WESH 2 Chronicle: 70 years of storytelling in Central Florida

WESH 2 Chronicle: 70 years of storytelling in Central Florida

TWO. ONE AND LIFTOFF. LIFTOFF OF THE 25TH SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION. THREE. TWO. ONE. AND LIFTOFF! LIFTOFF OF THE 25TH SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION. CHALLENGER NOW HEADING DOWN RANGE. THEY ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST NEWS STORIES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA’S HISTORY. WE, THE JURY, FIND THE DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY. SO SAY WE ALL. ALL. US FALSE. FOR 70 YEARS, WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY. THE COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE. WESH TWO HAS BEEN HERE. A WALT DISNEY WORLD BRING JOY AND INSPIRATION, COVERING THE NEWS THAT IMPACTS YOU. LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS SAY THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING THEY CAN DO TONIGHT. IT’S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN TO MARK THE STATION’S PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY. WE’VE LOST DALE EARNHARDT. WE’RE LOOKING BACK. THE VIRUS IS AFFECTING PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD, AND NOW IT’S HITTING HOME AT THE HISTORY. WE’VE BROUGHT YOU HERE ON CHANNEL TWO AND HOW CENTRAL FLORIDA HAS CHANGED OVER SEVEN DECADES. THIS IS WESH TWO, CHRONICLE. 70 YEARS OF STORYTELLING, 70 YEARS, MILLIONS OF STORIES. ONE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY. WELCOME TO WESH TWO CHRONICLE. 70 YEARS OF STORYTELLING. OUR BELOVED CHANNEL TWO HAS HIT ITS PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY. IT’S AN HONOR FOR US TO KICK OFF THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORK WESH TWO HAS DONE ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA FOR THE LAST SEVEN DECADES. TONIGHT, WE ARE LOOKING BACK AT THE STATION’S HISTORY AND OUR COMMUNITY’S BIGGEST STORIES TO MARK OUR TIME ON THE AIRWAVES. FROM DAYTONA BEACH TO MELBOURNE, KISSIMMEE TO OCALA, THE VILLAGES TO ORLANDO. WESH TWO HAS COVERED SOME INCREDIBLE AND UNIMAGINABLE EVENTS DECADE BY DECADE. TONIGHT, THE WESH TWO TEAM WILL BE LOOKING BACK AT OUR WORK TO COVER THE NEWS AND HELP CONNECT CENTRAL FLORIDA BEFORE THE TOP STORY COUNTDOWN STARTS. WE NEED TO TAKE YOU BACK TO THE 1950S AND THE DAWN OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION. JUNE 11TH, 1956. WESH TWO FIRST BROADCAST OVER THE CENTRAL FLORIDA AIRWAVES. THE STATION IS NAMED AFTER THE MAN WHO SECURED THE BROADCAST LICENSE. OUR FOUNDER DAYTONA BEACH RADIO STATION OWNER W WRIGHT S THE NAME STUCK DESPITE S SELLING THE STATION BEFORE THE VERY FIRST BROADCAST. HERE’S AN ORIGINAL TELEGRAM CELEBRATING THE BIG DAY. DAY ONE ON AIR. IN THOSE EARLY DAYS, THE STUDIO IN HOLLY HILL ON CORPORATION STREET ONLY BROADCAST TO A SMALL SECTION OF VOLUSIA COUNTY. THEN TWO BIG THINGS HAPPENED. IN 1957, WE BECAME AN NBC AFFILIATE AND OUR 100 ZERO FOOT TRANSMISSION TOWER IN ORANGE CITY WENT ONLINE. IT PUT WESH TWO IN HOMES FROM JACKSONVILLE TO TAMPA. CHANNEL TWO NEW DAYTONA BEACH STUDIO IS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED AND FULLY EQUIPPED TO COVER THE NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS OF THE HALIFAX AREA, AS WELL AS THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS BEACH FROM HOLLY HILL. WESH TWO MOVED ITS STUDIOS TO DAYTONA BEACH, WHERE WE BROADCAST THE NEWS THROUGH THE EARLY 80S. BUT IN 1965, WE ADDED A STUDIO IN WINTER PARK, MAKING WESH TWO THE ONLY STATION WITH TWO BROADCAST FACILITIES IN THE AREA. IN 1969, A BIG SWITCH HAPPENED WHEN WESH TWO BECAME THE FIRST LOCAL STATION TO BRING YOU TELEVISION IN COLOR. THE FIRST DIDN’T END THERE. WESH TWO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TV STATIONS IN THE COUNTRY TO PRODUCE A FULL HOUR OF NEWS, AND IN 1976, WESH TWO WAS AMONG THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO BROADCAST LIVE IN THE FIELD WITH A LIVE EYE TWO MOBILE NEWS UNIT, AND A YEAR LATER, THE FIRST GENERATION OF CHOPPER TWO. BACK THEN, IT WAS SKY EYE TO. IN 1996, DOPPLER TWO WAS RAISED HIGH ABOVE THE WINTER PARK STUDIO. THAT INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY THEN AND NOW CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY FOR STATION LEADERSHIP TOOLS LIKE FIRST WARNING LIVE RADAR. WE WANT TO BE THERE FOR THE BIG STORIES, FOR THE BIG WEATHER EVENTS, AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PRODUCT, AND CONTINUE TO BE IMPACTFUL IN THE WAY WE HAVE BEEN FOR OVER SEVEN DECADES. THE FOLLOWING IS A SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF FLORIDA’S CHANNEL TWO. WESH TWO HAS ALSO GONE BEYOND NEWS PRODUCING MAJOR EVENTS. WHO COULD FORGET THE LIVE COVERAGE OF ORLANDO’S OLD CITY HALL? IMPLODING ON PURPOSE FOR THE MOVIE LETHAL WEAPON THREE? AND THERE WERE THE SPECIALTY PROGRAMS THE FLORIDA FARM AND FISH REPORT TOPIC PROJECT TWO PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS. AND DISCOVER ORLANDO, CENTRAL FLORIDA. YOU’VE GOT A HEART OF GOLD AND YOU’VE ALWAYS COME THROUGH FOR MDA FOR 20 YEARS. WESH TWO ANCHORS HOSTED THE MDA TELETHON TO HELP LOCAL KIDS. AS OUR TEAM ANSWERED PHONES AND HELPED RAISE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. HI THERE AND WELCOME TO OUR ANNUAL SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE AND OUR COMMITMENT TO SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK WITH. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS NOW! FOR 40 YEARS, WE WERE THERE FOR THE MOMENTS THAT MADE HISTORY. THE FIRST LAUNCH OF AN AMERICAN TO SPACE. WHEN ALAN SHEPARD LEFT OUR COAST IN 1961. IN 1959, IN DAYTONA BEACH, AUTO RACING WAS BORN AT THE SPEEDWAY. WHEN NASCAR LEFT THE BEACH FOR THE TRACK IN DAYTONA. AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY. WE’VE COUNTED DOWN TO CENTRAL FLORIDA RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR, TRAVELING A LOT IN THE UPPER BOWL. WE CHEERED ALONGSIDE YOU WHEN THE MAGIC MADE THE FINALS FIRST IN 1995 AND AGAIN IN 2009 FOR THE ACCIDENT IN TURN FOUR, AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500. WE’VE LOST DALE EARNHARDT. WE WERE THERE WHEN TRAGEDY STRUCK WHEN DALE EARNHARDT LOST HIS LIFE ON TURN FOUR AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, WHEN THOUSANDS MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON MARTIN. THERE WERE HANGING CHADS. THERE WERE PREGNANT CHADS. THERE WERE PIMPLE CHADS. AND THE WORLD WATCHED AS FLORIDA COUNTED VOTES DURING THE 2000 ELECTION. WE’VE TRAVELED THE GLOBE. THE OLYMPICS IN LONDON, VANCOUVER, SOCHI, AND HERE AT HOME, OUR OWN WENDY GEORGI CARRIED THE OLYMPIC TORCH BOUND FOR THE ATLANTA SUMMER GAMES. WE LOST EVERYTHING THERE INSIDE THE HOUSE TO PUERTO RICO AFTER HURRICANE MARIA STRUCK THE ISLAND AND TO CUBA. WHEN POPE JOHN PAUL II VISITED IN JANUARY 1998. ALL OF IT A TESTAMENT OF OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU. VIEWERS CAME TO WESH TWO DURING THE BIG BREAKING STORIES, BECAUSE WE HAVE INCREDIBLE JOURNALISTS AND REPORTERS, ANCHORS BEHIND THE SCENES. WE ARE THE TRUSTED VOICE AND HAVE BEEN FOR OVER SEVEN DECADES. WESH TWO HAS HAD AN IMPACT, PAST, PRESENT AND WILL WILL BE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME. YOU STAY ON TV FOR 70 YEARS BY BUILDING A REPUTATION AS A