WSOC-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. The station's studio is located at North Tryon and 23rd Streets, just north of Uptown Charlotte, and is shared with sister station WAXN-TV (channel 64). The transmitter is located just outside Charlotte's northeastern city limits, in the Newell-Hickory Grove area. WSOC-TV is carried on cable channel 4 on cable systems in Charlotte, Gastonia and Rock Hill and on channel 9 in most outlying areas. Syndicated programming on WSOC-TV includes Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, Inside Edition, and Entertainment Tonight.

History[link]

WSOC-TV signed on April 28, 1957.^[1] It was Charlotte's third television station, after WBTV and WAYS-TV, which broadcast on channel 36 from 1954 to 1955. WSOC was Charlotte's second station on the VHF band, and is now Charlotte's second-oldest continuously operating station.

It was originally locally owned by the Jones family and their company, Carolina Broadcasting, along with WSOC radio (AM 1240, later on AM 930 and now WYFQ; and FM 103.7). WSOC-AM was Charlotte's second radio station, having signed on the air in 1929, seven years after WBT.

Originally, Channel 9 was a primary NBC affiliate, and shared ABC programs with WBTV. Cox Enterprises bought WSOC AM-FM-TV in 1959.

Channel 36 returned to the air in 1964 as WCCB. WCCB moved to the stronger channel 18 in 1966, but it continued to be at a competitive disadvantage because many Charlotte-area homes did not yet have sets with UHF tuning capability. As a result, ABC retained a secondary affiliation with WSOC and WBTV, while WCCB aired programs from all three networks that the other two stations declined.

In 1967, NBC, which at the time had an extremely low tolerance of local pre-emptions, told WSOC to start clearing all of NBC's programming or they would pull their affiliation. WSOC then dropped all remaining ABC programming and became a sole NBC affiliate, while WCCB became a full-time ABC affiliate.

By 1978 ABC had become the country's highest-rated network for the first time, and wanted a stronger outlet in Charlotte than WCCB. WSOC switched back to ABC on July 1, 1978, this time as a full time affiliate. NBC was sent over to former independent station WRET (now WCNC-TV), and WCCB became an independent station for nine years, until its affiliation with Fox at that new network's launch. The radio stations were sold off in the early 1990s; the AM station is now owned by Bible Broadcasting Network, and WSOC-FM by CBS Radio.

In 1996, WSOC-TV entered into a joint sales agreement with WKAY-TV, channel 64. As part of the deal, WKAY moved its operations to WSOC-TV's studios and changed its calls to WAXN-TV. WSOC-TV owned the rights to a large amount of first-run syndicated programming, but no longer had enough time in its broadcast day to air it all. Under the JSA, WAXN picked up much of this programming. Cox bought WAXN outright in 2001.

WSOC-TV was Charlotte's home of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon from 1974 to 2001; the program now airs on WAXN.

On Tuesday, December 21, 2010, a distraught 51-year-old woman armed with a gun entered the WSOC-TV studios, forcing the station to go off air just after the weekday 5pm newscast began. After a one hour standoff, the woman was taken into custody and it was determined that the gun was unloaded. No injuries were reported in the incident.^[2]

Digital Television[link]

WSOC-TV ended analog operations on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United States. The station continued broadcasting on channel 34. However, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as 9.

The station has some digital translators to improve coverage in areas where service was lost after the DTV conversion: W42DR-D in Valdese signed on in May 28, 2009 with WSOC on 6.1 and WAXN on 6.2 (in 480i 16:9). This is to serve the Unifour Region of the state. WSOCTV1 is a replacement translator on RF channel 30 (PSIP 9.5) broadcast from Crowders Mountain to serve Shelby,^[3] signed on in January 15, 2010. WSOC also has an application for an additional fill-in translator (WSOCTV2) in Statesville on RF channel 46.^[3] In addition, in China Grove, on WAXNTV1, a displacement translator for WAXN-TV(RF 36) also carries WSOC in 16x9, SD on PSIP channel 9.7.

