WRDQ
Orlando, Florida
Branding	TV 27 Eyewitness News RTV Central Florida (on DT2)
Slogan	Central Florida's TV 27
Channels	Digital: 27 (UHF)
Subchannels	27.1 Independent 27.2 RTV
Affiliations	ABC (alternate)
Owner	Cox Enterprises (WFTV, Inc.)
First air date	January 1, 2000
Sister station(s)	WFTV
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 27 (UHF, 2000-2009) Digital: 14 (UHF)
Transmitter Power	1000 kW
Height	477 m
Facility ID	55454
Transmitter Coordinates	28°34′7″N 81°3′16″W / 28.56861°N 81.05444°W / 28.56861; -81.05444
Website	wftv.com/wrdq

WRDQ is an Independent television station in Orlando, Florida. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter in Christmas. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station is sister to ABC affiliate WFTV. The two share studios on East South Street in downtown Orlando. Syndicated programming on WRDQ includes: South Park, Scrubs, Merv Griffin's Crosswords, and Oprah. The station can be considered an alternate ABC affiliate. As such, it may take on the responsibility of airing ABC programs whenever WFTV may not be able to do so as in a news-related emergency or a local sporting event. For example on January 1, 2009, WFTV aired pre-game festivities of the 2009 Capital One Bowl while WRDQ aired ABC's coverage of the Rose Bowl Parade. This station offers the Retro Television Network (a.k.a. RTV) on its second digital subchannel and Bright House digital cable channel 1028. WRDQ is seen on Bright House Networks channel 10.

[edit] History

The station's original construction permit was issued as early as 1990. Initial plans called for WRDQ's license to be held by a locally-based owner with WFTV (which has been owned by Cox since 1985) operating the station under a local marketing agreement (a.k.a. LMA). However, it was not ready to broadcast by the time the FCC began allowing duopolies of commercially-licensed television stations. This allowed Cox to purchase WRDQ outright before it signed-on for the first time on January 1, 2000. On April 14, 2008, the station launched a new second digital subchannel to carry the Retro Television Network. On February 17, 2009, WRDQ shut off its analog signal ahead of the June 12 analog shutoff deadline.

[edit] Newscasts

WRDQ airs a nightly half-hour 10 o'clock newscast that is produced by WFTV. Since January 2007, that station has also been producing a weekday morning newscast from 7 to 9 on 27.1. Prior to the morning news premiere, the 10 P.M. news was branded as Action News at 10. This title was derived from WRDQ's general station branding ("Action TV 27") at the time of the launch but it ceased to be used as an overall station branding term. WRDQ also airs The Daily Buzz a nationally syndicated morning news program / infomercial produced in Orlando, Florida by ACME Communications. The first hour of The Daily Buzz airs at 6:00 am on 27.1. The second and third hours of the Daily Buzz are aired from 7 to 9 in the morning on sub channel 27.2.

Eyewitness News This Morning
(Weekday Mornings 7 to 9)

• Anchors:
  • Greg Warmoth
  • Vanessa Echols
• Weather:
  • Brian Shields
• Traffic:
  • Bob Baxa
• Reporters:
  • Mark Boyle, Ryan Hughes, and Daralene Jones

Eyewitness News at 10 (10 to 10:30 P.M.)
Weeknights

• Anchors:
  • Darrell Greene (Mon.-Wed.)/Bob Opsahl (Thu.-Fri.)
  • Vanessa Welch
• Weather:
  • Tom Terry
• Reporters:
  • Jeff Deal
  • Steve Barrett
  • Blaine Tolison (Mon.-Tue.)/Kenneth Moton (Wed.-Fri.)

Weekends

• Anchor:
  • Darrell Greene
• Weather:
  • Matt Makens
• Reporters:
  • Kenneth Moton
  • Q. McCray

WRDQ features additional news personnel from WFTV. See that article for a complete listing.

[edit] External links

• WRDQ "TV 27"
• WFTV "Channel 9"
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WRDQ