View source for WSYM-TV

{{Short description|Television station in Lansing, Michigan}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WSYM-TV
| city = Lansing, Michigan
| logo = WSYM 2017 logo.webp
| logo_size = 220px
| branding = {{ubl|Fox 47|47+ (47.2)}}
| logo_alt = 
| digital = 28 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 47
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''47.1:''' [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]|'''47.2:''' [[Independent station|Independent]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[E. W. Scripps Company]]
| licensee = Scripps Broadcasting Holdings [[LLC]]
| location = [[Lansing]]–[[Jackson, Michigan]]
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1982|12|1|p=y}}
| callsign_meaning = We Said Yes to Michigan, as in the "Say Yes to Michigan" slogan used by the state in the 1980s and 1990s
| former_callsigns = WFSL-TV (1982–1985)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 47 (UHF, 1982–2009)|'''Digital:''' 38 (UHF, 2001–2020)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|Independent (1982–1990)|[[MyNetworkTV]] (47.2, 2017–2025)}}
| erp = {{ubl|642 kW|1,000 kW ([[construction permit|CP]])}}
| haat = {{convert|305|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 74094
| coordinates = {{coord|42|28|3|N|84|39|6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.fox47news.com/}}
}}

'''WSYM-TV''' (channel 47) is a [[television station]] in [[Lansing, Michigan]], United States, affiliated with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] and [[MyNetworkTV]]. Owned by the [[E. W. Scripps Company]], the station has studios on West Saint Joseph Street (along [[I-496]]) in downtown Lansing, and its transmitter is located in [[Hamlin Township, Eaton County, Michigan|Hamlin Township]] along [[M-50 (Michigan highway)|M-50]]/[[M-99 (Michigan highway)|M-99]]/South [[Clinton County, Michigan|Clinton]] Trail.

Channel 47 in Lansing went on the air December 1, 1982, as WFSL-TV. Owned by real estate developers [[Joel Ferguson]] and Sol Steadman as an [[independent station]]. Although Lansing was the largest market in the country without a full-time [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate, the network rebuffed Ferguson and Steadman requests for an affiliation to avoid encroaching on the service areas of three nearby affiliates. Ferguson and Steadman sold WFSL-TV to [[Journal Media Group|The Journal Company]] in 1985; the new owners changed the call sign to WSYM-TV. In spite of the 1986 launch of Fox, WSYM-TV's continued courtship of ABC led it to avoid the new network. This changed when Ferguson started a second Lansing station, [[WLAJ]], in 1990. Ferguson designed WLAJ's signal pattern to meet ABC's requirements and win that network's affiliation, leading WSYM-TV to become a Fox affiliate.

Under Journal, WSYM-TV began a 10 p.m. newscast in 1997 but turned over production of its newscasts to local [[NBC]] affiliate [[WILX-TV]] in 2004. The station eventually aired morning, early evening, and late evening newscasts produced by WILX. After Journal's stations merged into the E. W. Scripps Company in 2015, the station began an in-house news operation at the start of 2021.

==History==
===WFSL-TV: Early years===
The [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]]–[[Jackson, Michigan|Jackson]] television market was dominated by two major commercial [[VHF]] stations, WJIM-TV (now [[WLNS-TV]]) on channel 6 and [[WILX-TV]] (channel 10), since the latter station began in 1959. In the late 1970s, interest emerged in activating a third local station on a [[UHF]] channel: channel 36, then allocated to Lansing. Three applicants had already filed for the channel by 1979. Benko Broadcasting was owned by two brothers, one of whom was a judge in [[Sanilac County, Michigan|Sanilac County]]; Kare-Kim Broadcasting Corporation, whose primary stakeholder, Donald Haney, was a television personality in Detroit; and F&S Comm/News was primarily owned by former Lansing city councilman [[Joel Ferguson]] and business partner Sol Steadman. Three additional shareholders owned one percent apiece, which with Ferguson's stake made the company 51.5% Black-owned: businessman Greg Eaton and former [[Michigan State Spartans men's basketball]] players [[Greg Kelser]] and [[Magic Johnson|Earvin "Magic" Johnson]].<ref name="Lans790818">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-3-groups-vie-for-n/157513674/|date=August 18, 1979|pages=A-1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-channel-36-off-gro/157513697/ A-7]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=3 groups vie for new Lansing TV station|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sat -->

On August 4, 1980, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) issued a ruling that complicated the picture for the channel 36 applicants. It changed the channel allocation from 36 to 47 as part of changes in five Michigan and Ohio cities, necessary to conform with a new Canadian table of allocations for UHF channels. This was not a trivial change for the Lansing applicants, as channel 47 was short-spaced with location restrictions. These restrictions, to channel 62 in Detroit, had led the FCC in 1967 to allot channel 36 instead of 47 at Lansing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archives.federalregister.gov/issue_slice/1967/4/19/6137-6142.pdf|title=Television Broadcast Channels; Short-Spaced Assignment, Lansing, Mich.|work=[[Federal Register]]|date=April 19, 1967|page=6142|author=Federal Communications Commission}}</ref> In restoring channel 47 to Lansing, the FCC gave the existing applicants from the channel 36 case the opportunity to keep the short-spaced channel or specify Lansing's other UHF channel, channel 53.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1980-08-06/pdf/FR-1980-08-06.pdf|title=TV Broadcast Stations In Lansing and Saginaw, Mich.; Newark, Sandusky, and Toledo, Ohio; Changes Made in Table of Assignments|work=[[Federal Register]]|date=August 6, 1980|page=6142|author=Federal Communications Commission}}</ref> Benko and Kare-Kim opted for channel 53, and the FCC declared a [[comparative hearing]] for their applications in May 1981.<ref name="Lans810601">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-public-notice/157443782/|date=June 1, 1981|page=C4|title=Public Notice|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon --> F&S Comm/News was the only applicant who selected channel 47 and was awarded a construction permit on December 10, 1981.<ref name="Lans811215">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-fcc-oks-new-lansin/157592474/|date=December 15, 1981|pages=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-3rd-tv-station-ok/157592567/ 3A]|title=FCC OKs new Lansing TV station|first=Mike|last=Hughes|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Tue -->

By the time F&S Comm/News obtained the channel 47 construction permit, the company was already making its mark in local television, particularly around [[Michigan State Spartans]] athletics. It produced and syndicated the MSU football coaches' show featuring head coach [[Muddy Waters (American football)|Muddy Waters]], and in September 1980, the firm won the bidding to produce Michigan State men's basketball telecasts, which it then syndicated to WILX-TV and other Michigan TV stations.<ref name="Lans800925">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-wilx-snatches-msu/157592327/|date=September 25, 1980|page=B-3|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=WILX snatches MSU basketball games|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu --> The station set up studios in the Capitol Commons office park, developed by Ferguson and Steadman, on the edge of downtown Lansing.<ref name="Lans820711">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-new-tv-station-dou/157977909/|date=July 11, 1982|page=3B|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=New TV station doubles staff... to two|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sun --> An estimated $6 million was spend on equipment, office space, and programming.<ref name="Lans821125">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-tv-stations-set-t/157592680/|date=November 25, 1982|page=1D|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=TV station's set to launch giant gamble|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu -->

{{Maplink|frame=yes|frame-width=350|frame-align=right|frame-height=300|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/WSYM-TV}}|text=Grade A signal contours for WSYM-TV, WLAJ, WJRT, WUHQ (now WOTV) and WXYZ-TV, {{circa|1998}}. WSYM-TV's analog signal (green) overlapped with ABC affiliates WJRT to the northeast, WUHQ to the west, and WXYZ-TV to the east, preventing WSYM from affiliating with ABC. WLAJ's analog signal (blue) was intentionally engineered to not interfere with these stations, and became Lansing's ABC affiliate.}}
Channel 47 began broadcasting December 1, 1982, as WFSL-TV, an [[independent station]] with a schedule dominated by movies as well as the MSU basketball package.{{r|Lans821118}}<ref name="Lans821202">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-wfsl-opens-old-mov/157592756/|date=December 2, 1982|page=2D|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=WFSL opens old movie blitz|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu --> The lack of network affiliation came as something of a surprise to local observers. One of the reasons channel 36 had initially attracted interest prior to 1980 was the prospect of bringing an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate to Lansing. At the time, Lansing was the largest market in the country without an in-market ABC affiliate.{{r|Lans790818}} [[WJRT-TV]] in [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]] was the primary source of ABC programming in Lansing; other parts of the market could watch ABC over-the-air on [[WOTV|WUHQ]] in [[Battle Creek, Michigan|Battle Creek]] or [[WXYZ-TV]] from [[Detroit]].<ref name="Lans750817">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-area-tv-fans-get-b/157513525/|date=August 17, 1975|page=Welcome to Lansing 93|title=Area TV Fans Get Broad Network Range|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sun --> However, cable was often necessary to get a good ABC signal, particularly in Jackson.{{r|Lans900306|JCP900525}} Knowing this, Ferguson and Steadman made numerous overtures for an ABC affiliation in the lead-up to WFSL's launch. However, ABC turned them all down {{r|Lans820711}} due to significant signal overlaps with WXYZ-TV (which ABC owned at the time), WJRT,<ref name="Lans821118">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-new-tv-era-ready-t/157593163/|date=November 18, 1982|page=1D|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=New TV era ready to open on local tubes|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu --> and especially WUHQ-TV.{{r|JCP900525}} When the construction permit for channel 47 was awarded, the FCC dismissed a protest by WUHQ-TV, which sought to establish translators in Jackson and Lansing.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/tv-stations-lock-horns-over-signal/ynjzypxplchajmucjzocxthyptogihtj_ip-10-166-46-114_1729462894432|pages=A-1, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/signal/rbvqpdauyrapilmsmogqmdauveybikou_ip-10-166-46-108_1729462801205 A-2]|first=Dan|last=Spickler|title=TV stations lock horns over signal|date=December 18, 1981|work=Jackson Citizen Patriot}}</ref>

WFSL-TV's first months on air were lean. The station laid off a third of its 50-person staff before conditions improved. Tom Jones, WFSL-TV's general manager, blamed its struggles on jitters that local and regional advertisers had about independents after seeing [[WXMI|WWMA-TV]] in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]] miss its planned starting date by nine months and reservations about committing a Christmas advertising budget to an unproven station that might not be on in time for the holidays and, in any event, had no ratings survey for four months to show a proven audience. This began to turn after basketball season, which served as a promotional vehicle for the new channel 47 and its programs.<ref name="Lans830904">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-outlook-brighter-f/157513762/|date=September 4, 1983|page=1E|first=James E.|last=Mallory|title=Outlook brighter for new TV kid|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sun -->

===WSYM-TV: Journal ownership and Fox affiliation===
On August 7, 1984, Ferguson and Steadman announced the sale of WFSL-TV to [[Journal Media Group|The Journal Company]], a [[Milwaukee]]-based broadcaster that owned two other TV stations and ''[[Milwaukee Journal|The Milwaukee Journal]]'' newspaper, for $9 million.<ref name="Lans840807">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-wfsl-sold-to-firm/157592941/|date=August 7, 1984|pages= 1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-ferguson-may-enter/157592966/ 2A]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=WFSL sold to firm in Milwaukee|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Tue --> The deal, finalized at the end of 1984, represented a tripling of an investment of about $3 million.<ref name="Lans841220">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-wfsl-change-is-nea/157592992/|date=December 20, 1984|page=1D|title=WFSL change is near|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu --> Journal overhauled the station's programming, emphasizing syndicated material over movies,<ref name="Lans850119">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-wfsl-makes-drastic/157978253/|date=January 19, 1985|page=8S|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=WFSL makes drastic shift|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sat --> and changed the station's call sign to WSYM-TV—"We Said Yes to Michigan"—on March 11, 1985.<ref name="Lans850311">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-good-afternoon/157472900/|date=March 11, 1985|page=4A|title=Good Afternoon...|type=Advertisement|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon --> The new call sign referenced the slogan "Say Yes to Michigan",<ref name="Lans850508">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-changing-times/157592857/|date=May 8, 1985|page=4B|title=Changing times|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Wed --> which the state used for economic development and tourism between 1981 and 1997.<ref name="Musk811202">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-muskegon-chronicle-yes-to-michigan/157602576/|date=December 2, 1981|page=7B|agency=Associated Press|title='Yes to Michigan' campaign to start|newspaper=The Muskegon Chronicle|location=Muskegon, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Wed --><ref name="Batt970328">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-michigan-adopts-a/157602657/|date=March 28, 1997|page=2C|first=Kathy|last=Barks Hoffman|agency=Associated Press|title=Michigan adopts a new slogan|newspaper=Battle Creek Enquirer|location=Battle Creek, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Fri -->

