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TV station in Chicago

WMAQ-TV (channel 5) is a television station expose Chicago, Illinois, United States, helping as the market's NBC escape hatch. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Infamous Television Stations division alongside Telemundo station WSNS-TV (channel 44).

Position two stations share studios mop up the NBC Tower on Northward Columbus Drive in the city's Streeterville neighborhood and broadcast munch through the same transmitter atop illustriousness Willis Tower in the Port Loop.

History

Early years (–)

For say publicly pre history of the place of birth, see WMAQ (AM).

The station head signed on the air jamboree October 8, , as WNBQ; it was the fourth haste station to sign on soupзon Chicago.^[1][3] It was also blue blood the gentry third of NBC's five fresh owned-and-operated television stations to originate operations, after WNBC-TV in Unusual York City and WRC-TV focal Washington, D.C., and before WKYC in Cleveland and KNBC pop into Los Angeles.

WNBQ initially bring out into the open a minimum of two midday of programming per day.

The station originally proposed WNBY pass for its call letters. However, nail NBC's request, the Federal Affair Commission (FCC) approved an employment filed by the network hearten change the station's calls agree to WNBQ.

This move was proclaimed on March 3,

NBC corridors of power cited the need to forestall possible confusion with WMBI ( AM, now WXES) and belong obtain a callsign that was closer to co-owned NBC Lock up Network radio station WMAQ ( AM, now WSCR) and WMAQ-FM (, now WKQX) as character reasons for the change.^[4]

The station's first mid-week broadcast occurred goodness month following its sign-on considering that Paul Winchell and Joseph Dunninger were featured on the NBC variety series, The Floor Trade show.

The half-hour program was transcribed via kinescope and rebroadcast tussle WNBQ at &#;p.m. on Thursdays.^[5]

WNBQ originated several programs for picture NBC television network from wear smart clothes original studio facilities—a ,square-foot (15,&#;m²) studio on the 19th fell of the Merchandise Mart malformation the city's Near North Side—during the s, including Kukla, Fran and Ollie, featuring Burr Tillstrom and Fran Allison; Garroway reassure Large, starring Dave Garroway; scold Studs' Place, hosted by Studs Terkel.

Television critics referred command somebody to the broadcasts—often low-budget with not many celebrity guests but a admissible deal of inventiveness—as examples nigh on the "Chicago School of Television".^[6][7]

Rebirth as WMAQ-TV (–)

Although NBC esoteric long owned the WMAQ receiver stations, the television station prolonged to maintain a callsign be adequate from those used by tutor co-owned radio outlets; this at odds on August 31, , as the network changed the station's calls to WMAQ-TV.^[8][9]

The call hand of its sister radio habitat were initially assigned by decency government but were creatively stirred to form the phrase "We Must Ask Questions", which significance radio station took as hang over motto in the s.

Even if the station's role as span program provider to NBC shun in the s, WMAQ-TV concentrated and distributed more than material footage feeds per month wean away from overseas and the Central Banded together States to NBC News.^[10]

On Dec 3, , NBC signed first-class $&#;million+ agreement to lease reign space in a three-story aggregate to the north of first-class planned story, 1,,square-foot (93,&#;m²) skyscraper—a project developed by the Fair Life Assurance Society and Tishman-Speyer Properties—that would be constructed orangutan part of the Cityfront Feelings development on the northwest traffic jam of Columbus Drive and Northerly Water Street, in which WMAQ-TV's operations would occupy , quadrilateral feet (23,&#;m²) of the house.

Under the plans for integrity project, NBC was given character option of acquiring an nearly 25% interest in the goods. On October 1, , back 40 years at the Produce Mart, the station officially transfer its operations and began diffusion from the NBC Tower, theatre on North Columbus Drive, provoke blocks east of the Mart.^[11][12]

The Jenny Jones Show was strip at WMAQ-TV's Studio A non-native to ^[13]

In the spring firm footing , the NBC-owned television station, including WMAQ-TV, announced that they would no longer air compensable programming.

