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{{short description|ABC affiliate in Augusta, Georgia}}
{{Infobox_Broadcast |
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
call_letters = WJBF|
{{Infobox television station
city = |
| callsign = WJBF
station_logo = ]<br>]|
| city =
station_slogan = ''The Station You<br>Count On''|
| logo = ]
station_branding = WJBF NewsChannel 6|
----
analog = |
]
digital = 42 (])<br>]: 6 (])|
----
other_chs = |
]
subchannels = 6.1 ]<br />6.2 ]|
| branding = {{ubl|''WJBF NewsChannel 6''|MeTV WJBF 6.2 (DT2)|WJBF CW 6 (DT3)}}
affiliations = ] (secondary until 1967)|
| digital = 28 (])
network = |
| virtual = 6
founded = |
| subchannels =
airdate = November 1953 <ref>The ''Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook'' says November 23, while the ''Television and Cable Factbook'' says November 22.</ref>|
| translators =
location = ]|
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''6.1:''' ]|'''6.3:''' ]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
callsign_meaning = '''J.''' '''B.''' '''F'''uqua<br>(station founder)|
| owner = ]
former_callsigns = |
| licensee = Nexstar Media Inc.
former_channel_numbers = Analog:<br>6 (], 1953-2009)|
| location = ]
owner = ]|
| country = United States
licensee = Media General Communications Holdings, LLC|
| founded =
sister_stations = ]|
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1953|11|26|p=y}}
former_affiliations = ] (1953-1974; secondary from 1967)<br>] (secondary, 1953-1954)<br>] (secondary, 1953-1956)|
| last_airdate =
effective_radiated_power = 1,000 ] |
| callsign_meaning = ] (founder of the station)
HAAT = 507 m |
| sister_stations =
class = |
| former_callsigns = WJBF-TV (1953–1954)
facility_id = 27140|
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 6 (], 1953–2009)|'''Digital:''' 42 (UHF, 1999–2020)}}
coordinates = {{coord|33|24|20.7|N|81|50|0.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}|
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|] (primary 1953–1967, secondary 1967–1974)|] (secondary, 1953–1954)|] (secondary, 1953–1956)}}
homepage = |
| erp = 755 kW
| haat = {{convert|504.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 27140
| coordinates = {{coord|33|24|20.7|N|81|50|0.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = ]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wjbf.com/}}
}} }}


'''WJBF''', channel 6, is an ]-affiliated ] in ], ]. WJBF is owned by the broadcast division of ], and has its studios in Television Park, near the Augusta Mall in Augusta. The station's transmitter is located in ]. '''WJBF''' (channel 6) is a ] in ], United States, affiliated with ] and owned by ]. The station's third ] serves as an ] of ], in which Nexstar holds a majority stake. WJBF's studios are located in Television Park, near the Augusta Mall in Augusta, and its transmitter is located in ].


==History==
Through ] and ] agreements, WJBF operates ] affiliate ] (channel 26), which is owned by ].
WJBF-TV began operations on November 26, 1953, as Augusta's first television station.<ref> '']'', November 30, 1953, pg. 68.</ref> The station was founded by the Georgia-Carolina Broadcasting Company, the broadcasting arm of local entrepreneur ],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1914 |title=New Georgia Encyclopedia: J. B. Fuqua (1918-2006) |access-date=November 1, 2007 |archive-date=April 24, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424095601/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1914 |url-status=dead }}</ref> who also owned ] affiliate WJBF (1230 AM). WJBF-TV was a primary ] affiliate, but picked up programs from ], ABC and ] on a secondary basis. Sister station WJBF radio was sold by Fuqua in 1954 (it is now ]).<ref> ''Broadcasting - Telecasting'', July 5, 1954, pg. 66.</ref> It lost CBS only three months later when ] (channel 12) signed on.


On September 1, 1967, WJBF became a primary ABC affiliate.<ref> ''Broadcasting'', August 14, 1967, pg. 52. </ref> The move relegated NBC to a shared secondary affiliation with WRDW-TV. This was an unusual situation for a then two-station market, especially one as small as Augusta. ABC, as the smallest and weakest of the big three networks, would not be on nearly the same footing with CBS and NBC until the 1970s, when most markets of Augusta's size grew large enough to support three full network affiliates. However, fellow NBC affiliate ] in ] provided at least grade B coverage to the South Carolina side of the market. In contrast, no full-time ABC affiliate put even a grade B signal into the area. Fuqua reasoned that if channel 6 took a primary ABC affiliation, it wouldn't have significant out-of-market competition. Additionally, in 1966 Fuqua bought two full-time ABC affiliates, ] in ], and KTHI-TV (now ]) in ], and apparently wanted to get his other stations—WJBF and ] in ]—in line with the new acquisitions. In 1969, Fuqua branched out into the movie theater business when he purchased Martin Theaters of Georgia, forerunner of ]. At the time, Martin Theaters of Georgia itself also owned ] in ], and ] in ], also ABC affiliates. Those were added to Fuqua's portfolio.
==Digital Television==


