The CW is an American broadcast television network that originated in September 2006. Throughout its history, the network has had many owned-and-operated and affiliated stations.
This article is a table listing of former The CW stations, arranged alphabetically by state, and based on the station's city of license as well as its Designated Market Area; it is also accompanied by footnotes regarding the present network affiliation of the former The CW-affiliated station (if the station remains operational) and the current The CW affiliates in each of the listed markets, as well as any other notes including the reasons behind each station's disaffiliation from the network. There are links to and articles on each of the stations, describing their histories, local programming, and technical information, such as broadcast frequencies.
The station's advertised channel number follows the call letters. In most cases, this is their virtual channel (PSIP) number, which may match the channel allocation that the station originally broadcast on during its prior affiliation with the network.
State/City of license/Market | Station/Channel | Years of affiliation | Current affiliation | Current CW affiliate | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alexandria, Louisiana | KBCA 41 | 2006–2016 | Heroes & Icons | KALB-TV 5.3 | On December 15, 2015, Gray Television, which owns KALB-TV (channel 5), came to terms on an extension of their existing CW affiliations; the press release announcing the extension also revealed Gray agreed to a new affiliation agreement with The CW for the Alexandria market, placing the network on a new third digital subchannel of KALB-TV in the fall of 2016, meaning KBCA lost their network affiliation at that time. [1] |
Atlanta, Georgia | WUPA 69 | 2006–2023 | Independent | WPCH-TV 17 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Belmont–Charlotte, North Carolina | WJZY 46 | 2006–2013 | Fox | WCCB 18 | Became a Fox owned-and-operated station on July 1, 2013; was previously owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company until April 2013; replaced by WCCB |
Billings, Montana | KTVQ 2.2 | 2006–2023 | Independent | KSVI 6.2 | N/A |
Bloomington–Indianapolis, Indiana | WTTV 4 | 2006–2014 | CBS | WISH-TV 8 | On August 11, 2014, Tribune Broadcasting announced that CW affiliate WTTV would become the market's CBS affiliate on January 1, 2015, as part of an agreement that also renewed the CBS affiliations on Tribune-owned stations in five other markets. [3] |
Branson, Missouri | K17DL-D 17.1 | 2006–2009 | Independent | KYCW-LD 24 and K17DL-D 17.2 | N/A |
Campbellsville–Louisville, Kentucky | WMYO-DT3 58.3 | 2012–2018 | MyNetworkTV | WBKI (TV) 58 | Former simulcast of WBKI-TV prior to its shutdown; affiliation moved to the station's main channel 58.1 February 12, 2017 |
Chicago, Illinois | WGN-TV 9 | 2006–2016 | Independent | WGN-TV 9 | Became an independent station September 1, 2016; replaced by WPWR-TV This station resumed as the CW affiliate for the region on September 1, 2024 |
WCIU-TV 26 | 2019-2024 | Independent | Ceded affiliation back to WGN-TV on September 1, 2024 | ||
Gary, Indiana–Chicago, Illinois | WPWR 50 | 2016–2019 | MyNetworkTV | Carried MyNetworkTV as secondary affiliate, Replaced by WCIU | |
Cleveland, Ohio | WBNX 55 | 2006–2018 | Independent | WUAB 43 | Became an independent station July 16, 2018; replaced by WUAB |
Columbia, South Carolina | WZRB 47 | 2006–2014 | Ion | WIS-DT2 10.2 | Became an Ion owned-and-operated station (by way of a trust benefiting Ion Media Networks) on February 10, 2014; had been owned by Roberts Broadcasting prior to then. The station continued to carry CW programming in addition to Ion until being replaced by WKTC on March 17. |
Sumter–Columbia, South Carolina | WKTC 63 | 2014–2019 | MyNetworkTV | Carried CW as primary, and MyNetworkTV as alternate network after primetime. Became a full-time MyNetworkTV affiliate on September 30, 2019; was replaced by WIS-DT2 | |
Detroit, Michigan | WKBD-TV 50 | 2006–2023 | Independent | WKBD-TV 50 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Mount Clemens–Detroit, Michigan | WADL 38 | 2023 | MyNetworkTV | On October 30, 2023, WADL posted a press release noting it dropped The CW over a dispute with Nexstar, with MyNetworkTV programming moving back two hours to its previous prime time berth. | |
