PITTSBURGH -- WTAE-TV Channel 4 Action News is where you come first -- and it has been since the late 1950s. The station is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008.

A special one-hour program looking back at our history premiered Aug. 27, 2008, on WTAE Channel 4, with a repeat airing on Sept. 13.

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Watch WTAE's 50th Anniversary Special hosted by Sally Wiggin:
Part 1 - Hank Stohl, Jean Connelly, A.M. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh's Talking, Myron Cope, Ricki and Copper, Bill Hillgrove and the 3 Stooges
Part 2 - Paul Long, Don Cannon, Adam Lynch, John Conomikes, 9/11, Quecreek, Eleanor Schano, Dave Murray, Super Bowl XL, Ben Roethlisberger crash
Part 3 - Joe DeNardo, Project Bundle-Up, classic commercials, 1993 blizzard, the future of the station

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WTAE, a Hearst-Argyle Television station, serves western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and western Maryland, operating 24 hours a day with a signal strength of 100,000 watts (visual) and 20,00 watts (aural).

WTAE Channel 4 hit the airwaves on Sept. 14, 1958, and has since become one of the most-watched television stations in the tri-state area and one of the strongest ABC affiliates in the country.

Flip through our photo slideshow and take a "virtual" tour of the WTAE Channel 4 studios.

The Shows

When the station first began transmitting its signal to the Pittsburgh area, viewers got a glimpse of what would turn out to be some of their favorite shows, such as the comedic "The Hank Stohl Show," which could be a called a local version of Good Morning America.

Some of Pittsburgh's early favorite shows, such as "The Jean Connelly Show" and "AM Pittsburgh," paved the way for the success of the Emmy Award-winning program, "Pittsburgh's Talking."

Connelly was able to interview some the country's famous celebrities, including Carol Burnett, Barbara Walters, Liberace and Phyllis Diller.

"AM Pittsburgh" was one of the first morning talk shows of its kind in the nation. It began in the early 1970s with hosts Lynn Hinds, Cathy Milton and Al McDowell.

WTAE Channel 4 also has a strong history of children's programming, from "Paul Shannon's Adventure Time," "Ricki & Copper," and "Romper Room" in the early days, to the nationally syndicated "Capelli & Company" in the 1980s.

Slideshow

Take A Look Back At Some Of WTAE-TV's Favorite Shows

Paul Shannon actually had an impact on the careers of the Three Stooges. The Stooges revived their careers after a visit to Pittsburgh for an appearance on "Adventure Time" and several shows at the old Holiday House.

Many kids celebrated their birthdays on "Ricki & Copper" with host Ricki Wertz and her dog, Copper.

The 1960s brought color television to WTAE Channel 4, and such shows as "Dialing for Dollars," "Junior High Quiz," "Popeye and Friends" starring Joe Negri and "Rodney and Knish." Other favorites of the time included "Bowling For Dollars" with host Nick Perry.

The News

In 1958, WTAE Channel 4 devoted 15 minutes a day to its "4 Star News" program with the station's first anchor, John B. Hughes. At the time, 15 minutes seemed to be enough to update Pittsburgh on the day's events.

Hughes and "4 Star News" was just the beginning, however. David Murray later became the station's first 11 p.m. anchor. And a fuss was made when Murray announced that the news would be extended to 30 minutes.

How times have changed! Now, the Channel 4 Action News team assembles and produces more than 30 hours of news every week.

Slideshow

Relive The History Of The WTAE-TV News Team

As the 1960s came to a close, a new news team changed the face of WTAE Channel 4. Paul Long, who was a news anchor from 1969-1994, anchored the news with Don Cannon, who came from a UHF station in Chicago. Long also helped entice Joe DeNardo to the station.

Satellite innovations in the early 1980s put a new emphasis on local news. Anchors no longer read news from wire reports. Now it was possible to report the news from anywhere, while it was happening. "Channel 4 Action News is Everywhere" became the slogan, and news became the station's bread and butter.

WTAE Channel 4's news coverage is mounted with all the latest technology from satellite and microwave trucks to helicopters and computers. The daily flow of information and research comes from worldwide networks like ABC and CNN, and from a local Channel 4 Action News Bureau staffed in Westmoreland County.

