Wafb
The two stations share studios on Government Street in downtown Baton Rouge.
History
The station began broadcasting on April 19, 1953 as the second television station in the state of Louisiana. Originally broadcasting on channel 28, WAFB moved to channel 9 in 1960 (WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, Mississippi moved to channel 7 to accommodate the move) The station has always been a CBS affiliate but carried some NBC programming until WBRZ-TV signed on in 1955.
WAFB also carried some ABC programming until WRBT (now WVLA) signed on in 1971 and some programming from DuMont until that network folded. In 1988, the station dropped the -TV suffix from its call letters.
Digital television
WAFB's digital signal is multiplexed.
WAFB-DT2 broadcasts two feeds that includes a 24-hour local weather channel (known as WAFB 24/7 Weather) and a cable news station (called News Channel 9). On WAFB-DT4 is a full power standard definition digital signal of MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH-CA.
Due to its Class A status, that station does not broadcast a digital signal of its own.
Digital channels
Analog-to-digital conversion
After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009 , WAFB will move its digital broadcasts back to its present analog channel number, 9. Programming
WAFB is one of a handful of stations that shifts the air times of various CBS programming.
instead of 10 (back-to-back episodes of Family Feud airs from 10 to 11 A.M.) and The Young and The Restless airs at 4 P.M. The station aired Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune until 1995 (they have since aired on WBRZ), plus Live with Regis and Kelly and Oprah until the late-1990s (Oprah moved to WBRZ, but since then, it has aired on WVLA while Regis was the other way around).
It used to also air The Phil Donahue Show, Hard Copy, and Sally Jesse Raphael, among other syndicated shows.
One locally produced show that brought years of enjoyment to children was hosted by Buckskin Bill Black (William Black) that ran from 1955 until 1990. The two shows he hosted were called Storyland (for younger children during A.M.
broadcasting) and The Buckskin Bill Show (for older children during the afternoons). The Buckskin Bill Show was also one of the first shows in the United States to have a sign-language interpreter for hearing-impaired viewers prior to closed-captioning.
Through two gracious campaigns from his show, Buckskin Bill helped to start the Baton Rouge Zoo. During this campaign, he asked children to bring in their pennies to buy an elephant.
He is now involved with the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
WAFB also airs the Sunday services from the First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.
News operation
The station's news department produces 25 hours of news programming each week. This includes two newscasts on sister station WBXH-CA (weeknights at 9, which began on January 8, 2007, and Saturday mornings).
in any of the country's biggest television markets according to The Des Moines Register in Iowa. The only station to get a bigger share of the local audience was KCCI, the CBS affiliate in Des Moines, which was watched by 17.9% of area households.
In the recent ratings period, the station beat the others ones combined at 5, 6, and 10. The station is the only one in the market to broadcast local news at Noon on the weekends (on News Channel 9).
It has used many versions of Frank Gari's Newschannel since 1986.
News team
WAFB's weeknight 6 o'clock anchors.
The station's chief meteorologist, Jay Grymes.
Anchors
George Sells - 9NEWS at 6 (M-F)
Managing Editor
George Sells Louisiana
Donna Britt - 9NEWS at 6 & 10 (M-F)
Power of 9
Andre' Moreau - 9NEWS at 10 (M-F)
Jeanne Burns - 9NEWS This Morning
Matt Williams - 9NEWS This Morning
Crime Stoppers reporter
Paul Gates - 9NEWS at 5 (M-F)
Investigative reporter
WAFB Editorial Board chairman
Greg Meriwether - My 9NEWS at 9
Weeknight "Street Beat" reporter
Phil Rainier - 9NEWS at Noon (M-F)
Healthline reporter
Kellee Henessey - 9NEWS Sat. Jude Telethon
March of Dimes
Cheryl Mercedes- 9NEWS Weekends at 6 & 10
WAFB Storm Team
Jay Grymes (AMS Seal of Approval and NWA Member) - 9NEWS at 6 & 10
Chief Meterologist
Steve Caparotta - 9NEWS at 5 & My 9NEWS at 9
Diane Deaton - 9NEWS This Morning & 9NEWS at Noon
Scott Oswalt - 9NEWS Weekends
Sports
Steve Schneider - 9NEWS at 6 & 10
Sports Director
Jacques Doucet
Anchor, 9NEWS Weekends
Erin Cofiell
Reporters
Jim Shannon
Keitha Nelson
Caroline Moses - Capitol Correspondent
Tyana Williams
Andrew Michaels
Allen Tumey - "Tumey's Travels" segment producer
Producers
Robb Hays - Asst.
Jude Telethon
Daniel Brown - 9NEWS This Morning
Nathan Dewberry - My 9NEWS at 9
The 5th Season
Keren Henderson - Sat. Mornings
Josh Auzenne - WAFB.com
Former on-air staff
James Verrett - now court-side reporter with the Atlanta Hawks
Julie Baxter - now practicing law with Moore, Walters, Thompson in Baton Rouge; adjunct Media Law professor at LSU's School of Mass Communication
Glynn Boyd - now at WGNO in New Orleans
Tim Brando - sports.