Editing WSVN (section)

=== Struggles alongside NBC ===
[[File:Fariss Klaas Report.jpg|thumb|270x270px|January 1976 WCKT print ad for ''The Fariss-Klaas Report'', debuting their version of the "[[circle 7 logo]]"]]
Coinciding directly with NBC's adoption of [[NBC logo#Trapezoid N Logo (1976–1979)|an abstract "N" logo]] in January 1976,<ref name="FortLa19760117p 121">{{Cite news |last=Keaton |first=Bob |date=January 17, 1976 |title=What Next—Bionic Children? |page=53D |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94616949/what-nextbionic-children/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> WCKT unveiled an iteration of the [[circle 7 logo]] similar to a design originally created for ABC's [[owned-and-operated station]]s on January 19.<ref name="MiamiN19760316p50">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Sherry |date=March 16, 1976 |title=On Channel 2 tonight: Barrett-Browning love unfolds |page=6B |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94616914/on-channel-2-tonight-barrett-browning/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> WCKT replaced 6&nbsp;p.m. co-anchor Richard Whitcomb with Larry Klass for ''The Fariss-Klass Report'', with Carmel Cafiero taking over Klass's prior weekend duties and becoming the station's first female news anchor.<ref name="MiamiH19751224p45">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Jack |date=December 24, 1975 |title=News Staff Assignments Are Changed at Channel 7 |page=9D |newspaper=The Miami Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95893215/news-staff-assignments-are-changed-at/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Klass's on-air delivery, described as "sedate" in a way that matched WCKT's overall presentation, contrasted with his youthful demeanor and penchant for cynicism.<ref name="MiamiN19770321p43">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Sherry |date=March 21, 1977 |title=Off-hours with Larry Klaas |page=B1 |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95239388/off-hours-with-larry-klaas/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The station celebrated the [[United States Bicentennial]] on July 4, 1976, with a special taped production recreating news events of July 4, 1776, with anchors Fariss, Klass and Cafiero dressed in period-appropriate attire; news director Gene Strul spent several months with pre-planning and research in advance of the taping.<ref name="MiamiH19760603p37">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Jack |date=June 3, 1976 |title=Relive July 4, 1776, With Ch. 7 |page=7B |newspaper=The Miami Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94989372/relive-july-4-1776-with-ch-7/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

By September 1977, Vic Mason replaced Klass as 6&nbsp;p.m. co-anchor after Klass returned to reporting; Cafiero also left WCKT to return to New Orleans but quickly returned.<ref name="MiamiN19771125p19">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Sherry |date=November 25, 1977 |title=Channel 7 won't renew Larry Klaas' contract |page=5B |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95238953/channel-7-wont-renew-larry-klaas/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Recently promoted to station manager, Robert Leider explained that Mason represented an effort to attract younger viewers, particularly in the 18–34 demographic.{{r|FortLa19780616p 73}} Mason resigned abruptly in October 1978, with Connie Hicks replacing him as co-anchor.<ref name="MiamiH19781111p117">{{Cite news |last=Shister |first=Neil |date=November 11, 1978 |title=Connie Hicks: The Anchorwoman as Everyman, on Ch. 7 |page=11C |newspaper=The Miami Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98262925/connie-hicks-the-anchorwoman-as/ |access-date=March 24, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> WPLG was now on a ratings upswing led by anchors Glenn Rinker and Ann Bishop (who went by Harriette while at WCKT).{{r|Miam760315}} By the end of 1977, WPLG challenged WCKT for second place in local news ratings, with WTVJ remaining the market leader;<ref name="MiamiN19771230p79">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Sherry |date=December 30, 1977 |title=Ch. 4 slips to third for first time in prime time TV ratings race |page=15D |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95239936/ch-4-slips-to-third-for-first-time-in/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> WPLG overtook WCKT for second in 1979.<ref name="FortLa19790729p 150">{{Cite news |last=Bianculli |first=David |date=July 29, 1979 |title=Do We Get Fair Share Of TV News Coverage? |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95885939/do-we-get-fair-share-of-tv-news/ 1H], 6H |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95886023/do-we-get-fair-share-of-tv-news/ |access-date=March 24, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> WCKT reporters and cameramen, 27 in total, voted to join the [[National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians]] in January 1979 despite past resistance from management in three prior attempts. Reporters were allowed to participate in the vote, as the station also had them also perform camera work and film editing.<ref name="MiamiN19790112p52">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Sherry |date=January 12, 1979 |title=With reporters voting, WCKT employees OK union |page=8C |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95002747/with-reporters-voting-wckt-employees/ |access-date=March 24, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

