| abstract
| - WJXX first went on the air on June 25, 1997 owned by Allbritton Communications. It was the first station in the country designed for digital television, a medium which was then fairly new. The station was initially slated to be an independent, but just before it signed on, Allbritton signed a long-term affiliation deal with ABC. As a result, WJXX took the affiliation from longtime affiliate WJKS. That station then became a WB affiliate and changed its callsign to WJWB (it is now WCWJ). Albritton sold WJXX to Gannett, owners of WTLV, in November 1999. Normally, duopolies between two "big four" affiliates or even "big three" affiliates would not be allowed because they usually constituted the top four stations in a market. FCC regulations do not allow common ownership of any two of the four biggest stations in a market. However, the FCC allowed the deal because, as the newest station in the market, WJXX ranked behind WJWB, Fox affiliate WAWS and then-UPN affiliate WTEV (now a CBS affiliate). Once the sale was final on March 17, 2000, Gannett moved WJXX into WTLV's facilities and kept only a handful of the original staff. This created First Coast News which airs on both stations today. However, most of the news personnel are veterans of WTLV. First Coast News adopted the "Global Village" theme by Stephen Arnold Music in 2000 shortly after acquiring WJXX (the package used before then was "The NBC Collection"). This package stayed until December 2006, when the station switched to "Seize The Day" by 615 Music. Earlier that year, First Coast News renovated its studios and changed their graphics after long-time anchor Alan Gionet departed. On September 10, 2007, First Coast News stopped simulcasting the 5 and 5:30 p.m. weekday broadcasts on WJXX. The Ellen DeGeneres Show replaced the broadcasts at 5 p.m. on WJXX instead. Since NBC's Today expanded to four hours, the station moved Live with Regis and Kelly, which had previously aired at 10 a.m. on WTLV, to WJXX at 9 a.m. Divorce Court was also moved from WJXX (where it had aired at Noon) to 2 p.m. on WTLV. Joy Purdy (who previously worked at WFOR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Miami) also debuted as the new anchor of First Coast News at 7. On October 29, 2007, First Coast News once again debuted new graphics in time for the November sweeps. Along with new graphics, Donna Hicken officially identified herself on-air as Donna Deegan. The ABC 25 logo also had changed for the first time since Gannett acquired it in 2000. Banner released in the email promoting the new website. This is also to be the banner used at the top of the site during the early evening hours.On May 15, 2008, First Coast News released an email to all subscribers about their website set to debut on May 21. It was announced by Online Manager Linda Mock that the new site was to have a new forum system known as 'Pluck' and would require everyone to sign up, unlike their existing system 'Topix'. A new banner that will change with the weather conditions replaced the old banner that showed the current on-air anchors. Also started was ads for every newscast at the top of the screen, that cycles through with previous ads. The new website was also announced via a breaking news alert at the top of the existing website. On May 21, 2008, as expected, First Coast News debuted its new website. First Coast News now offers a "Weather Call" service that will call your telephone in the event of severe weather near your specific location. It utilizes National Weather Service data to place the call. On October 23, 2008, First Coast News debuted new graphics and music, the same standardized packages as on every other Gannett television station. The new uniformed graphics were created by G3 (or the Gannett Graphics Group) based near sister station KUSA-TV in Denver; the music was composed by Rampage Music New York. In January, 2009, First Coast News fired weekend meteorologist Dave Vanore. Michelle Jacobs returned back to First Coast News to anchor weather and traffic in the mornings. The entire weather team shifted, with Steve Smith moving from mornings to 7 p.m. weekdays, and Mark Collins moving to weekend newscasts. On June 12, 2009, WJXX shut down its analog transmitter in Clay County, Florida. This caused viewers in areas such as Gainesville to lose programming from WJXX, but viewers in Flagler County, Florida and on the Colonial Coast of Georgia gained programming. First Coast News' new high definition ready set, designed by FX Group.In July 2009, First Coast News yet again shuffled anchors around. Joy Purdy and Deanna Fene departed First Coast News at 7, with Purdy switching places with Patty Crosby and joining Phil Amato on Good Morning Jacksonville, and Fene replacing departing Victor Blackwell on weekend evenings. Crosby moved to 7 p.m. broadcasts anchoring news, with Steve Smith anchoring weather, and Dan Hicken anchoring sports. Corrine Hautala was hired to anchor weekend morning newscasts. On February 1, 2010, First Coast News began broadcasting local newscasts in high definition, becoming the third television news operation in Jacksonville to do so. Coincidentally, Action News on WTEV and WAWS began broadcasting in that format the day before. The entire on-air appearance was revamped, with differently stylized versions of Gannett's standardized graphics being introduced, as well as a brand new set being unveiled, designed by FX Group. With the premiere of high definition newscasts, First Coast News completed the transition to high definition broadcasts on Jacksonville's television newscasts.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)