WDSU

WDSU, virtual channel 6 (UHF digital channel 19), is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The station is owned by the Hearst Television subsidiary of Hearst Communications. WDSU's studios are located on Howard Avenue in the city's Central Business District, and its transmitter is located on East Josephine Street in Chalmette. On cable, the station is available on Cox Communications channel 7 in both standard and high definition (cable channel 6 is occupied by a local access channel).

WDSU

New Orleans, Louisiana
Branding	WDSU (general) WDSU News (newscasts)
Slogan	Live. Local. Latebreaking
Channels	Digital: 43 (UHF)Virtual: 6 (PSIP)
Subchannels	6.1 WDSU / NBC HD6.2 WDSU eXact Weather, News & Traffic
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	Hearst Television (New Orleans Hearst Television, Inc.)
First air date	December 18, 1948
Call letters' meaning	DeSoto Hotel(station's former location)Joseph Uhalt(founder of WDSU radio)
Former channel number(s)	Analog:6 (VHF, 1948-2009)
Former affiliations	DuMont (secondary, 1948–1955)CBS (secondary, 1948–1957)ABC (secondary, 1948–1957)
Transmitter power	1000 kW
Height	230 m
Facility ID	71357
Transmitter coordinates	29°57′0.1″N 89°57′27.6″W
Website	www.wdsu.com

History

The station first signed on the air on December 18, 1948. It was the first television station to sign on in the state of Louisiana, the first in the city of New Orleans, the first on the Gulf Coast, the first in the Deep South, and the 49th in the nation. WDSU-TV was founded by New Orleans businessman Edgar B. Stern, Jr., owner of WDSU radio (1280 AM, now WODT; and 93.3 FM, now WQUE-FM), which he had recently purchased—along with the construction permit to build the television station—for $750,000. The station has been a primary NBC affiliate since it signed on, owing to WDSU radio's longtime affiliation with the NBC Red Network; however, it initially also carried programming from the three other major broadcast networks at the time: CBS, ABC, and the DuMont Television Network. It lost DuMont programming when that network ceased operations in August 1956. Even after WJMR-TV (channel 61, now Fox affiliate WVUE on channel 8) signed on in November 1953 as a primary CBS and secondary ABC affiliate, WDSU continued to "cherry-pick" a few of the higher-rated programs carried by those two networks until September 1957, when WWL-TV (channel 4) signed on as a full-time CBS affiliate. At that time, WJMR became a full-time ABC affiliate, leaving WDSU exclusively with NBC.

The radio station was originally located at the DeSoto Hotel (now the Le Pavillon Hotel) on Baronne Street; the "D" in the name stood for the DeSoto, while "S" referred to the now-defunct New Orleans States newspaper (which had maintained a news share agreement with WDSU radio that lasted for one year; the paper later merged with the New Orleans Item-Tribunein 1960, which in turn merged with the Times-Picayune in 1980) and the "U" stood for Joseph Uhalt, who founded the radio station as WCBE in 1923. WDSU-TV originally operated out of studio facilities located within the Hibernia Bank Building, the tallest building in New Orleans at the time (a plaque commemorating its distinction as the station's original broadcasting facility is located on the 14th floor of the building). The WDSU stations moved into the historic Brulatour Mansion on Royal Street in the French Quarter in April 1950; Stern had also bought other buildings near the mansion (including a lumber yard and an ice house) to construct production studios for the radio and television stations. At that point, Stern reorganized his business interests as the Royal Street Corporation. The transmitter site remained at the Hibernia Bank Building until 1955, when a new transmitter facility in Chalmette—where the tower remains today—was completed.

WDSU's longtime French Quarter location, seen shortly before their move in 1996.

In the 1950s, WDSU-TV became the springboard for the career of Dick Van Dyke, first as a single comedian and later as the emcee of a locally produced comedy program on the station; among his duties, Van Dyke had also served as a staff announcer, hosted music programs and appeared in a segment during the station's noon newscast. WDSU became the first television station in the New Orleans market to telecast its programming in color in 1955. WDSU was the ratings leader in New Orleans for over a quarter century, largely because of its strong commitment to coverage of local events and news. It originated the first live broadcasts of the Sugar Bowl and Mardi Gras, and was the first area station to provide extensive local hurricane coverage. The station was also the first television station in the market to provide statewide election coverage, as well as the first to utilize a mobile newsgathering unit.

WDSU was also the first to originate an international broadcast, relaying a Today broadcast from Bimini to the United States in 1955, using a 300,000 watt transmitter built by WDSU-TV engineers via special permission granted to NBC by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In January 1972, Royal Street merged with Columbia, South Carolina-based Cosmos Broadcasting in a $17 million deal. Cosmos decided to sell off the radio stations because the ownership of the three station properties combined would exceed ownership limits of the time set by the FCC. Cosmos eliminated much of the local flavor that had been the station's hallmark, opting to concentrate on its already strong news operation (channel 6 had been saluted by Time as a news pioneer in 1966). By the early 1980s, rival WWL-TV had overtaken WDSU as the top-rated station from sign-on to sign-off as well as in local news. WDSU has been a solid runner-up to WWL for most of the last quarter-century, although since the mid-2000s, it has had to fend off a strong challenge from a resurgent WVUE. In 1984, WDSU built the first working television studio at a World's Fair for the station's live broadcasts from the event held in New Orleans that year. On February 17, 1986, WDSU became the first NBC affiliate in Louisiana to broadcast its programs in stereo.

Royal Street merged with Cosmos Broadcasting of Columbia, South Carolina in 1972. Cosmos had to sell off the radio stations because it was over the Federal Communications Commission's ownership limit of the time. Cosmos eliminated much of the local flavor that had been the station's hallmark, opting to concentrate on its already strong news operation (it had been saluted by Time as a news pioneer in 1966). By the early 1980s, rival WWL-TV had overtaken WDSU as the ratings leader. WDSU has been a solid runner-up to WWL for most of the last quarter-century, though in recent years it has had to fend off a strong challenge from a resurgent WVUE.

WDSU building on Howard Avenue

WDSU became the first station in the market to provide color telecasts in 1955, and the first New Orleans station with its own doppler weather radar in the 1990s (Super Doppler 6000).Cosmos sold WDSU to Pulitzer in 1989. Pulitzer sold its entire television division, including WDSU, to Hearst-Argyle Television (predecessor to the present-day Hearst Television) in 1999. The station moved into a new facility on Howard Avenue and Baronne Street in March 1996.

On November 11, 2006, after a remarkable 51 years in New Orleans broadcast television—nearly all of them with WDSU—anchor and former news director Alec Gifford officially announced his retirement. His retirement became effective in December 2006. WDSU looked back on six decades of broadcasting on December 18, 2008.

The station contracts with Citadel Broadcasting's New Orleans FM cluster (KKND, KMEZ, WRKN & WMTI) to provide additional channels of audio simulcasting during hurricane coverage. Cosmos sold WDSU to Pulitzer, Inc. for $47 million in 1989. In March 1996, the station moved into its current facility on Howard Avenue, located a few blocks from the Le Pavillon Hotel, where WDSU radio began operations in 1923. Also during the 1990s, WDSU became the first New Orleans station to operate its own Doppler weather radar system ("Super Doppler 6000"). Pulitzer sold its entire television station division, including WDSU, to Hearst-Argyle Television (predecessor to the present-day Hearst Television) in 1999 for $1.8 billion. WDSU celebrated its 60th anniversary of broadcasting on December 18, 2008. As of 2012, although the "channel 6" red dot logo is part of the station's branding, WDSU simply identifies its branding by its callsign only in verbal usage, with no mention of the 6. In 2015, the NBC Peacock logo was added to the "channel 6" red dot logo; due to the network's requirement to the NBC logo included with any affiliate's logo.

Hurricane Katrina

Prior to the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, WDSU shut down operations at its studios in New Orleans around 9:30 p.m. on August 28, 2005, in order to allow station staff to take shelter from the oncoming hurricane. At that point, WDSU's broadcasts began to originate from the studios of ABC-affiliated sister station WAPT in Jackson, Mississippi, where some of WDSU's on-air staff had already evacuated. Fellow sister station, NBC affiliate WESH in Orlando, Florida, also originated some on-air weather content during the storm. In the weeks that immediately followed the hurricane, WDSU's news programming originated from the WAPT facility, using meteorologists and anchors from both stations, with programs being simulcast in Jackson and New Orleans.

WDSU’s iconic studio tower (2014)

The Howard Avenue studio facility largely withstood Hurricane Katrina with minimal damage, but WDSU's analog and digital transmitters were both destroyed in the storm. In early September, WDSU arranged to transmit its signal via i: Independent Television affiliate (now Ion Television owned-and-operated station) WPXL-TV (channel 49) through the end of December 2005; WDSU also partnered with i O&O KPXB-TV in Houston to simulcast WDSU's morning newscast and continuing coverage of the storm's aftermath that channel 6 had aired between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. from September 7 to September 13, 2005. The station restored its analog signal, operating at reduced power, in October 2005. WDSU chose to replace its existing transmitter building with an elevated and rugged hurricane resistant building to house its analog and digital transmitters; construction of this building was completed in early February 2008. WDSU's digital signal was restored on August 1, 2007, having temporarily shared a frequency with LeSEA Broadcasting-owned WHNO's digital signal on UHF channel 21. In late February 2008, WDSU's analog signal was upgraded to full power and its digital signal on channel 6.1 was restored on March 6, 2008.

Hurricane Gustav

In 2008, WDSU broadcast nonstop coverage of the approach, landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Gustav for five consecutive days. The storm prompted a massive evacuation of much of the station's viewing area. On September 1, 2008 WDSU's coverage of Hurricane Gustav aired nationally on DirecTV channel 361. Coverage was also available on the station's website, and its audio was carried by the Citadel group of radio stations in New Orleans. C-SPAN 2, and ABC affiliate WBRZ (channel 2) in Baton Rouge made portions of live coverage available as well.

WDSU tapped the resources of its parent company, Hearst-Argyle Television, and brought in personnel from across the country to assist in various capacities. Some WDSU news team members were relocated to support studios in Baton Rouge and Orlando and provided reports via satellite. All three locations stayed operational throughout the storm. One of WDSU's sister stations, ABC affiliate KOCO-TV (channel 5) in Oklahoma City, also provided coverage of Hurricane Gustav via its second digital subchannel for evacuees who came to Oklahoma City.

Digital television

WDSU-DT

Since March 31, 2012, WDSU digital subchannel 6.2 has been affiliated with MeTV; the subchannel originally launched in 2006 as an affiliate of NBC Weather Plus, before affiliating with The Local AccuWeather Channel in 2009, shortly after Weather Plus' shutdown. Channel 6.2 can be seen on Cox Communications digital cable channel 108 in the New Orleans area, on channel 115 for Charter Spectrum customers on the Northshore, and on channel 136 for Spectrum customers on the Southshore. The station's digital channel on UHF 43, is multiplexed:

Digital channels

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP short name	Programming
6.1	1080i	16:9	WDSU-DT	Main WDSU programming/NBC
6.2	480i	4:3	MeTV	MeTV

Since March 31, 2012, WDSU digital subchannel 6.2 has been affiliated with MeTV; the subchannel originally launched in 2006 as an affiliate of NBC Weather Plus, before affiliating with The Local AccuWeather Channel in 2009, shortly after Weather Plus' shutdown. Channel 6.2 can be seen on Cox Communications digital cable channel 108 in the New Orleans area, on channel 115 for Charter Spectrum customers on the Northshore, and on channel 136 for Spectrum customers on the Southshore.

Analog-to-digital conversion

WDSU shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 6, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 43. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 6. Like all stations broadcasting on channel 6 prior to the digital switchover, WDSU's audio signal could be heard on 87.75 MHz on the FM band in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.

As part of the SAFER Act, WDSU kept its analog signal on the air until July 12 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters. Digital retransmission disputes

In October 2006, a dispute between WDSU's owner, Hearst-Argyle Television, and Cox Communications caused WDSU's high definition feed to be pulled from Cox's New Orleans area system. As a result, no HD program content was available from WDSU via any medium (over the air, cable, or satellite), forcing New Orleans viewers looking for high-definition NBC programming to attempt to receive a signal from Baton Rouge affiliate WVLA-TV. In April 2007, WDSU-DT was added to DirecTV's lineup, after which local cable providers gradually began to add the feed as well. On September 27, 2007, Cox Communications and Hearst-Argyle announced an agreement to restore WDSU-DT to Cox's New Orleans area cable systems; WDSU-DT and WDSU's WeatherPlus channel were added to Cox's channel lineup the next day.

Programming

Today, WDSU clears the entire NBC programming lineup, only preempting certain programs during instances in which the station has to carry extended breaking news or severe weather coverage. Syndicated programs currently broadcast by WDSU include The Real, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Tamron Hall, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Entertainment Tonight among others.

Among the station's notable local programs over the years included Midday, one of the earliest magazine programs in the United States, hosted by Terry Flettrich (later Rohe, who eventually served as senior citizens affairs correspondent for Good Morning America); the 3:00 Money Movie, a Saturday afternoon movie showcase with irreverent wraparound segments hosted by Sam Adams, who regularly performed parody songs on a piano serving as clues to the answers during phone-in contests for cash prizes; and Morgus the Magnificent, a program hosted by a mad doctor character played by Sid Noel.

In the early 1980s, the station sustained criticism among its viewers when it chose to pre-empt Late Night with David Letterman in favor of airing the syndicated late night talk show Thicke of the Night, which was a notorious flop; around this time, the station also carried feature films during the overnight hours instead of airing the short-lived news program NBC News Overnight. When WDSU began clearing Late Night, the station aired the show an hour later than the recommended 11:35 p.m. timeslot for the network's Central Time Zone stations, instead airing syndicated reruns of The Love Boat.

WDSU serves as the local over-the-air broadcaster of Monday Night Football games involving the New Orleans Saints, airing simulcasts of ESPN-televised games. WDSU's corporate parent, Hearst Communications, holds a 20% ownership stake in ESPN (the network's remaining ownership interest is held by The Walt Disney Company), and the company has right of first refusal for simulcasts of ESPN's NFL telecasts in a team's home market, which it has never declined for WDSU (in these situations, the station reschedules NBC's Monday lineup). The station also provides additional game analysis from former Saints coach Jim E. Mora. Prior to 2006, when NBC gained the rights to Sunday night games, WDSU also aired Saints games from 1970 to 1997 whenever the team played host to an AFC team at Tulane Stadium/the Superdome, via NBC's contract to broadcast AFC games in those years. The station also provided local coverage of Super Bowl IX, which was hosted at Tulane Stadium, and Super Bowls XV and Super Bowl XX, both of which were hosted at the Superdome.

The station was unusual in airing Maury from its September 1991 premiere, carrying the show for 27 years until September 2018, despite the program taking a tabloid/conflict focus in the late 1990s and becoming universally associated with affiliates of smaller networks such as The WB, UPN and The CW. WDSU ended carriage of the show upon the launch of a noon newscast, effectively leaving the program off the station schedule, though it quickly found a new home in the market on WNOL-TV.

News operation[1]

WDSU presently broadcasts 38 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with six hours each weekday, 3½ hours on Saturdays and 4½ hours on Sundays). The station also maintains a content partnership with Cumulus Media's New Orleans FM radio cluster (KKND [106.7], KMEZ [102.9], WZRH [92.3] and WRKN [106.1]), which also allows the station to simulcast its broadcast audio during hurricane coverage.

From the start of its news operation, WDSU's newscasts were the highest-rated in the New Orleans market for many years. For much of the time since the early 1980s, WDSU's newscasts have been in second place among the market's news-producing stations. By the mid-2000s, WVUE overtook WDSU for second place among the market's 5:00 p.m. newscasts; the two stations traded second at 5:00 p.m. until WDSU overtook WVUE in May 2011. In July 2011, WDSU claimed ratings wins in key demographics at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.—marking the first time in a quarter-century that a station other than WWL-TV had placed first among viewers most sought by advertisers. Newscasts in less competitive time periods of 4:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. also scored wins in key demographic categories, as well as in household ratings.

Among WDSU's first staffers was meteorologist Nash Roberts, one of the first television weather forecasters in the United States, who drew predicted weather conditions by marker on wall maps (Roberts left the station in 1973 to become meteorologist at WVUE-TV); and Mel Leavitt, who served as the station's original sports director and later as its special events director. The station's news department began in 1955, under the guidance of original news director Bill Monroe (who later joined NBC News, first serving as Washington-based news editor for Today and later as moderator of Meet the Press); Monroe also provided editorials on the station, becoming one of the first stations in the country to provide such segments for television. During the 1950s and 1960s, the station carried editorial cartoons (similar to those commonly found in many newspapers) drawn by cartoonist John Churchill Chase; the twice-daily segments featured his take on major local, national and international news stories with commentary over the illustrated pieces (Chase, who died in 1986, has a street in the Warehouse District named in his honor). Many of the station's reporters in the early years of its news department included staffers from the Times-Picayune newspaper (including Iris Kelso, who worked at WDSU from 1967 to 1978, before returning to the Times-Picayune).

On November 11, 2006, after a remarkable 51 years in New Orleans broadcast television—nearly all of them with WDSU—anchor and former news director Alec Gifford (who died in March 2013) officially announced his retirement from broadcasting. Gifford left the station in December 2006. On December 14, 2008, WDSU entered into a content partnership with Biloxinewspaper Sun Herald, to provide supplementary news and weather coverage focused on South Mississippi. WDSU discontinued its noon newscast on September 11, 2009; three days later on September 14, the station launched an hour-long 4:00 p.m. newscast; this program gained a competitor on September 12, 2011, when Fox affiliate WVUE debuted its own hour-long newscast in the 4:00 p.m. timeslot.

On July 10, 2010, WDSU began broadcasting its local newscasts in 16:9 widescreen standard definition, along with the introduction of updated graphics. WDSU is one of now two stations in the New Orleans market that have yet to upgrade production of their local news programming to high definition. WGNO began broadcasting high-definition local news in mid-2011 when it installed a new HDTV control room and studio cameras. WVUE was the first only station in the market that broadcasts its local newscasts in true high definition, having upgraded to HD in April 2007. WWL-TV made the switch to full HD on October 1, 2014. On August 16, 2010, WDSU expanded its weekday morning newscast to 2½ hours, by adding a 4:30 a.m. newscast entitled WDSU News First Edition. On September 3, 2018, WDSU relaunched an hour-long midday newscast, ending a nine-year absence.

As of August 1, 2019, WDSU is now one of three remaining Hearst Television stations to have yet to upgrade production of their local newscasts to HD (Albuquerque ABC affiliate KOAT and Louisville CBS affiliate WLKY are the others).

Newscast titles

• Your Esso Reporter (1948–1956)
• WDSU-TV News (1956–1962)
• The Six O'Clock Report/The Eleventh Hour Report (1962–1966)
• Channel 6 News (1966–1974 and 1994-2000)
• Newswatch 6 (1974–1970s)
• TV-6 News (1970s)
• NewsCenter 6 (1970s–1988)
• 6 News (1988–1994)
• WDSU NewsChannel 6 (2000–2009)
• WDSU News (2009–present)

News Packages

• WDSU 1982 News Theme (1982-1985)
• WDSU Breakfast Edtion Theme (1982-1987)
• Turn To News by Frank Gari (1985-1987)
• Good News by Frank Gari (1987-1990)
• NewsAge by Stephen Arnold Music (1990-1994)
• Palmer News Package by Shelley Palmer Music (1994-2000)
• Revolution by Frank Gari (2000-2004)
• Hearst TV News Music Package by Newsmusic Central (2004-2013)
• Strive by inthegroovemusic (2013-present)

Station slogans

• TV-6, Proud As A Peacock! (1979-1981; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Comin' on TV-6 (1980–1987)
• TV-6, Our Pride Is Showing (1981-1982; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• We`re TV-6, Just Watch Us Now (1982-1983; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Channel 6 There, Be There (1983-1984; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• TV-6, Let`s All Be There (1984-1986; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• You've Got What Makes New Orleans Great! (1985–1987; used during period station used Frank Gari's "Turn to News")
• Come Home to TV-6 (1986-1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Come on Home to Channel 6 (1987-1988; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Come Home To The Best, Only On Channel 6 (1988-1990; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Your 24-Hour News Source (1990–1994)
• WDSU, The Place To Be! (1990-1992; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• It's A Whole New Channel 6 (1992-1993; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• The Stars Are Back on Channel 6 (1993-1994; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Together, We’re Making A Difference (1993-1995)
• Making a Difference Together (1995-2000)
• We're Building WDSU Around You (1994–2004)
• Local. Live. Latebreaking. (2004–2006)
• On Your Side (2006–2015; reporters also often use "We're on Your Side" as tags at the end of reports just before identifying the newscast title)
• Live. Local. Latebreaking. (2015-present)

Voiceover talents

• Chuck Conners (1990-1993)
• Paul Turner (1993-1996 and 2009-2015)
• Charlie Van Dyke (1996-2001)
• Jeff David (2002-2004)
• Sean Caldwell (2004-2009)
• Steve Stone (2015-present)

News staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors

• Sula Kim - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10pm (previously 2012-2015)
• Morgan Lentes - weekday mornings on WDSU News This Morning (4:30-7am)
• Darryl Forges - weekday mornings on WDSU News This Morning (4:30-7am)
• Gina Swanson - weeknights at 6pm and 10pm
• Travers Mackel - weekdays at 4 and 5pm; also an investigative reporter
• Randi Rousseau - weekdays at noon and 4pm
• Brittney Verner - weekend morning anchor; Saturdays at 6-7am and Sundays at 8-10am
• Elizabeth Kuebel - weekend anchor; Saturdays at 5, 6, and 10pm and Sundays at 5 and 10pm; also an reporter

WDSU First Warning Weather Team

• Devin Lucie - weekdays at 4pm and weeknights 5, 6, and 10pm
• Art Jarrett - saturdays evenings at 5, 6, and 10pm and Sunday evenings at 5pm and 10pm
• Damon Singleton - weekday mornings 4:30a.m.-7am and weekdays at noon
• Derek Sibley - weekend meteorologist; Saturdays at 6:00a.m. and 8:00a.m. and Sundays 6:00a.m. and 8:00a.m.

Sports team

• Fletcher Mackel - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10pm; Sunday nights at 5 and 10pm
• Sharief Ishaq - sports reporter and fill-in sports anchor
• Kendall Duncan - sports reporter

Reporters

• Eil Brand - general assignment reporter
• Deja Brown - traffic/breaking news reporter
• Arielle Brumfield - general assignment reporter
• Jennifer Crockett - general assignment reporter
• Aubry Killon - general assignment reporter
• Shay O’Connor - reporter
• Taylor Evans - reporter
• Anum Siddiqui - reporter
• Cassie Schirm - investigative reporter

Contributors

• Arthur Hardy - also editor/publisher of Mardi Gras Guide magazine

Hearst Television Washington Bureau

• Hallie Jackson - weekday morning national correspondent
• Nikole Killion - national correspondent
• Sally Kidd - national correspondent

Notable former on-air staff

• Taslin Alfonzo - weekend morning anchor/general assignment reporter (2006-2010; now at West Jefferson Medical Center)
• Heath Allen - longtime reporter (1994-2022; retired)
• Richard Anderson - weekend anchor (later at WVUE; now heads own communications company)
• Charlie Adams - sports director
• Cammie Aldridge - reporter (2002-2005)
• Richard Angelico - senior investigative reporter (1983-2009; semiretired)
• Siemmy Chhuon - reporter
• Elizebeth Curren
• Lisa Bacques (now traffic reporter for Clear Channel Radio in New Orleans)
• Skip Baldwin - sports anchor (1990-1994)
• Warren Bell - anchor (later at WVUE-DT)
• Steve Bellas - meteorologist (1981-2002) (now communications faculty member at Southeastern Louisiana University)
• Stephanie Boswell - consumer watch reporter (1997-2005)
• Tiffaney Bradley - reporter (2010-2012)
• Ro Brown - sports director/educational reporter (later at Cox Sports TV and WGSO Radio, now at WGNO-TV)
• Sean Caldwell - voiceover for WDSU (2004-2008)
• Len Cannon - anchor (later at WWL-TV; now at KHOU-TV in Houston)
• Leslie Carde - Anchor/Health & Science Editor (1982-1989; later at CNBC, WWL Radio, WGNO, CNN and E!; now Executive Producer/Host of California Kickin)
• Bob and Jan Carr - "Midday" and "Second Cup" hosts
• Chuck Conners - voiceover for WDSU-TV (1990-1993)
• John Corporon - news director (later manager at Washington Post TV stations)
• Reid Corcoran, Jr. - reporter (1979-1981)
• Karen Daigle - anchor/reporter
• Ed Daniels - sports (now sports director at WGNO)
• Jeff David - voiceover for WDSU (2002-2004)
• Sherman Desselle - weekend anchor/reporter (2019-2021)
• Trevous Dickerson - Reporter
• Charles Divens - anchor/reporter (2014-2020)
• Bernard "Buddy" Diliberto - sportscaster (1980-1990; later worked for WWL Radio; deceased)
• Byron Dowty - sports
• Clancy DuBos (now publisher of the New Orleans Gambit Weekly newspaper)
• Kriss Fairbairn - anchor/reporter (1990-1994 and 1997-2010) (semiretired)
• Casey Ferand - reporter (2013-2021)
• Devin Fehley - reporter (now at WAGA in Atlanta)
• Terry Flettrich - "Midday" host (1950-1975) and "Mrs. Muffin"
• Rosa Florres - reporter (2010-2012) (later at WBRZ-TV; now at CNN)
• Keili Fulton - sports anchor/reporter (2007-2011)
• Lynn Gansar (Zatarain) - reporter and news anchor (1983-1992)
• Richard Gauthereau - announcer
• Jay Gallé - meteorologist (2009-2017)
• Clem Gendron - weatherman (1973-1976; replaced Nash Roberts; deceased)
• Joe Giardina - reporter (now regional general manager for Lindmark Outdoor Advertising)
• Alec Gifford - longest serving reporter (1955-1966 and 1980-2006; also took on a correspondent job with NBC News for a year) (deceased)
• Joe Glover - anchor
• Mason Granger - general manager
• Daniel Graves - meteorologist
• Andria Hall - reporter (later WNBC-TV and WCVB-TV; deceased)
• Blake Hanson - reporter (2012-2014)
• Melanie Hebert - consumer reporter/morning news anchor (2008-2012) (later at WWL-TV)
• Dr. Corey Hebert - health correspondent (now at WWL-TV)
• Michael Herrera - later at WVUE and WWL-TV (deceased)
• Leslie Hill - reporter (early 1990s)
• Nancy Holland - anchor/reporter (1970s-1985; later NASA reporter at KHOU-TV; retired)
• Adrianna Hopkins - 5pm and 10pm anchor (2015-2017)
• Susan Issacs - traffic reporter (2013-2016)
• Ken Jones - anchor/reporter (1996-2010; now Director of Communications of the New Orleans Recovery School District)
• Marcia Kavanaugh - anchor/reporter (1976-1981) now Director of Local Initiatives at WYES-TV
• Beverly Karr - anchor (1985-1988)
• Jim Kemp - reporter (later at WVUE-TV and CNN; retired)
• Stephanie King - anchor
• Shaun Kraismen - anchor/reporter (2016-2019)
• Peggy Scott Laborde (now at WYES-TV)
• Gregory LaRose - investigative reporter (2019-2021)
• Mel Leavitt - legendary journalist (deceased)
• Rich Lenz - weekend news anchor/reporter/sports anchor and sports director (1994-2007; now at KOTV in Tulsa)
• LisaMarie Luminais - traffic reporter (2010-2013)
• Joan Malter - anchor/reporter (1970s-1980s)
• Vince Marinello - sportscaster; later with WWL Radio (convicted December 13, 2008 of second-degree murder of his wife, Liz Marinello; now serving mandatory life sentence without parole) (deceased)
• Michael Marsh - anchor (later at WBRZ-TV)
• Gary Mattingly - anchor/reporter (1989-1999) (now a Faculty University of South Carolina Upstate)
• Carley McCord - sports reporter (2018-2019) (deceased)
• Juli Miller - morning news anchor/reporter (1994-2000)
• Chris Miles - sports anchor (2011-2013)
• Dan Milham - chief meteorologist (1980-2008) (retired)
• Bill Monroe - original news reporter/News Director (left for NBC in Washington and eventually became the host of NBC's Meet the Press; deceased)
• Helena Moreno - weekday mornings and consumer reporter (2000-2008; defeated in Democratic primary race for Congress, but later won state representative of District 93; now a member of City Council)
• Ann Mulligan
• Kweilyn Murphy - meteorologist (2013-2021, now at WTVD)
• LaTonya Norton - weekend anchor/reporter (2006-2015)
• Margaret Orr - longtime meteorologist (1979-2024, now retired)
• Edward Planer - news director (became news executive with NBC)
• Roop Raj - morning/noon anchor and reporter (2002-2009; now at WJBK-TV in Detroit [his hometown], replacing Charles Pugh)
• Ed Reams - reporter/fill-in anchor (1999-2006, now News Director at WHSV in Harrisonburg, Virginia)
• Arthur C. "Ep" Roberts - meteorologist (brother of Nash Roberts; died July 12, 2009 at age 84)
• Nash Roberts - meteorologist (1948-1973; later at WVUE-DT, WWL-TV, now deceased)
• Susan E. Roberts (now at CBS News)
• Norman Robinson - longtime anchor (1990-2014) (retired)
• Susan Roesgen - anchor/reporter (1994-2000) (did a stint at WGNO; later at CNN; now back on WGNO, as host of News WIth A Twist)
• Chad Sabadie - morning anchor (2021-2023)
• Melanie Sanders - anchor (1997-2003; now at WNCN-TV in Raleigh, NC)
• Lee Southwick - meteorologist
• Rose Stabler (Wife of Ken Stabler) - weekend weather anchor
• Mike Sanders (now with St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office)
• Al Shea - entertainment critic (now at WYES)
• Scott Simmons - reporter (1993-2003) (now at WAPT in Jackson, Mississippi)
• Ron Smilley - meteorologist (2005-2009)
• William "Bill" Stanley - host of WDSU's Breakfast Edition (1957-1987; died March 7, 2001)
• Jimmy Steele - weekend sports anchor (late 1970s)
• Dan Thomas - meteorologist (2002-2006) (now at WSMV in Nashville, Tennessee)
• Paul Turner - voiceover for WDSU-TV (1993-1996 and 2008-2015)
• Charlie Van Dyke - voiceover for WDSU-TV (1996-2001)
• Dick Van Dyke (had his own variety show before Hollywood came calling)
• Stan Verrett - sports (now at ESPN)
• Scott Walker - anchor (2010-2018)
• Christina Watkins - anchor/reporter (2019-2022)
• Camille Whitworth - news anchor/reporter (2003-2016)
• Terry Wood - anchor/reporter (1987-1990)
• Rachel Wulff - weekend anchor/reporter (2007-2014) (later at WWL-TV, now at KOVR-TV)
• Charles Zewe - anchor/reporter (1976-1987; previously with WWL-TV; formerly at CNN; now Vice President of Communications for the Louisiana State University System)
  