When WATU (channel 26, later WAGT) began operations in December 1968, conventional wisdom suggested that it would become a full NBC affiliate. However, since many Augusta viewers still didn't have UHF-capable sets, NBC allowed WJBF and WRDW-TV to continue to cherry-pick most of its stronger programs. For its part, WJBF kept airing both the '']'' and '']'', which preempted ABC's '']'' among others. WATU was thus saddled with NBC's weaker programs, a major factor in the station going dark in 1970.<ref> ''Broadcasting'', March 29, 1971, pg. 68. </ref> When WATU returned to the air in 1974 as a full-time NBC affiliate, WJBF was forced to drop NBC programming once and for all, per an FCC order issued in 1971 that required VHF stations in markets with three or more commercial outlets to affiliate with only one network.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Channel
! ]
! ]
! Programming
|-
| 6.1 || ] || rowspan=2| ] || Main WJBF programming / ABC
|-
| 6.2 || ] || ]<ref></ref>
|}
WJBF replaced RTV with ] on digital subchannel 6.2 on September 26, 2011, as part of a groupwide affiliation agreement with Media General; the channel replaced RTV on some Media General-owned stations in other markets.<ref>, ''TVNewsCheck'', September 15, 2011.</ref>


Fuqua began breaking up his business empire in 1980. His television stations were among the first assets to be sold, with WJBF and WTVM going to ]–based Western Broadcasting Company.,<ref> ''Broadcasting'', July 28, 1980. pp. 82, </ref> and WTVC going to the ] of Dallas, Texas. In 1984, Western sold its broadcast holdings to the ], then-parent of educational publisher ].<ref> ''Broadcasting'', January 16, 1984, pg. 41.</ref> In 1986, SFN was sold to Pegasus Broadcasting, a new firm formed by members of SFN's management.<ref> {{dead link|date=June 2014}}</ref> Pegasus quickly became part of ] in 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1990 |title=For the Record... |pages=80 |work=] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/90-OCR/BC-1990-06-04-OCR-Page-0080.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1990 |title=For the Record |pages=85 |work=] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/90-OCR/BC-1990-06-11-OCR-Page-0085.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> Spartan Radiocasting of ] purchased the station in 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 16, 1992 |title=For the Record |pages=45 |work=] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-03-16-OCR-Page-0045.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> Spartan was renamed ] in 1995. Spartan merged with ] in 2000.
==History==
Augusta's first television station, WJBF-TV began operations on November 23, 1953. The station was founded by local entrepreneur ]<ref></ref>, who also owned ] affiliate WJBF (1230 AM). WJBF-TV originally picked up programs from all four networks at the time, but was a primary NBC affiliate. Channel 6 lost CBS programming when ] (channel 12) signed on in 1954, but continued to shared ABC with that station. WJBF radio was sold by Fuqua in 1955 (it is now ]).


WJBF replaced RTV with ] on digital subchannel 6.2 on September 26, 2011, as part of a groupwide affiliation agreement with Media General; the channel replaced RTV on some Media General-owned stations in other market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Me-TV Beefs Up Roster With 10 New Stations |url=https://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/54029/metv-beefs-up-roster-with-10-new-stations |publisher=TVNewsCheck |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004094119/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/54029/metv-beefs-up-roster-with-10-new-stations?nocookies |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |date=September 15, 2011}}</ref>
On September 1, 1967 WJBF became a primary ABC affiliate.<ref>"WJBF (TV) goes primary ABC." '']'', August 14, 1967, pg. 52. </ref> The move relegated NBC to a shared secondary affiliation with WRDW-TV. This was an unusual situation for a then two-station market, especially one as small as Augusta. But in 1966 Fuqua had purchased two primary ABC affiliates, ] in ] and KTHI-TV (now ]) in ], and apparently wanted to get his other stations -- WJBF and ] in ] -- in line with the new acquisitions. Additionally, no full-time ABC affiliate provided even a grade B signal to the Augusta area at the time. By contrast, fellow NBC affiliate ] in ] provided at least grade B coverage to the South Carolina side of the market. Fuqua reasoned that if channel 6 took a primary ABC affiliation, it wouldn't have significant out-of-market competition. In 1969, Fuqua branched out into the movie theater business when he purchased Martin Theaters of Georgia, also the owner of ] in ], and ] in ], also ABC affiliates.


