WEWS-TV facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
WEWS-TV

Cleveland/Akron, Ohio United States
City	Cleveland, Ohio
Channels	Digital: 15 (UHF) Virtual: 5 (PSIP)
Branding	News 5
Slogan	On Your Side (primary) First in Ohio, First in Cleveland (secondary)
Programming
Affiliations	5.1: ABC 5.2: Grit (O&O) 5.3: Laff (O&O) 5.4: Court TV (O&O)
Ownership
Owner	E. W. Scripps Company (Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC)
History
Founded	July 1946
First air date	December 17, 1947 (77 years ago) (1947-12-17)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 5 (VHF, 1947–2009)
Former affiliations	Primary: CBS (1947–1955) Secondary: DuMont (1947–1955) NBC (1957–1966) .2: LWN (2011–2015) Cozi TV (2015-2017)
Call sign meaning	Edward Willis Scripps (founder of the Cleveland Press)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	59441
ERP	1,000 kW
HAAT	300.7 m (987 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	41°22′26″N 81°43′3″W / 41.37389°N 81.71750°W / 41.37389; -81.71750
Links
Public license information	Profile LMS

WEWS-TV, known as News 5, is a TV station in Cleveland, Ohio. It broadcasts on virtual channel 5 and digital channel 15. WEWS-TV is connected to the ABC network. It is one of the main TV stations owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, which is based in Cincinnati. Scripps has owned WEWS-TV since it first started. The station's studios are in Downtown Cleveland, and its transmitter is in Parma, Ohio.

History of WEWS-TV

WEWS' test pattern proudly said it was the "FIRST in Cleveland."

WEWS-TV began broadcasting on December 17, 1947. It was the very first TV station in Ohio and the 16th in the entire United States. The letters "WEWS" come from the initials of the company's founder, Edward Willis Scripps. This station is the oldest in Cleveland that has kept the same channel number, owner, and call letters since it started.

Before the TV station launched, Scripps started WEWS-FM radio. This allowed future TV personalities to practice being on air. The first show on channel 5 was a Christmas play. It was put on by The Cleveland Press, a newspaper owned by the same company.

The classic "Circle 5" logo was used by WEWS from 1968 to 1998.

Modified "Circle 5" logo used from 2009 to 2016.

WEWS first showed programs from CBS, and also some from ABC and DuMont. In 1955, it lost its CBS connection to another station, WJW-TV. WEWS also showed some NBC programs, like The Huntley-Brinkley Report and The Tonight Show.

In 1977, WEWS-TV faced a legal case. They had filmed a human cannonball act at a fair and showed it on TV without paying the performer. The U.S. Supreme Court decided that the station should have paid him. This case helped define rules about filming performances.

In 1994, many TV stations changed their network connections. WJW-TV, a station in Cleveland, switched to Fox. This happened because Fox gained rights to show NFL games. CBS then wanted WEWS to become its new affiliate. However, WEWS and ABC made a deal to keep WEWS as an ABC station. This deal also caused other Scripps-owned stations in Baltimore, Phoenix, and Tampa to join ABC.

Two ABC Stations

For a while, the Cleveland area had two ABC stations. Besides WEWS, there was WAKR-TV (channel 23) in Akron. WAKR-TV helped viewers in Akron and Canton who couldn't get a clear signal from WEWS. WAKR-TV started in 1953 and also became an ABC affiliate.

Having two ABC stations showing the same programs caused problems for WEWS. It meant they had to compete for viewers. This situation ended in 1996 when WAKR-TV (then called WAKC) stopped showing ABC programs. It changed to showing infomercials and religious shows.

Digital Television

Digital Channels Today

WEWS-TV broadcasts several digital channels:

In 2011, WEWS started carrying the Live Well Network on its digital subchannel 5.2. In 2015, Live Well Network stopped broadcasting. So, channel 5.2 switched to Cozi TV, which shows classic TV shows. Also, the comedy network Laff started on a new subchannel, 5.3. In 2017, WEWS replaced Cozi TV on 5.2 with Grit.

Switch to Digital TV

WEWS-TV stopped broadcasting its old analog signal on June 12, 2009. This was the date when all full-power TV stations in the United States switched from analog to digital broadcasts. The station's digital signal continued on UHF channel 15. However, your TV still shows it as channel 5 because of a system called PSIP.

Programming on WEWS-TV

Shows and Series

WEWS has aired many popular shows over the years. In the past, it showed The Oprah Winfrey Show, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy!. These shows were very popular and got good ratings.

