WCIA

WCIA, virtual channel 3 (UHF digital channel 34), is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Champaign, Illinois, United States and serving the Central Illinois region. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, as part of a duopoly with Springfield-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WCIX (channel 49). The two stations share studios on South Neil Street/US 45 in downtown Champaign and also operate a sales office and news bureau on East Edwards Street near the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. WCIA's transmitter is located west of Seymour along the Champaign–Piatt county line.

For the seed certification organization, see Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association. For the Welsh forum for the exchange of ideas on international issues, see Welsh Centre for International Affairs.
For other uses, see CIA.
WCIA
Champaign/Urbana/
Springfield/Decatur, Illinois
United States
CityChampaign, Illinois
ChannelsDigital: 34 (UHF)
Virtual: 3 (PSIP)
BrandingWCIA 3 (general)
WCIA 3 News (newscasts)
X 49 (on DT2)
SloganYour Local News Leader
Programming
Affiliations3.1: CBS
3.2: MyNetworkTV
3.3: Bounce TV
3.4: Grit
Ownership
OwnerNexstar Media Group
(Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.)
Sister stationsWCIX
History
First air dateNovember 14, 1953 (1953-11-14)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
3 (VHF, 1953–2009)
Digital:
48 (UHF, 2002–2020)
Former affiliationsAll secondary:
NBC (1953–1959)
ABC (1953–1954)
DuMont (1953–1956)
DT2:
UPN (2002–2006, simulcast of WCFN)
Call sign meaningWe're in the Central
Illinois Area
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID42124
ERP707 kW (STA)
1,000 kW (CP)
HAAT216.8 m (711 ft) (STA)
285.1 m (935 ft) (CP)
Transmitter coordinates40°6′21″N 88°27′0″W
Translator(s)WCIX-DT 49.2 (13.2 VHF) Springfield
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitewww.wcia.com

Since WCIA's over-the-air signal cannot be seen in western parts of the market (including Springfield and Jacksonville), it is simulcast in high definition on WCIX's second digital subchannel (VHF channel 13.2 or virtual channel 49.2 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Etherton Lane in Clear Lake Township. Nielsen Media Research treats WCIA and WCIX-DT2 as one station in local ratings books, using the identifier name WCIA+.

History

The station's first broadcast was on November 14, 1953, and it was owned and operated by Midwest Television, headquartered in Champaign. August C. Meyer Sr., a lawyer and chairman of the board of the Champaign-based Bank of Illinois, founded Midwest Television in 1952. Meyer expanded the company's footprint by buying WMBD-AM–FM–TV in Peoria, Illinois, in 1960 and KFMB-AM–FM–TV in San Diego, California, in 1964. Midwest sold off controlling interest in its Illinois television holdings to Nexstar in 1999. That company acquired Midwest's remaining interest in the Illinois stations in 2001.

WCIA was a primary CBS affiliate, carrying secondary affiliations with NBC and DuMont.[1] DuMont shut down in 1956 and WCIA dropped NBC in 1959 when WCHU-TV (now WICD) started. It also carried a few ABC shows during the 1953–1954 television season.

As the only commercial VHF station in Central Illinois, WCIA has been one of the country's most dominant television stations for most of its history. On two occasions, it fought off attempts by WICS/WICD and WAND to force it onto the UHF band by claiming that moving to UHF would cause it to lose 150,000 viewers.

Despite its dominance of the market, WCIA provides only a Grade B signal to the Springfield area. Meyer realized early on that Champaign/Urbana and Springfield/Decatur were going to be one giant television market. He originally wanted to build WCIA's tower in White Heath, roughly halfway between Champaign and Decatur. The tower would have been placed on some of the highest ground in Central Illinois. However, just after construction began, Prairie Television (owner of WTVP, now WAND) filed an objection. Prairie claimed WCIA was encroaching on its territory. To avoid delays, WCIA moved its transmitter to the current location in Seymour. Despite this, Decatur (the second-largest city in the western half of the market) receives WCIA's signal very well.

While it frequently trounced WICS/WICD and WAND in the ratings, Meyer decided to open a low-powered relay of WCIA on UHF channel 49 to get better coverage in the state capital. In 1985, this became full-powered station WCFN. In 2002, WCFN separated from WCIA and became the area's UPN affiliate. To make up for the shortfall in coverage, WCIA was added to WCFN's digital subcarrier, while WCFN was added to WCIA's digital subcarrier. However, few people lost access to either station due to the extremely high penetration of cable and satellite in the area.

