KWQC-TV

KWQC-TV is a television station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, serving the Quad Cities region on both sides of the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 6 and is affiliated with NBC. Its studios are located in the historic WOC Broadcast Centre on Brady Street in downtown Davenport, while its transmitter is in Bettendorf, Iowa. KWQC is owned by Gray Media and operates as one of the principal local news providers in the Davenport–Moline–Rock Island market. The station began broadcasting on October 31, 1949, as WOC-TV. It was the first television station to begin regular operations in Iowa and the first in the Quad Cities. Its original owner, Central Broadcasting Company, was controlled by chiropractor and broadcaster B. J. Palmer, whose media interests also included WOC radio in Davenport and WHO in Des Moines. Consistent with the radio station, WOC-TV joined NBC at launch. In its earliest period, the station carried only a few hours of programming each evening and relied heavily on locally produced material because network programs initially arrived as film recordings rather than through a live network connection. Local output included news, children's programs, quiz and audience shows, sports, music programs, and other community-oriented features. WOC-TV expanded rapidly after live network connectivity became available in 1950. The station also increased its technical reach, moving from channel 5 to channel 6 in 1953 and raising its effective power to the maximum permitted level. A major physical investment followed in the early 1960s. The WOC Broadcast Centre opened in 1963 on Brady Street, providing television and radio studios, newsroom space, and facilities for large-scale local productions. The modernist building later became a notable Davenport landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. Local news has been central to the station's identity. By the 1970s, WOC-TV had become the dominant news station in the Quad Cities, at times attracting more than half of the metropolitan television audience. Its position was supported by extensive Iowa coverage, long-running local personalities, morning and afternoon news expansion, and programming tailored to viewers on both sides of the river. The station's afternoon program, originally 5 P.M. Live and later Paula Sands Live, became a prominent part of its schedule. After longtime host Paula Sands retired in 2023, the program continued under the name Quad Cities Live. The call sign changed from WOC-TV to KWQC-TV on December 6, 1986, after the station's ownership was separated from WOC radio. The new calls referenced the Quad Cities and complied with the traditional distinction between K and W call signs around the Mississippi River. Ownership subsequently passed through Broad Street Television Corporation, Young Broadcasting, and Media General. Gray Television, now Gray Media, acquired the station in 2017 after regulatory considerations associated with Media General's broader transactions made it necessary for Nexstar to divest KWQC. KWQC has also participated in local media partnerships. From late 2012 through late 2015, it produced a 9 p.m. newscast for Fox affiliate KLJB. That arrangement ended when ownership and news-production relationships in the market changed following Nexstar's acquisition of WHBF-TV. Technically, the station introduced a digital signal in 2003, ended analog broadcasting in 2009, and later changed its digital radio-frequency channel as part of the United States spectrum-repacking process. Its continuing role combines NBC network programming, local news, weather, sports, community reporting, digital publishing, and other broadcast services for the Quad Cities market.

KWQC-TV traces its history to Central Broadcasting Company's application to the Federal Communications Commission in March 1948 for a Davenport television station. The company was controlled by B. J. Palmer and already operated WOC radio. The FCC approved the application in June 1948. Construction proceeded during a period in which the federal government was preparing a nationwide review of television channel allocations and technical standards. The station's Bettendorf transmitter was completed in September 1949, and test transmissions reached communities well beyond the Quad Cities. Regular service began on October 31, 1949, under the call sign WOC-TV. This made it the first television station in Iowa. It launched as an NBC affiliate, reflecting WOC radio's network relationship. The station initially broadcast for only a few hours a night and did not air on Saturdays. Because a direct network feed was not initially available, some network material was distributed as kinescoped film. The limitation encouraged substantial local production, including music, quiz, children's, audience, sports, and entertainment programs. Live network service arrived in September 1950, enabling WOC-TV to expand from approximately 28 hours per week to more than 65 hours by the end of that year. The station became profitable within 13 months and soon generated more advertising revenue than WOC radio. In 1953, following the FCC's post-freeze channel revisions, WOC-TV moved from channel 5 to channel 6 and increased power from 25,000 watts to 100,000 watts. The station continued to build its technical infrastructure, including a much taller Bettendorf tower in 1961 and a jointly used 1,383-foot tower in 1982. A major institutional development was the opening of the WOC Broadcast Centre in downtown Davenport in 1963. Built on Brady Street, the facility included television studios, radio studios, and newsroom operations. Its largest studio was designed for audience productions and included a turntable. Local color programming began in 1967 after the station acquired color cameras. The Broadcast Centre remains closely associated with the station and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. After B. J. Palmer's death in 1961, the Palmer family's broadcasting interests went through several ownership reorganizations. David Palmer's death in 1977 led to a transfer of Palmer Broadcasting to a consortium that later operated as Palmer Communications. In 1986, Vickie Miller and Doug Miller acquired WOC and KIIK radio under Signal Hill Communications. As part of that separation, the television station adopted the KWQC-TV calls on December 6, 1986. The call sign used the initials associated with the Quad Cities and distinguished the station from the separately owned WOC radio operations. Palmer Communications subsequently acquired a larger-market Oklahoma City station and sold KWQC-TV in 1989. Broad Street Television Corporation owned the station until 1995, when Young Broadcasting acquired it. Young expanded and adjusted local news offerings over the following years. The station launched its morning newscast, Quad Cities Today, in 1989 and gradually lengthened it. In 1993, its afternoon program became Paula Sands Live, named for its longtime host. The program went through schedule changes and eventually continued as an afternoon local-information program. Media General acquired Young Broadcasting in 2013. During the subsequent consolidation of Media General and Nexstar interests, ownership rules prevented Nexstar from retaining both KWQC-TV and WHBF-TV in the same market. KWQC-TV was therefore sold to Gray Television, with the transaction completed in January 2017. Gray later became known as Gray Media. The station remains an NBC affiliate with studios in Davenport and a transmitter in Bettendorf. KWQC's local-news operation has generally been its defining competitive asset. It established a dominant ratings position by the 1970s and mounted expanded coverage in response to competition from WHBF-TV and WQAD-TV. The station added and revised morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend newscasts over time. It also produced a 9 p.m. newscast for KLJB from 2012 through 2015. On the technical side, KWQC began digital transmission in 2003, ended analog broadcasting in 2009, and moved its digital signal from UHF channel 36 to channel 17 in 2019 as part of the national spectrum-reallocation program.

