WCBZ-CD

WCBZ-CD is a low-power, Class A television station based in Ohio. Although the station originated in Marion, it currently identifies with Columbus through its call sign and ownership by Columbus Broadcasting Corporation. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 22 and carries programming from Cozi TV, a digital multicast network known for classic television series and films. Its service profile combines network programming with the local identity associated with the Marion area. The station began operations as W22AE in Marion on April 17, 1989. It later adopted the call sign WBKA-LP in 1995. In 2004, Crawford Broadcasting sold the station to Metro Video Productions, which obtained Class A status for the facility. The upgrade resulted in the WBKA-CA call sign and gave the station the regulatory classification associated with a more protected low-power television service. In 2008, Studio 51 Multimedia Productions, Ltd. acquired the station. Under that ownership, it was promoted as TV 22 Marion and emphasized comprehensive coverage of Marion County events together with original local programming. In August 2009, the call sign changed from WBKA-CA to WMNO-CA, reflecting the station's Marion identity. The station subsequently transitioned from analog to digital broadcasting: operating as WMNO-CD, it shut down its analog signal on January 7, 2015, and moved its digital transmission to UHF channel 28 while retaining virtual channel 22. Positive News Network, Inc. purchased the station in 2015. Following that transaction, the station adopted its current Cozi TV affiliation. In 2017, the call sign changed to WCBZ-CD, a designation intended to correspond with the Columbus Broadcasting ownership. The station was formerly carried by Time Warner Cable in Marion on channel 3 for viewers using a cable box and channel 96 for viewers without one. Its removal from the Marion cable lineup on May 8, 2018 reduced its conventional cable distribution in that community, although the station's over-the-air digital service continued to define its broadcast operation. WCBZ-CD is best understood as a local broadcast outlet rather than a national consumer brand. Its principal offering is a free, over-the-air television signal, supplemented by the Cozi TV schedule and the station's historical local-production role. Publicly available reference material does not identify a substantial corporate executive team, separately reported financial results, or a broad portfolio of branded products. The station's significance lies in its long operating history, multiple ownership and call-sign transitions, Class A status, digital conversion, and continuing position within the Ohio television market.

WCBZ-CD traces its history to a low-power television facility established in Marion, Ohio, under the call sign W22AE on April 17, 1989. The station's early operation placed it within the local television landscape serving Marion and surrounding communities. In 1995, it changed its call letters to WBKA-LP. A significant ownership and regulatory transition occurred in 2004, when Crawford Broadcasting sold the station to Metro Video Productions. During this period, the facility received Class A status, a designation that distinguished it from an ordinary low-power television authorization and was reflected in the subsequent WBKA-CA call sign. The Class A classification provided the station with a more formalized status within the low-power television system. In 2008, Studio 51 Multimedia Productions, Ltd. acquired the station. The new operator presented it as TV 22 Marion and developed a local-service identity centered on Marion County. Its programming included coverage of area events and other original material, giving the station a role beyond simply retransmitting a national network schedule. In August 2009, the call sign changed from WBKA-CA to WMNO-CA, with the new letters referring to Marion, Ohio. The station's technical history changed materially during the digital transition. Operating under the WMNO identity, it ended analog broadcasting on January 7, 2015. Rather than continuing a traditional analog channel 22 transmission, it conducted a flash cut to digital operation on UHF channel 28 while retaining virtual channel 22 for viewer-facing identification. This allowed the station to continue presenting itself as channel 22 even though its physical digital transmission channel differed. Ownership changed again in 2015, when Positive News Network, Inc. purchased the facility. Following the acquisition, the station adopted an affiliation with Cozi TV, a digital multicast network focused primarily on classic television entertainment. This shift aligned the station with a nationally distributed digital network while preserving its local broadcast designation. In 2017, the call sign became WCBZ-CD. The change was associated with the station's ownership by Columbus Broadcasting Corporation and made the call letters more consistent with the Columbus identity of that owner. Despite the Columbus reference, the station's historical roots and local service profile remained tied to Marion and central Ohio. Distribution outside the broadcast signal also changed. In Marion, Time Warner Cable had carried the station on channel 3 when a cable box was used and on channel 96 without a cable box. The station was removed from the Marion cable lineup on May 8, 2018. This ended the documented cable carriage arrangement but did not itself establish that the over-the-air station had ceased operations. WCBZ-CD's history therefore reflects several recurring patterns in American local television: operation under successive low-power call signs, a move to Class A status, ownership transfers among smaller broadcasting companies, a transition from analog to digital transmission, the replacement of locally branded programming with a digital multicast affiliation, and changes in cable distribution. Available reference material does not provide a detailed account of current management, station revenue, staffing, or later programming developments.

