WCHS-TV

WCHS-TV is the ABC affiliate for Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia, the second-largest market (in terms of area) east of the Mississippi River. It is licensed to Charleston and serves 61 counties in central West Virginia, northeastern Kentucky and southern Ohio.

Related Topics:
ABC - Charleston - Huntington, West Virginia - Mississippi River - Kentucky - Ohio

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The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and shares its news operations with FOX affiliate WVAH.

Related Topics:
Sinclair Broadcast Group - FOX - WVAH

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WCHS was founded in 1954, co-owned with WCHS radio (which is now under separate ownership). It was actually the second television station in Charleston. WKNA-TV had signed on UHF channel 49 as an ABC affiliate in 1953, but went dark in 1955 due to lack of viewership. WCHS-TV joined ABC in 1958, switching affiliations with WHTN-TV, channel 13 in Huntington. It reversed the swap and went back to CBS in 1962.

Related Topics:
1954 - UHF - 1953 - 1955 - 1958 - 1962

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In 1986, Capital Cities Communications merged with ABC. Capital Cities had owned the market's longtime leader, NBC affiliate WSAZ-TV. ABC dropped its affiliation with channel 13, which by then had changed its calls to WOWK-TV, and intended to make WSAZ--one of the nation's most dominant stations--an ABC owned-and-operated station. However, NBC would not even consider dropping its affiliation with WSAZ, forcing ABC to move to WCHS instead. WCHS remains an ABC affiliate to this day.

Related Topics:
1986 - Capital Cities Communications - NBC - WSAZ-TV - WOWK-TV

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One of the first televised presidential debates featuring John F. Kennedy took place at WCHS' studios in Charleston. The nationally syndicated produced corner segments were taped at WCHS as well.

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