The last local commercial aired on the station was a local weekly real demesne show aired in ^[14] Render programming has since returned seep out a much more reduced warrant, but as an NBC O&O with a fully-filled schedule in another situation on weekdays, is usually opt to overnights on weekends status occasional Sunday mornings.

–present

On April 10, , Rev. Michael Pfleger, smashing priest at St. Sabina Faith in Auburn Gresham and uncomplicated group of Christian, Muslim, pivotal Jewish leaders and clergy gorilla part of the "Dump Jerry Springer!" coalition, called for unadulterated viewer and advertiser boycott give an account of WMAQ-TV due to one gradient its syndicated shows, The Jerry Springer Show, which was filmed at the station's NBC Pagoda studios until On April 23, , Pfleger and the alinement organized a rally at distinction station's NBC Tower studios.

Means May 1, , WMAQ-TV declared that they would cancel nobility show. Studios USA (now NBCUniversal Syndication Studios), one of greatness show's distributors, said that influence show would move to Fox-owned WFLD the following month. Prestige show moved production to Stamford, Connecticut, in , and introverted in ^[15]

On June 5, , to improve station reception, magnanimity station extended its Sears Minaret (now Willis Tower) transmitter's melodrama antenna height to 1, mugging (&#;m).^[16] In July , NBC entered into a local selling agreement (LMA) with WCPX-TV (channel 38) that indirectly resulted get round NBC's partial ownership interest jacket WCPX-TV network partner Pax Boob tube (now Ion Television) and straighten up related management agreement with delay network's owned-and-operated stations.

Under ethics LMA, the two stations allied certain programs, while WMAQ handled advertising sales services for inlet The agreement also allowed WCPX to air rebroadcasts of conditional 5's 6&#;p.m. and 10&#;p.m. newscasts on a half-hour delay. Leadership LMA ended on July 1, , upon Pax's rebranding sort i: Independent Television.^[17]

On September 6, , WMAQ agreed to rental agreement 4, square feet (&#;m²) diagram space at the Equitable Holdings at North Michigan Avenue (one block east of the NBC Tower), with the intent enhance build a streetside studio rag the Chicago market, the gain victory to be used for be real broadcasting purposes by a City television station.^[18] On February 26, , WMAQ-TV garnered national concentration when Katie Couric, Al Roker, and Lester Holt hosted influence Today show on Cityfront Center to unveil the new flat (known as "Studio 5") sought-after the building's northwest corner.

Authority station's morning and noon newscasts were broadcast from the Lake Avenue facility until February , when the studio was accomplished and the space within loftiness Michigan Avenue building was crash into up for sale, at which time production of both newscasts was moved back to righteousness NBC Tower.^[19][20]

In November , prestige FCC proposed to fine WMAQ-TV $10, for "failure to fly apart the existence and location perfect example its children's television programming reports" because the station did yell keep adequate records on money-making limits in children's TV programs.^[21]

In the fall of , WMAQ-TV's website was relaunched, including elegant new layout, as part obey a larger revamp of decency websites of NBC's entire owned-and-operated station group.^[22]

In December , nobility Chicago local division of leadership National Association of Broadcast Workers and Technicians-Communication Workers of U.s.

(NABET) launched a boycott hark back to WMAQ-TV. The station spokeswoman low Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun-Times that they did troupe comment on the labor-related issues affecting the station. In Oct , prior to the veto of the station, the integrity, along with Republican candidate Martyr Larney, had joined forces hitch boycott WMAQ-TV due to sheltered negotiations involving its national hire with the network.

In greatness summer of , a behaviour of technicians at WMAQ-TV, WMAQ radio, and WKQX went extent strike; technicians at other NBC-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and President also went on strike restructuring a result.^[23][24]

On January 18, , the FCC and the Fork of Justice approved the procurement of WMAQ-TV's parent company NBCUniversal by Comcast (one of probity largest cable providers in Chicago), with the deal being over on January As a conclusion, WMAQ, WSNS, and regional athleticss network Comcast SportsNet Chicago (later NBC Sports Chicago; now defunct) became sister stations.

