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WALB channel 10 (Mediacom channels 3 & digital 810 ), is the NBC television affiliate in Albany, Georgia, (DMA 145) serving the southwestern part of the state. It is currently owned by Raycom Media. Prior to 1998, the station was the flagship for Gray Communication Systems' broadcasting group (which still has administrative offices in Albany today). The station began on December 25, 1954, as the television arm of radio station (WALB-AM), which had operated since 1941. Its main studios are located at 1709 Stuart Avenue in Albany. When the station's studios were built in 1953, Stuart Avenue was a dirt road running through a pecan grove. WALB normally broadcasts from a transmitter located near Doerun, Georgia, but is temporarily broadcasting from an auxiliary site at their studios, due to the Doerun transmitter being destroyed (see below).

Until 1983, WALB doubled as the NBC affiliate for Tallahassee, Florida. Although WTWC-TV has been Tallahassee's NBC affiliate since then, WALB still provides city-grade coverage to much of the Georgia side of the Tallahassee market and grade B coverage to Tallahassee itself.

Station timeline

  • 1941: Began as radio station WALB-AM
  • 1954: Began as NBC affiliate WALB-TV
  • 1976: Fire destroyed main broadcasting facilities, but did not damage station offices. Began broadcasting the next day from a shop building on the premises.
  • 1994: The Flood of 1994, resulting from record breaking rainfall from Tropical Storm Alberto. Causing the deaths of 33 people (31 in Georgia/2 in Alabama). A total of 78 counties were declared disaster areas (55 in Georgia, 10 in Alabama, 13 in Florida). 50,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, 18,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Rainfall was in excess of 20 inches in many areas. WALB stayed on the air with non stop, 24 hour coverage to alert citizens and provide the vital link between the public and government agencies.
  • 1998: Ownership sold from Gray Communications Systems (now Gray Television) to Cosmos Broadcasting, which later became Liberty Corporation.
  • 2001: Began broadcasting digital television (DT) signal.
  • 2005: A new set was built which replaced the old set used for at least twelve years.
  • 2005: WALB 24-7 Weather (now WALB/NBC Weather Plus) was launched. This station gives continuous forecasts for up to 30 cities around Southwest Georgia.
  • 2006: WALB officially sold from Liberty Corporation to Raycom Media after the 2005 acquisition of Liberty by Raycom.
  • 2006: During demolition of WFXL's Television Tower, WALB's 1000 foot tall tower was destroyed on June 7th.
  • 2007: Construction began on the new 1,000 foot TV tower that will hold both WALB and WFXL's Analog and Digital Antennas.
  • 2007: WALB began airing "WALB's Most Wanted" designed to showcase some of south Georgia's most wanted felons.

Current Personalities

Anchors and Reporters

  • Ruthie Garner, Morning and Noon Anchor
  • Karla Heath-Sands, Morning and Noon Anchor/ Host of Dialogue
  • Dawn Hobby, 5 & 6 p.m. Anchor
  • Ben Roberts, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. Anchor
  • Jim Wallace, Anchor/ Reporter
  • Len Kiese, Weekend Anchor/ Reporter
  • Jennifer Emert, General Assignment Reporter
  • Sarah Baldwin, Thomasville Bureau Reporter
  • Alicia Eaken, Valdosta Bureau Reporter
  • Joe Courson, "10 Country" Reporter
  • Nikki Gaskins, General Assignment Reporter
  • Karen Cohilas, Reporter/Anchor
  • Brent Solomon, General Assignment Reporter
  • Cade Fowler, General Assignment Reporter
  • Delivrine Registre, General Assignment Reporter

Meteorologists

  • Yolanda Amadeo, Chief Meteorologist
  • Chris Zelman, Morning and Noon Meteorologist
  • Chris Nisinger, Weekend Meteorologist

Sports

  • Robert Hydrick, Sports Director
  • Mike Shiers, Weekend Sports Anchor/ Sports Reporter