1. 2023Paula Sands retires

   Longtime host Paula Sands leaves the station, and Paula Sands Live continues under the name Quad Cities Live.

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2. 2021Broadcast Centre receives historic designation

   The WOC Broadcast Centre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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3. 2017Gray acquisition completed

   Gray completes its purchase of KWQC-TV after the station is divested in connection with Nexstar's ownership position in the market.

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4. 2013Media General acquires Young Broadcasting

   KWQC-TV becomes part of Media General through its acquisition of Young Broadcasting.

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5. 2009Analog transmission ends

   The station completes the United States digital television transition and broadcasts digitally on UHF channel 36.

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6. 2003Digital broadcasting begins

   KWQC-TV starts transmitting a digital signal on UHF channel 56.

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7. 1995Young Broadcasting acquisition

   Young Broadcasting acquires KWQC-TV for a reported $55 million.

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8. 1989Broad Street ownership begins

   KWQC-TV is sold by Palmer Communications to Broad Street Television Corporation.

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9. 1986KWQC-TV name adopted

   The station changes its call sign from WOC-TV to KWQC-TV after the television and radio properties separate.

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10. 1963WOC Broadcast Centre opens

    A large downtown Davenport broadcast facility opens on Brady Street.

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11. 1953Move to channel 6

    The station changes from channel 5 to channel 6 and increases its effective power to 100,000 watts.

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12. 1949WOC-TV launches

    Regular programming begins on October 31, making the station Iowa's first television broadcaster.

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A long-established, locally focused NBC affiliate positioned as a leading source of news, weather, sports, and community information for the Quad Cities.

• NBC programmingNetwork television affiliation1949

  KWQC-TV carries programming from NBC as the network's Quad Cities affiliate. The relationship dates to the station's original launch as WOC-TV in 1949 and remains the foundation of its general-entertainment schedule outside locally produced programming.

• KWQC local newsTelevision news1949

  The station's local-news operation covers Davenport and the broader Quad Cities market, including communities in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Its output includes morning, midday, afternoon, evening, weekend, weather, sports, and digital reporting, and has historically been the station's principal competitive strength.

• Quad Cities TodayMorning newscast1989

  Quad Cities Today is KWQC's morning news franchise. It began in 1989 at 6:30 a.m. and expanded over time to earlier starts and longer durations. The program has included local news, weather, traffic, interviews, and community information.

• Quad Cities LiveAfternoon local program2023

  Quad Cities Live is the successor to Paula Sands Live, the station's long-running afternoon program. It combines local interviews, lifestyle coverage, community features, and news-oriented content, retaining the afternoon format after Paula Sands retired in 2023.

• Digital broadcast serviceDigital terrestrial television2003

  KWQC-TV's digital service began in 2003. After the 2009 analog shutdown, the station operated on UHF channel 36 and later moved to channel 17 in 2019 as part of the nationwide spectrum repacking following the wireless spectrum auction.

• 2019Relocate digital transmission channelOther

  The United States spectrum auction and subsequent repacking required many broadcasters to change their digital radio-frequency assignments.

  What changed. KWQC-TV moved its digital signal from UHF channel 36 to channel 17, with temporary low-power operating requirements to avoid interference.

  Aftermath. The station continued using virtual channel 6 for viewers while operating on its new physical digital channel.

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• 2017Sell KWQC-TV to GrayM&A

  Nexstar's acquisition of Media General created an ownership conflict because Nexstar already owned WHBF-TV in the same market.

  What changed. KWQC-TV was divested to Gray Television in a transaction completed on January 17, 2017.

  Aftermath. KWQC-TV became part of Gray's nationwide local television portfolio and continued as an NBC affiliate.

  Reported transaction value for KWQC-TV and WBAY-TV. $270 million (Sale completed January 17, 2017)

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• 1986Separate the television and radio identitiesStrategy

  The Palmer family's WOC radio and television properties were being separated under new ownership arrangements.

  What changed. WOC-TV adopted the KWQC-TV call sign, using a Quad Cities reference and distinguishing the television station from WOC radio.

  Aftermath. The new identity became the station's enduring brand while the radio operations moved separately from the Broadcast Centre.

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• 2023Paula Sands retires from KWQC

  After decades as a prominent local host, Paula Sands retired and the afternoon program continued as Quad Cities Live.

  Leadership change
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• 2017Gray acquires KWQC-TV from Media General

  Gray acquired KWQC-TV as part of a divestiture connected with Media General's transactions and broadcast ownership limits.

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• 1986Station adopts the KWQC-TV call sign

  Following the separation of the television and radio operations, WOC-TV changed its calls to KWQC-TV, referencing the Quad Cities.

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• 1949KWQC-TV begins broadcasting as WOC-TV

  The station launched on October 31 as Iowa's first television station and an NBC affiliate.

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1. KWQC-TV
2. KWQC-TV official website