WFTV Channel 9 is a television station based in Orlando, Florida, affiliated with the ABC network. It transmits its analog signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter located in Bithlo, Florida, and its digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter located in Christmas, Florida.
The station signed on the air on February 1, 1958 as WLOF-TV (for "We Love Orlando, Florida"). It had been an ABC affiliate since its launch. For years, the station was owned by SFN TV. It changed its call letters to WFTV in 1963.
The station was acquired by Cox Enterprises in 1985, and is currently co-owned with WRDQ TV 27. Alongside its own "Eyewitness News" broadcasts, WFTV also produces a nightly 10pm newscast ("Eyewitness News at 10", formerly known as "Action News at 10") for sister station WRDQ since 2000, and a weekday morning newscast ("Eyewitness News This Morning") for said station since 2007.
For most of the time since the 1980s, WFTV has been the dominant TV news station in the Central Florida market. Although NBC affiliate WESH made some temporary advances in the 1990s, WFTV often enjoys ratings higher than the combined rating of the other network affiliates in the Central Florida market. In some newscasts it has been the highest rated ABC television station in the Southeast US.
The primary news anchors at WFTV are Bob Opsahl and Martie Salt. They anchored the main afternoon newscasts from 1984 through 1994, when Ms. Salt transferred to WFTS, a TV station in Tampa (where she was known as "Martie Tucker"). She returned to anchor WFTV's news again with Opsahl in 2003. Opsahl is one of the longest-serving (at one station) local news anchors in Florida. Barbara West, a 20 year veteran at WFTV and the station's medical reporter is paired with Opsahl at 5:30.
Marla Weech, a former anchor for WFTV, was paired up with Bob Opsahl during most of Salt's absence. Weech currently works for WKMG.
Tom Terry is the "Chief Meteorologist". WFTV's Severe Weather Center 9 includes WFTV's own doppler radar station located at Joint Venture TV Tower Bithlo. Its radar has features that are unique to its market, including a radar mode capable of taking advantage of WFTV's 720p newscast to transmit greater radar detail to its viewers. Channel 9's Severe Weather Team also includes Brian Shields and Julie Watkins.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, "Channel 9 Eyewitness News" made the claim of being "Central Florida's News Leader" as its slogan, but dropped the claim in the 2000s after transitioning to "Coverage You Can Count On". Its main 5pm newscast was termed "Live at Five" until the early 2000s.
WFTV was also the original station for former CNN anchor and current NBC News correspondent Natalie Allen. Deborah Roberts of ABC News (and wife of TV personality Al Roker), Rob Stafford of NBC News and John Tesh also used their time at WFTV to gain experience that thrust them onto the national scene.
WFTV carries a high-profile programming lineup with shows such as Oprah Winfrey, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
Visit Instructions:In your log, you should include a picture of yourself, or if alone, a picture with the GPSr in the shot is acceptable.
Please relate your experience at the location, or any stories you may have that relates to that station (e.g. you appeared as a child in a local program, you were interviewed on-camera for a news story, etc.).
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