WJW was the third television station to sign on in Cleveland as WXEL, the first station to be built by Herbert Mayer, founder of theEmpire Coil Company. WXEL began on channel 9 on December 17, 1949, two years to the date ofWEWS-TV's sign-on. Initially aDuMont affiliate with selectABC andCBS programs, WXEL placed an emphasis on locally produced programming, originally from their studios and transmitter site in Parma and later from a renovated former movie theatre inPlayhouse Square. Mayer's attempt to buildUHF stations inPortland, Oregon, andKansas City succeeded in the former and failed in the latter, prompting the sale of Empire Coil—including WXEL—toStorer Broadcasting in January 1954, weeks after WXEL moved to channel 8. Storer purchasedWJW radio later in 1954, then secured the CBS affiliation for WXEL in March 1955. After WXEL's downtown studios were renovated into a colonial-style building for radio and television, WXEL was renamed WJW-TV.
The station was an early career stepping stone for announcerErnie Anderson and comedianTim Conway, who co-hosted the late-morning movie in late 1961 until Conway was discovered byRose Marie. From 1963 to 1966, Anderson portrayedhorror hostGhoulardi, which had widespread popularity and has held a lasting cultural influence. After Anderson's departure,Bob "Hoolihan" Wells,"Big Chuck" Schodowski and "Lil' John" Rinaldi continued to host a weekly movie and comedy skit program on channel 8 for a combined 41 years.Doug Adair andJoel Daly co-anchored weeknight newscasts from 1963 to 1967, the first in the industry to market the newscasters, sportscaster and weather presenter as a cohesive on-air team. Dick Goddard became the station's chief meteorologist in 1965; he enjoyed an uninterrupted 51-year tenure recognized as aGuinness World Record and was frequently regarded as Cleveland's most recognized and trusted media personality. Goddard created the annualWoollybear Festival inVermilion, Ohio, which the station continues to sponsor, and his on-air advocacy for animal welfare and pet adoption led to improved legislation against animal cruelty in Ohio. Under the direction of Virgil Dominic, channel 8's newscasts attained ratings success throughout the 1980s, particularly with the lead anchor team ofTim Taylor,Robin Swoboda, Goddard, and sportscasterCasey Coleman.
WJW-TV became WJKW in 1977 after WJW radio was sold but reclaimed the WJW call sign in 1985. Following Storer's privatization byKohlberg Kravis Roberts in 1985, WJW has had a succession of owners. After a failed sale toLorimar-Telepictures, businessmanGeorge N. Gillett Jr. bought the Storer chain but lost the stations in a bankruptcy brought on by souredjunk bond investments.New World Communications, headed byRonald Perelman, acquired WJW and the Gillett group amidst a flurry of purchases across the country. New World then announceda group-wide affiliation pact withFox on May 23, 1994, after the network invested $500 million into the company; WJW was the first of these stations to switch to Fox. While initially struggling to adjust to the new Fox affiliation, WJW's ratings recovered substantially, particularly after the network bought WJW and the other New World stations in late 1996. Since Fox sold the station in 2008, WJW has been owned byLocal TV LLC,Tribune Broadcasting and Nexstar.
A practicing lawyer inNew York City, Herbert Mayer became intrigued by manufacturing[4] and left the profession in 1944[5][6] to establish theEmpire Coil Company inNew Rochelle, New York, making coils for thewar effort.[7] AsWorld War II ended, the company's factory was converted to manufacturetransformers andRF coils for radio sets.[8][9] Inspired by a keynote address fromRCA chairmanDavid Sarnoff extolling the potential of television,[4] Mayer sought to expand into broadcasting.[10][11] Empire Coil applied with theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) for a television station on channel 9 in Cleveland on September 27, 1947.[12] Empire's channel 9 application was one of two additional channels proposed for Cleveland, joiningScripps-Howard'sWEWS-TV (channel 5) andNBC-ownedWNBK (channel 4); five applicants sought the other channel, including theDuMont Television Network and radio stationsWHK,WJW andWGAR.[13][14] The FCC granted theconstruction permit for Empire on October 30, 1947; land for the station's studios and transmitter site were secured on aknoll on Pleasant Valley Road inParma, 617 feet (188 m) above sea level,[10][12] thought to be among the highest elevations inCuyahoga County.[11][15]
The FCCimplemented a "freeze" on issuing any additional television licenses in September 1948[16] that consequently delayed WXEL's launch by several months. While it was hoped WXEL could transmittest patterns by May 1949,[17] the channel number and thus frequency was now in doubt: Cleveland was originally allocated channels on 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9,[14] but earlier in 1948, FCC and Canadian regulators had proposed moving channel 7 to Akron in exchange for channel 11, and moving channel 9 toCanton, Ohio.[18] By April 1949, this was altered to have channel 9 moved to Canada.[19][b] WXEL thus was unable to complete installation of equipment.[23] The FCC revised the allotment table by July 1949, adding two additionalUHF channels to Cleveland;[24] WXEL remained on channel 9.[25]
WXEL initially had not decided on a primary affiliation and considered having links to multiple networks, similar to how WEWS carried shows from DuMont,CBS andABC.[25] Russell F. Spiers, one of Herbert Mayer's former professors atColgate University, was hired as WXEL's program director and had living quarters at the station's Parma facilities.[17][25] By October, WXEL set a tentative launch date for December 17 and signed up as a primary DuMont affiliate[26] along with ABC and CBS shows WEWS did not carry[27] and shows from theParamount Television Network.[15] Regular programming actually began during the station's testing phase on November 28, 1949, when engineers screened DuMont'sCaptain Video and His Video Rangers on a nightly basis at 7 p.m.[1] The first night of programming on December 17, 1949, was mostly impromptu with DuMont starMorey Amsterdam serving asemcee; during his remarks, Amsterdam repeatedly transposed the call sign by accident as "WEXL".[28]
Howard Hoffman, formerly with WHK and a onetime singer for theTexaco Star Theater, joined WXEL prior to sign-on as an announcer and weather forecaster.[29][30] John FitzGerald joined five months after sign-on as an announcer[31] and nightly sportscaster;[32] FitzGerald remained with the station until the booth announcer position was eliminated in 1982,[33][34] while Hoffman stayed until his 1986 retirement.[35] Alice Weston joined WXEL in November 1950 from WEWS,[36] hosting a dailyhome economics and cooking show thatWSPD-TV inToledo simulcast.[11]Soupy Sales, then known as Soupy Hines, hosted a daily show on WXEL from 1951 to 1953;[37] it was at WXEL that Sales first used thepie in the face gag that became a staple of his comedy routine.[30][38][39]
The station quickly established itself in sports, signing up to carry bothCleveland Indians baseball called byJimmy Dudley andJack Graney,[40] andCleveland Browns football called byBob Neal.[41] WXEL's Browns coverage was carried over the DuMont network as part of theirNFL coverage.[11]Horse racing was telecast live fromAscot Park and Cranwood Park, along withInternational Boxing Association matches fromCleveland Arena.[42] Indians baseball remained on WXEL until 1955, when the team moved to WEWS.[43] Warren Guthrie, head of the speech department atWestern Reserve University, became WXEL's first newscaster with the nightlyYourSohio Reporter, which debuted on May 7, 1951, and aired nightly at 11 p.m.[44] Guthrie's newscast was regionally syndicated to a network of stations across Ohio.[11] For a short time in 1952,Paul Newman did live commercial reads forNational City, which sponsored a nightly news analysis program that directly followedYour Sohio Reporter.[30][31]
A phased expansion of WXEL's facilities was launched under Empire in 1951: the Pleasant Valley Road studio/transmitter building was first quadrupled in size,[45] and the company signed a long-term lease of the former Esquire Theatre onEuclid Avenue.[11] The Esquire, amovie theater in the city'sPlayhouse Square district,[46] had closed earlier in the year due to competition from television.[47][48] While the renovated Esquire was regarded as "Studio D",[6][49] this facility became WXEL's main studio, supplanting the Parma plant.[12] Mayer additionally created a mascot for WXEL, Little Ajax the Elephant, and wrote a children's book based on the character.[5]
Workers raising a 73-foot (22 m) antenna for use on WXEL's new 775 feet (236 m) tower, erected in 1953 when the station moved to channel 8.
