WPXI
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WPXI, "Channel 11" is the NBC television affiliate based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by Cox Broadcasting with its transmitter located in Pittsburgh, the station's signal covers the Pittsburgh DMA.
History
On September 1, 1957, Channel 11 signed on as WIIC-TV, a NBC affiliate. Bill Cardille, former Channel 11 host and weather forecaster, was the first personality viewers saw.
Some of the first original programming to air on WIIC included Studio Wrestling and Chiller Theatre, both hosted by Cardille.
In 1970, WIIC made Pittsburgh broadcasting history as former TV personality Eleanor Schano became the first woman to anchor a newscast alone. Schano also hosted a weekly half-hour public affairs program called "Face to Face."
During the 1970s, WIIC trailed in a distant third behind stations KDKA and WTAE.
In 1981, the station was purchased by Cox Broadcasting, and the call signs were changed to WPXI-TV (Pittsburgh 11, with XI being the Roman numeral sign for 11; the WIIC-TV calls still reside in Pittsburgh, but on a low-powered independent station airing infomercials.). Since then, WPXI has had several slogans including "More News. More Often" and "Live. Local. Late-Breaking News." Channel 11 also serves as Pittsburgh's 24-Hour News Source, providing news/weather updates every hour on Channel 11. Now Channel 11's slogan is "News Coverage You Can Count On."
Over the years WPXI 11 preempted a decent amount of NBC programming. It was usually some of the late morning weekday shows as well as whatever show was in the 12 Noon slot. Like WTAE 4, 11 WPXI also is very news intensive. They also occasionally preempted a prime time program for a local special or a syndicated movie. Starting in the winter of 1990 WPXI dropped the NBC Saturday morning cartoons in favor of a newscast airing from 8 AM to 12:30 PM.
As NBC began to decrease weekday offerings WPXI was no longer preempting as many programs. Locally WPXI offers news as well as syndicated first run talk and court and reality shows.
The station went into cable television in 1994 with the launch of PCNC - the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel. PCNC brought the first 10 PM newscast to Pittsburgh. It now competes with UPN Pittsburgh and WPGH-TV. The program is now at 7 PM, as WPXI now provides the 10 PM news on WPGH, which shut down it's news division on January 30th, 2006. The new 10PM News is called Channel 11 News at Ten on Fox 53.
In 2000, Cox Enterprises purchased WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio and WJAC in the Johnstown-Altoona-State College, Pennsylvania, market.
On June 21, 2005, WPXI expanded its weather coverage to include WeatherPlus, a digital cable channel in partnership with NBC and Comcast. The channel can also be seen over-the-air on digital TV sets at Channel 11.2. Channel 11 weather personnel deliver local forecasts at the top of each hour, 15 minutes after the hour, 30 minutes past the hour and 45 minutes past the hour. NBC will provide national weather reports in between local forecasts.
Local Programming
Channel 11 has had only one major foray into producing local programming; from 1963 to 1983, the station produced and broadcast Chiller Theater, a late Saturday evening horror film show hosted by Bill Cardille, or as he was referred to, "Chilly Billy". Cardille and a cast of characters would introduce the film being shown, as well as perform skits during breaks in the film. Cardille became well-known for hosting the show, and the shows themselves became part of local yore. The final program aired on January 1, 1984. Cardille remains in Pittsburgh as midday personality on WJAS radio, and occasional Chiller Theater reunions have been held over the years.
The show was part of a trend during the 1960s and 1970s for local television stations to produce local programming; local stations often created their own children's shows as well. Horror theater shows, such as Shock Theatre, hosted by Ghoulardi and "Big Chuck and Little John" in Cleveland, as well as "Chiller Theater", were not only easy to produce, but popular with the local audience.
Logo
WPXI currently uses the number 11 drawn into a circle. The 11 symbol is colored gold, while the box around it is dark blue. WPXI used to use the NBC Peacock logo in its logo but revamped its look in October 2004.
Address
11 Television Hill
(formerly 341 Rising Main Avenue; the name was changed in the 1980s)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania