As WPCW (2006–2023)
On January 24, 2006, Time Warner and CBS Corporation announced that The WB and UPN would shut down and be replaced by a new network called The CW, which would initially feature series from both predecessor networks along with newer programs.[20][21] To coincide with this change, the station changed its call sign to WPCW on April 3[22] and rebranded itself as "Pittsburgh's CW" in August. The network launched on September 18, 2006.
WPCW's analog transmitter was 35 mi southeast of Jeannette. This provided city-grade coverage to Johnstown and "rimshot" coverage to Pittsburgh. As a result, it was barely viewable over-the-air in many low-lying areas in the northern and western parts of the city and could not be seen at all in the city's western suburbs. When it applied to move the channel 19 license to Jeannette, Venture sought and received a waiver from the FCC rule requiring a station's transmitter to be no farther than 15 mi from the city of license. It successfully contended that there was no way it could build an analog tower within the 15-mile limit without interfering with WOIO in Cleveland. However, WPCW built its digital transmitter in Pittsburgh's Perry North section, on some of the highest ground in the city. On June 12, 2009, coinciding with the national transition to digital television, WPCW turned off its analog transmitter near Jennerstown and began broadcasting its digital signal from its new transmitter in Pittsburgh.
The relocation of WPCW's transmitter now provides Pittsburgh with city-grade coverage, in addition to greater coverage west of the city, but has left many viewers east of Westmoreland County (who were able to pick up WPCW's analog signal) without a viewable signal. However, few, if any, viewers lost access to WPCW's programming. For years, CBS has fed a direct fiber signal to both Comcast and Verizon FiOS.[23] Additionally, WPCW signed on a translator in Johnstown to retain coverage to that area and still included Johnstown as part of its station identification. WPCW is one of three former CBS affiliates that have since become CW stations owned by CBS, along with WTVX in West Palm Beach, Florida, and KSTW in Seattle. However, WTVX was later divested to Cerberus Capital Management's Four Points Media Group (the Four Points Media stations are now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns Pittsburgh stations WPGH-TV and WPNT).
By way of extended cable coverage, WPCW remained available in the Johnstown–Altoona–State College television market as its default CW affiliate until September 16, 2019, when WJAC-TV converted of its fourth digital subchannel into a CW Plus affiliate.[24][25]
On December 4, 2019, CBS Corporation and Viacom remerged into ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global).[26]