=== Augusta West, management of WAGT ===
When WATU (channel 26, now WAGT) began operations in December 1968, conventional wisdom suggested that it would become a full NBC affiliate. However, since many Augusta viewers still didn't have UHF-capable sets, NBC allowed WJBF and WRDW-TV to continue to cherry-pick most of its programs (WJBF kept airing both the '']'' and '']'' shows, among others). The failure of WATU to secure a full-time network affiliation caused that station to go dark in 1970. Channel 6 became a full-time ABC affiliate when WATU returned to the air in 1974, this time with a primary NBC affiliation. Fuqua sold off his stations in 1980, with WJBF going to Spartan Radiocasting of ]. Spartan was renamed Spartan Communications in 1995, and merged into Media General in 2000. In 1995, WJBF affiliated with the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.tv/browse_thread/thread/98843822ed20a79c/5dbb63b15ca806e7?lnk=st&q=%22Prime+Time+Entertainment+Network%22+%22station+list%22+95&rnum=1 |title=B5: Babylon 5 TV Station List/Times updated! |accessdate=November 27, 2006 |last=Whiteside |first=Lee |date=April 6, 1995 |work=rec.arts.sf.tv |publisher=] }}</ref>
]
In October 2009, ] announced that it would enter into joint sales and ] agreements with WJBF, meaning that ]'s news operation and advertising sales department would be taken over by Media General. Most of WAGT's managerial staff were dismissed, and other employees were reassigned to different positions.<ref>{{cite news|last=Emerson|first=LaTina|title=WJBF, WAGT still negotiating with on-air personnel|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/12/30/bus_561276.shtml|work=]|date=December 30, 2009|access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref>


Media General had initially intended to move WAGT into an expanded wing of the WJBF building in downtown Augusta. Both WJBF and WAGT have had a longstanding presence in the downtown area. Channel 6's facility on Reynolds Street was built around 1956, and channel 26 moved into its Broad Street building, a converted theatre, in 1981. However, it soon became apparent that WJBF's facility could not sustain the expansion necessary to house both stations. Media General instead chose to remodel what had been a ] to contain the stations. The new facility, located at the Augusta West Shopping Center in a former ] retail location, was opened in October 2011.<ref>{{cite news|last=Emerson|first=LaTina|title=WBBQ, other stations to move to new locations|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010-12-02/wbbq-other-stations-move-new-locations?v=1291282932|work=]|date=December 2, 2010|access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref> While the two stations shared some internal services, WAGT's news operation and sales department operated autonomously from that of WJBF, and the two stations also produced competing news programming from their dedicated areas of the facility.<ref name="tvnc-wagtstudio">{{cite web|title=Facility Helps Duop TVs Keep Own Identities|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/61044/facility-helps-duop-tvs-keep-own-identities|first=Arthur|last=Greenwald|work=TVNewsCheck|date=July 26, 2012|access-date=September 11, 2013}}</ref>
=== Merger with WAGT ===
In October 2009, the parent companies of WJBF and WAGT announced that they would enter into joint sales and shared services agreements in January 2010. This resulted in the two combining their sales and other operational services.<ref>http://www2.wjbf.com/jbf/news/special_reports/article/wjbf_wagt_enter_into_partnership/28655/</ref> It was later announced that WJBF would control all of WAGT's news and advertising operations while that station handles programming and the maintaining of ] (FCC) regulations. Most of WAGT's managerial staff was dismissed, and other employees were reassigned to different positions. <ref>{{cite news|last=Emerson|first=LaTina|title=WJBF, WAGT still negotiating with on-air personnel|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/12/30/bus_561276.shtml|work=]|date=December 30, 2009|accessdate=December 5, 2010}}</ref>


