View source for WABC-TV

{{Short description|Television station in New York City}}
{{Other uses|WABC (disambiguation){{!}}WABC}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WABC-TV
| logo = WABC TV New 2021.svg
| logo_upright = .8
| branding = {{ubl|ABC 7 or Channel 7; ''Channel 7 [[Eyewitness News]]''}}
| digital = 7 ([[VHF]])
| virtual = 7
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''7.1:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[ABC Owned Television Stations]]
| licensee = WABC Television (New York), LLC
| location = [[New York, New York]]
| country = US
| founded = {{Start date and age|1947|05|08|p=y}}<ref>[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86435 FCC History Cards for WABC-TV]. [[Federal Communications Commission]].</ref><ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-04-21-BC.pdf#page=18 "FCC handles its hottest FM-TV case."] ''[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting – Telecasting]]''. April 21, 1947, pg. 18.</ref>
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1948|08|10|p=y}}
| callsign_meaning = American Broadcasting Company
| former_callsigns = WJZ-TV (1948–1953)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 7 (VHF, 1948–2009)|'''Digital:''' 45 ([[UHF]], 2001–2009)|'''Translator:''' 66 W66AA [[Bronx]]}}
| erp = 34 [[kW]]
| haat = {{ubl|{{convert|405|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}|{{convert|506|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} (CP)}}
| facility_id = 1328
| coordinates = {{ubl|{{coord|40|44|54|N|73|59|9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}|{{coord|40|42|46.8|N|74|0|47.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}} (CP)}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|abc7ny.com}}
}}
'''WABC-TV''' (channel 7) is a [[television station]] in [[New York City]]. It is the [[flagship station]] of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television network, [[owned and operated]] through its [[ABC Owned Television Stations]] division. WABC-TV maintains studio facilities in the [[Hudson Square]] neighborhood of [[Lower Manhattan]], co-located with ABC's corporate headquarters. The station transmits from atop the [[Empire State Building]].

WABC-TV is best known in broadcasting circles for its version of the ''[[Eyewitness News]]'' format and for its [[Live with Kelly and Mark|morning show]], syndicated nationally by corporate cousin [[Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution]].

==History==
===As WJZ-TV (1948–1953)===
The station signed on August 10, 1948, as WJZ-TV,<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-08-16-BC.pdf#page=23 "WJZ-TV starts; elaborate inaugural program."] ''[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting – Telecasting]]'', August 16, 1948, pg. 23.</ref> the first of three television stations signed on by ABC during that same year, with [[WENR-TV]] in Chicago and [[WXYZ-TV]] in Detroit being the other two. Channel 7's call letters came from its then-sister radio station, [[WABC (AM)|WJZ]]. In its early years, WJZ-TV was programmed much like an [[independent station]], as the ABC television network was still, for the most part, in its very early stages of development; the ABC-owned stations did air some common programming during this period, especially after the 1949 fall season when the network's prime time schedule began to expand. The station's original transmitter site was located at [[The Pierre]] Hotel at 2 East 61st Street, before moving to the Empire State Building a few years later. The station's original studios were located at 77 West 66th Street, with additional studios at 7 West 66th Street. A tunnel linked ABC studios at 7 West 66th Street to the lobby of the Hotel des Artistes, a block north on West 67th Street. Another studio inside the Hotel des Artistes was used for ''Eyewitness News Conference''.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

===As WABC-TV (1953–present)===
[[File:WJZ now WABC advertisement (1953).jpg|thumb|A March 1953 advertisement announcing the call letter change from WJZ-TV to WABC-TV<ref name="callchange">{{cite magazine|title=WABC and WABC-TV ad|volume=44|url=https://archive.org/stream/broadcastingtele44unse#page/n904/mode/1up|access-date=March 14, 2018|magazine=Broadcasting Telecasting|issue=9|date=March 2, 1953|page=37}}</ref>]]
The station's call letters were changed to WABC-TV on March 1, 1953,<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1953/BC-1953-03-02.pdf#page=70 "It's now WABC-AM-FM-TV; ABC also changes slides."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', March 2, 1953, pg. 70.</ref><ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1953/BC-1953-03-02.pdf#page=37 WABC-AM-FM-TV advertisement]. ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', March 2, 1953, pg. 37.</ref> after ABC merged its operations with [[United Paramount Theatres]], a firm which was broken off from former parent company [[Paramount Pictures]] by decree of the U.S. government.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1953/BC-1953-02-16.pdf#page=27 "Ambitious ABC planning initiated under new merged ownership."] ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', February 16, 1953, pp. 27–29.</ref> The WJZ-TV callsign was later reassigned to [[Westinghouse Broadcasting]] (the original owners of WJZ radio in New York) as an historical nod in 1957 for their newly acquired [[WJZ-TV|television station]] in [[Baltimore]] – a station that was, by coincidence, an ABC affiliate until 1995.

As part of ABC's expansion program, initiated in 1977, ABC built 7 [[Lincoln Square, Manhattan|Lincoln Square]] on the southeast corner of West 67th Street and [[Ninth Avenue (Manhattan)|Columbus Avenue]], on the site of an abandoned moving and storage warehouse. At about the same time, construction was started at 30 West 67th Street on the site of a former parking lot. Both buildings were completed in June 1979 and WABC-TV moved its offices from 77 West 66th Street to 7 Lincoln Square.

