It wasn't purchased by Guy Gannett until 1994. Anchors Trey Paul - weekdays mornings and reporter (also reporter) Natalie Sparacio - weekday mornings Marianne Manko - weeknights at 5, 6, and 9 Vince DeMentri - weeknights at 5, 6, and 10 Liz Foster - weeknights at 10 Shantel Middleton - General Assignment/weekend anchor Kevilee Douglas - Illinois Central host Storm Team 20 WICS continued to be owned by Plains Television Partners from its beginnings through 1986 and co-owned with sister station WICD in Champaign. Critics of the initiative stated that the "Code Red" days unnecessarily alarm Central Illinois-area residents and harms local business revenue on the designated days. With the exception of the WCCU newscast, WICD no longer produces Champaign-specific local news. At one point in time, there had been a newscast weeknights at 5 that was simulcast on both outlets originating from Springfield.[4]. As mentioned above, WICS frequently pre-empted prime time programming to insert its own programming. Anchor Leaves Station without a Word (Thanks to Sinclair) October 28, 2016 / Scott Jones. It also competes with another two-hour local newscast seen at same time on MyNetworkTV affiliate WCIX (produced by WCIA). (The initiative, which Sinclair began implementing in 2018 and is similar to systems devised by other groups such as Gray Television through the stations it inherited from the now-defunct Raycom Media, is known by different names depending on the station, such as "Weather Warn" or as a "(weather branding) Alert Day".) By 1978, WHNB-TV was sold to Viacom, while the Balaban's retained their Plains Television Partners stations WICS and WICD. This was the 1965-66 Season Premiere Video produced for NBC Sales. // pattern, adding to the array. Twitter | Vice President at Frontline Public Strategies, Inc. Senior public affairs & media relations strategist, Founder of Frontline Public Strategies. The ad for a WICS Springfield, Ill., morning meteorologist showed up Tuesday on owner Sinclair Broadcast Groups website. Others who have spent time there included Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Bill Murray, Albert Brooks, Don Novello, Paul Shaffer, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Gilbert Gottfried, Joe Piscopo, Charles Rocket, Eddie Murphy, Robin Duke, Tim Kazurinsky and Denny Dillon. Weekday programming in 1979 on WICS included the typical NBC daytime schedule of game and daytime dramas and locally originated off-network television series from the '60s and '70s. By 1978, WHNB-TV was sold to Viacom, while the Balaban's retained their Plains Television Partners stations WICS and WICD. 1976 Fall TV montage of shows broadcast during the week. On March 13, 2015, Sinclair announced that WICD would stop offering separate newscasts on weekdays that focus on the eastern areas of the market (Champaign/Urbana/Danville). Kathryn Dinardo At Sinclair, employees are our most valuable asset. WICS owner Sinclair did not give her the chance to tell . WICS began operations on September 17, 1953 and was owned by Plains Television Partners of Springfield, which was a 50/50 joint venture of . It seems that Saturday Night Live replaced a time period in which local stations previously programmed it to air movies and other syndicated programming. During most of its run in the late 1960s and 70s, it was sponsored by the local Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Springfield, Railsplitters Motors. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) stating that the "Code Red" system "overstat[es] the danger to our community." That of Channel 20(WICS) in Springfield, Channel 33(WCHU) in Champaign, Channel 24,(WICD) in Danville and Channel 75(W-75-AD) in Mattoon, Illinois. Meanwhile, WICD in Danville broadcast a signal of about 30 miles from Danville. WICD and its Sinclair sister station in the market, WICS, will begin sharing weekend newscasts that day. Click on the button to see the program schedule from the dates indicated above. Before, Vince served as a news anchor at WICS in Springfield, Illinois. Hazard, Kentucky . Champaign's sister station was allowed to break from the WICS program schedule and it would air "Saturday Night Live" as broadcast on NBC. CBS Color The Final Years of Plains Television Partners and WICS. Teresa Wilson Ericson Plains ownership of WICS would come to a close in 1986 when the NBC affiliate in the Illinois state capital city was sold to Guy Gannett Publications of Portland, Maine. WICS would often