[[Johnny Carson]] accused both WCKT and [[Dallas]]–[[Fort Worth]]'s [[KXAS-TV]] of 'clipping' portions of ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|The Tonight Show]]'' during the program's July 26, 1978, installment, citing a viewer letter claiming WCKT joined ''Tonight'' in the middle of Carson's monologue after playing extra commercials.<ref name="MiamiH19780729p25">{{Cite news |last=Shister |first=Neil |date=July 29, 1978 |title=Say You're Sorry; Ch. 7 Tells Johnny Carson |page=7B |newspaper=The Miami Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98179923/say-youre-sorry-ch-7-tells-johnny/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Two years earlier, [[West Palm Beach]] station [[WTVX]] was accused of the same practice, prompting the FCC's Broadcast Bureau to hold hearings over their license.<ref name="PalmBe19780621p 101">{{Cite news |last=Tierney |first=Mary Jo |date=June 21, 1978 |title=Co-Owner of WTVX Admits Clipping |page=B2 |newspaper=Palm Beach Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42563487/co-owner-of-wtvx-admits-clipping/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Edmund Ansin denied the accusations, citing timing failure from a [[master control]] clock that ran 30 seconds behind throughout the newscast that preceded the program.{{r|MiamiH19780729p25}} Carson later offered a written apology to Ansin, explaining his stance was based solely on the viewer letter and was not verified prior to going on air.<ref name="MiamiN19780825p49">{{Cite news |date=August 25, 1978 |title=Briefly: Carson apologizes to WCKT for remark on 'clipping' |page=5A |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98179886/briefly-carson-apologizes-to-wckt-for/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> ''Tonight'' was, in fact, one of the few bright spots on NBC's entire lineup, which was experiencing [[History of NBC#1970s doldrums|a prolonged and substantial ratings downturn]] starting in the middle of the decade.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 14, 1979 |title=Television: Struggling to Leave the Cellar |volume=113 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |issue=20 |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,916805,00.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 1, 2007}}</ref> Consequently, by 1978, WCKT declined to air specific network shows more often than WTVJ or WPLG did with their respective networks, with Leider noting the substituted programs generally performed better and NBC rarely commented on them.<ref name="FortLa19780616p 73">{{Cite news |last=Bianculli |first=David |date=June 16, 1978 |title=The Men Who Control TV |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95886527/the-men-who-control-tv/ 3S], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95886675/the-men-who-control-tv-p2/ 4S], 5S, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95886845/the-men-who-control-tv-p4/ 6S] |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95886759/the-men-who-control-tv-p3/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In late 1977, WCKT aired ''[[The Devil's Brigade (film)|The Devil's Brigade]]'' and ''[[Anchors Aweigh (film)|Anchors Aweigh]]'' in place of NBC's ''[[Black Sheep Squadron]]''. This led [[Robert Conrad]]—the star of ''Black Sheep''—to personally contact WCKT operations manager Allen Sternberg along with NBC executives, and protest the move on ''The Tonight Show''. Sternberg cited the show's Wednesday night slot as consistently one of the network's weakest-performing timeslots.<ref name="MiamiN19771212p71">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Sherry |date=December 12, 1977 |title=Conrad goes to war to get 'Black Sheep' shown in Miami |page=7B |newspaper=The Miami News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95159659/conrad-goes-to-war-to-get-black-sheep/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>