On September 11, 2001, the transmitter facilities of WABC-TV, as well as eight other local television stations and several radio stations, were destroyed when two [[September 11 attacks|hijacked airplanes crashed]] into and destroyed the north and south towers of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]. WABC-TV's transmitter maintenance engineer Donald DiFranco died in the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.silive.com/september-11/2010/09/donald_difranco_43_tv_station.html|title=Donald DiFranco, 43, TV station engineer|date=September 11, 2010|newspaper=Staten Island Advance}}</ref> In the immediate aftermath, the station fed its signal to [[WNYE-TV]], [[WHSE-TV]], [[WFTY-DT|WHSI-TV]], and the [[New Jersey Network]]<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/tv-beams-back-into-n-y-1117852904/|title=TV beams back into N.Y.|first=John|last=Dempsey|date=September 20, 2001|magazine=Variety}}</ref> before establishing temporary facilities at the [[Armstrong Tower]] in [[Alpine, New Jersey]]. The station eventually re-established transmission facilities at the Empire State Building, its original home when it signed on the air in 1948.<ref>{{citation |last=Fybush |first=Scott |date=September 10, 2002 |url=http://www.fybush.com/wtc-recovery.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218160702/http://www.fybush.com/wtc-recovery.html |title=9/11 Plus One |publisher=NorthEast Radio Watch |archive-date=December 18, 2005}}</ref>

[[ABC News Now]] was launched in 2004 on digital subchannels of the ABC O&O stations.<ref>{{cite news|title=ABC News banks on digital, despite small audiences today|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2004-09-04-digital-broadcasts_x.htm|access-date=May 29, 2014|newspaper=USA Today|agency=Associated Press|date=September 4, 2004}}</ref> On January 31, 2005, ABC removed ABC News Now from O&O and affiliated stations' subchannels as the channel ended its experimental phase originally.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kerschbaumer |first1=Ken |title=ABC News Now... And Later |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA498484.html |access-date=January 15, 2020 |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=January 24, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007075559/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA498484.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 7, 2008}}</ref> The group changed its programming on secondary channels to ABC Plus, a local news and public affairs format. ABC teamed up with [[AccuWeather]] to launch a [[The Local AccuWeather Channel|multicast service]] on WABC's third subchannel between December 9, 2005, and March 31, 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Umstead |first1=R. Thomas |last2=Moss |first2=Linda |title=Much Ado About Multicasting |url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/much-ado-about-multicasting-368289 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |work=Multichannel |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=December 9, 2005 |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115190636/https://www.multichannel.com/news/much-ado-about-multicasting-368289 |archive-date=January 15, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On May 27, 2007, WABC-TV's studios suffered major damage as the result of a fire that knocked the station off the air shortly before the start of the 11&nbsp;p.m. newscast. According to preliminary reports, the fire may have been ignited by a spotlight coming into contact with a curtain inside the news studio; the station's website later reported the cause as an "electrical malfunction". The station's building was evacuated and the fire was brought under control, though the studio was said to be "badly damaged", having suffered smoke and water damage. WABC-TV resumed broadcasting at around 1&nbsp;a.m. on May 28, 2007 (initially carrying the network's 10&nbsp;pm. West Coast feed of ''[[Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)|Brothers & Sisters]]'', followed by the full broadcast of ''[[World News Now]]''). Due to the fire, the station broadcast ''Eyewitness News'' from the newsroom, while ''Live! with Regis and Kelly'', whose set was also affected, moved to the set of ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (American game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]''. Starting with the 5&nbsp;p.m. newscast on June 20, 2007, the station resumed the ''Eyewitness News'' and ''Live!'' broadcasts from its main studios at Columbus Avenue and 66th Street.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wabc-tv-back-air-studio-fire-article-1.254337# |title=WABC-TV back on the air after studio fire |date=May 28, 2007 |publisher=Associated Press/New York Daily News |location=New York}}</ref>

The [[Live Well Network]] (LWN) was launched on April 27, 2009, in high definition by ABC's O&O stations on the stations' .2 subchannels.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 27, 2009|title=ABC O&Os Launch Digital Network|work=Broadcasting & Cable|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/209986-ABC_O_Os_Launch_Digital_Network.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430035659/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/209986-ABC_O_Os_Launch_Digital_Network.php|archive-date=April 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ABC Multicasts Live Well HD Channel |url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/local-broadcast/e3i18f9fdff77fbe360c575973113dc907b |work=Mediaweek |date=October 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030074214/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/local-broadcast/e3i18f9fdff77fbe360c575973113dc907b |archive-date=October 30, 2009}}</ref>

WABC-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, [[VHF]] channel 7, at 12:30&nbsp;p.m. on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf|title=List of Digital Full-Power Stations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref> The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 45 to VHF channel 7.<ref name="FCCForm387">{{Cite web |url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101234258&formid=387&fac_num=1328 |title=FCC DTV Status Report for WABC |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://media.myfoxny.com/pdf/WWORForm388Update091508.pdf |title=WWOR-DT FCC Form 387, Exhibit 4 |date=September 15, 2008 |publisher=[[WNYW]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321131859/http://media.myfoxny.com/pdf/WWORForm388Update091508.pdf |archive-date=March 21, 2012}}</ref> WABC's digital signal was initially difficult to receive over-the-air in New York City. The station was requested by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to broadcast at a lower power; WABC was among many stations which have found it necessary to increase power to restore coverage to the same level as its former analog signal. On June 29, 2009, WABC filed an application with the FCC to increase power from 11.69&nbsp;kW to 27&nbsp;kW.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101319333&formid=301&fac_num=1328 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805222955/https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101319333&formid=301&fac_num=1328 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 5, 2012 |title=CDBS Print |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=October 3, 2009 }}</ref> On January 31, 2010, the FCC granted a [[special temporary authority]] (STA) for the station to increase power to 26.9&nbsp;kW.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1347981&Service=DS&Form_id=911&Facility_id=1328 |title=Engineering STA |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=March 7, 2010 |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020213223/http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1347981&Service=DS&Form_id=911&Facility_id=1328 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In May 2013, WABC-TV and [[Philadelphia]] [[sister station]] [[WPVI-TV]] became the first two ABC-owned stations to offer live, web-based streaming of programming to authenticated subscribers of participating cable and satellite television providers as provided through the relaunched ''Watch ABC'' [[mobile app]]s.<ref name=variety-watchabc>{{cite magazine |title=ABC to Stream Live Via App |url=https://variety.com/2013/tv/news/abc-to-stream-live-via-app-1200479778/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=June 1, 2013}}</ref><ref name=engadget-watchabc>{{cite web |title=Watch ABC app with live TV streaming comes to Kindle Fire, but not Google Play |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013/05/31/watch-abc-app-kindle-fire/ |work=Engadget |date=May 31, 2013 |access-date=June 1, 2013}}</ref>