The SSA was disbanded on February 16, 2016, after the acquisition of WAGT by ], owner of WRDW-TV.<ref name="gray-wagt">{{cite web|title=Gray Television and WRDW News 12 Welcome WAGT NBC 26|url=http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Gray-Television-and-WRDW-News-12-Welcome-WAGT-NBC-26-365796691.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217092451/http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Gray-Television-and-WRDW-News-12-Welcome-WAGT-NBC-26-365796691.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 17, 2016|website=WRDW.com|publisher=Gray Television|access-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> Gray accused Media General of " to agree to a smooth transition of personnel " and not allowing them to move along to the station's new owner, as they fell under the employment of WJBF due to the shared services agreement.<ref name="tvspy-blames">{{cite web|title=Gray Blames Media General for Possible Job Losses at Augusta Station|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/gray-blames-media-general-for-possible-job-losses-at-augusta-station/164035#.VsOdRLijBd0.mailto|website=TVSpy.com|access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> On February 26, 2016, an ] was granted against Gray by Media General, claiming that Gray violated the SSA by unwinding it following its purchase of WAGT. The agreement was to last through 2020, and stipulated that all future owners of the station would remain subject to it.<ref name="chron-injunction">{{cite news|title=Judge grants injunction halting WAGT sale|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/business/2016-02-26/judge-grants-injunction-halting-wagt-sale|access-date=February 27, 2016|work=The Augusta Chronicle|date=February 26, 2016}}</ref>
Media General had initially intended to move WAGT into an expanded wing of the WJBF building in downtown Augusta. Both WJBF and WAGT have had a longstanding presence in the downtown area. Channel 6's facility on Reynolds Street was built around 1956, and channel 26 moved into its Broad Street building, a converted theatre, in 1981. However, it soon became apparent that WJBF's facility could not sustain the expansion necessary to house both stations. Media General instead chose to construct a new building for the stations. The new facility, located at the Augusta West Shopping Center in a former ] retail location, was opened in October 2011.<ref>{{cite news|last=Emerson|first=LaTina|title=WBBQ, other stations to move to new locations|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010-12-02/wbbq-other-stations-move-new-locations?v=1291282932|work=]|date=December 2, 2010|accessdate=December 5, 2010}}</ref>


== Local programming == ==Local programming==
Since 1954 WJBF has produced and aired the Sunday morning ] program ''Parade of Quartets'', one of the longest-running local programs of any kind on American television. The program has been a showcase for regionally- and nationally-known African-American gospel performers, and has also featured appearances from political and social figures. Augusta native ], ], ], the ], ] and ] are among those who have appeared on the program. Since 1954, WJBF has produced and aired the Sunday morning ] program {{Anchor|Parade of Quartets}}''Parade of Quartets'', one of the longest-running local programs of any kind on American television. The program has been a showcase for regionally and nationally known African-American gospel performers, and has also featured appearances from political and social figures. Augusta native ], ], ], the ], ] and ] are among those who have appeared on the program.


The station also produces a ] video program, ''Power Hitz'', which airs on Sunday evenings. ''Power Hitz'' has been on the air since 2001.<ref>{{cite news|last=DeMao|first=Alisa|title=Radio personalities add camera to mike|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2001/09/13/ent_319380.shtml|work=]|date=September 13, 2001|accessdate=December 5, 2010}}</ref> The station also produces an ] video program, ''Power Hitz'', which airs on Sunday evenings. ''Power Hitz'' has been on the air since 2001.<ref>{{cite news|last=DeMao|first=Alisa|title=Radio personalities add camera to mike|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2001/09/13/ent_319380.shtml|work=]|date=September 13, 2001|access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref>


From 1954 until 1992, WJBF produced and aired a Sunday afternoon ] program featuring the locally based ], known as the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel", that was seen in other markets via ]. After the weekly series ended, WJBF continued to produce and air a yearly ] special until the group's retirement in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thelewisfamilymusic.com|title=Home Page|website=The Lewis Family|language=en-US|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref>
==News operation==
]
Appropriately for being the first television station in the area, WJBF was the ratings leader for most of its history, with rival ] usually the runner-up. In recent years, WRDW and WJBF usually traded first and second place, while ] almost always placed third.


===News operation===
In the 1980s, its newscasts were branded ''] 6''. After being acquired by Spartan Radiocasting in 1992, WJBF and some other stations acquired by the company changed their branding to ''NewsChannel''. This station and most of its sister affiliates still use this branding today after being acquired by Media General. In the 1990s, WJBF reached an agreement with the ] to run a ] "Mall TV" feed on television screens throughout the mall featuring the day's news and coverage of some local special events. WJBF operated this service until the late-1990s. They also had a local agreement with Comcast to air a rebroadcast of the 6 p.m. show on the cable provider's channel 66. This arrangement ended in 2004 with the launch of a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on ] affiliate ] (channel 54). The production uses different graphics and duratrans concealing the WJBF logos. The launch came after its studios were renovated.
As of May 2021, WJBF presently broadcasts 35 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with {{frac|6|1|2}} hours on weekdays, {{frac|2|1|2}} hours on Saturdays, and two hours on Sundays).


Appropriately for being the first television station in the area, WJBF has led the ratings for most of its history, with rival WRDW-TV usually the runner-up. In recent years, WJBF and WRDW-TV had usually traded first and second place, while WAGT almost always placed third.
In December of 2009, WAGT and WJBF partnered under a shared services agreement, with WJBF producing WAGT's news, sales, and other programming. Schurz Communications still owns WAGT in part. Current WJBF reporter Paige Tucker is the face of WAGT's 6, 7, and 11pm newscasts.


