Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

[fybush]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

Sort of a subset of this thread from a few years back:

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=101168.0

Of course, there are plenty of "never-changed" stations that didn't fit under that thread. Most of the ABC stations in my neck of the woods have been with the network from day one - WKBW Buffalo (1958), WOKR/WHAM-TV Rochester (1962), WBJA/WMGC/WIVT Binghamton - even as other stations in their markets have shifted. WBEN-TV/WIVB Buffalo has been with CBS since 1948, and WNBF-TV/WBNG Binghamton since 1949.

What about WSYR-TV 9 (Syracuse).... they have been with ABC since they went on the air as WNYS in 1962? In fact I think all of the big 4 affiliates in Syracuse (WSTM, WTVH, WSYR-TV and WSYT) have not switched affiliations.

Scott what about WMUR-Manchester, NH? They have only been with ABC but I am not sure they were an ABC affiliate when the signed on or if that came later.

I didn't repeat WNYS/WIXT/WSYR-TV in this thread, because it was mentioned in the original thread I linked to - as you note, Syracuse is one of the markets from that thread, in which nobody's ever flipped affiliations.

 

[RadioDaze]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

Roanoke/Lynchburg is the only market in Virginia which hasn't
played musical affiliations; WSLS (1952) started as an NBC primary;
WSET (1953) is ABC's oldest affiliate south of Washington (WLOS
is second); WDBJ (1955) has been with CBS from the beginning.

According to the history on WSET's website, the station, then WLVA-TV, was a CBS affiliate from its 1953 sign-on until 1954 when it switched to ABC. This predates CBS affiliate WDBJ's sign-on by a year, though, so not an affiliation swap.

Roanoke also had a separate ABC affiliate on UHF, WRFT-TV 27, from 1966-1974--the second of three attempts to operate a successful station on UHF 27 in the market, only the third of which proved ultimately successful (today's Fox affiliate WFXR).

 

[KERCAlum]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

A couple of smaller Texas markets:

Abilene - KRBC has been an NBC affiliate since its sign-on in 1954. KTXS has been an ABC affiliate since it signed on shortly after (they were split affiliation with ABC and CBS until 1979, when...) And KTAB has been with CBS since its sign on in 1979.

In Wichita Falls/Lawton, all three network affiliates (KAUZ/6 - CBS, KFDX/3 - NBC, KSWO/7 - ABC) have been with their affiliates since they signed on.

 

[dave73]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

For South Bend, IN, WSBT has always been a CBS station, though they were NBC & ABC secondary affiliates for about 3 years after they signed on in 1952. They were also one of a few CBS stations that was color in the 1950's. WNDU has always been NBC since their sign on in 1955. Those are the only 2 that have stayed with the same network since their sign on.

 

[Laura151]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

In Montgomery, Alabama, Channel 12 (WSFA) has been with NBC from the beginning of that local channel.

 

[bpatrick]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

Roanoke/Lynchburg is the only market in Virginia which hasn't
played musical affiliations; WSLS (1952) started as an NBC primary;
WSET (1953) is ABC's oldest affiliate south of Washington (WLOS
is second); WDBJ (1955) has been with CBS from the beginning.

According to the history on WSET's website, the station, then WLVA-TV, was a CBS affiliate from its 1953 sign-on until 1954 when it switched to ABC. This predates CBS affiliate WDBJ's sign-on by a year, though, so not an affiliation swap.

Roanoke also had a separate ABC affiliate on UHF, WRFT-TV 27, from 1966-1974--the second of three attempts to operate a successful station on UHF 27 in the market, only the third of which proved ultimately successful (today's Fox affiliate WFXR).

Similar to Nashville, where WSIX (now WKRN) was a CBS affiliate in 1953-54; WLAC (now WTVF), as I pointed out, signed on in 1954 and took the CBS affiliation, CBS having a long relationship with WLAC radio. I think, though, that WSET's website points out that it is the oldest ABC affiliate south of Washington; coincidentally, the two oldest ABC affiliates south of Washington are both on virtual channel 13; likewise, it's something of a coincidence that the two oldest CBS affiliates south of Washington are in North Carolina: WBTV Charlotte and WFMY Greensboro, both since 1949 (Atlanta would lay claim to both except for the fact that there were two network swaps there: WXIA would be the oldest ABC affiliate south of Washington if it were still with the Alphabet network, having signed on in 1951; WAGA was the oldest CBS affiliate south of Washington (March 1949 sign-on; WBTV's wasn't until July) until the change to Fox in 1994).

