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WCBS-TV

New York City, New York
Branding	CBS 2 HD (general) CBS 2 News (newscasts)
Slogan	Your Lives. Your News.
Channels	Digital: 33 (UHF) Virtual: 2 (PSIP)
Subchannels	2.1 CBS
Translators	22 (UHF) Plainview, NY (construction permit)
Affiliations	CBS
Owner	CBS Corporation (CBS Broadcasting, Inc.)
First air date	July 1, 1941
Call letters' meaning	W Columbia Broadcasting System (former legal name of CBS)
Sister station(s)	WCBS, WCBS-FM, WFAN, WINS, WLNY-TV, WWFS, WXRK
Former callsigns	W2XAB (1931-1941) WCBW (1941-1946)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 2 (VHF, 1941-2009) Digital: 56 (UHF, 1999-2009)
Transmitter power	349 kW
Height	397 m (1,302 ft)
Class	DT (Digital Television)
Facility ID	9610
Transmitter coordinates	40°44′54.4″N 73°59′8.4″W / 40.748444°N 73.985667°W / 40.748444; -73.985667
Website	cbsnewyork.com

WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is at the top of the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan. It is one-half of a television duopoly with Long Island-licensed independent station WLNY-TV (channel 55).

In the few areas of the eastern United States where viewers cannot receive CBS programs over-the-air, WCBS-TV is available on satellite to subscribers of DirecTV, which also provides coverage of the station to Latin America and major U.S. air carriers via the LiveTV inflight entertainment system. WCBS-TV is also available to Dish Network customers as part of All American Direct's distant network package.

Digital television[link]

The station's signal is multiplexed as follows:

Digital subchannel 2.2 is operated as a 24-hour news channel, branded as CBS New York Plus; its programming draws upon the resources of WCBS-TV, WLNY, WCBS radio (880 AM), WINS (1010 AM), and WFAN (660 AM). Similar channels will eventually be rolled out to CBS' other owned-and-operated stations.^[1]

Analog-to-digital conversion[link]

On June 12, 2009, at 3 p.m., WCBS-TV discontinued regular analog programming on channel 2.^[2] The station moved its digital broadcasts to channel 33, due to its pre-transition digital channel 56 being out of the core digital channel allotment.^[3] PSIP is used to display WCBS-TV's virtual channel as 2.

WCBS-TV was one of two stations in New York City that participated in the "Analog Nightlight" program, and did so until the early morning hours of July 13, 2009, possibly making it the last full power NTSC broadcast television station in the United States to discontinue analog transmissions.^[4]

WCBS-TV currently has a construction permit for a digital fill-in translator on channel 22 in Plainview, New York. This translator will serve portions of eastern and central Long Island where WCBS-TV's signal is affected by the presence of WFSB, a CBS affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut which also broadcasts on channel 33.^[5]

History[link]

This section requires expansion with: more information on the station from the 1950s to the present day.

Early years[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

WCBS-TV's history dates back to CBS' opening of experimental station W2XAB on July 31, 1931, using the mechanical television system that had been more-or-less perfected in the late 1920s. Its initial broadcast featured New York Mayor Jimmy Walker, Kate Smith, and George Gershwin. The station boasted the first regular seven-day broadcasting schedule in American television, broadcasting 28 hours a week. On November 8, 1932, W2XAB broadcast the first television coverage of presidential election returns. The station suspended operations on February 20, 1933, as monochrome television transmission standards were in flux, and in the process of changing from a mechanical to an all-electronic system. It returned on September 3, 1940 with the first color broadcast in the United States.

On June 24, 1941, W2XAB received a commercial construction permit and program authorization as WCBW. It went on the air at 2:30 p.m. on July 1, an hour after rival WNBT (formerly W2XBS and now WNBC-TV), making it the second authorized fully commercial television station in the United States, although the FCC issued permits to CBS and NBC at the same time and intended WNBT and WCBW to sign on simultaneously on July 1 so no one station could claim to be "first". WCBW's initial broadcast was the first local newscast aired on a commercial station in the country. Its assigned frequency was 60-66 MHz, now known as Channel 3 but then referred to as Channel 2 in the old 1940-46 alignment of the VHF band. Program schedules were irregular through the summer and early fall of 1941. Regular daily operations began on October 29 and WCBW received a full license to cover its construction permit and commercial program authorization on March 10, 1942. After the war, the FCC re-allocated the television and FM bands. WCBW closed down its operation on the old Channel 2 at the end of February 1946 (the 60-66 mHz band had been re-allocated to WPTZ in Philadelphia) in order to move to a new channel 2 at 54-60 MHz. It quickly began operation on the new frequency, where it remained from the spring of 1946 until the end of analog full power television service in the late spring of 2009.