In the 1980s, its newscasts were branded ''NewsWatch 6''. After being acquired by Spartan Radiocasting in 1992, WJBF and some other stations acquired by the company changed their branding to ''NewsChannel''. This station and most of its sister affiliates still use this branding today after being acquired by Media General. However, long after Spartan bought the station, WJBF retained the "groovy 6" logo it had used in one form or another since the late 1970s. This changed in 2002, when it adopted the "arc" logo used by most Media General stations.
On Monday, October 17, 2011, WJBF launched local newscasts in high definition starting with the morning newscast. It is the third station in the area to do so behind ] which switched to HD on September 26, 2011 when that station launched its own news department. The first was ] on January 24, 2011.


In the 1990s, WJBF reached an agreement with the ] to run a ] "Mall TV" feed on television screens throughout the mall featuring the day's news and coverage of some local special events. WJBF operated this service until the late-1990s. They also had a local agreement with Comcast to air a rebroadcast of the 6 p.m. show on the cable provider's channel 66. This arrangement ended in 2004 with the launch of a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on ] affiliate ] (channel 54). The production uses different graphics and duratrans concealing the WJBF logos. The launch came after its studios were renovated.
====Newscast titles====
*''WJBF-TV News'' (1953-1964)
*''Newscope'' (1964-1971)
*'']'' (1971-1977)
*'']'' (1977-1982)
*''NewsWatch 6'' (1982-1990)
*''Channel 6 News'' (1990-1994)
*''WJBF NewsChannel 6'' (1994–present)


In December 2009, WAGT and WJBF partnered under a shared services agreement, with WJBF producing WAGT's news, sales, and other programming.
===News team===
'''Anchors'''
*Jillian Benfield - weekend evenings; also weekday reporter
*Brad Means - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.; also anchors "The Means Report" on Sunday afternoons
*Jennie Montgomery - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.
*Mary Morrison - weekday mornings and weekdays at noon
*Chris Kane - weekday mornings and weekdays at noon
*Archith Seshadri - weekend mornings; also Columbia County reporter and fill-in anchor


On October 17, 2011, WJBF launched local newscasts in high definition starting with the morning newscast. It is the third station in the area to do so behind WFXG and WRDW-TV.
'''''Live ] 6 Weather'''''
*George Myers - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.
*Ed Bloodsworth - meteorologist; weekday mornings and weekdays at noon
*Jenna Lee Thomas - weather anchor; weekend evenings, also weekday feature reporter
*Jason Nappi - meteorologist; weekend mornings


==Subchannels==
'''Sports tean'''
The station's signal is ]:
*Matt Zahn - sports director; weeknights at 6, 10 and 11 p.m., rotating weekday mornings (pre-recorded) and ''Football Friday Night'' host
{| class="wikitable"
*Merissa Lynn - sports anchor; weekend evenings, rotating weekday mornings (pre-recorded)
|+Subchannels of WJBF<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WJBF#station|title = RabbitEars TV Query for WJBF|website=]}}</ref>

! scope = "col" | ]
'''Reporters'''
! scope = "col" | ]
*Brett Buffington - McDuffie County reporter
! scope = "col" | ]
*George Eskola - senior reporter/"Out There Somewhere" feature reporter
! scope = "col" | Short name
*John Hart - general assignment reporter
! scope = "col" | Programming
*Courtney Elledge - general assignment reporter
|-
*Jennie Montgomery - "Giving Your Best" segment producer
! scope = "row" | 6.1
*Kait Rayner - Aiken/Edgefield County reporter
| ] || rowspan="4"|] || WJBF-HD || ]
*Kimberely Scott - general assignment reporter
|-

! scope = "row" | 6.2
====Notable former staff====
| ] || MeTV || ]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wjbf.com/entertainment/on_wjbf_tv/ |title=WJBF website TV listings |access-date=June 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609075423/http://www2.wjbf.com/entertainment/on_wjbf_tv/ |archive-date=June 9, 2011 |url-status=dead }} </ref>
*] - anchor/reporter (1993-1995, now at ]/] in Jacksonville, FL)
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.3
| rowspan="2"|] || ION || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.4
| Escape || ]
|}


==References== ==References==
Line 120: Line 103:


==External links== ==External links==
* *{{Official website|https://www.wjbf.com/}}
*
*
*
*
*{{TVQ|WJBF}}


