondary network outlet for the other three stations in town whenever they passed on shows in favor of local fare.

The station was owned by Petry Television (hence the call letters) and ran a general entertainment format of cartoons, movies, sitcoms, westerns, and drama shows.

By 1983, WPTY picked up competition when TVX Broadcast Group's WMKW signed on and sparked a rivalry between the two stations. TVX signed a deal to affiliate all of their stations with FOX in 1987. This resulting in WMKW becoming the area's FOX affiliate. FOX pulled the affiliation from WMKW (now known as WLMT) in February of 1990 and gave it to WPTY. This came because TVX's deal with FOX included a clause stating that if a station was sold it could lose its FOX affiliation.

Clear Channel Communications bought WPTY in 1992. A year later, a local marketing agreement between Clear Channel and WLMT brought the two rival stations together.

In 1994, FOX Television Station surprised the market by buying longtime ABC affiliate WHBQ-TV and announced that the station would become the new FOX affiliate. ABC, in turn, decided to go with WPTY as its new affiliate. On December 1, 1995, WPTY became the new home for ABC.

At that time, WPTY decided to completely re-brand itself and started a news department. The newscasts on WPTY were branded as "News Watch 24" and featured an energetic, youthful, almost "grunge" look. Several years later, the station re-branded the newscasts as "ABC 24 News" and began to modify its style to reach a broader audience. At this point, WPTY began evolving into a traditional network affiliate running mostly first run syndicated shows and a few sitcoms while WLMT ran cartoons, movies, sitcoms, and some reality / talk shows as well. In 2001, Clear Channel would buy WLMT outright making the two stations sisters.

WPTY's news operation, currently using the "Eyewitness News" branding, has shown tremendous growth but still remains last in market ratings, behind those of long-dominating rivals Channel 3 (WREG/CBS) and Channel 5 (WMC/NBC), plus third-place Channel 13 (WHBQ/FOX). It was honored in 2005 with Associated Press broadcasting awards for "Best Breaking News", "Best Newscast", "Best Reporter", and "Best Sportscast". WPTY was also honored in 2005 with an Edward R. Murrow award and a regional Emmy Award as the "Best Weekend Newscast". In the same Associated Press award period in 2006, the station was honored with 9 awards including "Best Overall Newscast". WPTY does well with its current ABC lineup and syndicated fare.

On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Providence Equity Partners. [1]

WPTY produces three newscasts for sister station WLMT. During the week, there are ones at 7 AM and 9 PM. On the weekends, there is one at 9 PM. WPTY's weather radar is known as "Live ExacTrack Doppler".

Anchors

• Terrance Bates - weekday mornings and 11 AM
• Bonny Kinney - weekday mornings and 11 AM
• Cameron Harper - weeknights
• Dee Griffin - weeknights
• Darryl Hood - weekends (also weekday reporter)
• Joyce Peterson - weekends

Eyewitness News Meteorologists

• Brian Teigland - Chief seen weeknights (also heard weekday evenings on WREC-AM and KWAM-AM)
• Mark Walden - weekday mornings and 11 AM (also heard weekday mornings on WREC-AM and KWAM-AM)
• Henry Rothenberg - weekends (also fill in and weather reporter)

Sports

• empty - Sports Director
• Rob Petrone - daily

Reporters

• Ursula Jones - weekday morning traffic reporter
• Rae Lyn Hartley - entertainment reporter seen weekdays at 7 AM, 11 AM, and 9 PM
• Alexis Amorose
• Brian Heap
• Dana Rebik
• Jeni DiPrizio
• Rebecca Medina
• Sarah Buduson
• Tenikka Smith

Former Personalities

• Greg Gaston - Sports Director and weekday sports anchor (now at WHBQ-TV in Memphis)
• Tom Butler - weekend anchor (now at KMSP-TV in the Twin Cities)
• Dayna Devon - weeknight anchor (now host of Extra)

• Station Website (shared with WLMT)
• ABC Website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WPTY-TV