For decades, WCIA was available on Bloomington–Normal cable systems, in the Peoria market, along with sister station WMBD-TV. In March 2000, shortly after Nexstar bought controlling interest in both stations, it announced it would pull WCIA from AT&T Cable Services (now Comcast Xfinity) in that area due to competition. The move would make WMBD the only CBS affiliate and mean that it would not have to share advertisers with or lose ratings points to WCIA. A group of outraged residents called "Citizens to Keep WCIA on-the-air" started a group that protested against Nexstar. Nexstar did not listen and eventually dropped WCIA from Bloomington–Normal area cable systems. However, WCIA's Grade B signal had always covered the Bloomington–Normal area on analog VHF channel 3 and its digital signal on UHF channel 48 also covers the same area, meaning that Bloomington–Normal residents can still receive WCIA over-the-air. The WCIA analog and digital signals both have coverage areas that extend as far west as Morton.

In November 2006 work began to re-secure WCIA's existing tower in Seymour so it would be able to hold a new digital transmission line and antenna.[2]

WCIA was the longtime home to Illinois Fighting Illini football and men's basketball games that were not aired on national television. Originally produced by WCIA, the station later carried the Illini via the Big Ten Conference's syndicated package with ESPN Plus. Beginning in 2007, these games have since moved to the Big Ten Network. The station still airs Illini men's basketball games that are carried by the CBS network.

In 2009, WCIA's longtime weathercaster Judy Fraser retired from the station after 34 years.[3] She was only the second head weathercaster in the station's history at the time. Meteorologist Robert Reese took over as Chief Meteorologist. His death in connection with complications from cancer in October 2012 came as a shock to the community.[4] In his early battle, WCIA sold red ribbons in support of Reese and the American Cancer Society.

On September 11, 2014, WCIA anchor Dave Benton announced on-air that he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and that he had only months to live. He explained that the doctors told him that his cancer had returned and that it was too large for surgery or radiation.[5] Benton was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in November 2013 after doctors found a tumor on the left side of his head. He underwent surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy and completed radiation treatment in February 2014.[6][7] On April 13, 2015, Benton announced on the 6 p.m. newscast that he was stepping down from the anchor chair due to continued health issues and failed treatments, though he hoped to continue his signature crime reports for the 5 p.m. news as long as his health allowed.[8] Benton died at home on May 26.[9][10]

On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced it would acquire the assets of Chicago-based Tribune Media for $6.4 billion in cash and debt. The deal—which would make Nexstar the largest television station operator by total number of stations upon its expected closure late in the third quarter of 2019—would result in WCIA and WCIX gaining additional sister stations in nearby markets including Chicago (independent station WGN-TV) and St. Louis (Fox affiliate KTVI and CW affiliate KPLR-TV). (Ownership conflicts existed in two existing Nexstar markets involving Nexstar's duopoly of CW affiliate WISH-TV and MyNetworkTV affiliate WNDY-TV (which were both sold to Circle City Broadcasting) and Tribune's duopoly of Fox affiliate WXIN and CBS affiliate WTTV/WTTK in Indianapolis and Nexstar's virtual triopoly of CBS affiliate WHBF-TV, CW affiliate KGCW and Fox-affiliated SSA partner KLJB and Tribune-owned ABC affiliate WQAD-TV (which was sold to Tegna) in the Quad Cities.)[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] The sale was approved by the FCC on September 16 and was completed on September 19, 2019.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[21]
3.11080i16:9WCIA-HDMain WCIA programming / CBS
3.2WCIX-HDSimulcast of WCIX / MyNetworkTV
3.3480iBounceBounce TV
3.4GritGrit

Originally, WCFN/WCIX aired its digital signal in a reduced 4:3 480i standard definition format on both its main channel and the digital subcarrier of WCIA. In June 2015, WCIX upgraded to a full 1080i 16:9 high definition signal, the same as WCIA. In September 2016, WCIA begin broadcasting Bounce TV on 3.3 and Grit TV on 3.4.

Analog-to-digital conversion

WCIA shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 48.[22] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 3. On January 17, 2020, WCIA moved to channel 34 as a result of the spectrum repack.

Programming

Local entertainment programs
  • Happy Home (1950s)
  • Welcome Travelers (1950s)
  • At the Hop (1950s–1960s; hosted by John Coleman and later by Ed Mason)
  • Sun-Up (1960s; hosted by Tom Jones)
  • Sheriff Sid (1960s)
  • Dialing for Dollars (1960s–1970s)
  • Way Out with Cousin Trebor (1963–1965)
  • The Second Cup (1970s)
  • The Bruce Weber Show (2000s)
  • PM Magazine (1977–1990)
  • Illinois Journal

News operation
WCIA's Springfield news bureau.

WCIA currently broadcasts its news from its studios in Champaign. It currently broadcasts 40 hours of news a week, and one hour on Saturday and Sunday. For most of its history, it has been central Illinois' dominant news station, owing to its status as the market's only VHF station.

On September 12, 2011, WCIA debuted an hour-long lifestyle and news program titled ciLiving.tv, the Springfield market's first hour-long 4 p.m. news program; the show utilizes interactivity with viewers, through the use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, along with online polls and audience quizzes via text message and the station's website.[23] The show also utilizes the station's new set, which is also used for the station's morning show, as well as other programs.

