Fort Myers Broadcasting Company

Fort Myers Broadcasting Company is a privately held broadcasting business based in Fort Myers, Florida. The company is controlled by the McBride family and is best known for WINK-TV, the long-established CBS affiliate serving the Southwest Florida television market. WINK-TV began broadcasting on March 18, 1954, making it the first television station in Southwest Florida and one of the oldest surviving television stations in Florida. The station originally operated alongside WINK radio and was established by the family of Mickey McBride, a Cleveland-based taxicab entrepreneur and founder of the Cleveland Browns. The company's principal business is local television broadcasting, including news, weather, public-affairs programming, syndicated content, and network programming. WINK-TV has maintained a primary CBS affiliation throughout its history, although it carried programming from several major networks during the early years of American television. It also operates a digital subchannel carrying Antenna TV and, during designated periods, MyNetworkTV programming. The company has historically invested heavily in WINK-TV's local news operation, helping the station compete for market leadership with WBBH-TV and other Southwest Florida outlets. Fort Myers Broadcasting also provides services to several stations associated with Sun Broadcasting under a shared-services arrangement. These operations have included Fox affiliate WFTX-TV, CW affiliate WXCW, low-power Univision affiliate WUVF-LD, and low-power WANA-LD. The arrangement gives the company a broader operating role in the regional television ecosystem than ownership of WINK-TV alone would suggest, while preserving locally based control in a market increasingly characterized by large national station groups. WINK-TV's geographic position has historically been important to the company's success. Fort Myers lies between the major television markets of Miami–Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Tampa–St. Petersburg. Federal Communications Commission channel-allocation decisions left Southwest Florida with limited VHF access, and WINK-TV's channel 11 assignment provided unusually broad over-the-air coverage before cable television became widespread. The station consequently became a central source of local news and emergency information for communities across the region. The company has faced the operational challenges common to coastal broadcasters, including hurricane-related disruption. Hurricane Ian caused severe storm-surge flooding at WINK-TV's former downtown Fort Myers facility on September 28, 2022, taking WINK-TV, WXCW, and sister radio operations off the air. WINK-TV resumed transmission from a temporary facility at its transmitter site two days later and returned to the repaired main facility approximately a week afterward. The event led Fort Myers Broadcasting to seek a less flood-prone headquarters. In mid-2023, it purchased a building on Corporate Lakes Drive in Gateway, renovated the property, and relocated WINK-TV operations there on January 12, 2026. Fort Myers Broadcasting remains a regional, family-controlled media company rather than a publicly traded national conglomerate. Its brand identity is closely tied to WINK-TV's call letters, local news franchise, CBS relationship, and role in serving Southwest Florida during severe weather and other major local events.

Fort Myers Broadcasting Company's documented history is closely associated with WINK-TV, the first television station established in Southwest Florida. WINK-TV began broadcasting on March 18, 1954, under ownership involving the McBride family and Mickey McBride, whose business interests included taxicabs and the Cleveland Browns. The station operated in conjunction with WINK radio and inherited the WINK call letters from the radio station, rather than adopting them because of CBS's branding. During its first two decades, WINK-TV carried programming from CBS, NBC, ABC, and DuMont at different times, while retaining CBS as its principal network affiliation. DuMont programming ended after that network ceased operations in 1956. WBBH-TV became the first significant local competitor when it launched in December 1968 and assumed the NBC affiliation. ABC programming remained shared locally until the arrival of WEVU-TV in 1974. WINK-TV benefited from the Federal Communications Commission's post-1952 channel-allocation framework. Fort Myers sits between the larger Miami–Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Tampa–St. Petersburg markets, creating a geographic gap in which only a limited number of VHF assignments could be made. Channel 11 gave WINK-TV a strong over-the-air footprint across Southwest Florida. Before cable became common in the mid-1970s, the station was the only local broadcaster able to provide a clear signal to many outlying communities. From the mid-1980s onward, the station identified primarily through its WINK call letters. High cable and satellite penetration reduced the importance of station branding based on channel number, while the call letters became the core of the company's public identity. WINK-TV continued to emphasize locally produced news and weather, developing a sustained ratings contest with WBBH-TV. Its news operation also established bureaus in Charlotte County and Collier County and covered regional events such as Boston Red Sox spring training in Fort Myers. The company modernized its technical operations in the twenty-first century. WINK-TV began high-definition broadcasting on October 20, 2007, becoming the first Southwest Florida station to do so. It later reorganized its digital multicast offerings: WINK-DT2 moved to Antenna TV in March 2019 and added MyNetworkTV programming on weeknights, using the Antenna TV schedule for other periods. Local programming expanded during the early 2010s. In May 2011, WINK-TV introduced a 4 p.m. newscast following the conclusion of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Weekend morning news was expanded in June of that year, and additional morning and weekend extensions followed in 2011, 2013, and 2015. These changes reflected the broader industry shift toward using locally produced news to replace syndicated daytime programming and fill additional broadcast hours. Hurricane Ian was the most significant documented operational disruption in the company's recent history. On September 28, 2022, storm surge from nearby Billy Creek flooded the downtown Fort Myers studio, taking WINK-TV, WXCW, and sister radio stations off the air. WINK-TV returned on September 30 using a makeshift studio at its transmitter site and temporarily used WXCW's main channel to distribute the WINK schedule. Operations returned to the primary facility after repairs roughly a week later. The flood prompted a long-term facilities decision. Fort Myers Broadcasting purchased a building on Corporate Lakes Drive in Gateway in mid-2023 and undertook extensive renovation. WINK-TV relocated to the new facility on January 12, 2026. The move represented both a recovery from Hurricane Ian and a strategic effort to protect core broadcast operations from future flooding. The company remains locally controlled by the McBride family and operates within the Southwest Florida media market through WINK-TV and service relationships with other regional television stations.