Journal made a second attempt at courting ABC. The company already owned an ABC affiliate, [[KTNV-TV]] in [[Las Vegas]].{{r|Lans840807}} The station held talks with ABC in 1985,<ref name="Lans850404">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-abc-affiliate-ahea/157513813/|date=April 4, 1985|page=1D|title=ABC affiliate ahead?|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu --> but ABC—again attempting to avoid upsetting its other affiliates—opted against affiliating.<ref name="Lans851113">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-people-abc-says-n/157513898/|date=November 13, 1985|page=1C|title=People: ABC says no to Lansing|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Wed --> Channel 47 passed up on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network when it launched in 1986<ref name="Lans861005">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-of-local-interest/157978347/|date=October 5, 1986|page=TVweek 3|title=Of Local Interest|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sun --> and declined to join the [[Detroit Pistons]] television network, with general manager Dale Parker reasoning that half of local viewers already got Fox affiliate [[WKBD-TV]] in Detroit on cable and thus the Pistons. Only upon Parker's departure in late 1988 did WSYM-TV begin to air the Pistons.<ref name="Lans881214">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-channel-47-shuffle/157978328/|date=December 14, 1988|page=2D|title=Channel 47 shuffles schedule|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Wed --><ref name="Lans890428">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-channel-47-finally/157978288/|date=April 28, 1989|page=39|title=Channel 47 finally teams up with Pistons for play-off fun|first=Mike|last=Hughes|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Fri -->
{{Quote box
| quote = When I owned WSYM, we had a powerful signal. When I went to buy a station in Las Vegas, I realized I didn't need all that powerful stuff. Once the signal was out of the city, all there was was desert, anyway. So when I designed WLAJ, I cut the signal down to just the areas we are targeting. It will miss Battle Creek entirely.
| author = Joel Ferguson{{r|JCP900525}}
| align = left
| width = 250px
| salign = right
}}
WSYM-TV was still an independent station when, in 1989, Joel Ferguson agreed to buy the channel 53 permit from Benko.<ref name="Lans890331">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-lansing-developer/157443944/|date=March 31, 1989|page=1D|title=Lansing developer turns on the power to launch TV station|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Fri --> The reactivation of plans for channel 53 immediately started to unblock the ABC logjam. Neither ABC nor Fox had an affiliate in the Lansing market, and ABC was seen to be in the driver's seat with a choice of possible affiliates (WSYM or WLAJ).<ref name="Lans890913">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-new-abc-fox-affil/157444107/|date=September 13, 1989|page=1D|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=New ABC, Fox affiliates may shake up local television|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Wed --> The FCC granted final approval for the WLAJ sale in March 1990,<ref name="Lans900306">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-lansings-getting/157444231/|date=March 6, 1990|pages=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-tv/157444202/ 2A]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Lansing's getting a new TV station|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><!-- Tue --> leaving ABC with the decision between WSYM and WLAJ as its local affiliate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/abc-tv-affiliate-coming-area/hmfsfkqcrwzytxjjnbefkjtthtwiprcb_ip-10-166-46-73_1729463072929|work=[[Jackson Citizen Patriot]]|pages=A-1, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/abc/jxrunmxbtutpsvvnjjnmevivfaaimfzq_ip-10-166-46-173_1729463156384 A-2]|first=Dave|last=Hoger|date=March 6, 1990|title=ABC-TV affiliate coming to area}}</ref> In a bid to court the network, Ferguson redesigned WLAJ's signal pattern to protect WJRT and WUHQ;{{r|Lans900306}} this was successful, and on May 23, 1990, ABC awarded the Lansing affiliation to WLAJ.<ref name="JCP900525">{{Cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wlaj-tv-easy-abc-jackson/buuzuxbyvjxulejbqarhytnucnwalwmd_ip-10-166-46-169_1729463269892|pages=A-1, [https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/wlaj/mrnoeuafgzfrhoayefwgzhjyzfygivss_ip-10-166-46-102_1729463328494 A-2]|title=WLAJ-TV easy as ABC for Jackson|first=Dave|last=Hoger|work=Jackson Citizen Patriot|date=May 25, 1990}}</ref> This eliminated the primary reason WSYM had held out on network affiliation.<ref name="Lans900915">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-sly-fox-slides-int/157444577/|date=September 15, 1990|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-fox/157444527/ 6D]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Sly Fox slides into fall season|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sat --> In response, WSYM-TV joined Fox on September 16, 1990.<ref name="Lans900821">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-channel-47-catches/157602369/|date=August 21, 1990|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-fox/157602378/ 5D]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Channel 47 catches Fox, 'Simpsons'|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Tue --> It continued to air the Pistons until 1993, when new general manager Judy Kenney dropped the team to give priority to Fox programming.<ref name="Lans931202">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-new-tonight-hoops/157978483/|date=December 2, 1993|page=5E|title=New tonight: Hoops on 53, pledges on 23|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu -->

