Charlotte, N.C. TV chronology

[Ccook55]

1949
WBTV/ch. 3 (CBS primary; NBC, ABC and Dumont secondaries) signs on.

1953
WAYS/ch. 36 (NBC primary; ABC secondary) signs on.

1955
WBTV/ch. 3 drops Dumont as a secondary.
WAYS/ch. 36 changes call to WQMC. It goes off the air later in the year.

1957
WBTV/ch. 3 drops NBC as a secondary.
WSOC/ch. 9 (NBC primary, ABC secondary) signs on.
WUTV/ch. 36 is licensed but it does not go on the air.

1964
WCCB/ch. 36 (independent) signs on.

1965
WTVI/ch. 42 (NET) signs on.

1966
WCCB/ch. 36 relocates to channel 18.

1967
WBTV/ch. 3 drops ABC as a secondary.
WCCB/ch. 18 becomes an ABC affiliate.
WCTU/ch. 36 (independent) signs on.
WUNG/ch. 58 (NET) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Concord, N.C.

1968
WHKY/ch. 14 (independent) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Hickory, N.C.

1970
WTVI/ch. 42 and WUNG/ch. 58 become PBS affiliates.

1971
WCTU/ch. 36 changes call to WRET.

1978
WSOC/ch. 9 switches to ABC.
WCCB/ch. 18 reverts to independent.
WNSC/ch. 30 (PBS) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Rock Hill, S.C.
WRET/ch. 36 becomes an NBC affiliate.

1980
WRET/ch. 36 changes call to WCPQ.

1986
WCCB/ch. 18 becomes a Fox affiliate.

1987
WJZY/ch. 46 (independent) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Belmont, N.C.

1989
WCPQ/ch. 36 changes call to WCNC.

1994
WFVT/ch. 55 (independent) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Rock Hill, S.C.
WKAY/ch. 64 (independent) signs on. It is licensed to and originates from Kannapolis, N.C.

1995
WJZY/ch. 46 becomes a UPN affiliate.
WFVT/ch. 55 becomes a WB affiliate.

1996
WKAY/ch. 64 changes call to WAXN.

2001
WFVT/ch. 55 changes call to WWWB.

2006
WJZY/ch. 46 becomes a CW affiliate.
WWWB/ch. 55 becomes a My Network TV affiliate and changes call to WMYT.

2009
All analog broadcasts cease. The following list shows each station's physical digital channel in parentheses and subcarriers in italics.
WBTV/ch. 3 (23) - 3.2 - Bounce TV
WSOC/ch. 9 (34) - 9.2 - AccuWeather
WHKY/ch. 14 (40) - 14.2 - Retro Television Network; 14.3 - Tuff TV; 14.4 - Heartland
WCCB/ch. 18 (27--switched to the CW in 2013) - 18.2 - QVC; 18.3 - Me-TV
WNSC/ch. 30 (15) - 30.2 - PBS Encore/Create; 30.3 - PBS World
WCNC/ch. 36 (22) - 36.2 - Live Well Network
WTVI/ch. 42 (11) - 42.2 - Worldview; 42.3 - Create
WJZY/ch. 46 (47--switched to Fox in 2013) - 46.2 - Antenna TV
WMYT/ch. 55 (39) - 55.2 - This TV; 55.3 - Religious
WUNG/ch. 58 (44) - 58.2 - PBS Kids; 58.3 - Explorer
WAXN/ch. 64 (50) - 64.2 - Get TV

 

[bpatrick]

During the period Group W owned Ch. 36 (the early '80s), its call letters were WPCQ, which, IIRC, stood for "People of the Carolinas and the Queen City." Group W didn't seem to pour a whole lot of money into it; "PM Magazine" remained on WBTV and "Hour Magazine" moved to WBTV after a short stint on 36. The station also dropped "NBC Nightly News" and ran its late newscast at 12:30 AM. I doubt if many people mourned the sale to the Providence Journal, then to Belo and now--with the Belo/Gannett merger--to Gannett.

Prior to '67 WBTV, WSOC, and WCCB all took shows from all three networks; NBC put pressure on WSOC to stop pre-empting the network's shows (Ch. 9 carried a lot of ABC's more popular shows, such as "Bewitched," "Peyton Place," and "Batman" at the time), and in the fall of '67 WBTV became fulltime CBS. WSOC took NBC, and WCCB, ABC. That lasted until WSOC switched to ABC in 1978.

I might mention that WBTV is the oldest CBS affiliate south of Washington, DC, having been CBS primary or exclusively since 1949 (WAGA Atlanta was the oldest until its switch to Fox in 1994); WFMY Greensboro is CBS's second-oldest affiliate south of DC. WBTV signed on in July 1949; WFMY in September of that year.

 

[rnigma1]

And before that, 36's calls were WRET for Robert Edward Turner III, aka Ted Turner. He sold it in 1980 to raise the money to start CNN.

 

[anotherguyTN]

WIth all they different Chronoolgies that you're posting, would you have anything on Memphis or Nashville? Thanks.