Detroit, Michigan | WMYD 20 | 2023–2024 | Independent | From November 13, 2023, to September 1, 2024, WMYD was affiliated with the CW on an interregnum basis. The station's disaffiliation with the CW coincided with Nexstar declining to renew the network's affiliation contracts with Scripps-owned stations. [4] | |
Evansville, Indiana | WAZE 19 | 2006–2011 | Defunct | WTVW 7 | Ceased operations March 24, 2011, after license was cancelled by the FCC following expiration of a permit to construct a digital transmitter facility to increase signal power from 1,110 watts to 1 million watts; was replaced by WAZE-LP, WJPS-LP and WIKY-LP, which previously operated as fill-in translators of WAZE-TV. |
WAZE-LP 17 WJPS-LP 4 WIKY-LP 5 | 2006–2013 | Ceased operations January 3, 2013; were replaced by WTVW on January 31. Were eventually purchased in bankruptcy by a trust controlled by Ion Media Networks in February 2014. | |||
Helena, Montana | KMTF 10 (now KUHM) | 2006–2015 | PBS | N/A | On July 1, 2015, Gray announced that it would sell KTVH to Cordillera Communications, which owns CBS affiliate KXLH-LD (channel 9). KMTF was concurrently donated to Montana State University for integration into the Montana PBS system. [5] |
Idaho Falls, Idaho | KPIF 15 | 2006–2009 | Grit | KIFI-DT3 8.3 | Joined RTV on September 7, 2009; replaced by KIFI-DT3. |
Jackson, Mississippi | WRBJ 34 | 2006–2013 | TBN | WJTV-DT2 12.2 | On October 22, 2012, Roberts announced that it had sold WRBJ to the Trinity Broadcasting Network. [6] The sale was approved by a bankruptcy court on January 17, 2013, and TBN officially took over operational control of WRBJ five months later, on May 24, 2013. [7] [8] CW network programming would not be seen in the Jackson area until WJTV-DT2 picked up The CW in October 2013. |
Jeannette–Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | WPCW 19 (now WPKD-TV) | 2006–2023 | Independent | WPNT 22 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Fredericksburg–San Antonio, Texas | KCWX 2 | 2006–2010 | MyNetworkTV | WOAI-TV 4.2 | Joined MyNetworkTV on August 30, 2010; replaced by KMYS |
Kerrville–San Antonio, Texas | KMYS 35 | 2010–2021 | Dabl | On September 20, 2021, The CW affiliation and other programs aired on the main KMYS subchannel moved to the 4.2 subchannel of WOAI-TV, still known as "CW 35". | |
Lancaster–Lebanon–Harrisburg–York, Pennsylvania | WLYH 15 (now WXBU) | 2006–2016 | TBD | WHP-DT3 21.3 | Affiliation moved to WHP-DT3. |
Longview–Tyler, Texas | KCEB 54 | 2006–2012 | Novelisima | KYTX 19.2 | N/A |
Lincoln–Hastings–Kearney–Grand Island, Nebraska | KCWL 51 | 2006–2009 | Fox | KCWH-LD 18/KNHL 5 | Analog signal signed off June 9, 2009; digital signal signed on as Fox affiliate KFXL June 12; replaced by KXVO and, later, KCWH-LD/KNHL-DT3 |
Miami–Fort Lauderdale, Florida | WSFL 39 | 2006–2024 | Independent | WBFS-TV 33 | Disaffiliated from the CW after Nexstar declined to renew affiliations with the Scripps stations. [9] |
Missoula, Montana | KPAX-TV 8.2 | 2006–2023 | Independent | N/A | N/A |
New Bedford, Massachusetts-Providence, Rhode Island | WLWC 28 | 2006–2017 | Court TV | WNAC-DT2 64.2 | Become Ion Plus affiliate in 2017 after channel sharing with WPXQ-TV, Affiliation moved to WNAC-DT2 |
New Iberia–Lafayette, Louisiana | KLWB 50 | 2006–2010 | MeTV | KATC 3.2 | KLWB lost its CW affiliation to a subchannel of KATC (channel 3) on June 14, 2010. At that time, the station switched to This TV (which had previously been carried on one of KLWB's subchannels, as well as on sister station KXKW-LD). |
Opelika, Alabama–Columbus, Georgia | WLGA 66 (now WGBP-TV) | 2006–2009 | Merit Street | WLTZ 38.2 | On April 2, 2009, it was announced that The CW would move to a subchannel of NBC affiliate WLTZ beginning April 27. |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | KOCB 34 | 2006–2023 | Independent | KAUT-TV 43 | On August 31, 2023, Nexstar announced that KAUT would affiliate with The CW beginning September 1, replacing KOCB as part of an agreement with Sinclair to affiliate with two of its stations in Pittsburgh and Seattle; this resulted in KOCB becoming an independent station for the first time since January 1995. [10] |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | WPSG 57 | 2006–2023 | Independent | WPHL-TV 17 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Phoenix, Arizona | KASW 61 | 2006–2023 | Independent | KAZT-TV 7 | On November 20, 2023, CW programming moved to the second subchannel of KNXV-TV (which otherwise carried Antenna TV programming), and KASW became an independent station known as Arizona 61; the station airs a mix of local news, sports (including Arizona Coyotes hockey), and entertainment programming, as well as content from Scripps News. |
