WDSU-TV

WDSU-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Greater New Orleans area, licensed to the city of New Orleans. Owned by Hearst Television, it broadcasts on virtual channel 6 from a transmitter located in Chalmette. The station, which signed on in 1948, holds the distinction of being the first television station in both Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, establishing a long legacy of local broadcasting and news coverage.

History

The station was founded by the Dixon family of New Orleans, who also owned the city's first radio station, WDSU. It began broadcasting on December 18, 1948, from studios in the New Orleans Central Business District. As a primary NBC affiliate, it also carried programming from the DuMont Television Network in its early years. The station was an early investor in local news and public affairs programming, including the long-running children's show Morgus the Magnificent. In 1972, the Cosmos Broadcasting corporation, a subsidiary of the Daniel family's Liberty Corporation, purchased the station. Under Cosmos Broadcasting, the station moved its operations to a new broadcast facility on Howard Avenue in the Warehouse District. Hearst Television acquired WDSU-TV in 1999, following Hearst's purchase of the Liberty Corporation's broadcasting assets. The station's studios were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, forcing temporary relocation before a return to a renovated and fortified building.

Programming

As the longest-tenured NBC affiliate in the market, WDSU-TV carries the full slate of NBC network programming, including the NBC Nightly News, Today, and Sunday Night Football. Its syndicated programming has historically included popular shows like Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Inside Edition. The station has produced significant local programming throughout its history, most notably the horror-host series Morgus the Magnificent starring Sid Noel, which became a cultural phenomenon in the Gulf South. Other notable local productions have included the teen dance program The Saturday Hop and various public affairs discussions. Since 2006, the station has produced the annual Dancing for the Stars charity event benefiting the Children's Hospital New Orleans.

Technical information

The station broadcasts on its licensed UHF channel 42, using virtual channel 6. Its transmitter is located in Chalmette, near the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. WDSU-TV broadcasts a high-definition signal on its main channel and participates in the New Orleans market's ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) lighthouse service. Its signal covers a wide area of Southeast Louisiana, including Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, and Houma. The station's studio transmitter link and operations were notably disrupted for several weeks following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed its original tower in Chalmette.

News operation

WDSU-TV operates the largest news department in the New Orleans market, broadcasting over 40 hours of local news each week. Its newscasts consistently lead the local ratings, particularly its morning and evening programs. The station has pioneered numerous technological advancements in the region, including the first use of electronic news gathering vans, the first live Doppler weather radar branded as First Warning Doppler, and the first high-definition newscasts in Louisiana. Its investigative unit, WDSU Investigates, has won multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards and Peabody Awards. The station's coverage of major events like Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and Mardi Gras is widely recognized. It also maintains a content-sharing partnership with the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Notable alumni

Many journalists and broadcasters who began their careers at the station have achieved national prominence. Garrick Utley served as a reporter here before joining NBC News as a foreign correspondent and anchor. John Snell, an award-winning meteorologist, worked at the station for decades. Anchor Norman Robinson had a long tenure before retiring. Dawn Brown worked as a reporter prior to joining CNN. Sports director Ken Berthelot was a longtime fixture. Meteorologist Margaret Orr is a recognized authority on Gulf of Mexico weather. Former news director Anzio Williams later became a vice president at NBCUniversal.