ABCOTS indicated in January 2015 that its stations' third subchannel would affiliate with [[Laff (TV network)|Laff network]] upon launch on April 15, 2015; until then, LWN would run on both subchannels.<ref name="bc">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/exclusive-comedy-multicast-net-launching-abc-scripps/137199|title=Exclusive: Comedy Multicast Net Launching on ABC, Scripps|last=Lafayette|first=Jon|magazine=Broadcasting & Cable|date=January 18, 2015|access-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref> ABC Stations rebranded Live Well Network on .2 as Localish on February 17, 2020, to add an outlet for the Localish lifestyle content.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lafayette |first=Jon |url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/abc-rebranding-live-well-broadcast-diginet-to-localish |title=ABC Rebranding Live Well Broadcast Diginet to Localish |work=Broadcasting & Cable |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=January 21, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124195838/https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/abc-rebranding-live-well-broadcast-diginet-to-localish |archive-date=January 24, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Programming==
WABC has long presented events such as the [[Columbus Day]] Parade and [[Puerto Rican Day Parade]] and beginning in 2017, they became the first television station to air the [[New York City LGBT Pride March]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abc7ny.com/pride/|title=Pride Month 2022 News, Events: Celebrating the LGBTQ+ Community in NYC|website=ABC7 New York}}</ref> In addition, the station is also producing local programs such as ''Here and Now'', a program covering the latest issues, trends and news stories impacting the local black community, ''Tiempo'', a weekly program that focus on the issues affecting local Hispanic citizens, and ''Up Close'', a public affairs program on the latest issues with the newsmakers. The station also formerly produced ''Viewpoint'', a weekly program that highlighted the cultural and community efforts in New York, Long Island and New Jersey (each of these regions rotated weekly).

{{as of|2023}}, aside from ''Live with Kelly and Mark'', WABC's first-run syndicated programs include ''[[Tamron Hall (talk show)|Tamron Hall]]'', ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', and ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]''.

===''Live with Kelly and Mark''===
{{main|Live with Kelly and Mark}}
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2012}}
WABC-TV produces the nationally [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/ryan-seacrests-live-with-kelly-ripa-ratings-1202406403/|title=Ryan Seacrest's 'Live With Kelly' Debut Lifts Series in Monday Ratings|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=May 2, 2017|work=Variety|access-date=June 8, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> Until the station's newscasts were moved to a separate studio in 2011, the program originated in the same ground-floor studio at 7 Lincoln Square as ''Eyewitness News'', thus creating a situation which forced local news updates broadcast during ''[[Good Morning America]]'' and ''Live'' to be produced from the WABC-TV newsroom and the morning show's presence also limited the size of the ''Eyewitness News'' set.

The program's roots originated with ''A.M. New York'', which debuted in 1970 as a local version of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' show;<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8OICAAAAMBAJ&q=WABC-TV+AM+New+York&pg=PA52 |title=Best Bets |journal=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=May 18, 1970 |page=52 |access-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref> its first host was [[John Bartholomew Tucker]], who remained with the program until 1972. After Tucker's departure, a succession of hosts came and went, the most successful of whom was Stanley Siegel, who hosted from 1975 to 1978 (for a year beginning in 1977, the series was called ''The Stanley Siegel Show'').<ref name="LLC1977">{{cite magazine |last1=Reynolds |first1=Jonathan |title=Give Us a Kiss, Stanley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DeQCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41 |magazine=New York |publisher=New York Media, LLC |date=September 12, 1977 |page=41 |issn=0028-7369}}</ref> After 1980, the show was retitled ''Good Morning New York'', whose co-hosts in the last years of its run in that form included [[Spencer Christian]], Andrea Kirby, [[Judy Licht]], Dick Wolfsie and longtime ''Eyewitness News'' reporter and anchor Doug Johnson. After years of a losing ratings battle against ''[[The Phil Donahue Show|Donahue]]'' on WNBC-TV, WABC-TV canceled ''Good Morning New York'' in early 1983.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=muICAAAAMBAJ&q=WABC-TV+Good+Morning+New+York&pg=PA14 |title=ABC-TV Memo: Wasps Preferred (Intelligencer) |journal=New York |date=March 21, 1983 |page=14 |access-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref>

The current show began as the station's second attempt at a local morning show a month later, aptly titled ''The Morning Show'' (using the "Circle 7" logo in the actual text for one of the "o"s) and was originally hosted by [[Regis Philbin]] and [[Cyndy Garvey]]. After Garvey's departure a year later, she was replaced by Ann Abernathy, who in turn, left in 1985 to return to Los Angeles. That year, [[Kathie Lee Johnson]] (who would marry [[Frank Gifford]] a year later) became Philbin's new co-host.

In 1988, [[Buena Vista Television]] began syndicating the show nationally as ''Live with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford left the show in 2000 and was eventually replaced by [[Kelly Ripa]]. Philbin left the show in November 2011 and the show aired for nearly a year as ''Live! with Kelly'' until former [[New York Giants]] defensive end [[Michael Strahan]] became Ripa's permanent co-host in September 2012. In May 2016, Strahan left the show to become a full-time anchor at ''Good Morning America'', thus leaving Ripa as the solo host again. On May 1, 2017, it was announced that [[Ryan Seacrest]] would become the new host of the show; to accommodate his syndicated radio show ''[[On Air with Ryan Seacrest]]'' (which normally originates from Los Angeles), an additional studio was built within WABC's facilities.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Ryan Seacrest Tapped as Kelly Ripa's Permanent Co-Host on 'Live'|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/ryan-seacrest-kelly-ripa-co-host-live-with-kelly-and-ryan-1202404490/|magazine=Variety|access-date=May 9, 2017|date=May 2017}}</ref> Seacrest departed ''Live'' on April 14, 2023, and three days later Ripa's husband, [[Mark Consuelos]], became the new co-host of the show.

===Sports programming===
WABC-TV serves as the local over-the-air broadcaster of ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' games, airing simulcasts of the ESPN-televised games carried nationally on ABC. However, ESPN-only ''MNF'' telecasts involving the Giants or [[New York Jets|Jets]] air locally on [[WPIX]].<ref name="wpix-mnf">{{cite news|date=September 16, 2019|title=PIX11 to air three Monday night football games this season, starting with Jets vs. Browns tonight|language=en|work=PIX 11|publisher=[[WPIX]]|url=https://pix11.com/2019/09/16/pix11-to-air-three-monday-night-football-games-this-season-starting-with-jets-vs-browns-tonight/|access-date=October 23, 2019|archive-date=October 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023192636/https://pix11.com/2019/09/16/pix11-to-air-three-monday-night-football-games-this-season-starting-with-jets-vs-browns-tonight/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Previously, the station carried coverage of the Giants' victory in [[Super Bowl XXV]].

