Anniston. Main Menu. Langston was hired as the station's first anchor-reporter during the pivotal civil rights year of 1963 and retired from regular newsroom work in 1987. DMA 45 (BIRMINGHAM, AL) Longtime WBRC Anchor Joe Langston Dies At 82. al.com | June 24, 2014 | 6:39 am EDT by TVNewsCheck . ABC had very few full-time affiliates south of Washington, D.C. at the time, but now it had the full benefit of one of the South's strongest signals, best antenna locations and largest coverage areas. Langston still did some occasional off-camera assignments during those years. This email address is already subscribed to the selected list(s). BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC FOX6 News pioneer, Pat Gray, has passed away. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Service will be held on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 2:00 PM at Mountain Brook Baptist Church with visitation following in Hudson Hall. On May 23, 1994, New World signed an affiliation agreement with Fox to switch twelve television stations six that New World had already owned and eight that the company was in the process of acquiring through the Argyle and Citicasters deals, including WBRC to the network, in exchange for the latter's then-parent company News Corporation purchasing a 20% equity stake in New World; the stations would become Fox affiliates once their affiliation contracts with existing network partners expired (with the first stations involved in the deal switching to the network in September 1994). Also known as Joseph L Langston, Joseph Langsto, J L Langston. Related To Iris Langston, Serena Langston, Cari Langston. Fiddler, guitarist and vocalist Eddie Burns was invited to bring his musical group to serve as The Morning Show's house band and act as the program's bandleader; however, within a few months, station management offered Burns his own morning program on channel 6. All rights reserved. Later that year, Hanna also sold the WBRC television and radio stations to Storer Broadcasting for $2.3milliona handsome return on her first husband's purchase of WBRC radio 25 years earlier. Langston started at Birmingham's WBRC in 1963 as the first reporter/anchor hired at the station. [5] Storer had to sell its broadcast holdings in Birmingham after it purchased radio station WIBG (now WNTP) in Philadelphia and its television sister, WPFH (later WVUE) in Wilmington, Delaware (whose frequency is now occupied by WHYY-TV) to comply with the FCC's ownership limits of that time period. He retired from his post as Chairman of the Department in 1998. This type of programming began in the late 1940s and continued into the late 1970s; some shows continued into the 1990s. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests giving donations to Mountain Brook Baptist Church. Langston, a well-known and respected journalist, died early Saturday morning. For example, according to local legends, the station initially turned down Bewitched, not because it was concerned about witchcraft, but because it concerned a mixed marriage (between a witch and a mortal); there were fears that Bewitched would encourage what some segregationists referred to as "cross-breeding"; channel 6 would not clear Bewitched until 1967 (although, according to the October 15, 1965, issue of The Birmingham News, Bewitched was shown airing at its in-pattern time of Thursdays at 8:00p.m. (Central) on WBRC). Throughout his career Langston earned every major award from The Associated Press and United Press International. Langston graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School and began his career in broadcasting at WJRD-AM in 1950 while a student at the University of Alabama. 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As a Fox station, WBRC has continued to maintain higher viewership than the other television news outlets in the market, although it has experienced tighter competition since the early 2000s against WBMA-LD and a resurgent WIAT (both of which currently engage in a spirited competition for second place); WBRC's 9 p.m. newscast has consistently ranked as one of the most-watched prime time newscasts in the U.S. for most of its run since its debut in 1996. [8][9] However, three weeks later, New World agreed to purchase four stations owned by Argyle Television Holdings, WVTM being among them, in a purchase option-structured deal for $717million[10] (although the transfer/assignment applications for the stations involved in the Argyle purchases were not filed with the FCC until after New World's acquisition of the four Citicasters stations was completed); this posed a problem for New World on two counts. In 1978, WBRC became the first television station in the Birmingham market to acquire a microwave truck for electronic news-gathering purposes, and became the first to provide live breaking news coverage on-scene. Instead, Bowen accidentally splattered Langston's jacket with water. Later he joined the news team at WVTM TV, but returned to WBRC as News Director. The station's transmitter was originally purposed as the transmitter facilities for radio station WBRC-FM (102.5, now WBPT at 106.9 FM; original frequency now occupied by WDXB), which signed on in 1947 with the highest radiated