time preempt NBC for the airing of local origination programming during the prime time during the month following a rating period. Former Channel 20 anchor Don Hickman dies JOHN REYNOLDS and MATTHEW DIETRICH 0:00 0:35 Don Hickman, whose nearly three decades as news anchor at WICS Channel 20 made him one of. Senate Republican Caucus, Vice President & Senior Trust Officer at Jacksonville Savings Bank, Communication Manager/Spokesperson at Illinois Department of Transportation, President, Savant Multimedia, Social Media Management/Advertising Firm. This week I began a new career in a new industry. On June 26, 2010, rival WAND became the first television station in East-Central Illinois to upgrade news production to high definition level. Lemke has gone from The Weather Channel to the Chief Met at WICS in Springfield. Creative Services at WICS during the 60th Anniversary of WICS from which the recreation of the WICS logo (1st in Springfield) was included as the first graphic of this page WICS would air paid religious programs by a professional evangelist, as well as paid info-commercials on behalf of charitable organizations. Plains Television Partners held onto WICD making it the final property owned by the company before finally selling to Guy Gannett. One minute she's on the news, the next minute she's gone. Sinclair is providing sales and other non-programming services to the stations pursuant to shared services and joint sales agreements. Impeachment managers argued that Trump's speech on January 6 incited the deadly insurrection at the U. S. Capitol. Meanwhile, WICD in Danville broadcast a signal of about 30 miles from Danville. From the start, NewsChannel at 9 competed with a newscast already established in the time slot on then-UPN affiliate WCFN (produced by WCIA). In 1963 Robert D. McMullin was listed as WCIA News Editor (News Director). I am overjoyed at my new career and lifestyle change that promotes work life balance. It features Elizabeth Wooley, Jerry Lambert, and reporter Catie Sheehan. Press Releases, Media Relations, Strategic Communications, Public Relations, Internal Family Service Consultant at Staab Funeral Home, Financial Planner, Insurance and Investments at Communication Manager at CMS - State of Illinois. Strategic Planning, E-learning, Higher Education Marketing, Educational Technology, Higher Technical Director at THINK TeleVisual LLC., Digital Media Mechandising Producer at Anderson Technical Director at THINK TeleVisual LLC. A short voice over promo for NBC Saturday Night at the Movies from 1975. Quotation[5] = "'FTVLive was the first site to break the Jay Leno story' - KNX Radio"; Although the WRSP/WCCU newscast features market wide coverage, including contributions from WICD reporters based in Champaign, there is a separate weeknight weather segment for WRSP and WCCU that was seen. On Instagram, Elder wrote that she'd "close. This was produced to promote the 1975-76 Fall Preview Special. Many might remember the "Acri Creature Feature" which ran late Saturday nights. His characters were Vincent Hedges(a vampire), Emmit(the hunchback), Beauregard(the caveman), and Bertie and Bernie(the skull). A spokesman for the stations parent, Sinclair Broadcast Group, confirmed Wednesday night that Joe was let go., TVNewsCheck | Effingham Area Weather Forecast. It seems that Saturday Night Live replaced a time period in which local stations previously programmed it to air movies and other syndicated programming. Plains Television sold WICS to Guy Gannett Communications (no relation to the larger Gannett Company), in 1986 but held onto WICD until 1994. The FCC ruled HMTF held enough stock in Sunrise that if it bought WICS/WICD, it would have created a duopoly between two of the four highest-rated stations in the market, which is forbidden by FCC rules. By 1958, WICS was an exclusive NBC affiliate. On October 7, 2013, the weekday edition of NewsChannel at 9 was expanded to an hour. (see above) The movies included many of Hollywoods classic films from the Warner Brothers and MGM libraries. WCIA 3 Weather Special. Don Hickman, who was an anchor at WICS in Springfield for 29 years, died of natural causes Saturday. It carried programming from all four networks of the era (NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont). A 25-time Regional Emmy Award-winning anchor/reporter, and Regional Edward R. Murrow Excellence in Writing Award winner, with nearly 40 years of broadcast news experience. Klein's imminent exit was first