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1954 January–March 1955 1962–1963 1964–1966 1966–1967 1967–1970
1954 January–March 1955 1962–1963 1964–1966 1966–1967 1967–1970
1970–1972 1972–1974 1974–1978 1978–1982 1982–1986 1986–1993
1970–1972 1972–1974 1974–1978 1978–1982 1982–1986 1986–1993
1993–1996 1996–2002 2002–2013 March–June 30, 2013 (primary); 2013–present (secondary) 2013–present
1993–1996 1996–2002 2002–2013 March–June 30, 2013 (primary); 2013–present (secondary) 2013–present

WAYS-TV[]

1954[]

Logopedia InfoWhite LOGO MISSING

WCCB traces its roots to WAYS-TV, a primary ABC and secondary NBC affiliate, which signed on the air on January 5, 1954. Broadcasting on UHF channel 36, it was North Carolina's second UHF station (after WNAO-TV in Raleigh), as well as the second television station in the Charlotte market. It was owned by George Dowdy and his company, Inter-City Advertising, owners of WAYS radio (610 AM, now WFNZ); Intercity had filed for channel 11 prior to the 1948 TV freeze, amended its application to specify channel 9 in 1952, then sought channel 36 instead to avoid a comparative hearing.

WQMC-TV[]

January–March 1955[]

Logopedia InfoWhite LOGO MISSING

WUTV[]

1962–1963[]

Logopedia InfoWhite LOGO MISSING

WCCB (-TV)[]

1964–1966[]

Wccb36

In June 1964, businessman Cy Bahakel—who moved from Roanoke, Virginia, to Charlotte—bought the dormant channel 36 license and facilities from Century for $175,000. An addition would be made to the studio building as part of Bahakel's efforts to return the station to the air. He returned the station to air on November 1 of that year as WCCB-TV (for "Charlotte Cy Bahakel"). Charlotte had only two network-affiliated stations and no full-time ABC affiliate.

1966–1967[]

Wccb18abc

On November 1, 1966, WCCB moved from channel 36 to channel 18, broadcasting from a new tower located on Newell Hickory Grove Road in northeast Charlotte. The new channel 18 facility was capable of 1.35 million watts of power, giving WCCB a coverage area comparable to those of WBTV and WSOC-TV. In 1967, WSOC-TV dropped all ABC programming and became a full-time NBC affiliate; WCCB-TV then exclusively aligned with ABC. The state's largest market got a full-fledged ABC affiliate after the state's two smallest markets, Greenville/New Bern/Washington and Wilmington, received ABC affiliates of their own (WCTI-TV and WWAY respectively). However, despite the stronger signal and the first consistent airing of all network programs in Charlotte TV history, WCCB-TV remained a distant third in the ratings.

1967–1970[]

Wccbtv

1970–1972[]

Romper-jan70charlotte

1972–1974[]

Wccbtv18abc

1974–1978[]

Wccb1876

In 1977, ABC announced that it had lured away WSOC-TV, then an NBC affiliate, to be its new outlet in the Charlotte market beginning July 1, 1978, replacing WCCB-TV. That decision set off a two-station showdown between WCCB and WRET-TV channel 36 for the NBC affiliation in Charlotte. WCCB, which had a news department (unlike WRET-TV), was seen as the favorite; sources at NBC were said to see channel 36 as their last option, behind WCCB, with its stronger signal, and WBTV, which the network was trying to woo from CBS to no avail.

1978–1982[]

Wccb1878

1982–1986[]

Wccb 1982

In 1986, WCCB became the last station in a top-50 market to join Fox as one of the upstart network's charter affiliates, since it was doing so well in the ratings as an independent. WCCB affiliated with the network when it launched on October 9 of that year.

1986–1993[]

WCCB 1986

1993–1996[]

WCCB 1993

1996–2002[]

WCCB (1998)

2002–2013[]

WCCB (2012)

2013–present[]

March–June 30, 2013 (primary); 2013–present (secondary)[]

WCCB (April 2013)

Used during the transitional period between Fox and The CW.

July 1, 2013–present[]

WCCB 1

With the loss of WCCB's Fox affiliation, Fox no longer has any charter affiliates remaining in North Carolina. WCCB formally rolled out its new on-air branding and logo the next afternoon, July 1, 2013, its first day as a CW affiliate. However, most verbal references to the station are to its call letters, with any CW references used obliquely (in the manner of "WCCB, Charlotte's CW"). It marked the first time in a quarter-century that the station has used its call letters on a permanent basis in its branding.

External links[]

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