WRIC-TV

'WRIC-TV' is the ABC affiliate for the Richmond, Virginia television market. It is owned by Young Broadcasting. The station is licensed to nearby Petersburg, while its studios are just off the Powhite Parkway extension (State Route 76) on Arboretum Place in western Chesterfield County (unincorporated Richmond). It broadcasts its analog signal on channel 8 from a transmitter that is located nearby.

Contents

History

Former Personalities

Trivia

External links

History

The station began operation in 1955 as WXEX-TV, an NBC affiliate. It was originally licensed to Petersburg, and was owned by local owners known as Petersburg Television. During the 50s. 60s,70s, and early 80s, WXEX had a AM sister station , WLEE-AM, who maintained a separate location in Richmond on West Broad St. The TV station's transmitter was located in the Bermuda Hundred area of eastern Chesterfield County, and the station reached not only Petersburg, but Richmond as well, albeit with a weaker signal than the two stations licensed to Richmond at the time. Within a year, the FCC collapsed Petersburg and Richmond into a single market. The studios were located on Crater Road in Petersburg. Later, satellite studios were established just off Midlothian Turnpike in Bon Air, Virginia, a suburb of Richmond.
The station had been an NBC affiliate for many years, but switched to ABC in 1965 and has been with that network ever since. In 1968 the station (along with sister station WLEE-AM) was sold to Nationwide Communications
In 1969, the station had a bad fire which destroyed its original Petersburg studios. For a few weeks, the station had to broadcast from its transmitter, then set up temporary offices and studios in a vacated store in Petersburg. The station later moved in a brand new facility on Crater Rd that they named Blandford Manor.
In 1981 Nationwide sold off sister station WLEE-AM
WXEX's call letters were changed in 1990 to WRIC, and the station moved its studios to the current location. However, it is still licensed to Petersburg; unlike the other stations in the market, it identifies as "Petersburg/Richmond." In 1993 the station was sold to Young Broadcasting.

Former Personalities

★ James Black - Reporter

★ Gretchen Carlson - Reporter/Anchor (now at FOX News Channel)

★ Lou Charlip - Sports Reporter

★ Craig Civale - Reporter (now at WFAA-TV in Dallas)

★ Bruce Cunningham - Sports Director (now at WBFF-TV Baltimore)

★ Ryan Deal - Reporter

★ Derrick Dennis - Reporter

★ Megan O'Donnell - Weekend Sports

★ Michael Flynn - Reporter

★ Kevin Freeman - Anchor

★ Doug Luzader - Reporter

★ Mara MacDonald - Reporter

★ Laura Main - Reporter/Anchor

★ Angela Martinez - Health Reporter

★ Joanna Massee - Weekend Anchor

★ Jacqueline McLean - Reporter/Anchor

★ Chesley McNeil - Weather/Mr. Outside (now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo)

★ Carole Meekins - Anchor (now at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee)

★ Ramona Parks - Reporter

★ Simon Perez - Reporter

★ Steve Price - Investigative Reporter

★ Richard Real - Political Reporter

★ John Reid - Anchor

★ Rucks Russell - Reporter (now at KHOU-TV in Houston)

★ Ken Strayhorn - Sports Anchor

★ Cheryl Tan - Weekend Anchor (now anchor/reporter at WAVY-TV in Hampton Roads)

★ Cathleen Trigg - Reporter

★ Sal Urbano - Sports Anchor/Reporter

★ Tiffany Woods - Reporter

★ Ric Young - Anchor (now at WTVR-TV)

★ Bill Bowman ( who in the late 70s was much better known as The Bowman Body , host of " Shock Theater " )

Trivia

In the late 1960s, a weatherman at the station named Hugh Allen was arrested and convicted of murder.
A fake WRIC newscast is seen in the 2001 film ''Hannibal'', with reporter Ric Young playing himself. The film was shot on location in Richmond.
Matt Lauer, now host of the " Today " show, once worked at WXEX as a local anchor on the syndicated "PM Magazine" show in the 80s.
The station received some unwanted publicity in 1989 when former evening news anchor Steve Coleman got into an argument with a news producer and his co-anchor , Lisa Schaffner, tried to intervene and was pushed by Coleman, crashing into a desk and a computer. Coleman was suspended and later fired.

External links

★ WRIC Homepage

★ History of WWBT Television in Richmond

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