KNXV-DT2 15.2 | 2023–2024 | Antenna TV | Carried Antenna TV programming outside CW hours. The CW moved to Prescott-licensed KAZT-TV on February 1, 2024 | ||
Reno, Nevada | KREN-TV 27 | 2006–2009 | Univision | KOLO-TV 8.3 | N/A |
Salem, Indiana–Louisville, Kentucky | WBKI 34 | 2006–2017 | Defunct | WBKI (TV) 58 | Ceased operations October 25, 2017 after selling its spectrum in an FCC auction; affiliation moved to existing simulcast on WMYO-DT3 |
San Diego, California | KSWB 69 | 2006–2008 | Fox | KFMB-DT2 8.2 | Joined Fox on August 1, 2008; replaced by XETV |
Tijuana, Baja California–San Diego, California | XETV-TDT 6 | 2008–2017 | Canal 5 | On January 18, 2017, KFMB-TV announced that it would begin to carry CW programming on one of its digital subchannels. | |
Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, California | KMAX 31 | 2006–2023 | Independent | KQCA 58 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose, California | KBCW 44 (now KPYX) | 2006–2023 | Independent | KRON-TV 4 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Tacoma–Seattle, Washington | KSTW 11 | 2006–2023 | Independent | KUNS-TV 51 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Seattle–Tacoma, Washington | KOMO-DT2 4.2 | 2023–2024 | Comet | Carried Comet programming outside CW hours. The CW moved to former Univision affiliate KUNS-TV on January 1, 2024 | |
St. Petersburg–Tampa, Florida | WTOG 44 | 2006–2023 | Independent | WTTA 38 | On May 5, 2023, CBS News and Stations has the right to pull CW-owned stations under the Nexstar buyout deal on September 1, 2023. [2] |
Utica, New York | WKTV-DT2 2.2 | 2006-2015 | CBS | WFXV-DT2 33.2 | Moved to WKTV-DT3, displacing MeTV to a new fourth subchannel, as a result of an affiliation deal between WKTV and CBS. |
WKTV-DT3 2.3 | 2015-2024 | Independent | Disaffiliated from The CW and became a news-oriented independent station; Fox affiliate WFXV assumed the affiliation for its DT2 subchannel due to its ownership by Nexstar Media Group, majority owner of The CW. | ||
Victoria, Texas | K39HB 10 | 2006–2018 | Defunct | KVCT 19.3 | N/A |
Walla Walla–Yakima, Washington | KCWK 9 | 2006–2008 | Defunct | KIMA-TV 29.2 and KEPR-TV 19.2 | On January 16, 2009, it was announced that several Pappas stations, including the license for KCWK, would be sold to New World TV Group after the sale received United States bankruptcy court approval. [11] In the interim, Fisher Communications announced that their CBS affiliates KIMA-TV/KEPR-TV would each launch CW subchannels on March 31, 2009, to fill KCWK's void. [12] |
In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (LMA), or local management agreement, is a contract in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it is a sort of lease or time-buy.
KATC is a television station in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station has studios on Eraste Landry Road in Lafayette, and its transmitter is located near Branch, Louisiana.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is an American publicly traded media company with headquarters in Irving, Texas, Midtown Manhattan, and Chicago. The company is the largest television station owner in the United States, owning 197 television stations across the U.S., most of which are affiliated with the four "major" U.S. television networks and MyNetworkTV in markets as large as New York City and as small as San Angelo, Texas. It also operates all of the stations owned by affiliated companies, such as Mission Broadcasting and Vaughan Media, under local marketing agreements to satisfy existing regulations set in place by the Federal Communications Commission. In addition, Nexstar owns one radio station, WGN in Chicago, and operates major TV network the CW through a 75-percent majority stake where all CW affiliates are directly owned-and-operated stations (O&O), two terrestrial television networks airing classic shows, Antenna TV and Rewind TV, one FAST streaming channel airing sports programming, SportsGrid, and has full or partial ownership stakes in three pay television networks.
WREG-TV is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are located on Channel 3 Drive near the Mississippi River on the west side of Memphis, and its transmitter is located near Bartlett, Tennessee.
