WCBD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Lowcountry area of South Carolina in the United States that is licensed to Charleston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 (or virtual channel 2 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Awendaw. Owned by the Nexstar Media Group, it has studios on West Coleman Boulevard (U.S. 701 Bus/U.S. 17 Bus/SC 703) in Mount Pleasant.
The station is carried on cable channel 3 in most parts of the market.
History
The station signed on the air as WUSN-TV on September 25, 1954. The station was originally owned by Drayton Hastie. It aired an analog signal on VHF channel 2 and was originally an NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. Hastie sold the station to Reeves Telecom in 1960. It shared ABC programming with WCSC-TV until 1962, when WCIV signed-on and took the NBC affiliation. WUSN then became a full-time ABC affiliate. During the late-1950s, it was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network. In 1971, Reeves then sold Channel 2 to State Telecasting Company. On November 8, 1971, the station adopted its current call letters, WCBD standing for Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties (the three counties in the Charleston metropolitan area). Former owner Media General bought the station from State Telecasting in 1983. It remained the market's ABC affiliate until August 19, 1996, when it swapped affiliations with WCIV and became an NBC affiliate once again. This was a result of an affiliation deal between ABC and WCIV's owner at the time, Allbritton Communications.
On January 27, 2016, Media General announced that it had entered into a definite agreement to be acquired by Nexstar Broadcasting Group for $4.6 billion. The combined company will be called Nexstar Media Group and own 171 stations (including WCBD-TV). The deal was completed on January 17, 2017.
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Starting on September 18, 2006, the station began airing The CW on a new second digital subchannel.
Analog-to-digital conversion
WCBD-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 2, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 50, using PSIP to display WCBD-TV's virtual channel as 2 on digital television receivers.
Programming
Syndicated programming on WCBD includes Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, The Doctors, and The Wendy Williams Show.
Newscasts
WCBD spent most of the 1970s and 1980s in last place until Media General bought the station in 1983. Since then, it has been a solid runner-up to longtime leader WCSC. WCBD offers more than 30 hours of news per week. Each newscasts focus on WCBD's signature elements that have become a staple in the Lowcountry: "Storm Team 2," "CrimeTracker," "Count on 2 Medical Report," "Count on 2 School Report," "Count on 2 Sports," "Drive Time Traffic" and "Reality Check."
WCBD airs a newscast Saturday nights at 7 but, unlike WCSC and WCIV, does not offer a broadcast at the same time on weeknights. The first HD telecasts was on July 29, 2012, making it the last Lowcountry station to go HD. WCBD started a weekend morning newscast that airs on Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. In addition to its main studios, WCBD also operates a bureau located on Assembly Street/SC 48 covering the Capitol in Columbia. The operating expenses are shared among Media General's outlets in South Carolina.
Notable current on-air staff
- Rob Fowler (NWA and AMS Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist
Notable former on-air staff
- Amy Robach - now at ABC News
- Jon Robinson - 2004â€"2006
Counties that WCBD-TV covers
- Berkeley County
- Charleston County
- Colleton County
- Dorchester County
- Georgetown County
- Orangeburg County
Sometimes WCBD will cover the following counties. (EX: Severe storm coverage, or breaking news from one of the following counties.)
- Allendale County (very rarely)
- Bamberg County (very rarely)
- Barnwell County (very rarely)
- Beaufort County
- Clarendon County
- Hampton County (very rarely)
- Horry County
- Jasper County (very rarely)
- Williamsburg County
See also
- Channel 2 virtual TV stations in the United States
- Channel 50 digital TV stations in the United States
References
- WCBD About Us
External links
- CountOn2.com - Official WCBD-TV Website
- The CW Charleston Online - Official CW Charleston Website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WCBD-TV