Since 2013, WABC-TV serves as the exclusive local English-language carrier of the annual [[New York City Marathon]]. The station preempts a weekend edition of ''Good Morning America'' and delays ''This Week'' to schedule time for the live broadcast. The marathon is also simulcast on [[ESPN2]] nationally (although viewers in the Tri-State area cannot see it via ESPN2 because the simulcast is blacked out locally).

WABC-TV currently airs any [[New York Knicks]] and [[Brooklyn Nets]] games televised via the ''[[NBA on ABC]]''. The station has aired the Knicks' appearances in the [[1970 NBA Finals|1970]], [[1972 NBA Finals|1972]] and [[1973 NBA Finals]] (where the Knicks won in 1970 and 1973), as well as the then-New Jersey Nets' appearance in the [[2003 NBA Finals]].

WABC-TV aired [[New York Rangers]], [[New York Islanders]] and [[New Jersey Devils]] games carried through the ''[[NHL on ABC]]''; this included the Devils' victories in the [[2000 Stanley Cup Finals|2000]] and [[2003 Stanley Cup Finals]], as well as their appearance in the [[2001 Stanley Cup Finals]]. Beginning in [[2021–22 NHL season|2021]], it officially reassumed this duty, this time as the OTA simulcast partner of the ''[[NHL on ESPN]]''.

Through the ABC portion of the ''[[MLS on ESPN]]'' package, WABC-TV aired [[2021 New York City FC season|New York City FC]]'s victory in the [[2021 MLS Cup]] and the [[2008 New York Red Bulls season|New York Red Bulls]]' appearance in the [[2008 MLS Cup]].

WABC-TV also previously aired any [[New York Yankees]] and [[New York Mets]] games through [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC's baseball contract]]; this included the Yankees' victory in the [[1977 World Series]] and appearance in the [[1981 World Series]].
[[File:ABC newscrew in New York City.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|WABC-TV Eyewitness News reporting from [[Park Row (Manhattan)|Park Row in Manhattan]]]]
===News operation===
WABC-TV presently broadcasts 48 hours, 55 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with 7 hours, 35 minutes each weekday and {{frac|5|1|2}} hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). The station partners with Philadelphia sister station, WPVI-TV—which popularized the ''[[Action News]]'' format—in the production and broadcast of statewide [[New Jersey]] political debates. When the two stations broadcast a statewide office debate, such as for [[Governor of New Jersey|Governor]] or [[U.S. Senate]], they pool resources and have anchors or reporters from both stations participate in the debate. Additionally, the two stations share coverage of news from New Jersey where their markets overlap, pooling reporters, live trucks, and helicopters.

====News department history====
=====Beginning to 1968=====
WABC-TV launched ''Report to New York'', its first regular news program, on October 26, 1959, featuring [[Scott Vincent]] with news, [[Howard Cosell]] with sports, and Lynn Dollar with the weather. ''Report to New York'' aired Monday through Friday at 11&nbsp;pm. By January 1961, channel 7 expanded ''Report to New York'' with a 15-minute early edition at 6:15&nbsp;p.m. on weeknights, and on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

On October 22, 1962, WABC-TV expanded its weeknight news to 45 minutes, and retitled it ''The Big News''. Newcomers [[Bill Beutel]] and Jim Burnes<ref>{{cite news | title =Jim Burnes of A. B. C., 42, Dies; Covered U.S. Urban Disorders | newspaper =The New York Times | location =New York City | pages =41 | date =June 26, 1970 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/26/archives/jim-burnes-of-abc-42-dies-covered-us-urban-disorders.html | access-date =August 2, 2020 }}</ref> were the anchors, with Cosell continuing on sports and Rosemary Haley as "weather girl".<ref>{{cite news  | title =Broadcasting magazine advertisement for ''The Big News'' | work =Broadcasting | date =November 19, 1962 |page=45 | url =https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/62-OCR/1962-11-19-BC-OCR-Page-0045.pdf | access-date =August 2, 2020 }}</ref> However, this effort failed to draw viewers from the ratings leader [[WCBS-TV]] and second-place [[WNBC-TV]].

=====The ''Eyewitness News'' era=====
[[File:Roger_Grimsby_and_Bill_Beutel,_1972.jpg|thumb|left|Anchormen [[Roger Grimsby]] and [[Bill Beutel]] in 1972.]]
In early 1968, Beutel left the station to become the London bureau chief for [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] and was replaced by [[Roger Grimsby]], who was transferred by ABC from San Francisco sister station [[KGO-TV]]. In a complete revamp, Grimsby was joined by [[Tex Antoine]] doing weather, celebrity gossip columnist [[Rona Barrett]], ''[[New York Daily News]]'' columnist [[Jimmy Breslin]] with political commentary and reviews by [[Martin Bookspan]] and Allan Jeffries, while Cosell continued doing sports. Known as ''Roger Grimsby and the Noisemakers'', this format didn't help the ratings, which plunged to an all-time low.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2003/05/giving-witness-to-eyewitness-n/|title=Giving Witness to Eyewitness News|last=Primo|first=Al|date=May 19, 2003|work=TVWeek.com|access-date=August 15, 2018|archive-date=August 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815091139/https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2003/05/giving-witness-to-eyewitness-n/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Later that year, newly hired news director [[Al Primo]] brought to WABC-TV the ''[[Eyewitness News]]'' format and branding, in which reporters present their stories directly to the viewers. Having experienced great success introducing the format during his time at [[KYW-TV]] in Philadelphia, Primo this time added a twist – a degree of conversational chatter among the anchors, known as "happy talk". The "Tar Sequence" cue from the musical score of the [[1967 film]] ''[[Cool Hand Luke]]'', composed by [[Lalo Schifrin]], was introduced as the theme music. The score included a telegraphic-style melody appropriate for a newscast. The ''Eyewitness News'' format and theme music were quickly adopted by ABC's other four owned-and-operated stations at the time: KGO-TV, WLS-TV in Chicago, WXYZ-TV in Detroit and [[KABC-TV]] in Los Angeles (though KGO-TV and WXYZ-TV did not use the ''Eyewitness News'' title for their programs). The format quickly rejuvenated a station that had long been an also-ran to WCBS-TV and WNBC-TV. Within a year, Channel 7 had shot to first place in the ratings for the first time in its history, displacing longtime leader WCBS-TV. It spent most of the decade going back and forth with WCBS-TV for first place. For a time in the 1980s, it fell into last place among the network-owned stations, but still fought with WNBC-TV for second place.

