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WTIC-TV
Hartford / New Haven, Connecticut
Branding	Fox 61 Fox 61 News
Slogan	Connecticut's Prime News
Channels	Analog: 61 (UHF) Digital: 31 (UHF)
Affiliations	Fox
Owner	Tribune Company
Founded	September 17, 1984
Call letters meaning	Travelers Insurance Company (original owner of WTIC radio)
Sister station(s)	WTXX
Former affiliations	independent (1984-1987) CBS and ABC (both secondary during independent era)
Transmitter Power	5000 kW (analog) 380 kW (digital)
Height	515 m (analog) 506 m (digital)
Facility ID	147
Transmitter Coordinates	41°42′13.1″N, 72°49′54″W
Website	fox61.trb.com

WTIC-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for the state of Connecticut (except Fairfield County). Licensed to Hartford, the station broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 61 and a digital signal on UHF channel 31. WTIC's transmitter is located between U.S. 6 and I-84 in Farmington. The station is owned by Tribune as part of a duopoly with the area's CW affiliate WTXX. The two station share studios that are located on Church Street in Downtown Hartford (WTXX's street address is different, however). WTIC is known on-air as "Fox 61".

Via cable, WTIC serves as the default Fox affiliate for the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. Right now, that area does not have an affiliate of its own. However, Springfield's ABC station, WGGB-TV, will add Fox on its DT2 digital subchannel by the end of 2007.

Contents 1 History 2 Newscasts 3 News Team 4 Former Staffers 5 Logos 6 External links

A group led by Arnold Chase won a construction permit for channel 61 in September 1983. Chase originally planned to call his new station WETG-TV, in memory of Ella T. Grasso, the first woman in Connecticut to be elected governor, who died in 1981. However, those calls were requested by an independent station on channel 66 in Erie, Pennsylvania (now WFXP). The Erie station's owners refused to give up the calls.

With only a short time before the scheduled sign-on date, Chase obtained permission from Arch Broadcasting, owner of WTIC radio (1080 AM and 96.5 FM) to use the historic WTIC-TV calls in the spring of 1984. The WTIC-TV calls had last been used by what is now WFSB from 1957 to 1974. The Federal Communications Commission had relaxed regulations governing the use of call letters on non-commonly owned stations early in 1984. In memory of Grasso, WTIC showed clips of Grasso at work at sign off, while church bells played the Star Spangled Banner. A graphic at the end mentioned that WTIC-TV was dedicated in Grasso's memory. [1]

WTIC-TV began operation on September 17, 1984. Originally, it was a general entertainment independent station running cartoons, sitcoms, old movies, CBS shows pre-empted by WFSB, ABC shows pre-empted by WTNH, drama shows and sports, in competition with WTXX. Arch eventually bought controlling interest in the station.

In 1985-1986, the station invested in stronger programming and managed to become a charter Fox affiliate in 1986. However, by 1987, Arch and Chase encountered financial problems and nearly filed for bankruptcy. Many syndicators went unpaid and responded by pulling their programming from channel 61. The shows were replaced by low-budget barter programming.

Chase Broadcasting (no relation to Arnold Chase) acquired WTIC-TV in 1988. Although the barter programming continued, the station began to realize some sustained success in part due to the early success of the Fox network and shows like 21 Jump Street, Married...With Children. A milestone was reached in 1992 when WTIC began to regularly beat WTXX in the ratings.

Chase sold all its stations to Renaissance Broadcasting (who owned WTXX) in 1992. To follow prevailing FCC regulations, Renaissance sold WTXX in March 1993 to a Roman Catholic non-profit group, Counterpoint Communications. Renaissance tried to negotiate a local marketing agreement with WTXX' new owners, in which it would buy WTXX' entire broadcast day. From the time the sale became final until July of 1993 Renaissance allowed WTXX to run The Disney Afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. and some off network sitcoms from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays free of charge as well as first run syndicated shows on weekends in this slot. However, Counterpoint rejected this, wanting only a part-time arrangement. That July WTXX enetered into a part-time LMA with WVIT. Renaissance began moving WTXX' shows to WTIC-TV, which created a strong lineup for channel 61. Some programming such as older sitcoms, however, returned to syndicators and wound up on WTVU (now WCTX). The cartoons that did not move to WTIC were actually sold to WVIT and moved back to WTXX which they aired daily from 6 to 9 a.m. (until 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays) and weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.