The call letters were changed to WCBS-TV on November 1, 1946, after the FCC allowed TV stations owned by radio stations in the same city to use the same call letters as the radio station with the suffix -TV. This allowed the station to reflect its corporate ownership by CBS. It is the only station in the CBS television station group to have been built from the ground up by the network.

On August 11, 1951, WCBS broadcast the first baseball game on color television. This was the Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Boston Braves from Ebbets Field. The Braves beat the Dodgers 8–1. As were all color programs at the time, it was transmitted via a field-sequential color system developed by CBS. Signals transmitted this way could not be seen on existing black-and-white sets.

In May 1997, the station adopted the CBS 2 name along with sister stations KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and WBBM-TV in Chicago, while retaining a unique and distinctive logo. The practice of CBS-owned stations placing the network identity ahead of their local identity would end up being known as the "Viacom Mandate" (later the "CBS Mandate").

During the September 11, 2001, attacks channel 2 was the only major New York City television station to stay on the air via over-the-air frequency. Unlike its competitors, it had long maintained a full-powered backup transmitter at the Empire State Building after moving its main transmitter to the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1975. The station was also simulcast nationally on Viacom (which at the time owned CBS) cable network VH1 that day. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, WCBS-TV was briefly the only full-coverage over-the-air television service operating in New York City, although the station lent transmission time to other stations who had lost their transmitters until they found suitable backup equipment and locations.

The backup transmitter had been put into operation once before, when the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993 knocked most of the area's stations off the air for a week. It would once again become the main transmitter through the end of the analog era. From 2003-2005, promos for CBS 2 This Morning featured Avenue 2, with puppet-made news personalities based on Avenue Q.

Out-of-market carriage and CATV[link]

In New Jersey, WCBS is carried in all of Mercer County for Comcast, Cablevision and Verizon FioS subscribers. In Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley from Allentown to Easton carries WCBS. In Connecticut, it is carried in the New Haven area.

During the CATV era of the 1970s and 1980s, WCBS had coverage in much of southern New Jersey. This included Burlington, Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May counties. As WCBS was once carried in Cumberland County, it also carried WMAR-TV (channel 2) out of Baltimore as well.^[6]

News operation[link]

Upon becoming WCBW in 1941, the station broadcast two daily news programs, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. weekdays, anchored by Richard Hubbell. Most of the newscasts featured Hubbell reading a script with only occasional cutaways to a map or still photograph. Shortly after the war began, WCBW (like virtually all television stations) sharply cut back its program schedule and the newscasts were canceled. After the war, a once-or-twice weekly news program returned to the WCBS-TV schedule, first anchored by Milo Boulton, and later by Douglas Edwards. Edwards' nightly news broadcast became The CBS Evening News with Douglas Edwards when CBS opened network TV operations early in 1948 and made Edwards' newscast its regular network news offering.

In the 1950s through the mid-1960s, WCBS-TV's local newscasts were anchored by CBS News correspondent Robert Trout. In 1965, Trout left for a new assignment in Europe and was succeeded by Jim Jensen. Jensen had only come to WCBS-TV a year earlier (he previously was at WBZ-TV Boston), but was already well known for his coverage of Robert F. Kennedy's 1964 campaign for the United States Senate. His gravelly voice and demeanor were very similar to that of Walter Cronkite, and he was reportedly the model for the character of Jim Dial (played by Charles Kimbrough) on the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown.

During the 1960s, WCBS-TV battled WNBC-TV (channel 4) for the top-rated news department in New York. After WABC-TV (channel 7) introduced Eyewitness News in the late 1960s, WCBS-TV went back and forth in first place with Channel 7. This rivalry continued through the 1970s. For much of the early 1980s, New York's "Big Three" stations took turns in the top spot. During this time, three of the longest-tenured anchor teams in New York—Jensen and Rolland Smith, WABC-TV's Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel, and WNBC-TV's Chuck Scarborough and Sue Simmons—went head-to-head with each other.

WCBS-TV had many well-known personalities during this era: anchors Dave Marash, Carol Martin, Marilyn Salenger, Rolland Smith, Michele Marsh and Vic Miles; meteorologists Dr. Frank Field, John Coleman and Irv "Mr. G." Gikofsky; reporters Meredith Vieira, Randall Pinkston, Tony Guida, John Stossel, Chris Borgen and Arnold Diaz and sportscaster Warner Wolf. Vieira, Pinkston and Guida later moved to the CBS network, and Viera eventually moved to NBC where she co-hosted the early morning Today show.

In 1987, WABC-TV surged to first place. As the 1990s began, channel 2 found itself losing increasing ratings share to WNBC. One of management's more controversial responses was to take Jensen off the anchor desk in late 1994 and demote him to host of a Sunday morning public-affairs show, Sunday Edition. He also hosted a few episodes of the regular "Sports Update" show on Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. At the time, Jensen had served as an anchor longer than anyone in New York television history (he has since been passed by WABC-TV's Beutel and WNBC's Scarborough). The move was roundly criticized by many in New York, especially since WCBS-TV had supported him after he went into drug rehabilitation in 1988.