TRUSTED SOURCE. YOU DO THAT BY COVERING THE STORIES THAT MATTER TO AND DEFINE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH 70 YEARS. WESH TWO HAS CHRONICLED IMMENSE TRIUMPHS, TRAGIC LOSSES, AND HOW THIS COMMUNITY HAS COME TOGETHER TIME AND AGAIN. WESH TWO DEBUTED NOT ONLY AS THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION WAS BEGINNING, BUT AS THE SPACE AGE WAS DAWNING. OUR DISCOVERY OF THE HEAVENS AND LANDING ON THE MOON TOOK OFF FROM RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THAT’S WHY WE’VE SELECTED THE APOLLO PROGRAM AS WESH TWO BIGGEST STORY OF THE 1960S. 1961, NEXT TO CAPE CANAVERAL ON THE NORTHERN TIP OF MERRITT ISLAND IN BREVARD COUNTY. THE UNITED STATES BEGAN BUILDING SOMETHING CALLED A SPACEPORT. IT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE CALLED THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FREE WORLD HAD UNDERTAKEN DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPERATIONAL SPACEPORT. ITS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WAS ONE OF THE NATION’S GREATEST ENGINEERING CHALLENGES. IT TOOK 1500 ENGINEERS TO DESIGN THE BUILDINGS AND LAUNCH PADS. THE DRAWINGS ALONE, PRODUCED BY ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS, WEIGHED MORE THAN 100 TONS. PHILLIP MOYER HAD THE TASK OF DESIGNING THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING, AND HE BROUGHT ME OUT HERE IN A JEEP. WE SAW ABSOLUTELY NO HUMANS. ALL WE DID IS RIDE AROUND AND SOMETIMES OPEN SPACE. WE SAW ALLIGATORS ALL OVER THE PLACE OUT OF NOTHING, MOYER’S BUILDING BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE, GIVING DIMENSION TO PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY’S VISION. THOUSANDS OF MEN REPRESENTING NUMEROUS CONSTRUCTION TRADES CAME FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE NATION TO BUILD THE VARIED FACILITIES OF THE SPACE CENTER. IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE WORK. IT WAS. CAN’T WAIT TO GET THERE. WHISTLE WHEN YOU GO TO WORK, WHISTLE WHEN YOU LEAVE. THAT WAS THE ENVIRONMENT TO CARRY THE SATURN V MOON ROCKET FROM THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING TO THE LAUNCH PAD, THEY BUILT THE CRAWLER TRANSPORTER BIG AS A BASEBALL DIAMOND, WIDE AS A SIX LANE HIGHWAY. BY 1967, ALL WAS READY FOR THE FIRST LAUNCH OF THE SATURN V. AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE BIGGEST ROCKET THE WORLD HAD EVER SEEN, AND IT WAS PUT TOGETHER RIGHT HERE, ROLLED OUT TO LAUNCH PAD 39 A FROM THIS SPOT FOR LAUNCH DAY, JULY 16TH, 1969. THAT WAS THE DAY THE MEN AND WOMEN HERE ON THE CAPE WERE WORKING TOWARD THE DAY. CENTRAL FLORIDIANS CROWDED THE COAST TO SEE THE DAY APOLLO 11 WENT SAILING TOWARD THE LUNAR SURFACE. T-MINUS THREE HOURS, FOUR MINUTES, 32 SECONDS AND COUNTING RIGHT ON TIME. AS FAR AS THE ASTRONAUT COUNTDOWN IS CONCERNED, THE PRIME CREW, NOW DEPARTING FROM THEIR CREW QUARTERS ACROSS THE ACCESS ARM, THEY WENT THEIR FINAL STEPS ON PLANET EARTH. THE SWING ARM NOW COMING BACK FROM THE SPACECRAFT. YOU ARE GO FOR LAUNCH. T -15 SECONDS GUIDANCE IS INTERNAL. 12. 11. TEN. NINE. IGNITION SEQUENCE START SIX FIVE. IN 2.5 MINUTES, THE CREW OF APOLLO 11 WAS 40 MILES HIGH AND HAD COMPLETED THE FIRST PART OF THEIR 240,000 MILE TRIP TO THE MOON, SETTING DOWN THE SPACECRAFT ON THE LUNAR SURFACE WAS A DAUNTING TASK, AND JUST SECONDS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE MISSION WAS ALMOST ABORTED. WE WERE TARGETED THEM IN THE WRONG PLACE. HE COULDN’T LAND. HE HAD TO LEVEL OFF. ANYWAY. THE TENSION WAS RISING IN MISSION CONTROL. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. DESCENDING FAST AND RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. THE ASTRONAUTS REACTED AS ALARMS WENT OFF INSIDE THE LANDING CRAFT. THE LANDING SHIP’S COMPUTER WAS OVERLOADED, BUT IT COULD STILL GET THEM THERE IF THEY DIDN’T RUN OUT OF FUEL FIRST. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. THEY TOUCHED DOWN WITH ONLY 17 SECONDS LEFT UNTIL AN ABORT WAS REQUIRED. IT WAS A GREAT SIGH OF RELIEF. NEIL ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN BECAME THE FIRST HUMANS TO STEP FOOT ON THE MOON. IT’S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN. ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND. SINCE THAT MOMENT, AMERICANS HAVE LANDED ON THE MOON SIX TIMES, EVERY TIME LAUNCHING FROM KSC OVER THE YEARS, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SPACE, INCLUDING TODAY WITH THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM PLOTTING THE PATH FOR OUR RETURN TO THE MOON. WE KNOW WHAT OUR GOALS ARE. WE KNOW WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH. IT WAS THE DREAM THAT CHANGED CENTRAL FLORIDA FOREVER. WE CONTINUE OUR LOOK AT THE BIGGEST STORIES OF THE DECADES. NEXT ON WESH TWO CHRONICLE 70 YEARS OF STORYTELLING. WELCOME BACK TO CHRONICLE. WE’RE EXCITED TO JOIN YOU FOR MORE OF THE TOP STORIES FROM WESH 2’S. 70 YEARS ON THE AIR IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. MICHELLE JUST SHOWED US THE FIRST DECADE WESH TWO WAS ON TV WAS DOMINATED BY THE SPACE RACE. BUT WHILE WE GAZE AT THE HEAVENS, SOMETHING ELSE WAS QUIETLY BUILDING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. TODAY, IT’S WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK OF WHEN YOU SAY ORLANDO. OUR TOP STORY OF THE 1970S, THE ARRIVAL OF DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD OPENED ITS DOORS ON OCTOBER 1ST, 1971, CEMENTING ITS PLACE AS A FOUNDATIONAL CHAPTER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA HISTORY. WELCOME TO A LITTLE BIT OF FLORIDA HERE IN CALIFORNIA. THIS IS WHERE THE EARLY PLANNING IS TAKING PLACE FOR OUR SO-CALLED DISNEY WORLD PROJECT. IN NOVEMBER 1965, FLORIDA’S CHANNEL TWO WAS AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN WINTER PARK WITH GOVERNOR HAYDON BURNS, WHERE WALT AND ROY DISNEY FINALLY CONFIRMED THE PROJECT AND DISNEY’S INVOLVEMENT. UNTIL THEN, THE LAND ACQUISITION HAPPENED IN SECRET. THEY USED ALIASES, CODENAMES, EVEN SHELL AND DUMMY CORPORATIONS LIKE PROJECT WINTER, PROJECT X AND PROJECT FUTURE. IT WAS A CONFLUENCE OF A LOT OF LAND AT THE RIGHT PRICE, WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND THE RIGHT KIND OF PRODUCER BEHIND IT. THAT ULTIMATELY LEADS TO EVERYTHING THAT WE GET TODAY. SKETCHES AND PLANS YOU WILL SEE TODAY ARE SIMPLY A STARTING POINT. OUR FIRST OVERALL THINKING ABOUT DISNEY WORLD. FILM AND PHOTOS FROM OUR ARCHIVES SHOW HOW DISNEY WORLD WAS BUILT. WORKERS MOVED TO LAND AND DREDGED MILES OF CANALS. THEY DRAINED BAY LAKE AND SPREAD THE SAND TO MAKE BEACHES, AND THEY MOVED THE VERY DIRT AND MUD USED TO MAKE THE FOUNDATION FOR CINDERELLA CASTLE AND MAGIC KINGDOM, CONCEALING THAT FAMOUS TUNNEL SYSTEM AND ELEVATING THE ATTRACTIONS. WE KNOW WHAT OUR GOALS ARE. WE KNOW WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH. AND BELIEVE ME, IT’S THE MOST EXCITING AND CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENT WE’VE EVER TACKLED AT WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS. WALT DISNEY DIED BEFORE HIS DREAM CAME TO LIFE. HIS BROTHER ROY MADE SURE IT DID, AND WE WERE THERE AS HE DEDICATED THE PARK IN MEMORY OF WALT ON OCTOBER 25TH, 1971. NOW, THERE’S NOTHING SMALL ABOUT THE IMPACT OF DISNEY ON CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT’S BEEN OUR BIGGEST EMPLOYER