Out-of-market cable and DirecTV carriage[link]

In recent years, WSOC has been carried on cable in multiple areas outside of the Charlotte media market. That includes cable systems within the Greensboro market in North Carolina, the Greenville and Myrtle Beach markets in South Carolina, and the Tri-Cities market in Tennessee. On DirecTV, WSOC has been carried in multiple counties within the Greensboro market in North Carolina.^[4]

Newscasts[link]

Since the early 1970s, WSOC-TV has used the Eyewitness News moniker for its newscasts. However, its style is very similar to the Action News format at sister station WSB-TV.

For many years, WSOC's news was a very distant second in the Charlotte market, behind the older WBTV. However, in 1981 it scored a major coup when it poached WBTV's longtime anchorman, Doug Mayes. The move quickly paid off; in 1982 it overtook WBTV for the lead at 11 PM, a lead it held for almost 25 years. It surpassed WBTV in most other time slots beginning in 1990, but lost the lead at noon to WBTV in 1994. It has been able to dominate the early news timeslots largely because of the presence of Oprah as a lead-in; the show has aired on channel 9 since its national premiere in 1986. In the February 2011 ratings, the station's newscasts won in every time slot except noon and 11 p.m., which were won by WBTV.^[5] WSOC-TV produces a 10 p.m. newscast which airs on its sister station, WAXN-TV. The program aired on WCCB until that station launched its own local news operation in 2000. In the February 2011 ratings, WAXN's 10 p.m. news came in second to WCCB's; it led the WBTV-produced newscast on WJZY, as well as the 11 p.m. news on WCNC. ^[5] Bill Walker was WSOC's main anchor from 1971 until his retirement in 2005, longer than anyone in Charlotte television history.^{[citation needed]}

WSOC-TV started producing local high definition newscasts on April 22, 2007.^[1] That made WSOC the first television station in Charlotte and the second station in North Carolina (behind Raleigh's WRAL-TV) to do newscasts in HD.

In September 2010, WSOC extended its morning newscast to air a 7-9am local news block on sister station WAXN.^[6] This is in line with a growing trend across the country involving many other "Big 3" affiliates that make up duopolies with smaller stations.

News/station presentation[link]

Newscast titles[link]

• WSOC-TV News (1957–1963)
• The 11th Hour Report (1963–1967)
• Pulse (1967–1970)
• Channel 9 Eyewitness News (1970–present)

Station slogans[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)

• We Send Our Best To You (c. 1982-c. 1990)
• Covering the Carolinas (circa 1990–present)
• Covering the Carolinas in High Definition (present HD slogan)

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

On-air staff[link]

Current on-air staff[link]

Current anchor/reporters

• Erica Bryant - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
• Peter Daut - weekday mornings on Eyewitness News Daybreak, Eyewitness News This Morning on TV64 and noon
• Allison Latos - weekday mornings at 7 & 8 a.m. on Eyewitness News This Morning on TV64 & general assignment reporter
• Holly Maynard
• Blair Miller - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
• Linzi Sheldon
• Tennika Smith
• Greg Suskin
• Natalie Pasquarella - weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m. (on WAXN)
• Scott Wickersham - weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m. (on WAXN)

Severe Weather Team

• Steve Udelson (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, 10 (on WAXN) and 11 p.m.
• John Ahrens (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekend evenings
• Keith Monday (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings "Daybreak" and noon
• Katie Virtue (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekend mornings "Daybreak" and noon

Sports Team

• Tiffany Wright - Sports Anchor; weeknights at 6, 10 (on WAXN) and 11 p.m.

Reporters

• Mark Becker - general assignment and special projects reporter
• Jamie Bowers - "Traffic Team 9" anchor/reporter - mornings on Channel 9 & TV64
• Jim Bradley - general assignment and special projects reporter
• Kathryn Burcham - general assignment reporter
• Alan Cavanna - general assignment reporter
• Andrew Doud - general assignment & morning reporter
• Dave Faherty - Hickory Bureau reporter
• Don Griffin - consumer and business reporter
• Ken Lemon - Western Bureau reporter (Gaston County, N.C.)
• Jeff Smith - general assignment reporter
• Jason Stoogenke -general assignment reporter
• Tina Terry - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff[link]

• Terri Bennett, Meteorologist (1991–1996, at WCNC-TV Charlotte 1997–2007)
• Doreen Gentzler, Anchor/Reporter (1979–1983, now at WRC-TV Washington)
• Harold Johnson, Sports Director (1979–2006, retired; 2010 Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, 8th District of North Carolina)
• Diana Williams - reporter (1979–1982; now at WABC-TV in New York City)
• Tim Captuo - anchor/reporter (now at WHDH-TV in Boston)
• Jeremy Reiner - meteorologist (now at WHDH-TV in Boston)
• Susan Tran - anchor/reporter (now at WHDH-TV in Boston)

External links[link]

• Official website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WSOC-TV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for W42DR-D
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WSOC-TV

References[link]

Anthony Foxx
54th Mayor of Charlotte
Incumbent
Assumed office 2009
Preceded by	Pat McCrory
Member of the Charlotte City Council At Large
In office 2005–2009
Personal details
Born	(1971-04-30) April 30, 1971 (age 41) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Samara (née Ryder)
Residence	Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	Davidson College New York University
Profession	Attorney

Anthony R. Foxx (born April 30, 1971) is an American politician. He is the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. He was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005, and was elected mayor on November 3, 2009, winning 51.5% ^[1] of the vote and defeating his City Council colleague, Republican John Lassiter. He won a second term on November 8, 2011, winning more than two-thirds of the vote against Republican Scott Stone. ^[2] He is a member of the Democratic Party.^[3]

Originally elected at the age of 38, Foxx is the youngest mayor of Charlotte,^[4][5] and is the first Democrat to hold the office since Harvey Gantt left office in 1987.^[6] He is Charlotte's second African American mayor, as well as its first newly-elected mayor since 1995, when Pat McCrory began the first of his record seven terms in office.

Early life[link]

Foxx was born on April 30, 1971 in Charlotte, North Carolina.^[7] He was raised by his mother, Laura Foxx, and his grandparents, James and Mary Foxx,^[8] and graduated from West Charlotte High School.^[3][9] He graduated from Davidson College, where he was the first African American student body president,^[10] with a degree in history in 1993^[11] and earned a law degree from New York University School of Law in 1996.^[9][11]

Career[link]

After law school, Foxx returned to Charlotte to work for a short time at the Smith, Helms, Mullis, and Moore law firm, and left to become a clerk for Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Later he worked for the United States Department of Justice and the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.^[9] In 2004, he was the campaign manager for Representative Mel Watt.^[10]

In 2001, he returned to Charlotte to work as a business litigator for Hunton & Williams.^[9] While a member of the city council, he retained his position as a litigator at Hunton & Williams, switching to part-time status.^[12] In 2009, he left Hunton & Williams to join DesignLine Corporation, a hybrid electric bus manufacturer, as its Deputy General.

Political career[link]

Foxx was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005 to an at-large seat, and was re-elected in 2007. He won election as Charlotte's mayor in 2009. Early in his political career, Foxx gained a reputation as a quick study of local policy and led a number of City Council initiatives, including the development of policies to enhance job creation into the urban core of Charlotte, environmental efforts that led to a single stream recycling program and greenhouse gas reduction policies and acceleration of the region's transit plan. Foxx has also shown a strong penchent for personal responsibility, refusing a City Council pay increase in 2008.

Beginning his tenure as mayor while facing a nearly 13% area unemployment rate, Foxx has announced the creation of more than 4,000 new jobs, has worked to reinforce Charlotte's role as a critical energy industry hub, hosted a series of town hall meetings with unemployed workers, pushed for changes to the city's small business loan program to create new jobs, saw the completion of a new runway at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and led a delegation of Charlotte business leaders to meet with senior White House officials to press for several economic recovery spending measures. Three weeks later, President Barack Obama traveled to Charlotte to visit the new Duke Energy Headquarters and to highlight the first positive monthly job growth figures in 18 months.

Personal life[link]

Foxx is married to the former Samara Ryder,^[10][13] also an attorney; they have two children.^[13]

References[link]

External links[link]

v t e Mayors of cities with populations exceeding 100,000 in North Carolina State capital: Raleigh     Anthony Foxx (Charlotte) Nancy McFarlane (Raleigh) Robbie Perkins (Greensboro) Bill Bell (Durham) Allen Joines (Winston-Salem) Anthony G. Chavonne (Fayetteville) Harold Weinbrecht (Cary) Rebecca Smothers (High Point) Other states AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY