Bay News 9 (PatrZDZ's vision)

**Bay News 9** (also officially known as **Spectrum Bay News 9** as of September 24, 2017) is a cable news television network located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Owned by Charter Communications, it currently serves the Tampa Bay area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. The station, which is exclusive to Spectrum customers, provides rolling news programming 24 hours a day, with the exception of some special programming, including a weekly political program, Political Connections.

The station was created by Elliott Wiser, who was hired as General Manager by Time Warner Cable in May 1997. At that time TWC was building a similar news channel in Orlando; that channel now is known as Spectrum News 13. Wiser later created Bay News 9 en Español, Tampa Bay on Demand, and Catch 47.

## History

The station began operating on September 24, 1997 and gives weather updates every 10 minutes "on the nines" and more frequently during serious weather conditions.

In 2002, Bay News 9 was the first TV station in the area to provide a VIPIR Doppler radar system. In 2007, Bay News 9 became the first station in Florida, and one of only a handful of stations, to provide a Dual-Pole Doppler Radar system. On Monday, January 5, 2009, Bay News 9 launched its upgraded doppler radar system called Klystron 9. This new system is capable of seeing weather features in greater detail than other Doppler radar systems. Klystron 9 combines, for the first time in history, a dual Polarimetry radar, Klystron tube, Pulse compression technology and a 1.25-million watt transmitter. That combination of technology makes Klystron 9 the most powerful television radar in the world. Klystron 9 has the ability to see storms other radars can't see and see deeper into those storms. The Klystron 9's dual-pole technology even tells meteorologists the sizes and shape of raindrops and makes the distinction between rain and ice.

Two original anchors remain with the station: meteorologists Mike Clay and Alan Winfield. Winfield only works during hurricanes after leaving the station full-time in 2006 to join a religious ministry. In December 2008, Jen Holloway left the station to join the parent company, Bright House Networks, as a marketing spokesperson. Weekend morning anchor Erica Riggins replaced her spot.

Bay News 9 was originally seen on channel 9 on all systems, except for Pasco County, where it was seen on channel 6. On August 7, 2013, Bright House Networks moved Bay News 9 to channel 9 in Pasco County, making Bay News 9 available on all of Bright House's cable systems in the Tampa Bay area. The newscasts (with the exception of Your Morning News) are recorded for repeat broadcasts with breaking news and weather forecasts inserted almost hourly.

## News operation

Bay News 9 maintains content partnerships with several local radio stations as well as various Bay Area newspapers including the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Citrus County Chronicle, and The Bradenton Herald. The channel also operates news bureaus in Tampa, Bradenton, New Port Richey and Spring Hill; as well as at the offices of the Citrus County Chronicle in Crystal River and The Ledger in Lakeland. The channel also produces feature reports for Orlando-based sister channel News 13 (Bright House began carrying that channel in the Tampa market on digital channel 1213 in December 2010, with Bay News 9 conversely being added to the provider's Central Florida systems on digital channel 1209).

In 1999, Bay News 9 introduced "Health Team 9," a team of practicing doctors (Steven Seltzer, Robert DiMasi, Jacentha Buggs and Linda McClintock) and a licensed psychologist (Steve O'Brien) employed by the channel to serve as experts reporting on a variety of medical issues. The channel runs a regular medical news segment during the morning newscast called "Health Team 9 Health Watch", as well as a segment during the primetime newscast called "Health Team 9 Medical Beat" (which is conducted by the anchor of that night's broadcast).

### Programming

The channel operates on a news "wheel" format, offering blocks of news segments, weather forecasts and feature reports in regular intervals; regular weather segments are broadcast in 10-minute intervals "on the nines," with more frequent updates during severe weather events and wall-to-wall coverage whenever hurricanes or tropical storms affect the channel's service area. Its programming is presented live, although a digital video "jukebox" is used to recycle segments (except for those aired during Your Morning News block) for broadcast at other times and to provide loops of newscasts originally broadcast live in certain timeslots (particularly during the overnight hours). Producers update the wheel throughout the day, inserting new material as stories are filed and updated information becomes available; coverage of breaking news events are also inserted as warranted.

In June 2008, Bay News 9 began airing traffic updates six times an hour, as opposed to four times an hour (which was the standard since the station's inception). Updates now occur right after the weather segments at :00 and :30 past the hour, as well as the usual :07, :17, :37, and :47 past the hour.

"Extra", a four to five minute feature reports have long since been a staple of Bay News 9. Broadcast at 23 and 53 minutes past the hour, these reports are primarily geared towards an array of lifestyle topics (except the "Extra on Special Assignment" report, which is geared towards investigative reports).

Bay News 9 is an affiliate of the national and international video news service CNN Newsource, and every hour at 42 minutes past the hour it features a national news segment called "Beyond the Bay".

In addition, Bay News 9 produces the half-hour political discussion program Political Connections (airing Sundays at 11:00 a.m., with an encore at 8:00 p.m.); the program, which is currently hosted by weekday afternoon anchor Al Ruechel debuted in 2005 as part of a partnership between Bay News 9 and the Tampa Bay Times.

Upon the channel's launch, Bay News 9 began producing the nightly half-hour sports highlight program Toyota Sports Connection (it originally aired at 10:30 p.m., before moving to 11:00 p.m. in 2001), which focuses mainly on local sports as well as major national sports headlines. It was originally hosted by former Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive lineman David Logan until his death in 1999, with Rock Riley assuming hosting duties thereafter (the channel has since begun awarding a scholarship to high school athletes named in Logan's honor, The David Logan Scholarship).

## Affiliated channels

### Bay News 9 HD

Bay News 9 HD is a high definition simulcast feed of Bay News 9 that broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format. The HD feed is carried on Charter Spectrum digital channels 1009 and 1209; it was launched in the spring of 2006, which resulted in the debut of an extensive graphical overhaul to Bay News 9. Newscasts airing on the feed were not originally produced in HD, airing instead in the 480i format (with stylized pillarboxing) and upconverted to 1080i. On October 20, 2011, Bay News 9 and sister network InfoMás began broadcasting their news programming in high definition, with programming being upgraded to the 16:9 aspect ratio and the introduction of a revised graphics package.

### Bay News 9 en Español

A 24-hour Spanish news channel that was launched in 2002. In addition to providing normal rolling news coverage, the channel also carries exclusive stories that meet the needs of Tampa's Spanish-speaking population. The segments and format of both Bay News 9 and Bay News 9 en Español are similar. Bay News 9 en Español is notable in that it is the first of its kind 24-hour local news channel in the nation.

### Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now

Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now is a 24-hour weather service, which broadcasts on WarnerCable digital channel 109 and on analog channel 2 (WCLF is digital-only). The channel was launched in 1999 as Bay News 9 Weather Now, and originally provided local forecasts 24 hours a day. In 2004, the channel was relaunched as Bay News 9 Travel Weather Now, reformatted as a 24-hour weather network geared primarily towards business travelers.