FOR DECADES. IT SPURRED HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES ACROSS THE REGION. AND IT’S BEEN A BACKDROP FOR THE MOST MAGICAL OF MOMENTS FOR MILLIONS OF FAMILIES, INCLUDING A REAL LIFE PRINCESS. WESH 2 WAS IN THE PARK IN 1993 WHEN PRINCESS DIANA VISITED WITH THE YOUNG PRINCES, WILLIAM AND HARRY. SHE WAS FOUR SEATS AHEAD OF ME. YEAH, IT WAS REALLY QUITE A THRILL. THRILLS ARE WHAT DISNEY’S CONTINUED TO DELIVER SINCE THOSE FIRST DAYS IN THE 70S, AND NOW ANIMALS RULE THIS KINGDOM. OUR CAMERAS WERE THERE IN 1998, WHEN DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM OPENED TO GUESTS. NO WAY WE COULD MISS OUT ON THE GRAND OPENING AT ANIMAL KINGDOM. WE’RE EXCITED. PANDORA OPENED IN 2017. AND WHEN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. MOVED INTO OUR VERY BACKYARD, YOU. WISH A POP, A STAR, ALL OF IT. THE HISTORY WESH TWO HAS RECORDED SINCE MICKEY CAST HIS MAGIC ON CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT FATEFUL OCTOBER DAY IN 1971. DISNEY SURE CEMENTED ORLANDO STATUS AS A VACATION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. BUT LIVING HERE, WE ALL KNOW THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO SEE AND DO. NASA’S PRESENCE SINCE THE 60S TS AND LOCALS THE CHANCE TO SEE ONE OF MAN’S MOST SPECTACULAR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ROCKETS BLASTING OFF FROM OUTER SPACE COAST. IT ALSO MEANT WE HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT TO TRAGEDY. THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE STORY FROM THE 1980S THE LOSS OF SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER. FLIGHT CREW. NOW. COMMANDER DICK SCOBEE, FOLLOWED BY MISSION SPECIALIST. EVEN BEFORE JANUARY 28TH, 1986, WESH TWO, WAS THERE, COVERING THE LEAD UP TO THE LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER. FROM ASTRONAUT WORKOUTS TO THE CLOSELY WATCHED SEVEN MONTH TRAINING FOR TEACHER CHRISTA MCAULIFFE. ALL RIGHT. SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR. AND LIFTOFF. LIFTOFF OF THE 25TH SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION. AND IT HAS CLEARED THE TOWER TO SEE A CIVILIAN ABOARD. ONLY BOOSTED THE NATION’S DESIRE TO WATCH THE CHALLENGER TAKE OFF ON THAT COLD JANUARY MORNING AND WESH TWO CAMERAS WERE ROLLING. CHALLENGER GO AT THROTTLE UP, THROTTLE UP! OUR CREWS WERE ON THE SPACE COAST WHEN THE $2 BILLION SPACE SHUTTLE EXPLODED JUST NINE MILES FROM EARTH, WITH SEVEN ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD. OBVIOUSLY, A MAJOR MALFUNCTION. WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE FLIGHT DYNAMICS OFFICER THAT THE VEHICLE HAS EXPLODED THAT NIGHT, WESH TWO WAS BACK ON THE AIR WITH MORE INFORMATION. GOOD EVENING. I’M BRUCE HAMILTON WITH SHEILA O’CONNOR. WE KNOW LITTLE MORE TONIGHT ABOUT THE SHUTTLE TRAGEDY THAN WE DID AT 1139 THIS MORNING WHEN IT HAPPENED FOR 15 MINUTES AFTER THE SHUTTLE EXPLOSION, THE DEBRIS FELL, CAUSING NASA OFFICIALS TO RESTRICT THE IMPACT AREA. EVEN RESCUE CREWS WERE NOT ALLOWED IN AT THE TIME. IN THE DAYS RIGHT AFTER THE FLAG CONTINUES TO FLY AT HALF STAFF AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN HONOR OF THE SEVEN CREW MEMBERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ABOARD THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER, WHICH TRAGICALLY EXPLODED TUESDAY. IN THE MEANTIME, SOME 26 MILITARY SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR DEBRIS THAT SPLATTERED OVER AN 800 ZERO SQUARE MILE AREA IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT WENT WRONG STARTED IMMEDIATELY. LAUNCH MORNING, WESH TWO HAD REPORTED ON THE RECORD BREAKING COLD. ICICLES COATED THE LAUNCH PAD. THE TEMPERATURE ONLY 36 DEGREES AT THE TIME OF LAUNCH. A PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION VISITED THE SITE FOCUSED ON THE RUBBER LIKE O-RINGS THAT SEAL TOGETHER THE SEPARATE PIECES OF THE BOOSTER. IF YOU SHOULD EVER GET HOT GAS PAST THE PRIMARY SEAL. ROGER BOISJOLY, AN ENGINEER FOR THE COMPANY THAT BUILT THE BOOSTER ROCKETS, TALKED TO WESH TWO YEARS LATER, SAYING HE WARNED NASA MONTHS BEFORE THE LAUNCH THAT THE BOOSTERS WERE HAVING TROUBLE AND REFERENCE AN ISSUE DURING A LAUNCH THE YEAR BEFORE. IN THE APRIL 29TH, 1985 LAUNCH. THAT O-RING WAS PRIMARY. O-RING WAS DISINTEGRATED. ULTIMATELY, THAT RING AND COLD WEATHER COMBINATION CAUSED THE EXPLOSION. THE CHALLENGE OF CHALLENGER. A NEW CENTER TWO SPECIAL EDITION. ONE YEAR LATER, WESH TWO TOOK YOU BACK OUT TO KSC, FOCUSED ON LESSONS LEARNED. THERE BE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ABOARD THIS ORBITER, DUE IN LAR PART TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CHALLENGER MISSION DURING THAT 1987 SPECIAL. A HOPE ECHOED FROM OUR THEN ANCHORS THAT WE STILL ECHO TODAY. THERE IS EVEN TALK ABOUT RETURNING TO THE MOON OR EVEN LANDING MEN ON MARS. ANOTHER YEAR WENT BY. IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO TODAY. THE SHUTTLE EXPLODED AND TOOK THE LIVES OF SEVEN AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS. A DAY WE’LL NEVER FORGET. WESH TWO WAS LIVE AT KSC, WHERE FLAGS LOWERED TO HALF STAFF AND THE 16,000 SPACE CENTER WORKERS PAUSED TO REMEMBER THE ASTRONAUTS. CHILDREN ON OUR SPACE COAST ALSO TOOK A MOMENT. BLESS AMERICA, LAND THAT I LOVE. WE EVEN TOOK YOU TO THE NATION’S CAPITAL. THERE IS A DIFFERENT FEELING HERE IN WASHINGTON ON THIS SECOND CHALLENGER ANNIVERSARY. THE DAY IS BECOMING A CHANCE TO ENCOURAGE FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION, TO TURN THE LOSS OF THE ASTRONAUTS INTO A GAIN. BOOSTER IGNITION. 40 YEARS LATER, NASA’S TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED GREATLY, BUT THE MEMORIES OF THESE TRAILBLAZERS LIVES ON. AS THE WONDER OF LOOKING BACK AT ALL THE LOOKS OF WESH TWO. HOW MANY DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN CHRONICLE 70 YEARS OF STORYTELLING CONTINUES? CHANNEL TWO PROUD AS A PEACOCK. FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, YOU’VE KNOWN WESH TWO AS THE HOME FOR LOCAL LIVE, LATE BREAKING COVERAGE. BUT THAT’S NOT HOW WE STARTED IN THE LAST 70 YEARS, WE’VE HAD QUITE THE VARIETY OF LOOKS AND LOGOS. THE CALL LETTERS, AND OUR SPOT ON THE TV DIAL HAVE NOT CHANGED. BUT CHANNEL TWO HAS SEEN A FEW LOOKS IN HER DAY. THIS IS WESH 2 CHANNEL TWO DAYTONA BEACH ORLANDO FLORIDA. THE UNMISTAKABLE TWO IN OUR LOGO HAS BEEN THERE FROM THE MOMENT WE HIT THE AIRWAVES IN 1956. WE WERE THEN FLORIDA’S CHANNEL 2 IN 1961, THE WESH TWO LOGO TURNED BOLD WITH THE OVERSIZE NUMBER FRONT AND CENTER AND THE ADDITION OF NBC DENOTING THE CHANNEL’S AFFILIATION WITH THE NETWORK, WHICH STARTED IN 1957. THE TWO STAYED BOLD THROUGH THE 60S UNTIL ITS CHANGE INTO THE NOW ICONIC SAILBOAT IN 1970. TAKE A LOOK. THE SUN AND SAILBOAT SYNONYMOUS WITH FLORIDA. THE SAILBOATS ARRIVAL IN 1970 ALSO BROUGHT A NAME CHANGE TO OUR NEWS PROGRAMING. MAYBE YOU REMEMBER NEWSCENTER TWO. ALL OF IT BROADCASTING OUT OF A STATE OF THE ART STUDIO THAT TO MODERNIZE NOW IS GIVING 70S THROUGH AND THROUGH. GOOD EVENING. FROM NEWSCENTER TWO, I’M WAYNE BENNETT. FLORIDA’S TO THE WORK FOR US. NEWSCENTER TWO SOON BECAME FLORIDA’S TWO NEWS AND WESH WASN’T A WORD. RATHER WESH. MEANTIME, WHETHER DEEP BLUE IN THE LATE 70S TO FLUORESCENT TEAL IN THE 80S TO JET BLACK IN ITS LAST ITERATION, THE SAILBOAT STAYED PART OF SEVERAL WESH 2 EMBLEMS UNTIL 1992. THIS