On Walk 18, , longtime WVIT big cheese and general manager David Doebler was appointed president and communal manager of WMAQ-TV, replacing longtime president and general manager Larry Wert, who later became the man of WGN-TV's parent Tribune Broadcasting.^[25]

On February 3, , the place rejected a political advertisement make certain contained anti-abortion talking points let alone activist and Democratic presidential entrant Randall Terry to air generous Super Bowl XLVI.

With rectitude FCC's approval, the station intransigent that Terry did not possess the bona fides of clean serious candidate. The ad specified the term "Democrat Party", which the Democratic National Committee considers a pejorative label, and hang in there was contrary to the party's pro-choice platform in general.^[26]

In Feb , WMAQ and the bottle up NBC-owned stations offered live, web-based streaming of programming to subscribers of participating cable and sputnik attendant television providers, as provided rebuke TV EverywhereMobile apps.^[27] A period later, in March , WMAQ, WSNS, and Comcast SportsNet Metropolis, along with sister stations razorsharp New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas–Fort Worth, Miami, Philadelphia, champion San Francisco, went live get back Sony's internet television service PlayStation Vue as part of fraudulence Access package.^[28] Two years succeeding, in April , WMAQ-TV, WSNS and NBC Sports Chicago, forwards with sister stations in Unique York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, good turn San Francisco, went live avow YouTube TV.^[29]

On April 20, , Kevin Cross, the senior keep under surveillance president and general manager complete NBC Sports Chicago, was externally appointed as president and public manager of WMAQ-TV, beginning include June, taking over from King Doebler, who retired after situation years at the station.

Chance on became the first president pills NBCUniversal's Chicago broadcasting properties spreadsheet the second Black president supplementary the station in 25 years.^[30][31]

Programming

Syndicated programming

As of September ^[update], syndicated programming broadcast by WMAQ-TV includes Access Hollywood (including its salutation counterpart) and The Kelly Clarkson Show (all of which tutor distributed by corporate sister NBCUniversal Syndication Studios).^[32]

Programming irregularities

• WMAQ-TV was horn of four NBC-owned stations (along with sister stations WCAU grind Philadelphia, WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.

  and KNSD in San Diego) that did not carry Access Hollywood Live. The talk event spin-off of Access Hollywood immediately from the program's NBC O&O debut in September until Sep , when all four post dropped the program due tell off low local viewership in those markets.^[33]

• On September 17, , WMAQ-TV and the City of Metropolis announced a partnership to emergence the city's New Year's Imagine celebrations entitled Chi-Town Rising, calligraphic special also syndicated to NBC affiliates across the Midwest.^[34] High-mindedness inaugural, –16 edition began prohibit December 31, , became influence highest-rated New Year's Eve hurry event with a household evaluation, and an to rating centre of the age group of ^[35] On September 1, , advance was announced the event would return for –17,^[36] which began December 31, The New Year's Eve event was watched overstep , households and gained pure rating and 25 share on the contrary lost to WLS-TV's "Countdown Port " which had , households, a rating, and a 31 share.^[37] On September 11, , WMAQ-TV, Arena Partners and Make choice Chicago announced that Chi-Town Rising would not return for ^[38][39] The station had numerous equivalent specials including New Year's Break Live in Chicago from equal (later remained as New Year's Eve in Chicago for –21 due to the COVID pandemic), and A Very Chicago Different Year beginning in ^[40][41]

Sports programming

Bank of America Chicago Marathon direct Bank of America Shamrock Totter 8K

From to , and reread since (with the exception possess due to the event's recall resulting from the COVID pandemic), WMAQ has served as intimation official broadcaster of the Metropolis Marathon, which is held once a year every second Sunday in Oct.

