![]() Here's Mom Osprey... sitting on one of our "baseball bat" antennas connected to a tower leg and caught by our TowerCam. OSPREY COMMON NAME: Osprey SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pandion haliaetus IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Wingspan four and a half to six feet; length 22 to 25 inches. They are dark brown above, white below, and have a white head with a prominent black eye stripe. Females usually have a dark spotted "necklace." RANGE: Ospreys have a worldwide distribution, being found at some time in their life cycle on every continent except Antarctica. They are found breeding in Scotland, and from Scandinavia across northern Europe and Asia to the Pacific. Many of these birds winter in Africa. They also breed in Australia and some of the surrounding Pacific Islands. In North America, ospreys breed from Alaska to Nova Scotia south to the Great Lakes states and along both coasts of the United States into Florida on the Atlantic and Sinola on the Pacific. Breeding ospreys are also found along the Gulf of Mexico from Florida through Texas, and on some of the Caribbean Islands. Migratory ospreys are found during the winter through Mexico, Central America, and South America. Ospreys are found year-round in Baja, Mexico, south Florida, and south Texas. In Minnesota they are common on northern lakes and along the St. Croix river during the summer. Recent reintroduction efforts have led to more than a dozen pairs nesting in the Twin Cities area.
HABITAT: Found near water, they usually nest near the top of large trees but will nest on artificial structures such as power poles, channel markers, or special "osprey platforms." (Two-thirds of the ospreys in Wisconsin nest on artificial structures.) They also nest on cliffs. This is the top third of our station tower behind WMBB studios on Harrison Avenue in downtown Panama City, Florida NESTING: Ospreys build a bulky nest of sticks similar to eagle nests. In some places they nest in colonies. Ospreys lay three to four eggs that hatch in about 30 days. FEEDING HABITS: Almost exclusively a fish eater, the osprey is noted for its feet-first plunge into the water when catching fish. Special adaptations for fishing include a reversible front toe and spicules on the bottoms of their feet for grasping slippery fish. After catching a fish, the bird carries it in a head-first orientation as it flies back to the nest. RAPTOR CENTER DATA: One of the most difficult raptors to maintain in captivity, it is often very nervous and unwilling to eat. The Raptor Center has been involved in an effort to reintroduce ospreys to the Twin Cities area since 1984. CONSERVATION STATUS: Ospreys have suffered worldwide from the poisonous effects of organochlorides (DDT), habitat loss, and persecution. Listed as a species of "special concern" in Minnesota. |
WMBB signed on the air on October 4, 1973 as WDTB-TV, an NBC affiliate. On February 28, 1977, WDTB was sold to Octagon Broadcasting of Atlanta, Georgia and the call letters were changed to WMBB-TV, home of the World's Most Beautiful Beaches.
On January 4, 1982, WMBB-TV changed its network affiliation from NBC to ABC. Buford Television of Tyler, Texas bought the station on December 5, 1986, and invested major capital for both technical and on-air improvements.
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| Here is a picture of our resident Osprey nest that resides atop our 150ft tower at the Station in downtown Panama City. The Station is about three blocks from the Bay and each year a pair of Osprey raise their young in this nest. In the right column, we have a more more detailed image of our tower and the nest as well as a picture of Mom Osprey sitting on one of our antennas. |
Then on May 18, 1989 at 2:03 p.m. an Air Force F-15 clipped a guy wire at the Frink, Florida transmitter site - causing the tower, antenna and transmitter to be completely destroyed. Spartan Communications, Inc. out of Spartanburg, South Carolina purchased the station on April 12, 1990 as the construction stages of a complete new tower, transmitter and antenna installation had just begun.
On August 6, 1990 WMBB-TV began broadcasting from a new 1,500-foot state-of-the-art tower and transmitter one mile south of Youngstown, Florida. This new transmission facility gives the station the best coverage available in the Panama City market.
In March 2000, WMBB became one of 13 stations in a package acquired by Media General from Spartan Communications, Inc. WMBB was sold to Hoak Media, Inc. in the first half of 2008.
WMBB is owned by Hoak Media, Inc., Dallas, Texas and is one of the company's television stations that streach from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Louisiana all the way to the Panhandle of Florida. WMBB-TV is Hoak Media's first television station East of the Mississippi River.
WMBB-TV currently serves nine counties in the panhandle representing over 146,520 homes and a viewing audience in excess of 337,000. Panama City is currently ranked 151st in market size and is considered by many to be located in one of the fastest growing areas in the state of Florida.

WMBB Coverage
Source:
Pier Park has a bigger celebration planned for this year.
Source: Associated Press
Florida has returned more than $173 million in unclaimed property over the last budget year
Source: WMBB News Department
Stolen puppy is returned to it's owner thanks to the Panama City Police Department.
By: Greg Sherrod
Fireworks company prepares for 4th of July show
Source:
Program will send text messages to alert locals and visitors to changes in surf conditions
By: Jessi Chapin
Hosting a barbecue, picinic, or celebration can be pricey, especially when everyone's pinching pennies...
By: Mary Scott Speigner
The new Energy Bill moving through Washington has a lot of people asking a lot of questions...such as, how much will this affect my power bill? And, how am I going to pay for it in these tough times?
By: Jessica Foster
A fun 4th of July weekend can be ruined by a bad sunburn. Doctors say it's important to always use sunscreen to protect your skin from cancer. You'll want to pay close attention to the sunscreen's SPF.
By: Allyson Walker
The Walton County Planning Commission is rewriting expanding the height ordinance that is largely responsible for South Walton's ritzy atmosphere.
By: Elizabeth Cate
A private school's closure becomes a public concern.



