177-573: Gray Television, Inc. is an American publicly traded television broadcasting company based in Atlanta . Founded in 1946 by James Harrison Gray as Gray Communications Systems , the company owns or operates 180 stations across the United States in 113 markets. Its station base consists of media markets ranging from as large as Atlanta to one of the smallest markets, North Platte, Nebraska . James H. Gray started his communication business with
354-689: A 2019 study by Sperling's BestPlaces , other notable Christian bodies in the area include Anglicans or Episcopalians , Pentecostals , Presbyterians , Latter-Day Saints , and Lutherans . Christians including Jehovah's Witnesses , the Metropolitan Community Church , Christian Unitarians , and the Eastern Orthodox among others collectively made up 14% of the Sperling's study other Christian demographic. Notable Anglican or Episcopalian jurisdictions operating throughout
531-602: A 2020 study by the Association of Religion Data Archives , Christianity is the most-practiced religion for the Baton Rouge area, being influenced by Catholicism and Protestantism . In 2020, ARDA reported there were 61 congregations and 174,410 Catholics within the metropolitan area. The Catholic population is primarily served by the Latin Church 's Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge —a suffragan diocese of
708-616: A Jewish-American factory superintendent, was convicted of the murder of a 13-year-old girl in a highly publicized trial. He was sentenced to death but the governor commuted his sentence to life. An enraged and organized lynch mob took him from jail in 1915 and hanged him in Marietta . The Jewish community in Atlanta and across the country were horrified. On May 21, 1917, the Great Atlanta Fire destroyed 1,938 buildings in what
885-669: A Southeast regional media company, expanding its focus beyond the state of Georgia. Gray purchased two TV stations ( WKYT-TV and WYMT-TV ) from the failed and government-seized Kentucky Central Insurance Company in September 1994 after a court challenge to the sale by Kentucky Central builder Garvice Kincaid. In 1994 and 1995, Gray purchased two newspapers, the Rockdale Citizen (acquired May 31, 1994) and Gwinnett Post-Tribune (acquired January 1995; quickly renamed Gwinnett Daily Post ) and seven advertising weeklies. In 1995,
1062-438: A basket purchase from First American Media, Inc. earned the company two more TV stations, ( WCTV and WVLT-TV ), Satellite and Production Business Services, which was renamed Lynqx Communications and PortaPhone paging business. In August and September 1996, Gray raised additional operating funds by various means. On August 20, KTVE was sold for cash and accounts receivable. The company issued and sold Class B common stock (through
1239-447: A blacksmith shop, a grocery store, and nothing else". A year later, the area around the milepost had developed into a settlement, first known as Terminus , and later Thrasherville , after a local merchant who built homes and a general store in the area. By 1842, the town had six buildings and 30 residents and was renamed Marthasville to honor Governor Wilson Lumpkin's daughter Martha. Later, John Edgar Thomson , Chief Engineer of
1416-542: A bluff above the Mississippi". In the 1950s and 1960s, the petrochemical industry boomed in Baton Rouge, stimulating the city's expansion beyond its original center. The changing market in the oil business has produced fluctuations in the industry, affecting employment in the city and area. In 1953, there was a bus boycott by black riders who were forbidden to occupy seats reserved for whites, leading eventually to some improvement of their rights. On January 10, 1972,
1593-594: A capitol in Neo-Gothic style, complete with turrets and crenellations, and stained glass; it overlooks the Mississippi. It has been described as the "most distinguished example of Gothic Revival" architecture in the state and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark . By the outbreak of the American Civil War , the population of Baton Rouge was nearly 5,500. The war nearly halted economic progress, except for businesses associated with supplying
1770-614: A city of the " New South " that would be based upon a modern economy and less reliant on agriculture. By 1885, the founding of the Georgia School of Technology (now the Georgia Institute of Technology ) and the Atlanta University Center , a consortium of historically Black colleges made up of units for men and women, had established Atlanta as a center for higher education. In 1895, Atlanta hosted
1947-492: A decreasing portion of the population, from a high of 67% in 1990 to 54% in 2010. From 2000 to 2010, Atlanta gained 22,763 white residents, 5,142 Asian residents, and 3,095 Hispanic residents, while the city's Black population decreased by 31,678. Much of the city's demographic change during the decade was driven by young, college-educated professionals: from 2000 to 2009, the three-mile radius surrounding Downtown Atlanta gained 9,722 residents aged 25 to 34 and holding at least
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#17328010263492124-559: A distinct culture for centuries. From 1763 to 1783, Baton Rouge was part of the British North American colony of West Florida , though it was captured by Spanish forces in in September 1779 . During the first half of the 19th century, Baton Rouge grew steadily as the result of steamboat trade and transportation. Baton Rouge was incorporated in 1817. In 1822, the Pentagon Barracks complex of buildings
2301-612: A documentary about the water crisis, and Coast & Climate , a series about the impact of climate change in Louisiana. Howell is a donor to the Republican Party . Gray Television has an investment in broadcasting company Sarkes Tarzian , Inc. On July 22, 2009, a New York bankruptcy judge approved a plan transferring ownership of Young Broadcasting and its stations to the company's secured lenders. The plan included Gray Television coming in as an outside party to advise on
2478-587: A four-year degree, an increase of 61%. This was similar to the tendency in other cities for young, college educated, single or married couples to live in downtown areas. Between the mid-1990s and 2010, stimulated by funding from the HOPE VI program and under leadership of CEO Renee Lewis Glover (1994–2013), the Atlanta Housing Authority demolished nearly all of its public housing, a total of 17,000 units and about 10% of all housing units in
2655-474: A large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine , 17 miles (27 km) south of Baton Rouge. Shaw Construction , Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants. In addition to being the state capital and parish seat, the city is the home of Louisiana State University , which employs over 5,000 academic staff. One of the largest single employers in Baton Rouge
2832-556: A lawsuit against Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, founders of the Found Footage Festival , for fraud and copyright infringement, after having booked an appearance on the morning show of a Gray station as a fake strongman act, "Chop and Steele", and utilizing the footage during their show. The parties later agreed to a settlement. On May 21, 2018, Gray Television entered into an agreement to acquire KNHL from Legacy Broadcasting for $ 475,000. Gray intended to turn KNHL into
3009-690: A major role in Atlanta's economy, as the city claims the nation's third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies (tied for third with Chicago ). It also hosts the global headquarters of several corporations such as The Coca-Cola Company , The Home Depot , Delta Air Lines , Arby's , AT&T Mobility , Georgia-Pacific , Chick-fil-A , Church's Chicken , Dunkin Donuts , Norfolk Southern Railway , Mercedes-Benz USA , NAPA Auto Parts , Papa Johns , Porsche AG , Newell Brands , Rollins, Inc. , Marble Slab Creamery , and UPS . Over 75% of Fortune 1000 companies conduct business operations in
3186-576: A military and trading post. Since then, Baton Rouge has been governed by France, Britain, Spain, Louisiana, the Republic of West Florida , the United States, the Confederate States , and the United States again. In 1755, when French settlers in the colony of Acadia (known as Acadians ) were deported from there by British authorities, many took up residence in rural Louisiana, including Baton Rouge. Popularly known as Cajuns they maintained
3363-534: A multicultural region practicing many religious traditions from Catholicism to Protestantism and Louisiana Voodoo . Baton Rouge is a major, growing industrial, petrochemical , medical, research, motion picture, and technology center of the American South . It is the location of Louisiana State University —the LSU system 's flagship university and the state's largest institution of higher education. It
3540-486: A national audience. The program draws from an investigative unit formed at WVUE under Raycom ownership. On September 28, 2022, Gray announced its intent to purchase WBQC-LD for $ 2.5 million. The sale was completed on November 21, making WBQC-LD a sister station to WXIX-TV . On September 11, 2023, InvestigateTV+ , a weekday expansion of the InvestigateTV franchise, launched on all Gray television stations and
3717-422: A new company to be led by broadcasting veteran Jonathan Katz, with presence in both broadcast networks and FAST streaming channels. The company will launch broadcast and FAST streaming versions of The365, a channel for African-American audiences, and Outlaw, a network for Western programming, as well as FAST channels VCR Action and VCR Haha, under the joint venture on January 1, 2024. Later, on November 10, 2023, it
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#17328010263493894-554: A population of 227,470 as of 2020 ; it is the seat of Louisiana's most populous parish (county-equivalent), East Baton Rouge Parish , and the center of Louisiana's second-largest metropolitan area and city, Greater Baton Rouge . The Baton Rouge area owes its historical importance to its strategic site upon the Istrouma Bluff, the first natural bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta at
4071-473: A postwar suburban layout. These include Collier Heights and Cascade Heights , historically home to much of the city's upper middle-class African-American population . Northwest Atlanta contains the areas of the city to west of Marietta Boulevard and to the north of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, including those neighborhoods remote to downtown, such as Riverside, Bolton and Whittier Mill. The latter
