WJW, CLEVELAND, OH This Report Covers the Time Period September 1, 2003 – August 31, 2004 (Except Where Otherwise Specifically Noted)
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WJW, CLEVELAND, OH This report covers the time period September 1, 2003 – August 31, 2004 (except where otherwise specifically noted). Local Newscasts and Key Stories WJW airs 41.5 hours of local news each week, at the following times: Monday – Friday, 5 a.m. – 9 a.m. Monday – Friday, 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Friday, 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday – Sunday, 6 p.m. – 6 :30 p.m. Saturday – Sunday, 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Provided below is a brief summary of important local news segments and stories that WJW has covered recently within its broadcasts: * COMMUNITY ISSUES Fox 8 News in the Morning airs Monday-Friday from 5am until 9am. During the 7am & 8am hours we often produce in-Studio segments that offer Northeast Ohioians timely information about issues affecting their community. The service these segments provide is often two fold: the segment publicizes a community event and at the same time provides information about a topic that affects the community. We get so many requests for publicity from non-profit groups in Northeast Ohio that this is one effective way of helping them while providing entertainment and information to our viewers. * SCHOOL CLOSINGS During the year the station provides a school closing service to over 3,000 schools in a viewing area that includes over 930 cities. The station is the "Official School Closing Station." The service covers closings and delays and is the largest and most self-reliant system in Northeast Ohio, featuring main and back-up computer servers. The most successful and longest running system in the area, it is maintained 24 hours a day, seven days a week. School closings run on the air during 7 1/2 hours of daily news and on the weekends when necessary. * PET ADOPTIONS Since May 1980 the Chief Meteorologist, Dick Goddard, has been an advocate for dogs and cats. Once a week a taped pet segment runs at 6 pm. Five to six animals that are available for adoption are shown on the air. A phone number is also given for viewers interested in adopting the animals. During the year over 250 pets get adopted. In addition, private pet owners can put their animals up for adoption once a week on air live during the newscast. * TRAFFIC A helicopter and reporter are used to provide traffic reports daily during the newscasts. The live reports total approximately 15-21 minutes between the hours of 6 am – 9 am. Also, traffic segments air during the hour long 5 pm show. * PARENTING INFORMATION These segments ran approximately 3:30 in length during our hour long 8 am Newscast. They were moderated by one of our Morning Show anchors and used various child psychologists/psychiatrists from Northeast Ohio. We offered timely and practical advice for parents on a variety of subjects. These segments occur live in our studio. Sometimes we brought in educators, child advocates, safety experts and other professionals to offer valuable and timely advice for parents on a variety of topics. A comprehensive list of the station's local news stories is attached hereto as Exhibit A. Breaking News Updates WJW broke into and/or preempted regularly-scheduled programming on numerous occasions during the period covered by this report in order to bring its viewers breaking news or disaster information. This coverage included extended reporting on tornado warnings and other severe weather, amber alerts, the war in Iraq, and other emergencies. Public Affairs Programming WJW broadcasts several public affairs programs throughout the year. The programs highlight the Cleveland area with several focusing on the holidays. For example, "Neighborhood" is a quarterly special hosted by FOX 8's own Wayne Dawson. The program spotlights the best people and good works in the Cleveland area. Some highlights from the last year include the Cleveland arts scene, health care professionals with special gifts for aiding Cleveland's young and old, and a musical holiday celebration from E.105th and St. Clair. In addition, WJW aired a variety of locally produced programs of interest to views in the community. For example, the station airs programs that focus on Cleveland sports, local travel, and local religion. Political Coverage WJW has devoted extensive coverage to political issues important to its viewers. During a sample two-week time period, for example, WJW aired pieces on the presidential campaign, local property tax issues, voter fraud, and a local representative that was indicted. The station also sent local reporters to the national party conventions in Boston and New York. Exhibit B attached hereto includes a detailed list of WJW's political programming specials as well as the political issues covered in the station's local newscasts. Public