power of any radio station worldwide, operating at 500,000 watts; after the FM station suspended operations in June 1948 due to continued revenue losses due to the lack of radios equipped with FM tuners, Hanna borrowed $150,000 to build a new studio facility and transmitter atop Red Mountain for the television station. Former FOX6 News anchor Bill Bolen worked with Langston and continued their friendship into retirement. The transfer closed on March 31, 2009. We are thrilled to have Andy Parker co Those set-builders have been busy this week, havent they? Birmingham, Alabama: (6) WBRC. On September 12, 2016, the station debuted a 4:00p.m. newscast, placing the station in competition with WVTM and WBMA, which have both aired 4:00p.m. newscasts for several years. The subchannel became affiliated with Bounce TV on September 26, 2011, as part of the network's affiliation agreement with WBRC owner Raycom Media.[30]. "And I remember several times just sitting in his class, just listening to the things that he's done, and you know, they learn a lot more from real life experience then reading out of a textbook.". Joe Leonard Langston, Sr., age 82, of Birmingham, passed away at his home on Friday, June 20, 2014. In 1989, Joe retired from WBRC TV to accept an endowed Chair in the Department of Communication at Jacksonville State University. JACKSONVILLE, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham-area television legend Joe Langston is being remembered this week, not only for his work in the anchor chair, but also what he did afterwards in the front of a classroom. > I seem to recall Channel 6 airing "Marshal Dillon" in place of "Bewitched" at one time. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate WTBM-CD (channel 24). Most people, though, knew him as the station's news anchor, delivering the nightly news with an array of cohorts that included Mike Royer, Herb Winches, Pat Gray and others. The cash-and-stock merger transaction valued at $3.6billion in which Gray shareholders would acquire preferred stock currently held by Raycom will result in WBRC gaining new sister stations in adjacent markets, including ABC affiliate WTOK-TV in Meridian and CBS/NBC affiliates WTVY and WRGX-LD in Dothan (while separating it from WDFX), in addition to the current Raycom stations. Former WBRC news photographer Bill Bowen said ten minutes before news time, Langston tried to teach him how to brew coffee. Visitation will follow in Hudson Hall. This move was made to alleviate signal interference problems between WBRC and WSM-TV (now sister station WSMV-TV) in Nashville, which also transmitted on channel 4, that were present in portions of northern Alabama. This email address is already subscribed to the selected list(s). Local children's television series were locally produced television shows intended for the child audience with unique hosts and programming. He did not look at me as a black person," Al Bell said. Joe was born in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1954. Langston, a well-known and respected journalist, died early Saturday morning. "My heart breaks to report that my friend, mentor and the most solid broadcaster I've ever known, Joe Langston passed away early this morning," Royer wrote on Facebook. Langston started at Birmingham's WBRC in 1963 as the first . Joe Langston, an award-winning Birmingham television journalist whose career spanned more than 30 years, died Friday at the age of 82. . However, ABC largely brushed off the preemption issue, even though it would eventually become the No. He graduated and soon after went on to join the army. We are remembering Birmingham broadcaster Joe Langston, this morning. An urban legend regarding the ABC affiliation agreement suggested that the switch was partly motivated by CBS' plans to air Who Speaks For Birmingham?, a controversial CBS Reports documentary focusing on desegregation at Birmingham City Schools that later led to journalist Howard K. Smith's resignation from CBS News after he quoted an anti-desegregation statement by political scientist Edmund Burke in the closing narration, viewed by network president Bill Paley as editorializing his views in support of school integration; however, the special aired on May 18 of that year, two months after the ABC agreement was signed. On March 1, 1961, WBRC-TV signed an agreement with ABC to become a full-time affiliate of the network. [11] Although the network's Birmingham charter affiliate, WTTO (channel 21), was one of Fox's strongest affiliates at the time, the network found the chance to align with WBRC too much to resist because of its longstanding ratings dominance in the market. Funeral held for Birmingham broadcast legend Joe Langston, Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison. WBRC became a Fox owned-and-operated station on September 1, 1996, ending its affiliation with ABC after 47 years; however, the station had begun airing the network's short-lived morning program Fox After Breakfast for one month prior to the switch after it dropped Good Morning America from its schedule. According to al.com, he was best known as t An error has occurred, please try again later. Langston is survived by his wife Margaret, two children and three grandchildren. Unusual for a commercial broadcaster, Storer supported educational television, and the company donated two transmitters and frequencies in the Birmingham market (channels 7 and 10, which were respectively occupied by WCIQ and WBIQ when both stations signed on in 1955) to Alabama Educational Television (now Alabama Public Television). He was named news director in 1969. 