In the span of 2 years, 4 months and 5 days, every aspect of the station—the channel number, ownership, network affiliation and the call sign—changed. The first change occurred at midnight on December 10, 1953, when WXEL moved from channel 9 to 8.[50] The switchover was dictated by the FCC in their 1952Sixth Report and Order, which included several allocation revisions; this also affected WNBK, which needed to move to channel 3.[51] WXEL's move was necessary in order forWSTV-TV inSteubenville, Ohio, to sign on at channel 9[52][53][54] and enabled WXEL to construct a taller tower with an increase in power.[55]
Empire began to expand after the FCC's "freeze" was lifted.KPTV (channel 27) inPortland, Oregon, debuted in 1952 as the first commercial UHF station authorized by the agency.[56] An additional station,KCTY (channel 25) inKansas City, Missouri, signed on the following year, and Empire sought UHF permits inIndianapolis andDenver.[57][58] KCTY's existence was short as two VHF competitors took to the air several months later,[59][60] leaving KCTY as a sole DuMont affiliate.[61] This, plus a reluctance by the Kansas City market to purchase UHF converters,[62] resulted in a nearly $750,000 loss for Empire.[63] On December 31, 1953, Empire sold KCTY to DuMont for $1: the low sale price reflected Mayer's wishes to dispose of the station but reluctance to take itdark.[58][62] Days later, Empire Coil was sold toStorer Broadcasting for $8.5 million, including WXEL, KPTV and the New Rochelle factory;[8][64] the sale was attributed to KCTY's financial failure and a decline in Empire's coil manufacturing business.[63]
George B. Storer
Approval was contingent on Storer selling offKGBS andKGBS-TV inSan Antonio, along with the FCC revising ownership limits so a company could own seven television stations, five on VHF; the latter took place in late September.[65] Prior to consummation, Storer purchased WJW for $330,000 on October 8, 1954.[66] This paired WJW with a television station. After the FCC removed Cleveland's fourth VHF allocation,[67] WJW had filed for a UHF license on channel 19 but withdrew after determining it was not economically viable.[68] Company president George B. Storer regarded Cleveland as "such a swell market" when explaining the two purchases,[69] but family ties to the city also existed: a street in the city was named after his great-grandfather, and an ancestor was the first child born in theConnecticut Western Reserve.[28] Storer previously served as a vice-president forRepublic Steel[70] and the company was originally founded to operategas stations in Cleveland and Toledo before venturing into broadcasting.[71]
Storer's entry into Cleveland immediately set off speculation over a new network affiliation for WXEL, which was now primarily an ABC affiliate with select DuMont programs.[65] An affiliation swap was announced between WXEL and WEWS in early December 1954, with WXEL becoming a primary CBS station; in what was regarded as an industry surprise, WGAR renewed theirCBS Radio contract, and WJW remained withABC Radio.[72] WXEL joined CBS on March 2, 1955.[73] The affiliation switch, coupled with the collapse of DuMont, prompted the Browns to have their games televised on a 22-station regional network fed by WEWS beginning with the 1955 season.[74][75] While CBS assumedbroadcast rights to the NFL in 1956, the Browns kept their separate network arrangement until 1958.[76]
Storer renovated WXEL's Euclid Avenue studios to house WJW radio as well as the television station.[77] Acolonial design was chosen as it contrasted significantly from the buildings that surrounded it. The interior evoked 1770-eraGeorgian architecture, accommodating up to 40 different studios for both radio and television. Acupola added to the top drew comparison toIndependence Hall, and agreenhouse was built facing the general manager's office.[78] The grand opening for the facility coincided with WXEL's renaming to WJW-TV on April 15, 1956;[79] the call sign change and building's dedication was telecast live, including aflyover by theOhio Air National Guard and Cleveland mayorAnthony Celebrezze proclaiming "WJW Week" for the city.[80] Mayer intended to reuse the WXEL call sign for a planned UHF station in Boston.[28][c] The colonial architecture and façade would soon be implemented at other Storer stations, includingWGBS inMiami[82] andWJBK-TV'sstudio building inDetroit.[83]
WJW-TV became a centerpiece of local programming throughout their time at Playhouse Square. Jim Doney joined the station in 1952 as an announcer and news reader; by December 1962, he became the host ofAdventure Road, a daily showcase of filmedtravelogues and in-studio interviews.[84][85]Adventure Road became a staple at channel 8 for over 12 years and survived a 1973 schedule realignment where WJW began to carry CBS's daytime lineup on a more consistent basis.[86] After the show ended in 1975, Doney joinedKGMB inHonolulu.[85][87] Character actor Ray Stawiarski[88] portrayedlederhosen-wearing children's show host "Franz the Toymaker" beginning in 1964 and running through the rest of the decade.[89][90] WJW radio talent additionally appeared on channel 8:Casey Kasem (known as "Casey on the Mike" at the radio station) hostedCleveland Bandstand from 1959 to 1960,[91] while morning host Ed Fisher portrayedBozo the Clown for a local version ofThe Bozo Show from 1960 to 1968.[92] Cleveland Indians baseball games also returned to channel 8 beginning with the 1960 season.[43] WJW-TV was also one of two taping sites in 1967 for the syndicated game showMatches 'n Mates, hosted byArt James, at a time when such shows were filmed in either New York City or Los Angeles.[93][94]
Joel Daly was a reporter and anchor for WJW-TV from 1963 to 1967; this advertisement shows him on the scene of a rescue atWhipps Ledges inHinckley Township.