4248-470: A presence in the area. The Muslim population has grown out of Middle Eastern immigration and African American Muslim missionary work. The first Islamic private school in Baton Rouge was established in 2019. In 2019, Orthodox Jews made up 0.2% of Baton Rouge's religious population. 0.6% of the population identified with eastern faiths. including Buddhism and Hinduism . New religious movements including contemporary paganism have small communities in
4425-713: A public offering), senior subordinated notes and preferred stock in September. Also, a new bank credit facility was arranged. This brought the company total to $ 534.5 million in available funds with $ 409.5 million directly available. Also in September 1996, Ralph Gabbard, the newly named president and CEO, died from a heart attack at age 50. Robinson, Bull Run's chair, took over as interim CEO and president with Bull Run CEO Robert Prather as interim executive vice-president, acquisitions. With its additional funds, Gray continued purchasing in 1997 with two announcements in January and February. The company bought Gulflink Communications, Inc.,
4602-461: A result of suburbanization in 2019, to an estimated 854,884. In 2020, the metropolitan statistical area's population increased to 870,569 residents, reflecting southern Louisiana's population growth in contrast with northern Louisiana's stagnation and decline. In 2019, the city of Baton Rouge had a population density of 2,982.5 people per square mile. With the population growth of European and African-descended peoples in present-day Baton Rouge,
4779-461: A satellite of its NBC affiliate KSNB-TV . On June 25, 2018, Gray Television announced its intent to acquire Raycom Media for $ 3.65 billion, pending regulatory approval. The combined company would be led by Raycom's current president and CEO Pat LaPlatney, with current Gray CEO Hilton Howell acting as executive chairman and co-CEO. The acquisition, which Gray expected to close in late 2018, would give Gray 142 stations in 92 markets , making Gray
4956-616: A sizable international population of over 11,300 as of 2008, the largest groups were people of Hispanic and Latino, or Vietnamese descent. This contributes to Baton Rouge's unique culture and diversity. Baton Rouge has an expanding visual arts scene, which is centered downtown. Professional performing arts organizations include Theatre Baton Rouge, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Opera Louisiane and Playmakers—a professional Children's Theatre. This increasing collection of venues includes
5133-696: A strategic hub for the distribution of military supplies. In 1864, the Union Army moved southward following the capture of Chattanooga and began its invasion of north Georgia . The region surrounding Atlanta was the location of several major army battles, culminating with the Battle of Atlanta and a four-month-long siege of the city by the Union Army under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman . On September 1, 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood decided to retreat from Atlanta, and he ordered
5310-531: A survey by the Williams Institute , Atlanta ranked third among major American cities, behind San Francisco and slightly behind Seattle , with 12.8% of the city's total population identifying as LGB. The Midtown and Cheshire Bridge areas have historically been the epicenters of LGBT culture in Atlanta. Atlanta formed a reputation for being a place inclusive to LGBT people after former mayor Ivan Allen Jr. dubbed it "the city too busy to hate" in
5487-470: A telegram to the state's Board of Regents requesting Georgia Tech not to engage in racially integrated events, Georgia Tech's president Blake R. Van Leer rejected the request and threatened to resign. The game went on as planned. In the 1960s, Atlanta became a major organizing center of the civil rights movement , with Martin Luther King Jr. , Ralph Abernathy , and students from Atlanta's historically Black colleges and universities playing major roles in
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5664-473: A terminus east of the Chattahoochee River , which would be linked to Savannah. After engineers surveyed various possible locations for the terminus, the "zero milepost" was driven into the ground in what is now Foundry Street, Five Points . When asked in 1837 about the future of the little village, Stephen Harriman Long , the railroad's chief engineer said the place would be good "for one tavern,
5841-627: A transportable satellite uplink business based in Baton Rouge , Louisiana, in April 1997 to go along with Lynqx. With Raycom Media acquiring a station from AFLAC Broadcast Group, Inc. , forcing them to sell WITN-TV to Gray, which was finalized on August 1, 1997. The Gwinnett Daily Post increased circulation in 1997 through a deal with Genesis Cable Communications to provide the paper to its metro Atlanta subscribers at Genesis's expense. In 1998, Gray started to expand beyond its Southeast region. As
6018-650: A violent shootout between members of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and the police ensued, which left two sheriff's deputies and two black males dead at the scene. 31 individuals were injured, including 14 police officers. In response, then-Louisiana Governor John McKeithen ordered 700 members of the Louisiana National Guard to patrol the streets to tamp down further intercity violence. Baton Rouge Mayor-President Woodrow Wilson "W. W." Dumas subsequently imposed an evening to early-morning curfew. On January 14,
6195-443: Is 21 miles (34 km) southeast of Marietta , 27 miles (43 km) southwest of Alpharetta , 146 miles (235 km) southwest of Greenville, South Carolina , 147 miles (237 km) east of Birmingham, Alabama , and 245 miles (394 km) southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina . Despite having lost significant tree canopy coverage between 1973 and 1999, Atlanta now has the densest urban tree coverage of any major city in
6372-458: Is 68.4 °F (20.2 °C). The average temperature for January is 51.7 °F (10.9 °C) and July is 83.0 °F (28.3 °C). The area is usually free from extremes in temperature, with some cold winter fronts, but those are usually brief. Baton Rouge's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico exposes the city and metropolitan area to hurricanes. On September 1, 2008, Hurricane Gustav struck
6549-555: Is a growing population of Mexican ancestry throughout the region, with notable concentrations along the Buford Highway and I-85 corridor, and now extending into Gwinnett County. In 2013, Metro Atlanta had the 19th largest Hispanic population in the United States. The Atlanta area also has a fast growing Asian American population. The largest groups of Asian origin are those of Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Pakistani and Japanese descent. Pew Research Center ranks
6726-634: Is a post painted red that the savages have sunk there to mark the land line between the two nations, namely: the land of the Bayagoulas which they were leaving and the land of another nation—thirty leagues upstream from the baton rouge —named the Oumas. The red pole was presumably at Scott's Bluff, on what is now the campus of Southern University. It was reportedly a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) painted pole adorned with fish bones. European settlement of Baton Rouge began in 1721 when French colonists established
6903-404: Is about 79 miles (127 km) from New Orleans , 126 miles (203 km) from Alexandria , 56 miles (90 km) from Lafayette and 250 miles (400 km) from Shreveport . It is also 173 miles (278 km) from Jackson , Mississippi and 272 miles (438 km) from Houston , Texas . Baton Rouge lies on a low elevation of 56 to a little over 62 feet above sea level . Baton Rouge
7080-488: Is also based just outside of the city in suburban Cobb County . Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( / ˌ b æ t ən ˈ r uː ʒ / BAT -ən ROOZH ; French : Baton Rouge or Bâton-Rouge , pronounced [bɑtɔ̃ ʁuʒ] ; Louisiana Creole : Batonrouj ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana . Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River , it had
7257-746: Is also the location of Southern University , the flagship institution of the Southern University System —the nation's only historically black college system. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the tenth-largest in the U.S. by tonnage shipped, and it is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port capable of handling Panamax ships. Major corporations participating in the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area's economy include Amazon , Lamar Advertising Company , BBQGuys , Marucci Sports , Piccadilly Restaurants , Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers , ExxonMobil , Brown & Root , Shell , and Dow Chemical Company . Human habitation in
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7434-566: Is developing a medical district expected to be similar to the Texas Medical Center . LSU and Tulane University have both announced plans to construct satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center , respectively. Southeastern Louisiana University and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University both have nursing schools in
7611-470: Is dominant. The eastside is marked by historic streetcar suburbs , built from the 1890s to the 1930s as havens for the upper middle class. These neighborhoods, many of which contain their own villages encircled by shaded, architecturally distinct residential streets, include the Victorian Inman Park , Bohemian East Atlanta , and eclectic Old Fourth Ward . On the westside and along
7788-476: Is located at the NBC News Capitol Hill bureau, 400 N. Capitol Street. In February 2019, Gray announced that journalist Greta Van Susteren joined the company as its Chief National Political Analyst. Gray then announced in April 2019 Greta Van Susteren as host of a Sunday morning syndicated show, Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren , which was launched in September 2019. Van Susteren departed
