Orlando broadcasting pioneer Lee Colee Hamilton passed away earlier this month at age 90. She started at Orlando radio station WLOF as an “office girl” and eventually became Florida’s first female broadcast salesperson. She eventually rose to general sales manager at WLOF Radio and WLOF-TV Channel 9, which she helped launch in 1958.
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Florida has 106 TV stations now after FCC originally approved 58
Florida has 106 full-power television stations today, and many more channels when you consider their digital offerings. It’s a far cry from what the FCC envisioned for the Sunshine State in the early days of television.
Orlando’s massive TV tower came crashing down in 1973
The Bithlo TV tower was called the tallest structure on the planet at one point. But as workers were preparing to install an an antenna for educational station WMFE-Channel 24 on June 8, 1973, the tower collapsed into a massive pile of steel and wires. A structural failure was cited as the cause.
‘Batman’ Adam West dies at 88, had huge impact on ABC, WFTV-Channel 9
Adam West, the caped crusader “Batman” who helped change the ratings fortunes of ABC and WFTV-Channel 9 in the mid-1960s, died Friday night at age 88. West is best known as TV’s “Batman,” and the show’s three-season run made a huge impact across the nation and here in Central Florida on Channel 9
The man who helped Channel 9 launch ‘Central Florida News’
When Channel 9 went on the air in February 1958 as WLOF-TV, it took about a year and half to launch a regular evening and late-night newscast. That finally happened on Monday, Sept. 7, 1959, when the station began an ambitious program called “Central Florida News.”
It’s Eyewitness News, from 36 years ago
Another blast from the past. A full-length Channel 9 Eyewitness News from May 29, 1981 featuring Bob Jordan, Carole Nelson, weatherman Danny Treanor and sportscaster Mike Storms
Christmas in May? Cool off with this classic clip
More and more old Orlando TV tapes are showing up on YouTube, which is great for someone who loves history. This one arrived recently — it’s a clip from “Santa’s Toy Shop,” WFTV’s Christmas special in 1965, which poster Jason Ivey says ran live for six weeks on Channel 9. It was sponsored by JC…
Is it the right time for Local 6’s 7 p.m. news?
While RogerSimmons.com was offline with technical difficulties last week, WKMG-Local 6 announced its new 7 p.m. newscast. And I have a couple of observations about that. First, the news: Channel 6 will ditch it’s hourlong news from 6-7 p.m. starting Jan. 3. Instead, it will offer a half hour at 6 p.m., followed by the…
WFTV’s sister station adds more news
When Oprah takes her final bow, we know that in Orlando we’ll see Dr. Oz appearing in her place on WFTV. That won’t be the case at Channel 9’s Atlanta sister station, Cox flagship WSB-ABC 2. The Atlanta station announced Tuesday that it will add an hour of news starting at 4 p.m. the day after…
WFTV returns to cash giveaway to win ratings
WFTV is reaching into its past to try to secure a ratings win in the November sweep. Today and tomorrow — the last days of the sweep — Channel 9 is offering $5,000 to lucky morning news viewers. The reason? “WFTV is the longtime leader in the 6 a.m. time slot and will win most…