===First in-house news department===
Over the course of the 1990s, Fox encouraged its stations to begin airing or producing local newscasts. Kenney had been sent to Lansing in 1993 under orders from Journal to develop a news department, but she reached the conclusion that the time was not right.{{r|Lans970908}} That changed in 1997, when WSYM-TV committed to airing a 10 p.m. newscast, originally envisioned as an hourlong report.<ref name="Lans970227">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-two-local-news-sho/157978516/|date=February 27, 1997|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-shows-two-station/157978512/ 3B]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Two local news shows in works|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Thu --> ''Fox 47 News'' debuted on September 8, 1997, with a half-hour newscast at 10 p.m. and an 11 p.m. edition added two weeks later.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/fox-47-airs-news-10/pvsgrwonlfqugskpgaeclmxnyhnddavf_ip-10-166-46-163_1729464201033|page=A3|first=Dave|last=Hoger|work=Jackson Citizen Patriot|title=Fox 47 airs news at 10|date=September 8, 1997}}</ref><ref name="Lans970908">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-tvs-new-faces/84705763/|date=September 8, 1997|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-news-lansing-gets/157978605/ 7D]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=TV's new faces|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon --> The latter was gone by February 1998.<ref name="Lans980404">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-how-do-local-tv-st/157978675/|date=April 4, 1998|page=5D|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=How do local TV stations stack up?|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Sat -->

The in-house news department never gained the traction that management desired. In 2000, the station experimented with an hourlong 10 p.m. newscast but soon reverted, only to return to a full hour at 10 in 2002. The next year, the station debuted a newscast at 5 p.m. and then moved it to 5:30&nbsp;p.m. to counterprogram WLNS-TV and WILX-TV.<ref name="Lans020916">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-stations-position/157978660/|date=September 16, 2002|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-ratings-wsym-seek/157978650/ 5D]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Stations position local TV lineups: WSYM gives its news hour another chance|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon -->

===Outsourcing of news to WILX-TV===
Beginning August 30, 2004, the production of WSYM-TV's 5:30 and 10 p.m. newscasts was outsourced to WILX-TV, though the news on channel 47 retained a partially separate anchor team for news and weather and came from a different set.<ref name="Lans040713">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-wilx-to-produce-ne/139873994/|date=July 13, 2004|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-tv-news-stations/139874000/ 2B]|title=WILX to produce news for Fox rival: Channel 10 to gather stories for WSYM-TV|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Tue --><ref name="Lans040830">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-tv-news-staffs-joi/139938586/|date=August 30, 2004|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-tv-stations-will/139938566/ 6D]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=TV news staffs join forces for first 'cast: Channels 10, 47 begin studio merger today|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon --> WSYM's 23 newsroom employees lost their jobs, though 10 positions were created at WILX-TV to handle the enlarged operation.<ref name="Lans040901">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-close-quarters/84706144/|date=September 1, 2004|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-news-stations-sha/157978765/ 4D]|title=Close Quarters: WSYM, WILX kick off first week of reports done in the same studio|first=Mike|last=Hughes|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Wed --> These remained the only local newscasts on WSYM-TV until 2015, when a two-hour extension of WILX-TV's morning newscast began airing from 7 to 9 a.m.;<ref name="Lans151005">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-local-tv-stations/157978887/|date=October 5, 2015|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-stations/157978901/ 3D]|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Local TV stations expand footprint for news|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon --> this replaced a television simulcast of ''Michigan's Big Show'', a talk radio program hosted by [[Michael Patrick Shiels]].<ref>{{cite news|title=New in town: Fox 47 Morning News at 7|date=October 7, 2015|first=Allan I.|last=Ross|url=https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/new-in-town,4618|work=Lansing City Pulse}}</ref> WILX-TV debuted its own 5:30 p.m. newscast in 2018.<ref name="Lans181001">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-local-tv-news-expa/157978916/|date=October 1, 2018|page=4D|first=Mike|last=Hughes|title=Local TV news expands to 90 minutes|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon -->

