WXIA-TV

WXIA-TV

WXIA-TV is an NBC-affiliated television station serving Atlanta, Georgia and the Atlanta metropolitan area. Licensed to Atlanta, Georgia, the station operates on virtual channel 11 and is owned by Tegna Inc., a multimedia company formed from the split of Gannett Company's broadcasting and digital arm. WXIA-TV has been a prominent broadcaster in Georgia since its sign-on in 1951, competing in news and local programming with stations owned by Cox Enterprises, The E. W. Scripps Company, and Gray Television.

History

The station began as WSB-TV in 1951 under ownership linked to the The Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution consortium, aligning early with the NBC network, which had roots in the Radio Corporation of America and the National Broadcasting Company system. During the 1950s and 1960s, WSB-TV was part of a local media cluster that included the WSB radio outlets and the Cox Enterprises family influence. Ownership transfers and regulatory shifts in the 1970s and 1980s saw the station adopt the callsign WIXX for a brief period, before settling on the current callsign that references channel eleven using the Roman numeral XI. In the 1990s, the station expanded local news coverage and invested in high-definition technology, reflecting industry-wide trends established by competitors such as WAGA-TV, WSB-TV competitor? and WATL. Corporate consolidation in the 21st century brought the station under the umbrella of Gannett Company and later the spin-off that formed Tegna, aligning it with sister stations like KARE and WUSA. Major milestones include the adoption of multicamera studios, digital transition milestones following Federal Communications Commission mandates, and carriage negotiations with regional cable providers including Comcast and AT&T.

Programming

The station carries the full slate of NBC network programming, including national series such as Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and NBC Nightly News. Locally, the station produces lifestyle and community-focused programs that have included morning features, special event coverage for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade regional segments, and sports pregame shows tied to Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves broadcasts when applicable. Syndicated offerings over the decades have featured talk and court shows that also appear on competitor schedules, while the station has maintained local public affairs segments connected to institutions like the Georgia State University community and Emory University health systems. The station has occasionally carried special regional programming around events such as the Atlanta Marathon and statewide political debates during election cycles involving figures from the Georgia General Assembly, United States Senate, and Governor of Georgia races.

News Operation

The station operates a large news division producing morning, midday, evening, and late newscasts, with anchors and reporters covering beats in Downtown Atlanta, Fulton County, Cobb County, and DeKalb County. The news team has competed for ratings against broadcasters at stations like WAGA-TV, WSB-TV, and WPCH-TV with emphasis on investigative journalism, weather coverage, and traffic reporting tied to the Interstate Highway System corridors such as Interstate 285 and Interstate 75. The weather unit has utilized Doppler radar and partnerships with meteorology programs from Georgia Tech and regional universities, while investigative pieces have won local journalism accolades referencing civic issues in Buckhead and Southwest Atlanta. The station has also adapted to digital news distribution through website content, mobile apps, and social media platforms, integrating video segments with reporting on judicial proceedings at the Fulton County Courthouse and developments involving regional agencies like the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

Technical Information

WXIA-TV transmits on VHF channel 10 for its digital signal while using virtual channel 11, following the national digital transition prompted by the Federal Communications Commission's analog shutdown mandate. The station's transmitter is sited on one of the broadcast towers in the North Druid Hills area near Stone Mountain, sharing infrastructure corridors used by other Atlanta broadcasters. Technical upgrades over time included the move to high-definition newscasts, the adoption of multicasting subchannels offering additional content such as weather and classic television programming, and the implementation of emergency alert capabilities linked to the National Weather Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency warning systems. The station's facility identification and licensing are subject to FCC oversight, and its engineering staff coordinates channel repacking activities and transmitter maintenance alongside regional carriers and tower leaseholders.

Notable Former On-Air Staff

- Dave Evans — anchor and reporter who later worked at other Georgia stations and national outlets. - Chuck Scarborough — reporter who moved on to a leading role at WNBC. - Sam Champion — meteorologist who later became prominent on Good Morning America and The Weather Channel. - Savannah Guthrie — correspondent who advanced to national roles at Today on NBC. - Christiane Amanpour — early-career correspondent who later joined CNN and ABC News. - Herman Cain — commentator and political figure who made periodic media appearances. - Erica Hill — anchor and correspondent who moved to national news networks including CNN and CBS News.

Category:Television stations in Atlanta Category:NBC network affiliates