IS WESH. THE NEWS STARTS NOW. A MORE FAMILIAR FONT BECAME THE FACE OF TWO NEWS AS WE ENTERED THE FINAL DECADE OF THE 20TH CENTURY. THE TWO NOW PAINTED IN BRIGHT RED AND FEATURING NBC’S RAINBOW PEACOCK. IN 1996, OUR CREATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT GAVE IT A RETOUCH, SLIMMING DOWN THE OVERALL INSIGNIA MARKING THE NEW MILLENNIUM, WE BECAME NEWS CHANNEL TWO, A NEW NAME AND OUR TRADEMARK NUMBER NOW ENCLOSED IN A RED CIRCLE. YOU’RE WATCHING WESH NEWS CHANNEL TWO. WHERE THE NEWS COMES FIRST. AFTER A FEW YEARS IN THE EARLY AUGHTS, THE NEWS CHANNEL BRANDING DROPPED WITH BIG COVERAGE OF THE DAY’S BIG STORIES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA’S MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. AND WE BECAME WESH TWO NEWS AT NOON IN HIGH DEFINITION. WELL, AIN’T THAT A SIGN OF THE 2000? A FEW MORE TWEAKS HERE AND THERE, ALL LEADING TO THE NAME, LOGO, SOUND AND LOOK OF THE WESH TWO NEWS. YOU KNOW, TODAY, LOCAL. LIVE. LATE-BREAKING WESH TWO NEWS STARTS NOW. THIS INTERSECTION AT BOMBAY AND COLONIAL DRIVE WAS NOT THE TEEMING COMMERCIAL CENTER IT IS TODAY. CENTRAL FLORIDA’S SEEN QUITE THE TRANSFORMATION IN THE LAST 70 YEARS. WE’RE TAKING STOCK OF THE COMMUNITY’S GROWTH. WHEN WESH TWO CHRONICLE 70 YEARS OF STORYTELLING CONTINUES NEXT. WELCOME BACK TO WESH TWO CHRONICLES 70 YEARS OF STORYTELLING. WE’RE EXCITED TO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS NEXT CHAPTER OF WESH TWO TIME IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AS THE ANCHORS OF WESH TWO NEWS SUNRISE. WE WANT TO GET YOU OUT THE DOOR EACH MORNING. ARMED WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO TACKLE THE DAY AHEAD. NEWS, WEATHER, AND TRAFFIC WHICH IS NOT GETTING ANY BETTER ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST KEEP MOVING HERE. SO WHETHER YOU WERE BORN HERE, YOU’VE BEEN HERE FOR DECADES, OR YOU’RE A NEWBIE, THE CONSTANT IS HOW MUCH CENTRAL FLORIDA KEEPS GROWING. THE SIGNAL BARELY REACHED OUT OF VOLUSIA COUNTY WITH AN EFFECTIVE RADIATED POWER OF 12,500W ATOP A 300 FOOT TOWER. WHEN WESH TWO HIT THE AIRWAVES IN JUNE OF 1956, THE FLEDGLING STATION HAD A LOT IN COMMON WITH CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT WAS JUST GETTING STARTED AND ON THE CUSP OF A BOOM. THE FIRST YEAR WESH WESH BACK THEN WAS ON THE AIR. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SAW THE PROGRAMING WERE LIVING IN DAYTONA BEACH AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. BUT JUST ONE YEAR LATER, WESH TWO WOULD CEMENT ITS SPOT IN CENTRAL FLORIDA THANKS TO A NEW PARTNERSHIP. ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 1957, WES TV BECAME AN AFFILIATE OF THE FIRST TELEVISION NETWORK, NBC. IT’S ALSO THE YEAR OUR 100 ZERO FOOT TALL BROADCAST TOWER IN ORANGE CITY WENT LIVE, SENDING THE WESH TWO SIGNAL LITERALLY ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE STATION ARCHIVES, WE FOUND A MARKET DATA REPORT FROM 1957. IT SHOWS WHAT THE TV MARKET LOOKED LIKE BACK THEN. CENTRAL FLORIDA AND WESH 2’S REACH SPANNED 20 COUNTIES FROM COLUMBIA TO DUVAL DOWN TO SAINT LUCIE AND OVER TO MANATEE. THE REGION WAS HOME TO JUST MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE, AND ONLY 180,000 HOMES HAD TELEVISIONS. BUT THINGS WERE ABOUT TO REALLY BLAST OFF. THE LAUNCH OF EXPLORER 1 IN 1958 MADE CAPE CANAVERAL HOME TO THE NATION’S SPACE PROGRAM THAT BROUGHT BIG INDUSTRY TO A PLACE BEST KNOWN FOR BEACHES, CITRUS AND CATTLE. WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE MAIN REASONS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO BE MOVING TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA? WELL, BESIDES, YOU FIND DELIGHTFUL CLIMATE HERE. IT’S THE BUILDING UP OF THE ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY, SPACE AND DEFENSE CONTRACTORS HELP SPUR THE REGION’S FIRST MASSIVE GROWTH SPURT, BRINGING EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES. 12 YEARS AGO, THIS INTERSECTION AT BUMBY AND COLONIAL DRIVE WAS NOT THE TEEMING COMMERCIAL CENTER IT IS TODAY. THAT WESH TWO NEWS CLIP FROM THE LATE 60S DETAILED HOW ORLANDO’S COLONIAL TOWN PLAZA SPRUNG UP FROM A CATTLE PASTURE AND ORANGE GROVE. FROM THERE, ALL SORTS OF INDUSTRY FILLED IN AROUND ORLANDO AND BEYOND. THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE. THAT MOUSE WITH A CASTLE DOWN I-4. THE DISNEY EFFECT ON CENTRAL FLORIDA IS UNDENIABLE. IT PUT US ON. THE MAP, DREW EVEN MORE ATTRACTIONS, AND CREATED ALL SORTS OF JOBS IN ALL SORTS OF FIELDS. THREE YEARS AGO, THERE WERE ONLY ORANGE GROVES HERE. NOW, MORE THAN 6000 PEOPLE COME HERE EACH DAY TO WORK IN THE MAITLAND CENTER OFFICE PARK IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. BUILDINGS ARE GOING UP IN EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY. THREE YEARS FROM NOW, THERE WILL BE 50% MORE OFFICE SPACE. CENTRAL FLORIDA WAS AND REMAINS A PLACE PEOPLE COME TO BUILD LIVES AND CAREERS. YEARS AGO, IT WAS A GRAZING AREA FOR ANIMALS. SOON, 3000 HOMES WILL BE HERE, PLUS A SHOPPING CENTER, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, EVEN DOCTOR’S OFFICES. THAT’S THE STORY FROM THE WESH TWO ARCHIVES ABOUT THE 1998 DEVELOPMENT OF AVALON PARK IN EASTERN ORANGE COUNTY. AND IT HASN’T STOPPED FROM TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY TO TECH AND MEDICINE, CENTRAL FLORIDA REMAINS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. REMEMBER THAT 20 COUNTY REGION FROM BACK IN 1956? IT WAS TV MARKET 75 TODAY. WESH TWO AND THE GEOGRAPHICALLY SMALLER ORLANDO DAYTONA BEACH, MELBOURNE MARKET RANKS NUMBER 15 IN THE NATION WITH MORE THAN 1.9 MILLION TV HOMES COMPLETE AND ACCURATE NEWS COVERAGE. IT’S THE BACKBONE OF WHAT WE DO AND WHAT YOU HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM WESH TWO. THAT COMMITMENT IS EVIDENT ANYTIME WE FACE A NATURAL DISASTER. WE’RE THE STATION THAT GETS YOU THROUGH HURRICANE SEASON. AND AS WE LOOK BACK AT THE BIGGEST STORIES OF THE DECADE, WESH TWO HAS BEEN ON TV. A WEATHER STORY IS WHAT STANDS OUT IN THE NEXT DECADE. THE 90S. YEAH, BUT IT WAS NOT A HURRICANE THAT ROCKED CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT WAS THE BRUTAL 1998 WILDFIRE SEASON THAT TOPS OUR LIST OF BIG STORIES FOR THE DECADE. 1998 STARTED WITH A DROUGHT MONTHS WITH NO SIGNIFICANT RAIN TURNED CENTRAL FLORIDA INTO A TINDERBOX. THE CONDITIONS SO DANGEROUS CONGREGATIONS LIKE THIS ONE IN DAYTONA BEACH GATHERED TO PRAY FOR RAIN. ASK, FATHER, THAT YOU MIGHT DO JUST THAT. THAT YOU MIGHT OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND SEND AN ABUNDANCE OF RAIN. BY JUNE OF 1998, A SMALL SPARK COULD IGNITE ACRES TO MANY DRY SPOTS. TOO MUCH WIND AND TOO MUCH FIRE. WILDFIRES EXPLODED ACROSS THE REGION. IT BECAME ONE OF THE LARGEST WILDFIRE OUTBREAKS IN FLORIDA’S HISTORY. ON THIS DAY, AGAIN, A FIRE BREAKS OUT IN FLAGLER COUNTY NEAR FLAGLER COUNTY AIRPORT AND BURNS EASTWARD. IT BURNS THROUGH A WOODED AREA, THEN JUMPS US ONE INTO THE SEMINOLE WOODS SUBDIVISION. IT CONTINUES TO BURN EASTWARD ACROSS I-95. CHOPPER TWO BROUGHT THE DEVASTATING PICTURES BACK TO VIEWERS AT THIS POINT, JOHN, I THINK WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SIGN OFF AND PROBABLY MOVE OUT OF THIS AREA, BUT WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THE DEVELOPMENTS HERE ON 40. WHILE OUR CREWS BRAVED