Joe Langston, whose voice was a signature of Alabama broadcasting news for three decades, died early today. Here's something else affecting your wallet: the situation in Iraq is not helping with gas prices here at home. [23], On June 25, 2018, Atlanta-based Gray Television announced it had reached an agreement with Raycom to merge their respective broadcasting assets (consisting of Raycom's 63 existing owned-and/or-operated television stations, including WBRC), and Gray's 93 television stations) under the former's corporate umbrella. Channel 6 originally planned to carry the entire Fox programming schedule when it switched to the network, including its children's program block, Fox Kids; it intended to air the weekday editions of that block from 1:00 to 4:00p.m. on Monday through Friday afternoons. For example, according to local legends, the station initially turned down Bewitched, not because it was concerned about witchcraft, but because it concerned a mixed marriage (between a witch and a mortal); there were fears that Bewitched would encourage what some segregationists referred to as "cross-breeding"; channel 6 would not clear Bewitched until 1967 (although, according to the October 15, 1965, issue of The Birmingham News, Bewitched was shown airing at its in-pattern time of Thursdays at 8:00p.m. (Central) on WBRC). to buy three stations; affiliation shuffle continues", "The FCC last week approved New World's plans to transfer WGHP-TV Greensboro, N.C., and WBRC-TV Birmingham, Ala., into a trust for eventual sale to Fox", "Citicasters, Inc., announces completion of sale of three television stations", "Fox Television Stations last week closed its deal to acquire WBRC-TV Birmingham", "Allbritton takes another route to Birmingham", "Allbritton Communications Co. and ABC have signed a 10-year affiliation agreement", "News Corporation Completes Sale of Eight Television Stations", "The New York Times Company Announces Plan to Sell Its Broadcast Media Group", "News Corp. to Sell U.S. TV Stations for $1.1 Billion", "Oak Hill Capital Partners Completes Acquisition of 8 TV Station sales", "GRAY AND RAYCOM TO COMBINE IN A $3.6 BILLION TRANSACTION", "Gray Acquiring Raycom For $3.65B, Forming No. It was originally owned by the Birmingham Broadcasting Company, run by Eloise D. Hanna, along with WBRC radio. Fiddler, guitarist and vocalist Eddie Burns was invited to bring his musical group to serve as The Morning Show's house band and act as the program's bandleader; however, within a few months, station management offered Burns his own morning program on channel 6. Visitation will follow in Hudson Hall. [28][29], In May 2011, WBRC launched a digital subchannel on virtual channel 6.2, which initially carried a standard definition simulcast of the station's main channel. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). He just had a good time but was a smart fellow, too, and I loved him," Bolen said. He was there during Governor George Wallace's famous "Stand in the School House Door.". The station launched a full-scale news department in 1952, when it began operating from the former studios of the original WBRC-FM. Good morning everyone. Langston retired from WBRC in 1987 to work in the communications department at Jacksonville State University, where he retired as Chair of the department in 1998. The cash-and-stock merger transaction valued at $3.6billion in which Gray shareholders would acquire preferred stock currently held by Raycom will result in WBRC gaining new sister stations in adjacent markets, including ABC affiliate WTOK-TV in Meridian and CBS/NBC affiliates WTVY and WRGX-LD in Dothan (while separating it from WDFX), in addition to the current Raycom stations. Mike Hathcock, the school's director of television services, remembers Langston's rapport, especially with students. Veteran WBRC anchor Joe Langston died Saturday. Channels in parentheses were originally designated by black bullets; those in brackets by white. He stayed their most of his life, including going to school at the University of Alabama. Alabama Associated Press Broadcasters Association, Tuscaloosa County Tuberculosis Association, Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, https://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Joe_Langston&oldid=114212, Harvey, Alec (June 21, 2014) "Longtime Birmingham TV news anchor Joe Langston dies at 82. Joe Langston, an award-winning Birmingham television journalist whose career spanned more than 30 years, died Friday at the age of 82. . 