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WSB-TV is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship television station of Cox Enterprises. It is co-owned and located in the same studio along with radio stations WSB-AM, WSB-FM, WBTS-FM, WSRV-FM, and WALR-FM. Cox also owns the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Its transmitter is located in Atlanta.

History

WSB-TV is the second-oldest station south of Washington, D.C.; only Richmond, Va.'s WTVR-TV is older. It is also the oldest station in Atlanta and Georgia. The station first began broadcasting on September 29, 1948. James M. Cox started the station; he also owned WSB radio and the Atlanta Journal, an ownership combination that led eventually to Miami Valley Broadcasting Inc. which later on changed its name to the modern-day Cox Enterprises. WSB-TV originally broadcast on channel 8. At that time, its present channel 2 allocation was licensed to the Journal's rival newspaper, the Atlanta Constitution, who had plans to start WCON-TV there. In 1950, the two newspapers merged, becoming the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. At the time, the Federal Communications Commission did not allow one entity to own two television stations in the same market. So, the two stations merged, keeping the WSB-TV call letters, and moved to WCON's old channel. At that point, channel 8 was then occupied by WLTV, soon to become WLWA-TV. In 1952, the Federal Communications Commission reallocated channel 8 for non-commercial educational use, and its city of license was changed from Atlanta to Athens -- home of the University of Georgia. However, that station, WGTV, did not begin educational broadcasting until May 23, 1960. WGTV became the flagship station of Georgia Educational Television, now known as Georgia Public Broadcasting. WLWA, however, had already moved in 1953 to channel 11, where it is now known as WXIA-TV.

In 1955, the WSB stations moved into the noted "White Columns" building. They would remain there for 43 years, until a modern new facility was built adjacent to it on the same property in 1998. The new building, which has been called "Digital White Columns" by some, is located just off Atlanta's famed Peachtree Street. The older building was razed shortly after the new building was occupied. The original columns that stood on the front portico of the old building were placed in a garden area along side the new building. Brand new white columns have been placed inside the glass-enclosed lobby of the newer building.

From its sign-on, WSB-TV was affiliated with the NBC television network, as WSB Radio had been with NBC for many years. It also carried some ABC programs from its inception until WLWA signed on in 1951. Now ABC was the highest rated network for most of the late 1970's and was looking for a stronger affiliate than WXIA. The main reason for this was because WSB-TV happened to be the rating leader in Atlanta, all the while still being affiliated with NBC, which fell last place in ratings. So during the summer of 1980, both stations conducted an experiment unusual for a large market: WXIA aired NBC daytime shows in the morning and ABC daytime shows in the afternoon, while WSB aired ABC shows in the morning and NBC shows in the afternoons. By the time it was over, WSB-TV finally swapped affiliations with WXIA, becoming an ABC affiliate that same year.

WSB-DT went on the air on April 17, 1998, making it one of the first regular-service DTV stations in the country.

WSB-TV debuted local news in high definition during its noon broadcast on September 27, 2006. It is the second in the Atlanta market to do so, behind WXIA. It is also the second Cox station behind WFTV to switch to HD. With the switch to HD came a new HD set and HD graphics from Giant Octopus which are similar to those seen on WFTV.

WSB-TV remains one of the stronger stations in the Atlanta market, while WAGA FOX 5 news regularly beat WSB-TV's news.

See also

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