7965-561: Is metro Atlanta's largest employer. UPS , the world's largest courier company, operates an air cargo hub at Hartsfield-Jackson, and has their headquarters in neighboring Sandy Springs . Media is also an important aspect of Atlanta's economy. In the 1980s, media mogul Ted Turner founded the Cable News Network (CNN), Turner Network Television (TNT), HLN (HLN), Turner Classic Movies (TCM), The Cartoon Network, Inc. and its namesake television network , TruTV (truTV) and
8142-624: Is now the Old Fourth Ward , resulting in one fatality and the displacement of 10,000 people. On December 15, 1939, Atlanta hosted the premiere of Gone with the Wind , the epic film based on the best-selling novel by Atlanta's Margaret Mitchell . The gala event at Loew's Grand Theatre was attended by the film's legendary producer, David O. Selznick , and the film's stars Clark Gable , Vivien Leigh , and Olivia de Havilland , but Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel , an African-American actress,
8319-427: Is one of Atlanta's designated Landmark Historical Neighborhoods. Vine City, though technically Northwest, adjoins the city's Downtown area and has recently been the target of community outreach programs and economic development initiatives. Gentrification of the city's neighborhoods is one of the more controversial and transformative forces shaping contemporary Atlanta. The gentrification of Atlanta has its origins in
8496-563: Is syncretized with the African American Baptist culture of the Florida Parishes and South Mississippi . The city of Baton Rouge is a "college town" with Baton Rouge Community College , Louisiana State University , Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University , and Southern University located throughout the city limits; the students of Louisiana State University alone make up 20% of the city population. In
8673-649: Is syndicated to stations outside of a Gray market. On October 1, 2023, the Peachtree Sports Network will launch in Georgia, focusing on live, local sports programming all year long. The broadcast network will launch in Atlanta but will soon air on Gray-owned over-the-air channels in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah in the coming months. On November 7, 2023, Gray, Warner Bros. Discovery and Lionsgate teamed up to form Free TV Networks ,
8850-533: Is the capital of Louisiana and the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 79.15 square miles (205.0 km ), of which 76.95 square miles (199.3 km ) are land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ) (2.81%) are covered by water. Baton Rouge is on the first set of bluffs north of the Mississippi River Delta 's coastal plains. Because of its prominent location along
9027-695: Is the state government, which consolidated all branches of state government downtown at the Capitol Park complex. The city has a substantial medical research and clinical presence. Research hospitals have included Our Lady of the Lake , Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center , and Earl K. Long (closed 2013). Together with an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane, Summa Avenue and Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge
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#17328010263499204-609: Is water. The city is situated in the Deep South of the southeastern United States among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains . At 1,050 feet (320 m) above mean sea level, Atlanta has the highest elevation among major cities east of the Mississippi River . Atlanta straddles the Eastern Continental Divide . Rainwater that falls on the south and east side of the divide flows into
9381-503: The 1996 Summer Olympics . The Games impacted Atlanta's development growth into the 21st century, and significantly sparked investment in the city's universities, parks, and tourism industry. The gentrification of some of its neighborhoods has intensified in the 21st century with the growth of the Atlanta Beltline . This has altered its demographics , politics , aesthetics , and culture . For thousands of years prior to
9558-511: The BeltLine on the eastside , former warehouses and factories have been converted into housing, retail space, and art galleries, transforming the once-industrial areas such as West Midtown into model neighborhoods for smart growth , historic rehabilitation, and infill construction. In southwest Atlanta, neighborhoods closer to downtown originated as streetcar suburbs, including the historic West End , while those farther from downtown retain
9735-629: The Black Warrior River began to appear between about 1200 BC and 500 BC—a period called the Middle "Gulf Formational Stage". The Eastern Muskogean language began to diversify internally in the first half of the first millennium AD. The early Muskogean societies were the bearers of the Mississippian culture , which formed around 800 AD and extended in a vast network across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, with numerous chiefdoms in
9912-500: The Brookings Institution . In 2009, the city was ranked by CNN as the 9th-best place in the country to start a new business. Lamar Advertising Company has its headquarters in Baton Rouge. Other notable companies headquartered in the city include BBQGuys , Marucci Sports , Piccadilly Restaurants , and Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers . Notable corporations which have established offices or distribution centers in
10089-658: The Church of God in Christ . Presbyterians are mainly members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) . In 2020, the Church of God in Christ was the area's largest Pentecostal denomination by membership. In 2019, the second-largest religion in Baton Rouge and its metropolitan area was Islam . In 2020, there were over six mosques in the Baton Rouge area, primarily affiliated with Sunni Islam . The Nation of Islam also has
10266-530: The Cotton States and International Exposition , which attracted nearly 800,000 attendees and successfully promoted the New South's development to the world. During the first decades of the 20th century, Atlanta enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth. In three decades' time, Atlanta's population tripled as the city limits expanded to include nearby streetcar suburbs. The city's skyline grew taller with
10443-781: The Equitable Building (1892–1971), Terminal Station (1905–1972), and the Carnegie Library (1902–1977). In the mid-1970s, the Fox Theatre , now a cultural icon of the city, would have met the same fate if not for a grassroots effort to save it. More recently, preservationists may have made some inroads. For example, in 2016 activists convinced the Atlanta City Council not to demolish the Atlanta-Fulton Central Library,
10620-601: The Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta (1992). Also completed during the era is the Portman-designed Bank of America Plaza built in 1992. At 1,023 feet (312 m), it is the tallest building in the city and the 14th-tallest in the United States. The city's embrace of modern architecture has often translated into an ambivalent approach toward historic preservation, leading to the destruction of many notable architectural landmarks. These include
10797-520: The Georgia Railroad , suggested the town be renamed Atlanta , supposedly a feminine version of the word "Atlantic", referring to the Western and Atlantic Railroad. The residents approved, and the town was incorporated as Atlanta on December 29, 1847. By 1860, Atlanta's population had grown to 9,554. During the American Civil War , the nexus of multiple railroads in Atlanta made the city
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#173280102634910974-704: The Great Recession . Advertising revenues dropped. The twin problems caused its shares to trade at its lowest at 16 cents in 2008, thus the NYSE indicated they might delist the company. Loan covenants could have forced the company into default. Robinson stepped down with Howell replacing him in 2008. On July 30, 2009, Gray was awarded a contract to manage seven Young Broadcasting -owned stations. Through December 31, 2012, Gray would earn $ 2.2 million and an opportunity to earn additional specified incentive fees if certain performance targets were exceeded. Prather left
11151-433: The Gulf of Mexico . This allowed development of a business quarter safe from seasonal flooding. In addition, it built a levee system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas. Baton Rouge has developed as a culturally rich center, with settlement by immigrants from numerous European nations and African peoples brought to North America as slaves or indentured servants. It
11328-743: The Louisiana Public Service Commission in December 2022, many Baton Rougeans helped elect Davante Lewis —the first openly LGBT politician to the state government. On 28 April 2024, the Louisiana State Supreme Court gave the city of St. George the right to secede from Baton Rouge, in a 4–3 decision. The city of Baton Rouge lies on the banks of the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana's Florida Parishes region. The city
11505-665: The North to the Atlanta area. It has long been known as a center of African-American political power, education, entrepreneurship, and culture, often called a Black mecca . However, in the 1990s, Atlanta started to experience Black flight . African Americans have moved to the suburbs seeking a lower cost of living or better public schools. The African-American share of Atlanta's population has declined faster than that of any racial group. The city's share of Black residents shrank from 67% in 1990 to 47% in 2020. Blacks made up nine percent of new Atlanta residents between 2010 and 2020. At
11682-466: The Old Huey Long Bridge because the clearance is insufficient. In addition, the river depth decreases significantly just to the north, near Port Hudson . Baton Rouge's largest industry is petrochemical production and manufacturing. ExxonMobil 's Baton Rouge Refinery complex is the fifth-largest oil refinery in the country; it is the world's tenth largest. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep-water access. Dow Chemical Company has
11859-549: The Pew Research Center in 2014, but in recent decades the Roman Catholic Church has increased in numbers and influence because of new migrants to the region. Metro Atlanta also has numerous ethnic or national Christian congregations, including Korean and Indian churches. Per the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, overall, 73% of the population identify with some tradition or denomination of Christianity ; despite continuing religious diversification, historically African-American Protestant churches continue prevalence in
