WSYM-TV
CP) | |
HAAT | 305 m (1,001 ft) |
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Transmitter coordinates | 42°28′3″N 84°39′6″W / 42.46750°N 84.65167°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
WSYM-TV (channel 47) is a
History
WSYM signed on for the first time on December 1, 1982, as WFSL-TV. It was owned by Lansing businessman Joel Ferguson and his company, F&S Development Company, and aired an analog signal on channel 47. WFSL was the first new
During its pre-sign-on test pattern, an on-screen crawl thanked numerous people and companies for their help including "All the people who said 'No way will that station get on-the-air by December 1st.'"
Ferguson sold the station to the
WSYM affiliated with Fox in 1990. Previously, Detroit's
On July 30, 2014, it was announced that the E. W. Scripps Company would acquire Journal Communications in an all-stock transaction. The combined firm would retain their broadcast properties, including WSYM, and spin off their print assets as Journal Media Group (acquired by Gannett in a later transaction). The deal would make WSYM a sister station to WXYZ and WMYD in Detroit.[5] Also in July 2014, WSYM began operating MyNetworkTV outlet WHTV through a local marketing agreement. That station was previously operated by Media General (owner of CBS affiliate WLNS-TV) and was based out of that station's facility. Through the new arrangement with WSYM, WHTV would offer additional local programming.[6] The FCC approved the deal on December 12, 2014. It was approved by shareholders on March 11, 2015. It closed on April 1.
News operation
WSYM-TV presently broadcasts 33+1⁄2 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 5+1⁄2 hours each weekday and three hours each on Saturdays and Sundays).
In its early days of operation, the station produced three live news updates throughout the day. This included one in the morning, another during the afternoon, and late at night. The short cut-ins ranged from five to ten minutes in length. Under pressure from Fox to start a full newscast or face disaffiliation, WSYM launched a full news department in September 1997. During this time, it produced local news seen weeknights at 5:30 (for thirty minutes), every night at 10, and a Sunday night sports highlight show. By 2004, the station would shut down its in-house news operation.
However, since Fox had by this time required its affiliates to offer newscasts where possible, WSYM entered into a news share agreement with
Prior to that newscast's launch, on weekday mornings at 9, the previous night's 10 o'clock show was replayed on WSYM under the branding Fox 47 Morning News Rewind. The weekend edition of Morning News Rewind still continues to air at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday morning.
All newscasts seen on this Fox outlet originate from the NBC affiliate's studios on American Road in Lansing (near
All local newscasts seen on the station feature a separate graphics scheme and news music package from WILX (updated to a new set of Gray Television-corporate graphics on February 17, 2014). During
WSYM once had competition to its prime time news at 10 that lasted from September 24, 2007, until September 25, 2009. During this time, WLAJ produced a weeknight prime time show on its CW-affiliated second digital subchannel. On January 28, 2011, WILX became the first outlet in Central Michigan to upgrade local newscasts to high definition level. WSYM would not follow with a transition to HD broadcasts until June 13 because it needed to upgrade the master control at its separate studios in order to transmit the news in high definition.
On May 2, 2012, the station began providing a live video simulcast of WJIM (1240)'s talk radio program Michigan's Big Show (hosted by Michael Patrick Shiels) on weekday mornings from 6 until 8. At some point in time, WSYM added segments at 6:30 and 7:30 (branded as The Morning Blend) during Michigan's Big Show. The advertorial segments were produced through the station's advertising sales department and were recorded in advance, and were the same type of advertiser product presentations seen on other The Morning Blend shows produced by most of Journal's stations.
That effort and the simulcast of Michigan's Big Show was discontinued with the launch of Fox 47 Morning News at 7. With WSYM now being a sister station of WXYZ, a half-hour simulcast of that outlet's weekday morning newscast has been added to WSYM. Airing at 6:30, it is branded as 7 Action News This Morning on Fox 47 and features Detroit-based coverage although statewide news headlines are included. WSYM does provide local weather segments during the program.
On October 8, 2020, Scripps announced that WSYM will reinstate its news department in early 2021, thus ending its news share agreement with WILX.[8] The operation launched at the start of January 2021, with contributions additionally coming from adjacent-market sister stations WXMI (where weather segments also originate) and WXYZ-TV as the station establishes a more permanent studio presence in Lansing.
Notable former on-air staff
- Ahmed Fareed – sports anchor (2003–2004, now studio host/reporter at NBC Sports Bay Area)[9]
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
47.1 | 720p | 16:9 |
FOX47 | Fox |
47.2 | 480i | Grit | Grit | |
47.3 | Bounce | Bounce TV | ||
47.4 | 720p | 47+ | MyNetworkTV[11] | |
47.5 | 480i | CourtTV | Court TV | |
47.6 | IonMyst | Ion Mystery | ||
47.7 | Scripps | Scripps News |
Originally, WSYM-DT2 featured the TheCoolTV. MeTV was added on October 1, 2011, on 47.2 and is available on Comcast digital channel 296.[12] A lawsuit filed by Journal Communications for "non-payment of broadcast operations" against TheCoolTV's parent company and the oncoming removal of TheCoolTV from Journal's stations in Wisconsin, resulted in MeTV replacing TheCoolTV on 47.2, and proving far more successful.[13][14]
On October 6, 2014, WSYM-TV added Bounce TV to a newly created third subchannel.[15]
Because of WHTV's termination, WSYM added MyNetworkTV programming to its fourth subchannel (along with much of WHTV's former schedule) on October 9, 2017, with the branding "My 47.4".[1][16] In May 2019, an additional fifth subchannel was added carrying Court TV.
Analog-to-digital conversion
WSYM-TV shut down its analog signal, over
References
- ^ a b Hughes, Mike (December 11, 2017). "Digi-nets expand Lansing TV viewing options". Lansing State Journal. USA Today Network. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WSYM-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Video 0:40 mark". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Federal Communications records: "CANCELLED PER LETTER FROM C/G 1-2-85 WSYM-TV"
- ^ Glauber, Bill (July 30, 2014). "Journal, Scripps deal announced". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "New Brand Coming to FOX 47's Partner Station My 18 this September - FOX 47 News". Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ^ "Fox 47 Morning News at 7". Fox 47 News. September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ Wethington, Kari (October 8, 2020). "Scripps station expands news operations" (Press release). The E. W. Scripps Company. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. Archived from the originalon May 28, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
- ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WSYM". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ Hughes, Mike (September 18, 2017). "Local stations grapple for slots to make a mark". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (September 6, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Me-TV Signs With Stations in New Markets". Broadcasting & Cable.
- The Business Journal, Milwaukee. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ Cuprisin, Tim (September 13, 2011). "Get ready for another round of Charlie Sheen". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ "Breaking News - Bounce TV Adds Stations, Sponsors, Viewers, Movies & Originals | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com.
- ^ https://www.flickr.com/photos/arrikj/43096622122
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). August 29, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
External links
- WSYM-TV "Fox 47" (can be entered into wireless device for mobile access)