Service Announcements WJW makes its air-time throughout the broadcast day available to public service announcements for a variety of causes, such as: * Special Olympics State Winter Games * Stay in School * Drug Prevention * Alcohol Abuse Prevention * Protecting Children from Inappropriate Internet Content 2 * Ohio Army National Guard * Crime Prevention * Kids Be a Good Friend, Include Others * V-Chip * Martin Luther King Memorial * Adults Healthy Eating During the period covered by this report, WJW broadcast many public service announcements, and many were unpaid. Participation in the Community WJW's on-air newscasters and behind-the-scenes employees have made a commitment to participate in the Cleveland community. The station's employees take part in a variety of events in and around the city, such as: * Board of Trustees, "It Takes a Village" * Board Member, St. Edward High School * Volunteer, American Cancer Society * Mentored high school students interested in broadcasting * Co-Chair, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Walk * Board of Directors, United Cerebral Palsy They have also served as hosts, moderators, panelists or speakers at a number of discussions and community events, including: * Speaker at Hillcreast Hospital's Celebration of Women * Guest Announcer, Forget-Me-Not Benefit for Greater East Ohio Area Alzheimer's Association A comprehensive list of the station's participation in the community is attached as Exhibit C hereto. WJW also seeks community input. The station communicates with the community through newscasts, phone calls, letters and e-mails. Throughout its newscasts, WJW asks its viewers to write in or call in to let the station know what they think about a particular topic. There are segments in FOX 8 NEWS AT FIVE and FOX 8 NEWS IN THE MORNING specifically slated for viewer comments that are read on-air. This is also a channel through which the station receives story ideas and topics of interest from within the community. Its Call for Action Volunteers take numerous phone calls from viewers that need help with various situations. WJW replies to every e-mail that requires a response and keeps all written communication in its Public File. 3 EXHIBIT A – Local News Stories COMMUNITY ISSUES Fox 8 News in the Morning airs Monday-Friday from 5am until 9am. During the 7am & 8am hours we often produce in-Studio segments that offer Northeast Ohioians timely information about Issues affecting their Community. The service these segments provide is often two fold: The segment publicizes a community event and at the same time provides information about a topic that affects the community. We get so many requests for publicity from non-profit groups in Northeast Ohio that this is one effective way of helping them while providing entertainment and information to our viewers. 9/1/03 Unity Day in the City Of Cleveland In an effort to let Northeast Ohioians know about a special week of activities and seminars devoted to bridging cultural gaps in the city, the Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Project performed on our program. Over the course of two hours, the band performed and our anchors provided information about Unity Day events occurring across Northeast Ohio. The Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Project is one of the premier Latin bands in Northeast Ohio. Our viewers were exposed to multi-cultural music and told about local events they could partake in as part of "Unity Day". 9/3/03 Unity Day/Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell talked about why the city has Unity Day, why there is a need for it, and what events are taking place that viewers can participate in. 10/2/03 Open Hearts, Open Homes Morning Show Anchor Wayne Dawson produced a story that profiled a local child in need of adoption. This story is part of an on-going relationship with the County Department of Children and Family Services. We provided viewers with information if they are interested in adopting or learning more about adoption. 10/9/03 Ohio Tuition Trust Authority We aired an interview segment with a spokesperson from Ohio's College Savings Program to explain how the plan works and who can benefit from it. 10/24/03 Amber Alert Law Clarification A local law and safety expert explains how this system works and when the alert is used and when it is not. A recent child abduction case had put this issue in the headlines. 10/18/03 Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell discusses Controversial City Layoffs Recent budget cuts force safety force layoffs. Many city residents are concerned. The Mayor addressed the issue. 1/15/04 Winter Driving Tips We did two segments on this topic today to hopefully give viewers some valuable advice when hitting the slick winter roads. A Trauma Helicopter MET explained how serious these winter accidents can be. A Highway Patrol Officer demonstrated driving tips, including how to steer out of a skid.