Tag Archives: WFTV-9

Recent RogerSimmons.com Orlando TV News reports involving WFTV-Channel 9, the ABC affiliate for Central Florida. The station calls its newscasts Eyewitness News. Channel 9′s original call letters were WLOF (We Love Orlando Florida).

Casey Anthony verdict: How Orlando TV covered it

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After three years of constant surprises, the Casey Anthony saga saved its biggest one for last: a stunning not guilty verdict. Orlando TV stations have been covering the trial wall-to-wall — even bumping regular programming again today to talk while the jury deliberations were ongoing.

Hours after the verdict, the Orlando stations continued their coverage. WKMG bumped the CBS Evening News to stay in Casey mode, and continued with coverage at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. WESH broke for NBC Nightly News, but returned with hourlong specials at 7 and 8 p.m., too. WFTV did air ABC World News, but then followed with its own hourlong Casey Anthony special. Only WOFL-Fox 35 — which has seen surprisingly high ratings for its marathon coverage — went back to regular programming after its 5-6:30 p.m. news. Of course, it has 90 minutes of news later tonight to continue coverage.

Below is how  Orlando’s main TV news channels broadcast the verdict in the most watched trial in Central Florida history:

Casey Anthony trial TV turns R-rated with finger, F-bombs

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WFTV anchor Greg Warmoth and legal expert Bill Sheaffer watch a replay of a 28-year-old restaurant worker flipping a bird at prosecutor Jeff Ashton.

If the Casey Anthony trial were a motion picture, the action over the past two days would earn an R rating.

Unlike Wednesday, there were no F-bombs spoken on Thursday — but the bird was the word. A local restaurant server flipped a bird at prosecutor Jeff Ashton. If you weren’t looking, you probably would have missed it — but Central Florida News 13 did not. According to the Orlando Sentinel, News 13 brought the “finger” incident to the court’s attention — and that’s what started a chain of events that led to the 28-year-old man being found in contempt of court and sentenced to six days in the county jail. Interesting that at least in its online story, News 13 doesn’t mention its involvement in the incident.

During court on Wednesday, the F-word went out over the Orlando TV airwaves twice — once when Casey Anthony’s father, George, was on the stand being questioned by the defense. Later, defense attorney Jose Baez dropped another F-bomb — this time while quoting a deposition given by George Anthony. While the courts have apparently ruled that the Federal Communications Commission can no longer fine stations for so-called “fleeting explatives,” Orlando’s TV news channels took note. WESH 2 posted a on-screen warning: “May Contain Offensive Language.” WOFL-Fox 35 appeared to start using a delay with its coverage.

WESH coverage carries a warning to views about language after the F-word was spoken twice in court on Thursday.

Blast from the Past: 1960 Channel 9 logo

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It’s amazing what you can stumble upon on the web. And I’m not even sure how I ended up finding this — but here’s a 1960 logo for Orlando’s WLOF-Channel 9, now known as WFTV.

The station had only been on the air about 2-1/2 years when this logo appeared in the November 4, 1960, edition of the Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal.  The newspaper has some of its past editions on Google, and included in this particular one was a WLOF advertisement promoting ABC’s Friday night lineup: “Harrigan & Son,” “The Flintstones,” Robert Taylor in “The Detectives” and “The Law and Mr. Jones.” (Even note the old ABC logo within the WLOF branding.)

Click here to get to the newspaper page, and then scroll down to see the WLOF ad.

 

Say goodnight, Bob. Opsahl exits 11 p.m. news

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Some Orlando TV quick takes for you…

Did you catch Bob Opsahl anchoring the 11 p.m. edition of Eyewitness News on WFTV-Channel 9 last week? If so, that may be the last time you see Bob at 11 in awhile. Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker broke the news about Opsahl being moved off the 11 o’clock shift, making way for anchor heir-apparent Josh Benson. But, did you know that this isn’t the first time Opsahl was moved off the 11 p.m. news? It wasn’t his choice then, but in the 1986, WFTV bumped him off the 11 p.m. (and 6 p.m.) shows for anchor Bud Hedinger. Once Bud left the station, Opsahl reclaimed the main anchor chair in 1989 and hasn’t given it up since … until now, on his terms. …

Good thing for upcoming WUCF TV, the future home of PBS in Orlando. After losing WMFE-24 as a home for PBS programming, the region’s other choice fro PBS, WDSC-15 in Daytona Beach, is dropping the public broadcasting network on July 1. The reason? Financial woes. Read it all here. …

Former WOFL-Fox 35 meteorologist Sabrina Fein has landed out West. She’s the newest addition to the weather team at San Diego’s XETV-CW 6. She’s forecasting on the station’s 10 and 11 p.m. shows.

Orlando TV News slogans. Can you match them to the station?

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Annetta Wilson and Wayne Bennett in a promo for WCPX NewsWatch 6 in early 1980s.

You hear them over and over again when you watch Orlando TV news. They are the slogans the stations use to brand their news — and hopefully get you to watch more. Over the years, there have been a lot of slogans used by Orlando TV stations for their news. Can you match the slogan with the station? Take the Orlando TV News Slogan Challenge. Below are 20 slogans — guess with one goes with which station. The answers after the jump. Post how well you did in the comments section …

  1. Where the News Comes First
  2. Working Harder For You
  3. The Original 10:00 News
  4. The One For News
  5. Go Where The News Is
  6. Your Breaking News Station
  7. Central Florida’s News Leader
  8. Your Generation
  9. Stories That Count. People Who Care.
  10. Florida’s Watching
  11. Your Problem Solver Station
  12. Change Your Tomorrow
  13. People You Can Count On
  14. The One For All
  15. Home of ClickOrlando.com
  16. Experience You Can Trust
  17. Local. Live. Late Breaking.
  18. Coverage You Can Count On
  19. Where Will We Take You Tonight?
  20. Believes In You

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