Retaining only Grimsby, Cosell, and Antoine from the earlier ''Noisemakers'' format, Primo also hired [[Tom Dunn (journalist)|Tom Dunn]] away from WCBS-TV to serve as Grimsby's co-anchor. After Dunn departed for [[WOR-TV]] in 1970, Bill Beutel returned to the station as his replacement and for the next 16 years, Grimsby and Beutel were the faces of ''Eyewitness News''.

The Grimsby-Beutel team were split up for several months in 1975 after ABC had reassigned Beutel to its new morning show, ''[[AM America]]'' that January. The station brought in WXYZ-TV's [[Bill Bonds]] and veteran [[Boston]] anchor [[Tom Ellis (journalist)|Tom Ellis]] to help replace Beutel, with Grimsby teaming with Ellis at 6&nbsp;p.m. and Bonds at 11&nbsp;pm.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gardella |first=Kay |date=August 20, 1975 |title=TV's local news front undergoes some changes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/395918532/ |work=Daily News |location=New York, NY |access-date=April 30, 2019 }}{{subscription required}}</ref> When ''AM America'' was canceled and replaced with ''Good Morning America'' in November 1975, Beutel was re-teamed with Grimsby at 6&nbsp;p.m, with Ellis joining Bonds at 11&nbsp;pm. Bonds returned to Detroit in June 1976<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Bonds quits at Ch. 7 news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/488479458/ |work=Daily News |location=New York, NY |date=June 19, 1976 |access-date=April 30, 2019 }}{{subscription required}}</ref> and was replaced by [[Larry Kane]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Val |date=June 25, 1976 |title=WABC juggles news staff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/488439881/ |work=Daily News |location=New York, NY |access-date=April 30, 2019 }}{{subscription required}}</ref> who lasted only one year as the sole 11&nbsp;p.m. anchor before returning to his home market of Philadelphia. Ellis remained until May 1977<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Ch. 7 weighs Ellis' anchor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/482814854/ |work=Daily News |location=New York, NY |date=May 14, 1977 |access-date=April 30, 2019 }}{{subscription required}}</ref> and Kane's successor, [[Ernie Anastos]], began his New York career at the station; he co-anchored at 11&nbsp;p.m. with [[Rose Ann Scamardella]] and later [[Kaity Tong]] for most of his tenure there.

On November 30, 1981, the station became the second in the city to expand its late afternoon/evening newscasts by adding of a 5&nbsp;p.m. edition. The broadcast was initially anchored by weather forecaster [[Storm Field]] along with Scamardella; Anastos, and later Tong, would replace them. [[Tom Snyder]], who joined WABC after his late night talk show, ''[[The Tomorrow Show|Tomorrow]]'', was canceled, would take Anastos' place in 1982 and would remain at the station until 1984; WABC attempted an early afternoon, feature-driven newscast shortly thereafter with Anastos and Beutel anchoring ''Eyewitness Extra'', but the program was short lived and was canceled in early 1983.

In 1985, the station lured WLS-TV's news director, Bill Applegate, from Chicago to New York City. Applegate claimed credit for taking WLS-TV from last to first in only two years and ABC hoped he could work the same magic at the flagship station. In the wake of declining ratings, Grimsby was fired on April 16, 1986, a move for which Applegate drew considerable ire and Grimsby was quickly hired by rival WNBC-TV. In 1987, Channel 7 surged back into first place. It has been the ratings leader in New York City since then, and has grown to become the most-watched broadcast television station in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Nielsen Sweep|work=FOX Business|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/channel---tv-station-new-york-nation--nielsen-sweep/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212112032/http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/channel---tv-station-new-york-nation--nielsen-sweep/|archive-date=February 12, 2009}}</ref> Beutel stepped down from the anchor desk in 2001, which concluded the longest tenure for a main anchor in New York City television history at that time. His record has since been surpassed by WNBC's Chuck Scarborough and [[WXTV]]'s Rafael Pineda. Scarborough's uninterrupted run behind the desk is the longest in New York television (since 1974). Pineda is second, having started with WXTV in 1972, retiring in 2013 after 41 years.

=====2000–present=====
WABC-TV's news department is respected for its straightforward presentation (especially during breaking news). For the last decade, it has waged a spirited battle for first place, but for most of the time has held onto the lead, helped in part by lead-ins from the highly rated talk and entertainment shows. For over 24 years (December 1986 to May 2011), the lead-in for the 5&nbsp;p.m. ''Eyewitness News'' broadcast had been ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' at 4&nbsp;p.m. and its strong ratings brought viewers along to the 5&nbsp;p.m. newscast.

The newscasts were replayed on one of channel 7's digital subchannels, another which also carried local weather and news channel. WABC-TV's website had a link for live streaming video of "Channel 7 Eyewitness News NOW", which offered live local and national weather updated from AccuWeather alongside local news. The format of "Eyewitness News NOW" is similar to the defunct [[NBC Weather Plus]]. On February 24, 2011, AccuWeather and ABC both replaced ENN as well as similar news channels on WABC-TV's sister stations, KABC-TV in Los Angeles and WLS-TV in Chicago, replacing them in all three cities with a [[standard definition]], [[letterboxed]] simulcast of the Live Well Network, and then on April 15, 2015, these stations were replaced by Laff.