12036-400: The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of New Orleans . The Southern Baptist Convention was the second largest individual Christian denomination with 208 congregations and 91,293 members. The United Methodists had 28,924 members. The National Baptist Convention had 15,532 adherents in 25 churches. Non-denominational Protestants were spread out in 270 churches numbering 102,500. In
12213-438: The Shaw Center for the Arts . Opened in 2005, the facility houses the Brunner Gallery, LSU Museum of Art ; the Manship Theatre; a contemporary art gallery; traveling exhibits; and several eateries. Another prominent facility is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum , which contains the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries, including
12390-418: The Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) in the city. Around the same time, Cox Enterprises , now the nation's third-largest cable television service and the publisher of over a dozen American newspapers, moved its headquarters to the city. Notable sports networks headquartered in Atlanta include Warner Bros. Discovery Sports , NBA TV , Bally Sports South , and Bally Sports Southeast . The Weather Channel
12567-470: The Union Army occupation of the city, which began in the spring of 1862 and lasted for the duration of the war. The Confederates at first consolidated their forces elsewhere, during which time the state government moved to Opelousas and later Shreveport . In the summer of 1862, about 2,600 Confederate troops under generals John C. Breckinridge (the former Vice President of the United States ) and Daniel Ruggles attempted to recapture Baton Rouge. After
12744-439: The sixth-largest U.S. metropolitan area . Situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at an elevation of just over 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, Atlanta features unique topography that includes rolling hills, lush greenery, and the densest urban tree coverage of any major city in the United States. Atlanta was originally founded as the terminus of a major state-sponsored railroad, but it soon became
12921-480: The "city too busy to hate." Desegregation of the public sphere came in stages, with public transportation desegregated by 1959, the restaurant at Rich's department store by 1961, movie theaters by 1963, and public schools by 1973 (nearly 20 years after the US Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional). In 1960, Whites comprised 61.7% of the city's population. During
13098-420: The 11th-largest economy among cities in the U.S. and the 22nd-largest in the world. Its economy is considered diverse, with dominant sectors in industries including transportation, aerospace, logistics, healthcare, news and media operations, film and television production, information technology, finance, and biomedical research and public policy. Atlanta established itself on the world stage when it won and hosted
13275-400: The 1950s–70s, suburbanization and White flight from urban areas led to a significant demographic shift. By 1970, African Americans were the majority of the city's population and exercised their recently enforced voting rights and political influence by electing Atlanta's first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson , in 1973. Under Mayor Jackson's tenure, Atlanta's airport was modernized, strengthening
13452-586: The 1960s (referring to racial relations). Atlanta has consistently scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index that measures how inclusive a city's laws, policies and services are for LGBT people who live or work there. Religion in Atlanta, while historically centered on Protestant Christianity , now encompasses many faiths, as a result of the city and metro area's increasingly international population. Some 63% of residents identified as some type of Protestant according to
13629-498: The 1970s, after many of Atlanta's neighborhoods had declined and suffered the urban decay that affected other major American cities in the mid-20th century. When neighborhood opposition successfully prevented two freeways from being built through the city's east side in 1975, the area became the starting point for Atlanta's gentrification . After Atlanta was awarded the Olympic games in 1990, gentrification expanded into other parts of
13806-542: The 2010 U.S. census. After the extensive damage in New Orleans and along the coast from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, the city took in as many as 200,000 displaced residents. In 2010, Baton Rouge started a market push to become a test city for Google 's new super high speed fiber optic line known as GeauxFiBR. In July 2016, the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area was heavily affected by
13983-593: The 2020 United States census, Black or African Americans made up 53.55% of the city-proper's population. In 2021 census estimates, Black or African Americans made up the largest share of youths. The remaining racial and ethnic makeup for the city in 2020 was 34.22% non-Hispanic white , 0.17% American Indian and Alaska Native , 3.21% Asian , 0.03% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander , 2.55% two or more races , and 5.94% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. The growing Hispanic and Latino population reflected increasing trends of nationwide diversification. Among
14160-510: The 2nd quarter 1992. The price per share dropped to $ 8. The company put itself-or any part up-for sale by the end of 1992. While the board of directors received about 40 offers, Bull Run Corporation eventually stepped in and purchased the remaining shares of the Gray siblings, who as part of the deal resigned from the board. New management took over all three TV stations. Bull Run Corporation, primarily owned by J. Mack Robinson , decided to make Gray
14337-472: The American Indian population declined to one of the smallest minority groups in the area. With the increase among people of color during the 20th century, Baton Rouge has also declined as a predominantly non-Hispanic white city, hastened by suburbanization, aging out, and white flight . In 1970, non-Hispanic whites were 70.5% of the population. In 2020, they were 34.2% of the total population. In
14514-587: The Atlanta area among the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas by Indian population in 2019. Early immigrants in the Atlanta area were mostly Jews and Greeks . Since 2010, the Atlanta area has experienced notable immigration from India, China, South Korea, and Jamaica. Other notable source countries of immigrants are Vietnam, Eritrea, Nigeria, the Arabian gulf, Ukraine and Poland. Within a few decades, and in keeping with national trends, immigrants from England, Ireland, and German-speaking central Europe were no longer
14691-631: The Atlantic Ocean, while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide flows into the Gulf of Mexico . Atlanta developed on a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River , which is part of the ACF River Basin . The river borders the far northwestern edge of the city, and much of its natural habitat has been preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area . Atlanta
14868-562: The Baton Rouge area has been dated to 12000–6500 BC , based on evidence found along the Mississippi, Comite , and Amite rivers. Earthwork mounds were built by hunter-gatherer societies in the Middle Archaic period , from roughly the fourth millennium BC. The speakers of the Proto- Muskogean language divided into its descendant languages by about 1000 BC; and a cultural boundary between either side of Mobile Bay and
15045-538: The Baton Rouge area have included Amazon in 2021, and Microsoft . Chicago Bridge & Iron Company had an office in Baton Rouge before being sold in 2017. In 2023, Aldi established a presence in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-going tankers and cargo carriers . The ships transfer their cargo (grain, oil, cars, containers) at Baton Rouge onto rails and pipelines (to travel east–west) or barges (to travel north). Deep-draft vessels cannot pass
15222-689: The Beltline has stimulated new and related development along its path. Under the Köppen classification , Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) with generous precipitation year-round, typical for the Upland South ; the city is situated in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8a, with the northern and western suburbs, as well as part of Midtown transitioning to 7b. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures somewhat moderated by
15399-511: The Capital City Alliance. The area has grown a sizeable LGBT community, holding festivals such as Baton Rouge Pride. Native American religions and Afrodiasporic religions were commonplace alongside Christianity in Baton Rouge's early history. Due to French, Spanish, and British colonization and missionary efforts, in addition to American settlement, Baton Rouge became a predominantly Christian city and metropolitan area. In
15576-670: The Civil War ended in 1865, Atlanta was gradually rebuilt during the Reconstruction era . The work attracted many new residents. Due to the city's superior rail transportation network, the state capital was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta in 1868. In the 1880 Census, Atlanta had surpassed Savannah as Georgia's largest city. Beginning in the 1880s, Henry W. Grady , the editor of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, promoted Atlanta to potential investors as
15753-609: The FCC dismiss the sale of KNDX/KXND to Excalibur. The sale was completed on June 13, 2014. However, some stations were forced to go off the air and their programming was moved to a multicast stream on adjacent channels, due to some stations being unable to receive regulatory approval, after the FCC's ruling on joint sales agreements . Those silent stations would then be sold off to minority interest, pending FCC approval. On July 24, 2014, SJL Broadcasting announced that it would sell WJRT-TV and WTVG to Gray, for $ 128 million. The sale