Doug Adair joined WJW in September 1957[95] as an announcer and studio host before switching to the news department the following year.[96] The station launchedCity Camera News as a five-minute news roundup directly following Guthrie,[97] who eschewed coverage of local news due to being syndicated and did not cover the 1954Sam Sheppard trial.[98]City Camera's title came from the usage ofPolaroid photographs taken at the scene of news events, which were then attached tocork board and broadcast on-air.[97] By 1963, Adair was part of the station's 11 p.m. news alongside Guthrie, sportscaster FitzGerald and weatherman Hoffman, which began to be promoted on-air as a team.[99] Guthrie was replaced by WEWS news directorJoel Daly in September 1963, expandingCity Camera to a half-hour broadcast.[100] Daly was teamed in-studio with Adair for the 11 p.m. news, increasingly competitive in the ratings againstBill Jorgensen at KYW-TV[101] and eventually became the market leader, retrospectively described as "the most formidable news team in the city".[96] The 11 p.m. news was also the first newscast of any kind to directly combine the weather report and sportscast into the same program, and was the first to utilize the "happy talk" format.[31]
Veteran announcerKen Coleman, who had increased visibility due to CBS's policy of local announcers calling NFL games for the network, joined WJW in late 1964 as lead sportscaster[102] but left in 1966 to become the radio voice of theBoston Red Sox.[103] ABC hired away Daly in 1967 to anchor forWBKB-TV, theirowned-and-operated station inChicago, with Martin Ross taking over for Daly.[104] Adair left WJW forWKYC in the fall of 1970, signing a unprecedented four-year contract.[95] Adair's replacement was veteran newsman Murray Stewart; Ross died from cancer in April 1973, while Stewart was moved to the noon news the following year due to declining health.[105] Under the anchor team of Jim Hale and Jeff Maynor, WJW's ratings declined significantly against a resurgent WEWS,[96] which also adopted a "happy talk" format consulted byFrank Magid.[106]
A new three-story building was constructed for WJW on South Marginal Drive, near theLake Erie shoreline, between 1974 to 1975.[107] When inaugurated on November 2, 1975, the new studios were an upgrade in size from 29,000 to 75,600 square feet (2,690 to 7,020 m2); management hoped to produce additional local programming, and one studio was purpose-built for newscasts.[108]
A former announcer at WHK and KYW-TV,[109]Ernie Anderson joined WJW-TV on July 17, 1961, as host ofErnie's Place, a late-morning movie interlaced with comedy skits.[110][111]Tom Conway—a former KYW copywriter, personality,[112] and collaborator with Anderson on commercials[109]—was named as co-host.[113] Conway was hired at WJW on recommendation from Anderson, who falsely claimed he hadtelevision director experience; Charles Schodowski, another former KYW staffer now at WJW, was asked by Anderson to do Conway's job.[114] The program ended afterRose Marie, who visited the station as part of a CBSpromotional junket among the affiliates, sent tapes of the duo's material toSteve Allen, who hired Conway for his talk show.[115][116] When cast inMcHale's Navy, Tom Conway assumed thestage name Tim.[117] Still under contract at WJW, Anderson focused on voiceover duties, becoming apitchman for Millbrook Bread andOhio Bell.[118]
If you've been fortunate enough to miss Ghoulardi, it is only fair to say that this is a characterization Anderson has been doing for Channel 8 for about three years. As Ghoulardi, he dons a frightwig, goatee and a garment that appears to have been discarded by a city street cleaner. He looks much like a forlorn old goat who has been run out of the herd by a rival.
When WJW acquired the local rights to theShock Theater library, Anderson was tabbed as host ofGhoulardi under the belief an offbeat gimmick would make people overlook the poor quality of the movies.[116] Debuting on January 18, 1963,[120] Anderson's portrayal of Ghoulardi—wearing a whitefright wig, fakeVan Dyke beard andlab coat with abeatnik dialect and anarchist demeanor—attracted largely negative critical reviews[119][121][122] but quickly became a ratings success and cult favorite, particularly among young children despite the late-night timeslot.[123] At its peak, the show commanded 70 percent of the late-night audience, and theCleveland Police Department reported a 35 percent decrease injuvenile crime.[120] Anderson started to utilize Schodowski in comedy skits, including a controversial spoof ofPeyton Place calledParma Place that played to stereotypes in the suburb'sPolish American community.[124] A travelingintramural sports team, the "Ghoulardi All-Stars", was organized that frequently played against area professional athletes, first responders and talent from rival stations, all for charity.[125] In addition to the Ghoulardi persona, Anderson hosted weather reports during WJW's early-evening newscasts.[126][127] Anderson starred in a half-hour comedy special in October 1965 that drew praise fromPlain Dealer critic James Flanigan, who also said it was "in spite" of Ghoulardi.[119]
After nearly four years portraying Ghoulardi, Anderson resigned from the station in mid-November 1966.[128] Anderson had earlier taken a leave of absence from regular tapings to guest inRango, also starring Conway,[128][129] and grew tired of the character amid overtures from Conway andJack Riley to move toHollywood.[130] Anderson later gave former fanatic-turned-goferRon Sweed permission to portray the character asspiritual successorThe Ghoul.[131][132] Rock bandsPere Ubu,Devo andThe Cramps, along with singerChrissie Hynde, comedianDrew Carey and filmmakerJim Jarmusch, have all cited Ghoulardi as a direct inspiration.[120][133][134]
Dick Goddard began his on-air meteorological career in May 1961 at KYW-TV. A complicated FCC order in June 1965 had KYW-TV become WKYC due to a voided 1956 asset swap between NBC andWestinghouse Broadcasting (Group W) for stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia; this resulted in Goddard, under contract to Group W, relocating to Philadelphia and joining the renamedKYW-TV there.[135] Unhappy in Philadelphia, Goddard left Group W after several weeks and was courted by WKYC, WEWS and WJW.[136] Goddard chose WJW as it carried Browns games thanks to CBS's NFL contract; Goddard was thestatistician for Browns radio broadcasts[137][138] from 1966 to 2011.[139] Ernie Anderson famously claimed he helped lure Goddard to WJW on an "athletic scholarship" for the "Ghoulardi All-Stars", which Goddard also played for.[140] While signing a contract on September 3, 1965, Goddard did not debut until March 28, 1966, due to anon-compete clause with Group W.[141] Goddard also did weather reports for WJW radio.[142]
I wasn't Dick Goddard's competition, I was just in the same market at the same time. Cleveland was Dick Goddard's town, and still is.
