The Fort Myers television station, Wink News, is known for hiring college students right out of school to cover the news. Some of the more recent on-air journalists came from the University of Florida, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Virginia Tech, and the University of Miami. Today, the station has expanded its on-air product to include other local stations, but the first step is to get to know the students. During their time at FGCU, the reporter will work in the production department for WINK.
Wink News
During her studies at FGCU, she majored in communication studies and produced public service announcements. Through a connection with the athletic department at FGCU, she landed an internship at ESPN3. Now, she is a weekend anchor for WINK. Although she didn’t graduate from FGCU’s journalism program, many of the other employees at the station did. The FGCU journalism program is led by Lyn Milliner, who teaches news literacy to students and works with WINK.
Better News
WINK is owned by CBS and the WINK logo is the company’s logo. The station was originally known as WFTM, and it was the first licensed radio broadcast station in Southwest Florida. Later, the company was purchased by Reginald B. Martin and Ronald B. Wood. In the late 1990s, WINK changed its call letters to WAAC to reflect the changes in ownership. The station continues to air news in Southwest Florida. The WINK news logo is a graphical representation of the network’s relationship with CBS. The company also owns a station named WFTM, which began broadcasting in 1939. WFTM was the first licensed radio station in Southwest Florida. Afterward, the WFTM became a no-network-affiliated radio station called FMBC. Its owners.
Ron Woodyard and Reginald B. Martin, a former Florida governor, bought the station and changed the call letters to WAAC. In July, WINK’s news director, Russ Kilgore, killed the story. After WINK found the Purple Heart, she contacted WINK, which did not find the family of Charles W. Crabbe. As a result, dozens of viewers reached out to WINK’s news staff for help. The Wink TV show also announced a weekend expansion, adding a 10 a.m. newscast.
In July, Brenda Carlson, a former FGCU student, contacted WINK and obtained the Purple Heart for Charles W. Crabbe. She was unable to find the family of the deceased, but dozens of viewers were quick to help her out. The show, titled ‘The People Behind the News’, also airs programs in Spanish. Despite these differences, the two networks share the same mission to provide local news to their viewers.
The Wink News
Historically, the station started as an on-network-affiliated radio station but has since become an affiliate of the CBS network. It is the first licensed radio station in Southwest Florida. Its current call letters are WFOR Channel 4. The stations have been on the air since 1939.
It is a CBS affiliate and serves the Naples, FL market. Its programming includes local news and weather from Southwest Florida. WINK-TV also broadcasts programs from major networks, including NBC and ABC. In addition, a WINK-TValum Bryan Ellison says that the FGCU program prepared him for his job. Despite his experience with WINK, he says he learned how to write well in public relations classes.