{{Augusta TV}} {{Augusta TV}}
{{ABC Georgia}} {{ABC Georgia}}
{{Media General}} {{CW Georgia}}
{{Other Georgia Stations}}
{{NXST TV}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Wjbf}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Wjbf}}
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Latest revision as of 16:55, 15 November 2024

ABC affiliate in Augusta, Georgia

WJBF

Channels
Branding
  • WJBF NewsChannel 6
  • MeTV WJBF 6.2 (DT2)
  • WJBF CW 6 (DT3)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air dateNovember 26, 1953 (71 years ago) (1953-11-26)
Former call signsWJBF-TV (1953–1954)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 6 (VHF, 1953–2009)
  • Digital: 42 (UHF, 1999–2020)
Former affiliations
  • NBC (primary 1953–1967, secondary 1967–1974)
  • CBS (secondary, 1953–1954)
  • DuMont (secondary, 1953–1956)
Call sign meaningJohn Brooks Fuqua (founder of the station)
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID27140
ERP755 kW
HAAT504.4 m (1,655 ft)
Transmitter coordinates33°24′20.7″N 81°50′0.5″W / 33.405750°N 81.833472°W / 33.405750; -81.833472
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.wjbf.com

WJBF (channel 6) is a television station in Augusta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's third digital subchannel serves as an owned-and-operated station of The CW, in which Nexstar holds a majority stake. WJBF's studios are located in Television Park, near the Augusta Mall in Augusta, and its transmitter is located in Beech Island, South Carolina.

History

WJBF-TV began operations on November 26, 1953, as Augusta's first television station. The station was founded by the Georgia-Carolina Broadcasting Company, the broadcasting arm of local entrepreneur J. B. Fuqua, who also owned NBC Radio Network affiliate WJBF (1230 AM). WJBF-TV was a primary NBC affiliate, but picked up programs from CBS, ABC and DuMont on a secondary basis. Sister station WJBF radio was sold by Fuqua in 1954 (it is now WEZO). It lost CBS only three months later when WRDW-TV (channel 12) signed on.

On September 1, 1967, WJBF became a primary ABC affiliate. The move relegated NBC to a shared secondary affiliation with WRDW-TV. This was an unusual situation for a then two-station market, especially one as small as Augusta. ABC, as the smallest and weakest of the big three networks, would not be on nearly the same footing with CBS and NBC until the 1970s, when most markets of Augusta's size grew large enough to support three full network affiliates. However, fellow NBC affiliate WIS-TV in Columbia provided at least grade B coverage to the South Carolina side of the market. In contrast, no full-time ABC affiliate put even a grade B signal into the area. Fuqua reasoned that if channel 6 took a primary ABC affiliation, it wouldn't have significant out-of-market competition. Additionally, in 1966 Fuqua bought two full-time ABC affiliates, WTVW in Evansville, Indiana, and KTHI-TV (now KVLY-TV) in Fargo, North Dakota, and apparently wanted to get his other stations—WJBF and KTVE in El Dorado, Arkansas—in line with the new acquisitions. In 1969, Fuqua branched out into the movie theater business when he purchased Martin Theaters of Georgia, forerunner of Carmike Cinemas. At the time, Martin Theaters of Georgia itself also owned WTVM in Columbus, Georgia, and WTVC in Chattanooga, Tennessee, also ABC affiliates. Those were added to Fuqua's portfolio.

When WATU (channel 26, later WAGT) began operations in December 1968, conventional wisdom suggested that it would become a full NBC affiliate. However, since many Augusta viewers still didn't have UHF-capable sets, NBC allowed WJBF and WRDW-TV to continue to cherry-pick most of its stronger programs. For its part, WJBF kept airing both the Today Show and The Tonight Show, which preempted ABC's The Dick Cavett Show among others. WATU was thus saddled with NBC's weaker programs, a major factor in the station going dark in 1970. When WATU returned to the air in 1974 as a full-time NBC affiliate, WJBF was forced to drop NBC programming once and for all, per an FCC order issued in 1971 that required VHF stations in markets with three or more commercial outlets to affiliate with only one network.

Fuqua began breaking up his business empire in 1980. His television stations were among the first assets to be sold, with WJBF and WTVM going to Missoula, Montana–based Western Broadcasting Company., and WTVC going to the A. H. Belo Corporation of Dallas, Texas. In 1984, Western sold its broadcast holdings to the SFN Companies, then-parent of educational publisher Scott, Foresman and Company. In 1986, SFN was sold to Pegasus Broadcasting, a new firm formed by members of SFN's management. Pegasus quickly became part of GE Capital in 1990. Spartan Radiocasting of Spartanburg, South Carolina purchased the station in 1992. Spartan was renamed Spartan Communications in 1995. Spartan merged with Media General in 2000.

