WCBS-TV

WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the New York City flagship station of the CBS television network and one of the oldest continuously operating television stations in the United States. The station is branded on air as CBS New York and has also used the CBS 2 identity since the late 1990s. It is owned and operated by CBS through the CBS News and Stations division of Paramount Global. The station traces its history to CBS experimental station W2XAB, which began broadcasting in New York on July 21, 1931. W2XAB experimented with mechanical television, early studio formats, live performances, educational demonstrations, and news coverage. It suspended operations in 1933 while CBS moved toward electronic television, returning in 1939 from facilities at Grand Central Terminal. The station became commercially authorized as WCBW in 1941 and was among the first fully commercial television stations in the United States. Its earliest commercial programming included local news, making the station an early contributor to the development of television journalism. Following postwar frequency reallocations, WCBW moved to the modern channel 2 frequency in 1946 and adopted the WCBS-TV call sign later that year. Its New York location gave it a central role in CBS network history. In 1948, the station carried Douglas Edwards's pioneering regularly scheduled network television newscast, an important predecessor of the CBS Evening News. WCBS-TV also developed local news, public-affairs, entertainment, sports, and feature programming for the New York market. The station has been associated with several notable broadcasting firsts. It aired an early color baseball telecast in 1951 and became the first station to carry a regularly scheduled feature-film series with The Late Show. Its transmission infrastructure also proved unusually resilient during major disruptions. After the September 11, 2001 attacks destroyed the World Trade Center, WCBS-TV's backup transmitter at the Empire State Building enabled it to remain the only full-coverage over-the-air television service operating in New York City for a period, while also providing transmission assistance to other affected broadcasters. WCBS-TV completed the United States digital television transition in 2009, ultimately using virtual channel 2 and a digital channel allocated through the post-transition spectrum plan. It has also operated digital multicast and streaming services, including CBS New York Plus, Decades, Start TV, and CBSN New York, which later became part of the CBS News New York streaming operation. In 2012, CBS acquired WLNY-TV, a Long Island-licensed independent station, creating a duopoly with WCBS-TV and expanding the company's ability to produce and distribute local news across the region. Today, WCBS-TV's core business is local television news and information programming, complemented by CBS network programming, syndicated or acquired content, weather, traffic, sports coverage, community affairs, digital video, and streaming news. The station shares the CBS Broadcast Center in Midtown Manhattan with other CBS operations, while its main transmitter is located at One World Trade Center. Its competitive position is based on CBS network affiliation, New York market reach, local reporting resources, and integration with CBS News and the broader Paramount media group.

WCBS-TV began as CBS experimental station W2XAB, which launched in New York on July 21, 1931. The station used mechanical television technology and transmitted a broad schedule of experimental programming, including performances, demonstrations, dramatic presentations, and early news. It is credited with maintaining one of the first regular seven-day television schedules. In 1932, engineer Bill Lodge developed a synchronized sound system that allowed picture and audio to be transmitted through a single shortwave channel. W2XAB also broadcast election-return coverage in November 1932. The station suspended operations in February 1933 as CBS shifted from mechanical to electronic television. It returned in 1939 from a studio complex at Grand Central Terminal, using an electronic system and a transmitter at the Chrysler Building. The operation conducted an early United States color broadcast in August 1940. On June 24, 1941, it received commercial authorization and adopted the call sign WCBW. It went on the air commercially on July 1, 1941, one hour after NBC's WNBT, with the two networks scheduled to launch on the same day. WCBW's initial programming included local news, making it an early commercial television news outlet. Regular daily operations developed during late 1941, and the station received a full broadcast license in March 1942. Wartime staffing and equipment shortages led to a major reduction in live programming, but studio production and news gradually returned in 1944. Following the FCC's postwar reallocation of television frequencies, WCBW moved to the frequency that became channel 2 in 1946. The call letters changed to WCBS-TV on November 1, 1946, aligning the station with CBS's New York radio properties. WCBS-TV became an important component of the developing CBS television network. In 1948, Douglas Edwards began anchoring a regularly scheduled national television newscast carried by WCBS-TV and other CBS outlets. The program evolved into the CBS Evening News. At the local level, the station expanded news and public-affairs operations and competed with WNBC-TV and other New York broadcasters for audience leadership. In 1951, it introduced The Late Show, an early regularly scheduled feature-film series, and televised a notable field-sequential color baseball broadcast. During the second half of the twentieth century, WCBS-TV continued as CBS's New York owned-and-operated station, carrying network entertainment, news, sports, and special events while producing extensive local programming. It adopted the CBS 2 branding in May 1997. Its transmission arrangements became especially significant during emergencies: the station maintained a full-power backup facility at the Empire State Building after its principal transmitter moved to the World Trade Center in 1975. That redundancy enabled WCBS-TV to continue broad coverage following the September 11, 2001 attacks and to assist other broadcasters whose facilities had been damaged. The station ended regular analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the nationwide digital transition. It retained an analog nightlight signal for public-service announcements before permanently shutting it down in July. CBS later expanded the station's digital and streaming presence. A 24-hour local news multicast service, CBS New York Plus, launched in 2011, while CBS acquired WLNY-TV in 2012 and used WCBS-TV resources to expand WLNY's news schedule. WCBS-TV carried the Decades digital network beginning in 2015 and replaced it with Start TV in 2018. CBSN New York launched in December 2018 as a local streaming news service. The station moved its digital transmission to channel 36 in 2019 after the FCC spectrum repacking process. Following the 2019 CBS–Viacom merger, WCBS-TV became part of ViacomCBS, now Paramount Global. It remains a CBS-owned-and-operated station headquartered at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan.