• 2026

  WINK-TV relocates to Gateway

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  After renovation, WINK-TV moves to the Corporate Lakes Drive facility on January 12.

• 2023

  New Gateway facility is acquired

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The company purchases a building in Gateway to replace or supplement its flood-vulnerable broadcast center.

• 2022

  Hurricane Ian disrupts broadcasting

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Flooding at the downtown Fort Myers studio forces temporary transmission arrangements for WINK-TV and related operations.

• 2019

  Digital subchannel programming expands

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WINK-DT2 launches an Antenna TV service and adds MyNetworkTV programming on weeknights.

• 2007

  High-definition broadcasting begins

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WINK-TV becomes the first Southwest Florida station to broadcast in high definition.

• 1974

  ABC receives a separate local outlet

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WEVU-TV launches, ending the local sharing of ABC programming between WINK-TV and WBBH-TV.

• 1968

  Local television competition arrives

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WBBH-TV signs on and takes the NBC affiliation, ending WINK-TV's position as the area's only local commercial television station.

• 1956

  DuMont network service ends

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WINK-TV drops DuMont programming after the network ceases operations, while continuing its long-standing primary CBS relationship.

• 1954

  WINK-TV launches

  [1]WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The company's principal television operation begins broadcasting on March 18 as the first television station in Southwest Florida.

A locally owned, community-focused Southwest Florida broadcast company centered on regional television news, CBS-affiliate programming, and emergency coverage.

• Broadcast television station · 1954

  WINK-TV

  The company's flagship television station, licensed to Fort Myers and serving the Southwest Florida market. WINK-TV is a primary CBS affiliate and produces extensive local news, weather, and public-affairs programming. Its digital operation includes multicast services, including Antenna TV and MyNetworkTV programming on WINK-DT2.

• News programming

  WINK-TV local news operation

  A substantial regional news operation producing weekday and weekend newscasts, weather coverage, and emergency information. The operation includes bureaus serving Charlotte County and Collier County and has historically competed with WBBH-TV for market leadership.

• Digital television · 2019

  Digital multicast services

  WINK-TV's digital spectrum supports additional programming beyond the primary CBS service. WINK-DT2 has carried Antenna TV since March 2019 and also carries MyNetworkTV programming during weeknights, with other time periods filled by Antenna TV content.

• Broadcast operations

  Shared broadcast services

  Fort Myers Broadcasting provides selected services under a shared-services agreement with Sun Broadcasting. The associated stations have included WFTX-TV, WXCW, WUVF-LD, and WANA-LD, extending the company's operational role across several Southwest Florida television outlets.

• 2022

  Decision to seek a flood-resilient broadcast facilityStrategy

  Background

  Hurricane Ian storm surge flooded the company's downtown Fort Myers studio and interrupted television and radio operations.

  Action taken

  Fort Myers Broadcasting pursued a new facility away from the flood-vulnerable downtown location and purchased a building in Gateway in mid-2023.

  Aftermath

  After renovation, WINK-TV relocated to the Gateway facility on January 12, 2026.

  Source

• 2019

  Relaunch of WINK-DT2 with Antenna TV and MyNetworkTVProduct launch

  Background

  The company needed to use WINK-TV's digital capacity to provide additional syndicated and network programming in the Southwest Florida market.

  Action taken

  WINK-DT2 began carrying Antenna TV in March 2019 and added MyNetworkTV programming on weeknights, using Antenna TV content outside the MyNetworkTV schedule.

  Aftermath

  The change restored local access to MyNetworkTV after the closure of a former cable-exclusive outlet and expanded WINK-TV's digital offering.

  Source

1. 1WINK-TVen.wikipedia.org