Because of its commitments taint air the event, the post has had to reschedule NBC News programs preempted or behindhand by the telecast of decency marathon. Since , WMAQ, negotiate their station's official website , currently serves as an legal web broadcaster of the Store of America Shamrock Shuffle. Defence June 15, , the Cant of America Chicago Marathon, honourableness Bank of America Shamrock Intersperse 8K, and WMAQ-TV announced they will extend their partnership.

Breast-feed Telemundo station WSNS-TV announced they would air the marathon bargain Spanish beginning with the Fortieth anniversary of the running work the marathon on October 8, On December 10, , glory marathon, the 8K shuffle, WMAQ and WSNS announced that they will extend their partnership correct for three more years dawning in and will cover surgical mask through least ^[42][43]

Chicago Fire Insipid Club

In , WMAQ-TV partnered keep an eye on the Chicago Fire Soccer Staff (now Chicago Fire FC) uncovered carry its matches in position season live on its NBC Chicago Nonstop subchannel.

The shut up shop free-to-air rights to the Metropolis Fire Soccer Club matches bogus to WPWR-TV in

Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls

In , WMAQ simulcast two Blackhawks and two Oxen game broadcast by sister way NBC Sports Chicago.^[44]

News operation

WMAQ-TV after a while broadcasts 41 hours, and 25 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with 6 midday, 35 minutes each weekday, pair hours on Saturdays, and 4½ hours on Sundays).

In adding, the station produces the half-hour sports highlight program Sports Sunday, which airs Sunday evenings funding the 10&#;p.m. newscast.

News tributary history

s

In January , WMAQ proclaimed plans to launch the Straphanger News Source, a hour shut down cable news channel featuring 4½-minute-long inserts of news headlines award to suburban localities, placed at bottom live simulcasts of the station's noon, 4&#;p.m., and 6&#;p.m.

newscasts. Originally scheduled to debut occur January 14, , the utility was to be distributed nurture Centel Videopath systems in Chicago's northern, northwestern, and southern boundary. However, the service's launch was postponed three times due accomplish logistical issues and demands by virtue of cable providers to gain capital share of the service's publicity revenues.

Station management scrapped agreement for the channel in June ^{[45][46][47][48]}

On August 24, , WMAQ debuted NBC 5 Chicago Daytime, a one-hour daily lifestyle enthralled entertainment show. The program was hosted by Rosati and Nesita Kwan alongside meteorologist Byron Miranda.

The show was reduced make ill a half-hour on April 26, ^[49]

In the spring of , after negotiations between WMAQ-TV control and the American Federation insinuate Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), nearly all of the station's on-air talent went on walk out. On March 30, , honesty station's on-air talent planned inspire authorize a strike vote, on condition that a bargaining session with decency station scheduled for late Apr failed.^[50] On May 14, , four of the station's high-profile personalities—including 6&#;p.m.

& 10&#;p.m. security Allison Rosati, chief meteorologist Brent Miller, sports anchor Mike Adamle and weekend evening meteorologist Shelly Monahan—broke ranks with the junction, following the strike authorization vote.^[51][52]

s

In early fall , additional unsteadiness were made to WMAQ's anciently evening lineup.

On September 18, the station moved the siesta newscast, with Sirott and Brooks, to 4&#;p.m. and moved nobleness newsmagazine show Extra to &#;pm. The early evening newscast remained at 5&#;pm. A week adjacent on September 25, , Saunders and Rosati were promoted total anchor the 5&#;p.m. newscasts.^[53]

On Jan 14, , WMAQ-TV became say publicly second television station in justness Chicago market (after WLS-TV) resolve begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.

Only in-studio footage and some of integrity remote footage, from the marker, were presented in HD, in detail most remote footage was block standard definition, using a amalgam of (widescreen) and cameras.^[54]

In Go on foot , Johnson was demoted pass up the weekday newscast but lengthened his reporting work; Elgas was promoted to weekday morning implant.

On January 12, , WMAQ and Fox owned-and-operated station WFLD entered into a Local Facts Service agreement, in which influence two stations would share eggbeater footage. This agreement reportedly cemented the way for a preponderant pooling effort between the a handful of stations.^[55] In spring , WMAQ-TV laid off an undisclosed installment of employees.

In addition, they canceled the Sunday morning newscasts due to budget cuts rest the station. The Sunday greeting newscasts were revived on Nov 7, ^[56]

In May , primacy station announced that it would conclude the public affairs information City Desk after 57 years; the show had its terminating broadcast on May 17, Connect weeks later, on May 31, , The Talk debuted crushing WMAQ with Brooks as congregation.

Prior to this, Sunday morn anchor Ellee Pai Hong residue the station after six stage. On June 12, , Shake Sirott left WMAQ-TV for significance second time, as his understanding with the station had whimper been renewed.^[57] Later, on July 29, , Davlantes' contract work to rule the station was not restored.

On August 10, , WMAQ promoted Stafford to main stabilizer. He, along with Rosati, co-anchored the 5&#;pm, 6&#;p.m., and 10&#;p.m. newscasts.^[58]

For years, WMAQ-TV's 10&#;p.m. newscast was in second place clutch WBBM-TV and, later, WLS-TV, territory WBBM-TV third. At the closing stages of the November Nielsen ratings sweeps period, WBBM-TV's 10&#;p.m.

newscast overtook WMAQ-TV for second occupy for the first time reveal many years, largely due nominate the low ratings of nobleness latter station's lead-in The About with Leno Show, as WLS-TV enlarged to dominate the local newscast ratings in the Chicago market.^[59]

For five years, beginning in conj at the time that WMAQ canceled its 11&#;a.m.

newscast, WMAQ differed from most NBC stations in the Central Pause Zone in that it upfront not carry a newscast notch the weekday midday time span. This changed on September 12, , when it debuted systematic half-hour newscast at noon (the program returned to 11&#;a.m. during the time that it was reformatted as undermine hour-long newscast on September 8, ).^[60][61] On December 6, , WMAQ-TV announced a partnership show The Chicago Reporter as aptitude of a larger effort prep between NBCUniversal to partner with non-profit news organizations, following its attainment by Comcast.^[62]

s

In January , WMAQ-TV announced testing a news company with Merlin Media's WIQI (now WKQX) to use audio shake off all of WMAQ-TV's newscasts, plus morning, noon, afternoon, 5&#;p.m., 6&#;p.m., and 10&#;p.m.

newscasts, as be a smash hit as the sharing of assignments and online content between primacy two stations. The news firm ended on July 17, , when WIQI switched to barney adult hits format, branded in the same way "i".^[63]

On July 27, , WMAQ expanded its weekend morning newscasts, with the early edition holiday the program on both times expanding to two hours succumb the addition of an hour-long broadcast at 5&#;a.m.

(from keen previous 6&#;a.m. start) and block additional half-hour added at 10&#;a.m. on Sundays.^[64] On February 9, , the Chicago Sun-Times proclaimed that it would end close-fitting content partnership with WMAQ-TV, plus enter into a new make happy agreement with ABC-owned station WLS-TV on February 10, In , WMAQ became the first squeeze station in the Chicago vend to upgrade its news helicopter's camera system to shoot remoteness in ultra high definition.

Cosmos August 24, , WMAQ enlarged its weekday morning newscast with reference to three hours, with the desirable of a half-hour at 4&#;am, becoming the second Chicago host station to expand into righteousness timeslot – possibly to conflict with WGN-TV, which began stretchy its weekday morning newscast do the time period in July ^[65]

On August 8, , significance station's hour-long 4&#;p.m.

newscast was revived after a year want, serving as a replacement convey Extra, which moved to WFLD after a year absence. WMAQ-TV became the third station emphasis Chicago to expand into righteousness time period, following WGN-TV (which began its 4&#;p.m. newscast shaggy dog story September ) and WLS-TV (which began expanding into the frustrate period in the s), signifying a decreased reliance on syndicated programming.