Al Roker, former Cleveland television meteorologist, to Mark Dawidziak[140]
Goddard remained the station's chief meteorologist until retiring on November 22, 2016.[143] His retirement came several months after Goddard's Law, which increased the severity of penalties for animal abuse and cruelty, passed theOhio General Assembly and was signed into law by Ohio governorJohn Kasich;[144] Goddard publicly advocated for animal welfare throughout his career and frequently spotlighted pets atanimal shelters that needed adoption during his weather forecasts.[140] WJW's weather center was renamed for Goddard upon his retirement,[143] as was the street facing the station's current studios.[140] His 51-year tenure at the station (including the interregnum between his contract signing and on-air debut) has been recognized as aGuinness World Record.[145]
In 1973, Goddard started theWoollybear Festival, a day-long festival and parade inBirmingham, Ohio, devoted to thewoolly bear caterpillar and traditional weather folklore. The festival grew in size and eventually overwhelmed the town by the early 1980s, when it moved toVermilion, which hosts up to 100,000 in attendance every year.[146] WJW continues to be the title sponsor for the Woollybear Festival into the present day.[147][148]
After Ernie Anderson's resignation from the station, channel 8 conducted an open audition for the Friday night horror host role.[149]Bob Wells, known as "Hoolihan the Weatherman",[150] tried out for the role with Charles Schodowski's involvement; management paired them as a team to be Ghoulardi's successors,Hoolihan and Big Chuck, in December 1966.[151] Schodowski, who was convinced the pairing was a mistake, gradually overcame significantstage fright while working opposite the more polished Wells.[152]
Originally retaining the prior show's format of lighting off fireworks, comedy skits and mock music videos to novelty songs, the duo began focusing on comedy slapstick.[153] Skits were almost always punctuated with alaugh track supplied byJay Lawrence,[154] which became so identified with the show that viewers treated it as a prompt for them to laugh.[155] The show had multiple time slot changes: originally on Friday late nights, it was moved to Saturday afternoons, then back to Friday,[156] then to late afternoons when CBS launchedThe Merv Griffin Show in late night.[157] After WJW movedMerv Griffin to late afternoons—being one of several CBS affiliates to do so—Wells and Schodowski were moved back to Friday nights.[158][159] Wells became aborn-again Christian in 1976 and joinedWSUM—an area Christian radio station—as general manager but downplayed his involvement as a horror host, telling thePlain Dealer, "[t]he TV program is intended to be entertainment ... I don't believe having fun is anti-Christian."[160]
Wells left the show in August 1979 to become program director and talk show host atWCLF, an upstart Christian TV station inClearwater, Florida.[161] Schodowski selected "Lil' John" Rinaldi, involved with the show since 1972 in skits[155] and known for hisshort stature,[162] as Wells's successor.[163] Relaunched on September 2, 1979, asBig Chuck and Lil' John,[164] the program aired on channel 8 for another 28 years until Schodowski's 2007 retirement, best remembered for the duo's working-class sensibilities and relatable, low-budget humor likened toburlesque.[153][155] Since 2011, the station has aired half-hourBig Chuck and Lil' John skit compilations shows on the weekends.[165]
Full-page newspaper ad in April 1977 featuring WJKW general manager William Flynn
William Flynn took over as general manager for channel 8 in January 1977, having previously ledWSBK-TV, Storer's independent in Boston.[166] His arrival came as WJW-TV changed their call letters to WJKW-TV on April 22, 1977; this followed the sale of WJW radio to anArt Modell-headed syndicate, which retained usage of the WJW calls.[167][168] One of Flynn's first changes was moving the soap opera spoofMary Hartman, Mary Hartman from late nights to 7:30 p.m.;[169] the move was extensively criticized and reversed in one month,[38] and the station took out a full-page newspaper advertisement featuring Flynn.[166] The controversy led toHoolihan and Big Chuck spoofingMary Hartman with a series of "Mary Harkski, Mary Hartski" skits, which Flynn encouraged.[170][171] WJKW lost the Cleveland Indians andCavaliers toWUAB in 1980; Flynn objected to sharing the Indians broadcast rights with a proposed cable outlet,[172] while the Cavs games had declining ratings.[173] Flynn was later regarded as a "swashbuckler"[38] and described by Schodowski as "... really brash, devil-may-care, a good drinker, and very much like Ernie Anderson. He had that much an impact."[174]
Flynn's first major personnel move was hiring former WKYC anchor Virgil Dominic as news director in March 1977.[175] Dominic came fromWXIA-TV in Atlanta, where he had also been news director.[176] Addressing the station's last-place ratings against WEWS and WKYC,[106] Dominic removed Hale and Maynor from anchor duty and declined to renew their contracts.[177]Judd Hambrick, brother of onetime WEWS anchorJohn Hambrick, was hired as the new lead anchor, a move that led WJKW to distinguish between the brothers.[178] WEWS reporterTim Taylor was hired as WJKW's consumer reporter;[179] by 1979, Taylor became co-anchor alongside Hambrick.[180] The station became affiliated withCall for Action in early 1978[181] and established an investigation unit with "Fact Finder" Tom Meyer[182] and "I-Team" reporterCarl Monday.[183][184] Dick Goddard hosted a local version ofBowling for Dollars from 1977 to 1978,[87][185] which was replaced by the local version ofPM Magazine in 1979, withJim Finnerty as co-host.[186]Neil Zurcher, a channel 8 feature reporter since 1967, reported on close-to-home travel destinations in the wake of the1979 energy crisis;[187][188] his "One Tank Trip" segments proved popular and ran continuously until 2004.[189]
Hambrick left WJKW in November 1981, initially to start aproduction company for a syndicated newsmagazine[190] but subsequently became WKYC's lead anchor.[191] His replacement was Tana Carli, a formerMiss Ohio who joined the station as a reporter in June 1980.[192][193] The male-female anchor pairing of Taylor and Carli was the first of its kind in Cleveland and signaled an eventual industry standard.[194] Carli left WJKW in December 1983 to be with husband Joseph Diminio, who took over for Flynn as general manager and, after their high-profile marriage, was promoted to lead Storer's television division in Miami.[195][196] Noon anchorDenise D'Ascenzo succeeded Carli as 1984 began; D'Ascenzo's visibility increased when she crossed the picket line during a WJKW technician strike in May 1983 that most on-air staff, including Carli, honored.[197][198]Casey Coleman, the son of Ken Coleman, joined WJKW in 1982 and became weeknight sportscaster at year's end;[199] from 1982 to 1985, Coleman split the duties with John Telich, who replacedJim Mueller in the role one year earlier.[200][201]
The station had the WJW-TV call sign restored on September 16, 1985, after WJW radio was sold again and becameWRMR.[202] Storer made the change out of sentimentality;[203] even after having the WJKW calls for eight years, the station was still frequently referred to by viewers as "WJW".[204] One month later, WJW-TV expanded its 6 p.m. news to an hour, moving theCBS Evening News to 7 p.m.[205] and coinciding with talent revamps forPM Magazine.[206] Assisted withThe Phil Donahue Show as a lead-in, WJW's 6 p.m. news overtook WEWS for the top rating in early 1988, matching that station's top-rated 11 p.m. news.[207][208] A further revamp ofPM paired Jan Jones with musicianMichael Stanley:[209] despite increased ratings,PM was moved to weekends in the fall of 1988, then back to weeknights in January 1990 and renamedCleveland Tonight that fall.[210]PM was credited with helping transition Stanley to a career as a media personality.[211] WJW also began simulcasting their 6 p.m. news on WHK in June 1990.[212]
It was a family atmosphere. Tim Taylor was a great mentor to me. Casey [Coleman] and I hit it off immediately. We loved Robin [Swoboda] from the get-go, she was so much fun. [Dick] Goddard would get us food in between shows and we'd tease him about his idiosyncrasies. But it was all in good fun.