CONDITIONS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. ALONG I-95 NEAR TITUSVILLE, A 30 FOOT WALL OF FLAME SENT OUT AN OBVIOUS SMOKE SIGNAL. TIME TO GO NOW. FLAMES TORE THROUGH MORE THAN HALF A MILLION ACRES STATEWIDE ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR. THICK SMOKE CHOKED THE SKY SO DENSE IT SHUT DOWN MAJOR HIGHWAYS, INCLUDING STRETCHES OF I-95. ENTIRE COMMUNITIES WERE FORCED TO EVACUATE. FAMILIES GRABBED WHAT THEY COULD AND FLED, UNSURE IF THEY’D HAVE HOMES TO RETURN TO. WHAT DO YOU LOAD UP WHEN YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO THINK ABOUT IT? SO I JUST TOOK ALL MY FAMILY PICTURES WITH ME, AND FLAGLER COUNTY RESIDENTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES. IN ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC MOMENTS, ALL OF FLAGLER COUNTY WAS ORDERED TO EVACUATE THE FIRST TIME IN FLORIDA HISTORY. AN ENTIRE COUNTY WAS CLEARED OUT BECAUSE OF WILDFIRES. WESH TWO VIDEOGRAPHER HUTCH BRENNAMAN AND REPORTER CLAIRE METZ COVERED THE CHAOS. THE FIRE SCARED ME BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNEW WHERE THEY WERE COMING FROM OR WHERE THEY WERE GOING. THE WINDS WOULD CHANGE AND YOU’D THINK YOU WERE LIKE ON THE OUTSKIRTS LOOKING IN AND YOU WERE JUST FIRE WOULD BE BEHIND YOU. YOU WERE TERRIFIED OF WHAT YOU WOULD COME HOME TO. IT WAS JUST A COUNTY WIDE INFERNO. IT WAS REALLY IT WAS FRIGHTENING. IT WAS SCARY TO BE OUT IN IT. DONATIONS POURED INTO SHELTERS, TAKING FAMILIES IN TO BE HEALED AND TO BE AT HOME. RIGHT. BECAUSE IT WOULD BE STRESSFUL TO SEE THE SMOKE AND THE FIRE AT MY BACK DOOR. SO I PREFER TO BE HERE, NOT SEEING ANYTHING. THE DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY IS BEING TRANSFORMED INTO AN EMERGENCY STAGING CENTER. THIS AFTER OFFICIALS CANCELED THE WEEKEND NASCAR RACE. HELICOPTERS DROPPED WATER FROM ABOVE WHILE FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK IN BRUTAL CONDITIONS. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE. WE’RE. IT’S GOING IN THE STRUCTURE. IT TOOK WEEKS. AND FINALLY, EVERYONE WAS ENCOURAGED BY SOME LIGHT RAIN THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN TO BRING RELIEF. WHEN IT WAS OVER, THOUSANDS OF HOMES HAD BEEN DAMAGED OR DESTROYED AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LOSSES WERE RECORDED. PULLED THIS OUT BEFORE THE FIRE HIT. I LOST EVERYTHING. BUT DESPITE THE SCALE AND INTENSITY, LOSS OF LIFE WAS LIMITED. A TESTAMENT TO THE MASSIVE RESPONSE. WE’RE MOVING TO A NEW MILLENNIUM NOW, THE 2000. SO MUCH HAPPENED WHEN WE JUMPED INTO THIS NEW DECADE Y2K. REMEMBER WAITING TO SEE IF THE COMPUTERS CRASHED AT MIDNIGHT ON JANUARY 1ST, 2000? YEAH, AND THERE WAS FLORIDA FLORIDA, FLORIDA IN THE 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE STATES HANGING CHAD VOTING SYSTEM REALLY JUMPSTARTED THE ERA OF QUESTIONING BALLOTS. BUT WHEN WE FOCUS IN ON CENTRAL FLORIDA, THERE’S ONE STORY FROM THE 2000 THAT TO THIS DAY WILL GET PEOPLE GOING. ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT CRIMINAL CASES IN FLORIDA HISTORY, CASEY ANTHONY, THIS IS ORANGE COUNTY UTILITIES EMERGENCY DISPATCH. WE FOUND A HUMAN SKULL IN THE SUMMER OF 2008, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO YEAR OLD CAYLEE ANTHONY SPARKED A MEDIA FRENZY. FIRST HERE IN ORLANDO, SEARCHING FOR A BEAUTIFUL THREE YEAR OLD FLORIDA GIRL. THEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CAYLEE WAS REPORTED MISSING ON JULY 15TH, A MONTH AFTER SHE WAS LAST SEEN. FOR WEEKS, QUESTIONS SURROUNDED HER MOTHER, CASEY ANTHONY. WHY SHE WAITED 31 DAYS TO REPORT CAYLEE MISSING AND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME. THE CASE QUICKLY BECAME A REAL LIFE SOAP OPERA. SOME OF THE KEY PLAYERS INCLUDE CASEY, HER PARENTS, GEORGE AND CINDY ANTHONY. AND THEN THERE WAS ZANNY, THE NANNY, ZINAIDA GONZALEZ, AN INNOCENT WOMAN CASEY SAID HAD BEEN BABYSITTING CAYLEE THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED WHILE CASEY WAS CLUBBING. THE STORY DOMINATED OUR NEWS FOR MONTHS. AND THEN THERE WAS THE 911 CALL HEARD AROUND THE WORLD. THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG. I FOUND MY DAUGHTER’S CAR TODAY, AND IT SMELLS LIKE THERE’S BEEN A DEAD BODY IN THE — CAR. THAT’S CINDY ANTHONY CALLING POLICE TO REPORT HER DAUGHTER’S CAR. SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE TRUNK SHOWED POSSIBLE TRACES OF HUMAN REMAINS. YOU’D BE LOOKING AT THE GROUND. MAKE SURE YOU SEE ANYTHING. SEARCHES TOOK PLACE ALL ACROSS ORLANDO FOR CAYLEE. LAW ENFORCEMENT, PRIVATE SEARCH TEAMS, EVEN VOLUNTEERS. BUT ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2008, IT WAS A METER READER NAMED ROY KRONK WHO FOUND WHAT REMAINED OF THE MISSING GIRL JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM HER GRANDPARENTS HOME. NOTICE SOMETHING THAT LOOKED WHITE AND THERE WAS. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS. I’M NOT TELLING YOU. IT’S, YOU KNOW, IT’S CAYLEE OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. WESH TWO WAS THERE WHEN CASEY WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND CHARGED WITH CAYLEE’S MURDER. THE SPECTACLE WOULD CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS LEADING UP TO CASEY’S WITH A JURY BROUGHT IN FROM THE TAMPA AREA. TO HEAR THE CASE. YOU WILL HAVE NO TROUBLE CONCLUDING. WESH TWO PROVIDED WALL TO WALL COVERAGE OF THE CASE FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. MURDERED BY HER MOTHER. PROSECUTORS PAINTED CASEY AS A YOUNG WOMAN WHO GREW TIRED OF MOTHERHOOD AND SUFFOCATED HER DAUGHTER, USING CHLOROFORM AND DUCT TAPE. SHE HAS A PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE. SHE IS INNOCENT UNTIL OR UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY, ATTORNEY JOSE BAEZ, A RELATIVELY UNKNOWN LAWYER FROM OSCEOLA COUNTY, BECAME A HOUSEHOLD NAME DEFENDING CASEY. THE TRIAL WAS JUST AS WILD AS THE INVESTIGATION OF CAYLEE’S DEATH. IN OPENING STATEMENTS, BAEZ TOLD THE COURT CAYLEE HAD DROWNED IN THE FAMILY’S SWIMMING POOL AND GRANDFATHER GEORGE DISPOSED OF HER CHILD’S BODY TO COVER IT UP. THE TRIAL LASTED JUST SIX WEEKS, AND AFTER JUST TEN HOURS OF DELIBERATIONS, THE JURY DELIVERED A STUNNING VERDICT. WE, THE JURY, FIND THE DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY. THE COUNTRY WAS LEFT DIVIDED AS CASEY ANTHONY WAS ACQUITTED OF MURDER BUT FOUND GUILTY ON LESSER CHARGES OF LYING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. JURORS WOULD LATER SAY THE STATE DIDN’T PROVE ITS CASE. SHE’S YOUNG AND CUTE. IF YOU’RE YOUNG AND CUTE IN AMERICA, YOU GET AWAY WITH MURDER. THE REACTION WAS IMMEDIATE AND EMOTIONAL, WITH PROTESTS AND OUTRAGE SPREADING ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA AND BEYOND. AFTER THE TRIAL, THE SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED ON CASEY, BUT TO THIS DAY, THE MURDER OF CAYLEE ANTHONY REMAINS UNSOLVED. STILL TO COME, THE BIGGEST STORIES OF THE LAST TWO DECADES WILL ENSURE THESE PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES AND ENCOURAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING. I AM IMPLEMENTING A CURFEW AND HOW THEY CONTINUE TO IMPACT CENTRAL FLORIDA. WHEN WESH TWO CHRONICLE CONTINUES. WELCOME BACK TO CHRONICLE. JASON AND I ARE TAKING OVER TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE LAST TWO DECADES IN OUR RECAP OF THE BIGGEST STORIES IN WESH TWO HISTORY, WE’RE MOVING INTO THE 20 TENS. IT’S THE DECADE WHEN WE EACH STARTED WORKING HERE AT WESH TWO, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MILESTONE STORIES, BUT LOOKING BACK AT THE DECADE, THERE’S ONE DAY THAT EVERY PERSON IN CENTRAL FLORIDA REMEMBERS WHERE THEY WERE ON JUNE 12TH, 2016, WHEN PULSE NIGHTCLUB BECAME THE SITE OF THE NATION’S WORST MASS SHOOTING. 