WTXF-TV, also known as Channel 29, is one of the oldest television channels that still operate in the City of Brotherly Love today. Its history dates back to the second half of the twentieth century and is full of plot twists. Find out more information about the channel, including the beginnings and development of a popular Philadelphia media project and competition with other channels, at philadelphia-future.
How did the TV channel appear and gain popularity in the city?
In the fall of 1962, a local corporation planned to start construction on a television tower in Philadelphia, but the project was canceled due to financial difficulties. Later, a successful station, Channel 29, was established by American businessman William Fox. He sought to enter the Philadelphia television market to compete with Channel 17. The Fox project outperformed its competition, thanks in part to successful solutions such as the launch of a 6-hour stock market review program.
Two years later, Taft Broadcasting Corporation bought out the channel from previous owners, who had invested a lot of money in it, and renamed Channel 29, formerly known as WIBF-TV, to WTAF-TV. Together with the name, the organization began to work in a completely new manner, from technical to information production.
In addition, the TV channel’s new owners pioneered the production of live broadcasts of sporting events such as hockey, basketball, tennis, American football and rugby. As a result of the sports broadcasting, Channel 29 did not make much money, but its ratings were comparable to the mastodons of Philadelphia television, such as WPHL and WKBS.
At the end of the twentieth century, Taft Broadcasting became a stockholder of the Philadelphia Phillies, a local baseball team. After some time, they decided to obtain the rights to show home matches of the club from the City of Brotherly Love. Previously, the games were broadcast on the platform of a direct competitor, who later wasn’t even close to “breathing down the neck” of Channel 29.
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the company has changed its name to Fox 29, produced a number of news programs and also undergone a large-scale renovation of the enterprise’s ancient building, expanding several floors up.
Famous TV personalities and programs
At the turn of the century, a channel known as WTXF continued to produce television content while also introducing new programs. One of the most significant was, of course, the morning show, which citizens turned on before going to work, school and so on.
Good Day Philadelphia began with a newscast at 6:30 a.m., followed by an evening episode at the end of the day. Residents of Philadelphia probably still remember the first legendary hosts Tracey Matisak and Don Tollefson.
Also at one time, viewers used to tune in to shows like The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet, Chasing New Jersey and The Ten O’Clock News. The last one is particularly memorable for our region’s audience because it was televised throughout the state. The half-hour program was hosted by Lee McCarthy, who had previously worked at NBC.
The Philadelphia media project, according to independent research institutions in the United States of America, mostly broadcasted criminal news to citizens. Some experts paid attention to this when it came to the reasons for the success of the creative enterprise.
The names of John Bolaris, Dave Price, Mike Jerrick, Joyce Evans, Kendis Gibson, Sheinelle Jones, Clayton Morris and others will forever live on in the hearts of fans as well as the walls of the building of one of Philadelphia’s oldest media organizations.