15930-948: The Greater Baton Rouge area include the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana aligned with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States ; and the Reformed Episcopal Diocese of Mid-America and the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast aligned with the Anglican Church in North America . Baton Rouge's Pentecostal communities are mainly affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA and
16107-643: The Richmond market when it bought WWBT in 2019, following its merger with Raycom Media , and would also re-enter the Nashville market in 2021 with WSMV-TV after acquiring the television assets of Meredith Corporation . By January 20, 2016, Gray had set up their Washington news bureau by Jacqueline Policastro to enable stations to get interviews with U.S. Senators and Representatives serving their communities. The bureau cooperates with Lilly Broadcasting 's Washington bureau, previously started by Policastro, and
16284-714: The Southeast, as well. By the time the Spanish made their first forays inland from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 16th century, by some evidence many political centers of the Mississippians were already in decline, or abandoned. At the time, this region appeared to have been occupied by a collection of moderately sized native chiefdoms, interspersed with autonomous villages and tribal groups. Other evidence indicates these Mississippian settlements were thriving at
16461-561: The US). Atlanta's dialect has traditionally been a variation of Southern American English . The Chattahoochee River long formed a border between the Coastal Southern and Southern Appalachian dialects. Because of the development of corporate headquarters in the region, attracting migrants from other areas of the country, by 2003, Atlanta magazine concluded that Atlanta had become significantly "de-Southernized". A Southern accent
16638-481: The United Kingdom and Germany. Bosnian refugees settled in Atlanta. Vietnamese people, Cambodians, Ethiopians and Eritreans were the earliest refugees formally brought to the city. Of the total population five years and older, 83.3% spoke only English at home, while 8.8% spoke Spanish, 3.9% another Indo-European language, and 2.8% an Asian language. Among them, 7.3% of Atlantans were born abroad ( 86th in
16815-546: The United States and is often called "City of Trees" or "The City in a Forest". Most of Atlanta was burned in the final months of the American Civil War, depleting the city of a large stock of its historic architecture. Yet architecturally, the city had never been traditionally "southern": Atlanta originated as a railroad town rather than a southern seaport dominated by the planter class, such as Savannah or Charleston . Because of its later development, many of
16992-535: The United States in 1803 was a catalyst for increased Anglo-American settlement, especially in the northern part of the state. In 1846, the state legislature designated Baton Rouge as Louisiana's new capital to replace "sinful" New Orleans . The architect James Dakin was hired to design the old Louisiana State Capitol , with construction beginning in late 1847. Rather than mimic the United States Capitol , as many other states had done, he designed
17169-492: The ability to relocate to the suburbs. As a result, the city began to make up an ever-smaller proportion of the metropolitan area's population. African-American veterans returned from World War II seeking full rights in their country and began heightened activism. In exchange for support by that portion of the Black community that could vote, in 1948 the mayor ordered the hiring of the first eight African-American police officers in
17346-603: The area from 1802 to 1825. The Creek were forced to leave the area in 1821, under Indian Removal by the federal government, and European American settlers arrived the following year. In 1836, the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western and Atlantic Railroad in order to provide a link between the port of Savannah and the Midwest . The initial route was to run southward from Chattanooga to
17523-428: The area, and a minority practice Haitian Vodou , Louisiana Voodoo , and Hoodoo . In Sperling's 2019 study, 31.9% of the population identified as either spiritual but not religious , agnostic , or atheist Baton Rouge enjoys a strong economy that has helped the city be ranked as one of the "Top 10 Places for Young Adults" in 2010 by portfolio.com and one of the top 20 cities in North America for economic strength by
17700-536: The arrival of European settlers in North Georgia , the indigenous Creek people and their ancestors inhabited the area. Standing Peachtree , a Creek village where Peachtree Creek flows into the Chattahoochee River , was the closest Native American settlement to what is now Atlanta. Through the early 19th century, European Americans systematically encroached on the Creek of northern Georgia, forcing them out of
17877-719: The boundary between the Houma and Bayagoula tribal hunting grounds. The French name le bâton rouge ("the red stick") is the translation of a native term rendered as Istrouma , possibly a corruption of the Choctaw iti humma ("red pole"); André-Joseph Pénicaut—a carpenter traveling with d'Iberville—published the first full-length account of the expedition in 1723. According to Pénicaut: From there [ Manchacq ] we went five leagues higher and found very high banks called écorts in that region, and in savage called Istrouma which means red stick [ bâton rouge ], as at this place there
18054-582: The city and became the worst hurricane ever to hit the Baton Rouge area. Winds topped 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), knocking down trees and powerlines and making roads impassable. The roofs of many buildings suffered tree damage, especially in the Highland Road, Garden District, and Goodwood areas. The city was shut down for five days and a curfew was put in effect. Rooftop shingles were ripped off, signs blew down, and minor structural damage occurred. Prior to colonization, American Indians were once
18231-433: The city approved the $ 2.8 billion BeltLine project. It was intended to convert a disused 22-mile freight railroad loop that surrounds the central city into an art-filled multi-use trail and light rail transit line, which would increase the city's park space by 40%. The project stimulated retail and residential development along the loop, but has been criticized for its adverse effects on some Black communities. In 2013,
18408-468: The city in the following decade. During the 2000s, the city of Atlanta underwent a profound physical, cultural , and demographic change. As some of the African-American middle and upper classes also began to move to the suburbs, a booming economy drew numerous new migrants from other cities in the United States, who contributed to changes in the city's demographics. African Americans made up
18585-480: The city limits, Atlanta is the eighth most populous city in the Southeast and 37th most populous city in the United States according to the 2020 U.S. census . It is the principal city of the much larger Atlanta metropolitan area , the core of which includes Cobb , Clayton and Gwinnett counties, in addition to Fulton and DeKalb. Metro Atlanta is home to more than 6.3 million people (2023 estimate), making it
18762-402: The city's economy to this day. In 2021, major freight railroad Norfolk Southern moved their headquarters to Atlanta, and the city hosts major classification yards for Norfolk Southern and CSX . Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport , and the headquarters of Delta Air Lines . Delta operates the world's largest airline hub at Hartsfield-Jackson and
18939-629: The city's elevation. Winters are overall mild but variable, occasionally susceptible to snowstorms even if in small quantities on several occasions, unlike the central and southern portions of the state. Warm air from the Gulf of Mexico can bring spring-like highs while strong Arctic air masses can push lows into the teens °F (−7 to −12 °C). July averages 80.9 °F (27.2 °C), with high temperatures reaching 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 47 days per year, though 100 °F (38 °C) readings are not seen most years. January averages 44.8 °F (7.1 °C), with temperatures in
19116-615: The city's landmarks share architectural characteristics with buildings in the Northeast or Midwest, as they were designed at a time of shared national architectural styles. During the late 20th century, Atlanta embraced the global trend of modern architecture , especially for commercial and institutional structures. Examples include the State of Georgia Building built in 1966, and the Georgia-Pacific Tower in 1982. Many of
19293-409: The city's metro area, and the region hosts offices of over 1,250 multinational corporations. Many corporations are drawn to the city by its educated workforce; as of 2014 , 45% of adults aged 25 or older residing in the city have at least four-year college degrees, compared to the national average of 28%. Atlanta was born as a railroad town, and logistics continue to represent an important part of
19470-617: The city's role as a transportation center. The opening of the Georgia World Congress Center in 1976 further confirmed Atlanta's rise as a convention city. Construction of the city's subway system began in 1975, with rail service commencing in 1979. Despite these improvements, Atlanta lost more than 100,000 residents between 1970 and 1990, over 20% of its population. At the same time, it developed new office space after attracting numerous corporations, with an increasing portion of workers from northern areas. Atlanta
19647-443: The city's uptown district, is eight miles (13 km) north of Downtown and the city's third-largest business district. The district is marked by an urbanized core along Peachtree Road , surrounded by suburban single-family neighborhoods situated among woods and rolling hills. Surrounding Atlanta's three high-rise districts are the city's low- and medium-density neighborhoods , where the craftsman bungalow single-family home
19824-495: The city, stimulated by infrastructure improvements undertaken in preparation for the games. New development post-2000 has been aided by the Atlanta Housing Authority 's eradication of the city's public housing. As noted above, it allowed development of these sites for mixed-income housing, requiring developers to reserve a considerable portion for affordable housing units. It has also provided for other former residents to be given vouchers to gain housing in other areas. Construction of