50-year-old Kent Wesley Franklin was boating with friends late Saturday night at Lake Logan Martin, when he jumped off the boat and was not seen again. While in TV, Langston received every major award from the Associated Press and United Press International Broadcasters Associations. We used to play jokes on one another, do silly things. While it may have been out of place in most of Storer's other markets (many of which were located outside of the Southern United States), it was a perfect fit for Birmingham. The station operated its digital transmission facilities under special temporary authorization at a lower effective radiated power until October 2009, when its transmitter was upgraded to full power at 1 megawatt at a position on the tower at 373 meters (1,224ft). Citicasters then decided to put most of its television stations up for sale. In 1969, former WSGN radio anchor Bill Bolen joined WBRC to replace Harry Mabry as the station's main news anchor; Bolen would remain a fixture at channel 6 (eventually becoming anchor of the station's weekday morning newscast in 1990) for 42 years until his retirement in 2010. Thanks for watching Fox6 Good Day Alabama from 4:30 to 9 each week day morning. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Alabama broadcasting pioneer, Pat Gray, has died. In doing so, he made the school's communication students privy to the behind-the-scenes stories of his career. Langston started at Birmingham's WBRC in 1963 as the first reporter/anchor hired at the station. 44 people named Joe Langston found in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston-Brazoria and 12 other cities. He graduated from the University in 1954. [4] George B. Storer, the company's founder and chairman, was a member of the board of directors at CBS, and most of his television stations were affiliates of that network. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Get TVSpy delivered straight to your inbox. Even still, due to signal impairment in mountainous areas of northeastern Alabama, WBRC operated two low-power translators to extend its programming to that part of the state, W29AO (channel 29) in Anniston in W15AP (channel 15) in Gadsden. The second best result is Joe Judy Langston age 60s in Aurora, IL in the Tomcat 4th Ward neighborhood. The station became exclusively affiliated with ABC on September 7, 1961; on that date, channel 13 (by then known as WAPI-TV) assumed rights to CBS and NBC programming, although WBRC continued to occasionally carry certain CBS shows that WAPI chose not to carry through 1965. (AL.com file photo) JOE LANGSTON Joe Langston joined the staff of WBRC-TV/Channel 6 in 1963,. By Mark Joyellaon Aug. 14, 2014 - 11:17 AM, By Mark Joyellaon Aug. 14, 2014 - 10:29 AM, By Mark Joyellaon Aug. 14, 2014 - 9:56 AM, By Merrill Knoxon Aug. 13, 2014 - 1:34 PM, By Mark Joyellaon Aug. 13, 2014 - 12:38 PM, Multimedia Marketing CoordinatorRosendinSterling, Virginia, Account DirectorFuture Today Inc.Los Angeles, California, Account DirectorFuture Today Inc.New York, New York, Strategic PlannerSuccessful AD Partnership, LLCRemote, Remote, Sr. Digital Connections (Media) PlannerSuccessful AD Partnership, LLCRemote, Remote. She was a pioneer who helped build our station into . We are also following a developing story in east Alabama. In 1964, Joe joined the staff of WBRC TV in Birmingham as a news reporter/news anchor. Former WBRC Sports Director Herb Winches referred to Langston as his mentor. "And then there's the Joe Langston you got walking up and down the halls of Jacksonville State University, singing Dean Martin songs, and cracking jokes. On May 5, 1994, Great American Communications (which would later be renamed Citicasters following the completion of its restructuring) agreed to sell WBRC and three other television stations WDAF-TV in Kansas City, KSAZ-TV in Phoenix and WGHP in High Point, North Carolina to New World Communications for $350million in cash and $10million in share warrants. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Langston died in 2014 at his home in Liberty Park. He began his broadcasting career in 1950 while a student at the University of Alabama. This is a return to WKRC for Benter, who interned in the newsroom while working on her degree from the University of Cincinnati. He was named news director in 1969. WBRC (channel 6) is a television station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. Mike Hathcock, the school's director of television services, remembers Langston's rapport, especially with students. He was so funny. Share Your News Tip. [14][15], Although it was now owned by the O&O group of another network, Fox now had to run channel 6 as an ABC affiliate for more than a year after the purchase was announced as WBRC's affiliation agreement with that network was not set to expire until August 31, 1996. He was named news director in 