WAMI

Why look back at a launch that occurred over 25 years ago? For a couple of reasons: I wanted to take the opportunity to tell the story of WAMI and USA Broadcasting from my perspective. Since this blog is about launches and channel startups, I also wanted to examine the lessons learned and consider how advances in technology would change the approach if I were tasked with doing it today. This is a semi-timeline of my experience putting WAMI on the air, including the reality that many things didn’t go as planned or outright failed.

Having launched numerous OTT channels now, I realize that WAMI would have been a prime candidate for a hybrid channel—a local broadcast station with its own FAST channel and an extensive VOD library. The station launched with 14 hours of original programming, including daily live shows. The programming had a point of view and, in some cases, was topical, while other shows were evergreen. The combination of edgy, live, and topical content provided the foundation for what would have been a successful OTT channel.

When it comes to the launch of WAMI, only a few people truly understand the full scope of the challenges we faced and the decisions we had to make with the information available at the time. One thing is certain: when the launch team moves on and the second wave takes over, they inherit a foundation to build upon but often criticize the work of their predecessors—without fully understanding the reasoning behind those decisions.

The breakdown below highlights some of the critical decisions we faced during the launch of WAMI and USA Broadcasting and offers reflections on how we would launch a station like WAMI using today’s technology—something I explore more deeply in my book From Stream to Screen.

As a bonus, if you make it to the end of this post (and it’s a long one), there are a few anecdotes that might make you laugh.

How I Got Involved

In August of 1996, I received a call from Doug Binzak, someone I hadn’t met before, asking if I would meet with him to discuss a project he had recently started. We agreed to meet at Patrick’s Roadhouse, located across from the beach in Santa Monica. Doug had recently been hired by Barry Diller, who had acquired the Silverking Station group. He had gotten my name from people at FOX, as he was looking for a head of production for this new project.

He explained the project: Diller wanted to reinvent local television with programming that resonated with the local community, creating a genuine connection between viewers and the station by leveraging the power of localism. The vision was to build a model that could be replicated across 12 stations in major U.S. markets. At the time, the Silverking stations were broadcasting the home shopping network, and the plan was to transition gradually to the new strategy. Although the “Cityvision” concept was still being developed, the immediate need was for someone to lead production, as the core of the network would be locally produced programs.

Doug asked if I would be interested and suggested I meet with Silverking’s other EVP, Adam Ware. I had a follow-up meeting with Adam and then a brief moment with Diller, whom I had met a few times during the FOX launch and the Joan Rivers Show. I was offered a contract with the title of SVP of Production, with one major stipulation: extensive travel would be required.

The Vision

Though the goal was still evolving, the vision was to relocate each station to a high-foot-traffic area with a storefront studio. The aim was to bring the public into the inner workings of the station and create a space where locals could hang out and participate as an audience. The objective was to find ways to connect with each city and get viewers invested in the station by making them feel like part of it. Choosing the right location was critical—it had to be in the heart of the action.

The programming would consist of original, locally produced shows spanning as many genres and types as possible. We wanted to capitalize on the ability to go live when desired and engage directly with our viewers. This approach was designed to set the station apart from the network affiliates. However, the reality of producing 12 to 14 hours of original content daily, five days a week, was going to be a significant challenge.

My Role

With all that production, my job was to find and work with local producers to create and deliver the programming. As we got into the details, I mentioned that while I had expertise in network and independent productions, as well as production facilities and technology, I wasn’t well-versed in broadcast station technology. I suggested that we would need a head of engineering. Diller’s response was that we weren’t set to start for a few months, which, according to him, was “enough time” for me to learn it all. He added, “You can oversee the station engineering as well.” My title was subsequently expanded to SVP of Production, Operations, Engineering, and IT.

Following that meeting, it was also determined that I would oversee the station group’s day-to-day operations until each station began its transition. My task was to travel to each station, meet the existing staff, learn the basics of station engineering, and scout cities for potential locations. Along the way, I also familiarized myself with FCC requirements, public affairs and kids’ programming minimums, and station public file requirements.

At the time, the Silverking group included stations covering major cities, including two in the New York City area, as well as Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, Tampa, Cleveland, Miami, and Baltimore. The station facilities were often in neighboring cities of license (e.g., Hollywood, FL, for Miami, or Ontario, CA, for Los Angeles). I spent months visiting each station, meeting employees, writing reports, and learning the details of broadcast engineering and station operations. In each city, I looked for locations that might work for the storefront studio.

MIAMI Equals South Beach

In early 1997, the decision was made to launch in Miami, and, by the way, we were adding a news show and operation to the station programming. Bill Knoedelseder joined the company along with Bryn Freedman to head the news operation. They provided me with their wish list. Chris Sloan came on board heading promotion and marketing and provided another set of requirements. My task was to find building options for our storefront studio. Working with brokers from Cushman & Wakefield, I scouted locations, met with landlords, and considered factors such as space, proximity, and feasibility. I toured properties ranging from empty malls to the Freedom Tower, all in the downtown Miami area. I focused on downtown Miami as that was where the bulk of the news would come from.

We had planned to keep, utilize, and augment much of the existing technical infrastructure and office space in the Hollywood, FL facility. The best option was to update the existing master control, and since there was room for edit bays and graphics stations, we could place on-air promotions operations there to take advantage of the technical infrastructure. This would expedite the time to launch, reduce our Miami office footprint, and focus the studio on news and entertainment production. When I presented the best options in the city of Miami to the team, I was told we would be on South Beach and Lincoln Road and to move the search there.

When we went over the facility plan, the idea of separating groups was loudly objected to. The promo team refused to work out of Hollywood, FL, and the Station GM and Sales team insisted on being co-located with master control. Everyone had to be at the studio on South Beach. With nine months remaining until launch, I had to find a space to handle over 100 people and build out the technical infrastructure from scratch.

This decision rippled throughout the preparation, planning, and launch and was the single largest impediment to a smooth launch and operation. One year later, the need to co-locate groups was no longer considered important, as I will detail later in this post.

Over the next month, I looked at every available property and met with nearly every owner or landlord on Lincoln Road. I narrowed down our options to three properties, two owned by the Rubell family: a traditional office building and the iconic Sony building. Since the office building was just off Lincoln Road, I lined up a deal for an empty storefront directly on Lincoln Road, a short distance from the offices, for use as the studio space. Both setups had logistical challenges: the storefront space had low ceilings, which presented a lighting challenge, while the Sony building’s ground level had high ceilings but contained large cement posts in the potential studio area. The Sony building would also require us to relocate the existing art gallery tenant.

During the walk-through tour with Diller and the senior team, we didn’t even leave the Sony building; it was quickly decided that this was going to be the location, and the logistical problems of the posts were left for me to figure out and resolve.

Now that we had our primary space with its storefront, we were set—except it wouldn’t hold the entire station. We had to rent additional office space nearby. You would think productions would plan to be housed in the studio, but it was decided that station management and operations, promotions, sales, traffic, marketing, and news would work there. The productions were pushed to offsite offices.

Launch Planning

As we moved into more detailed planning sessions, the executive team expanded with the addition of Jon Miller as President and Julius Genachowski as General Counsel. Helen Rosenberg joined from another internal company to serve as head of finance. This became the leadership team of USA Broadcasting.

Branding, marketing, sales, sports rights, and partnerships became a major focus for much of the team.

The next step was recruiting a local team to take over and run the station. Matti Leshem joined as “Disrupter-in-Chief” to head the content side of the station, while Alfredo Duran was brought on as General Manager to oversee station operations and sales.

First, we had to negotiate a deal to relocate the existing tenant before we could even begin building out the TV station. The sprint to launch began in earnest, with the timeline starting the day we signed the studio lease in mid-August 2017 and aiming for a launch date of June 1, 2018.

I brought on Stacey Haft as VP of Production. Stacey had worked with me for years, including during the re-launch of CNET in San Francisco. I was also assigned Andy Murphy as VP of Engineering, rounding out the network-level team. When word spread that I was searching for a Head of Production, a colleague referred Mark Binke. During our discussions, he expressed a willingness to relocate to Miami. He turned out to be an excellent choice and became an invaluable part of WAMI.

For the creative team, we needed someone local who was well-connected to Miami’s production community and culture. Nicole Vorias joined the team, bringing a unique perspective to the programming slate.

Studio Buildout

We had to scrap some of the creative ideas we had initially envisioned, such as having a coffee cart or a small café in the corner of the studio to draw people in. Another plan—to create a single on-camera set for all the shows—also had to be abandoned. While we wanted to establish a uniquely Miami-centric shooting space, the varied requirements of the shows made it unworkable. The news operation required a more sophisticated technical setup, while the other shows being developed demanded unique looks and custom sets.

The space included a mezzanine level that covered about half the ground floor, and we tried to incorporate it into our design. However, the City of Miami Beach made the permitting process exceptionally difficult. Permits were either denied outright or delayed, creating unnecessary hurdles. Additionally, local police sought “cash incentives,” which I repeatedly refused, reminding them that we were operating under an FCC license and launching a news operation. In retaliation, they blocked delivery access and prevented vendors from completing permitted work, further complicating the buildout.

The local architect and contractor, selected from the top three candidates, were unable to deliver on several critical elements we had emphasized during the interview process. The studio required a silent A/C system, but this was never achieved. The building design, which included a stairway intended to serve as audience seating and to integrate the cement posts into the scenic background, was poorly executed and ultimately shut down by the city. Additionally, acoustic treatments essential for sound quality were overlooked in the final buildout.

Lighting, provided by John Conti and his crew, required window treatments to manage the shifting color temperature in the studio. Unfortunately, the treatments made it difficult for people walking along Lincoln Road to see inside during the day when the studio wasn’t fully operational, limiting the visual connection we had hoped to create with passersby.

The technical infrastructure was handed off to a third-party integrator and the primary equipment vendor. Their focus was on setting up master control, production control, edit bays, graphics workstations, and news workstations. While we managed to get on the air, numerous issues remained. We eventually had to bring in National Teleconsultants to create a final punch list and resolve outstanding problems.

Simultaneously, the office buildout for station management, sales, and operations was underway. Space was extremely limited, forcing tough decisions to fit equipment into every available corner. Complaints from staff were constant. Ultimately, we had to relocate show production units out of the building entirely, dispersing them across multiple nearby spaces.

Production

The programming group began developing a slate of shows, some in-studio and some on location. We had to bring in producers for several projects, including John Axelson for “10’s” and Malcolm Bird for kids’ programming. Nicole tapped into the local production community to secure teams for a weekly music show, Barcode, and Generation Ñ, produced by Bill Teck. We also struck deals with local media outlets, such as Ocean Drive magazine for a show of the same name and the Miami Herald for City Desk. The edgy late-night show, Kenneth Frequency, was initially produced in the conference room after hours. Other unique programming included Traffic with Music, old radio shows paired with live beach cams, and the chaotic Lips at Eleven, which provided news updates.

In-studio programming included the news show The Times, Outloud, an interview series, and Sportstown, developed to complement our sports rights. Kids’ programming featured live talent broadcasts from Lincoln Road. We also added The Neil Rogers Show, which stirred some controversy but boosted the channel’s visibility.

This volume of original programming required significant equipment and staffing. Stacey sifted through and tested hundreds of potential crew members before assembling the final team. She brought in outside trainers from LA to prepare audio mixers for news production, which requires specialized skills. However, the production equipment ordered by engineering turned out to be unsuitable for field shoots. To address these issues, we brought in Frank Albano from Broadcast+ to overhaul the setup. He was eventually hired full-time to implement workable systems.

Station Works

After WAMI launched, we had to regroup and re-budget for the future. The station group shifted, with Baltimore removed from the portfolio and Atlanta and Orlando added. This required the immediate relocation of the Atlanta station. When it came to budgeting, we initially presented a proposal to replicate WAMI across the group, but the cost was far higher than what was acceptable. We were tasked with revising the plan and returning with a reduced budget within four days.

During our review, I proposed a significant cost-saving measure: stop requiring station management to co-locate with technical operations and production studios. Additionally, we could leverage existing station technology and add only the necessary production equipment, further reducing costs.

