That's the affiliation switch that a ripple effect across FOX's stations that air news now. Many of FOX's O&Os do the news just like WSVN 7 did it and programmed in similar ways. WSVN 7 became a rare news-intensive FOX affiliate, which looks commonplace now among FOX stations that used to be affiliated with CBS, ABC or, in 7's case, NBC. I know about it since WTVT did the same thing in Tampa after the New World Communications deal on Dec. 12, 1994.
Fascinating. Of course, at the time of this news story from 1988 uploaded here, there was one television program that continued to air on WCIX-TV-6 (now WFOR CBS 4) after it became a CBS O&O: the then-nationally-syndicated, Emmy award-winning 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', which ended its seven-year run on the formerly-named WCIX in 1994 with the two-hour series finale 'All Good Things...' Today, 'Star Trek' is owned by CBS as well.
Awesome. The way things used to be back in Florida during the late 80's. By the way, I used to have a crush on Penny Daniels. I just hope she and her family are doing well these days and also, Sally Fitz.
From 1985 to 2000 I moved back and forth between Dallas-Fort Worth (see comment by TVTexas) and South Florida. That mean watching FIVE stations making affiliation changes. Boy was I confused!
Here in the Lone Star State, two cities in Texas effected by the affiliation switch; Austin and Dallas. 7/2/95, KDFW (Dallas) and KTBC (Austin) were switched from CBS to FOX, KTVT (Dallas) and KVBO (Now KEYE) (Austin) became CBS affiliate.
Well WJXT or KTVK accually are the big Indi Stations with Strong Newscast and not WSVN who claimed they would get that title. Still WSVN did set the standard for the New World Stations and FOX News Channel and eventually FOX O&O's.
I am not sure as a Brit whether I ought not to be un-nerved at the amount of TV programmes featuring the courtroom there are there... (TV coverage of law courts is banned in the UK!)
Well the plantiff and defendant have to give consent before they go on a court show, and they're all civil cases so nobody needs to worry about Judge Judy presiding over a double murder trial.
That is not too bad then, but there is still the argument (I suppose) that trivialising legal proceedings by reducing them to entertainment is somehow unethical- though I doubt that is the reasoning.
Speaking of Judge Judy we do get it over here too-it's not *our* courts, you see, so somehow it's OK. Possibly not one of what I'd consider the more worthwhile shows to be imported (that it's on ITV2 is telling), but it's better than some of "Uncle Sam's mixed bag of exports".
Nope it was just a local switch, WSVN went to FOX, WTVJ went to NBC, and WCIX (now WFOR) went to CBS.
In 1994-95 is the switch really went nationwide as FOX bought broadcast rights to the NFL (NFC Games) whereas Group Westinghouse was bought by CBS and so on, causing a handful of stations across the country to switch some of which are now owned and operated.
WSVN became a model FOX station, by not focusing on general entertainment, but a more news-intensive operation. It became more hard-hitting too, also influencing the news operations of other FOX stations.
New World's former Big 3 stations that went to FOX followed a similar patten.
Not mentioned here was the ripple effect of the 1989 Miami affiliate changes.Because CBS moved then to channel 6 and Broward county would find it very difficult to get the station. WPEC-12 also changed affiliation from ABC to CBS. The West Palm Beach area stations were watched very clearly in Broward back then. The West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce stations involved in this 1989 switch were WPEC-12 from ABC to CBS, WTVX-34 lost CBS and became independent while ABC went to the brand new WPBF-25.
another thing about WTVX... eventually it became a UPN station in 1995 [branding itself as "UPN 34" and later 'TVX 34'] . near 2000 it became both a UPN and WB station and carried some good stuff.
Bad news, in 2005, it dropped the WB programs [as WTCN-CA became a WB affiliate] and in 2006, it became a CW station.
Maybe it still seems independent because it goes against the FOX Mandate (FOX 7 or FOX Miami/South Florida), although it really wasn't after the big switch. Nonetheless, it set the tone for other FOX stations in terms of how news is presented.
Yes WSVN became FOX but at the time FOX only had a few hours of programing per week so they still considered themselves an independent station. Now nearly 20 years later I still find my self putting on channel 7 expecting to find NBC shows.
Channel 7 knew they made the right move right off when their morning 3 hours of news was beating The Today Show and Good Morning America in the local ratings.
