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First Coast News is the newsroom of television stations WTLV (channel 12) and WJXX (channel 25), the NBC and ABC affiliates in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is owned with the stations by Tegna Inc.

The First Coast News brand was first used by the stations on April 27, 2000, in the wake of Gannett's acquisition of WJXX the month before and consequent expansion of what had primarily been WTLV's news department. Immediately upon taking control, WTLV newscasts were simulcast on WJXX. Since the consolidation, First Coast News has generally remained in second place in the market behind WJXT (channel 4), the market news leader.

History

Pre-FCN

When WTLV started as WFGA-TV in 1957, the station's first news director was Harold Baker, who had served in the same position at WSM radio and television in Nashville, Tennessee. Baker would anchor the station's 6 p.m. news for 17 years and direct the nascent channel 12 newsroom for 19 years in total, winning the station major national journalism awards. It settled in as a consistent second-place finisher to WJXT in local news, though it worked to close the gap, particularly after its acquisition by Gannett in 1988.

Meanwhile, in 1996, Allbritton Communications secured the ABC affiliation for the Jacksonville market from longtime third-rated station WJKS (channel 17). Originally planned to start in April, the outgoing ABC affiliate's preemptions of more than half of the network's prime time lineup caused Allbritton and the network to throw forward the launch of WJXX by two months to February 9, 1997. For most of the rest of that year, technical and signal issues dogged the new ABC affiliate, weighing on its public perception. While the station had been airing a local newsmagazine program, it was not until WJXX opened complete studios in south Jacksonville that it began to produce a full local news service on December 15, 1997. While ABC 25 News was hailed as a superior product compared to WJKS, which had aired just two 30-minute newscasts on weekdays, Allbritton faced several overwhelming factors in establishing WJXX: in addition to the technical issues that alienated viewers, the market had historically been an underperformer for the ABC network, and WJXT and WTLV were entrenched in the market. WJKS, which became The WB affiliate WJWB, surged past WJXX in the ratings.

Consolidation

On November 15, 1999, the FCC legalized television station duopolies—the common ownership of two stations in one market. The next day, November 16, Gannett announced it would purchase WJXX from Allbritton. The deal was initiated after Allbritton approached Gannett about a possible sale and was legal because of WJXX's unusually low ratings for an ABC affiliate. For the next four months, planning was initiated on the eventual consolidation of the WTLV and WJXX news operations, while WJXX continued to produce newscasts and faced a growing exodus of newsroom staffers.

The Federal Communications Commission approved the sale on March 16, 2000. Gannett consummated the purchase the next day and immediately implemented a simulcast of WTLV's newscasts on WJXX, while construction began at the WTLV studios on Adams Street—which had been enlarged in 1997—to prepare for a new combined news service under the name First Coast News, which debuted on April 27. Newscasts continued to be broadcast at the same time on each station, including the WJXX 7 p.m. newscast, which had no competition and was the station's lone successful news program.

After the merger, the gap in viewership between First Coast News and market leader WJXT slowly closed to create tough competition in the Jacksonville market. The combination of WTLV and WJXX also surpassed WJXT in total revenue.

References

1. Kerr, Jessie Lynne (June 19, 2009). "Harold Baker 1916-2009: TV newsman led Jacksonville broadcasting". The Florida Times-Union. p. B-1.
2. ^ Patton, Charlie (July 11, 1996). "PLEASE STAY TUNED: For Jacksonville's three news stations, the battle to attract viewers never ends". The Florida Times-Union. p. D-1.
3. Patton, Charlie (February 9, 1997). "ABC programs to air on new station tonight". The Florida Times-Union. p. A-1.
4. Patton, Charlie (December 15, 1997). "News team launching shows today". The Florida Times-Union. p. A-1.
5. ^ Patton, Charlie (November 17, 1999). "Affiliates' news staffs likely to merge". The Florida Times-Union. p. A-1.
6. ^ Patton, Charlie (December 13, 1999). "Changing the channel: Recent sale another chapter in ABC's tumultuous tenure in Jacksonville". The Florida Times-Union. Morris Communications. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
7. Patton, Charlie (January 22, 2003). "Reality beating up on respected". The Florida Times-Union. p. B-1.
8. Basch, Mark (November 17, 1999). "Gannett buying second Jacksonville station: New rules allow to purchase ". The Florida Times-Union. p. A-1.
9. Ostrow, Nicole (March 17, 2000). "Media merger: TV-12 owner may take over TV-25 operations as soon as today". The Florida Times-Union. p. D-1.
10. Davis Hudson, Eileen (May 15, 2000). "Jacksonville". Mediaweek. pp. 26–36. ProQuest 213613921 – via ProQuest.
11. Larson, Megan (May 24, 1999). "Counterprogrammed news equals ratings". Mediaweek. p. 20. ProQuest 213626304 – via ProQuest.
12. Larson, Megan (December 13, 1999). "WTLV shares news". Mediaweek. p. 24. ProQuest 213644529.
13. "Nielsen ratings show WTLV gain". The Jacksonville Business Journal. Advance Publications. June 19, 1998. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
14. Mark Basch (December 24, 2003). "Verdict's still out on WJXT's move". The Florida Times-Union. Morris Communications. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
15. Sean McManus (June 9, 2003). "TV news in transition". The Jacksonville Business Journal. Advance Publications. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
16. Guinta, Peter (July 14, 2002). "The big switch". The St. Augustine Record. In 2001, WJXT reported revenues of $29.75 million. Its nearest competitor, WTLV-12, reported $22 million and WJXX-25 $12.5 million.

External links

• Official website

• American news websites
• Mass media in Jacksonville, Florida