WCIX & WTVJ Announce The Big Switch

The NBC & CBS/Westinghouse deal that gave CBS KYW in Philadelphia and KCNC in Denver also offered up not the station in Miami, but the channel. This swap would be the first of its kind for commercial TV stations.

[@altfactor]

WPLG Channel 10 got lucky as it didn't change affiliations in either 1989 or 1995. They were probably the big winners in both affiliation swaps.

[@1TexasTV]

NBC traded two O&O stations (KCNC/Denver and KUTV/Salt Lake City) and some NBC property in Miami to CBS/Group W for one CBS station in Philadelphia (WCAU).

[@joshdznyc]

And CBS took over the Philadelphia NBC affiliate KYW, which NBC owned for 8 years which they bought through threats to Group W to pull affiliation if NBC wasn’t sold the station.

[@SigmaRho2922]

In Denver, KMGH became an ABC affiliate and KUSA became an NBC affiliate, while KSL affiliated with NBC after a deal to affiliate with KTVX fell through. In March 1995, CBS announced the purchase of then-ABC affiliate WPRI (channel 12) in Providence. The swap between WPRI and WLNE (channel 6) took place during the transmitter swap. When Westinghouse bought CBS in November 1995, it was forced to sell WPRI to a third party in order to conform to the signal of WBZ-TV (channel 4) in Boston, which joined the network in January of that year. The FCC eliminated the rule regarding stations with overlapping signals in 2000.

[@cameronfranklin984]

Well, to put it into very good perspective here, since that epic station swap, WTVJ TV, NBC 6, is now owned by both NBC and NBCUniversal AND as for WCIX TV, well, they've since changed the station call letters and are now WFOR TV with CBS owning the station.

[@BonusEggs4Sale]

still not used to it!

[@SigmaRho2922]

The impetus for the transmitter swap was a trade agreement reached between NBC and Group W where KCNC and KUTV would be traded to CBS in exchange for WCAU, as a sale of the station was rejected due to capital gains tax issues. This caused a three way affiliate swap in Denver where KMGH affiliated with ABC and KUSA took NBC. In addition KSL took over the NBC affiliation for Salt Lake City. The date of the swap was September 10, 1995. Two other affiliation swaps also happened that day: WLNE swapped affiliations with WPRI after CBS announced the purchase of the latter station in March, while WNCN became an NBC station after the NBC-Outlet deal took the network’s affiliation away from WRDC. As of 2022 WPRI remains a CBS affiliate while WNCN lost its NBC affiliation in 2016 to WRAL.

[@joerouse7908]

The agreement was actually between NBC and CBS. Then CBS and Westinghouse created a joint venture which managed the stations obtained from NBC. This was a byproduct of an agreement that Westinghouse and CBS had made where Westinghouse would affiliate its stations with CBS; CBS had to give up its station in Philly for that deal to work. All of this occurred prior to Westinghouse buying CBS outright.

[@feelunknown1770]

1:19 - Transmitter tower

[@altfactor]

Didn't Channel 6 Miami eventually move it's transmitter to the same location as the other Miami stations once TV went digital?

[@joerouse7908]

Yes

[@marcus813]

Part of the deal that led to this channel swap nearly made Philadelphia's WCAU-TV a FOX station. The station ended up going to NBC by default due to FOX Television Stations buying existing FOX affiliate WTXF-TV.

[@InfinitriCreatives]

5:14 NBC has maintained its position of being one-sided and serving their self-interest. The network exists not primarily for revenue, but for public good. Broadcasting is not abusiness alone, it's also a public service. The US law requires every station to operate for public interest, and stations must mot serve the public just because of being forced by the law. A real media company shall be commits to serve the people. Everone should remember that a broadcasting license is not a license to make money alone.

[@joshdznyc]

Meanwhile, for years, NBC viewers lost their ability to watch NBC for years

[@dgendvil]

Too bad New World/Fox never bought a station there....