Not only did they switch once, but twice! 4was WTVJ and it was CBS, 6WCIX Ind, 7WSVN was NBC and 10WPLG stayed ABC. In 1989 4NBC,6CBS,7Ind, 10ABC. Then in 1995 WTVJ call letters move from Ch.4 to 6 and 4 goes back to CBS now WFOR, 6NBC WTVJ, 7WSVN FOX and 10WPLG ABC... Now, I'm lost why and how did the call letters WTVJ go from 4 to 6? In 95 did all the Channel 4 anchors move over to 6. I bet the folks in Miami were as lost and hope they never have to have another network shuffle again!
WCIX and WTVJ only switched broadcast towers. The change was part of a complicated deal between CBS and NBC involving several different stations and markets. WTVJ went from broadcasting on Ch. 4 to Ch. 6. WCIX went from Ch. 6 to Ch 4. WCIX simultaneously switched its call letters to WFOR. I have both channel switches posted on my page.
@applesauce2100 Actually, WTVJ and WFOR(WCIX) did not switch affiliations, but rather dial positions as part of a deal between Group W/CBS and NBC, transferring stations in Philly(WCAU, then a CBS O+O) to NBC, in exchange for stations in Denver and Salt Lake City, as well as WTVJ's channel position/hardware. In addition to WCAU, NBC received cash and the Channel 6 frequency/ WCIX's license. this is why the WTVJ call sign is on channel 6, not channel 4(WFOR)
CBS could have bought WSVN, but the man who owned CBS at the time, Laurence Tisch, didn't want to spend a lot of money. He paid a bargain price of $60 million for WCIX (now WFOR). NBC spent almost five times that for WTVJ.
Well it was NBCs fault for switching WTVJs number to a much weaker 6 isnt it? NBC felt that Philly was a more important market in the mid 1990s, now they have been bitten in the ass since Miami is the center of one of the largest population booms in modern times...
Yeah channel 6 here in MIA is really weak esp. in North MIA and Broward counties...the other stations are stronger in MIA proper since their towers are in town, while 6 transmits from Homestead about 20 miles SW. WTVJ has to transmit further south to protect its signal from interfering with a channel 6 in Orlando...but since many have cable, why worry about the "weak" signal? LOL
Isn't Miramar where their studios are? Many times the transmitter tower and studios are some miles apart..unless there's a low-power translator there I don't know about.
Yes they were but at that time Fox only had programming on Saturday and Sundays (I think) so they didn't really consider themselves as a network affiliate at that time.
TexasTV is right... Prior to1989, WTVJ 4 was CBS, WCIX 6 was FOX, WSVN 7 was NBC and WPLG 10 stayed ABC. In 1989 WTVJ switched from CBS to NBC, WCIX switched from FOX to CBS, WSVN switched from NBC to FOX, and WPLG remained with ABC. Then in 1995, WCIX switched from Ch. 6 to 4 and became WFOR while WTVJ switched from Ch. 4 to 6. Am I in the balpark there?
Yeah...certainly a case of "musical affiliations", LOL
I'm in MIA but am still kinda new to the area
When I lived in NC there were some changes to networks and their channel slots in both the Triangle and Triad areas, but it seems MIA has had so-ooo many LOL the only station to "stay put" is WPLG (ABC 10)
FOX moving to WSVN was a major coup for the young network, because WSVN had been an NBC affiliate for years. FOX was probably more than pleased to get its programming onto a longtime Big 3 station back then. As an NBC affiliate, WSVN was a frequent pre-empter of programs, but with FOX they usually only preempted the cartoons and Fox News Sun. Morn. (FOX programs for fewer hours than the Big 3, and FNSM can also be seen on FNC)
That's the affiliation switch that a ripple effect across FOX's stations that air news now. Many of FOX's O&Os do the news just like WSVN 7 did it and programmed in similar ways. WSVN 7 became a rare news-intensive FOX affiliate, which looks commonplace now among FOX stations that used to be affiliated with CBS, ABC or, in 7's case, NBC. I know about it since WTVT did the same thing in Tampa after the New World Communications deal on Dec. 12, 1994.
marcus813 1 week ago
1:38 looks like my old math teacher that I had when I was in school
jhshifris1 7 months ago
Penny was also on Chicago's channel 2, by the way.
jhshifris1 7 months ago
This must have been at the tail end of December 1988.
1985OldSkool 8 months ago
@1985OldSkool It did. This aired in the last week of 1988, days before the switch.
