21 Alive Channel, WPTA Television Station & its Anchor Team

About WPTA Channel

WPTA is an ABC/ NBC/ MyNetworkTV – affiliated television station licensed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the United States. It broadcasts on virtual channel 21 Alive (UHF digital channel 24). It is part of a duopoly alongside C.W. affiliate WISE-TV, owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television (channel 33). On Butler Road in Northwest Fort Wayne, where WPTA’s transmitter is also located, the two stations share studios.

About 21 ALIVE

As part of Combined Communications’ ownership, WPTA made a significant investment in its news department. Eyewitness News was replaced in July 1978 by the “Alive” (as “21 Alive”) format. It originated from a studio that doubled as the station’s newsroom. WXIA-TV in Atlanta is another former Combined station that currently uses the “Alive” brand. The station obtained its first live truck for news production assistance in 1984.

As soon as Granite acquired WISE-TV, they shut down the station’s news section, and WPTA merged. At 7:00 pm on weeknights, that station began carrying the first and only newscast in Indiana at that time. WPTA launched a new set in its second studio in November 2005, following months of using the “Alive” news brand on both stations. The newscasts were rebranded in Indiana’s “NewsCenter” as a result of the change.

ABC21

As of November 7, 2016, WPTA’s newscasts were relaunched as ABC21 News from its new facilities. It brought an end to the 38-year-old 21 Alive brands. This was the station’s first-ever hire of a fourth meteorologist, hence the phrase “Your Weather Authority.” ABC21 began airing Sunday morning news at 4:30 am; it was the first station in northern Indiana to do so. 50 1/2 hours of news content aired on WPTA channels 21.1 and 21.2 on November 21, 2016. “Fort Wayne’s NBC” newscasts relaunched. With the debut of newscasts on 21.1 and 21.2, Indiana’s “NewsCenter” brand was dropped.

21 Alive Team

21 Alive News Team

Brien McElhatten

Brien McElhatten is an American journalist who was born and raised in Ohio. He is the evening anchor for ABC 21 Alive WPTA at 5 pm, 6 pm, and 11 pm. McElhatten returned to Fort Wayne in October 2015, when he joined the team. In 2008, he started his career as a reporter at ABC21 WPTA.

Krista Miller

While working for Wichita, Kansas-based ABC affiliate KAKE TV in September 2019, Krista Miller served as the station’s anchor and investigative reporter. In March 2020, she started working for ABC21 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is a co-anchor at 6 pm and 11 pm.

ABC21 evening anchor Brien McElhatten and Miller work together on the news desk. Miller and McElhatten are only a few married anchor couples in the United States.

Jazlynn Bebout

Jazlynn is a behind-the-scenes contributor who writes articles and manages social media accounts.

Tony Betton Jr.

Tony Betton Jr. hosts and produces the Saturday and Sunday morning shows. He works the noon, 5 pm, and 6 pm shifts during the week. Tony is in charge of the Junior Achievement-sponsored Young Entrepreneur of the Month’. It highlights young individuals who own or run their enterprises every month. He’s also in charge of the ABC21 WPTA Instagram account.

Arielle Cadet

In August 2019, Arielle Cadet joined WPTA. The native of Atlanta, Georgia, is a Weekend Anchor/MMJ for ABC21. He graduated from the University of Missouri.

Samantha Myers

Samantha Myers is an anchor for ABC21/WPTA21 News in the United States. She went to the University of Missouri and earned a degree in broadcast journalism. While attending college, she also worked as a correspondent, maker, and anchor at KOMU-TV8 in Columbia, Missouri.

Jeffrey Neumeyer

Jeff has worked in the television news industry for almost 30 years. He has been covering stories for three different stations, including WPTA21/NBC in Fort Wayne, since 1993. As a general assignment reporter, he focuses on local government, politics, and crime. But he covers a wide range of topics.

Kayla Stewart

From 4:30 to 7:00 am, Kayla Stewart anchors ABC21 Morning News.

Rachel Berry

WPTA’s morning correspondent Rachel Berry works weekdays.

Tylor Brummett

WPTA multimedia journalist Tylor Brummett recently graduated from Ball State University, a member of NewsLink Indiana, an award-winning student newscast.

Vince Lovergine

Vince Lovergine is a journalist from Lake in the Hills, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. He went to Eastern Illinois University and earned a B.A. in Journalism.

Emilia Miles

In September 2019, Emilia Miles joined the WPTA team.

Natasha Leland

Weekday Morning Producer Natasha Leland works for ABC21 Morning News on weekdays. She earned a double major in journalism and telecommunications. Also, she has a minor in meteorology from Ball State University in May 2021

Daniel Beals

Daniel Beals is the president of the “21Country” legacy franchise. He produces reports on the “people, places, and history” that distinguish Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio.

WPTA Weather team

Matt Leach

Matt Leach is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC21, the Weather Authority for Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio. He is a National Weather Association member and a Purdue University graduate.

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Matthew Bullock

Matthew Bullock is an American-born journalist in Cary, North Carolina. Bullock works at WPTA as a daily reporter and weekend meteorologist in WPT21.

Nick Marusiak

Nick Marusiak works for ABC 21/WPTA 21 News as a meteorologist. He is from the state of New Jersey, and he went to Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned a degree in Applied Meteorology. Nick went to Mississippi State University as well.

Gabe Prough

Gabe Prough, a native of northeast Indiana, is ABC21’s Weekend Evening Meteorologist. He joined the StormTrack weather team in December 2019.

Sports Team

• Zach Groth: The sports director for ABC21.
• Chad Maxwell: WPTA ABC 21 Alive Sports MMJ and Weekend Anchor

Channels Frequency

A full-power T.V. station in the U.S. was supposed to switch from analog to digital broadcasts on February 17, 2009. WPTA shut down its analog signal, broadcast on UHF channel 21, on February 17, 2009. (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). UHF channel 24 stayed the same as it was before the switch. Through PSIP, digital T.V.s show the station’s virtual channel as its old UHF analog channel 21.

Who is the owner of 21 Alive?

Gray Television, Inc., a publicly listed television broadcasting business based in Atlanta, Georgia, owns 21 Alive. Gray Communications Systems, founded in 1946 by James Harrison Gray, owns or runs 180 stations in the United States.

What is the first air date?

On September 28, 1957, the station went on air for the first time. Sarkes Tarzian, an Indianapolis engineer who controlled Bloomington’s WTTV and several other Indiana stations, launched the station. The WPTA call letters are based on the initials of family members of firm management. Channel 21 took over all ABC programming from NBC affiliate WKJG-TV (now WISE-TV) and CBS affiliate WANE-TV (Channel 15) when it first launched.

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