WJZ-TV

WJZ-TV is a broadcast television station serving Baltimore, Maryland, as the market's CBS affiliate and an owned-and-operated station of CBS. The station broadcasts on channel 13 and operates from the Television Hill complex in Baltimore's Woodberry neighborhood, where it has been based since its launch. Its facilities are adjacent to a major transmission structure shared with other Baltimore television outlets. The station began broadcasting on November 1, 1948, under the call sign WAAM. It was Baltimore's third television station and was initially owned by Radio-Television of Baltimore Inc., a company associated with local businessmen and brothers Ben and Herman Cohen. WAAM launched as an ABC affiliate and also carried programming from the DuMont Television Network until that network ceased operations in 1956. Its early schedule combined network entertainment, local programming, news, and sports. Among its notable early sports commitments was the production of Baltimore Colts games for DuMont's National Football League coverage. Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the station in 1957. After taking operational control, Westinghouse changed the call sign to WJZ-TV, reviving a call-sign identity historically connected with Westinghouse's broadcasting operations. The station became part of Westinghouse's Group W broadcasting portfolio and developed a substantial local-news operation. In 1959, WJZ-TV joined WBAL-TV and WMAR-TV in a joint project to construct a three-pronged candelabra transmission tower. The structure improved coverage across Central Maryland and reached viewers in portions of neighboring states and the District of Columbia. For most of its first four decades, WJZ-TV was an ABC station and became one of the network's strongest affiliates. Its programming history included locally produced shows, syndicated Group W programs, the teen dance program The Buddy Deane Show, and periods of preemption or delay involving ABC daytime and entertainment programs. The station's local identity was strengthened by its news, community, and sports coverage. A major realignment of American television affiliations changed the station's role. In 1994, ABC arranged to move its Baltimore affiliation to WMAR-TV as part of a wider agreement with the E. W. Scripps Company. Westinghouse responded by negotiating a long-term affiliation agreement with CBS. WJZ-TV became a CBS affiliate on January 2, 1995, while Baltimore's NBC affiliation returned to WBAL-TV. Westinghouse subsequently acquired CBS in November 1995, making WJZ-TV a CBS-owned station. It remains part of CBS's local-station portfolio through CBS News and Stations. WJZ-TV's principal output consists of CBS network programming, local news, weather, traffic, public-affairs and community reporting, syndicated content, and selected sports. It has been a prominent local broadcaster of Baltimore Ravens games through CBS's American Football Conference rights and has carried Baltimore Orioles baseball during several periods. The station's news operation is associated with the Eyewitness News format and with long-serving anchors, reporters, meteorologists, and producers. Its Baltimore coverage has included consumer reporting, investigative journalism, severe weather, public safety, politics, education, and regional sports. The station has retained a distinctive Baltimore identity while operating within CBS's national network and corporate structure. Its long history at the Television Hill facility, durable call sign, extensive local-news operation, and relationships with regional sports teams make it one of the market's legacy broadcast brands.

WJZ-TV began service on November 1, 1948, as WAAM, the third television station to sign on in Baltimore. Its original owners were local businessmen Ben and Herman Cohen through Radio-Television of Baltimore Inc. The station's first days reflected the experimental and expanding nature of early television: it carried election coverage, entertainment, local productions, and network programming, including ABC shows and DuMont programs. WAAM also originated Baltimore Colts games for DuMont's national football coverage. From its beginning, the station operated from a purpose-built television facility near Druid Hill Park on what later became known as Television Hill. The location became a durable part of the station's identity. Westinghouse Electric Corporation purchased WAAM in 1957 and assumed control later that year. The call sign changed to WJZ-TV in September 1957, connecting the station with a call-letter tradition associated with Westinghouse broadcasting and with the former WJZ outlets in New York. Westinghouse invested in the station's technical reach and local programming. In 1959, WJZ-TV worked with Baltimore's other major television stations to build a shared candelabra transmission tower. At completion, the tower was among the tallest free-standing television antennas in the United States and expanded reliable reception across Central Maryland and into parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. WJZ-TV remained an ABC affiliate through the major network realignment of 1994–1995. Although it was a highly regarded ABC affiliate, ABC agreed to move its Baltimore affiliation to WMAR-TV as part of a broader Scripps arrangement. Westinghouse negotiated with CBS instead of accepting an NBC proposal, and WJZ-TV switched networks on January 2, 1995. The move made channel 13 Baltimore's CBS station and returned NBC programming to WBAL-TV. Westinghouse's acquisition of CBS later in 1995 converted WJZ-TV into a CBS owned-and-operated station. The station's local-news franchise grew substantially under Westinghouse and adopted the Eyewitness News approach used by several Group W stations. WJZ-TV developed consumer and investigative reporting capabilities and became known for long-serving newsroom personnel. Its history includes prominent anchors such as Jerry Turner, Al Sanders, Denise Koch, Don Scott, Marty Bass, and meteorologist Bob Turk, as well as Oprah Winfrey's early Baltimore television work in the 1970s. The station has frequently competed with WBAL-TV for local-news leadership and has maintained a strong position in the Baltimore market. Sports have also been central to the station's profile. WJZ-TV carried Orioles games in multiple periods and became a primary local outlet for Ravens games after CBS obtained American Football Conference rights. Its CBS affiliation has generally allowed it to carry the network schedule with limited preemption, apart from breaking-news needs and selected local sports commitments. The WJZ call sign was also used briefly by related Baltimore radio properties after 2008, but those radio assets were separated from the television station following the 2017 CBS Radio transaction with Entercom, now Audacy. WJZ-TV itself remains part of CBS's broadcast-station operations. Today it combines CBS programming with extensive local news, weather, traffic, sports, public-affairs, and digital coverage for Baltimore and surrounding communities.

