WLEX-TV Information & WLEX-TV Links at HealthHaven.com

WLEX-TV
	Lexington, Kentucky
Branding	LEX 18 (general); LEX 18 News (newscasts)
Slogan	Coverage You Can Count On
Channel	Digital: 39 (UHF);
Subchannels	18.1 NBC; 18.2 Wazoo Sports Network
Affiliations	National Broadcasting Company; Wazoo Sports Network (secondary)
Owner	Evening Post Publishing Company; (WLEX Communications, LLC)
First air date	March 15, 1955
Callsign meaning	LEXington
Former channels	Analog:; 18 (1955-2009)
Former affiliations	All secondary:; DuMont (1955); CBS (1955-1957); ABC (1955-1968)
Effective power	475 kW (digital)
Height	286 m (digital)
Facility ID	73203
Antenna coordinates	38°2′3″N 84°23′39″W / 38.03417°N 84.39417°W (digital)
Website	LEX18.com

For the experimental television station in Boston that used the branding "WLEX", see W1XAY.

WLEX-TV, channel 18, is the NBC affiliate for Lexington, Kentucky and the East-Central Kentucky region. Its transmitter is located in Northern Lexington. WLEX-TV's studio is on Russell Cave Road in northern Fayette County.

[edit] 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 and the third in Kentucky (following Louisville's WAVE-TV and WHAS-TV). It carried 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.

In November, 2009, it was announced that WLEX has partnered with online sports site Wazoo Sports to form the Wazoo Sports Network. The new regional television network will be dedicated to carrying live coverage of Kentucky High School sporting events, as well as classic coverage of past high school & college events. The network can be seen on the Lexington-area digital cable outlet, as well as on WLEX digital subchannel 18.2. ^[1]^[2]

[edit] Firsts

First tower over 600 feet in Kentucky (December, 1954)
First station to broadcast a test pattern in Lexington (January 19, 1955)
First station to broadcast programming in Lexington (March 15, 1955)
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 Kentucky and Lexington to announce the appointment of John Calipari as the head coach of the University of Kentucky Basketball program on March 31, 2009 at 6:45pm.^{[citation needed]}
First station in Lexington and the Ohio Valley with a "Live" Doppler, The Maxtrack Live Doppler in 2004.
First station in the Lexington to report the F-3 tornado that tore through northern Fayette county in June 2004.
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.

[edit] Awards

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.
WLEX also won the Best Television Website two years in a row.
LEX 18 News is voted best newscast for Morning, Noon, Evening, and Nightly news.

[edit] Current Newscasts

Monday-Friday

LEX 18 News @ Sunrise (5:00AM – 7:00AM)
LEX 18 News @ Noon
LEX 18 News @ 12:30
LEX 18 News @ 5:00
LEX 18 News @ 5:30
LEX 18 News @ 6:00
LEX 18 News @ 11:00

Saturday & Sunday

LEX 18 News @ 6:00PM
LEX 18 News @ 11:00PM

[edit] 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 10 years until they updated it in May 2007. They also are using 615 Music's theme, In-Sink V.1,V.2,V.3 for 9 years.

[edit] Digital Television

WLEX-DT broadcasts on digital UHF channel 39. WLEX programming became digital-only at 7am EDT^[3] on June 12, 2009.^[4]

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Anchors

Kevin Christopher, LEX 18 News @ 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
Nancy Cox-Kenny, LEX 18 News @ 5, 5:30, 6, and 11
Dia Davidson, LEX 18 News @ Sunrise, Noon, & 12:30
Chris Goodman, LEX 18 News @ Sunrise & Noon
Lee Cruse, LEX 18 News @ Sunrise & 12:30

Saturday & Sunday

Kristen Pflum, LEX 18 News @ 6, & 11:00

[edit] Reporters

Leigh Searcy
Chris Lupien
Lee Cruse
Nicole Pence
Kristen Pflum
Sarah Lane
Travis Thompson
Jessica Moore
Jaimie Weiss
Jackie Congedo
Adam Baker
Jeff Allen
Chris Sutter
Janice Park

[edit] StormTracker Weather

Bill Meck, (AMS) Chief Meteorologist @ 5, 5:30, 6, & 11
Tom Ackerman, (CBM) Meteorologist @ Sunrise, Noon, & 12:30
Kristie Kubovic, (CBM & NWA) Meteorologist Weekends 6 and 11, Weekend Morning Cut-Ins, & Fill-In

[edit] Sports

Alan Cutler
Mary Jo Perino
Brent Carney

[edit] Kentucky Derby Coverage

LEX 18 News has brought Central Kentucky live coverage of the Kentucky Derby since 2000 when LEX 18 signed a contract with NBC Sports. In 2005, LEX 18 Renewed the contract and they are still bringing All-day coverage of the Derby with their "Derby Crew". No other Lexington stations currently broadcast Derby Day coverage due to contract rights.

[edit] News/Station Presentation

[edit] Newscast titles

WLEX-TV News (1960s)
Action News (1970s-1980s)
18 News (1980s and 1991-1994)
Channel 18 News (1990-1991)
18 Action News (1994-1999)
LEX 18 News (2000-present)

[edit] Station Slogans

WLEX-TV, Lexington's Color Station (1966-1970)
This is TV-18 (early 1970s)
Lexington Turns Us On (mid 1970s)
The Big One-Eight (late 1970s)
WLEX-TV 18, Your Action News Station (late 1970s)
WLEX-TV, Proud as a Peacock! (1979-1981; local version of NBC ad campaign)
The News People (1980s)
WLEX, Let's All Be There (1984-1986; local version of NBC ad campaign)
Come Home to Channel 18 (1986-1987; local version of NBC ad campaign)
Come on Home to Channel 18 (1987-1988; local version of NBC ad campaign)
Come Home to the Best, WLEX (1988-1990; local version of NBC ad campaign)
WLEX, is the Place to Be (1990-1991; local version of NBC ad campaign)
Central Kentucky's 18 (1991-2000)
Coverage You Can Count On (2000-present)

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

[edit] References

^ http://www.kentucky.com/kentuckysports/mensbasketball/story/1027207.html
^ http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2009/11/25/daily.8
^ "LEX 18 To Turn Off Analog Broadcast Signal On Friday". WLEX-TV. 2009-06-11. http://www.lex18.com/global/story.asp?s=10495831. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
^ http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/689551.html

2. Cordillera Communications. Station Information. [1] 3.Lexington Herald-Leader (2008-11-17). "WLEX-18 manager retiring in February" [2]

[edit] External links

[0] ttp://www.kentucky.com/kentuckysports/mensbasketball/story/1027207.html

[1] ttp://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2009/11/25/daily.8

[LEX18-2] "LEX 18 To Turn Off Analog Broadcast Signal On Friday". WLEX-TV. 2009-06-11. http://www.lex18.com/global/story.asp?s=10495831. Retrieved 2009-06-11.

[3] ttp://www.kentucky.com/211/story/689551.html

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