29 Facts About WPIX

1.

WPIX is available as a regional superstation via satellite and cable in the United States and Canada.

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2.

WPIX's call letters come from the slogan of the newspaper which founded the station, the New York Daily News, whose slogan was "New York's Picture Newspaper".

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3.

WPIX initially featured programming that was standard among independents: children's programs, movies, syndicated reruns of network programs, public affairs programming, religious programs and sports – specifically, the New York Yankees, whose baseball games WPIX carried from 1951 to 1998.

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4.

WPIX aired a local version of Bozo the Clown from 1959 to 1964; comic performers Chuck McCann and Allen Swift hosted programs on WPIX during the mid-1960s before each moved to other entertainment work in Hollywood.

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5.

In 1966, WPIX debuted The Yule Log, which combines Christmas music with a film loop of logs burning inside a fireplace.

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6.

WPIX revived the Yule Log due to viewer demand in 2001, and has proven to be just as popular.

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7.

In 1978, WPIX was uplinked to satellite and became a superstation that was distributed to cable providers throughout the US.

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8.

WPIX earned the biggest ratings of all the stations airing the program, with an 11.

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9.

Since then, WPIX has transmitted its signal from the Empire State Building.

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10.

Station's coverage of the September 11,2001 terrorist attack was notable in that WPIX's helicopter was the last to land following an FAA directive that grounded all aircraft.

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11.

WPIX was given special permission to continue airing aerial video from its helicopter after the collapse of the World Trade Center, though that permission wasn't conditioned on WPIX distributing the footage as a pool camera.

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12.

WPIX produced the Independent Network News, a national newscast that was syndicated to independent stations from June 1980 to June 1990.

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13.

WPIX was noted for the many post–news editorials that were delivered by Richard N Hughes, vice president of news operations from 1969 to 1995.

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14.

Concurrent with the challenge to its license, WPIX began airing nine public-service programs in mid-1969, including Puerto Rican New Yorker, Black Pride, Suburban Closeup, Focus New Jersey, Everywoman, Rendezvous, Jewish Dimension, Sesame Street, and The Green Thumb.

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15.

On June 5,2000, WPIX launched a weekday morning newscast, the WB11 Morning News, which has grown to challenge the established network morning programs as well as its more direct competitor, WNYW's Good Day New York.

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16.

In September 2011, WPIX relieved Watkins of his duties as weekend anchor, replacing him with Tong.

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17.

On September 12,2011, WPIX restored an early evening newscast to its weeknight schedule with the debut of an hour-long 5 pm broadcast, which was originally aimed at women between the ages of 18 and 49.

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18.

On December 19,2012, Jodi Applegate left WPIX, to prepare for the birth of her child through a gestational surrogate.

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19.

In March 2014, WPIX hired consumer reporter Arnold Diaz to head up a new four-person investigative unit.

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20.

WPIX only contributed technical staff to the series, and Daily Mail TV was taped using removable logos which overlay WPIX's logos on the set during 'dark' time for the studio.

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21.

In January 2020, WPIX expanded its morning newscast to include the 9am hour.

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22.

On September 14,2020, WPIX added an hour-long 10am newscast, becoming New York's only 10am newscast; the newscast now runs from 4am to 10a.

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23.

WPIX served as the longtime over-the-air television broadcaster of New York Yankees baseball from 1951 to 1998.

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24.

WPIX lost the broadcast rights for the Yankees to WNYW in 1998, more so the result of regional cable sports networks gaining team broadcast rights, leaving broadcast stations with fewer games to air.

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25.

Since 2013, WPIX has simulcast some ESPN Monday Night Football telecasts involving the Giants or Jets by arrangement with WABC-TV, the main local rightsholder for the over-the-air simulcasts.

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26.

WPIX has carried NFL Network Thursday Night Football telecasts involving the Giants or Jets.

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27.

WPIX was a leader in public affairs and special event programming, inspired by its roots under the ownership of the Daily News.

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28.

WPIX children's show personality Jack McCarthy anchored the station's coverage of the annual St Patrick's Day Parade; the station later added the Columbus Day and National Puerto Rican Day Parade to its stable.

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29.

Since 1992, WPIX has produced PIX News Closeup, a half-hour public affairs and interview program on Sunday mornings that focuses on domestic and international issues in the news, and discussions on political issues.

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