WOLO-TV

WOLO-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina, and affiliated with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The station broadcasts on virtual channel 25 and is owned by Bahakel Communications, a privately held broadcasting group. Its studios and business offices are in northeast Columbia, while its main transmitter is on Rush Road in southwestern Kershaw County near Camden. The station began broadcasting on October 1, 1961, under the call sign WCCA-TV. It was established by First Carolina Corporation, a local investment group, using the former facilities of WCOS-TV, which had been South Carolina's first television station before leaving the air in 1956. WCCA-TV restored Columbia to a three-station commercial television market. First Carolina later entered bankruptcy, and Cy Bahakel acquired the station in 1964. Following the purchase, the call letters were changed to WOLO-TV. Bahakel pursued a long-term technical strategy intended to make the UHF station more competitive. The company expanded the station's tower and repeatedly increased its effective radiated power. These upgrades coincided with the wider adoption of all-channel television receivers following the federal All-Channel Receiver Act, which improved the commercial prospects of UHF broadcasters. Additional power increases followed in the late 1960s and 1981. In 2001, WOLO activated a much taller transmitter structure near Camden, substantially improving coverage and enabling digital broadcasting. The new facility expanded the station's reach by approximately half and provided secondary coverage across a broad portion of South Carolina and nearby areas. WOLO has historically occupied a difficult competitive position in the Columbia market. For much of its history, its local newscasts ranked behind those of WIS and WLTX, and the station was frequently characterized as a lower-investment operation. Weak signal coverage, limited facilities, management turnover, and fluctuations in news staffing contributed to a persistent third-place position. Nevertheless, WOLO produced several local television firsts, including the market's first female evening news anchor, Elizabeth Snite, in 1977, and the area's first certified meteorologist and first color weather radar system the following year. The station made repeated efforts to strengthen its news operation. It introduced and later discontinued late-evening newscasts, expanded morning and afternoon coverage, and adopted the 25 Eyewitness News identity during the 1990s. From 2002 through 2005, financial and digital-conversion concerns led Bahakel to centralize WOLO's production operations at its Charlotte station, WCCB. Local reporting continued in Columbia, but the station reduced its local schedule and eliminated several positions. News production returned to Columbia in 2005 from a streetside studio in the historic Union National Bank Building, and the station later restored a weekday morning newscast and a noon newscast in 2011. WOLO adopted the consumer-facing brand ABC Columbia in 2005. Its analog service ended during the United States digital television transition in June 2009, apart from a temporary public-service announcement loop required under the SAFER Act. By June 2025, the station was producing more than 23.5 hours of local news programming per week. In addition to its main ABC service, WOLO operates digital multicast services, including a MeTV-branded subchannel. The station remains an active local broadcast outlet focused on network programming, regional news, weather, sports, public affairs, and syndicated or multicast content.

WOLO-TV's channel 25 assignment has roots in WCOS-TV, which began broadcasting in Columbia in 1953 as South Carolina's first television station and operated as an ABC affiliate. WCOS-TV left the air in 1956 after a competing station acquired most of its assets. A new local investment group, First Carolina Corporation, subsequently sought authority to construct a station on channel 25. The Federal Communications Commission issued a construction permit in 1961, and First Carolina acquired the former WCOS-TV plant on Shakespeare Road for reuse. A new tower was also built. The new station signed on October 1, 1961, as WCCA-TV. Its launch returned Columbia to a three-station commercial television environment. The FCC issued the license to cover the construction permit in July 1962. First Carolina's ownership was short-lived, however, as the company entered bankruptcy. In 1964, broadcaster Cy Bahakel purchased the station and changed its call letters to WOLO-TV. Bahakel also acquired or operated other UHF stations, including WCCB in Charlotte and WKAB-TV in Montgomery, and pursued coordinated technical improvements across the group. During the Bahakel era, WOLO received successive tower and power upgrades. The tower was expanded during the 1960s, power was increased substantially by the end of that decade, and a further increase took place in 1981 using a taller tower. These investments were designed to overcome the traditional reception limitations of UHF broadcasting, particularly as federal policy and consumer equipment made UHF channels more viable. Even with stronger facilities, WOLO continued to face an established competitive disadvantage in local ratings. The station's news department developed several notable local innovations. In 1977, Elizabeth Snite became the first woman to co-anchor an evening newscast in the Columbia market. In 1978, WOLO hired Bob Richards, identified in contemporary accounts as the market's first certified meteorologist, and introduced the area's first color weather radar system. The station also experimented with an 11 p.m. newscast, morning programming, a noon newscast, and successive news identities. These initiatives did not displace the dominant positions of WIS and WLTX, and WOLO's local news operation remained associated with limited resources and frequent changes in management and editorial leadership. A major technical and operational change occurred in 2001, when WOLO activated a new transmitter near Camden. The structure significantly improved the station's service area, extending usable or secondary coverage into many additional counties and enabling digital broadcasting. WOLO began digital transmission in 2002 and ultimately became digital-only on June 12, 2009. It retained an analog signal temporarily under the SAFER Act to broadcast information about the national digital transition. Financial concerns surrounding the cost of digital conversion shaped the station's news operation in the early 2000s. In 2002, master-control and newscast production functions were moved to WCCB's Charlotte facilities. Reporting remained based in Columbia, but WOLO cut its weekday morning and weekend newscasts and reduced staffing. In 2005, after Bahakel's financial position improved, news production moved back to Columbia. The station simultaneously adopted the ABC Columbia brand and operated from a new streetside studio in the Union National Bank Building across from the South Carolina State House. WOLO gradually rebuilt its local schedule. On August 1, 2011, it launched the hour-long Good Morning Columbia at 6 a.m. and restored a noon newscast. The station also recruited established local broadcast personalities, including former WIS anchor Ben Hoover in 2015 and former WIS chief meteorologist John Farley. By 2022, WOLO had left the Union National Bank Building as redevelopment plans emerged for the property. As of June 2025, the station was producing more than 23.5 hours of local news each week. It continues to operate as a Bahakel-owned ABC affiliate with digital multicast services and a regional broadcast footprint centered on Columbia and central South Carolina.