• 2018

  Marion cable carriage ended

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  Time Warner Cable removed the station from its Marion channel lineup on May 8, 2018.

• 2017

  Renamed WCBZ-CD

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call sign to WCBZ-CD to reflect its ownership by Columbus Broadcasting Corporation.

• 2015

  Digital transition and Positive News Network acquisition

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station ended analog broadcasting on January 7, 2015, flash-cut to digital UHF channel 28 while retaining virtual channel 22, and was purchased by Positive News Network later that year.

• 2009

  Call sign changed to WMNO-CA

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  In August 2009, the station adopted WMNO-CA, a call sign associated with Marion, Ohio.

• 2008

  Acquired by Studio 51 Multimedia Productions

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed ownership and operated as TV 22 Marion, emphasizing Marion County coverage and original local programming.

• 2004

  Acquired by Metro Video Productions and granted Class A status

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  Metro Video Productions acquired the station from Crawford Broadcasting. The facility received Class A status and subsequently used the WBKA-CA call sign.

• 1995

  Call sign changed to WBKA-LP

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted the WBKA-LP call sign.

• 1989

  Station founded as W22AE

  [1]WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The low-power television facility began operation in Marion, Ohio, on April 17, 1989, using the call sign W22AE.

A low-power, Class A local television station combining Cozi TV entertainment programming with a Marion-area broadcast identity.

• Broadcast television · 2015

  WCBZ-CD digital television service

  The station's core offering is a low-power, Class A digital television signal identified to viewers by virtual channel 22. Its physical digital transmission operates on UHF channel 28, following the 2015 flash cut from analog broadcasting. The service is intended for viewers in the Marion and broader central Ohio area.

• Digital multicast network affiliation · 2015

  Cozi TV programming

  Since the 2015 ownership transition, WCBZ-CD has carried Cozi TV programming. The affiliation supplies a schedule of classic television entertainment through the station's digital broadcast service while the outlet remains locally identified with channel 22 and the Marion area.

• Local television programming · 2008

  TV 22 Marion local programming

  During the Studio 51 Multimedia Productions ownership period, the station operated under the TV 22 Marion identity and offered coverage of Marion County events along with other original programming. This was a historical programming initiative rather than a separately documented current product line.

• 2018

  End of Marion cable carriageStrategy

  Background

  The station had previously been carried by Time Warner Cable in Marion on two channel positions depending on the viewer's equipment.

  Action taken

  Time Warner Cable removed WCBZ-CD from the Marion cable lineup on May 8, 2018.

  Aftermath

  The station no longer had the documented Time Warner Cable distribution arrangement in Marion, while its over-the-air broadcast identity remained separate from cable carriage.

  Source

• 2017

  Call sign aligned with Columbus Broadcasting ownershipStrategy

  Background

  Following ownership by Columbus Broadcasting Corporation, the station changed its call sign to better reflect the owning company.

  Action taken

  The call sign was changed to WCBZ-CD.

  Aftermath

  The station adopted its current identifying call letters while retaining virtual channel 22.

  Source

• 2015

  Analog-to-digital flash cutGeneration change

  Background

  The station, then operating under the WMNO identity, moved from analog broadcasting to digital transmission.

  Action taken

  It shut down its analog UHF channel 22 signal on January 7, 2015, and began digital operation on UHF channel 28 while retaining virtual channel 22.

  Aftermath

  The change made the station's broadcast service digital while preserving its familiar virtual channel number.

  Source

• 2015

  Positive News Network acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Positive News Network, Inc. purchased the station during a period of technical and programming transition.

  Action taken

  The new owner took control of the station, which subsequently adopted its Cozi TV affiliation.

  Aftermath

  The station's programming profile shifted toward the Cozi TV digital multicast network.

  Source

• 2004

  Class A status upgradeOther

  Background

  After Metro Video Productions acquired the station from Crawford Broadcasting, the facility was granted Class A status.

  Action taken

  The station transitioned from its earlier low-power identity to Class A operation and adopted the WBKA-CA call sign.

  Aftermath

  The upgrade established the station as a Class A low-power television facility and preceded later call-sign and ownership changes.

  Source

1. 1WCBZ-CDen.wikipedia.org