Another controversy involved an exchange between Jensen and co-anchor Bree Walker, whose fingers and toes are fused together (the condition is known as ectrodactyly). After Walker did a report about her experience with the condition, Jensen asked Walker, on the air, if her parents would have aborted her had they known she would have been born with the condition. Although Walker kept her composure on air, she was obviously disturbed by the question, and soon left the station ([3]). This incident took place shortly before Jensen's entry to drug rehabiliation. Station management came under more fire in 1995 when Jensen was forced to retire shortly after the Westinghouse Electric Corporation announced it was buying CBS. By the end of 1995, Channel 2 had crashed into last place for the first time in its history while WNBC surged to a strong second place – a pecking order that would remain in place for more than a decade.

1996 "massacre"[link]

On October 2, 1996, the station executed an unprecedented mass firing without any advance warning, citing the need to shake up its news operation. Seven people were fired: anchors John Johnson, Michele Marsh and Tony Guida; sports anchor Bernie Smilovitz; and reporters Reggie Harris, Roseanne Colletti, and Magee Hickey.^[7] The firings came after the 6 p.m. newscast. Johnson and Marsh had anchored the 5 p.m. newscasts and signed off at 6 p.m. saying, "We'll see you at 11," but never got a chance to say goodbye on the air.

"The massacre," as it has come to be known, was part of a move to boost ratings, although it came at a time when CBS was under pressure to boost revenues, having just merged with Westinghouse. It was also part of a major reconstruction of the newscast, culminating in the May 1997 rebranding to News 2.

[edit] From News 2 to CBS2 News (2000-present)

In 2000, Joel Cheatwood, creator of the 7 News format at WSVN in Miami, came in as news director. At his suggestion, the news department rebranded itself from News 2 to the CBS 2 Information Network, using "content partners" such as U.S. News & World Report and VH1. He also gave the newscasts more of a tabloid feel. While considerably watered down compared to Fox flagship WNYW and to Cheatwood's work at WSVN—and even compared to WSVN's sister station, WHDH-TV in Boston -- it was much flashier than had previously been seen on New York's "Big Three" affiliates. It didn't work, and Cheatwood was gone by 2002 in favor of New York veteran news director Dianne Doctor. The station became simply CBS 2, and gradually phased out the tabloid elements. In its place, Doctor introduced a "news for the people" approach similar to that of her previous employer, WNBC.

After Doctor's arrival, WCBS placed a revived emphasis on hard news, while attempting to revive some elements of its glory days. For instance, in 2003 Arnold Diaz rejoined the station to revive "Shame on You," an Emmy-winning series of investigative segments. He had previously worked at the station from 1973 to 1995, leaving to serve a similar investigative role at ABC News. In December 2005, Diaz once again departed, this time leaving for WNYW. Another segment was "Eat at Your Own Risk," which highlighted unsafe conditions at New York-area restaurants. Ironically, the cafeteria at the CBS Broadcast Center was cited for violations by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Violations included the presence of rats and roaches, as well as food temperature issues.^[8][9][10]

Despite this and other attempts at fixes, the ratings did not significantly improve under Doctor's watch. Doctor was criticized for airing "Shame on You" and "Eat at Your Own Risk" segments ahead of major stories. She also came under fire when channel 2 led its 11 p.m. newscast of May 24, 2005, with a story and exclusive video of actor Burt Reynolds slapping a CBS producer, while rivals WABC-TV and WNBC-TV led with an important vote in the U.S. House on stem cell research.

On May 27, 2004, Doctor fired popular sports anchor Warner Wolf, three months before his contract expired, without giving Wolf a chance to say goodbye on air. This incident was widely panned by several newspapers, including the New York Daily News, and the move alienated and angered many viewers. Wolf was replaced by the much younger Chris Wragge, who was brought in from NBC affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston.^[11]

On June 1, 2005, Jim Rosenfield rejoined the station to anchor the 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts with Roz Abrams, who joined channel 2 the previous year after an 18-year run at WABC-TV.^[12] Rosenfield previously worked at the station from 1998 to 2000, before moving to WNBC (to anchor Live at Five) after a contract dispute with channel 2. Rosenfield replaced Ernie Anastos, who moved to WNYW in July.

On August 22, 2005, WCBS-TV launched its new Doppler weather radar named "Live Doppler 2 Million". It has one million watts of power, and is live, compared to other dopplers in the market which are delayed by about 15 minutes. "Live Doppler 2 Million" was the punch line of a joke on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live and also was ridiculed on the popular Opie and Anthony radio show. The station renamed the radar in 2006 to "Live Doppler". The station also uses the VIPIR radar processing software. Coincidentally, transportation reporter Arthur Chi'en was fired from the station three months earlier after mistakenly using expletives live on the air in response to someone from Opie and Anthony disrupting his live report as part of their "Assault on the Media" contest.