1011 THIS IS JOE ON THE RECORDED LINE. I’M CALLING BECAUSE THERE WAS A SHOOTOUT IN THE NIGHTCLUB. OH MY GOD, I’M LISTENING TO YOU GUYS, TOO, BECAUSE. BECAUSE YOU GUYS COULD GET INFORMATION AND YOU’LL LET US KNOW, LIKE IF THERE’S HOW MANY FATALITIES. IT WAS THE NIGHT THAT CHANGED THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL. FOREVER. DID YOU HEAR GUNFIRE? YES. WHAT DID IT SOUND LIKE? COME ON. HOW MANY SHOTS? THE GUY. NO! STOP! HE KEPT SHOOTING. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SHOT? I SEE MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE IN THE FLOOR. WHEN THE SUN CAME UP THAT MORNING. PULSE NIGHTCLUB WOULD BECOME KNOWN AS THE SITE OF THE DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN AMERICA AT THE TIME. TONIGHT, WE HAD A CRIME THAT WILL HAVE A LASTING EFFECT ON OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO STAND STRONG. WE NEED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I SHARE. WE HAVE NOT 20 BUT 50 CASUALTIES. 49 WERE KILLED. MORE THAN 50 OTHERS WERE INJURED DURING LATIN NIGHT AT THE GAY NIGHTCLUB. I FIRST HAD TO TAKE REALLY DEEP BREATHS BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING THAT, MAYOR DYER SAT DOWN WITH WESH TWO FOR OUR SIX MONTH SPECIAL REPORT AFTER THE SHOOTING, WESH TWO PRODUCED HUNDREDS OF REPORTS DETAILING THE NIGHT OF PULSE AND THE LASTING IMPACTS. AUTHORITIES SAY THE SHOOTER ENTERED THE NIGHTCLUB OFF OF ORANGE AVENUE IN KELLY STREET AROUND 2 A.M., AND THEN BEGAN FIRING HIS WEAPON. AS MANY AS 300 PEOPLE WERE INSIDE AT THE TIME. ABOUT THREE HOURS LATER, AT 5 A.M., THEN ORLANDO POLICE CHIEF JOHN MINA HIT THE ARMORED VEHICLE, SAYS THEY MADE THE DECISION TO RESCUE THE HOSTAGES. OUR SWAT OFFICERS EXCHANGED GUNFIRE WITH THE SUSPECT. THE SUSPECT IS DEAD. ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER WAS PLACED ON LOCKDOWN WHILE VICTIMS WERE BEING CARRIED OUT OF THE CLUB. THE SURGEONS INSIDE WERE READY. THEY STARTED BRINGING ONE AND TWO AND THREE PATIENTS IN, AND THEN ANOTHER PATIENT CAME AND ANOTHER PATIENT CAME AND ANOTHER PATIENT CAME, PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DID. FOR SURE. I WOULD SAY THIS IS THE WORST AND THE BEST DAY OF MY CAREER. AND WHEN THEY WERE READY, WE HEARD FROM THE SURVIVORS. I NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. PATIENCE CARTER SHARED HER STORY WITH ALL OF US. EVEN THEN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VP BIDEN FLEW TO ORLANDO TO VISIT WITH THE SURVIVORS AND LEFT 49 WHITE ROSES IN HONOR OF THE VICTIMS, CENTRAL FLORIDA RALLIED AROUND PULSE AND THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY FROM THE REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY AT LAKE EOLA, THE VIGIL AT THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER, THE 49 CROSSES AND THE FUNERALS. THE WORLD BECAME ORLANDO STRONG AND ORLANDO UNITED, A MESSAGE CARRIED FROM THAT DAY ON BECAUSE IT TAKES TREMENDOUS COURAGE TO GET UP AND FACE THE WORLD EVERY DAY AGAIN. PULSE CHANGED THE FABRIC OF THE ORLANDO COMMUNITY, AND I THINK AT THE TIME WE COULDN’T IMAGINE ANYTHING ELSE ROCKING OUR COMMUNITY THE WAY THAT IT DID. BUT JUST FOUR YEARS LATER, AS WE MOVED INTO A NEW DECADE, EVERYONE’S LIVES WERE UPENDED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND ACROSS THE GLOBE. AND EVEN THOUGH WE’RE STILL MID 2020S, THE STORY OF THIS DECADE HANDS DOWN AS THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. ENSURED THESE PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES AND ENCOURAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING, I AM IMPLEMENTING A CURFEW IN MARCH OF 2020. LIFE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA CHANGED ALMOST OVERNIGHT. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC DID WHAT HURRICANES AND EVEN NINE OVER 11 COULDN’T DO SLAM THE DOOR ON THE BIGGEST EMPLOYERS IN OUR BIGGEST INDUSTRY TOURISM. FOR WEEKS, THEME PARKS FELL QUIET. I-4 WAS NEARLY EMPTY, AND SCHOOLS WENT REMOTE. SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE CLOSED, BUT ONLINE CLASSROOMS ARE OPEN EVERY DAY OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. PEOPLE WOKE UP LOOKING FOR ANSWERS. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER? THE WESH TWO NEWS TEAM WAS THERE FROM MORNING TO NIGHT, JUST LIKE YOU. WE WORKED FROM HOME, BROADCASTING FROM OUR LIVING ROOMS AND KITCHEN TABLES COVERING THE CRISIS. WE’VE REPORTED ON SO MANY CENTRAL FLORIDA SENIORS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE COVID 19 VACCINE, BUT WHO AREN’T ABLE TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT. SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASKS, ALL OF IT CHANGED THE WAY WE WORKED. JOURNALISTS DO. WE QUICKLY BECAME COMFORTABLE REPORTING WITH OUR CELL PHONES, AND THE NEW NORM FOR INTERVIEWS WAS OVER ZOOM. EVERY DAY WE WERE LEARNING SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE VIRUS, HOW IT SPREAD AND ITS IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE. WITH THE CONSTANT NEED FOR INFORMATION, WESH TWO LAUNCHED A BRAND NEW NEWSCAST AT 9 A.M. FOCUSED EXCLUSIVELY ON PANDEMIC COVERAGE. WE REALLY THANK YOU FOR WATCHING WITH US THIS MORNING AND DURING THIS NEW HOUR OF SUNRISE. AT FIRST, A BIG PART OF THE REPORTING WE DID FOCUSED ON UNEMPLOYMENT, WITH TOURISM TAKING A MASSIVE HIT, THOUSANDS OF GAINFULLY EMPLOYED PEOPLE FOUND THEMSELVES IN NEED, AND IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR THE STATE’S UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COULD NOT SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS, AND THOSE WHO DID EITHER HAD TO WAIT MONTHS TO BE APPROVED OR WERE REJECTED. MANY TIMES IN ERROR. THOSE LAYOFFS MEANT FAMILIES WEREN’T ABLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. THAT’S WHEN OUR PARTNERS AT SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK SHARED THE NEED WAS REACHING LEVELS THEY’D NEVER SEEN BEFORE. SO WESH TWO RALLIED YOU. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO WESH TWO NEWS SPECIAL. FEEDING THE NEED. WE’RE HELPING YOU SO YOU CAN HELP THEM. WE’RE TRYING TO RAISE $1 MILLION. AND TOGETHER WE DID IT. $1,033,937. WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH. GOING BEYOND THAT $1 MILLION GOAL FOR SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK TO HELP FEED THE STAGGERING NUMBER OF FAMILIES SUDDENLY WITHOUT PAYCHECKS. AS WE TURNED THE CALENDAR INTO 2021. PANDEMIC FATIGUE WAS HERE, AND THERE WERE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT VACCINES. WHEN WOULD THEY BE READY? WHO WOULD GET THEM? WILL THEY REALLY PROTECT US? I DIDN’T THINK TWICE ABOUT COMING BECAUSE IT IT’S A CHANCE TO SAVE MY LIFE. PORTLAND SMITH AND HER HUSBAND ARE AMONG THE FIRST SENIORS GETTING A CORONAVIRUS VACCINE AT THE FLAGLER COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. SENIORS WERE PRIORITIZED FOR THE SHOTS, AS WERE HEALTH CARE WORKERS. WHO CAN FORGET THOSE CAR LINES WHERE YOU DRIVE IN, ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVE AND GET A VACCINE? ONCE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE, MORE THAN 70% OF THE STATE GOT VACCINATED. I THINK WE HAVE GOT TO STAND UP FOR PEOPLE’S JOBS AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS. YES, GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SAYS HE’S CALLING A SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE NEXT MONTH TO PASS LAWS THAT WILL BAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND AGENCIES FROM MANDATING COVID 19 VACCINES FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES BY SEPTEMBER OF 2022. THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STOPPED REPORTING COVID NUMBERS IN THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS FLORIDA COLLECTED DATA, 7.5 MILLION PEOPLE CONTRACTED COVID, WITH JUST UNDER 90,000 OF OUR NEIGHBORS DYING FROM THE VIRUS. THROUGH ALL THE HARD STORIES, THERE HAS BEEN HOPE. WE ARE GOING TO HELP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THIS CHRISTMAS, HAVE MEALS THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD OTHERWISE. WHEN WE COME BACK, ONE OF WESH 2’S PROUDEST LEGACIES AND HOW YOU HAVE MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE. WELCOME BACK TO CHRONICLE. PART OF THE ETHOS OF WESH TWO IS GIVING BACK. WHEN YOU DON’T SEE US ON TV, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE WE’RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY HOSTING EVENTS AND GETTING INVOLVED IN CAUSES FOCUSED ON MAKING CENTRAL FLORIDA A BETTER HOME FOR EVERYONE. LAST DECEMBER, WESH TWO MARKED A MILESTONE IN OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH. 40 YEARS OF THE SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS FOOD AND FUND DRIVE. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS BENEFITS, SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK. IT’S AN EVENT SO MANY LOOK FORWARD TO AND FOR US HERE AT WESH TWO. IT’S A CORNERSTONE IN OUR COMMITMENT TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. THE FOLLOWING IS A SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF FLORIDA’S CHANNEL TWO. 40 YEARS AGO, WESH TWO BROADCAST ITS FIRST EVER SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS. I WAS THERE THE DAY. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS STARTED THE VERY FIRST. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS SUNRISE CLAIRE METZ. HI THERE. HI THERE, HI THERE. IT’S BEEN FUN. A TELEVISION STATION HOSTING A COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE WAS PRETTY MUCH UNHEARD OF AT THE TIME. WE ARE GOING TO HELP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THIS CHRISTMAS HAVE MEALS THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD OTHERWISE. WHY IS A TV STATION RESTRICTED TO JUST DOING NEWSCASTS? I MEAN, WHO MADE THAT RULE? THE STATION IS PART OF THE COMMUNITY. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU REALLY DO CARE ABOUT THEM? AND IT’S BY GOING THE EXTRA MILE. BILL, ARE YOU HERE SOMEWHERE? AND AND WE’RE UP HERE. THERE’S PLENTY OF FOOD. PEOPLE FROM MARION COUNTY ARE TURNING OUT. WE’RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING A LOT OF CHRISTMAS DINNERS FOR A LOT OF NEEDY FAMILIES. IT WAS A BIG DEAL RIGHT OFF THE BAT. AND THE COMMUNITY REALLY RESPONDED. BUSINESSES DONATED MONEY. SCHOOLS FROM EVERY COUNTY HELD FOOD DRIVES. LOOK, THE KIDS FROM WHAT SCHOOL? I WANT A SEMINOLE COUNTY AND COUNTLESS SPECIAL GUESTS JOINED US YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND SHE WOULDN’T LEAVE BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO MEET WHO. BLUE MAN GROUP IS BACK WITH US FOR SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS AND THEY ARE HELPING OUT WITH DONATIONS. SHARE YOUR. CHRISTMAS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT A TOUGH TOPIC AND MAKING A TANGIBLE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY, ALL WHILE SPREADING JOY. THROUGH THE YEARS. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS EVOLVED. WELCOME BACK. WE ARE WRAPPING UP OUR 38TH ANNUAL SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE RIGHT HERE IN OUR. IT WAS A RATHER SMALL EVENT AT FIRST, AND THEN. IT HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. IT WAS A ONE DAY EVENT, THEN A WEEK LONG FOOD DRIVE. IN 2013, WE ADDED A VIRTUAL FOOD DRIVE WHICH BECAME OUR GIVING TUESDAY TELETHON. TO KICK OFF. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS SEASON! MEREDITH IS THERE ALL MORNING FOR GIVING TUESDAY AND SHE GETS EVERYBODY WARMED UP AND GIVING AND FEELING GENEROUS. AND THEN I TAKE OVER IN THE AFTERNOON. WE DID IT. AND REALLY WHAT WE’RE DOING IS WE’RE JUST ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO DONATE MONEY. $400,000. IT GOES A LONG WAY. AND THAT’S WHAT’S AMAZING ABOUT THE FOLKS AT SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK. THEY KNOW HOW TO GET IT TO, TO STRETCH THAT DOLLAR AND TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DONATION. IN 2020, IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY, WE KNEW WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC, SOMETHING WE’D NEVER DONE BEFORE. BUT THESE FAMILIES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN NEED HERE IN BREVARD COUNTY. WE WORKED WITH SECOND HARVEST TO SET UP MOBILE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, AND WE’D SHOW UP AND THERE WOULD BE DOZENS OF CARS LINED UP WAITING TO RECEIVE THE FOOD THAT WAS GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED THAT DAY. BECAUSE LIKE, YOU GUYS ARE HELPING SO MANY PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE CAN’T AFFORD ANYTHING. LIKE THIS IS SO GREAT. THAT YEAR. WESH TO SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS DISTRIBUTED FOOD TO THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES, BUT WE HAVE NEVER PULLED OFF. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS ALONE. EVERY YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE HOPE TO STRUGGLING FAMILIES ALL ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. BECAUSE OF YOU. ALL WE REALLY NEED, OF COURSE, IS YOU. THE THIRD OR FOURTH GRADER WHO WOULD SHOW UP AND THEY’D WALK UP WITH THAT CAN OF BAKED BEANS OR GREEN BEANS OR WHATEVER, AND IT MEANT THE WORLD TO THEM THAT THEY WERE GIVING THAT AWAY. MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN OPENING THEIR OWN GIFT. THAT WAS COOL. WE ARE HERE TO SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS. THERE’S A LIFE LESSON WHEN YOU SEE PARENTS COME WITH THEIR KIDS, AND THE PARENTS STAND OFF TO THE SIDE AND THEY SAY, HERE, KIDS, TAKE THOSE CANS, TAKE WHATEVER WE WERE ABLE TO BRING UP TO THE DONATION SPOT AND INSTILL IN THEM THIS LASTING MEMORY OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY. WE’VE COLLECTED FOUR TONS OF FOOD HERE AT LOCK HAVEN PARK HERE. WE ALREADY HAVE 2170 CANS AND WE’VE JUST STARTED. WE HAVE COLLECTED 19,500 POUNDS OF FOOD. WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR CHRISTMAS. OUR COMMITMENT TO CENTRAL FLORIDA IS WOVEN THROUGH OUR SEVEN DECADES ON TV, AND WE’RE EXCITED TO SEE IT CONTINUE ALONGSIDE YOU. FOR EVERYONE AT WESH TWO. THOSE OF US ON CAMERA TO THE BEHIND THE SCENES TEAM WHO MAKE ALL OF THIS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US INTO YOUR HOME EACH AND EVERY DAY. HAVE A GRE