On December 2, 2006, WABC-TV became the second station in the New York City market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in [[High-definition television|high definition]]. On September 7, 2010, WABC-TV expanded its weekday morning newscast, moving its start time to 4:30&nbsp;am. Three days earlier on September 4, 2010, WABC added an hour-long extension of its Saturday morning newscast from 9&nbsp;a.m. to 10&nbsp;am.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 24, 2010|title=WABC Expands Morning News|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2010/08/24/44695/wabc-expands-morning-news|website=TVNewsCheck}}</ref> On May 26, 2011, WABC-TV added another hour of local news at 4&nbsp;p.m. to replace ''Oprah'', which aired its last original episode the previous day.

On September 24, 2011, the station began broadcasting its newscasts and public affairs programs from a new street-level window studio at a former [[Disney Store]] location in the ABC building on 66th Street and Columbus Avenue. The space previously used for news broadcasts was used to expand the ''Live with Kelly'' studio.<ref>{{cite news |last=Flamm |first=Matthew |date=February 6, 2011 |url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110206/FREE/302069970# |title=WABC Plans Post-Oprah Era – Station To Add Local News Hour; Regis Exit Delayed Several Months |newspaper=[[Crain Communications|Crain's New York Business]] |access-date=June 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Huff |first=Richard |date=February 18, 2011 |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/eyewitness-news-set-major-face-lift-summer-new-studio-timeslot-article-1.136978 |title='Eyewitness News' Set for Major Face-Lift Come Summer with New Studio, Timeslot |newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York |access-date=June 24, 2012}}</ref> In January 2012, the station also expanded its weekend 11&nbsp;p.m. newscasts to an hour. On September 8, 2014, the station expanded its Noon newscast to one full hour from the previous half-hour.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://7online.com/entertainment/afternoons-are-new-on-abc7-ny/256565/ |title=Channel 7's New Afternoon Lineup |date=August 18, 2014 |publisher=WABC-TV |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819091327/http://7online.com/entertainment/afternoons-are-new-on-abc7-ny/256565/ |archive-date=August 19, 2014 }}</ref>

On January 31, 2022, WABC announced they would be launching a streaming channel titled "ABC 7 New York 24/7 Stream". As part of the launch of the service, WABC announced a new 6:30&nbsp;p.m. newscast, available only through the stream.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Michael |date=January 31, 2022 |url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2022/01/31/abc-owned-stations-streams/ |title=ABC owned stations launching local streams |newspaper=Newscast Studio |access-date=February 9, 2022}}</ref>

On September 11, 2023, WABC-TV, along with sister stations WPVI-TV and [[WTVD]] in [[Durham, North Carolina]], launched an additional hour-long newscast at 10 a.m. which took over the time slot previously occupied by ''[[Tamron Hall (talk show)|Tamron Hall]]''. The broadcast delivers news in a traditional format, and also allows more focus to be placed on local newsmakers, and further discussion on topics addressed on ''Good Morning America'' and ''Live with Kelly and Mark''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wpvi-and-2-other-abc-owned-stations-to-launch-10-am-newscast/250089/|title=WPVI and 2 Other ABC Owned Stations to Launch 10 AM Newscast|date=August 24, 2023|magazine=Adweek}}</ref> WABC delayed its launch by one day, due to coverage of events in the city, marking the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

WABC-TV left its longtime home of Lincoln Square for a [[7 Hudson Square|new Disney campus]], located at [[Hudson Square]] in Lower Manhattan, on February 22, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=November 13, 2019 |url=https://www.amny.com/real-estate/an-inside-look-at-disneys-anticipated-hudson-square-hq/ |title=An inside look at Disney's anticipated Hudson Square HQ |newspaper=[[AM New York Metro]] |access-date=May 27, 2021}}</ref>

====Notable current on-air staff====
<!-- Only those with an article... meaning their name is BLUE when seen. -->
{{Importance section|date=August 2020}}

=====Anchors=====
* [[Sade Baderinwa]]
* [[Sandra Bookman]] – also host of ''Here and Now''
* [[Michelle Charlesworth]] – also reporter and fill-in anchor
* [[Liz Cho]]
* [[David Novarro]]
* [[Bill Ritter (journalist)|Bill Ritter]] – also host of ''Eyewitness News UpClose''
* [[Tanya Rivero]]
* [[Joe Torres (journalist)|Joe Torres]] – also host of ''Tiempo'' and fill-in anchor

=====Weather=====
* [[Lee Goldberg (meteorologist)|Lee Goldberg]] ([[American Meteorological Society|AMS]] Seal of Approval) – chief meteorologist
* [[Sam Champion]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/sam-champion-biography/story?id=2343718 |title=Sam Champion's Biography |publisher=Good Morning America |access-date=July 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=May 22, 2019|title=Sam Champion joins WABC-TV's Eyewitness News This Morning and at Noon|url=https://abc7ny.com/sam-champion-joins-eyewitness-news-this-morning-and-at-noon/5312773/|access-date=May 23, 2019|publisher=WABC-TV}}</ref>

=====Sports=====
* [[Ryan Field (sportscaster)|Ryan Field]] – sports director
* [[Sam Ryan]] – sports reporter

=====Reporters=====
* [[N.J. Burkett]] – general assignment reporter
* [[Lauren Glassberg]] – general assignment reporter; fill-in anchor
* [[Shannon Sohn]] – NewsCopter 7 reporter
* [[Toni Yates]] – general assignment reporter; fill-in anchor