D'Ascenzo left the station in March 1986 for a job atWFSB inHartford, Connecticut.Robin Swoboda was hired fromWTVJ in Miami as her replacement; Swoboda anchored WTVJ's noon news—under the name Robin Cole—directly opposite Carli atWPLG. WJW management recommended Swoboda use her real last name, feeling it would play well with Cleveland's ethnic community.[214] The on-air team of Taylor, Swoboda, Goddard and Coleman met with significant ratings success: by June 1988, WJW was ranked number one at noon, 6 and 11 p.m., and the 11 p.m. news was the top-rated program in all of Cleveland television.[215] Local media later described the four as "one of Cleveland's most memorable news teams"[216] and "theMount Rushmore of Cleveland TV news".[213] Swoboda was offered a lucrative contract in 1988 to anchor inSan Diego[217] and co-hosted the pilot of a syndicated show alongsideAhmad Rashad,[215] but she opted to remain in Cleveland.[218] Marrying former Browns punterBryan Wagner,[219] Swoboda left WJW in June 1991 to co-host the NBC showCover to Cover withGayle King.[220] Morning anchor Denise Dufala took over for Swoboda and was highly regarded for a friendly, yet serious, on-air demeanor and strong community ties, while ratings for both 6 and 11 p.m. saw year-to-year increases.[221]
WJW adopted the slogan "Cleveland's Own" in 1989, owing to the station's ratings dominance and homegrown talent, along with increased civic pride among local media;[222] the moniker was derided in some circles for the station's out-of-town ownership.[223] Aside from a brief de-emphasizing in early 1996,[224] the station has continued to use the slogan into the present day.[225]
Storer Communications was taken private in a $1.6 billionleveraged buyout byKohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), amerchant banker. Completed in December 1985, the buyout was engineered to thwart ahostile takeover byComcast[226] and an attempted liquidation of the company by dissatisfied shareholders.[227] KKR purchasedWometco Enterprises the previous year after no succession plan was found following the death of chairmanMitchell Wolfson,[228][229] and began the process of dismantling the conglomerate.[230] Wometco already owned several television stations in markets where Storer owned cable systems, including WTVJ in Miami, and owned a cable system in Atlanta where Storer ownedWAGA-TV; the FCC's approval was conditional on KKR divesting in these overlapping markets.[231]
KKR originally planned to only sell WTVJ but soon entertained offers for some of the Storer stations.[232] On May 21, 1986,Lorimar-Telepictures, producer ofDallas,Knots Landing andFalcon Crest for CBS, agreed to purchase the Storer stations,production company, advertising sales division, Washingtonnews bureau and WTVJ for $1.85 billion,[233][234] with WTVJ commanding $405 million.[235] Lorimar was expected to dismiss Storer's corporate staff, prompting Virgil Dominic—by then WJW station manager[196] and Storer's corporate news director—to be transferred back to WJW as news director.[236] This deal collapsed by late October 1986 when Lorimar asked to have WTVJ excluded.[237] Initially attributed to issues financing the deal and reducedcash flow estimates for WTVJ,[238][239] it was later revealed that CBS presidentLaurence Tisch objected to Lorimar purchasing a significant portion of the affiliate base and threatened to disaffiliate all the CBS affiliates in the deal, including WJW.[240] WTVJ was put up for sale separately by KKR andsold to NBC on January 16, 1987.[241]
George Gillett ownership, debt trouble, and sale rumors
We went from being owned by this family company to being owned by a conglomerate when George Gillette's [sic] company bought the Storer stations. [Gillett] came in for the dog and pony show and was very candid with us; he promised to support us, and when one of the employees asked a question he couldn't answer, he would do a tap dance. He was very dynamic.
In 1987,George N. Gillett Jr. acquired majority control of the Storer stations;[243][244] the $1.3 billion deal was financed throughjunk bonds[245] and represented a valuation of nearly 15 times cash flow for the group.[246] KKR maintained 45-percent minority ownership.[247] To satisfy federal regulations, Gillett's existing station group was spun off to Busse Broadcasting, a company formed by Gillett employees.[248][249] Gillett was a major backer of local news production, to the point he called himself a "news junkie", but declined to commit to a larger budget for the station.[250] Shortly after the takeover, WJW debuted an hour-long morning newscast in February 1988 that included Dufala, sportscasterDan Coughlin and meteorologistAndré Bernier, the latter arriving fromKARE inMinneapolis–Saint Paul.[251] The newscast was seen as complementary toCBS This Morning.[209]
Gillett's purchase of the Storer stations, renamed SCI Television,[246][d] was troubled from the start. The junk bonds were raised prior toBlack Monday: by November 1987, Gillett recorded a 10:1 debt-to-profit ratio[252] and faced a $153 million loan payment by October 1989.[246][253] Rumors started to emerge of Gillett selling WJW, along with his stations inRochester, New York, andNashville.[254] These rumors intensified by June 1988 when Gillett, who formerly had a role with theMiami Dolphins, expressed interest in buying theSeattle Seahawks.[255] Potential buyers included CBS, Group W, a consortium of station employees,[254]Meredith Broadcasting,[256] and former WUAB executive William Schwartz.[257] While ownership denied WJW was itself up for sale, they did accept buy bids for review.[253] WJW reportedly had anasking price of $190 or $200 million,[256] which market analysts saw as a discount given Cleveland's market size and the station's ratings performance[258] but also reflected the high price paid for the group.[257] At the same time, Dominic was promoted to president and general manager, replacing C. David Whitaker, who transferred to Gillett's Tampa station,WTVT.[259]
By June 1989, WJW was officially taken off the market, reportedly due to WJW's ratings and a separate deal to sell hisBaltimore station,WMAR-TV,[260] falling through.[261][262] Gillett's Nashville stationWSMV-TV was sold earlier in the year.[263] Gillett boasted that the sale of WSMV was enough to shore up the company's financials,[264] but the firm missed the October 1989 loan payment, prompting three creditors to ask theUnited States Bankruptcy Court in Delaware that SCI Television be placed in involuntaryChapter 7 bankruptcy[246] while SCI offered adebt for equity exchange.[265] This exchange offer was agreed to within hours of a deadline placed by the Delaware court.[266] Bondholders acquired a 39-percent stake in SCI, while Gillett saw his ownership reduced to 41 percent and KKR's reduced to 15 percent;[247] KKR also cancelled a $190 milliondebit note held on SCI.[267] Gillett failed to meet a debt payment by August 1990, promptingS&P Global Ratings to lower the rating for Gillett Holdings from a C to a D.[268]
WJW continued to be a standout for SCI, which was noteworthy given decreased investment in equipment and maintenance.[257] By September 1991, the station cancelledCleveland Tonight and laid off all personnel involved, effectively disbanding WJW's local production department; the move was blamed on both Gillett's financial woes and the departure of Swoboda, who took on additional duties with the show before leaving.[269][270] Swoboda's exit also rendered a $75,000 promotional campaign the station shot on film earlier in the year worthless.[271]
WJW was again placed for sale in September 1990 after a second sale attempt for WMAR,[272] but no offer materialized.[210]WNET presidentWilliam F. Baker expressed interest in WJW, having offered to buy WKYC from NBC the year before, and the president ofViacom paid a visit to WJW's studios.[273] Gillett's financial pressures continued to mount after the WMAR sale was renegotiated to a lower price and a Denver bankruptcy judge denied any further extensions on aChapter 11 filing.[220] Theearly 1990s recession also negatively impacted television station cash flow and advertising revenue,[273] on top of Gillett's failure to divest assets prior to a decline in station valuation.[220] Facing lawsuits from multiple creditors includingApollo Partners,Allstate andFidelity Investments, Gillett Holdings filed for Chapter 11 on July 26, 1991.[274] After reaching another agreement with bondholders, Gillett Holdings was restructured in January 1992, with Gillett as a minority owner but maintaining day-to-day operational control.[275]
Ronald Perelman
InvestorRonald Perelman, regarded as acorporate raider and the owner ofRevlon andMarvel Entertainment,[276] purchased majority control of SCI Television, including WJW-TV, on February 17, 1993,[277] pushing Gillett out entirely.[278] The transaction came through a bankruptcy court-approved Chapter 11 reorganization: Perelman's holding companyMacAndrews & Forbes made a $100 million investment in SCI, which was still burdened by $1.3 billion in debt, in exchange for 53 percent of its equity.[279] WTVT was also included.[280] After the deal closed, SCI was folded into Perelman's New World Entertainment and renamedNew World Communications.[276][281] This was one of several deals Perelman made in rapid succession, as he then purchased a stake in Genesis Entertainment viaFour Star Television[282] and directly purchased infomercial producerGuthy-Renker.[283]
Perelman's takeover of SCI set off speculation regarding the station group's future with CBS, including using them to test future syndicated programming or to form a new network.[278] The previous June, CBS announced a change in compensation for affiliates, owing to a $200 million financial shortfall for the network: affiliates, including WJW, were now being asked to repay as much of 25 percent of the money provided by CBS and also had to pay CBS in order to air specific programs.[284] This came as WJW was already facing "several hundred thousand dollars" in decreased revenue.[285] Dominic continued to reiterate support for CBS, saying, "[t]hey are the only network whose only business is the business of broadcasting"[285] and "I think the country would suffer greatly if the network-affiliate system ever goes away".[284] When CBS debutedLate Show with David Letterman in August 1993, WJW delayed the show until midnight in favor ofMurphy Brown reruns, which netted more revenue from local advertising.[286]
[B]uilding something from the ground up is more fun. The challenge is to take the people we had at5 and blending them here at 8, with people like [Dick] Goddard, Carl Monday, Tom Meyer, Neil Zurcher—I have all these wonderful weapons at my disposal.
