WBBM-TV

WBBM-TV is a television station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area as the local outlet for the CBS television network. Owned by CBS News and Stations, its studios are located on North Columbus Drive in the Chicago Loop, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower. The station, which first signed on in 1946, holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating commercial television station in Chicago and one of the oldest in the United States.

History

The station began broadcasting on September 6, 1946, as WBKB, originally owned by the Balaban and Katz theater chain, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. It initially broadcast on VHF channel 4 from the State-Lake Building, making it a pioneering station in early Chicago television history. In 1953, following a complex series of transactions involving the DuMont Television Network and the ABC, the station's call letters were changed to WBBM-TV and it became the primary CBS affiliate for the market, a relationship that has endured. The station was historically owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting, which later merged with CBS in 1995, bringing the station under the CBS Corporation umbrella, a lineage continued by its current owner, CBS News and Stations.

Programming

As the CBS owned-and-operated station for Chicago, WBBM-TV carries the full national schedule of the CBS network, including prime-time series, NFL games via CBS Sports, and daytime dramas like The Young and the Restless. For decades, the station produced a popular, long-running children's program, Bozo's Circus, which became a cultural institution. Its syndicated programming has historically included popular talk shows and court shows, and it has been the local broadcaster for key events such as the Chicago Marathon and the city's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The station also airs significant public affairs programming focused on local issues in Cook County and statewide.

News operation

WBBM-TV operates one of the most-watched and historically significant news departments in Chicago, branded as "CBS News Chicago". It fields a large team of anchors, reporters, and meteorologists, with notable figures over the years including Bill Kurtis, Walter Jacobson, and Harry Porterfield. The station has long been an innovator, launching one of the market's first hour-long midday newscasts and pioneering the use of electronic newsgathering technology. Its investigative unit, the "2 Investigators", has been highly influential. WBBM-TV produces substantial local news coverage each day, consistently competing for ratings leadership against rivals like WLS-TV, WMAQ-TV, and WGN-TV.

Technical information

WBBM-TV broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 12 from its transmitter on the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago, using virtual channel 2. The station's signal covers a wide area encompassing Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and parts of Southern Wisconsin. It operates a network of satellite trucks and helicopters for newsgathering, including the "Skycam" helicopter. The station also maintains a robust streaming media presence for its newscasts through its website and the CBS News app, ensuring multiplatform distribution.

Category:Television stations in Chicago Category:CBS television stations Category:Television channels and stations established in 1946 Category:1946 establishments in Illinois