WLEX-TV
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WLEX-TV Channel 18 is the NBC affiliate for Lexington, Kentucky and the East-Central Kentucky region. Its transmitter is located in Lexington.
History
WLEX first went on the air as a radio station in 1946. Channel 18 signed on March 15, 1955 as Lexington's first television station, with programming from all four networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, and DuMont). The DuMont network went out of business later that year. In 1957 CBS programming moved to WKYT-TV. In 1968 ABC programming moved to WBLG-TV (now WTVQ-TV), making WLEX a full-time NBC affiliate.
Firsts
- First station to broadcast a test pattern in Lexington (January 19, 1955)
- First station to broadcast programming in Lexington (March 15, 1955)
- First tower over 600 feet in Kentucky (December, 1954)
- First Kentucky commercial station to regularly schedule an educational program (Zemanski and White Physics, 1959; Anthropology I, September, 1959)
- First television broadcast of University of Kentucky basketball – DePaul University, from Chicago, February 18, 1956 (DePaul won 81-79)
- First station to air regularly-scheduled church service telecast in Kentucky (Immanuel Baptist)
- First station in Kentucky to broadcast in full-color and first full-color UHF in the United States (November 15, 1962)
- First station in Lexington to have a female news anchor, Sue Hackett Wylie (April, 1968)
- First station in Kentucky to produce a computer-generated program log (July, 1968)
- First commercial station in Lexington to use broadcast-quality Electronic News Gathering, ENG, (October, 1978)
- First station in Lexington to air a Saturday morning newscast (July 4, 1992)
- First station in Lexington to air an hour-long weekly morning newscast (July 6, 1992)
- First station in Lexington to have a station website (March, 1995)
- First station in Kentucky and Lexington to go on air on August 27, 2006 to report the crash of "Flight 5191" at Bluegrass Airport
- First station in Lexington to announce the departure of University of Kentucky men's college basketball coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith. (March 22, 2007)
- In September 2007, Kristie Kubovic became the first woman in Kentucky to receive the American Meteorological Society's CBM seal. This seal is an upgrade to the AMS seal.
- WLEX-TV is number 1 in the Lexington-Fayette market. It has won nine AP awards and voted best newscast in Kentucky out of all the stations in Kentucky.
High Definition & Theme Music
In Spring 2007, WLEX-TV became the 2nd station in Lexington and Kentucky as a whole to broadcast newscasts in High Definition, and to debut a new set. They have used their famous "Skyline" set for 9 years until they updated it in May of 2007. They also are using 615 Music's theme, In-Sink V.1,V.2,V.3 for 8 years. This is one out of a few stations that use this theme in the nation.
Digital Television
The station's digital channel:
Digital channels| Virtual Channel |
Physical RF Channel |
Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.1 | 39.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | Main WLEX programming |
Personalities
News Anchors
- Kevin Christopher - Lex 18 News at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
- Nancy Cox - Lex 18 News at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
- Dia Davidson - Lex 18 News at Sunrise, Noon, and 12:30
- Richard Lom - Weekends 6 and 11
- Kristen Pflum - Weekends 6 and 11
News Reporters
- Leigh Searcy
- Chris Lupien
- Richard Lom
- Lee Cruse
- Nicole Pence
- Kristen Pflum
- Sarah Lane
- Amanda Hara
- Chase Cain
- Travis Thompson
- Jessica Moore
- Jaimie Weiss
- John McGary
Weather
- Bill Meck (AMS)- Chief Meteorologist- 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
- Tom Ackerman (CBM-NWA)- Meteorologist Sunrise, Noon, and 12:30
- Kristie Kubovic (CBM-NWA)- (Fill-In) & Weekends 6 and 11
- Chase Cain (Fill-In when Kristie Kubovic and Bill Meck are off)
Sports
- Alan Cutler
- Mary Jo Perino-Mitchell
- Justin White
External links