Andy Fishman, former WEWS producer, on joining WJW[287]
With newfound resources under New World, WJW made a flurry of talent hires, including producer Andy Fishman, entertainment reporter David Moss, and anchor/reporter Lou Maglio, all of whom came to WJW from WEWS.[287] WEWS lead anchorWilma Smith—who had been with the station for 17 years and was regarded as a "focal point"—inked a five-year deal with WJW on December 20, 1993, that included co-anchoring the 11 p.m. news and a revamped 5 p.m. news in the mold of WEWS'sLive on Five, which Smith co-anchored and which continually bested WJW in the ratings.[288] Negotiations between Smith and Dominic began in secret after WEWS failed to meet aright of first refusal deadline.[289] Smith debuted at the station on April 3, 1994, after a non-compete clause with WEWS was honored, and said of Dominic, "... coming here with Virgil is like a dream come true. He knows what we go through, the insecurities—so understanding, someone I've always admired."[287]
I guarantee you one thing. We are not going to be 'Fox 8.' There is no way in the world we are going to become 'Fox 8'. We are 'Cleveland's Own' and 'Newscenter 8,' and we intend to stay that way.
Virgil Dominic, WJW president and general manager[290]
On May 23, 1994,Fox parentNews Corporation announced the purchase of a 20 percent stake in New World Communications, an investment of $500 million.[291] The deal included a groupwide multi-year affiliation agreement that had the majority of stations owned by—or in the process of being acquired by—New World, switch network affiliations to Fox after existing contracts expired per-station.[292][293] News Corp. chairmanRupert Murdoch called the agreement "the largest network affiliation realignment in television history" and said it would "forever change the competitive landscape of network television". WJW's inclusion in the deal meant that their CBS affiliation would end after 39 years.[291] This came after Fox outbid CBS for broadcast rights to theNational Football Conference months earlier[294] and sought to upgrade its affiliate base.[295] Dominic was notified of the deal days in advance and sworn to secrecy; he later told thePlain Dealer, "My mouth fell to my knees. There was five or six seconds of absolute silence after [New World stations president Bob Selwyn] told me. It really was a shock."[290]
WJW logo used from 1994–1995 during the affiliation switch, eschewing their Fox affiliation.
WJW was the first of these stations to switch to Fox on September 3, 1994, with outgoing Fox affiliateWOIO joining CBS;[296]Fox Kids went from WOIO toWBNX-TV.[297] With the switch, WJW-TV hired multiple personnel and added alocal morning show, giving it the largest news staff and news output of any Ohio television station, but notably eschewed directly marketing their incoming Fox affiliation,[296] something Dominic publicly resisted.[290] WOIO had no news department but assumed operational control of WUAB in order to establish one;[298] Dufala, who already had been replaced by Smith as WJW's 11 p.m. co-anchor,[287] signed a contract with WOIO, while WJW re-signed Swoboda to co-anchor the 6 p.m. news.[219] WJW's switch came with three months' notice and altered more than 20 hours of programming per day,[299] or 87 percent of the schedule.[300] Ratings declined in all time slots but especially fell by half for the late-evening news after moving from 11 p.m.—a time slot WJW had won consistently since 1981—to 10 p.m., but still topped WUAB's newscast.[301][302] WJW's morning show also failed to retain the audience of its lead-in 6 a.m. news.[303]
Dominic retired in May 1995: while highly regarded for his "avuncular" stewardship of WJW,[304] the station struggled to maintain its prior news presentation more befitting of a CBS affiliation, a problem encountered by the rest of the New World stations.[305] Selwyn later said WJW "had the farthest to fall" because it had been so closely tied to CBS.[299] Fox Entertainment presidentJohn Matoian said the network was looking at broadening their programming beyond their original target 18–34 demographic, prompted largely by the reluctance of newer affiliates like WJW to identify with Fox.[306] Dominic was replaced by Bob Rowe; under Rowe, previously the general manager ofKNXV-TV inPhoenix,[299] the station rebranded in November 1995 to "Fox is Ei8ht" / "Ei8ht is News",[302] a slogan derided among viewers for its continuous on-air repetition.[304] The morning newscasts were retooled into a three-hour program[302] which saw its audience double year-over-year during the first month, while WJW saw ratings increases in several dayparts.[307]
News Corp. agreed to purchase New World Communications in a $2.5 billion deal announced on July 17, 1996, with WJW joining Fox'sowned-station division; talks between the two companies stalled earlier in the year but restarted when Perelman pursued a deal forKing World.[308] Beginning in August 1996, WJW began rebranding from "Ei8ht is News" to "Fox 8" in preparation for the changeover, the same branding Dominic publicly resisted implementing two years earlier.[309] The nature of the rebranding led some station employees to joke internally, "Fox Ei8ht Us".[310]
We have to reshape TV-8 because it's a Fox station now. You have a different platform to promote from for shows likeMelrose Place andParty of Five.