Over the weekend, I vetted the plan with National Teleconsultants. The concept involved converting our Los Angeles facility into the broadcast equivalent of a cable headend, which we renamed Station Works. The idea was to use the LA station’s satellite uplink and establish a centralized traffic and master control system to handle all station feeds when not airing live programming. Local production control rooms at each station would take over for live shows. Promotions would also be centralized.

When we revised the budget with these changes, we arrived at an acceptable number. I hired Tom Mann as VP of Engineering to oversee the development of Station Works, while Frank Albano was transitioned to operations and tasked with managing its functionality.

Tom decided to switch from analog to digital delivery using newly developed encoders and decoders—a decision I supported. While there was a learning curve in implementing this technology, it ultimately proved to be a solid, scalable solution.

Time for Me to Go

By mid-2019, the original team of Doug Binzak and Adam Ware had both moved on, replaced by traditional TV executives who were no longer invested in the vision we had started with. I joined Jon Miller for a few pitch meetings about utilizing Station Works for digital distribution, including one with MLB, which ultimately built its own system. Eventually, Jon and Julius moved to the newly formed IAC, and it became clear it was time for me to move on as well.

How We Would Do It Now

File-Based Workflow

In 1999, recording was moving to digital formats, but the storage medium was still physical tape, which required a tape library and storage racks. Today, the system would be entirely file-based, leveraging both local and cloud storage. Instead of racks, we’d use cloud storage managed by a MAM (Media Asset Management system.) Files would move seamlessly through the workflow—from edit to ingest to electronic quality control—before reaching playout servers for broadcast.

Master Control and Traffic

Modern cloud-based master control and traffic systems are now capable of managing local TV stations and are being deployed globally. With advanced electronic monitoring systems, constant manual supervision (“eyes on glass”) is no longer essential. Automated systems generate alerts and reports improving efficiency.

For revenue generation—especially during the low-revenue launch phase—cloud-based systems can tap into SSAI (Server-Side Ad Insertion) to fill unsold inventory using programmatic advertising services.

Signal Delivery

IP delivery allows both primary and backup signals to be sent directly from the cloud-based master control. These signals can be decoded and reformatted as needed for output through the station transmitter. This approach also enables simultaneous distribution of locally produced programming as a FAST channel, increasing reach beyond the broadcast signal.

ATSC 3.0 OTA (over-the-air) delivery could also be implemented, providing additional opportunities for advanced broadcasting.

Production and News

The addition of bonded cellular camera packs would enable live coverage from anywhere, aligning perfectly with the vision of making the city the studio. New technologies in lighting and production equipment generate less heat, significantly reducing the need for extensive A/C systems or high ceilings.

Some shows could be managed with software-based production systems like vMix, paired with NDI-enabled PTZ cameras. This setup would reduce crew requirements while maintaining high production quality.

The emergence of the “Preditor” (producer-editor) role, which gained traction shortly after WAMI, would streamline post-production. Preditors could handle editing tasks on in-house workstations or even from home, further reducing the need for dedicated office space.

A cloud-based newsroom system like Chyron’s News Workflow Portfolio would allow producers and writers to work remotely, eliminating the need for extensive on-premise hardware.

Editing and Graphics

Modern PC-based editing systems have become standard, no longer requiring a complex technology infrastructure. Editors now frequently work with headsets for audio monitoring, and graphics production has shifted to PC software, which is far more sophisticated than the hardware-based systems of the 1990s.

Office Space

With tools like Zoom and other video conferencing software, co-locating staff is no longer necessary. Office spaces would be designed to reflect modern creative standards, with fewer private offices and more rows of PC workstations. Gigabit Wi-Fi would ensure connectivity throughout the facility.

Estimated Time to Launch

• Office Setup: 1 month to get offices up and running.

• Staffing: Can be expedited with online job postings and recruitment services.

• Cloud Master Control & FAST Channel: 3 months to implement, outsourced as needed.

• Pre-Production: Begin remotely for all shows once greenlit.

Estimated Total Time to Launch: 4 months, depending on content readiness.

Some Anecdotes

In the early days, my team on the ground included Trina Chow. Trina spent 8 to 10 hours a day in my hotel room on South Beach coordinating meetings and making follow-up calls. She was so close to the fun and sun, but unable to leave the room.