NewmanNewsman 8 months ago
Around that time, didn't the FCC consider moving Channel 7 down to the Keys, and moving WSVN to a new UHF allocation??
altfactor 1 year ago
@altfactor I've never heard of that proposal.
NewmanNewsman 1 year ago
this story just proved how stupid and ignorant people are.
sickandtiredofmorons 1 year ago
My god look how pretty and young Carmel Cafiero look here...i cant believe she's been with wsvn for over 20 years
MrFreshman92 1 year ago
Fascinating. Of course, at the time of this news story from 1988 uploaded here, there was one television program that continued to air on WCIX-TV-6 (now WFOR CBS 4) after it became a CBS O&O: the then-nationally-syndicated, Emmy award-winning 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', which ended its seven-year run on the formerly-named WCIX in 1994 with the two-hour series finale 'All Good Things...' Today, 'Star Trek' is owned by CBS as well.
dondonp12004 1 year ago
why did they say ind when it was a fox station afther
Padrigfilms 1 year ago
@Padrigfilms
Because, at the time, Fox only programmed 2 nights a week. It wasn't the full-fledged network it is today.
NewmanNewsman 1 year ago
@Padrigfilms proably a year before they became Fox in 1989
rebafan19 11 months ago
Awesome. The way things used to be back in Florida during the late 80's. By the way, I used to have a crush on Penny Daniels. I just hope she and her family are doing well these days and also, Sally Fitz.
Chuloloc 1 year ago
From 1985 to 2000 I moved back and forth between Dallas-Fort Worth (see comment by TVTexas) and South Florida. That mean watching FIVE stations making affiliation changes. Boy was I confused!
bumperstickerguy 2 years ago
Here in the Lone Star State, two cities in Texas effected by the affiliation switch; Austin and Dallas. 7/2/95, KDFW (Dallas) and KTBC (Austin) were switched from CBS to FOX, KTVT (Dallas) and KVBO (Now KEYE) (Austin) became CBS affiliate.
TexasTV 2 years ago
Well WJXT or KTVK accually are the big Indi Stations with Strong Newscast and not WSVN who claimed they would get that title. Still WSVN did set the standard for the New World Stations and FOX News Channel and eventually FOX O&O's.
donmccullen 2 years ago
I am not sure as a Brit whether I ought not to be un-nerved at the amount of TV programmes featuring the courtroom there are there... (TV coverage of law courts is banned in the UK!)
thelyniezian 2 years ago
Well the plantiff and defendant have to give consent before they go on a court show, and they're all civil cases so nobody needs to worry about Judge Judy presiding over a double murder trial.
JimmySand9 2 years ago
That is not too bad then, but there is still the argument (I suppose) that trivialising legal proceedings by reducing them to entertainment is somehow unethical- though I doubt that is the reasoning.
Speaking of Judge Judy we do get it over here too-it's not *our* courts, you see, so somehow it's OK. Possibly not one of what I'd consider the more worthwhile shows to be imported (that it's on ITV2 is telling), but it's better than some of "Uncle Sam's mixed bag of exports".
thelyniezian 2 years ago
Inside Story is now Inside Edition hosted by Deborah Norville.
jgjklhlgkbmbkjkjbfsg 2 years ago
"Inside Story" later became "Inside Report." Neither was connected to "Inside Edition."
NewmanNewsman 2 years ago
Switching three affiliations causes so much confusion in Florida? (Insert Florida Vote 2000 joke here)
garrisonskunk 2 years ago 5
So was this switch from one network to another nationwide?
Hanssen69 3 years ago
Nope it was just a local switch, WSVN went to FOX, WTVJ went to NBC, and WCIX (now WFOR) went to CBS.
In 1994-95 is the switch really went nationwide as FOX bought broadcast rights to the NFL (NFC Games) whereas Group Westinghouse was bought by CBS and so on, causing a handful of stations across the country to switch some of which are now owned and operated.
sflnewstv2 3 years ago
WSVN became a model FOX station, by not focusing on general entertainment, but a more news-intensive operation. It became more hard-hitting too, also influencing the news operations of other FOX stations.
New World's former Big 3 stations that went to FOX followed a similar patten.
Who knows? One day, FOX just might buy WSVN.