• 2025

  Local news output exceeds 23.5 hours weekly

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station is reported to produce more than 23.5 hours of local news programming each week.

• 2011

  Local morning and noon news return

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Good Morning Columbia launches and the noon newscast returns to the schedule.

• 2009

  Analog service ends

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WOLO completes the federally mandated transition to digital television, with a brief SAFER Act information loop.

• 2005

  ABC Columbia identity launches

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station rebrands as ABC Columbia and returns news production to Columbia.

• 2002

  Digital broadcasting begins

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WOLO becomes the second commercial station in the Columbia market to launch a digital signal.

• 2001

  Camden-area transmitter is activated

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The new transmitter improves coverage across central South Carolina and supports digital service.

• 1981

  Major transmitter power increase

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  A new tall tower supports a substantial increase in effective radiated power.

• 1978

  Meteorology and radar milestone

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WOLO hires Bob Richards, described as the market's first certified meteorologist, and introduces color weather radar.

• 1977

  First female evening news anchor in the market

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Elizabeth Snite becomes the first woman to co-anchor a Columbia evening newscast.

• 1964

  Bahakel acquires the station

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Cy Bahakel purchases the station from bankruptcy proceedings and renames it WOLO-TV.

• 1961

  WCCA-TV launches

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  First Carolina Corporation launches the new channel 25 station in Columbia on October 1.

• 1956

  WCOS-TV leaves the air

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCOS-TV ceases operation after a competing station acquires most of its assets.

• 1953

  WCOS-TV signs on

  [1]WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The earlier channel 25 occupant begins broadcasting as South Carolina's first television station and an ABC affiliate.

A locally focused ABC network affiliate serving Columbia and central South Carolina, with emphasis on regional news, weather, community information, and network entertainment.

• Local television station and ABC affiliate · 1961

  ABC Columbia

  WOLO-TV's primary broadcast service combines ABC network programming with locally produced news, weather, traffic, public-affairs, and community content for Columbia and surrounding parts of South Carolina. The ABC Columbia identity has been used since 2005 and serves as the station's principal consumer-facing brand.

• Television news · 1961

  Local news programming

  WOLO's news operation provides scheduled local coverage from the Columbia market, including morning, midday, evening, and late-night programming. The schedule and production model have changed repeatedly, including a period of centralized production in Charlotte and a later return to Columbia-based production.

• Morning news program · 2011

  Good Morning Columbia

  Good Morning Columbia is WOLO-TV's local morning news program. The one-hour 6 a.m. broadcast was introduced in 2011 when the station rebuilt its local news schedule after a nine-year absence of weekday morning programming.

• Digital multicast television

  MeTV Columbia

  MeTV Columbia is a MeTV-branded digital multicast service associated with WOLO's over-the-air channel lineup. It complements the station's ABC service with programming distributed through a digital subchannel.

• 2005ABC Columbia rebrand

  Columbia, South Carolina · Central South Carolina

  WOLO replaced the ABC 25 identity with ABC Columbia while returning local newscast production to the Columbia market.

  Outcome. ABC Columbia became the station's continuing public-facing identity.

  Source

• 2011

  Restore morning and noon newscastsProduct launch

  Background

  WOLO had not carried a weekday morning newscast for approximately nine years.

  Action taken

  The station launched Good Morning Columbia at 6 a.m. and restored a noon newscast.

  Aftermath

  The move expanded the station's local programming footprint.

  Source

• 2005

  Return news production to ColumbiaStrategy

  Background

  After the Charlotte centralization period, Bahakel was able to support the station's digital conversion and expanded local operation.

  Action taken

  WOLO moved newscast production back to Columbia and adopted the ABC Columbia brand.

  Aftermath

  The station resumed Columbia-based production from a streetside studio and continued rebuilding its local news schedule.

  Source

• 2002

  Centralize newscast production in CharlotteStrategy

  Background

  Bahakel faced concerns about the cost of converting WOLO's operations to digital broadcasting.

  Action taken

  Newscast production and selected station operations were moved to Bahakel-owned WCCB in Charlotte, while reporting remained based in Columbia.

  Aftermath

  WOLO reduced its local news schedule and staffing before returning production to Columbia in 2005.

  Source

• 1964

  Acquire the station from bankruptcy and change its call signM&A

  Background

  First Carolina Corporation entered bankruptcy after launching the station as WCCA-TV.

  Action taken

  Cy Bahakel acquired the station and changed the call letters to WOLO-TV.

  Aftermath

  The station became part of Bahakel's broadcasting group and began a program of technical upgrades.

  Source

1. 1WOLO-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2ABC Columbia official websiteabccolumbia.com