====Notable former on-air staff====
<!-- Keep in alphabetical order please.-->
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Roz Abrams]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epg-Byz5Dic |title=1994 Roz Abrams WABC 7 New York Promo |via=YouTube |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723051034/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epg-Byz5Dic |access-date=July 13, 2012|archive-date=July 23, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/veteran_broadcaster_roz_abrams_inspires_students_during_historymakers_speech.html |title=HistoryMakers, Like Roz Abrams, Inspire Students With Stories of Achievement |access-date=January 6, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222221546/http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/veteran_broadcaster_roz_abrams_inspires_students_during_historymakers_speech.html |archive-date=December 22, 2014 }}</ref>
* [[Ernie Anastos]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI">{{cite web |url=http://www.reocities.com/TelevisionCity/Studio/2020/alumni_wabc.html |title=WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201165918/http://www.reocities.com/TelevisionCity/Studio/2020/alumni_wabc.html |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
* [[Tex Antoine]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Steve Bartelstein]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=von Meistersinger |first1=Toby |title=WABC's Steve Bartelstein Snoozes and Loses Job |url=https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/wabcs-steve-bartelstein-snoozes-and-loses-job |website=gothamist.com |access-date=May 26, 2023 |date=March 14, 2007}}</ref>
* [[Bill Beutel]]<ref name="Remembering Bill Beutel">{{cite web |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=3995643 |title=Remembering Bill Beutel |last=Ritter |first=Bill |date=April 10, 2006 |publisher=WABC-TV |access-date=July 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716185330/http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=3995643 |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Bill Bonds]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Jim Bouton]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Spencer Christian]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Lisa Colagrossi]]
* [[Bertha Coombs]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Victoria Corderi]]
* [[Howard Cosell]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Penny Crone]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Tom Dunn (journalist)|Tom Dunn]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Tom Ellis (journalist)|Tom Ellis]]
* [[Bill Evans (meteorologist)|Bill Evans]]
* [[Dave Evans (reporter)|Dave Evans]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Dave Evans says farewell to Eyewitness News after 22 years|url=https://abc7ny.com/dave-evans-retirement-eyewitness-news/11438789/|date=January 7, 2021|publisher=WABC-TV}}</ref>
* [[Storm Field]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Ira Joe Fisher]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ira-joe-fisher/ |title=Ira Joe Fisher |last=Morales |first=Tatiana |date=February 11, 2009 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=May 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523140139/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/18/earlyshow/saturday/main667554.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Amy Freeze]]
* [[Frank Gifford]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0hNIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3006%2C6178274 |title=Frank Gifford To Join ABC |work=[[Record-Journal]] |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Carlos Granda]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Roger Grimsby]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Mark Haines]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/id/15838129 |title=Mark Haines obituary |publisher=CNBC|access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Robb Hanrahan]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Former CBS 21 News anchor Robb Hanrahan passes away |url=https://local21news.com/news/local/former-cbs-21-news-anchor-robb-hanrahan-passes-away |access-date=July 7, 2022 |publisher=[[WHP-TV]] |date=July 4, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Steve Hartman]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[E. D. Hill|Edye Hill (Tarbox)]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Carol Iovanna]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linkedin.com/pub/carol-iovanna/24/149/3b1 |title=Carol Iovanna's LinkedIn profile |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[John Johnson (reporter)|John Johnson]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Larry Kane]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Bob Lape]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Judy Licht]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judy-licht/ |title=Judy Licht bio |work=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Nancy Loo]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Dorothy Lucey]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Felipe Luciano]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Joan Lunden]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Sal Marchiano]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Art McFarland]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Corey McPherrin]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Larry Mendte]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[George Michael (sportscaster)|George Michael]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sportscaster-george-michael-loses-battle-cancer-article-1.433405 |title=Sportscaster George Michael loses his battle with cancer |last=Hinckley |first=David |date=December 24, 2009 |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Tim Minton]]
* [[Rob Nelson (reporter)|Rob Nelson]]
* [[Mary Nissenson]]
* [[Gil Noble]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Mike Parker (reporter)|Mike Parker]]
* [[Jim Paymar]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Jeff Pegues]]
* [[Charles Perez]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/charles-perez-takes-blowtorch-coworkers-wabc-ch-7-new-book-article-1.154321 |title=Charles Perez takes blowtorch to former coworkers at WABC/CH. 7 in new book |last=Huff |first=Richard |date=January 28, 2011 |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Tappy Phillips]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/bio?section=ontv/stationinfo/bios&id=3301291 |title=Tappy Phillips bio |access-date=March 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927012858/http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/bio?section=ontv%2Fstationinfo%2Fbios&id=3301291 |archive-date=September 27, 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Richie Powers]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.nyhistory.org/richie-powers/ |title=Richie Powers bio |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Rob Powers]]
* [[Shimon Prokupecz]]
* [[Geraldo Rivera]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Susan Roesgen]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Gloria Rojas]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/business/media/gloria-rojas-dead.html|title=Gloria Rojas, Trailblazing Latina Broadcaster, Dies at 82|first=Sam|last=Roberts|date=February 10, 2022|work=The New York Times}}</ref>
* [[Ken Rosato]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gay |first1=Verne |title=WABC/7 anchor Ken Rosato fired for offensive comment: Report |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ken-rosato-eyewitness-news-tl0oxeri |access-date=June 1, 2023 |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |date=May 16, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Jeff Rossen]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26639476 |title=Jeff Rossen bio |date=February 19, 2011 |publisher=NBC News|access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Rose Ann Scamardella]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[John Schubeck]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Marvell Scott]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2009/10/former_wabc_sports_anchor_marv.html |title=Former WABC sports anchor Marvell Scott now roaming sidelines as sports physician for Rutgers football team |date=October 9, 2009 |publisher=The Star Ledger |access-date=March 23, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Rosanna Scotto]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Joel Siegel]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Tom Snyder]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Lara Spencer]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Lori Stokes]]
* [[Spencer Tillman]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Lee Thomas (reporter)|Lee Thomas]]
* [[Melba Tolliver]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Kaity Tong]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[John Bartholomew Tucker]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[David Ushery]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/about-us/David-Ushery-121567759.html |title=David Ushery bio |date=September 21, 2012 |publisher=WNBC-TV|access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Scott Vincent]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6017320/?ref_=nm_knf_i1|title=Report to New York|date=October 26, 1959|access-date=December 31, 2016|publisher=IMDb}}</ref>
* [[Rolonda Watts]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Diana Williams]]
* [[Joe Witte]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
* [[Warner Wolf]]
* [[Jenna Wolfe]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.today.com/id/27687258/ns/today/t/jenna-wolfe/ |title=Jenna Wolfe bio |date=November 13, 2008 |access-date=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Eli Zaret]]<ref name="WABC-TV NEWS ALUMNI" />
{{div col end}}