On April 14, 2006, Dianne Doctor left WCBS-TV. The station decided to move its news department in a new direction under new general manager Peter Dunn, who axed "Shame on You" and "Eat at Your Own Risk". Doctor reportedly did not agree with the new plans, and opted to leave. The station has since overhauled its graphics and anchor lineup, winning praise from media observers.

Like other CBS-owned stations, WCBS-TV offers a web only newscast called "CBS 2 at Your Desk", available weekdays at 9 a.m. Also, available are streamlined news casts of the noon, 5 and 6 p.m, and the 11 p.m. newscasts. There is also a "LoHud Report" edition of "At Your Desk", operated by WCBS-TV and LoHud.com, the website for The Journal News, a Gannett Company-owned newspaper covering the lower Hudson Valley. The Journal News has a partnership with the station where WCBS-TV uses their offices for their Westchester Bureau, and The Journal News gets a 30-second promotion during the 6 p.m. newscast for the next day's top story.

Partnership with The Weather Channel; ratings improvement[link]

In early September 2006, WCBS-TV's weather department entered into a partnership with The Weather Channel, with meteorologists from the cable service often appearing on-air with existing WCBS-TV meteorologists. WCBS-TV also receives information from the Weather Channel in addition to using their radars and satellite imagery. The Weather Channel checked in with WCBS for New York's weather on its "Evening Edition" program with one of the WCBS meteorologist, and CBS 2 said before every forecast "Now time for your exclusive forecast from CBS 2 and the Weather Channel." On July 7, 2008, this partnership officially ended when it was announced that The Weather Channel had been sold to competitor NBC Universal.

Personnel change

On November 6, 2006, WCBS-TV made a personnel change on its noon and 5 p.m. newscasts. Former sports director and anchor Chris Wragge became co-anchor of both aforementioned programs, along with newly-hired Kristine Johnson.^[13] Wragge and Johnson replaced Roz Abrams and Mary Calvi on those shows; Abrams' contract was allowed to lapse, and Calvi was reassigned to weekends as the sole evening anchor, and currently she anchors weekend evening solely and mornings with various co-anchors.

More changes came in early 2007, as John Elliot was introduced as the new morning and noon meteorologist, replacing Audrey Puente, whose abrupt breach-of-contract demotion led to her being allowed to become the new chief meteorologist at WWOR-TV less than two weeks later. WCBS-TV also hired Lonnie Quinn, previously a weatherman in Miami, as they phased out John Bolaris who had rejoined WCBS in 2002. On June 25, 2007, anchors Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson were promoted as the station's new 5 and 11 p.m. anchors, trading places with Dana Tyler and Jim Rosenfield on the noon program; Tyler and Rosenfield continued to co-anchor the 6 p.m. newscast. Rosenfield left WCBS in May 2008, being replaced with recently hired weekend anchor Don Dahler.

Improvement in Ratings, new set

In the February 2007 ratings period, WCBS-TV finished second behind WABC-TV from sign-on to sign-off — its best showing in 16 years, although most of its newscasts still finished in third place at that time. By the November 2007 sweeps period, Channel 2's local evening newscasts had overtaken WNBC for second place (mainly due to declining ratings at WNBC). It was Channel 2's best news performance in 12 years, but it still trailed WABC-TV by a fairly wide margin. On April 11, 2007, WCBS-TV began broadcasting their newscasts in high-definition, becoming the third New York City television station to do so.

In May 2008, WCBS still led WNBC by an even wider margin. However, its longtime number 1 noon newscast's ratings fell behind WABC, the only other station to offer a noon newscast in the New York area. This has been attributed to the anchor switch with Dana Tyler and Jim Rosenfield replacing Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson, specifically to the serious personalities of Tyler and Rosenfield (and now Dahler) compared to the relaxed personalities of Wragge and Johnson, which is more traditional for a lunchtime broadcast.

WCBS has been unable to regain the lead at noon since, although they are still second in New York in the evening broadcasts. WCBS elected to change the noon anchors again after approximately a year and put the noon broadcast in the hands of the morning news team; the then-current anchors were Maurice DuBois and Mary Calvi with John Elliott providing weather forecasts. DuBois has since switched to anchoring the weeknight 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts with Johnson (with Wragge being moved to The Early Show, he would later return to WCBS) while Calvi is now partnered with former weekend anchor Rob Morrison weekday mornings and noon.

In the February 2011 Nielsen sweeps period, WCBS-TV's 11 p.m. newscast unseated WABC-TV's 11 p.m. newscast for first place in total households. WABC continues to lead in the key demographics at 11 p.m. and also continues to dominate other time slots.