WTIC-TV was sold to the Tribune Company in 1997 as part of a group deal. At that point, the station took over management of WTXX (then a UPN affiliate, later WB, currently a The CW station). In 1998 WTIC-TV, replaced WVIT as WTXX's LMA partner, and the WVIT-produced newscast at 10 PM was replaced with a simulcast of the first half-hour of channel 61's news program, FOX 61 News at 10. As of April 24, 2006, WTXX simulcasts the full WTIC newscast. In 2001, Tribune bought WTXX outright.

As time went on WTIC began dropping cartoons, movies, and older sitcoms in favor of more talk and reality shows. The weekday cartoons ended at the end of 2001 when Fox ended its weekday kids' block.

Since Fox entered sports programming in 1994, WTIC has had to deal with issues regarding Major League Baseball and National Football League coverage. Connecticut is split between the home territories of MLB's New York Yankees, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox, as well as the NFL's New York Giants and New England Patriots. The football issue is not typically as stark because the Giants and Patriots play in separate conferences, each with their own network TV deals, so there is little overlap. However, Fox picks both the Yankees and Red Sox for its baseball broadcast windows from time-to-time. MLB limits Fox to a single game, and does not allow other channels to broadcast baseball in that window (from 1 pm to 4 pm Eastern). This creates serious anger among Connecticut baseball fans when WTIC must broadcast either the Yankees or the Red Sox, as the usual cable channels (YES and NESN) are blacked out for the team not broadcast by Fox. This anger is intensified by fans in the Springfield market when the station picks the Yankees over the Red Sox given fan loyalties.

During the February 2007 sweeps period, WTIC beat out 11 PM leader WFSB with 100,000 viewers to WFSB's 98,000 viewers. WTIC achieved this by showing reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond and Seinfeld while WFSB, WVIT, and WTNH broadcasted their 11 PM local news.

All newscasts are simulcasted on sister station WTXX. However, that station does not have a separate news opening. Whenever Fox programming or sports delays the news on WTIC, it is still shown on WTXX but under the name of News at Ten. There is also a "News at Ten" logo in place of "FOX 61 News".

WTIC broadcasts Fox 61 Sports Ticket on Sunday nights.

In addition to their Hartford studios, WTIC operates a New Haven "Shoreline Bureau" in the New Haven Advocate newsroom. The station also operates a "Waterbury Bureau" in the Republican-American newsroom.

In June of 2007 former weekend anchor / political reporter Rick Hancock returned to WTIC on a part time basis. He hosts a weekly internet and technology segment called "Rick's RSS". The segment showcases popular web features. Each week, he also profiles a Connecticut blogger in a podcast that can be found on WTIC's website.

Along with FOX News, WTIC is also a CNN affiliate.

Anchors

• Brent Hardin - weeknights
• Susan Christensen - weeknights
• Rebecca Stewart - weekends
  • wife of WTNH / WCTX reporter Jamie Muro

Meteorologists

• Garett Argianas (AMS certified) - Chief seen weeknights
• Michael Friedmann (AMS certified) - weekends
• Sam Samperi - fill-in
  • also webcast weather

Sports

• Rich Coppola - Director seen weeknights
  • co-host of Fox 61 Sports Ticket
• Bob Rumbold - weekends
  • sports reporter
  • co-host of FOX 61 Sports Ticket
• Amy Lundy - sports reporter

Reporters

• John Charlton
  • reporter/fill-in anchor
• Rachel Lutzker
  • contributing reporter
  • Morning traffic reporter (Spring 2008)
• Shelly Sindland
  • Senior Reporter
  • Political Correspondent
  • host of Beyond the Headlines
  • occasional afternoon co-host on WTIC-AM 1080
• Laurie Perez
  • also webcast host
• Eric Zager
  • general assignment and investigative
• Jim Altman
• Sarah Cody
• Rick Hancock
  • producer of Rick's RSS on Fridays
• Jennifer Lahmers