LogoAttitude 2 years ago
Turns out Channel 7 won out in the long run thanks to Fox's quick rise.
tomgalicia 3 years ago
I don't think that was the only reason for their success.
grahambrunk 2 years ago
Comment removed
sflnewstv2 3 years ago
Thank goodness I was born after this.
consumingtheeyeballs 3 years ago
Note "Bold and the Beautiful" @ 2:56...That's Caroline you see there.
TresGriffin 3 years ago
WTVJ is now officially sold to Post-Newsweek Stations INC. Making WTVJ (which will remain an NBC Affiliate) and WPLG Duopolies.
sflnewstv 3 years ago
There are times when I visit Miami and still forget the channel line ups. LOL
SpittingKitty 3 years ago
Coincidentally, WSVN's owner, Sunbeam Television, has owned the NBC affilate in Boston, WHDH, since 1993(at the time CBS).
Partier29 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I would like to see the CW go to WBFS, Fox to WSFL, And My Network TV to WSVN.
Jtaylor1 3 years ago
It looks like it may happened again Since NBC is selling WTVJ and WVIT. In my opinion FOX will buy WTVJ and NBC heads back WSVN, but I doubt it.
sflnewstv 4 years ago 3
Hope they bring back the original Miami-Ft. Lauderda;e TV Network lineup!CBS-4,Fox 6,NBC 7 and ABC 10.
LeroyBright 3 years ago
Fox buys WTVJ and WSFL. WTVJ gets Fox. WSFL gets "My Network." WBFS gets CW. WSVN gets NBC.
ronaldmolina1 3 years ago
January 1, 201x, and you will be watching Channel 4 (CBS O&O), Channel 6 (FOX O&O), Channel 7 (NBC).
ronaldmolina1 3 years ago
WTVJ's sale has been canceled.
LogoAttitude 2 years ago
I saw the very end of a Lincoln "The Valet" commerical!
tmisch64 4 years ago
Not mentioned here was the ripple effect of the 1989 Miami affiliate changes.Because CBS moved then to channel 6 and Broward county would find it very difficult to get the station. WPEC-12 also changed affiliation from ABC to CBS. The West Palm Beach area stations were watched very clearly in Broward back then. The West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce stations involved in this 1989 switch were WPEC-12 from ABC to CBS, WTVX-34 lost CBS and became independent while ABC went to the brand new WPBF-25.
saturnday 4 years ago 3
another thing about WTVX... eventually it became a UPN station in 1995 [branding itself as "UPN 34" and later 'TVX 34'] . near 2000 it became both a UPN and WB station and carried some good stuff.
Bad news, in 2005, it dropped the WB programs [as WTCN-CA became a WB affiliate] and in 2006, it became a CW station.
brunoofthesheikra 4 years ago 2
Even being so young, I had a crush on Penny Daniels back then. Wonder what shes up to these days.
DoucheBagalow 4 years ago
In some ways WSVN is still independent even though FOX has grown to carry a full lineup. It never gave major networks like NBC and FOX much slack.
a1cjlock 4 years ago 5
Maybe it still seems independent because it goes against the FOX Mandate (FOX 7 or FOX Miami/South Florida), although it really wasn't after the big switch. Nonetheless, it set the tone for other FOX stations in terms of how news is presented.
marcus813 4 years ago
Yes WSVN became FOX but at the time FOX only had a few hours of programing per week so they still considered themselves an independent station. Now nearly 20 years later I still find my self putting on channel 7 expecting to find NBC shows.
Channel 7 knew they made the right move right off when their morning 3 hours of news was beating The Today Show and Good Morning America in the local ratings.
djvinnypearl 4 years ago
She Got It Half-Right In 1989 WSVN Channel 7 Is A Fox/Inderpendent Station
HollywoodDerek3 4 years ago
Oh lord! It's Darth Ansin! And geeze... I wasn't expect Joel Cheatwood... to look... soo.. nerdy.
AutisticPsycho 4 years ago
Not only did they switch once, but twice! 4was WTVJ and it was CBS, 6WCIX Ind, 7WSVN was NBC and 10WPLG stayed ABC. In 1989 4NBC,6CBS,7Ind, 10ABC. Then in 1995 WTVJ call letters move from Ch.4 to 6 and 4 goes back to CBS now WFOR, 6NBC WTVJ, 7WSVN FOX and 10WPLG ABC... Now, I'm lost why and how did the call letters WTVJ go from 4 to 6? In 95 did all the Channel 4 anchors move over to 6. I bet the folks in Miami were as lost and hope they never have to have another network shuffle again!
applesauce2100 4 years ago 3
WCIX and WTVJ only switched broadcast towers. The change was part of a complicated deal between CBS and NBC involving several different stations and markets. WTVJ went from broadcasting on Ch. 4 to Ch. 6. WCIX went from Ch. 6 to Ch 4. WCIX simultaneously switched its call letters to WFOR. I have both channel switches posted on my page.