1969. On Monday, York was emotional talking about his old friend. His son, M. D. Smith IV later organized Smith Broadcasting, which purchased WAFG-TV, Channel 31 in Huntsville, Alabama in 1963, with himself as operations manager. Following graduation, he joined the army and served two years in Special Ops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina before returning to Tuscaloosa as Student Manager of WNPT. Originally broadcasting for three hours per day, it operated as a primary NBC affiliate (earning the affiliation as a result of WBRC radio's longtime affiliation with the NBC Red Network), and also carried secondary affiliations with ABC and the DuMont Television Network; during the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network. Station management declined ABC's insistence that WBRC expand its 6:00p.m. newscast to match the length of the ABC Evening News; however, the 15-minute local newscast beat The Huntley-Brinkley Report on WAPI-TV/WVTM and the CBS Evening News on WBMG in the ratings. "He was the best newsman I ever knew, always a stickler for using the right words. In addition, the station produces Fox 6 Sideline, a high school football program that debuted in September 1989 as an ABC affiliate, which airs Friday nights after the 10 p.m. newscasts during the fall. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He was inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2009. At the time, the FCC forbade any broadcasting company from owning two commercial television stations in the same market; in addition, the concurrent acquisitions of the Argyle and Citicasters stations put New World three stations over the national television ownership cap that the agency enforced at the time, which allowed broadcasters to own a maximum of twelve stations nationwide. Royer said was a consummate broadcaster. Meanwhile, WBRC-TV had become one of ABC's strongest affiliates, a position it retained for the next quarter-century. "You got to know him and you got to love the guy," he said. Joe Langston of WBRC-TV/Channel 6 was a signature voice in Birmingham broadcasting. WBRC-TV's signal provided at least secondary coverage as far north as Decatur and extending south to near Montgomery, and from the Mississippi border in the west to the Georgia border in the east. Includes Address (5) Phone (2) See Results. Always there with a one-liner. Children's Television Series in Alabama. WVTM-TV, WAPI-TV: The Balloon Goon (with Sterling Brewer) WBRC: Birthday Party (with Joe Langston) WBRC: Bozo the Clown (Bart Darby, Ward McIntyre) WBRC: The Bugs Bunny Show (with Benny Carle) Joe was born in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1954. This type of programming began in the late 1940s and continued into the late 1970s; some shows continued into the 1990s. He began his broadcasting career in 1950 while a student at the University of Alabama. Home; Governance; History; Training; Library; Research & Innovation; joe langston wbrc Joe Langston, whose voice was a signature of Alabama broadcasting news for three decades, died early today. WBRC currently carries the majority of the Fox network schedule, though it delays the network's Saturday late night block (currently a repeat of a prime time reality show) one hour due to the station's 10:00p.m. newscast and its carriage of the syndicated sports interview program In Depth with Graham Bensinger; in addition, following the program's move from Fox Sports 1 to Fox in September 2015, WBRC formerly was one of several Fox affiliates that has declined carriage of the Sunday pre-game show Fox NFL Kickoff during the NFL regular season due to existing programming contracts (unlike in other markets where a Fox station has declined carriage of Fox NFL Kickoff, the program was not broadcast by any other station in the BirminghamTuscaloosaAnniston market). In September 1950, at which time newscasts were expanded to 15 minutes, anchor segments began to be conducted in-studio after it acquired camera equipment to recorded live programming; kinescopes of 16-mm film footage shot by a photographer for local stories and still photographs for illustration of national and international stories were used for story content. Okay so you need it in the mornings, but your Starbucks latte could cost you more starting tomorrow! 6 On Your Side Investigates. Langston was born in 1932 in Tuscaloosa County. WBRC is a Raycom sister station to WSFA, and is located in Birmingham.. The third result is Joe Bennie Langston age 50s in Chiefland, FL. Joe L. Langston January 1, 1932 - June 21, 2014 IN THE CARE OF Ridout's Valley Chapel Joe Leonard Langston, Sr., age 82, of Birmingham, passed away at his home on Friday, June 20, 2014. He also appeared on the Tom York Morning Show. He helped us evaluate your home for sale and see what we could do to improve it. These were locally produced commercial television programming intended for the child audience with unique hosts and themes. Langston died at the age of 82 over the weekend. These were locally produced commercial television programming intended for the child audience with unique hosts and themes. He served on the Board of Directors for numerous broadcasting organizations and served as President of the University