reported by FTVLive' - NY Times"; Social Media, Promotions, Multimedia, Non-linear Editing, Camera Operation, Voice Over, Creative Director at Illinois Department of Agriculture, Director at Staley Family Foundation, Talent at Television Commercials, Stay at Home Mom at My House. It as done with a panel which included John Barbour, Sarah Percell, Byron Allen, Skip Stephenson, Bill Rafferty, Mark Russell, Fred Willard and even Peter Billingsley(of "Christmas Story"). - Greta Van Susteren" 1988 was the 50th anniversary of Springfield's Mel-O-Cream Donuts and Dave Heller did a report on the local company. When "Star Trek" premiered, it was pre-empted by WICS for off-network reruns of "Laramie." WICS Sold by Plains Television Partners to Guy Gannett Communications. Multimedia journalists based at WICD's Champaign studios still provide coverage of the eastern areas of the market. With the eventual relaxation of ownership limits, Sinclair soon took the stations off the market and retained them. . In modern times it also serves as the operations hub for several other Sinclair stations as well. News anchors and reporters like Douglas Kimball would be replaced by Wayne Cox (formerly of WBLN), who would anchor through the 1960s to the 1970s. Prior to joining WICS and WRSP, Lemke worked in Omaha at WOWT-TV. Gus Gordon(weather), Don Hickman, Susan Finzen(anchors), Paul Wappel(sports) (courtesy WICS), Rebroadcast of vintage video showing Don Hickman and staff (courtesy of WICS). Professional Background CheckInformation on professionals, their work history and resumes. // ============================================== Quotation [18] = " 'FTVLive is the Most Incrediable thing in our Business' - i24News" They might have had a strange talent, demonstrated a stunt, had a peculiar occupation.I think you get the idea. Here was a TV Guide entry for just such a pre-emption. It also aired whatever ABC programs WTVP in Decatur (now WAND) had to turn down in order to air CBS shows not cleared by WCIA. [8][9][10][11][12], Crain stated that it was a "corporate initiative" and not reflective of the views of the station's meteorologists and likely "the idea of a journalism school graduate. It as done with a panel which included John Barbour, Sarah Percell, Byron Allen, Skip Stephenson, Bill Rafferty, Mark Russell, Fred Willard and even Peter Billingsley(of "Christmas Story"). [3], On March 26, 2011, WICD ceased airing its own newscasts on weekends opting to simulcast those from WICS. WICS owner Sinclair did not give her the chance to tell viewers goodbye. He left his position at NewsChannel 20 at the end of May 2012 to become the full-time Artistic Director at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield, Illinois. The company almost immediately turned around and announced it was selling the two (which count as one for regulatory purposes) plus KGAN in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Sunrise Television. 1976 Fall TV montage of shows broadcast during the week. Pictured are WICS staff members Robert Wilson and John McKinney. It's unknown when WICS finally signed on with Saturday Night Live, but it was AFTER 1979. This is from 2013. This was produced to promote the 1975-76 Fall Preview Special. For those of you who have sent me direct messages asking about my whereabouts because you have not seen me on the local evening newscasts, please know that this is the first time in my broadcasting career in which I was not given the opportunity to say goodbye. This is a recording of the "A" block of a newscast from WICS in early May of 1997. Click here to view a video of a news segment on the people trying out for a "Real People" segment from syracuse.com. First day of ABC, Sept 5, 2005 (Doug Quick Collection), 2013 WICS Weekend Anchors, Sports, Santel Middleton and Joe Brooks (You Tube), WICS Master Control before 2011 (Joe Crain photo), Work being done to master control with new digital High Definition Equipment (Joe Crain photo). TVNewsCheck | September 19, 2012 | 3:34 pm EDT by TVNewsCheck, State Journal-Register | She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Iowa State, and in 2006, was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Iowa State University. The News-Gazette Most of the time it was to air more big dollar commercials during syndicated programming. (from the Doug Quick Collection of TV Guide), The "Real People" Express visits Springfield, IL. This is a clip of the event. December 22, 2015 / Scott Jones. This operations