• 2023

  Visual identity changes

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WJZ-TV ends its use of the distinctive Group W numeral typeface that had formed part of its logo history since 1967.

• 2017

  CBS Radio separates from the television operation

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The CBS Radio transaction with Entercom separates the related radio stations from WJZ-TV.

• 2008

  WJZ identity extended to Baltimore radio

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CBS Radio changes the call signs of two Baltimore stations to WJZ-related designations, reflecting their relationship to WJZ-TV.

• 1995

  Switch to CBS

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WJZ-TV becomes Baltimore's CBS affiliate on January 2 after ABC moves its affiliation to WMAR-TV.

• 1995

  Becomes a CBS owned-and-operated station

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Westinghouse completes its acquisition of CBS, placing WJZ-TV under direct CBS ownership.

• 1959

  Shared candelabra tower is completed

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WJZ-TV joins WBAL-TV and WMAR-TV in constructing a major shared transmission tower that expands regional coverage.

• 1957

  Westinghouse purchase and WJZ-TV renaming

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Westinghouse acquires the station and changes its call sign from WAAM to WJZ-TV.

• 1948

  WAAM signs on

  [1]WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Baltimore's third television station begins broadcasting on November 1 as an ABC affiliate with a secondary DuMont affiliation.

A long-established Baltimore news and community broadcaster combining CBS network programming with locally produced journalism, weather, traffic, public affairs, and sports coverage.

• Local television news

  WJZ Eyewitness News

  The station's principal local-news franchise, covering Baltimore and Central Maryland through scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, investigative and consumer journalism, weather, traffic, and regional public-interest stories. The Eyewitness News identity reflects the station's historical connection to the Group W news format and remains central to its broadcast and digital presence.

• Network television · 1995

  CBS network programming

  WJZ-TV distributes CBS entertainment, news, daytime, sports, and special-event programming to the Baltimore market. Since the 1995 affiliation change, the station has generally carried the CBS schedule with limited preemptions, principally for emergency news coverage and selected local sports.

• Sports broadcasting

  Local sports coverage

  WJZ-TV has been an important Baltimore sports broadcaster, carrying Baltimore Ravens games under CBS's AFC rights and Orioles baseball during several historical broadcast periods. Sports coverage links the station's network role with its local-market identity and provides major live-event programming.

• Local talk show · 1978

  People Are Talking

  A locally produced WJZ-TV talk program associated with the station's 1970s programming history. Oprah Winfrey helped launch and co-host the program with Richard Sher during her early Baltimore television career.

• Local entertainment · 1957

  The Buddy Deane Show

  A Baltimore in-studio teen dance program broadcast by WJZ-TV from 1957 to 1964. Its cultural legacy extended beyond the station: the program later served as an inspiration for John Waters's Hairspray and related stage and film adaptations.

• 1994

  Negotiate a CBS affiliation after losing ABCStrategy

  Background

  ABC arranged to move its Baltimore affiliation to WMAR-TV as part of a wider agreement with the E. W. Scripps Company, putting WJZ-TV's long-standing ABC relationship at risk.

  Action taken

  Westinghouse pursued alternative network arrangements, declined an NBC proposal, and agreed to a long-term affiliation with CBS for WJZ-TV.

  Aftermath

  WJZ-TV switched to CBS on January 2, 1995, and later became a CBS owned-and-operated station when Westinghouse acquired CBS.

  • WMAR-TV — WMAR-TV received the ABC affiliation as part of the broader realignment.
  • WBAL-TV — WBAL-TV regained the NBC affiliation after WJZ-TV moved to CBS.

  Source

• 1959

  Build a shared transmission towerOther

  Background

  Baltimore's television stations sought stronger and broader signal coverage as the local television market expanded.

  Action taken

  WJZ-TV joined WBAL-TV and WMAR-TV in a joint venture to construct a three-pronged candelabra tower beside the WJZ-TV facility.

  Aftermath

  The tower materially improved coverage across Central Maryland and reached viewers in surrounding states and the District of Columbia.

  Source

1. 1WJZ-TVen.wikipedia.org