In 2011, Oprah Winfrey Show ended. WEWS then aired The Dr. Oz Show in the afternoon. Later, in 2018, they started a 4 p.m. newscast instead.

In 2012, WEWS stopped airing Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! after almost 30 years. This was because Scripps, the owner, wanted to air shows that were cheaper and allowed them to control the advertising. These game shows then moved to another station, WOIO.

Today, the show known as Live with Kelly and Ryan is one of the few long-running syndicated shows still airing on channel 5.

Local Shows

In its early years, WEWS created many of its own local shows. This was because ABC didn't offer much daytime programming back then. Some of these local shows included:

• News analysis from Dorothy Fuldheim.
• Children's shows with characters like "Uncle Jake" and "Captain Penny".
• Exercise programs with Paige Palmer.
• One of the first live TV cooking shows with Alice Weston.
• A local version of Romper Room with "Miss Barbara."

The most popular local show was The Gene Carroll Show. It featured talented people from the Cleveland area and ran from 1948 into the 1970s. WEWS also had The One O'Clock Club, a variety show. It was so popular that another station started The Mike Douglas Show to compete.

During the 1960s and 1970s, WEWS produced shows that were shown across the country.

• Upbeat: This was a famous rock-and-roll variety show. It had a live audience and featured popular music acts. It ran from 1964 to 1971. Many famous artists like Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, and Stevie Wonder appeared on Upbeat.
• Polka Varieties: This was an hour-long polka music show. It ran locally from 1956 into the 1980s and was also shown in many other cities. It featured different polka bands.

From the early 1970s until 2011, WEWS was the TV home for the Ohio Lottery drawings. In 2011, another station, WKYC, took over the lottery. But in 2013, WEWS got the rights back and has aired the lottery ever since.

The Morning Exchange

One very important show was The Morning Exchange. It ran from 1972 to 1999 and changed how morning TV shows worked. It was the first morning show to use a "living room" set. It also started the idea of having news and weather updates at the top and bottom of every hour. This format became a model for other shows, including ABC's Good Morning America.

Sports on WEWS-TV

WEWS-TV has a long history of covering Cleveland sports.

• Since 2015, channel 5 has been the official station for the NFL's Cleveland Browns. It shows preseason games and other team programs.
• WEWS has broadcast two MLB World Series games. These were the 1948 World Series and the 1995 World Series when the Cleveland Indians played.
• All Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games that air on ABC are shown on channel 5. This includes their 2016 NBA Finals victory.

News Operation

WEWS broadcasts many hours of local news each week. They also produce News 5 Sports Sunday, a sports show.

News History

Early News Coverage

WEWS started covering news right after it began broadcasting. In 1959, Dorothy Fuldheim began her own newscast. She was the first woman in the United States to have her own TV news analysis show. She often shared her opinions on stories.

Eyewitness News Era

In 1967, John Hambrick became the main news anchor. In 1968, WEWS changed its newscast style to Eyewitness News. Ted Henry joined WEWS in 1972 and later became a weatherman and then a news anchor. He was the main anchor until he retired in 2009. He is the longest-serving news anchor in Cleveland TV history.

In 1978, WEWS was the first Cleveland TV station to use a news helicopter, called "Chopper 5." They still use helicopters today, like "Air Tracker 5."

In 1982, WEWS started a new afternoon show called Live on Five. It included interviews, movie reviews, and health reports.

News Channel 5 Era

In 1991, WEWS changed its news name to "News Channel 5." They also started a "24-Hour News Source" idea. This meant they gave short news updates every hour and weather updates every half-hour during other shows. This allowed viewers to get news even when full newscasts weren't on. They stopped these hourly updates in 1998.

In 1998, WEWS started using "On Your Side" as its slogan, which they still use. They also launched their first website, NewsNet5. In 2007, WEWS became the third Cleveland TV station to start broadcasting news in high-definition.

News 5 Era

On September 26, 2016, the station changed its news name again to simply News 5.

In 2017, longtime WEWS anchors Leon Bibb and Lee Jordan retired. To honor them, WEWS named its newsroom the Leon Bibb Newsroom and its main studio the Lee Jordan News Studio.

Honors

There are two special plaques outside the WEWS building. One is from the Ohio Historical Society, honoring Dorothy Fuldheim's career. The second is from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It honors the station for being the home of the popular music show Upbeat! and its importance to Rock and Roll history.

Notable People from WEWS-TV

• Rob Powers – current anchor

Past Notable Staff

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