Chris Sloan and I would get up early to visit art schools, recruiting creative talent for the station. We made passionate pitches—even though we weren’t entirely sure what the station was going to be or how it would all work. Ultimately Chris and his team won so many creative Promax awards I lost count!

Over two days, I sat at the Biltmore Hotel interviewing the entire graduating class in broadcasting from the University of Miami, one by one. We didn’t hire a single person.

Nicole Vorias brought in two young guys who worked at Johnny Rockets. They had ideas and a passion for television. Though I wasn’t sold on their show concepts, I loved their energy and offered them $600 a week. Their response? “Each or for both of us?” When I clarified it was each, they were shocked and said they needed to consult their Johnny Rockets manager. I laughed. They came back the next day and accepted. They created the late-night show K-Freak and went on to have long, successful careers. (Yes, this is the classic story of Patrick Doody and Chris Valenziano.)

One day, Stacey tried to track down the new carpet that had been ordered for the offices. She confirmed it left Fort Lauderdale on a Monday as planned, a mere 30 miles away, it just disappeared. When it finally arrived the following Monday, it turned out the driver had decided to visit his girlfriend for a week before completing the delivery.

We had scheduled full studio rehearsals all day, every day, the week before launch. Unfortunately, the station manager scheduled a launch party during the same time, costing us a day and a half.

The power company, without notice, decided to redo the building’s power feed the Saturday before launch. This resulted in the loss of our final rehearsal day, as all Production and Master Control equipment had to be shut down and rebooted in a specific order. We didn’t rehearse but provided everyone with plenty of food as we waited for the power to come back.

The day before launch, our traffic manager had a breakdown from stress and went home, leaving behind only a hard copy of the traffic log with no digital file for the automation system. Doug Binzak and I stayed up for 24 hours, with him reading the log to me while I manually programmed the system to get us ready for launch.

The night before launch, I asked to confirm the microwave backup feed to the transmitter in case of fiber failure. Master Control demonstrated it live with confirmation from someone at the transmitter. The afternoon of launch day, I was finally getting some sleep, when I got a call saying we were off the air because the fiber had been cut. I told them to use the backup feed. They informed me it had been taken down after the demonstration. I said put it back up. When I arrived at the station, they said it wasn’t connecting. The issue? The person at the transmitter had his receive dish pointing in the wrong direction. We stayed off the air until the fiber was repaired.

During a meeting with Barry Diller in one of the newly built conference rooms, construction was still ongoing in the studio below. Mid-meeting, a drill bit came up through the floor just inches away from Diller’s foot.

Helen Rosenberg and I once sat with the owner of the Sony building negotiating the lease terms for the station. After agreeing on the terms and confirming the costs fit within our budget, we went off to a celebratory company dinner. As we returned to the hotel, Mera Rubell was waiting in the lobby. She called us over and started with, “There was a slight miscalculation.” She explained that her lender required an additional factor to be included in the rent, so the price was going up. Post-celebration, Helen and I had to start over and renegotiated the deal until 2 a.m. We still kept it within budget.

Many of the newly hired production crew members simply didn’t show up on time. Their excuse? “That’s just how it is on South Beach—party at night, show up when you can.” We cycled through about 100 people before finding a reliable team.

During a period, I stayed at the Hotel Astor while There’s Something About Mary was shooting. One of the lead actors stayed in the same room as me on the weekends, while I stayed there during the week. Every Monday, the hotel staff moved their bags out and my bags in, then reversed the process every Friday. This went on for a month. I never met them.

One morning, after the station had launched, I woke up in my hotel room with the station on the TV. Instead of music and traffic updates, I heard CNN audio. I called Master Control, but no one answered. I ran down Lincoln Road to Master Control, had them switch the audio back. NO VIEWERS COMPLAINED.

Doug Binzak and I came up with the idea for the Strip Poker show one afternoon while brainstorming game show ideas that would be instantly recognizable to viewers. We started with Monopoly and somehow ended up with Strip Poker. The rest, as they say, is history.

That’s a wrap

The launch of WAMI required a lot of work by a lot of people, every one of those individuals has their own stories to tell. It was our job to give everyone the tools they needed to create and put the content on the air. We had some glitches but ultimately, we made it.