WJBF replaced RTV with MeTV on digital subchannel 6.2 on September 26, 2011, as part of a groupwide affiliation agreement with Media General; the channel replaced RTV on some Media General-owned stations in other market.

Augusta West, management of WAGT

The exterior of the new Television Park at Augusta West.

In October 2009, Schurz Communications announced that it would enter into joint sales and shared services agreements with WJBF, meaning that WAGT's news operation and advertising sales department would be taken over by Media General. Most of WAGT's managerial staff were dismissed, and other employees were reassigned to different positions.

Media General had initially intended to move WAGT into an expanded wing of the WJBF building in downtown Augusta. Both WJBF and WAGT have had a longstanding presence in the downtown area. Channel 6's facility on Reynolds Street was built around 1956, and channel 26 moved into its Broad Street building, a converted theatre, in 1981. However, it soon became apparent that WJBF's facility could not sustain the expansion necessary to house both stations. Media General instead chose to remodel what had been a big-box store to contain the stations. The new facility, located at the Augusta West Shopping Center in a former Barnes & Noble retail location, was opened in October 2011. While the two stations shared some internal services, WAGT's news operation and sales department operated autonomously from that of WJBF, and the two stations also produced competing news programming from their dedicated areas of the facility.

The SSA was disbanded on February 16, 2016, after the acquisition of WAGT by Gray Television, owner of WRDW-TV. Gray accused Media General of " to agree to a smooth transition of personnel " and not allowing them to move along to the station's new owner, as they fell under the employment of WJBF due to the shared services agreement. On February 26, 2016, an injunction was granted against Gray by Media General, claiming that Gray violated the SSA by unwinding it following its purchase of WAGT. The agreement was to last through 2020, and stipulated that all future owners of the station would remain subject to it.

Local programming

Since 1954, WJBF has produced and aired the Sunday morning gospel music program Parade of Quartets, one of the longest-running local programs of any kind on American television. The program has been a showcase for regionally and nationally known African-American gospel performers, and has also featured appearances from political and social figures. Augusta native James Brown, Shirley Caesar, Al Green, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dorothy Norwood and Jesse Jackson are among those who have appeared on the program.

The station also produces an urban music video program, Power Hitz, which airs on Sunday evenings. Power Hitz has been on the air since 2001.

From 1954 until 1992, WJBF produced and aired a Sunday afternoon Southern gospel program featuring the locally based Lewis Family, known as the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel", that was seen in other markets via syndication. After the weekly series ended, WJBF continued to produce and air a yearly Christmas special until the group's retirement in 2009.

News operation

As of May 2021, WJBF presently broadcasts 35 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 6+1⁄2 hours on weekdays, 2+1⁄2 hours on Saturdays, and two hours on Sundays).

Appropriately for being the first television station in the area, WJBF has led the ratings for most of its history, with rival WRDW-TV usually the runner-up. In recent years, WJBF and WRDW-TV had usually traded first and second place, while WAGT almost always placed third.

In the 1980s, its newscasts were branded NewsWatch 6. After being acquired by Spartan Radiocasting in 1992, WJBF and some other stations acquired by the company changed their branding to NewsChannel. This station and most of its sister affiliates still use this branding today after being acquired by Media General. However, long after Spartan bought the station, WJBF retained the "groovy 6" logo it had used in one form or another since the late 1970s. This changed in 2002, when it adopted the "arc" logo used by most Media General stations.

In the 1990s, WJBF reached an agreement with the Augusta Mall to run a closed-circuit "Mall TV" feed on television screens throughout the mall featuring the day's news and coverage of some local special events. WJBF operated this service until the late-1990s. They also had a local agreement with Comcast to air a rebroadcast of the 6 p.m. show on the cable provider's channel 66. This arrangement ended in 2004 with the launch of a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on Fox affiliate WFXG (channel 54). The production uses different graphics and duratrans concealing the WJBF logos. The launch came after its studios were renovated.

In December 2009, WAGT and WJBF partnered under a shared services agreement, with WJBF producing WAGT's news, sales, and other programming.

On October 17, 2011, WJBF launched local newscasts in high definition starting with the morning newscast. It is the third station in the area to do so behind WFXG and WRDW-TV.

