One of the most-watched television stations in central Florida is WESH-TV. With its headquarters located in Daytona Beach, the NBC-affiliated station is owned by Hearst Television. Established in 1958, WESH began broadcasting from Daytona Beach, and today reaches viewers in nearly 13 counties throughout the area.
In its early days, WESH launched with the call sign WEZH and operated under the ownership of Daytona Beach Broadcasting Company. Its first successor was the Daytona Beach-based Central Broadcasting Group, which was sold in 1961 to Kentucky-based broadcasting conglomerate, the Taft Broadcasting Company.
In 1964, Taft decided to move the Channel 2 facilities to Orlando, Florida and changed the call letters to WESH. This decision allowed WESH to become one of the first commercial television stations in Orlando and the only independent station at the time. Owing to its high-quality local programming, WESH enjoyed sustained popularity and later in 1989, was acquired by the Hearst Corporations, becoming the first Hearst-owned station in Florida.
Eventually, the station began expanding its audience by introducing innovative programming. It was the only station to carry the Florida Lottery. It also launched a noon newscast titled “Central Florida Now” that focused exclusively on the needs of local viewers.
These programming changes as well as new broadcast facilities and innovative technology allowed WESH to gain a strong following. It eventually gained more viewers than all of Orlando’s other stations combined. As of 2012, WESH had garnered the highest viewership in the country for the 5 p.m. newscast and was the highest-rated television station in the entire west-central region of Florida.
The station has acquired several awards for its programming, production and news coverage. For instance, it has won several prestigious Emmys for its journalist Chris Stewart, an anchor/reporter. Stewart received “The Best General Assignments Reporter” in 2014 and “Best Documentary Feature Story” in 2015. Other awards include a Murrow Award, a Florida Association of Broadcasters Award and several Associated Press Awards.
WESH’s news performance however, isn’t the only aspect that has made the station popular in Florida. It also has a highly interactive website containing a vast array of content on health, local politics, education, sports, entertainment and more. The website also hosts a weather app, which can provide viewers with real-time updates on severe weather and breaking news alerts. Additionally, WESH produces more than two hours of local programming each day and airs syndicated shows, such as “Inside Edition”, “Jeopardy”, “Wheel of Fortune” and more.
Apart from televising news through its main channel and live streaming, WESH also has its WESH2 program that provides news, weather and sports reports. WESH is among the few stations in the US to have an extensive social media presence. It has a presence on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, which allow it to keep their viewers informed about latest updates.
In conclusion, WESH-TV is one of the top-rated television stations in central Florida. Established in 1958, WESH has greatly expanded its local programming, technological capabilities and digital platforms, leading to its gradual increase in viewership. WESH also has several awards in its belt, impressing both its regular viewers and newcomers. Overall, it has demonstrated a commitment to providing quality news coverage, cutting-edge technology, and interactive content, making it one of the most highly watched television stations in all of central Florida.