saw local news operations reduced at some stations and combined with national news coverage, weather forecasting, and sports headlines based out of Sinclair's headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland. This full-powered, full-color facility would replace Channel 33, 24 and 75 in central Illinois and would bring rural viewers from Crawfordsville, Indiana to Decatur, Illinois NBC programming. In its place are newscasts simulcast from WICS (in all time slots) which provide market-wide coverage including content from the eastern areas through a downsized bureau at WICD's studios. This is a special hour-long NBC News as broadcast from November 20, 1977. This is a 1996 report on a local Springfield pastry tradition, Mel-O-Cream Donuts. It was felt by the management of the time that WICS would be better served by keeping the late movie and airing the local commercials. It's unknown why the Balaban's held onto the Champaign property. Remember // Set up the quotations to be shown, below. There should be one correction, though. // to increment the Quotation[x] index! Flooring America Eyenet Camera Network. Springfield IL Deadline-driven Anchor and Reporter for (then) #1 rated 6pm and 10pm newscasts. Click on the button to see the program schedule from the dates indicated above. I am now the Marketing Manager for the Springfield Illinois Convention & Visitors Bureau. // ====================================== Please note that the schedule for WICD and WICS were virtually identical. In the case of WICS/WICD, it was a late movie. The call letters of WNBC-TV were transferred soon after to NBC's network o-and-o in New York in 1960. He was 66. During the Summer of 1967, the new WICD(channel 15) would go on the air from the tallest (tower)structure in the state of Illinois at the time. Neuhoff Broadcasting-Danville The Decatur Herald-Review Newspaper At least four local businesses have pulled their advertising from WICS Springfield, Ill., in support of meteorologist Joe Crain, who has been absent from the stations broadcasts following his on-air criticism of owner Sinclair Broadcast Groups Code Red weather alert system. Although identifying as a separate station in its own right, WICD is considered . The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42. var Quotation=new Array() // do not change this! He later would be at CNN for over 20 years and at WXIA in Atlanta before moving to a role in public relations and working for the United Way in Atlanta. This popular horror movie feature was produced at WQAD, Channel 8 in Moline, Illinois, and was syndicated to KCRG-TV(Cedar Rapids, Iowa), along with WEEK-TV(Peoria), and across central Illinois on WICS and WICD. "He was a very versatile reporter, but he was also an incredibly . WICS News Anchors News anchors and reporters like Douglas Kimball would be replaced by Wayne Cox (formerly of WBLN), who would anchor through the 1960s to the 1970s. Total Television by Alex McNeil. The station's digital signal is multiplexed: WICS shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 20, on February 17, 2009, the original target date in which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The owners of Plains Television Partners were Harry and Elmer Balaban, the two younger brothers of Barney Balaban, who was the head of Paramount Pictures during the 1940s and '50s. June 10, 2019 | 6:34 am EDT by Brenden Moore. From August 12, 2016, the 10pm newscast from WICS, Channel 20. They might have had a strange talent, demonstrated a stunt, had a peculiar occupation.I think you get the idea. President and Former Vice President of Print December 7, 2012 | 8:17 am EST by TVNewsCheck, SJ-R.com | Decatur Public Library Meanwhile, WICS would struggle with the technical limitations of WCHU and WICD. WICD's transmitter is near the border between Illinois and Indiana, and WICD was carried on most cable systems on the Illinois side of the Terre Haute market. Mutual of Omaha's the Wild Kingdom would follow at 5 pm, then the NBC national newscast before prime time and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. After the 10 pm local newscast, both WICS/WICD would follow, more than likely, with the broadcast of yet another TV movie before sign-off. On December 31, 2012, the Sinclair Broadcast Group closed on the purchase of the non-license assets of GOCOM's three television stations, WRSP/WCCU and sister station WBUI for approximately $25.6 million. 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