Founded:
1955. Acquired by Freedom Communications in 1996.

Viewership:
Serving the West Palm Beach/Boca Raton/Fort Pierce region of Florida, the nation's 38th largest television market (DMA). Reaches approximately 623,000 TV households a week.

Philosophy:
We strive to provide our viewers and Web site users with the most relevant news, information and entertainment in the market, help our clients grow their businesses and provide a variety of growth opportunities for our associates.

Special features:
WPEC produces more local news than any other station in the market, including 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 10:00-11:00 p.m. on the local Fox affiliate. All newscasts are now in high definition on brand new sets with the latest studio technology. A helicopter, satellite truck, live trucks, remote bureaus and Doppler and StormTrac (VIPIR) radar are just some of the news-gathering tools at our disposal. Our commitment to the community includes feeding the hungry, working with pet shelters to find homes for abandoned animals, helping to find fugitives and exposing waste, fraud and dirty restaurants through our I-Team.

Awards:
National Association of Broadcasters Service to America "Friend in Need" award (2005), ADDYs, Emmys, Associated Press.

THE COMMUNITY

Location:
Located in southeast coastal Florida, the West Palm Beach market encompasses an area stretching from Vero Beach to the north, Boca Raton to the south and Lake Okeechobee to the west. We're about an hour from Miami, 30 minutes from Fort Lauderdale and two hours from Orlando (Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios and other attractions).

Market:
With tourism a multi-billion dollar industry, one out of five jobs is tourism-related. Beyond tourism, the major industries are: biotechnology/life sciences (home of Scripps Research Institute’s Florida campus), communications/information technology, medical/pharmaceutical/health care, aerospace and engineering, agribusiness and business/financial services. The many examples of economic growth include a major upsurge in building, redevelopment projects and new business ventures. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked this market tops in the nation for innovation, high levels of disposable income, diversified economy and skilled workforce.

Things to do:
An annual average temperature of 78 degrees provides ample opportunity for year-round sports and activities including golf (more than 160 public and private courses), tennis (1,100 public and private courts), spring training and minor league baseball, biking, boating, salt- and fresh-water fishing, diving, 13 beachfront parks, polo and horseback riding. We're also within an easy drive of Dolphin Stadium, Disney World, Miami, the Everglades, state parks, concert venues, theaters and shopping.