[@revinhatol]

Yet.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

@@revinhatol New World Communications has been defunct since 1997, so that's completely out of the question. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Communications

[@JimmySand9]

WTVJ very well could have ended up becoming a New World station. They were owned by Kohlberg/Kravis/Roberts along with the former Storer stations, if they didn't sell 'TVJ to NBC it probably would have been sold to Gillett along with those former Storer stations, and eventually to New World. A channel lineup like this: Fox 4, CBS 6, NBC 7, ABC 10, could have very well happened in 94 or 95.

[@erickirk6966]

I remember the big affiliation switch of the mid 90s when we saw New World and Citicasters stations dumping their ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliations for Fox (in Phoenix, Dallas, Austin, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Greensboro, Birmingham, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta) when Fox won the NFC Football package. As well as Group W stations dumping their ABC and NBC affiliations for CBS (in Baltimore, Philly, and Boston). Plus additional affiliation switches that occured in Honolulu, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, New Orleans, Mobile, Jacksonville, Miami, Charleston, and Providence that occured in the mid 90s. Seattle would reverse course 2 years later. Another big affiliation switch that took place was the big ABC and NBC switch that took place during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and San Diego. Jacksonville would reverse course a few years later. ABC moved to stronger performing stations, and NBC was experiencing ratings woes that predated the Tartikoff turnaround. Mid-to-late 1980s would see affiliation switches in Fresno, Raleigh, and Miami, of course. Other affiliation switches over the years... San Francisco in 2001, when NBC dumped KRON for KNTV. Jacksonville in 2002, when CBS dumped WJXT. Portland and Minneapolis in 2002, when Fox moved to KPTV and KMSP, respectively. San Diego in 2008, when Fox dumped XETV for KSWB. Charlotte in 2013, when Fox dumped WCCB for WJZY. Indianapolis in 2015, when CBS dumped WISH for WTTV. Raleigh in 2016 when WRAL rejoined NBC, and WNCN picked up CBS. Boston in 2017, when NBC dumped WHDH. Major TV markets outside of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago to retain the same ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliations for 50+ years, and the same Fox affiliation since 1986 are D.C., Houston, Pittsburgh, Orlando, and Las Vegas. I do at times wonder "what if" the big affiliation switch went a different route in a couple of markets... In Philly, for example, I could picture CBS still going to KYW, Fox going to WCAU, and NBC going to WTXF. In Boston, I could picture CBS still going to WBZ, Fox going to WHDH, and NBC to WFXT. In Sacramento, I could see CBS still going to KOVR, ABC to KCRA, and NBC to KXTV. In Atlanta, my home market, I could picture Fox still going to WAGA, and CBS going to WATL instead of WGCL. Had CBS went to WATL... WGCL would've committed to WB and kept its 10PM newscast for a few more years. Plus WGCL likely wouldn't have had to endure Meredith ownership, the loss of WGNX call letters, talent and management turnovers, and the back-and-forth between CBS Atlanta and CBS 46 brandings, and that short-lived Clear News gimmick. WATL as CBS (since WAGA took Fox away from them) would've likely had decent ownership (like Scripps or Raycom), plus a steady CBS 36 branding, and a steady and worthwhile news operation. Just some thoughts.😅

[@jelanimclean6326]

Then: WTVJ Channel 4, WCIX Channel 6. Now: WFOR CBS 4, WTVJ NBC 6.

[@stephenholloway6893]

Although once CBS gained the AFC games, channel 4 would once again be the primary home of the Dolphins.

[@JHollowayNetwork]

5:22 - Isn't that a young Martha Sugalski before she changed her hairstyle?

[@JimmySand9]

That's actually Kelly Craig, though I'm sure she'd appreciate the comparison.

[@JHollowayNetwork]

@@JimmySand9 Martha Sugalski was a reporter/substitue anchor at WPTV in nearby West Palm Beach, before making the jump to WTVJ NBC6 the following year.

[@1thetvzone]

love this video. Thx u

[@DisneyStudioNetwork]

Do u have the West Palm Beach stations covering the switches

[@ScoopNemeth]

CBS on Channel 4, awesome the second time around, AS WFOR!!

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

...all thanks to a broadcast tower/equipment swap!