On October 20, 2011, WCBS-TV debuted a new set on their noon newscast. The final day in their former set, which was used for 10 years, was on September 29 and moved into a temporary set after the final newscast. The final newscast used in the temporary set was the October 20, 2011 broadcast of "CBS 2 News: This Morning". The new set features a clean, modern new look includes a projection screen which changes the background for each newscast (morning, noon and night) behind the anchors with blurred glass panels on both sides and the weather center includes additional blurring panels, plenty of monitors, an L-shaped desk and dimensional letter along the top of the set.^[14] In the October 2011 Nielsen sweeps period, WCBS-TV's 11 p.m. continue its lead from WABC and continue to dominate in the morning newscasts and early-afternoon slots.

Co-operation with KYW, WCBS Now a part of duopoly with WLNY
WCBS-TV cooperates with sister station KYW-TV in Philadelphia in the production and broadcast of statewide New Jersey political debates. When the two stations broadcast a statewide office debate, such as for Governor or United States Senate, they will pool resources and have anchors or reporters from both stations participate in the debate. Additionally, the two stations cooperate in the gathering of news in New Jersey where their markets overlap; sharing reporters, live trucks and helicopters.

On December 12, 2011, CBS Television Stations announced its intent to purchase WLNY-TV, TV 10/55, creating a duopoly with the CBS network's flagship station WCBS-TV; terms of the purchase were originally not made public, though an FCC application for the purchase later revealed that CBS was purchasing WLNY for $55 million^[15]. The company announced that it would add additional on-air staff and expand WLNY's local news programming outside the current 11 p.m. newscast. The FCC approved the sale on January 31, 2012, and CBS took control of the station on March 30, 2012.

On March 15, 2012, it was announced that WLNY would be suspending its news operations after the end of March 29th.^[16] WLNY will resume regular newscasts in July 2012, after which the Melville-based news department of 'LNY will be transitioned into a bureau covering the Long Island area; newscasts will be based out of WCBS-TV's West 57th Street studios in Manhattan and be aired in different time periods to avoid competing against newscasts on WCBS-TV.

Newscast titles[link]

• News of the Night (1950s)
• The Six O'Clock Report/The Eleven O'Clock Report (1960–1964)
• Channel 2 News (1964–1996)^[17]
• WCBS-TV News (alternate branding, 1967–1972)
• Channel 2 News: Six O'Clock Report/Eleven O'Clock Report (Update) (1976–1982)
• 2 News (1996–1997)
• News 2 (1997–2001)^[18]
• The News on the CBS 2 Information Network (2001-02)
• CBS 2 News (2002–present)^[19]

[edit] News team^[20]

Current anchors (as of May 2012)

Weather team

Sports team

• Otis Livingston – sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
• Steve Overmyer – sports anchor; weekends, also weeknight fill-in sports anchor
• Lisa Kerney – sports anchor; weekday mornings, CBS 2 News This Morning

Chopper 2 HD reporters

• Joe Biermann
• Reggie Harrison
• Jim Smith

CBS MoneyWatch reporters

• Ashley Morrison, weekday mornings, "CBS 2 This Morning" 4:30-7 a.m.
• Alexis Christoforous, weekdays, "CBS 2 News at Noon/ "CBS 2 News at 5:00"

Freelance reporters

• Dick Brennan
• Manuel Gallegus
• Ana Berry
• Mark Morgan
• Jessica Schneider
• Rachel Stockman

Reporters

Notable alumni[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

See also[link]

• WCBS (AM), aka "WCBS Newsradio" (880 kHz.)
• WCBS-FM (101.1 MHz.)
• Early television stations

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (January 2012)

External links[link]

• NewYork.CBSLocal.com (Official Website)
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WCBS-TV
• Program Information for WCBS at TitanTV.com
• Aerial view of WCBS-TV studios from Google Local
• NewsByte2
• WCBS-TV logos and screenshots from 1950s to the present day

Dana Tyler (born November 24, 1958) is a senior news anchor and reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City. She currently anchors the 6 pm newscasts with Chris Wragge, and also hosts Eye on New York, a half-hour weekly community affairs program for WCBS, as well as annual local specials CBS 2 at Tony's, CBS 2 at the Met and Tunnel to Towers Run. Tyler first joined WCBS as a weekend anchor and a reporter on July 16, 1990.

Life and career[link]

Tyler grew up in Worthington, Ohio, and attended Worthington High School. After graduating from Boston University, she began her career at WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio before moving to WCBS in 1990 as weekend anchor and reporter. Along with the late Reggie Harris, she was also known to be part of the first African American team in the New York market to anchor a newscast. She quickly moved up to the weekday newscasts.

At WCBS, Tyler has worked alongside some of the best known television news anchors in New York City. She was the last anchor desk partner for WCBS' anchorman, Jim Jensen and has worked alongside Brian Williams, Ernie Anastos, John Johnson, Michele Marsh, Ira Joe Fisher, and Roz Abrams. She also worked with WXYZ head anchor Stephen Clark. Tyler remained in post in 1996 when a large number of anchors, reporters, sports and weather people were fired. Johnson and Marsh signed off the 5 pm news by saying we'll see you at 11 only to be made redundant after the 6 pm newscast. Tyler has been 11pm anchor on and off since 1992. In 2000, she guest starred as herself on Everybody Loves Raymond where they played a clip of Robert Barone being chased by a bull in the episode, Robert's Rodeo.