• Steve Berthiaume, sports anchor, has been with CNNSI, and SNY NY, currently with ESPN.
• Steve Brown, reporter, now Chicago bureau reporter, Fox News Channel.
• Mika Brzezinski, reporter, to WFSB, to WCBS, to CBS News, now anchor 'Morning Joe' MSNBC.
• Beth Carroll, co-anchor, now host 'NH Outlook' NHPTV Concord, NH.
• John Carroll, chief meteorologist
• Katishia Cosley, reporter, now freelance reporter at KTRK Houston
• Jay Crawford co-host of ESPN2's First Take,and host 1st & Ten ESPNews.
• Ted Greenberg, reporter/anchor, now reporter WCAU Philly.
• Rick Hancock, reporter/anchor, now Dean of Journalism school at Quinnipiac University.
• Lynn Jolicouer, reporter, now reporter at WCVB Boston.
• Justin Kiefer, meteorologist, now meteorologist WMBB Panama City FL.
• Paul Lewis, news director, now news director at WNYT Albany.
• Coleen Marren, news director, now news director WCVB Boston.
• Jerome Martin, former VP/GM, now VP/GM WBDC Washington D.C.
• Doug Meehan, reporter, now reporter at Fox25 Boston.
• Tom Misczuk, award-winning reporter, deceased July 2004.
• Irene O'Connor, reporter/anchor, now AM co-anchor WFSB.
• Meg Oliver, reporter/anchor, now anchor CBS News 'Up to the Minute'.
• Carolee Salerno, reporter/weekend anchor, now reporter/anchor WTNH New Haven.
• Amelia Santaniello, weekend anchor/reporter, now evening co-anchor WCCO Minneapolis.
• Pat Sheehan, co-anchor, now financial consultant.
• Jason Shoultz, reporter, now producer/reporter 'America's Heartland' syndicated magazine.
• Andrew Stockey, sports anchor, now AM co-anchor WTAE Pittsburgh.
• Tony Terzi, sports anchor, now morning radio host, WEZN STAR99.9 Bridgeport.
• Paul Williams, meteorologist, now at WLBT Jackson, MS.
• Rob Williams, reporter, now AM co-anchor WXIX Cincinnati.
• Gary Zenobi former VP/GM, now General Manager of Saga Communications radio group (Springfield, MA)

WTIC's logo used from June of 1997 to September 18, 2006.

WTIC's logo used since September 18, 2006.

• WTIC-TV "Fox 61"
• WTXX "CW 20"
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WTIC-TV

v • d • e Broadcast television in the Hartford / New Haven market  (Nielsen DMA #29)
WFSB 3 (CBS) (WSHM-LP on DT2) -  WTNH 8 (ABC)  -  WRDM 13 (TEL / RAI)  -  W17CD 17 (Ind)1  -  WUVN 18 (UNI)  -  WTXX 20 (The CW)  -  WEDH 24 / WEDN 53 / WEDY 65 (PBS / CPTV)  -  WHPX 26 (ION)  -  WVIT 30 (NBC) (WX+ on DT2) -  WHCT 38 (AZA) -  WSAH 43 (Gems TV)1  -  WUTH 47 (TFU) - WNHX 51 (Ind)  -  WCTX 59 (MNTV)  -  WTIC 61 (FOX)   1These two channels, located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, are technically part of the New York City DMA. Cable television channels CN8 - NESN - CSN New England - YES - NECN - Citizens TV (Hamden) - UCTV
See also Broadcast television in the Springfield, Providence and New York City markets

v • d • e Broadcast television in the Springfield / Holyoke market  (Nielsen DMA #109)
WWLP 22 / WFXQ-CA 28 (NBC) - WGGB 40 (ABC) - WHTX 43 (UNI) - WGBY 57 (PBS) - WDMR-LP 65 (TEL) - WSHM-LP 67 (CBS) Out-of-market stations serving / available in Springfield / Holyoke WCDC 19 (ABC, Adams) - WEDH 24 (PBS / CPTV, Hartford) - WNYA 51 (MNTV, Pittsfield) - WCTX 59 (MNTV, New Haven) - WTIC 61 (FOX, Hartford) Defunct stations WRLP 32 (NBC / IND) Local and regional Cable television channels CN8 - NECN - NESN - CSN New England - WSBK (Ind, Boston) - "WBQT" 16 (The CW)
See also Broadcast television in the Albany and Hartford / New Haven markets

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