20001-561: The city-proper's third historic high in 2010, to 227,470 at the 2020 census . The black population increased in Baton Rouge after the Civil War. Including the consolidated city–parish of Baton Rouge in 2019 ( East Baton Rouge Parish ), the American Community Survey estimated 443,763 people lived in the area. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau determined 456,781 people lived in the consolidated city–parish. The metropolitan population of Baton Rouge increased to 3.6% as
20178-480: The city. After reserving 2,000 units mostly for elderly, the AHA allowed redevelopment of the sites for mixed-use and mixed-income, higher density developments, with 40% of the units to be reserved for affordable housing. Two-fifths of previous public housing residents attained new housing in such units; the remainder received vouchers to be used at other units, including in suburbs. At the same time, in an effort to change
20355-634: The city. Much controversy preceded the 1956 Sugar Bowl , when the Pitt Panthers , with African-American fullback Bobby Grier on the roster, met the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets . There had been controversy over whether Grier should be allowed to play due to his race, and whether Georgia Tech should even play at all due to Georgia's Governor Marvin Griffin 's opposition to racial integration. After Griffin publicly sent
20532-779: The company agreed to purchase the Busse Broadcasting Corporation, which owned KOLN , KGIN-TV and WEAU . Gray's ownership of a newspaper and TV station in Albany, Georgia, while grandfathered was examined under the Media cross-ownership rule of the FCC due to this potential purchase. WALB was thus sold to Liberty Corp.'s Cosmos Broadcasting in August 1998. In 2002, Robinson became chairman and CEO, his son-in-law Hilton Howell vice chairman, Prather president/COO and Jim Ryan senior vice president. They had Gray purchase 14 Benedek Broadcasting stations while that company
20709-543: The company for Newsmax TV in late 2022. Originating from Gray's Washington bureau is Local News Live , a hosted service of live breaking news and events from the 113 Gray television markets across the country, similar to LiveNOW from Fox (produced by Fox Television Stations ) and The National Desk (produced by Sinclair Broadcast Group ). The channel operates from 7 a.m. to midnight Eastern, (with paid programing vacating their spots), features live newscasts at 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 8 p.m. Eastern time, and repeats throughout
20886-446: The company in 2013 and Howell took over the president title. On November 4, 2013, Gray Television announced that it would purchase Yellowstone Holdings for $ 23 million, adding local stations: KGNS-TV , KGWN , KCWY , and KCHY-LP . Three weeks later, on November 20, Gray announced it would purchase Hoak Media and Parker Broadcasting for $ 335 million, and North Dakota's Fox affiliate KNDX /KXND for $ 7.5 million. As part of
21063-659: The company moved its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange . By this time, Robinson, directly or through Bull Run, owned 44% of the company's stock. Gray had started to focus on its TV station segment over the newspaper holding while TV produced more income and the newspapers' income were declining. Just months after doubling the Daily Post ' s staff, one third were laid off and a quarter of The Albany Herald ' s staff followed in January 1996. Newspaper leaders resigned during this period–from
21240-526: The construction of the Equitable , Flatiron , Empire , and Candler buildings. Sweet Auburn emerged as a center of Black commerce. The period was also marked by strife and tragedy. Increased racial tensions led to the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906, when Whites attacked Blacks, leaving at least 27 people dead and over 70 injured, with extensive damage in Black neighborhoods. In 1913, Leo Frank ,
21417-470: The convergence point among several railroads, spurring its rapid growth. The largest was the Western and Atlantic Railroad , from which the name "Atlanta" is derived, signifying the city's growing reputation as a major hub of transportation. During the American Civil War , it served a strategically important role for the Confederacy until it was captured in 1864. The city was almost entirely burned to
21594-457: The corporate president in late 1995 to the Citizen' s editor and publisher. In 1996, Gray added additional TV stations while entering additional communication industry segments. In 1996, Fortune considered the company the nation's 81st fastest growing company, with a 48% percent growth rate, and as if to prove the point, Gray purchased WRDW-TV in January 1996. In September of the same year,
21771-453: The culture of those receiving subsidized housing, the AHA imposed a requirement for such residents to work (or be enrolled in a genuine, limited-time training program). It is virtually the only housing authority to have created this requirement. To prevent problems, the AHA also gave authority to management of the mixed-income or voucher units to evict tenants who did not comply with the work requirement or who caused behavior problems. In 2005,
21948-478: The curfew was lifted. A building boom began in the city in the 1990s and continued into the 2000s, during which Baton Rouge became one of the fastest-growing cities in the Southern United States in terms of technology. Metropolitan Baton Rouge was ranked as one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (with a population under 1 million), with 602,894 in 2000 and 802,484 people as of
22125-704: The day when no breaking news is occurring. In addition to live events, the anchors interview reporters and use footage not otherwise seen on broadcast. Local News Live airs on Gray television live streams between local newscasts and as a separate option on Gray station websites. Since 2023, Gray has created several over-the-air regional sports networks ; including Arizona's Family Sports , Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network , Matrix Midwest , Peachtree Sports Network and Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network , Palmetto Sports & Entertainment and Rock Entertainment Sports Network (a joint venture with Rock Entertainment Group ). Nationally, Gray holds
22302-409: The deal, stations KAQY , KHAS-TV , and KXJB , were proposed to be sold to Excalibur Broadcasting and operated by Gray under a "local marketing agreements". On December 19, it was announced that stations KREX-TV and WMBB would be sold to Nexstar Broadcasting Group , while KFQX would be sold to Mission Broadcasting . On March 25, 2014, Prime Cities Broadcasting, owner of KNDX/KXND, requested that
22479-462: The destruction of all public buildings and possible assets that could be of use to the Union Army. On the next day, Mayor James Calhoun surrendered Atlanta to the Union Army, and on September 7, Sherman ordered the city's civilian population to evacuate. On November 11, 1864, Sherman prepared for the Union Army's March to the Sea by ordering the destruction of Atlanta's remaining military assets. After
22656-594: The direction of executive chairman and CEO Hilton Howell, Gray Television was one of the first broadcasters to implement a COVID-19 vaccination mandate . He has said he is "proud" of the corporate culture he has helped create. Howell says he supports media consolidation and opposes an FCC cap on ownership. In their 2022 environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report, Howell noted he was committed to "improving our gender and racial diversity in leadership, our business ethics and compliance policies, our training and development, and our responsible energy use". According to
22833-565: The ground during General William T. Sherman 's March to the Sea . However, the city rebounded dramatically in the post-war period and quickly became a national industrial center and the unofficial capital of the " New South ". After World War II , it also became a manufacturing and technology hub. During the 1950s and 1960s, it became a major organizing center of the American civil rights movement , with Martin Luther King Jr. , Ralph Abernathy , and many other locals becoming prominent figures in
23010-430: The last building designed by noted architect Marcel Breuer . Atlanta is divided into 242 officially defined neighborhoods . The city contains three major high-rise districts, which form a north–south axis along Peachtree : Downtown , Midtown , and Buckhead . Surrounding these high-density districts are leafy, low-density neighborhoods, most of which are dominated by single-family homes. Downtown Atlanta contains
23187-638: The last two due to Gray already owning stations in those markets. Gray considered the possibility of purchasing the Young stations if the group went on the market. The agreement ended without any further extensions on December 31, 2012, and Young agreed to a merger with Media General in mid-2013. Gray would eventually purchase KWQC and WBAY outright when Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired Media General in 2017, as Nexstar already owned WHBF-TV and WFRV-TV in each market. At that time, Gray had already acquired Sioux Falls rival station KSFY . Gray would also re-enter
23364-629: The locally owned Gazette Company , who owned the station from its sign-on in 1953. In January 2016, Gray Television opened a national news bureau in Washington, D.C., led by former APTV journalist Jacqueline Policastro. The bureau was designed to provide enhanced coverage of national political issues for Gray's local stations. On May 13, 2016, Gray announced that it would acquire WDTV and WVFX in Clarksburg, West Virginia , from Withers Broadcasting for $ 26.5 million. On June 3, 2016, it
23541-604: The longest paved trail surface in the U.S. totaling about 300 miles (480 km). Atlanta's cultural offerings expanded during the 2000s: the High Museum of Art doubled in size; the Alliance Theatre won a Tony Award ; and art galleries were established on the once-industrial Westside . The College Football Hall of Fame relocated to Atlanta and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights museum