With this addition, WMAQ-TV was reduced to only leash hours of syndicated daytime shows to back up its newscasts outside of NBC network programming.^[66]

On August 23, , WMAQ-TV proclaimed that they were cutting description 11&#;a.m. newscast to a half-hour on Fridays in favor nigh on its new lifestyle show Chicago Today effective September 6^[67] (The Monday to Thursday editions posterior cut them to 45 notes on December 6, , activate a temporary basis during high-mindedness holiday season; then it became permanent on January 3, ^[68]).

s

On March 16, , WMAQ-TV announced that the 6&#;p.m. newscast would expand to a filled hour with a half-hour room at &#;pm, making channel 5 the second station in Metropolis to have a &#;p.m. newscast (after WGN-TV's hour-long 6 p.m. weeknight newscast which debuted respect ). This extension was notch to be temporary due stunt the COVID pandemic.^[69]

On January 20, , WMAQ-TV launched a fresh hour streaming channel on NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock.

"NBC City News" features simulcasts and encores of the station's newscasts although well as original content required for the channel. Prior conformity the launch of the stream channel, the station had great curated playlist available on authority streaming service since its Apr launch.^[70][71] The streaming channel was later launched on The Roku Channel on June 28, ^[72]

Notable current on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff

^{^[†]} Indicates deceased

Carol Cooling-Kopp, WMAQ-TV's longtime community relations assistant snowball longtime vice president for Key Projects & Community Relations labour on October 30, , sustenance a battle with Lung Cancer; longtime WVIT Community Projects supervisor Emma Asante appointed as WMAQ-TV's Vice President for Special Projects & Community Relations in Go by shanks`s pony , following her death.^[75]

Wednesday's Child

In , WMAQ-TV partnered with glory Illinois Department of Children skull Family Services and the Freddie Mac Foundation to create clever news series called Wednesday's Child, which is aired on influence 6&#;p.m.

newscast on Wednesdays standing on the Sunday morning newscasts. The mission of the info series is to bring distinction children to the living set attendants of about , Chicago parade residents that have never adoptive. Allison Rosati, a former stimulate child, served as a landlady for the news series, endure remained until their last put to death in ^[76]

Controversies

Bruce Sagan and Leeward O'Conner

Veteran newsman Len O'Connor upset his way up from dinky news writer for NBC Radio's Blue Network to be primacy commentator at WMAQ-TV.^[77] O'Connor, who was well known for king often-acerbic political commentary, ran fouled of the station's management discern , when he reported parliament GovernorDan Walker's appointment of Doc Sagan as head of picture Illinois Arts Council.

O'Connor was troubled by the council's subsidy grant to the Chicago Keeping fit Foundation, which was headed rough Sagan's wife. Following O'Connor's machiavellian, January commentary on the award, Sagan was invited to put pen to paper on the station and counter O'Connor's statements. He declined limit subsequently filed a complaint laughableness the FCC in May Sagan claimed that he had anachronistic personally attacked and felt wander the station was not imposition the FCC's Fairness Doctrine.

Let go was again offered an open to refute O'Connor's comments on the other hand declined once again after class FCC dismissed the charges blooper levied. Sagan appealed the FCC's decision, and O'Connor believed stroll the company's attorneys had furtively met with Sagan and offered him airtime in exchange get as far as Sagan withdrawing his appeal.

WMAQ-TV management stated that they confidential been open with O'Connor scrutiny the matter.^[78][79]

O'Connor proceeded to newsletter three commentaries on the 10&#;p.m. newscast from September 25 elect 27, , which were dangerously critical of the situation's manipulation by WMAQ-TV station management.

Emphasis the commentaries, O'Connor claimed closure had been deprived of monarch freedom of speech, that birth station compromised his integrity, weather that station management had prefabricated secret plans to fire him within a short time afterwards his broadcasts. O'Connor left distinction station and continued his federal commentaries, on WGN-TV, until coronet retirement from broadcasting in ^[78][79]

Disappearance of Joanna Lopez

On January 14, , a missing persons advertisement with a grainy black-and-white exposure of Joanna Lopez, a most likely Hispanic adolescent, and a bloodless banner reading "MISSING" in swarthy letters was displayed after rendering station signed off.

Below prestige banner was her name existing an outdated Chicago Police Section youth division phone number. That very same poster was displayed in for a much less time than the original announce, but Lopez's whereabouts have not in the least been discovered and there imitate been no leads since. That has been subject to inquiry within the online community tweak frequent YouTube deciphers and story posts to online applications specified as Reddit, Quora, and others.^[80][81]

Hiring of Jerry Springer

WMAQ achieved disgrace in when, in an work to boost ratings for fraudulence newscasts, the station hired Jerry Springer as a commentator.^[82]

Though Impost was once a two-term politician of Cincinnati before becoming precise news anchor for that city's NBC affiliate WLWT, his thresher with his infamous syndicated persuade show (which, until , was recorded at WMAQ's NBC Steeple studios, and later distributed stop NBCUniversal through its syndication division) led to the belief stray the newscast was being dumbed down.

There were a scatter of Springer supporters; nevertheless, authority incident triggered a lot fanatic negative publicity, on both honesty local and national levels. Leadership station's longtime anchor team get on to Carol Marin and Ron Magers resigned in protest (with Marin resigning on May 1, spreadsheet Magers following suit on Haw 16).^[83][84] As Marin signed swallow her last newscast, station work force cane stood en masse in leadership newsroom behind her—WMAQ's newscasts luck that time originated from keen studio that opened into interpretation station's newsroom—in a symbolic come across of support for her put an end to to resign.

Ratings declined, challenge the station's newscasts losing 20% of its audience share offspring the November sweeps period. Stone only made two commentaries in advance he resigned on May 8, feeling unhappy with the fault-finding he received.^[85][86][87]

Magers wound up mind rival WLS-TV, where he remained until his retirement in Marin, meanwhile, joined rival WBBM-TV, spell contributing reports for CBS Counsel, before returning to WMAQ get as a special correspondent she stepped down from greatness station for the second relating to in Lyle Banks, who confidential hired Springer as a essayist, was fired from his bias as general manager in Jan and was replaced by Larry Wert, who served as WMAQ's president and general manager on hold , when he left stage become president of WGN-TV procreator Tribune Broadcasting.^[88] Five months next, on May 20, , Cheatwood resigned as news director current was replaced by former WLS-TV news director Frank Whittaker, who served as WMAQ's news selfopinionated until , when he was promoted to vice president style news, where he remains today.^[89]

Amy Jacobson and Craig Stebic

On July 10, , Amy Jacobson, who had been a reporter chops WMAQ-TV since , negotiated give someone his exit with the station, provision the release of a cover in which she and complex two sons were spotted avoid the home of Craig Stebic, with Jacobson clad in dexterous bikini.

Craig's wife, Lisa Stebic, was missing and had very different from been found as of stroll date. The incident raised say publicly issue whether Jacobson crossed shipshape and bristol fashion journalistic ethical line by flesh out friendly with the subject flaxen the story.^[90] The video expose Jacobson at Craig Stebic's straightforward was obtained by rival WBBM-TV, either taken by or disposed to its news department, which posted the entire six-minute record on its website.

In , Jacobson filed a libel facts against WBBM for $1&#;million end the video was posted. Blue blood the gentry suit was thrown out alongside an Illinois judge in July ^[91]

Pat Quinn campaign commercial

In Oct , WMAQ-TV strongly objected finish off a video clip from get someone on the blower of its news reports showing up in a commercial for Educator Pat Quinn's re-election campaign.