6 On Your Side Investigates. Get TVSpy delivered straight to your inbox, Report: Texas Mother Not First to Accuse KHOU Reporter of Unethical Behavior, Charleston Station told to Ignore Congressional Candidate Because of His Views on Local TV, RTDNA, NPPA Call for Police to Respect Journalists Rights in Ferguson, News Crews Hit with Tear Gas, Bean Bags in Ferguson; Police: We Dont Want You Here, WKRN Photographer Rolling When Fuel in Storm Drain Explodes, FAA Says Final Drone Test Site Ready to Go, Veteran Buffalo Meteorologist Switches Stations, Timelapse Video Captures Construction of New KFMB Set. DMA 45 (BIRMINGHAM, AL) Longtime WBRC Anchor Joe Langston Dies At 82. al.com | June 24, 2014 | 6:39 am EDT by TVNewsCheck . He retired from his post as Chairman of the Department in 1998. In addition to compensating for the absence of daily national morning and evening newscasts on Fox's schedule, the expansion of WBRC's news lineup also filled timeslots vacated by the departures of Good Morning America and World News Tonight through the discontinuance of its ABC affiliation. Langston still did some occasional off-camera assignments during those years. Copyright 2014 WBRC. And the kids just ate that up," Hathcock said. In 1966, WBRC-TV began broadcasting local programming in color, after the station purchased two color cameras; among the first local programs to be produced in color was the Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches' program, The Bear Bryant Show (originated from CBS affiliate WCOV-TV (now also a Fox affiliate) in Montgomery, the first television station in the state to begin color broadcasts), which aired on WBRC until 1970, when it moved to WAPI-TV. WBRC was the first Birmingham station to use a microwave-transmitting live news truck for newsgathering in 1978. Longtime WBRC news anchor Joe Langston passed away early Saturday morning. Station management declined ABC's insistence that WBRC expand its 6:00p.m. newscast to match the length of the ABC Evening News; however, the 15-minute local newscast beat The Huntley-Brinkley Report on WAPI-TV/WVTM and the CBS Evening News on WBMG in the ratings. At the time, the FCC forbade any broadcasting company from owning two commercial television stations in the same market; in addition, the concurrent acquisitions of the Argyle and Citicasters stations put New World three stations over the national television ownership cap that the agency enforced at the time, which allowed broadcasters to own a maximum of twelve stations nationwide. On Monday, York was emotional talking about his old friend. Sponsored Content. Editor Phone: 301-773-0058. He was named news director in 1969. "Commercials, singing, filling in. During his years in television, he received every major award from the Associated Press and United Press International Broadcasters Association. Bell called Langston a friend and a big brother. Originally broadcasting for three hours per day, it operated as a primary NBC affiliate (earning the affiliation as a result of WBRC radio's longtime affiliation with the NBC Red Network), and also carried secondary affiliations with ABC and the DuMont Television Network; during the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network. New World formally filed an application with the FCC to transfer WBRC to the trust on October 12, 1994, one month after it filed transferred WGHP on September 9; the FCC approved the transfer on April 3, 1995. Joe Langston. #BillBolen hashtag on Twitter Joe Langston Obituary (1932 - 2014) - Birmingham, AL . WBRC currently carries the majority of the Fox network schedule, though it delays the network's Saturday late night block (currently a repeat of a prime time reality show) one hour due to the station's 10:00p.m. newscast and its carriage of the syndicated sports interview program In Depth with Graham Bensinger; in addition, following the program's move from Fox Sports 1 to Fox in September 2015, WBRC formerly was one of several Fox affiliates that has declined carriage of the Sunday pre-game show Fox NFL Kickoff during the NFL regular season due to existing programming contracts (unlike in other markets where a Fox station has declined carriage of Fox NFL Kickoff, the program was not broadcast by any other station in the BirminghamTuscaloosaAnniston market). Langston's funeral will take place at 2 p.m. on Monday at Mountain Brook Baptist Church. After it suffered significant structural damage due to an ice storm that affected the Southeastern U.S. in the winter of 1985, the station's original transmitter tower was replaced in 1986, with a new tower on Red Mountain 3 miles (4.8km) east of the original tower's location. In 1982, WBRC began receiving ABC network and syndicated programming, and news footage via satellite. WBRC also lost several longtime anchors and reporters to the W58CK/WCFT/WJSU trimulcast at that time, including news anchors Linda Mays and Brenda Ladun, meteorologists James Spann (who himself reportedly left WBRC due to his disapproval over the edgier content of Fox's programming) and Mark Prater, and sports anchor Mike Raita. Langston died at the age of 82 over the weekend. Earlier News by Date Editor on Duty: Mark K. Miller. While it may have been out of place in most of Storer's other markets (many of which were located outside of the Southern United States), it was a perfect fit for Birmingham. 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