Past personalities

  • Gil Patrick, Chief Meteorologist and long time host of Today in Georgia
  • Kristina Abernathy, meteorologist (Now at the Weather Channel)
  • Reginald Jones, reporter ( Now at WTVY-TV)
  • Kent Williams, Morning and Noon Meteorologist
  • Terri Smith, meteorologist
  • Alan Sealls, meteorologist (Now at WKRG-TV)
  • Patrick Core, meteorologist (Now at WDEF-TV)
  • LeAnn Pope, meteorologist
  • Joe Sports, sports direrctor
  • Dave D'Marko, reorter
  • Nicole Johnson, Reporter
  • Kathryn Murchison, reporter/anchor (now at Albany Technical College)
  • Ducky Wall, sports anchor
  • Kevin McDermond,weekend sports anchor/reporter (now at WPMI-TV)
  • Chris Smith, meteorologist (1996-1997, Now at WGCL-TV)
  • Jeff Crum, meteorologist (Now At News 14 Carolina)
  • Ashley Harper, Valdosta Bureau reporter
  • Casey Jones, anchor/ reporter (Now At WTOC)
  • Joe Coffey, anchor
  • Dave Nethers, reporter (Now At WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH)
  • Greg Majewski, reporter (Now at WGCL-TV Atlanta)
  • Chuck Bell, meteorologist (now at WRC-TV)
  • Nancy Wright, anchor
  • Lisa George, anchor/reporter (now at the Georgia Innocence Project)
  • Yolonda Hawkins, reporter
  • Jennifer Hulsey, reporter
  • Mercer Merrill, weekend anchor/reporter (now at News 14 Carolina)
  • Jocelyn Maner, reporter (now at WLTX-TV)
  • Scott Hunter, reporter
  • Brannon Stewart, reporter (now at The Birmingham News)
  • Amanda Fitzpatrick, reporter, producer (now at WCSC-TV)
  • Elaine Armstrong, reporter
  • Mitch Kimbrell, reporter
  • Steve Summers, reporter (now at WHIO-TV)
  • Lisa Smith, reporter
  • Melissa Kill, Anchor/ reporter
  • Nicole Bailey, reporter
  • Kristen Hill, reporter
  • Sloane Heffernan, reporter/anchor (Now At WRAL-TV)
  • Kathryn Simmons, reporter (Now at WBBH-TV)
  • Stephen Ryan, Thomasville Bureau reporter
  • Michelle Boudin, reporter/anchor (Now at WCNC)
  • Yvette Jones, anchor/reporter
  • Joanna Hammer, reporter
  • Angelique Proctor, reporter (Now at WAGA)
  • Jan Saunderson, reporter
  • Jackie Ryan, reporter
  • Steve Bell, reporter/anchor (now at University of Georgia)
  • Steve O'Brien, anchor/news director
  • Chris Clark, reporter (retired in 2007 from WTVF, Nashville, Tenn.)

New look

  • In 2004, WALB gave its newscast a makeover, renaming itself from NewsCenter 10 to WALB News 10. They have also changed their logo as part of the graphic makeover. However, they kept the "little one, big zero" 10, which has been part of WALB's logo since the late-1970s, at the latest.
  • WALB also changed its theme to The Tower composed by 615 Music.

Weather Forecast Titles

  • Super Doppler 10 Forecast (1994-2004)
  • 24/7 Weather Forecast (current)

June 7, 2006: WALB / WFXL towers crash

On June 1, 2006, a CH-47 Chinook military chopper traveling from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia to Fort Rucker in Alabama for a training mission crashed into a guy wire connected to WFXL's 1000 foot tall Doerun tower. As a result, Raycom acquired auxiliary transmitters and antennas for both WFXL and WALB, which are installed at the tower at WALB's studios in Albany. The primary objective is to get WFXL back on the air terrestrially by Tuesday June 6, but a backup for WALB has been acquired in event WALB's regular tower collapses with WFXL's tower. [1]

WALB's Television Tower was destroyed at 6:32 PM on Wednesday, June 7th, 2006 during an attempted demolition of WFXL's tower. Shown on live television, the demolition for WFXL's unreparable tower placed WALB's tower in a delicate position. The initial destruction of WFXL's damaged tower went well until the final seconds when overlapping guy wires from the WFXL tower entangled with the guy wires of WALB's tower. WALB is now transmitting their signal on a temporary tower, though at only 20,000 watts, 200 ft. HAAT (high above average terrain). The cleanup of the site and installation of new towers is almost complete. [2] [3] Those still unable to get a signal include terrestrial viewers outside the 25 mile radius from Albany, as well as a few smaller cable systems that receive WALB over-the-air instead of fiber. Dish Network offers WALB in the local line-ups which costs $5.00 extra a month; participating dealers will waive the $49.99 activation fee for new subscribers as a result of the tower collapse. WALB, however, is not currently offered on DirecTV, citing lack of transponder space. [4] WALB can still be viewed in Sylvester, Albany, Leesburg, and any area within 25 miles of the station.

In early 2007, construction began on a new 1000-foot tower in Doerun, which will hold antennas for WALB and WFXL. The construction will be finished in late May 2007.

The new tower is a High- Definition mega tower, which will broadcast further than before. The tower will broadcast digitally and will have increased clarity.

Did You Know?

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