• 2019

  Digital transmission moves to channel 36

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its physical digital channel following the FCC spectrum incentive auction and repacking process.

• 2018

  CBSN New York launches

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCBS-TV and CBS Interactive launched a local streaming news service.

• 2012

  WLNY-TV becomes a CBS sister station

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CBS completed its acquisition of WLNY-TV, creating a New York-area station duopoly with WCBS-TV.

• 2009

  Digital television transition

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCBS-TV ended regular analog programming and moved to digital broadcasting.

• 1997

  CBS 2 branding is adopted

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station joined several CBS owned stations in adopting the CBS 2 identity.

• 1951

  The Late Show and color baseball broadcast

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCBS-TV introduced a regular feature-film series and televised an early color baseball game.

• 1948

  Douglas Edwards anchors an early network television newscast

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCBS-TV carried Douglas Edwards's regularly scheduled CBS network news program.

• 1946

  The station adopts the WCBS-TV call sign

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCBW changed its call letters to WCBS-TV after the postwar channel reallocation.

• 1941

  WCBW becomes a commercial station

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station received commercial authorization and began broadcasting as WCBW, with early local television news.

• 1939

  Electronic television operation returns

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CBS resumed New York television transmissions from Grand Central Terminal using electronic technology.

• 1933

  Experimental broadcasts are suspended

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  W2XAB suspended operations while CBS transitioned from mechanical to electronic television.

• 1931

  CBS launches experimental station W2XAB

  [1]WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CBS began experimental television broadcasting in New York, laying the foundation for the station that became WCBS-TV.

A major CBS-owned local television news operation and network flagship serving the New York metropolitan area, positioned around local journalism, breaking news, weather, traffic, and integration with CBS News.

• Local television news · 1941

  CBS New York local news

  WCBS-TV's principal offering is its locally produced news operation for New York City and the surrounding region. Programming includes morning, daytime, evening, and late-night newscasts, breaking-news coverage, investigative reports, weather, traffic, consumer reporting, politics, and community stories. The operation also supplies material for CBS News and distributes reports through digital platforms.

• Network television

  CBS network programming

  As the CBS-owned New York flagship, WCBS-TV carries the CBS network schedule, including scripted and unscripted entertainment, national news, sports, specials, and network promotions. The station combines this national programming with locally originated news and public-service content.

• Streaming news · 2018

  CBS News New York

  Launched as CBSN New York in 2018, this local streaming service extends WCBS-TV's reporting beyond linear broadcast schedules. It provides live and on-demand local news, weather, breaking coverage, and selected reports through CBS digital properties, websites, and mobile applications.

• Digital television · 2011

  Digital multicast services

  WCBS-TV has used digital multicast capacity for additional programming services. Its secondary channel carried CBS New York Plus, later Decades, and then Start TV, reflecting changes in CBS's digital-network strategy and arrangements with external multicast-network partners.

• Television station operation · 2012

  WLNY-TV local news partnership

  After CBS acquired WLNY-TV in 2012, WCBS-TV supplied locally produced newscasts and other operational resources to the Long Island station. The arrangement broadened CBS's local news presence in the New York market while preserving separate station identities.

• 2019

  Post-auction digital channel reassignmentGeneration change

  Background

  The FCC's spectrum incentive auction and repacking process required many broadcasters to change physical transmission channels.

  Action taken

  WCBS-TV moved its digital signal from physical channel 33 to physical channel 36 while retaining virtual channel 2.

  Aftermath

  The station continued digital service under its established channel 2 identity.

  Source

• 2018

  Launch of CBSN New YorkProduct launch

  Background

  Audiences were increasingly consuming local news through websites, mobile applications, and streaming services.

  Action taken

  WCBS-TV and CBS Interactive launched a New York-focused streaming news service.

  Aftermath

  The service became part of the station's broader CBS News New York digital operation.

  Source

• 2011

  Acquisition of WLNY-TVM&A

  Background

  CBS sought to expand its local station portfolio and news reach in the New York market.

  Action taken

  CBS announced the purchase of Riverhead-licensed independent station WLNY-TV and planned additional staffing and expanded local news.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was approved in 2012, producing a duopoly and enabling WCBS-TV to provide news programming for WLNY-TV.

  Reported purchase price. $55 million (2011 announcement)

  Source

• 2009

  Transition from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  Federal rules required full-power American television stations to end regular analog broadcasting.

  Action taken

  WCBS-TV moved its main service to digital broadcasting on virtual channel 2 and temporarily maintained an analog nightlight service for public information.

  Aftermath

  The station completed the transition to digital transmission and later changed its physical digital channel during FCC spectrum repacking.

  Source

• 1941

  Move from experimentation to commercial televisionStrategy

  Background

  CBS had operated W2XAB as an experimental service while television technology and regulatory standards were developing.

  Action taken

  The operation obtained commercial authorization and relaunched as WCBW with regular commercial programming and local news.

  Aftermath

  The station became one of the earliest fully commercial television services in the United States and the historical predecessor of WCBS-TV.

  Source

1. 1WCBS-TVen.wikipedia.org