The turnover extended over-the-air. Prior to the start of the November 1996 sweeps, Rowe demoted Casey Coleman from weeknight sportscasting duties in favor of Mark Schroeder; Coleman, who had also been the radio voice of the Browns from 1994 untiltheir 1996 move to Baltimore,[216] was criticized for his close friendship withBill Belichick and had been perceived as "negative".[311] News director Kathy Williams, who was reportedly upset over Coleman's demotion,[216] left for like duties at WKYC several weeks later, with Rowe tabbing Greg Easterly, a former producer/director at KNXV, as her replacement.[312] When the deal closed, Rowe was dismissed and replaced by Mike Renda, a former sales manager at WJW.[313] Renda and Easterly made a partial reversal of Coleman's demotion, restoring him to the 6 p.m. news in early March 1997,[201] but declined to renew his contract at the end of June.[314] Coleman's replacement was Tony Rizzo, son of former Cleveland television personalityJack Reynolds and the sportscaster forJohn Lanigan's show atWMJI,[315] whose on-air persona was seen as a stark contrast to Coleman's.[216]
Robin Swoboda left WJW a second time in early January 1998,[316] which she largely attributed to the station's handling of Coleman, saying, "[t]hat's one of the reasons I don't love this business anymore. Casey was Cleveland sports. It's not fair."[216] Wilma Smith was consequently moved from the 5 p.m. news—which tied in the ratings against reruns on WUAB and had a poor lead-in withThe Rosie O'Donnell Show—to 6 p.m. opposite Tim Taylor, matching their 10 p.m. pairing.[317] While seen as "slumbering" against stiff competition from WKYC and WEWS,[318][319] WJW consistently led at 10 p.m. and beat WUAB by a 2–1 margin during the February 1998 sweeps.[320] Ratings improved at 6 a.m. and noon by 1999,[321] and in 2000, WJW was ranked first sign-on to sign-off in multiple key demographics, with the 8 a.m. hour competitive against the network morning shows.[322] Renda credited the stability under Fox ownership for much of the success, saying, "[f]or years we were operating with rubber bands and glue. Fox has given uscapital—and we're working for a real broadcaster now."[38] The station erected a new tower in 1999 forhigh-definition television; to alleviate residential concerns, WJW agreed to remove both the existing analog tower and the original 1949 self-supporting tower once the digital tower was activated.[323] WJW began digital broadcasts in November 1999 on UHF channel 31.[324][325]
WJW ranked as the highest-rated Fox affiliate in the country in February 2001, with the station leading in the 25–54 demographic in every newscast,[326] aided by Fox's primetime lineup and the acquisition ofJudge Judy as a lead-in for 5 p.m.[327] The success in mornings came alongside increased viewership for morning news industry-wide,[328] while the success at 6 and 10 p.m. was attributed to the stability of WJW's anchor team of Smith, Taylor and Goddard; as Taylor toldThe Plain Dealer, "people in Cleveland abhor change".[329] By 2004, WJW faced heightened competition from WKYC, particularly at 5 a.m. and 6 p.m., andDr. Phil on WKYC at 5 p.m. topped all competing newscasts.[330] As 2005 began, Smith and Taylor reduced their schedule to anchor solely at 6 p.m. by their request, and Bill Martin and Stacey Bell took over anchoring at 10 p.m., reflecting WJW's dominance in the late-evening news while also raising the profiles of Martin and Bell.[331] The change foreshadowed Taylor's retirement at the end of 2005, ending a 40-year career in broadcasting and 27 years at channel 8.[194][332] Lou Maglio replaced Taylor as 6 p.m. co-anchor,[333] a role he continues to hold.[225]
In early 2007, the station launchedThat's Life, a local late-morning talk show hosted by Swoboda, who returned to WJW for her third stint;[334] the show was inspired in part by WEWS'sThe Morning Exchange, which Swoboda briefly co-hosted in 1998.[335][336]That's Life was also the first locally-produced program in the market to be broadcast in high-definition.[334] By 2010,That's Life was renamedThe Robin Swoboda Show.[337]
Weeknight anchors Lou Maglio and Tracy McCool, and meteorologist Dontae Jones
On December 22, 2007, Fox sold WJW and seven other stations toLocal TV for $1.1 billion; the stations were divested so News Corp. could raise additional capital for its $5 billion purchase ofDow Jones & Company.[338] The sale coincided with WJW debuting a news set, logo and graphics more closely tied toFox News, and the station's website moved to Fox's "myfox" internet platform.[339][340] Mike Renda was transferred toWTXF-TV, Fox's owned-and-operated station in Philadelphia, and Greg Easterly succeeded him as general manager.[341] The sale was finalized on July 14, 2008;[342] up to 25 staffers left the station prior to the sale's close, with some taking early retirement in order to access a benefits package provided by Fox, and the station'sColumbus bureau was closed.[343] Lead investigative reporterTom Merriman left WJW to resume a career in legal work when one colleague in the station's "I-Team" unit was reassigned to consumer reporting and another was promoted to anchor duties.[343]
During Local TV ownership, WJW's analog signal was shut down on June 12, 2009, as part of thetransition from analog to digital television; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 31 to VHF channel 8.[344][345] Swoboda left the station in January 2011 after disagreeing over the inclusion of sponsored segments;The Robin Swoboda Show was replaced withNew Day Cleveland, aninfotainment program hosted by David Moss andKristi Capel,[346] and has remained on the lineup to the present day.[225] The following year, Capel was promoted to morning co-anchor[347] alongsideWayne Dawson, who joined channel 8 in 1979 and became lead morning anchor in 1999.[348] Wilma Smith retired on May 22, 2013, ending a 36-year career in television, almost all of it working in the Cleveland market.[349][350]
WJW's helicopter, "SkyFox"
Tribune Broadcasting acquired Local TV on July 1, 2013, for $2.75 billion.[351][352] News expansion furthered under Local TV and Tribune, including weekend morning news in 2011[165] and a 4 p.m. newscast in 2013.[353] In April 2014, Easterly was promoted to the general manager role atWGN-TV, Tribune's flagship station,[354] while Andy Fishman was elevated that November to the role of news director,[355] which he still holds.[225] After being rescued fromyears of captivity by Ariel Castro in 2013, Amanda Berry joined WJW in 2017 to host regular missing person segments.[356]
Sinclair Broadcast Group announced a $3.9 billionpurchase of Tribune Broadcasting on May 8, 2017.[357] The deal raised concerns over the future of WJW's newscasts due to Sinclair's track record of underminingeditorial independence at the station level.[358] Sinclair agreed to sell WJW back to Fox Television Stations as part of a seven-station, $910 million deal, contingent on the Sinclair-Tribune deal closing,[359][360] but this was nullified when Tribune terminated the merger on August 9, 2018,[361][362] following a rejection of the deal by FCC chairmanAjit Pai.[363] Following the Sinclair-Tribune merger collapse, Tribune agreed to be purchased byNexstar Media Group on December 3, 2018, for $6.4 billion.[364] After the sale closed on September 16, 2019, Fox declined to reacquire WJW despite "high-stakes negotiations" between the two groups.[365]
Nexstar subsequently purchased WBNX on October 28, 2024, for an unspecified amount.[366] The deal closed in February 2025,[367] with WBNX set to become the Cleveland market'sCW affiliate in September.[e]
WJW's initial digital transmitter on UHF channel 31 prior to the 2009 digital transition has remained in a functional, though dormant, state. Tribune Broadcasting donated the transmitter to theNational Association of Broadcasters, which it used to conduct a six-month test of theATSC 3.0 standard beginning in May 2015 as WI9X3Y.[393][394] The transmitter remained active for the duration of the2016 World Series—in which the Cleveland Indians played—and broadcast in4KUHD withDolby AC-4 audio.[395]
^Complicating matters, two applicants were vying for the channel 11 allocation in Akron;[20][21] following the end of the "freeze", this allocation was moved to theUHF band on channel 49.[22]
^While this did not happen, thePBS station inWest Palm Beach, Florida, renamed itselfWXEL-TV in 1985; that station's program manager previously worked at the Cleveland WXEL in the early 1950s.[81]
^The subsidiary that held WJW's license was renamed Gillett Communications of Cleveland, Inc.[250]
^WBNX was previously the Cleveland affiliate for The CW from 2006 until 2018.[368]
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^"Tim Taylor is coanchor on TV-8".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. December 4, 1979. p. 6B. RetrievedDecember 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Strassmeyer, Mary (May 8, 1978)."Mary, Mary: It's official".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 3A. RetrievedDecember 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (August 28, 1996)."Meyer leaves TV-8 for 19 and 43".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 7E.Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. RetrievedOctober 20, 2022 – via NewsBank.