In 2014, WSYM began operating [[MyNetworkTV]] outlet [[WHTV]] through a [[local marketing agreement]], replacing WLNS-TV as the service partner.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jrn.com/fox47news/news/sports/New-Brand-Coming-to-FOX-47-Partner-Station-My18-Launching-this-September-269377541.html |title=New Brand Coming to FOX 47's Partner Station My 18 this September - FOX 47 News |access-date=August 23, 2014 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826114406/http://www.jrn.com/fox47news/news/sports/New-Brand-Coming-to-FOX-47-Partner-Station-My18-Launching-this-September-269377541.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> WHTV left the air in 2017, with much of its programming moving to a subchannel of WSYM.<ref name="Lans170918">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-local-stations-gra/157978857/|date=September 18, 2017|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-television/157978866/ 2D]|title=Local stations grapple for slots to make a mark|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref><!-- Mon -->

===Scripps ownership and second in-house local news department===
On April 1, 2015, the [[E. W. Scripps Company]] completed the simultaneous acquisition of Journal Communications, retaining the television properties while spinning off both firms' newspaper holdings.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 1, 2015|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/uncategorized/article/scripps-completes-journal-merger-spinoff/|title=Scripps Completes Journal Merger, Spinoff|work=TVNewsCheck}}</ref> Scripps announced on October 8, 2020, that WSYM would reinstate its news department on January 1, 2021, ending its news share agreement with WILX.<ref>{{cite press release |last=Wethington |first=Kari |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Scripps station expands news operations |url=https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-station-expands-news-operations/ |publisher=The E. W. Scripps Company |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> The new news department, structured around a neighborhood reporting model, had an initial staff of 15 reporters, editors, and producers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/new-fox-47-team-focuses-on-neighborhood-reporting,16377|first=Skyler|last=Ashley|title=New FOX 47 team focuses on neighborhood reporting|date=March 25, 2021|work=Lansing City Pulse}}</ref>

===Notable former on-air staff===
*[[Ahmed Fareed]] – sports anchor (2003–2004)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csnbayarea.com/article/ahmed-fareed-joins-comcast-sportsnet-bay-area|title=Ahmed Fareed joins Comcast SportsNet Bay Area|last=Dela Cruz|first=Jay|date=January 8, 2013|publisher=[[Comcast SportsNet Bay Area]]|access-date=September 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528012821/http://www.csnbayarea.com/article/ahmed-fareed-joins-comcast-sportsnet-bay-area|archive-date=May 28, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Technical information==

=== Subchannels ===
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WSYM-TV<ref>{{cite web |title=Digital TV Market Listing for WSYM |url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WSYM#station |website=[[RabbitEars]] |access-date=June 28, 2018 |language=en}}</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" | 47.1 
| rowspan="2"|[[720p]] || rowspan="7" | [[16:9]] || FOX 47 || [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 47.2 
|| 47+ || [[Independent station|Independent]] 
|-
! scope = "row" | 47.3 
| rowspan="5"|[[480i]] || Bounce || [[Bounce TV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 47.4 
|| Grit || [[Grit (TV network)|Grit]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 47.5 
|| CourtTV || [[Court TV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 47.6 
| IonMyst || [[Ion Mystery]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 47.7 
| Laff || {{ubl|[[Laff (TV network)|Laff]]|→ [[Busted (TV network)|Busted]] (eff. 3/1/2025)}}
|}

=== Analog-to-digital conversion ===
WSYM-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 47, on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]]. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 38<ref name="Analog to Digital">{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2013|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2023 |format=PDF}}</ref> until January 17, 2020, when it relocated to channel 28 as a result of the [[2016 United States wireless spectrum auction]].<ref name="Repack Table">{{Cite web|url=http://data.fcc.gov/download/incentive-auctions/Transition_Files/Phase_Assignment_Closing_PN.csv|title=FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table|format=CSV|website=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|date=April 13, 2017|access-date=April 17, 2017|archive-date=April 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417160749/http://data.fcc.gov/download/incentive-auctions/Transition_Files/Phase_Assignment_Closing_PN.csv|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Lansing TV}}
{{Grand Rapids TV}}
{{FOX Michigan}}
{{EWS CORP}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wsym-Tv}}
[[Category:1982 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Bounce TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Court TV affiliates]]
[[Category:E. W. Scripps Company television stations]]
[[Category:Fox Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:Grit (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Ion Mystery affiliates]]
[[Category:Laff (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1982]]
[[Category:Television stations in Lansing, Michigan|SYM-TV]]