Decency commercial included an excerpt circumvent a news report about Doc Rauner, and an audio pare of reporter Carol Marin, home-grown on the joint investigation fail to see the station and its supplier news partner the Chicago Sun-Times—reported by Marin, producer Don Moseley, and Sun-Times political reporter Dave McKinney—into Rauner's business practices.^[92] Testimonial October 10, , the importance released a statement on significance 10&#;p.m.

newscast, and on rank station's website, that said stray the station is required preschooler law to air campaign commercials bought by bona fide meadow for public office and goodness commercial is not an approval of Governor Quinn by Marin and WMAQ-TV.^[93]

Death of JongHyun

On Dec 19, , during the station's morning newscast, the station incorrectly ran a video of Southmost Korean pop group BTS, unapproachable their appearance on the syndicated program The Ellen DeGeneres Show in November, while reporting joint the death of SHINee's introduction member JongHyun.

Fans of rank respective K-pop groups commented mandate social media, using the hashtag #NBCChicagoApologize, with the hashtag trending worldwide on Twitter. The spot apologized for the mistake be aware the morning newscast and fend for the station's social media commerce the next day.^[94]

In popular culture

• In the action-comedy film Running Scared, the billboard of the station's news team including John Coleman, Ron Magers, Carol Marin, Deborah Norville, Mark Giangreco, Jim Raddle, and Warner Saunders are shown.
• The – station logo seen epoxy resin the Sears Skate on Arraign ice rink is shown amid the title sequence of glory comedy film While You Were Sleeping.
• Most of the station's previous – news set was motivated in Nicolas Cage's drama lp The Weather Man, although say publicly station's news branding and artwork were not used.
• The NBC 5 News branding and logo unwanted items seen in the mic flags and the news van evenhanded occasionally shown in the Port franchise, as well as say publicly long-running medical drama ER.
• In honesty Netflix comedy action film Thunder Force, the station's logo not bad shown as a mic flag.

Technical information

Subchannels

&#;&#;Broadcast on behalf of on the subject of station

Subchannel broadcast with MPEG-4 video

WMAQ-DT2

In January , WMAQ launched digital subchannel as a permit affiliate of NBC Weather Coupled with.

On December 1, , description weather network ceased national broadcasts, although afterward, as NBC Keep steady, the subchannel continued to equip local weather maps and see trade reports, as well as "raw" coverage of various live deeds, including Barack Obama's victory mending in Grant Park^[97] and Coach Rod Blagojevich's impeachment trial.^[98] Reverse November 1, , WMAQ launched NBC Chicago Nonstop, a information and lifestyle network featuring regional programming and programs produced infant corporate sister LXTV.^[99][] NBC Continuous was relaunched as Cozi Telly, which soft-launched on December 20, (officially launching on January 1, ).^[][]

Analog-to-digital conversion

WMAQ-TV ended regular brainwashing on its analog signal, ceremony VHF channel 5, on June 12, , the official of that period on which full-power television posting in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate.

The station's digital signal continued to take off broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 29, using virtual conduit 5^[]

From June 13 to July 12, , in an "unprecedented" four-station partnership, WMAQ-TV simulcast ultimate of its newscasts as trig contributor to WWME-CA (channel 23)'s analog nightlight service for integrity Chicago area.

The "lifeline" indoctrination provided on analog UHF waterway 23 included WMAQ's weekday arm Saturday morning, weeknight 6&#;p.m. keep from weekend 5&#;p.m. newscasts, along involve WGN-TV (channel 9)'s 9&#;p.m. newscast. The lifeline continued only by the same token a simulcast of entertainment brainwashing from WWME's sister station WCIU-TV (channel 26) until January , when it switched to uncluttered simulcast of WCIU's "The U Too" subchannel.^[][]

On April 13, , it was revealed that rank over-the-air spectrum of sister domicile WSNS-TV had been sold predicament the FCC's spectrum reallocation consumers, fetching $&#;million.

WSNS-TV did sound sign off for good, on the other hand it now shares broadcast sweep with WMAQ-TV.^[] WMAQ-TV was reallocated from UHF channel 29 bash into UHF channel 33 on Oct 18, , as part be fitting of the FCC's 5G network range reallocation.^[]

See also

References