Dana Tyler returned as the anchor WCBS's 11 pm newscast, in addition to her 6 pm duties, both alongside Jim Rosenfield, on April 17, 2006 as part of a shakeup in anchors where no one stayed in their old capacity. She replaced veteran WABC-TV anchor Roz Abrams who had replaced her a few years back (Roz moved to the noon and 5pm newscasts, but is no longer at the station) only to be replaced again in 2007 by Kristine Johnson.^[1]

She lives in Stamford, Connecticut.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• CBS New York Bio
• Dana Tyler article in The New York Observer

The Station nightclub fire was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in American history, killing 100 people. The fire began at 11:07 PM EST, on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at The Station, a glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located at 211 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island.

The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the evening's headlining band, Great White, which ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. A fast-moving fire engulfed the club in 5½ minutes. Some 230 people were injured and another 132 escaped uninjured. Video footage of the fire shows its initial growth, billowing smoke that quickly made escape impossible, and the exit blockage that further hindered evacuation.

Fire[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2012)

The fire started just seconds into headlining band Great White's opening song, "Desert Moon," when pyrotechnics set off by the band's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, ignited flammable acoustic foam on both sides of the drummer's alcove at the back of the stage. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. Biechele used three gerbs set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6 m) for 15 seconds. Two gerbs were at 45-degree angles, with the middle one pointing straight up. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire.

The flames were at first thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to billow did people realize it was uncontrolled. Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing and lead singer Jack Russell calmly remarked into the microphone, "Wow...that's not good." In less than a minute, the entire stage was engulfed in flames, with most of the band members and entourage fleeing for the west exit by the stage.

By this time, the nightclub's Wheelock AS fire alarm system had made everyone acutely aware of the impending danger, and, although there were four possible exits, most people naturally headed for the front door through which they had entered. The ensuing stampede led to a crush in the narrow hallway leading to that exit, quickly blocking the exit completely and resulting in numerous deaths and injuries among the patrons and staff. Of the 462^[1] in attendance, 100 lost their lives, and about half were injured, either from burns, smoke inhalation, or trampling. Among those who perished in the fire were Great White's lead guitarist, Ty Longley, and the show's emcee, WHJY DJ Mike "The Doctor" Gonsalves.

The fire, from its inception, was caught on videotape by cameraman Brian Butler for WPRI-TV of Providence, and the beginning of the tape was released to national news stations. Butler was there for a planned piece on nightclub safety being reported by Jeffrey Derderian, a WPRI news reporter who was also a part-owner of The Station. WPRI-TV would later be cited for conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property.^[2] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that had claimed 21 lives only three days earlier. At the scene of the fire, Butler gave this account of the tragedy:^[3]

“

...It was that fast. As soon as the pyrotechnics stopped, the flame had started on the egg-crate backing behind the stage, and it just went up the ceiling. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, 'Yeah, that's great!' And I remember that statement, because I was, like, this is not great. This is the time to leave. At first, there was no panic. Everybody just kind of turned. Most people still just stood there. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. Well, I guess once we all started to turn toward the door, and we got bottle-necked into the front door, people just kept pushing, and eventually everyone popped out of the door, including myself. That's when I turned back. I went around back. There was no one coming out the back door anymore. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. One guy did crawl out. I went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, 'I have to leave.' And I turned around, I said, 'Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!' And people just stood there. There was a table in the way at the door, and I pulled that out just to get it out of the way so people could get out easier. And I never expected it take off as fast as it did. It just -- it was so fast. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke.

”

Aftermath[link]

Thousands of mourners attended a memorial service at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick on February 24, 2003, to remember those lost in the fire. Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people.

Makeshift memorial at the location of the Station night club

Five months after the fire, Great White started a benefit tour, saying a prayer at the beginning of each concert for the friends and families touched by that fateful night and giving a portion of the proceeds to the Station Family Fund. The band said they would never play the song "Desert Moon" again. "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said lead singer and founder Jack Russell.^[4] Guitarist Mark Kendall stated, "We haven't played that song. Things that bring back memories of that night we try to stay away from. And that song reminds us of that night. We haven't played it since then and probably never will."^[5] The band has since resumed playing the song.^[6]

The fire was the deadliest in the United States since the 1977 Southgate, Kentucky, Beverly Hills Supper Club fire that claimed 165 lives. The worst nightclub fire occurred on November 28, 1942, in Boston at the Cocoanut Grove, where 492 died after paper decorations caught fire. The Rhythm Night Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi, claimed the lives of approximately 209 persons during a dance on April 23, 1940. The Station fire exceeded the death toll of 87 in the March 25, 1990 Happyland Fire in the Bronx, New York City.