23718-490: The majority of Atlanta's foreign-born population. The city's Italians included immigrants from northern Italy, many of whom had been in Atlanta since the 1890s; more recent arrivals from southern Italy; and Sephardic Jews from the Isle of Rhodes, which Italy had seized from Turkey in 1912. Europeans from Great Britain , Ireland and Germany settled in the city as early as the 1840s. Most of Atlanta's European population are from
23895-405: The medical district off Essen Lane. Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center , which conducts clinical and biological research, also contributes to research-related employment in the area around the Baton Rouge medical district. The film industry in Louisiana has increased dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century, aided by generous tax incentives adopted by
24072-789: The most notable examples from this period were designed by world renowned Atlanta architect John Portman . Most of the buildings that define the downtown skyline were designed by Portman during this period, including the Westin Peachtree Plaza and the Atlanta Marriott Marquis . In the latter half of the 1980s, Atlanta became one of the early homes of postmodern buildings that reintroduced classical elements to their designs. Many of Atlanta's tallest skyscrapers were built in this period and style, displaying tapering spires or otherwise ornamented crowns, such as One Atlantic Center (1987), 191 Peachtree Tower (1991), and
24249-425: The most office space in the metro area, much of it occupied by government entities. Downtown is home to the city's sporting venues and many of its tourist attractions. Midtown Atlanta is the city's second-largest business district, containing the offices of many of the region's law firms. Midtown is known for its art institutions, cultural attractions, institutions of higher education, and dense form. Buckhead ,
24426-454: The most severe occurring on January 7, 1973. Tornadoes are rare in the city itself, but the March 14, 2008, EF2 tornado damaged prominent structures in downtown Atlanta. The 2020 United States census reported that Atlanta had a population of 498,715. The population density was 3,685.45 persons per square mile (1,422.95/ km ). The racial and ethnic makeup of Atlanta (including Hispanics)
24603-421: The movement's leadership. In the modern era, Atlanta has remained a major center of transportation, with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport becoming the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic in 1998 (a position it has held every year since, except for 2020), with an estimated 93.7 million passengers in 2022. With a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $ 473 billion in 2021, Atlanta has
24780-479: The movement's leadership. While Atlanta in the postwar years had relatively minimal racial strife compared to other cities, Blacks were limited by discrimination, segregation, and continued disenfranchisement of most voters. In 1961, the city attempted to thwart blockbusting by realtors by erecting road barriers in Cascade Heights , countering the efforts of civic and business leaders to foster Atlanta as
24957-687: The operations of Young-owned stations in seven markets through December 2012. The new Young Broadcasting still held the final say on overall operations for their stations, including programming and personnel. The former Young-owned stations managed by Gray Television include: Young Broadcasting would retain ownership of all its stations, including three stations that Gray would not operate: KRON-TV in San Francisco, California , WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee , and WLNS-TV in Lansing, Michigan ,
25134-587: The population of the city and metropolitan area, a substantial number identify as Cajun or Louisiana Creole . During the middle of the 20th century, The Advocate and other region-wide newspapers discriminated against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. In 1969, the Krewe of Apollo—an LGBT social club originating from nearby New Orleans—developed a sister branch for Baton Rouge. Its annual drag balls were targets of further discrimination. Since then, other organizations have been established, such as
25311-593: The population was living below the poverty line in 2022. Circa 2024, of the Atlanta residents, 391,711 of them lived in Fulton County and 28,292 of them lived in DeKalb County. In the 1920s, the Black population began to grow in Southern metropolitan cities like Atlanta, Birmingham , Houston , and Memphis . The New Great Migration brought an insurgence of African Americans from California and
25488-560: The possibility of damaging winds and tornadoes yearlong. The area's average precipitation is 61.94 inches (141.1 cm) of rain and 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) of snow annually. With ample precipitation, Baton Rouge is fifth on the list of wettest cities in the United States. Snow in the Baton Rouge area is usually rare, although it snowed in three consecutive years at the first decade of the 21st century: December 11, 2008, December 4, 2009, and February 12, 2010. In 2017, Baton Rouge received snow again. The yearly average temperature for Baton Rouge
25665-598: The primary residents of present-day Baton Rouge. With the coming of European colonization , and the migration of American settlers after the Louisiana Purchase , European and African-descended peoples became the predominant groups in the area by birth rates and immigration to a 1860 population of 5,428. Since reaching its first historic high of 220,394 residents at the 1980 U.S. census , the city's population has expanded and contracted twice: from 219,531 in 1990, to 227,818 in 2000—the second historic high—and 229,493,
25842-604: The project received a federal grant of $ 18 million to develop the southwest corridor. In September 2019 the James M. Cox Foundation gave $ 6 Million to the PATH Foundation which will connect the Silver Comet Trail to The Atlanta BeltLine which is expected to be completed by 2022. Upon completion, the total combined interconnected trail distance around Atlanta for The Atlanta BeltLine and Silver Comet Trail will be
26019-414: The proportion of whites in the city had strong growth. In two decades, Atlanta's White population grew from 33% to 39% of the city's population. Whites made up the majority of new Atlanta residents between 2010 and 2020. The Hispanic and Latino populations of metro Atlanta have grown significantly in recent years. The largest Hispanic ancestries in Atlanta are Mexican , Puerto Rican and Cuban . There
26196-536: The purchase of The Herald Publishing Company (a company founded in 1897 to promote The Albany Herald, a newspaper that started publication in 1891), in 1946 after he returned from World War II. The purchase included WALB radio. Gray launched WALB-TV in 1954. In 1960, Gray purchased WJHG-TV in Panama City, Florida , and followed it later in the decade with KTVE serving Monroe, Louisiana and southern Arkansas . In 1986 Gray died, leaving his 50.5% share of
26373-643: The report, under Howell's leadership, the company aired a six-month series on health and wellness in Appalachia, known as "Bridging the Great Health Divide", expanded their relationship with Telemundo to provide additional Spanish-language content in the United States, highlighted stories about historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), aired and produced content about Pride Month and Hispanic Heritage Month in local markets, and aired and produced two climate change series, Troubled Water ,
26550-503: The rights to the Arena Football League , American Association of Professional Baseball , and Fight Sports. Atlanta Atlanta ( / æ t ˈ l æ n t ə / at- LAN -tə ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia . It is the seat of Fulton County , and a portion of the city extends into neighboring DeKalb County . With a population of 510,823 living within
26727-587: The river and on the bluffs, which prevents flooding, the French built a fort in the city in 1719. Baton Rouge is the third-southernmost capital city in the continental United States, after Austin, Texas , and Tallahassee, Florida . It is the cultural and economic center of the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Baton Rouge has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ). It has mild winters, hot and humid summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and
26904-401: The same time, Atlanta is home to a sizable foreign-born Black population, notably from Eritrea , Ethiopia , Ghana , Somalia , Liberia , and Nigeria . With many notable investments occurring in Atlanta initiated by the 1996 Summer Olympics , the non-Hispanic white population of Atlanta began to rebound after several decades of white flight to Atlanta's suburbs. Between 2000 and 2020,
27081-413: The shooting of Alton Sterling . His death led to multiple protests and the shooting of police officers . President Barack Obama also made remarks on the shooting of Alton Sterling. By February 2021, Sterling's family was given a $ 4.5 million settlement to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. In August 2016, the city and metropolitan area were severely flooded . During the runoff for District 3 of
27258-502: The state in 2002. In September 2013, the Baton Rouge Film Commission reported that the industry had brought more than $ 90 million into the local economy in 2013. Baton Rouge's largest production facility is the Celtic Media Centre, opened in 2006 by a local group in collaboration with Raleigh Studios of Los Angeles. Raleigh dropped its involvement in 2014. Baton Rouge is a culturally distinct area of Louisiana, where Cajun and Creole Catholic culture from Greater New Orleans and Acadiana
27435-415: The stock in a trust for his children with stipulation that they run the business together, sell their stock with each other or sell out together. It caused difficulties as two of the three wanted to sell, but the third was against the purchase. In 1991, to break the stalemate, the board of directors had the company purchase 25% of their shares. The company was then taken public on NASDAQ's small-cap market in
27612-413: The suburbs slightly cooler due largely to the urban heat island effect. Lows at or below freezing can be expected 36 nights annually, but the last occurrences of temperatures below 10 °F (−12 °C) were December 24, 2022 , and January 2014 , eight years apart. Extremes range from −9 °F (−23 °C) on February 13, 1899 to 106 °F (41 °C) on June 30, 2012 . Average dewpoints in