Two cameras are permanently mounted on Mount Washington and from a tower overlooking the Parkway East. Our "Action Cams" are live electronic eyes in the sky, keeping watch on the area 24 hours.

Flip through our Web bios and meet the entire team of Channel 4 Action News anchors and reporters.

Weather

Each day, the Weather Watch 4 team delivers the most accurate and trusted forecast in the Pittsburgh region.

It's a high-tech group of meteorologists who track Pittsburgh weather 24 hours a day, using state-of-the-art forecast technology.

The live Pinpoint Doppler 4 network seeks approaching storms from hundreds of miles away, providing a safety shield of protection that will warn you first.

And in order to keep up with technology, the Weather Watch 4 Team is online. You can get the latest forecast and radar images 24 hours a day on ThePittsburghChannel.com.

In June 2008, the Web site debuted its newest weather feature: An interactive radar that can zoom in for a tight look at any neighborhood.

Sports

Pittsburgh is a sports town, so coverage of the games has been an important element of WTAE Channel 4's news coverage. The station has been home to some of Pittsburgh's best in the business.

Bill Hillgrove, known simply as "The Voice" of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has shared his views on Pittsburgh sports for years on WTAE.

Hillgrove's longtime former broadcast partner, the late Myron Cope, also had his share of memorable moments on WTAE. Remember the time he lost a bet and had to swim across one of Pittsburgh's rivers?

And how about Cope's infamous spoofs of popular music videos? He put a black-and-gold twist on The Macarena, MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" and "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus.

Today, Jon Burton and Guy Junker are the new generation of sports anchors at WTAE. They're also online with the Action Sports Blog.

Concentrated Coverage

Channel 4 Action News Medical Editor Marilyn Brooks delivers Healthy 4 Life reports on the latest developments in the ever-changing world of health and medicine.

Call 4 Action solves problems and gets results. Reporter Aaron Saykin exposes hidden dangers and helps protect your money.

Team 4 investigative reporters Jim Parsons and Paul Van Osdol expose corruption.

The Awards

WTAE Channel 4 has won numerous local and national awards for its local news and programming efforts, including the National Headliner Award for outstanding news reporting, the Gabriel Award for our children's programming endeavors, as well as local and regional awards from The Associated Press, the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and regional Emmys.

In 2007, WTAE was honored with the George Foster Peabody Award, long considered among the most prestigious prizes in electronic media. WTAE is the first Pittsburgh news station to receive a Peabody since 1985.

Channel 4 Action News exposed how PHEAA, Pennsylvania's state-run student loan agency, cost taxpayers more than $1 million in wasteful and abusive spending. The station's efforts were praised by decision makers in Harrisburg, forcing substantive changes in PHEAA staffing and polices.

WTAE Channel 4's PHEAA reports also won an IRE Medal, the highest honor bestowed for investigative reporting. Other winners were The New York Times, The Washington Post and MSNBC. WTAE Channel 4 was the only television station to receive a medal.

In competition against the best local stations across the nation, Channel 4 Action News reporting was honored with 2008 National Headliner Awards in four separate categories -- the most of any local station in the country.

1) Continuing Coverage of a Single News Event: First Place-"State Agency Secrets"
2) Investigative Reporting: First Place- "Jim Parsons vs. URA"
3) Environmental Reporting: First Place- "Dangerous Drinking Water"
4) Feature, Sports or Human Interest Story: Third Place- "No Handicap Golf”

The Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters' 2006 Excellence in Broadcasting Competition garnered more recognition for WTAE Channel 4: Outstanding Television Coverage of Spot News (Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle crash), Outstanding Television Coverage in the "News Special Report" category (comprehensive coverage of Mayor Bob O'Connor's death) and Outstanding Television Coverage of a Local Sporting Event (Major League Baseball's All-Star Game in Pittsburgh).

The Community

WTAE Channel 4 has long been committed to serving the community, taking its outreach efforts beyond the broadcast studios to the streets of our local neighborhoods. The station produces telethons and/or auctions each year, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the benefit of several local and national charities.

WTAE Channel 4 plays an important role in community activities and special events, including Project Bundle-Up, which provides warm clothing for youngsters and seniors, and Race For The Cure, benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

For more than 40 years, WTAE Channel 4 has served the community through news, programming and outreach, with its heart in Pittsburgh's past and its eye on Pittsburgh's future.