 

[Banjomax]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

One I didn't see in this thread (or the other linked thread from last year... though I may have missed it): WCAX (ex-WVMT) Burlington, VT, which as far as I know has been a CBS primary since day one in 1954. They did have a brief secondary Fox affiliation in the mid '90s IIRC.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

In North Carolina, the following stations have maintained their primary affiliations with the same network since sign-on:


WECT, Wilmington (NBC-1954)-originally WMFD


WWAY, Wilmington (ABC-1964)

I should point out that in TV Guides that I have seen from the 70s, WECT had some CBS programming, particularly afternoon soaps, and WWAY was listed as an affiliate of NBC as well. This was a little unusual in that this was a market that didn't get a CBS affiliate until 1984 (it's now Fox and there is no full-power CBS). But I guess it's no different from the affiliates in other markets that stayed mainly with one network even though someone had to provide the other network or networks.

 

[RadioDaze]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

Even though it started as CBS in 1953, WSET-TV easily still claims oldest ABC affiliate south of Washington, as they switched the very next year.

After the dust settled from the DTV Big Switch, WSET and Asheville's WLOS are both again on RF 13, though I don't think they did so on 6/12/09.

Similar to Nashville, where WSIX (now WKRN) was a CBS affiliate in 1953-54; WLAC (now WTVF), as I pointed out, signed on in 1954 and took the CBS affiliation, CBS having a long relationship with WLAC radio. I think, though, that WSET's website points out that it is the oldest ABC affiliate south of Washington; coincidentally, the two oldest ABC affiliates south of Washington are both on virtual channel 13; likewise, it's something of a coincidence that the two oldest CBS affiliates south of Washington are in North Carolina: WBTV Charlotte and WFMY Greensboro, both since 1949 (Atlanta would lay claim to both except for the fact that there were two network swaps there: WXIA would be the oldest ABC affiliate south of Washington if it were still with the Alphabet network, having signed on in 1951; WAGA was the oldest CBS affiliate south of Washington (March 1949 sign-on; WBTV's wasn't until July) until the change to Fox in 1994).

 

[RadioDaze]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

With the Wilmington market having only two commercial TV stations from 1964-84 (and, until 1972, two stations, period), they probably had secondary affiliation agreements with CBS. This was common practice in markets such as Wilmington, Florence, and Raleigh-Durham before they had a sufficient number of stations sign-on to accomodate the then-three national networks.

The NBC-WWAY listing is interesting though, as WECT was (and is) the primary NBC affiliate.

I should point out that in TV Guides that I have seen from the 70s, WECT had some CBS programming, particularly afternoon soaps, and WWAY was listed as an affiliate of NBC as well. This was a little unusual in that this was a market that didn't get a CBS affiliate until 1984 (it's now Fox and there is no full-power CBS). But I guess it's no different from the affiliates in other markets that stayed mainly with one network even though someone had to provide the other network or networks.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

Youngstown, OH has all of its full-power stations with their original network:

WFMJ/21 (NBC)
WKBN/27 (CBS)
WYTV/33 (ABC)

WFMJ dates back to 1953 (started its first year on Channel 73). WKBN goes back to 1953 as well (first station in the market), and WYTV also dates back to 1953 (the first few years as WKST/45 New Castle PA). All three started with their current networks.

Speaking of 45, it later was reallocated to Alliance OH, and is now the Youngstown market's PBS affiliate (WNEO, simulcaster of WEAO/49 Akron "Western Reserve PBS"). And it started with PBS, too.

WYFX-LD/19 is not full-power, of course, but has been a Fox affiliate since starting as analog WYFX-LP/62.

 

[dgendvil]

Re: Full-Power Stations That've Always Been With the Same Network (O&O or Affiliate)

Portland, Oregon as well:

KOIN 6 (CBS), since 1953
KGW 8 (NBC), since 1956

San Francisco:
KPIX 5 (CBS), since 1949
KGO 7 (ABC), since 1949

Seattle:
KOMO 4 (ABC), since 1959, was with NBC (1953-59)
KING 5 (NBC), also since 1959, was with ABC/NBC, I think (1948-53)
KIRO 7(CBS), since 1958, except 1995-97, when they were with UPN

Sacramento:
KCRA 3 (NBC), since 1955

Las Vegas, NV
KSNV 3 (NBC), since 1955
KLAS 8 (CBS), since 1953
KTNV 13 (ABC), since 1959

Phoenix:
KPNX 12 (NBC), since 1953

That's all I can think of.