The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. Surviving family members have announced their intention to acquire the site and erect a permanent memorial.^[7]

On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire on a monthly basis. Family members and friends gathered to memorialize their loved ones. In June 2003, the Station Fire Memorial Foundation was formed^[8] with the purpose of purchasing the property, building and maintaining a memorial. The Foundation continues to hold yearly services on the site, near the anniversary of the fire.

Investigation[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010)

In the days after the fire, there were considerable efforts to assign and avoid blame on the part of the band, the nightclub owners, the manufacturers and distributors of the foam material and pyrotechnics, and the concert promoters. Through attorneys, club owners said they did not give permission to the band to use pyrotechnics. Band members claimed they had permission.

While investigators focused on the foam material that had been installed behind the stage, claiming the foam was intended for use in packaging and product display, testimony available to the public contradicts this. Testimony by Barry Warner, the salesman from American Foam who sold the foam to the Derderians, confirmed that there was a sales order for high-density acoustic soundproofing foam. Chemical analysis of the actual foam that was in the nightclub on the evening of the fire was never released to the public. A roll of foam confiscated from the basement of the nightclub after the fire was removed by the ATF but the testing done on that specific foam was never released to the public. Witnesses to the fire reported that once ignited, flames spread across the foam at approximately one foot per second.

A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation of the fire, using computer simulations with FDS and a mock-up of the stage area and dance floor, concluded that a fire sprinkler system would have contained the fire long enough to give everyone time to get out safely.^[9] However, because of the building's age (built in 1946^[10]) and size (4,484 square feet (404 m²)), many believed the Station to be exempt from sprinkler system requirements. In fact, the building had undergone an occupancy change when it was converted from a restaurant to a nightclub. This change dissolved its exemption from the law, a fact that West Warwick fire inspectors never noticed. On the night in question, the Station was legally required to have a sprinkler system but did not;^[11] outcry over the event has sparked calls for a national Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act but those efforts have so far stalled.^[12]

On December 9, 2003, brothers Jeffrey A. and Michael A. Derderian, the two owners of The Station nightclub, and Daniel M. Biechele, Great White's former road manager, were charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter — two per death, because they were indicted under two separate theories of the crime: criminal-negligence manslaughter (resulting from a legal act in which the accused ignores the risks to others and someone is killed) and misdemeanor manslaughter (resulting from a petty crime that causes a death). Three of the four men pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Derderians also were fined $1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees, four of whom died in the blaze.

Band manager's trial[link]

The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager at the time, Daniel Michel Biechele /ˈbiːkliː/ BEE-klee, 29, from Orlando, Florida. This trial was scheduled to start May 1, 2006, but Biechele, against his lawyers' advice,^[13] pled guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter on February 7, 2006, in what he said was an effort to "bring peace, I want this to be over with."^[13]

Biechele sentencing[link]

On May 10, 2006, State Prosecutor Randall White asked to sentence Biechele to 10 years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain, citing the massive loss of life in The Station fire and the need to send a message.^[13] Speaking to the public for the first time since the fire, Biechele appeared remorseful during his sentencing. Choking back tears, he made a statement to the court and to the families of the victims.

Biechele's statement to the court[link]

“

For three years, I've wanted to be able to speak to the people that were affected by this tragedy, but I know that there's nothing that I can say or do that will undo what happened that night. Since the fire, I have wanted to tell the victims and their families how truly sorry I am for what happened that night and the part that I had in it. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. I can only pray that they understand that I would do anything to undo what happened that night and give them back their loved ones. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. I am so sorry.

”

Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan sentenced Biechele to 15 years in prison, with four to serve and 11 years suspended, plus three years probation, for his role in the fire.^[14] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself." Under this sentence, with good behavior, Biechele would be eligible for parole in September 2007. Judge Darigan deemed Biechele highly unlikely to re-offend, which was among the mitigating factors that led to his decision to impose this sentence.

The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence.^[14]

Biechele's parole supported by families of victims[link]

On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole.

Leland Hoisington, whose 28-year-old daughter, Abbie, was killed in the fire, told reporters, "I think they should not even bother with a hearing -- just let Biechele out... I just don't find him as guilty of anything." The state parole board received approximately 20 letters, the majority of which expressed their sympathy and support for Biechele, some going as far as to describe him as a "scapegoat" with limited responsibility.

Board chairwoman Lisa Holley told journalists of her surprise at the forgiving attitude of the families, saying, "I think the most overwhelming part of it for me was the depth of forgiveness of many of these families that have sustained such a loss."

Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. "In the period following this tragedy, it was Mr. Biechele, alone, who stood up and admitted responsibility for his part in this horrible event... He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said.

Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to the families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity.

On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008.

Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. As reported by the Associated Press, he did not answer any questions and was quickly whisked away in a waiting car.

Nightclub owners' trial[link]

Following Biechele's trial, the Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. However, on September 21, 2006, Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan announced that the brothers had changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial.^[15] Michael Derderian received 15 years in prison, with four to serve and 11 years suspended, plus three years probation—the same sentence as Biechele. Jeffrey Derderian received a 10-year suspended sentence, three years probation, and 500 hours of community service.

In a letter to the victims' families,^[16] Judge Darigan said that a trial "would only serve to further traumatize and victimize not only the loved ones of the deceased and the survivors of this fire, but the general public as well." He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected strenuously to the plea bargain, saying that both brothers should have received jail time and that Michael Derderian should have received more time than Biechele.^[15]

In January 2008, the Parole Board decided to grant Michael Derderian an early release; he was scheduled to be released from prison in September 2009, but was granted his release in June 2009 for good behavior.^[17]

Civil settlements by other defendants[link]

As of August 2008, nearly $175 million has been offered to the families of the victims of the fire by various defendants in settlement.

In February 2008, Providence television station WPRI-TV made an out-of-court settlement of US $30 million as a result of the claim that their video journalist was said to be obstructing escape and not helping people exit. WPRI-TV (owned by LIN Broadcasting) was filming a story on nightclub tragedies, and was there that night to film as part of their story.^[18]

In late March 2008, JBL Speakers settled out of court for $815,000. JBL was accused of using flammable foam inside their speakers. The company denied any wrongdoing.^[19]

Anheuser-Busch has offered $5 million,^[20] McLaughlin & Moran, Anheuser-Busch's distributor, has offered $16 million,^[20] Clear Channel Broadcasting has offered $22 million.^[21] Home Depot and insulation company Polar Industries has also made a settlement offer of $5 million.^[22]

Sealed Air Corporation agreed to pay $25 million as settlement. Sealed Air made soundproofing foam installed in the club.^[23] The State of Rhode Island and the town of West Warwick agreed to pay $10 million as settlement.^[24]

In September 2008 the band Great White offered $1 million in a settlement to survivors and victim's relatives,^[25] the maximum allowed under the band's insurance plan.^[26] Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian have offered to settle for $813,000,^[27] which is to be covered by their insurance plan due to the pair having bankruptcy protection from lawsuits.^[27]

There are other named defendants who have not yet made a settlement offer including American Foam Corporation who sold the insulation to the Station Nightclub.^[28]

See also[link]

	Disasters portal
	Fire portal
	Rhode Island portal

• 2000 Luoyang Christmas fire
• Lame Horse fire
• República Cromañón nightclub fire
• Wuwang Club fire

References[link]

External links[link]

News articles[link]

• RI Club Fire Figure Released From Prison USA Today, March 19, 2008
• Inferno Horror at the Fire Station, Hammernews, February 21-March 14, 2003
• Nightclub owners, band's tour manager charged in deadly fire, Associated Press, December 9, 2003
• Governor: Examinations Of Nightclub Victims Complete, WJAR-TV Rhode Island, February 24, 2003
• 96 Dead in Fire Ignited at Rhode Island Club, The New York Times, February 23, 2003
• R.I. Nightclub Fire Kills 96, Washington Post, February 22, 2003
• Club, band dispute permission to use fireworks, CNN, February 22, 2003
• 1st Criminal Trial WJAR, 2005-12-12
• Guilty Plea WJAR, 2006-01-31

Other links[link]

• Boston Globe: "Portraits of People who Died in the R.I Nightclub Fire" 2003
• Station Family Fund The Station Family Fund founded in 2003 is an all volunteer non profit founded by survivors of the fire in the aftermath of the Station nightclub fire to meet the needs of the survivors and victims families
• Station Fire Memorial Foundation The Station Fire Memorial Foundation site. Includes a full list of the victims.
• Great White performance rider, The Smoking Gun.
• Continuing detailed coverage by the Providence Journal Including: an investigation of the town's fire, police, and building inspection processes; the National Institute of Standards and Technology report on the fire; a report of the emergency response to the fire; dangers of polyurethane foam in furniture, mattresses, pillows, and carpet padding; profiles of the club's owners; and the indictment and civil complaint documents. Free registration required.
• National Fire Protection Association web page Nightclubs/assembly occupancies Includes a report on the fire, links to nightclub safety tips, information on safe use of pyrotechnics, and other relevant information.
• NIST simulations of the fire: without sprinklers; with sprinklers
• "41: The Movie: Nick O'Neill". http://www.41themovie.com.  The story of the fire's youngest victim, Nick O'Neill
• Full NIST government investigation: http://www.nist.gov/manuscript-publication-search.cfm?pub_id=100988

Coordinates: 41°41′03.5″N 71°30′39″W / 41.684306°N 71.51083°W / 41.684306; -71.51083