^Hart, Raymond P. (February 16, 1980)."WZAK trims ethnic format".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 3D. RetrievedDecember 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^O'Connor, Clint (July 14, 2001)."Carl Monday is joining Channel 3".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 1E. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Hart, Raymond P. (June 14, 1980)."Time to set aside her crown".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5B. RetrievedDecember 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abFeran, Tom (November 22, 2005)."Saying goodbye to 'Cleveland's Own'".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E1.Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abFeran, Tom (March 8, 1997)."Casey back in lineup on Channel 8".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 6E. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Riccardi, Maria (October 29, 1985)."Show news gets the business".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5C. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Riccardi, Maria (January 14, 1986)."Brugett answers PM Mag's SOS".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5B. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Snook, Debbi (February 17, 1988)."WJW is leader in news at 6 p.m."The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 9G. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"More good news at WJW".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. February 18, 1988. p. 9E. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abSnook, Debbi (December 10, 1987)."WJW to dump 'P.M. Magazine'".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 13G. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abFeran, Tom (December 31, 1990)."TV stations here dial up boom".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 1B,6B. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Snook, Debbie (March 15, 1989)."Young anchor settles in at TV-8".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. pp. 1H,10H. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (December 3, 1989)."TV butters up city to gloss image".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. pp. 1H,8H. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (August 23, 1989)."The game's name is promotion".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 13E. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Foote, Jr., Cornelius F. (May 22, 1986)."WTVJ owner expects 'bundle' from sale".The Miami Herald. p. 15C.Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. RetrievedApril 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Altaner, David (May 22, 1986)."Lorimar buying WTVJ, 6 other stations".South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. D1.Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. RetrievedApril 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Lorimar drops deal for WTVJ".The Palm Beach Post. Reuters. October 23, 1986.Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. RetrievedApril 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Altaner, David (October 23, 1986)."Channel 4 purchase called off".South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. D1.Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. RetrievedApril 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Alan Perris".Television Academy Interviews. October 23, 2017.Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. RetrievedApril 11, 2021.
^abFeran, Tom (June 18, 1988)."Channel 8 reviewing buy bids".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 3D. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abFeran, Tom (June 16, 1988)."Workers want to buy WJW".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 11F. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (June 15, 1988)."WJW sale rumor gets no comment".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 12G. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abcFeran, Tom (June 16, 1990)."Channel 8 could be for sale".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 2E. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (June 16, 1988)."Rumored WJW price seems low".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 11F. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (February 24, 1989)."WJW news chief named to top spot".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 13A. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (September 2, 1991)."TV-5 special wins a national Emmy".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5E. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (September 14, 1990)."WJW-TV on the block again".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 3C. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Dyer, Bob (September 19, 1993)."Letterman letters can't sway WJW".The Akron Beacon Journal. p. D2.Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abcFeran, Tom (May 29, 1994)."Seismic change".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 1C.Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. RetrievedApril 29, 2023 – via NewsBank.
^Foisie, Geoffrey (May 30, 1994). "Fox and the New World order".Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 124, no. 22. pp. 6, 8.ProQuest225327977.
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^Feran, Tom (September 2, 1994)."Channel 55 to air Fox children's shows".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 6E.Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. RetrievedOctober 21, 2022 – via NewsBank.
^Feran, Tom (August 20, 1994)."WOIO fires 8 at TV-43 in takeover".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 1E.Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. RetrievedOctober 5, 2022 – via NewsBank.
^Feran, Tom (January 16, 1995)."Fox-CBS switch still best, exec says".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 7E.Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. RetrievedMay 2, 2023 – via NewsBank.
^abFeran, Tom (February 15, 1996)."TV-8 Chief is all News, News, News".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5E.Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. RetrievedMay 2, 2023 – via NewsBank.
^Lafayette, Jon (January 20, 1997). "Change looms for Fox's New World".Electronic Media. pp. 32–33.
^Feran, Tom (December 5, 1995)."CBS is only loser in local ratings".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 9E.Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. RetrievedMay 2, 2023 – via NewsBank.
^Feran, Tom (July 18, 1996)."Fox's owner buys WJW Channel 8".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. pp. 1A,14A. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (August 15, 1996)."Changes beginning at 'Fox 8'".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 6E.Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. RetrievedMay 2, 2023 – via NewsBank.
^Feran, Tom (December 6, 1996)."Fox's girlfriend off 'Spin City'".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5E.Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (December 7, 1996)."Visions of city's past on WVIZ".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 8E. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (February 22, 1997)."New general manager at Channel 8".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 7B. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Heldenfels, R.D. (June 11, 1997)."Coleman receives pink slip at WJW".The Akron Beacon Journal. p. C3.Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Brown, Roger (March 8, 1999)."WEWS, WJW news shows win February sweeps".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 3E.Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Washington, Julie E. (November 22, 2005)."Channel 8's Taylor to retire".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. pp. E1,E3. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Washington, Julie E. (March 11, 2006)."Maglio moves up to evening anchor".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E7.Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Heldenfels, Rich (January 7, 2007)."Swoboda returns with new talk show".The Akron Beacon Journal. pp. E1,E4.Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Musarra, Russ (July 24, 1998)."Channel 5 revamps a.m. show".The Akron Beacon Journal. p. B5. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Washington, Julie E. (June 26, 2010)."Local TV stations win regional Emmys".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E3.Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (June 15, 2007)."Fox's parent company will sell WJW".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E3. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Heldenfels, Rich (June 15, 2007)."Owner of Fox to sell WJW".The Akron Beacon Journal. pp. C9–C10. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Washington, Julie E. (June 9, 2007)."Easterly settles in as new Channel 8 GM".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E7. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^abWashington, Julie (October 12, 2008)."I-Team reporter leaps to law firm".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E7.Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. RetrievedNovember 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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^Dawidziak, Mark (November 13, 2014)."Fishman is Channel 8 news director".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. A2.Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. RetrievedDecember 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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^Sammon, Judy (November 10, 1976)."Today".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 2A.Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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^Feran, Tom (February 9, 1993)."Channel 8 hires yet another Robin".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 10C.Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (March 10, 1994)."TV-8's O'Donnell going to NBC News".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 17E.Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Feran, Tom (December 29, 1995)."WJW's Savidge headed to CNN".The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 5E. RetrievedDecember 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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Goddard, Dick (2011).Six Inches of Partly Cloudy: Cleveland's Legendary TV Meteorologist Takes on Everything–and More. Cleveland, Ohio: Gray and Company, Publishers.ISBN978-1-59851-066-9.
(*) – indicates station is in one of Ohio's primaryTV markets (**) – indicates station is in an out-of-state TV market, but reaches a small portion of Ohio
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