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| WROC-TV | |
|---|---|
| Callsign | WROC-TV |
| City | Rochester, New York |
| Digital | 21 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | NBC |
| Owner | Nexstar Media Group |
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Callsign meaning | Rochester |
| Sister stations | WUHF, WHEC-TV |
WROC-TV is a television station licensed to Rochester, New York, serving the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions as an NBC affiliate. The station operates within a broadcast market that includes Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, and Monroe County, and plays a major role alongside contemporaries such as WHAM-TV, WHEC-TV, and WXXI-TV. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, it traces lineage to early independent and network-affiliated stations in the postwar United States broadcasting expansion.
The station began broadcasting in the late 1940s amid the era of the Federal Communications Commission allocations and the post-World War II media boom, contemporaneous with stations like WPIX, WNYW, and KYW-TV. Early ownership included interests linked to newspaper companies and radio pioneers similar to Gannett, Hearst Corporation, and Columbia Broadcasting System affiliates, while its market rivalry mirrored battles between NBC and CBS in cities such as Buffalo, New York and Syracuse, New York. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the station navigated network affiliation shifts akin to those experienced by WABC-TV and WGN-TV, adopting technological changes similar to RCA and Philo Farnsworth developments. In the 1980s and 1990s consolidation waves involving companies such as Fox Television Stations and Tribune Broadcasting influenced station ownership structures nationally, and later mergers involving Nexstar Media Group and dealings reminiscent of Sinclair Broadcast Group redefined its corporate alignment. Digital transition efforts mirrored mandates from the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, with upgrades comparable to facilities at WETA-TV and KQED.
The station maintains a local news department producing morning, evening, and late newscasts competing with offerings from WHEC-TV, WHAM-TV, WROC-TV-market public broadcaster WXXI-TV, and regional cable outlets such as Scripps Networks properties. Its reporting covers municipal beats including Rochester City School District, Monroe County, New York, and county-level politics involving the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate members representing the Finger Lakes. Weather coverage leverages models from the National Weather Service and partnerships with meteorological services like AccuWeather and The Weather Channel, while investigative pieces have addressed issues paralleling topics covered by national programs like 60 Minutes and Frontline. The newsroom has employed anchors and reporters who moved between stations such as WGRZ, WABC-TV, and WPIX, and collaborates with news syndicates like Associated Press and Reuters for wire content.
The station broadcasts on a digital UHF channel and uses PSIP to display its historic virtual channel number; technical transitions were implemented following standards from the Advanced Television Systems Committee and directives by the Federal Communications Commission. Its transmission infrastructure includes a transmitter site comparable to those used by WMHT, WXXI and other regional broadcasters, employing transmitters from manufacturers such as Harris Corporation and Nautel. The facility supports multicasting, carrying subchannels similar to networks like Cozi TV, MyNetworkTV, and Ion Television where market agreements permit, and implements closed captioning standards in line with the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
As an NBC affiliate, the station airs national programming including flagship series from NBCUniversal such as network news programs produced by NBC News and entertainment programs promoted alongside franchises like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Local programming has included public affairs shows modeled after formats seen on Meet the Press and community features akin to those produced by Inside Edition and Good Morning America-market affiliates. Syndicated acquisitions have mirrored offerings distributed by companies like Hearst Television and Syndication Markets, featuring talk shows, courtroom programming, and syndicated drama reruns comparable to content seen on WPIX and KTLA.
The station has covered professional and collegiate sports in the region, reporting on teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, and college programs at University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology, while partnering with local athletic events similar to coverage arrangements for the Amateur Athletic Union and regional high school championships overseen by New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Community initiatives have included telethons and charity drives in collaboration with organizations akin to United Way, American Red Cross, and arts institutions such as Geva Theatre Center and Strong National Museum of Play. Special programming has highlighted cultural events like the Rochester International Jazz Festival and regional festivals comparable to Strawberry Festival-type celebrations.
On-air talent and management have included news anchors, meteorologists, and reporters who have connections to stations and networks like WABC-TV, WGRZ, WHEC-TV, and national outlets including CNN and NBC News. Some alumni advanced to roles at major market stations akin to careers linking Al Roker-type national prominence from local beginnings, while others moved into positions within media conglomerates such as Nexstar Media Group and Gray Television. Technical and production staff have collaborated with vendors and consultants from companies like Siemens and Sony Corporation to maintain broadcast operations.
Category:Television stations in New York (state)