WTVR-TV is a television station in Richmond, Virginia, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. Its studios are located on West Broad Street on Richmond's West End, and its transmitter is located in Bon Air near the studios of PBS member stations WCVE-TV and WCVW. WTVR-TV's former transmitter is located behind the station's studio, and only WTVR-FM broadcasts from that tower today. It still remains as part of WTVR-TV's history.
WISH-TV is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is locally owned by Circle City Broadcasting alongside Marion-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WNDY-TV and low-power, Class A Get affiliate WIIH-CD. The stations share studios on North Meridian Street on the near north side of Indianapolis; WISH-TV and WNDY-TV also share transmitter facilities on Walnut Drive in the Augusta section of the city's northwest side.
WSFL-TV is an independent television station in Miami, Florida, United States. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Ion Television owned-and-operated station WPXM-TV, also licensed to Miami. WSFL-TV's studios are located on Southwest 78th Avenue in Plantation, Florida; its transmitter is located in Andover, Florida.
WNDY-TV is a television station licensed to Marion, Indiana, United States, serving the Indianapolis area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is locally owned by Circle City Broadcasting alongside Indianapolis-licensed CW affiliate WISH-TV and low-power, Class A Get affiliate WIIH-CD. The stations share studios on North Meridian Street on the near north side of Indianapolis; WNDY-TV and WISH-TV also share transmitter facilities on Walnut Drive in the Augusta section of the city's northwest side. Despite Marion being WNDY-TV's city of license, the station maintains no physical presence there.
WCTX is a television station licensed to New Haven, Connecticut, United States, serving the Hartford–New Haven market as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside ABC affiliate WTNH, also licensed to New Haven. WCTX and WTNH share studios on Elm Street in downtown New Haven; per a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WTNH's spectrum from a tower in Hamden, Connecticut.
WAVY-TV is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Virginia Beach–licensed dual Fox affiliate/CW owned-and-operated station WVBT. The two stations share studios on Wavy Street in downtown Portsmouth; WAVY-TV's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.
WVBT is a television station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of the Fox network. Its second digital subchannel serves as an owned-and-operated station of The CW. WVBT is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Portsmouth-licensed NBC affiliate WAVY-TV. The two stations share studios on Wavy Street in downtown Portsmouth; WVBT's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.
KLFY-TV is a television station in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with CBS. Its secondary subchannel serves as an owned-and-operated station of The CW Plus as it is owned by CW majority owner Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are located on Eraste Landry Road in Lafayette, and its transmitter is located in Maxie, north of Rayne.
The CW Network, LLC is an American commercial broadcast television network that is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75-percent ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the first letters of the names of its two founding co-owners CBS Corporation and Warner Bros., with CBS Corporation being merged with the second iteration of Viacom to form ViacomCBS and Warner Bros. being owned by Time Warner, later AT&T's WarnerMedia. Nexstar closed its acquisition of a controlling interest in the network on October 3, 2022, with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery each retaining a 12.5-percent ownership stake.
WADL is a television station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States, serving the Detroit area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. Locally owned by Kevin Adell via his company Adell Broadcasting, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Adell Drive in Clinton Township. Adell's sister company, Adell Radio Group, owns WFDF, a talk radio station in the same market, as well as religious broadcaster The Word Network.
KRIS-TV is a television station in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside low-power dual Telemundo affiliate/independent station K22JA-D; Scripps also provides certain services to CBS affiliate KZTV under a shared services agreement (SSA) with SagamoreHill Broadcasting. The three stations share studios on Artesian Street in downtown Corpus Christi; KRIS-TV's transmitter is located in Robstown, Texas.
KFTA-TV is a television station licensed to Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Arkansas River Valley and Northwest Arkansas. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Rogers-licensed NBC affiliate KNWA-TV and Eureka Springs–licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KXNW. The stations share studios at the Underwood Building on Dickson Street in downtown Fayetteville, with a satellite studio in Rogers. KFTA-TV's transmitter is located in unincorporated northeastern Crawford County.
In the United States, owned-and-operated television stations constitute only a portion of their parent television networks' station bodies, due to ownership limits imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Currently, the total number of television stations owned by any company can only reach a maximum of 39% of all U.S. households; in the past, the ownership limit was much lower, and was determined by a specific number of television stations rather than basing the limits on total market coverage.
Bounce TV is an American digital broadcast television network owned by Scripps Networks, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company. It launched on September 26, 2011, and was promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created to target African Americans". Bounce features a mix of original and acquired programming geared toward African Americans between 25 and 54 years of age.
Grit is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network features classic westerns, both TV series and films.