On October 24, 2012 during the 5:00 p.m. newscast, WCIA and sister station WCIX began broadcasting local news in high definition.[24] This made the WCIA/WCIX operation the third local news operation and second "Big Four" network affiliated station to have made the upgrade. However, the newscasts on WCIX continued to be seen over the air in a letterboxed format until June 19, 2015 because its main channel was still transmitted in 4:3 standard definition until it upgraded to HD on that date.

In April 2015, WCIA expanded its 6 p.m. newscast from 30 minutes to one hour to provide better coverage of local news.

In late 2015, WCIA expanded its news coverage from the State Capitol. The station now produces and airs Capitol Connection on Sunday mornings after CBS' Face the Nation. The show is also carried on other Nexstar stations in Illinois.

In October 2016, WCIA expanded its morning show from four hours to five hours, making the station have the only local news at 9 a.m. in the market.

U.S. government video news releases

In an article published on March 13, 2005, The New York Times documented WCIA's use of government video news releases. The Times reported, "WCIA, based in Champaign, had run 26 segments made by the U.S. Agriculture Department over the past three months alone." WCIA acknowledged running the releases in the early hours of its morning news as a service to local farmers.[25]

Notable former on-air staff
  • WCIA logo, circa 1970 to 2000

See also

References
  1. Quick, Doug. "WCIA, Channel 3, Champaign, Illinois, Part 1". dougquick.com. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  2. "High Definition work". WCIA. Archived from the original on 2006-11-12.
  3. Dodson, Don (October 21, 2009). "Fraser to say goodbye on Thursday evening". News Gazette. Champaign, Illinois.
  4. "Robert Reese". News Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. October 13, 2012.
  5. Takeda, Allison. "Illinois Anchorman Dave Benton Announces He Has Terminal Cancer, Months to Live". US Magazine. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  6. Weisman, Aly. "Local Anchorman Tells Viewers He Only Has 4 To 6 Months To Live". Business Insider. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  7. "TV Anchorman Dave Benton, 51, tells WCIA-TV viewers in Chicago, Illinois that he has six months to live". News.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  8. "WCIA-TV anchor battling brain cancer to step down," from The State Journal-Register, 4/13/2015
  9. "WCIA-TV anchor Dave Benton dies of brain cancer". 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  10. "Former WCIA news anchor Dave Benton dies after fighting brain tumor," from The State Journal-Register, 5/26/2015
  11. "Acquisition of Tribune Media Company" (PDF). Nexstar Media Group. December 3, 2018.
  12. Mark K. Miller (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Buying Tribune Media For $6.4 Billion". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
  13. Peter White; Dade Hayes (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Confirms $4.1B Tribune Media Acquisition To Become Leading Local TV Station Owner". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
  14. Gerry Smith; Nabila Ahmed; Eric Newcomer (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar to buy WGN owner Tribune Media for $4.1 billion". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Bloomberg News.
  15. Arjun Panchadar; Sonam Rai (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar to buy Tribune Media for $4.1 billion". Reuters.
  16. Jon Lafayette (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Announces Deal to Buy Tribune for $6.4B". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media.
  17. Adam Jacobson (December 3, 2018). "It's Official: Nexstar Takes Tribune In Billion-Dollar Stock Deal". Radio-Television Business Report. Streamline-RBR, Inc.
  18. Harry A. Jessell; Mark K. Miller (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar To Spin Off $1B In Stations". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
  19. "Nexstar Media Group Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Tribune Media Company for $6.4 Billion in Accretive Transaction Creating the Nation's Largest Local Television Broadcaster and Local Media Company". Nexstar Media Group. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  20. "Nexstar Media Group Enters Into Definitive Agreement To Acquire Tribune Media Company". Tribune Media. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  21. RabbitEars TV Query for WCIA
  22. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  23. WCIA Adds Local News-Lifestyle At 4 P.M., TVNewsCheck, September 9, 2011.
  24. Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. (October 24, 2012). "WCIA goes high definition!". Illinoishomepage.net.
  25. (registration required)Barstow, David; Stein, Robin (March 13, 2005). "Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged TV News". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved May 13, 2009.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. "Susan Barnett Bio". KYW-TV. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  27. "Elaine Quijano Bio". CBS News. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  28. Callahan, Colleen. "Colleen Callahan resume" (PDF). Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  29. "John Coleman bio". KUSI-TV. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  30. "Michael Marsh Bio". WBRZ-TV. 20 October 2010. Archived from the original on 10 December 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  31. "UIS grad makes good". University of Illinois Alumni Association. Fall 2007. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  32. "Martin Savidge bio". CNN. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  33. "Lori Stokes bio". Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  34. "Mike Tannura bio". Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
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