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WJBF
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
6.1 1080i 16:9 WJBF-HD ABC
6.2 720p MeTV MeTV
6.3 480i ION The CW Plus
6.4 Escape Ion Mystery

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for WJBF". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "Seven new TV outlets go on the air." Broadcasting - Telecasting, November 30, 1953, pg. 68.
  3. "New Georgia Encyclopedia: J. B. Fuqua (1918-2006)". Archived from the original on April 24, 2006. Retrieved November 1, 2007.
  4. "Fountain firm buys WJBF for $125,000." Broadcasting - Telecasting, July 5, 1954, pg. 66.
  5. "WJBF (TV) goes primary ABC." Broadcasting, August 14, 1967, pg. 52.
  6. "One (network) to a customer." Broadcasting, March 29, 1971, pg. 68.
  7. "Changing Hands." Broadcasting, July 28, 1980. pp. 82, 83
  8. "Western sale." Broadcasting, January 16, 1984, pg. 41.
  9. "Changing hands." Broadcasting, July 14, 1986, pg. 66
  10. "For the Record..." (PDF). Broadcasting. June 4, 1990. p. 80. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  11. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 11, 1990. p. 85. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  12. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 16, 1992. p. 45. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  13. "Me-TV Beefs Up Roster With 10 New Stations". TVNewsCheck. September 15, 2011. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012.
  14. Emerson, LaTina (December 30, 2009). "WJBF, WAGT still negotiating with on-air personnel". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  15. Emerson, LaTina (December 2, 2010). "WBBQ, other stations to move to new locations". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  16. Greenwald, Arthur (July 26, 2012). "Facility Helps Duop TVs Keep Own Identities". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  17. "Gray Television and WRDW News 12 Welcome WAGT NBC 26". WRDW.com. Gray Television. Archived from the original on February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  18. "Gray Blames Media General for Possible Job Losses at Augusta Station". TVSpy.com. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  19. "Judge grants injunction halting WAGT sale". The Augusta Chronicle. February 26, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  20. DeMao, Alisa (September 13, 2001). "Radio personalities add camera to mike". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  21. "Home Page". The Lewis Family. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  22. "RabbitEars TV Query for WJBF". RabbitEars.info.
  23. "WJBF website TV listings". Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.

External links

Broadcast television in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA)
This region includes the following cities: Augusta, GA
North Augusta/Aiken, SC
Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television
Full power
WJBF (6.1 ABC, 6.2 MeTV, 6.3 CW+, 6.4 Mystery)
WRDW-TV (12.1 CBS, 12.2 MNT, 12.3 PSN, 12.4 The365, 12.5 Crime, 12.6 Ion+, 12.7 Cozi)
WEBA-TV (14.1 PBS / SCETV, 14.2 SC Ch., 14.3 ETV World, 14.4 ETV Kids)
WCES-TV (20.1 PBS / GPB, 20.2 Create, 20.3 Knowledge, 20.4 PBS Kids)
WFXG (54.1 Fox, 54.2 Bounce, 54.3 Grit, 54.4 Court)
Low power
WGAT-LD (17.1 TMD, 17.2 NBC, 17.3 PSN)
WAAU-LD (23.1/.3-.4 blanks, 23.2 Lifehacks DRTV)
WAGT-CD (26.1 NBC, 26.2 PSN, 26.3 Outlaw, 26.4 Dabl, 26.5 H&I, 26.6 Start)
WIEF-LD (47.1 NTD America, 47.2 MtrSpt1, 47.3 Ads, 47.4 Get, 47.5 Buzzr, 47.6 Salem News Channel, 47.7 Defy)
WBPI-CD (49.1 Ind.)
Defunct
WAGT 26
WDYH-LD 27
WBAU (cable)
See also
Atlanta TV
Charleston TV
Columbia TV
Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville TV
Macon TV
Savannah TV
ABC network affiliates licensed to and serving the state of Georgia
Primary*
Secondary**
(*) – indicates station is in one of Georgia's primary TV markets
(**) – indicates station is in an out-of-state TV market, but reaches a small portion of Georgia
See also
ABC
CBS
CW
Fox
Ion
MyNetworkTV
NBC
PBS
Other stations in Georgia
CW network affiliates licensed to and serving the state of Georgia
Primary*
Secondary**
(*) – indicates station is in one of Georgia's primary TV markets
(**) – indicates station is in an out-of-state TV market, but reaches a small portion of Georgia
See also
ABC
CBS
CW
Fox
Ion
MyNetworkTV
NBC
PBS
Other stations in Georgia
Other television stations licensed to and serving the state of Georgia
Atlanta
stations
Religious stations
Spanish stations
Other stations
Other
markets
Religious stations
Other stations
Defunct
See also
ABC
CBS
CW
Fox
Ion
MyNetworkTV
NBC
PBS
Other stations in Georgia
Nexstar Media Group
sorted by primary channel network affiliations
ABC
CBS
The CW (O&O)
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  • Nexstar operates these stations under an SSA.
  • These stations broadcast these networks on their digital subchannels.
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