of Alabama School of Communication Alumni Association. He also served on the boards of the Tuscaloosa County Tuberculosis Association, the Alabama Arthritis Foundation, and the Alabama Multiple Sclerosis Society, and served as a deacon for Mountain Brook Baptist Church. When a tanker truck exploded in west Nashville, some of the fuel leaked into the citys storm drains. Langston died at his home Saturday. [22] Raycom which is controlled by the Retirement Systems of Alabama is headquartered in Montgomery (the market to the adjacent south of the Birmingham DMA), and also owns that market's NBC affiliate WSFA as well as Huntsville NBC affiliate WAFF. Langston is survived by his wife, Margaret, and two children, Joey and Susan. [2] Although WBRC-TV was the first television station in Birmingham to be granted a license by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), it is the second-oldest television station in Alabama, signing on just over one month after WAFM-TV (channel 13, now WVTM-TV), which debuted on May 29. His funeral is today at 2 p.m. at Mountain Veteran WBRC anchor Joe Langston died Saturday. We used to play jokes on one another, do silly things. The two stations studios atop Red Mountain (between Vulcan Trail and Valley View Drive) in southeastern Birmingham, where WBRC's transmitter is also located. In September 1950, WBRC established a coaxial cable link with fellow NBC-DuMont affiliate WRGB (now a CBS affiliate) in Schenectady, New York, allowing the station to broadcast NBC and DuMont network programs both live and live-to-air. He accepted an endowed chair in the Department of Communication at Jacksonville State University, where he remained until his retirement in 1998. Another factor, though supposedly not as important as the Taft-Goldenson relationship, was CBS News' apparent strong support of the Civil Rights Movement, which did not sit well with many white viewers, a large segment of WBRC's audience. By Janet Hall. During the 1970s, ABC aired cartoons from Hanna-Barbera, whose studios were acquired by Taft in 1967. Following graduation, he joined the Army and served two years in Special Warfare at Fort Bragg, NC. Thanks for watching Fox6 WBRC. Langston retired in 1989 as anchorman at WBRC, where he . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Joe Langston - anchor (1955-1981 and 1983-1987; retired) Andrea Lindenburg - weekend anchor, later weekday evening anchor (1993-2004; now at WVTM-TV) Harry Mabry - anchor (1960s-1970s; deceased) Brandy Malone - general traffic reporter (2005-2008; last at WZTV in Nashville) Linda Mays - daybreak and noon anchor (1988-1996; now at WBMA/WCFT/WJSU) He was preceded in death by his parents Mr. and Mrs. J.H. In December 1993, Great American Communications was restructured again into Citicasters after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Joe Langston in Texas. [40] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 6. According to . Veteran WBRC anchor Joe Langston died Saturday. However, on December 22, 2007, Fox announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell WBRC and seven other Fox owned-and-operated stations (WDAF-TV, WGHP, WJW, WITI, KTVI in St. Louis, KDVR in Denver and KSTU in Salt Lake City) to Local TV, a holding company operated by equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners that had earlier purchased The New York Times Company's television station division; the sale was finalized on July 14, 2008. The call letters were immediately changed to WAAY-TV. The following is a list of local children's television shows in the United States. Langston was also an Army veteran. Officials say the boaters had been drinking, so pinpointing exactly where Franklin went under has been challenging. "Commercials, singing, filling in. Get TVSpy delivered straight to your inbox, Veteran Birmingham Anchor Joe Langston Dies. Langston started at Birmingham's WBRC in 1963 as the first reporter/anchor hired at the station. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Send flowers or a gift to a service or family's home. WBRC-TV (06-21-14)Long-Time WBRC-TV Anchor, Joe Langston, DiesBy WBRC-TV Anchor Janet Hall---(Editor Judson Garner) AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy. We lost a pioneer," Winches said. Resides in Kingsland, GA. All rights reserved (About Us). Weathercaster Bart Adrian will be leaving Channel 6 at the end of August in what news director Jim Lemon described as a "mutual decision." Adrian joined Channel 6 on June 22, 1982 -- just four . He stayed their most of his life, including going to school at the University of Alabama. Channel 6 could make a plausible claim to be not only the most-watched station in the Birmingham market but in the entire state of Alabama, thanks in part to unusually weak competition. Even in its final years on WBRC, mini-documentaries produced by the station (which were produced by Randy Mize and Tom Stovall) for the local segments aired during the UCP Telethon; WBRC stopped producing and broadcasting the local segments of the telethon soon after it switched to Fox in 1996. Smith III, who read wire copies of local news headlines over a slide of the station's logo.
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