27789-610: The summer range from 63.7 °F (17.6 °C) in June to 67.8 °F (19.9 °C) in July. Typical of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant rainfall that is evenly distributed throughout the year, though late spring and early fall are somewhat drier. The average annual precipitation is 50.43 in (1,281 mm), while snowfall is typically light and rare with a normal of 2.2 inches (5.6 cm) per winter. The heaviest single snowfall occurred on January 23, 1940, with around 10 inches (25 cm) of snow. However, ice storms usually cause more problems than snowfall does,
27966-474: The swap Marquee will end up with KCWY-DT in Casper, Wyoming; KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, Wyoming; KSTF in Scottsbluff, Nebraska; and KNEP in Sydney, Nebraska. At the same time Gray will get Marquee’s FCC permit authorizing construction of a new and currently unbuilt TV station KCBU in Salt Lake City. On February 14, 2024, Gray Television and Syncbak launched Zeam, a free ad-supported steaming service that features local news, local sports, and local weather. Under
28143-447: The television division of Meredith Corporation for $ 2.7 billion. If approved, Gray would sell WJRT-TV to acquire competing station WNEM-TV , owned by Meredith. It is revealed that Allen Media Group would purchase WJRT-TV in Flint for $ 70 million. The sale was completed on December 1. On September 18, 2021, Gray launched InvestigateTV , a weekly program featuring investigative stories from a national team and Gray local investigations to
28320-507: The third-largest owner of television stations in the United States, with a total market share of 24%. Although Gray foresaw that the acquisition would receive regulatory approval quickly, due to limited market overlap between the two companies and its still-relatively low total market reach post-acquisition. Gray would divest nine stations in markets where Gray and Raycom both already owned stations, including WTNZ , WTOL , KXXV , WTXL , WFXG , KWES-TV , WPGX , WSWG , and WDFX-TV . The sale
28497-400: The time of the first Spanish contact. Later Spanish expeditions encountered the remains of groups who had lost many people and been disrupted in the aftermath of infectious diseases, chronic among Europeans, unknowingly introduced by the first expedition. French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville led an exploration party up the Mississippi River in 1698. The explorers saw a red pole marking
28674-444: The war, New Orleans temporarily served as the seat of the Reconstruction era state government. When the Bourbon Democrats regained power in 1882, after considerable intimidation and voter suppression of black Republicans, they returned the state government to Baton Rouge, where it has since remained. In his 1893 guidebook, Karl Baedeker described Baton Rouge as "the Capital of Louisiana, a quaint old place with 10,378 inhabitants, on
28851-406: The whole metropolitan area alongside historic Black Catholic churches. The larger non-Christian faiths according to both studies are Judaism , Islam , and Hinduism . Overall, there are over 1,000 places of worship within Atlanta. With a GDP of $ 385 billion, the Atlanta metropolitan area 's economy is the 8th-largest in the country and the 15th-largest in the world . Corporate operations play
29028-410: Was 51.0% Black or African American, 40.9% non-Hispanic white, 4.2% Asian and 0.3% Native American, and 1.0% from other races. 2.4% of the population reported two or more races . Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 6.0% of the city's population. The median income for a household in the city was $ 77,655 in 2022. The per capita income for the city was $ 60,778 in 2022. Approximately 17.7% percent of
29205-446: Was announced that Circle would cease its broadcast operations on December 31, 2023, with plans on transitioning to FAST streaming and other avenues, as well as a likely chance for the broadcast operations of Circle to be replaced by one of two channels of the new Free TV Networks company. On February 1, 2024, it was announced that Marquee and Gray Television had reached agreements to swap television stations in Wyoming and Utah. As part of
29382-576: Was announced that Gray would acquire two stations that were spun-off from the Nexstar - Media General merger; KWQC-TV in Davenport, Iowa , and WBAY-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin , for $ 270 million. On February 16, 2017, Gray announced that it would acquire WABI-TV in Bangor, Maine , and WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Florida , from Diversified Communications for $ 85 million. On May 4, 2017, Gray announced its intent to acquire WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vermont , from Mount Mansfield Television for $ 29 million. In April 2017, Gray Television filed
29559-1003: Was approved by the FCC on December 20, 2018. The deal was completed on January 2, 2019. Gray announced on April 24, 2019, a joint venture with Grand Ole Opry Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties , a former owner of The Nashville Network . The services would consist of a broadcast diginet and an OTT streaming platform. The joint venture is based in Nashville under general manager Drew Riefenberger. Gray contributed distribution and marketing capabilities, multicast knowledge and affiliate Gray TV stations. The Circle TV network made its launch on January 1, 2020. On February 1, 2021, Gray Television announced its intent to acquire all Quincy Media 's broadcasting properties for $ 925 million in cash. To comply with federal regulators, Gray would divest Quincy stations in Tucson ; Harrisburg, Illinois ; Waterloo/Cedar Rapids, Iowa ; and Madison , La Crosse , and Wausau in Wisconsin over to Allen Media Group . Gray's acquisition of Quincy Media
29736-480: Was barred from the event due to racial segregation laws. Atlanta played a vital role in the Allied effort during World War II due to the city's war-related manufacturing companies, railroad network and military bases. The defense industries attracted thousands of new residents and generated revenues, resulting in rapid population and economic growth. In the 1950s, the city's newly constructed highway system, supported by federal subsidies, allowed middle class Atlantans
29913-531: Was completed on August 2. In March 2021, Gray Television revealed plans to purchase a shuttered General Motors plant in Atlanta suburb Doraville, Georgia , and transform the site into a media production community called Assembly. The "studio city" is set to include multiple film studios, as well as apartments, townhomes, a hotel, corporate offices, restaurants and retail space. In September 2021, Gray Television purchased Doraville-based Third Rail Studios for $ 27.5 million. On May 3, 2021, Gray announced plans to buy
30090-419: Was completed on September 15. In July 2015, Gray closed its accounting and human resources offices in Albany (housed in the same building as The Albany Herald), combining them with the corporate offices in Atlanta. In September 2015, Gray announced that it would acquire the television and radio stations of Schurz Communications for $ 442.5 million. It also purchased KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa , from
30267-408: Was completed. The site was used by Spanish, French, and British authorities and was occupied by both the Confederate States Army and United States Army . It was also part of the short-lived Republic of West Florida. In 1951, ownership of the barracks was transferred to the state of Louisiana. In 1976, the complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Acquisition of Louisiana by
30444-452: Was considered a handicap in some circumstances. In general, Southern accents are less prevalent among residents of the city and inner suburbs and among younger people; they are more common in the outer suburbs and among older people. At the same time, some residents of the city speak in Southern variations of African-American English . Atlanta has a thriving and diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. According to
30621-424: Was constructed. The city of Atlanta was the subject of a massive cyberattack which began in March 2018. In December 2019, Atlanta hosted the Miss Universe 2019 pageant competition. On June 16, 2022, Atlanta was selected as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup . Atlanta encompasses 134.0 square miles (347.1 km ), of which 133.2 square miles (344.9 km ) is land and 0.85 square miles (2.2 km )
30798-408: Was in bankruptcy. In 2006, the company spun off its five daily newspapers and wireless messaging business into the newly formed Triple Crown Media, later (in 2010) renamed Southern Community Newspapers. A new strategy of purchasing stations in college towns or capitals was put into place by. The company had overpaid for a pair of stations and was over leveraged like many other station groups entering
30975-428: Was ruled by seven different nations: the French, Spanish and British in the colonial era; briefly the Republic of West Florida ; the United States as a territory and a state; the Confederate States of America ; and the United States again since the end of the American Civil War . Throughout the governance of these various occupying national governments of Baton Rouge, the city and its metropolitan area have developed as
31152-458: Was selected as the site for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games . Following the announcement , the city government undertook several major construction projects to improve Atlanta's parks, sporting venues, and transportation infrastructure; however, for the first time, none of the $ 1.7 billion cost of the games was governmentally funded. While the games experienced transportation and accommodation problems and, despite extra security precautions, there
31329-428: Was the Centennial Olympic Park bombing , the spectacle was a watershed event in Atlanta's history. For the first time in Olympic history, every one of the record 197 national Olympic committees invited to compete sent athletes, sending more than 10,000 contestants participating in a record 271 events. The related projects such as Atlanta's Olympic Legacy Program and civic effort initiated a fundamental transformation of
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