Former Programming on WDSU-TV

• Access Hollywood
• At The Movies
• Amen
• A Current Affair

• Brothers And Sisters
• Dallas
• Dr. Oz
• Empty Nest
• The Ellen Show

• Good Times

• The Golden Girl's
• Judge Judy

• The Love Boat
• The Montel Williams Show
• Monk
• Maury
• The Muppet Show

• Roseanne

• The Woder Year's
• USA Today

Gallery

WDSU Channel 6 - Test Pattern id from 1948

WDSU Channel 6 station id from the early 1950's

WDSU Channel 6 logo from 1961

WDSU TV6 logo from 1976

WDSU TV6 - ...Is Comin' On promo from 1982

WDSU Newscenter 6 Tonight Weeknight open from July 9, 1982

WDSU TV6 There, Be There promo/id from late 1983

WDSU TV6 Special bumper from 1984

WDSU TV6 - The Great Celebration: World's Fair '84 id for May 12, 1984

WDSU TV6 Special: The Great Celebration: World's Fair '84 open from May 12, 1984

WDSU TV6 Special: The Great Celebration: World's Fair '84 on-air screen bug from May 12, 1985

WDSU TV6 Special: The Great Celebration: World's Fair '84 - Back In A Moment bumper from May 12, 1984

WDSU TV6 - The Great Celebration: World's Fair '84 close from Saturday Evening, May 12, 1984

WDSU Newscenter 6 Tonight Weeknight - Tonight id for May 23, 1984

WDSU TV6 Special: Celebration '84!: The Party's Over! open from November 11, 1984

WDSU TV6 Special: Celebration '84!: The Party's Over! on-air screen bug from November 11, 1984

WDSU TV6 Special: Celebration '84: The Party's Over! - After The Break bumper from November 11, 1984

WDSU TV6 logo from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 6 Breakfast Edition open from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 6 Midday open from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 6 5PM open from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 5 6PM open from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 6 Update bumper from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 6 Tonight open from 1985

WDSU Newscenter 6: The Weekend Edition open from 1985 - Night-Variation

WDSU TV6 - Entertainment This Week - Saturday ident from late 1986

WDSU Channel 6 logo from 1987

WDSU 6 News open from 1987

WDSU 6 News - 5 O'Clock New Orleans open from 1987

WDSU Channel 6 logo from 1994

WDSU Channel 6 logo #2 from 1994

WDSU Channel 6 station id from 1994

WDSU Channel 6 News 5PM talent open from 1994

WDSU Channel 6 News 6PM talent open from 1994

WDSU Channel 6 News Tonight talent open from 1994

WDSU Channel 6 - Entertainment Tonight - Tonight promo from 1994

NBC Daytime - Days Of Our Lives: Shadows Of The Past - Weekdays promo w/WDSU-TV New Orleans byline for May 1994

WDSU Channel 6 - 50th Anniversary logo from 1998

WDSU Channel 6 - 50th Anniversary id from 1998

WDSU 6 logo from 2000

WDSU Channel 6 id from 2000 - Which opens a newscast

WDSU Newschannel 6 open from 2000

WDSU Newschannel 6 open from 2004

WDSU News 4PM open from 2009

WDSU News - Happening Now open from 2009

WDSU 6 logo from early 2010

WDSU News - Nagin Indicted open from late January 2013

WDSU News 5PM Weeknight open from January 18, 2013

WDSU News 5PM Weeknight close from January 18, 2013

WDSU 6 station id from 2013 - Day-Variation - Which Opens a Newscast

WDSU 6 station id from 2013 - Night-Variation - Which Opens a Newscast

WDSU News This Morning open from 2013

WDSU News 4PM open from 2013

WDSU News 10PM open from 2013

WDSU 6 logo from 2015

WDSU News 10PM Weeknight open from December 13, 2016

WDSU 6 News This Morning open from Early-Mid February 2018

WDSU 6 News 5PM open from Early-Mid February 2018

WDSU 6 News 6PM open from Early-Mid February 2018

WDSU 6 News open from Early-Mid February 2018 - Breaking News Variation

WDSU 6 News - Breaking News open from Early-Mid February 2018

WDSU 6 News 10PM Weekend open from August 25, 2018

References

1. ^ New Orleans TV: The Golden Age, documentary produced by WYES-TV New Orleans Channel 12, broadcast 2009 July 18; see the documentary's web site at WYES. See also WDSU Serves New Orleans Since 1948 and Dave Walker, That old-time TV: New book celebrates 60 years of local stars.
2. ^ Walker, Dave. On The Air The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Louisiana. Printed 11 November 2006.
3. ^ WDSU-TV Celebrates 60th Anniversary WDSU.com
4. ^ Hearst-Argyle Television Announces Results for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Investor Calendar. 27 October 2005.
5. ^ Bachman, Katy. H-A Pulls Six HD Signals Off Cox Systems MediaWeek. Posted 02 October, 2006
6. ^ WDSU Announces Fall Lineup, Launch Of 4 P.M. Newscast WDSU.com
7. ^ [1]

External links

• WDSU website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WDSU
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WDSU-TV