WESH 2 Chronicle: 70 years of storytelling in Central Florida

Updated: 6:56 PM EDT May 27, 2026

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On June 11, 1956, WESH TV first broadcast over the Central Florida airways from a studio in Holly Hill, covering a small section of Volusia County. Over the next 70 years, WESH 2 grew alongside Central Florida, covering the biggest stories and connecting the community across several counties. Station HistoryThe station was founded and named after W. Wright Esch, a Daytona Beach radio station owner, who sold the station before the first broadcast. From Holly Hill, WESH 2 moved its studio to Daytona Beach, where it would broadcast the news through the early 80s. In 1965, when the station added a studio in Winter Park, making WESH 2 the only station with two broadcast facilities. WESH 2 became the first local station to bring the news in color in 1969, and the first in the country to broadcast live in the field in 1976.In 1977, the station added its first chopper crew, known back then as Sky Eye 2. Doppler 2 was raised high above the Winter Park studio in 1996, which allowed for up-to-the-second weather information across Central Florida. Since our first day on the air, WESH 2 has covered historical moments, inspiring stories, tragic experiences and the everyday lives that make up the Central Florida community. Biggest story of the 1970s: Theme ParksArguably the biggest story of the 1970s for Central Florida was when Disney World opened in October 1971.WESH 2, then “Florida’s Channel 2,” was at a news conference where Walt and Roy Disney confirmed the Disney World project alongside Gov. Haydon Burns in Winter Park in November 1965.Disney continued to bring major developments, including the openings of Epcot in 1982, Hollywood Studios, then Disney-MGM Studios, in 1989, and Animal Kingdom in 1998.In June 1990, Universal Studios as the first theme park for Universal Orlando Resorts. The opening positioned the park as a competitor to Disney in Central Florida’s growing theme park landscape. Universal would also expand its operations with the openings of Islands of Adventure in 1999, Volcano Bay in 2017 and Universal Epic Universe in 2025.Other parks round out the themed experiences in Central Florida as well. In 1949, Gatorland became Central Florida’s first major attraction. Originally starting as a roadside attraction, it has grown into a 110-acre theme park.In 1973, SeaWorld opened its third location in Orlando with the park focusing on combining education, conservation and entertainment. Biggest story of the 1980s: Space Shuttle Challenger disasterWESH 2 captured the moments that led up to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on Jan. 28, 1986.From astronaut workouts to the seven-month training for Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire chosen to be the first private citizen in space. WESH 2 documented every development following the investigation into what went wrong including the recovery and review of the debris from Discovery.Our coverage of space exploration has not slowed down in the last 40 years. WESH 2 was there when SpaceX made history launching the first all-civilian crew into space on Sep. 15, 2021.On April 1, 2026, the crew of the Artemis II became NASA’s first astronaut mission around the moon. The mission was reminiscent of the Apollo 8 mission that also orbited the moon 56 years prior.The fires of the 1990sIn 1998, wildfires exploded across Flagler County, brought about by dry brush and relentless winds. It became one of the largest wildfire outbreaks in Florida’s history. Biggest story of the 2000s: Casey AnthonyIn the summer of 2008, the disappearance of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony led to one of the biggest news stories across the country. The case became a real-life soap opera that made Casey Anthony, her parents, George and Cindy Anthony, and Zenaida Gonzalez, known as “Zanny the Nanny,” into house hold names. Central Florida and the nation watched closely as Casey was arrested in October 2008, when Caylee’s remains where discovered in December 2008 and through the trial that led to Casey’s acquittal in July 2011.The case left Central Florida and the nation highly divided that led to protests and outrage spreading across the country. The murder of Caylee Anthony remains unsolved. Biggest story of the 2010s: Pulse nightclub shootingIn 2016, Orlando witnessed immense violence that would change the city forever. On June 10, 2016, Christina Grimmie, a singer who gained popularity after her appearance on The Voice, was shot and killed following a performance at The Plaza Live. Two days later and a little over 3 miles away from the Plaza Live, a gunman opened fire on the Pulse nightclub, a prominent gay club in OrlandoThe shooting would become known as the deadliest mass shooting in America at the time. WESH 2, and the country, would later learn the tragic event claimed the lives of 49 people and injured another 50.WESH 2’s coverage following the events at Pulse nightclub continues as new developments occur. In March, WESH 2 was there when the City of Orlando demolished the nightclub to make way for a permanent memorial. In May, WESH 2 shared the latest developments from Orlando officials as they unveiled plans for the memorial. Biggest story of 2020: Covid pandemic In 2020, the world stopped when the COVID-19 Pandemic kept everyone indoors. The pandemic changed how our team was able to bring the news to our viewers. Broadcasting from living rooms and kitchen tables, WESH 2 worked from home to bring the news to your homes. It even changed how we approached our Share Your Christmas Food Drive. For the first time, we gave groceries rather than collected food to meet the hunger need in the community. A legacy of hope: Share Your ChristmasHow WESH 2 looked over the years WESH 2’s commitment to Central Florida has grown over the last 70 years of our history. We continue to innovate and work hard to bring the news to our home each and everyday from on air to online.From everyone at WESH 2, those on camera and behind-the-scenes, we thank you for making all of this possible.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

On June 11, 1956, WESH TV first broadcast over the Central Florida airways from a studio in Holly Hill, covering a small section of Volusia County.

Over the next 70 years, WESH 2 grew alongside Central Florida, covering the biggest stories and connecting the community across several counties.

Station History

The station was founded and named after W. Wright Esch, a Daytona Beach radio station owner, who sold the station before the first broadcast.

From Holly Hill, WESH 2 moved its studio to Daytona Beach, where it would broadcast the news through the early 80s.

In 1965, when the station added a studio in Winter Park, making WESH 2 the only station with two broadcast facilities.

WESH 2 became the first local station to bring the news in color in 1969, and the first in the country to broadcast live in the field in 1976.

In 1977, the station added its first chopper crew, known back then as Sky Eye 2.

Doppler 2 was raised high above the Winter Park studio in 1996, which allowed for up-to-the-second weather information across Central Florida.

Since our first day on the air, WESH 2 has covered historical moments, inspiring stories, tragic experiences and the everyday lives that make up the Central Florida community.

Biggest story of the 1970s: Theme Parks

Arguably the biggest story of the 1970s for Central Florida was when Disney World opened in October 1971.

WESH 2, then “Florida’s Channel 2,” was at a news conference where Walt and Roy Disney confirmed the Disney World project alongside Gov. Haydon Burns in Winter Park in November 1965.

Disney continued to bring major developments, including the openings of Epcot in 1982, Hollywood Studios, then Disney-MGM Studios, in 1989, and Animal Kingdom in 1998.

In June 1990, Universal Studios as the first theme park for Universal Orlando Resorts. The opening positioned the park as a competitor to Disney in Central Florida’s growing theme park landscape.

Universal would also expand its operations with the openings of Islands of Adventure in 1999, Volcano Bay in 2017 and Universal Epic Universe in 2025.

Other parks round out the themed experiences in Central Florida as well.

In 1949, Gatorland became Central Florida’s first major attraction. Originally starting as a roadside attraction, it has grown into a 110-acre theme park.

In 1973, SeaWorld opened its third location in Orlando with the park focusing on combining education, conservation and entertainment.

Biggest story of the 1980s: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

WESH 2 captured the moments that led up to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on Jan. 28, 1986.

From astronaut workouts to the seven-month training for Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire chosen to be the first private citizen in space.

WESH 2 documented every development following the investigation into what went wrong including the recovery and review of the debris from Discovery.

Our coverage of space exploration has not slowed down in the last 40 years.

WESH 2 was there when SpaceX made history launching the first all-civilian crew into space on Sep. 15, 2021.

On April 1, 2026, the crew of the Artemis II became NASA’s first astronaut mission around the moon. The mission was reminiscent of the Apollo 8 mission that also orbited the moon 56 years prior.

The fires of the 1990s

In 1998, wildfires exploded across Flagler County, brought about by dry brush and relentless winds. It became one of the largest wildfire outbreaks in Florida’s history.

Biggest story of the 2000s: Casey Anthony

In the summer of 2008, the disappearance of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony led to one of the biggest news stories across the country.

The case became a real-life soap opera that made Casey Anthony, her parents, George and Cindy Anthony, and Zenaida Gonzalez, known as “Zanny the Nanny,” into house hold names.

Central Florida and the nation watched closely as Casey was arrested in October 2008, when Caylee’s remains where discovered in December 2008 and through the trial that led to Casey’s acquittal in July 2011.

The case left Central Florida and the nation highly divided that led to protests and outrage spreading across the country.

The murder of Caylee Anthony remains unsolved.

Biggest story of the 2010s: Pulse nightclub shooting

In 2016, Orlando witnessed immense violence that would change the city forever.

On June 10, 2016, Christina Grimmie, a singer who gained popularity after her appearance on The Voice, was shot and killed following a performance at The Plaza Live.

Two days later and a little over 3 miles away from the Plaza Live, a gunman opened fire on the Pulse nightclub, a prominent gay club in Orlando

The shooting would become known as the deadliest mass shooting in America at the time. WESH 2, and the country, would later learn the tragic event claimed the lives of 49 people and injured another 50.

WESH 2’s coverage following the events at Pulse nightclub continues as new developments occur.

In March, WESH 2 was there when the City of Orlando demolished the nightclub to make way for a permanent memorial. In May, WESH 2 shared the latest developments from Orlando officials as they unveiled plans for the memorial.

Biggest story of 2020: Covid pandemic

In 2020, the world stopped when the COVID-19 Pandemic kept everyone indoors.

The pandemic changed how our team was able to bring the news to our viewers. Broadcasting from living rooms and kitchen tables, WESH 2 worked from home to bring the news to your homes.

It even changed how we approached our Share Your Christmas Food Drive. For the first time, we gave groceries rather than collected food to meet the hunger need in the community.

A legacy of hope: Share Your Christmas
How WESH 2 looked over the years

WESH 2’s commitment to Central Florida has grown over the last 70 years of our history. We continue to innovate and work hard to bring the news to our home each and everyday from on air to online.

From everyone at WESH 2, those on camera and behind-the-scenes, we thank you for making all of this possible.