==Subchannels==
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WABC-TV<ref name=rei>{{cite web|title=Digital TV Market Listing for WABC|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WABC#station|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 7.1
| rowspan=2 | [[720p]] || rowspan=4 | [[16:9]] || WABC 7 || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 7.2
| LOCLish || [[Localish]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 7.3
| rowspan=2 | [[480i]] || Charge || [[Charge! (TV network)|Charge!]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 7.4
| HSN || [[HSN]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope = "row" | [[WPIX|11.1]]
| [[720p]] || 16:9 || PIX11 || [[The CW]] ([[WPIX]])
|}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}

==Carriage disputes==
===Cablevision (2010)===
On March 7, 2010, at 12:02&nbsp;am. WABC-TV's signal was removed from [[Cablevision]]'s New York area systems (including iO Digital Cable) after the two sides failed to reach terms on a new [[retransmission consent]] agreement; the station was replaced by either a blank screen or a looping video containing a message from Cablevision about the removal. To avoid interruption of programming, the station urged Cablevision subscribers in the station's viewing area (totaling up to three million subscribers) to switch to other services, such as [[Verizon FiOS]] and [[DirecTV]] or simply view the station over the air through an over-the-air digital antenna and if necessary, a digital converter box, for older television sets.<ref>{{citation |url=https://abc7ny.com/archive/7305404/ |title=WABC-TV Channel 7 returns to Cablevision subscribers |date=March 8, 2010 |publisher=WABC-TV |access-date=August 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308092311/http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7305404#comments&status=ok |archive-date=March 8, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> WABC's sister station, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, was also pulled from Cablevision's New Jersey systems in [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer]], [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean]] and [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth]] counties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=resources/inside_station/station_info&id=7314004 |title=Unknown: dead link |publisher=[[WPVI-TV]]}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Later that same day at approximately 8:50&nbsp;p.m. 20 minutes into ABC's broadcast of the [[82nd Academy Awards]], Cablevision and ABC reached a deal, restoring WABC and WPVI's signals for Cablevision subscribers after a nearly 21-hour blackout.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100307/BUSINESS/100307002/Cablevision--ABC-reach-deal--WABC-TV-restored |title=Cablevision, ABC Reach Deal; WABC-TV Restored |date=March 7, 2010 |newspaper=[[Poughkeepsie Journal]] }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===Time Warner Cable (2010)===
In July 2010, ABC's parent company Disney announced that it was involved in a carriage dispute with [[Time Warner Cable]] (now [[Spectrum (cable service)|Spectrum]]), its first with that provider in 10 years. This dispute involved four ABC owned-and-operated stations (WABC-TV and sister stations KABC-TV, WTVD and [[WTVG]] in [[Toledo, Ohio]] [the latter station would be sold by ABC the next year]), [[Disney Channel]] and the [[ESPN]] networks. If a deal was not in place, the affected stations and cable channels would have been removed from Time Warner Cable and [[Bright House Networks]] systems across the country. On September 2, 2010, Disney and Time Warner Cable reached a long-term agreement to keep the channels on Time Warner Cable systems.<ref>{{cite web |last=Weprin |first=Alex |title=Disney-ABC, Time Warner Cable Strike Deal |url=https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/disney-abc-time-warner-cable-strike-deal/24401 |access-date=February 8, 2019 |work=TVNewser |date=September 3, 2010}}</ref>

===Charter Spectrum (2023)===
On August 31, 2023, Disney removed all of its channels, including WABC-TV, two other ABC-owned stations, and the ESPN networks, from Spectrum cable systems due to a carriage dispute, its first with the provider since 2010 when its predecessor, Time Warner Cable, was involved in a dispute with Disney.<ref>{{cite web |last=Weprin |first=Alex |title=Disney Channels, Including ABC and ESPN, Go Dark on Charter Spectrum In Major Carriage Dispute|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/espn-abc-pulled-charter-spectrum-carriage-dispute-1235579642/|access-date=September 4, 2023|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> On September 11, 2023, the stations and their sister cable channels were restored by [[Charter Communications]] (the parent company of Spectrum) after the company and Disney reached an agreement.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bucholtz |first=Andrew |title=Disney and Charter reach deal, bringing back ESPN and ABC on Spectrum|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/disney-and-charter-reach-deal-bringing-back-espn-and-abc-on-spectrum/ar-AA1gyDnd?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=e324ceedee24467b91899e3320c3a3b8&ei=9|access-date=September 11, 2023|publisher=MSN|date=September 11, 2023}}</ref>

===DirecTV (2024)===
On September 1, 2024, Disney pulled its networks from [[DirecTV]] after the two sides failed to reach a distribution deal. The removal, which included WABC-TV and ESPN, would ultimately impact the [[2024 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]' season-opening game on ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' against the [[2024 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] (ABC simulcast ESPN's coverage of the game).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Weprin|first=Alex|title=Disney Channels, Including ABC and ESPN, Pulled From DirecTV in Major Carriage Dispute|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-directv-carriage-dispute-abc-espn-1235984598/|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=September 1, 2024|access-date=September 2, 2024}}</ref> Disney and DirecTV ended their standoff on September 14, restoring WABC and ESPN to the satellite provider.<ref>{{cite news|last=Liedtke|first=Michael|title=ESPN and other channels return to DirecTV with a new Disney deal after a nearly 2-week blackout|url=https://apnews.com/article/directv-disney-espn-abc-deal-impasse-4a048b7149a46d21a0d517318b611d07|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=September 14, 2024|access-date=September 27, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Journalism|New York City|Television}}
* [[Circle 7 logo]]
* [[List of television stations in New York (by region)]]
* [[Media in New York City]]
* [[New Yorkers in journalism]]
* [[WABC (AM)|WABC]] (770&nbsp;AM)
* [[WPLJ]] (95.5&nbsp;FM)
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|https://abc7ny.com}}
* {{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86435 |title= History Cards for WABC-TV|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}-->
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160830004422/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/International/usa/wabc.html Classic and current WABC-TV station ID's, promos and clips]}}

{{NYC TV}}
{{ABC New York}}
{{TV Stations New Jersey}}
{{ABC New England}}
{{ABC Pennsylvania}}
{{Disney–ABC stations}}
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}
{{Major League Baseball on ABC}}

[[Category:1948 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:ABC Owned Television Stations]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:Charge! (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Companies based in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1948]]
[[Category:Television stations in New York City|ABC-TV]]
[[Category:Upper West Side]]