NewmanNewsman 4 years ago
@applesauce2100 Actually, WTVJ and WFOR(WCIX) did not switch affiliations, but rather dial positions as part of a deal between Group W/CBS and NBC, transferring stations in Philly(WCAU, then a CBS O+O) to NBC, in exchange for stations in Denver and Salt Lake City, as well as WTVJ's channel position/hardware. In addition to WCAU, NBC received cash and the Channel 6 frequency/ WCIX's license. this is why the WTVJ call sign is on channel 6, not channel 4(WFOR)
CRobertOsgood 1 year ago
So that's Joel Cheatwood...
puck220 4 years ago 4
KRBK in Sacramento used a version of this news theme in the late '80s and early '90s.
TJL31SJ 4 years ago
CBS could have bought WSVN, but the man who owned CBS at the time, Laurence Tisch, didn't want to spend a lot of money. He paid a bargain price of $60 million for WCIX (now WFOR). NBC spent almost five times that for WTVJ.
btm85bubs 4 years ago
Well it was NBCs fault for switching WTVJs number to a much weaker 6 isnt it? NBC felt that Philly was a more important market in the mid 1990s, now they have been bitten in the ass since Miami is the center of one of the largest population booms in modern times...
grahambrunk 4 years ago 3
Very true.
btm85bubs 4 years ago
Yeah channel 6 here in MIA is really weak esp. in North MIA and Broward counties...the other stations are stronger in MIA proper since their towers are in town, while 6 transmits from Homestead about 20 miles SW. WTVJ has to transmit further south to protect its signal from interfering with a channel 6 in Orlando...but since many have cable, why worry about the "weak" signal? LOL
huggyface 4 years ago
Doesn't 6 transmit in Miramar now as well, since about 2002?
CyborgNinja7 4 years ago
Isn't Miramar where their studios are? Many times the transmitter tower and studios are some miles apart..unless there's a low-power translator there I don't know about.
huggyface 4 years ago
I know there are several large satellites at their studio in Miramar. I don't know if it transmits there.
CyborgNinja7 3 years ago
the digital signal reaches the north part of the market better, so that problem is gone
LogoAttitude 2 years ago
I think WSVN was a FOX station in 1989, if I'm right.
TexasTV 4 years ago
Yes they were but at that time Fox only had programming on Saturday and Sundays (I think) so they didn't really consider themselves as a network affiliate at that time.
jerseyfla 4 years ago
TexasTV is right... Prior to1989, WTVJ 4 was CBS, WCIX 6 was FOX, WSVN 7 was NBC and WPLG 10 stayed ABC. In 1989 WTVJ switched from CBS to NBC, WCIX switched from FOX to CBS, WSVN switched from NBC to FOX, and WPLG remained with ABC. Then in 1995, WCIX switched from Ch. 6 to 4 and became WFOR while WTVJ switched from Ch. 4 to 6. Am I in the balpark there?
innewscenter 4 years ago 3
Yeah...certainly a case of "musical affiliations", LOL
I'm in MIA but am still kinda new to the area
When I lived in NC there were some changes to networks and their channel slots in both the Triangle and Triad areas, but it seems MIA has had so-ooo many LOL the only station to "stay put" is WPLG (ABC 10)
huggyface 4 years ago
WSVN did become a FOX station in 1989, but FOX only broadcast on the weekends back then. The rest of the week, the station was an independent.
Most FOX stations back then were small and mostly UHF channels.
saturnday 4 years ago 2
FOX moving to WSVN was a major coup for the young network, because WSVN had been an NBC affiliate for years. FOX was probably more than pleased to get its programming onto a longtime Big 3 station back then. As an NBC affiliate, WSVN was a frequent pre-empter of programs, but with FOX they usually only preempted the cartoons and Fox News Sun. Morn. (FOX programs for fewer hours than the Big 3, and FNSM can also be seen on FNC)
LogoAttitude 2 years ago
do you have clips from other stations regarding the 1988 Affiliation Switch?
news4sfl 4 years ago